“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

The Romans 12 verse written above has two of my favorite words in it, “Joy” and “Hope.” I often find a lot of joy in my days, and I often say, “There is always hope.”

Last week, the construction workers were busy, banging and hopping around the site of the new medical clinic east across the street.

Pam (Lane) Hockett, our country neighbor, died and recently was buried in the Eads cemetery. Her daughter, Terri Pettijohn of Farmington, New Mexico, wrote to me last week and sent me a black-and-white photo of my sister, Virgyln, and me with Pam when we were about seven and nine years old, standing by our country home holding large bouquets of lilacs. Now those are happy memories of our childhood. Art and June Blooding and their five daughters lived in the Lane home after the Lanes moved away.

What fun we had with the Eads third grade students when they came to visit us last Tuesday with their teacher, Charlene Gifford. Joanna Beck from Sheridan Lake, who works here, bought and paid for pumpkins from the popular Harris Pumpkin Patch farm for the children to paint.

At the senior citizens lunch there were 63 or more people who came for the chicken-fried steak dinner. It was so good, with delicious vegetable dishes, desserts, and rolls. Our director, Gail Voss, was no doubt really tired after that day. Now she is even more tired because the dishwasher broke down and she has been hand-washing a lot of those dishes for several days! Thanks to dear Konda Howard, who went to help her! Konda is so happy to have her son, Glen, here for a visit from Oklahoma, where he is a doctor. Konda’s daughter, Bylie Jo, is the new Eads postmaster.

We were pleased to have a former Eads man here to talk to us at the senior citizen center. He was Stacy, known to most people as Frank Crow. After many years of owning a thriving Pueblo Mall business, he retired but didn’t like sitting around at home. When he inquired about a job, he and Jennifer (Johnson) Boyd discovered that they were both from Eads. Frank is now a health insurance agent for our area. His calling card is at our senior center.

Other presenters were Betsy (Legg) Barnett and new Superintendent Randy Hollman. They told us important information about why it is so important to vote YES for 4A. The superintendent said he couldn’t tell us how to vote, but Betsy said in her role we should vote yes because it is so important to our students and it saves us, citizens and homeowners, money over time.

It is wonderful to see several junior and senior students who come from the high school for about an hour or more in a work-study program to observe employees of Weisbrod Memorial County Hospital and, in most cases, help perform the tasks of care, depending on the profession or training of the employee. It is a great opportunity for the students to ask questions of the employees as well as the residents or patients. I notice this also gives them a chance to ask advice or questions about colleges or training programs, or about salaries and funding an education. We are so impressed with the good manners of these Eads students.

Early Thursday morning we saw Brenda Leon, activity director of Weisbrod Health, directing Jeremy Brown where she wanted the long tables set on the patio, and soon they were taping pretty red-and-white checked tablecloths on them. At noon we went out on the patio deck to select our fried chicken lunch, and after lunch we went into a dark dining room that was set up as a “drive-in movie,” and there we watched “Sandlot Mystery.” Afterward we had a delicious piece of carrot wedding cake. The small dining room was the scene of a lovely wedding reception, held for the sake of Andra Downey’s mother, Louise, when Andra and Terry Widener of Granada were married. We are pleased for them. They have been coming here to visit Louise.

The Down East Boys gospel singers have come to Eads yearly for over 30 years. This year they recorded a new album in Kent Frazee’s home. Their friend, Jimmy Brown, chose to play Kent’s grand piano rather than his own. Liz Hulteen, who made a sumptuous meal for all those who were recording, showed me photos of the lovely room and piano where the men sang. The Down East Boys have fans who come to Eads from long distances to hear their beautiful gospel concert at Praise Community Church. It was the most inspirational concert I have ever enjoyed! Some people like buying shirts, records, and tapes from the Down East Boys, who have come here every fall for over 30 years.

Sing for joy and be glad all our days! Psalm 90:14