” We know that all things work together for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8: 28 (NRSVUE)

I am beginning to type this column Sunday morning so I am guilt ridden because that is a sin to me and God, but I am asking Him to forgive me for allowing myself to go too many of the county fair festivities and have so much fun and then get too tired to stay awake yesterday to type the news as I had planned to do last night.

At this point my little notebook has fallen apart and some pages are coffee stained! I decided I do want to share some of the notes I wrote even if they are out of order now. That is because so many people who don’t live here anymore tell me as soon as they meet me say, “You are the first article I read.” Thursday evening a well-known high school golfer told me that she reads what I write first. Reece Barnett is a charming young lady who takes time to visit her grandmother here.

Thursday morning it took many Weisbrod nursing staff members and volunteers to push ladies in their wheelchairs to the fair breakfast. It was a lovely morning where we saw many friends and all the volunteers who came to cook our meals and the nice ladies of the Courthouse offices who came to make beverages and help with serving we were more grateful I went by myself in my electric chair to the breakfast . This is one of my favorite experiences during Fair time. What I especially like about these gatherings is there are hundreds of people at one time all at ease with cheerful greetings and visiting. Also, we thank the Eads Chamber of Commerce for the organization of the breakfast and ordering the foods and supplies. The key officers and workers of the Chamber and their spouses are Dennis Pearson, Brandon Hoffman, and Jan Richards.

When the Weisbrod staff took many of the residents out to the Fair Grounds, that was a highlight of the week, and the month and the year for many of us. I am delighted to just be in the two exhibit halls to look at the exhibits and commercial displays and to visit with friends and family. There were not as many exhibits in some departments like garden produce and canning and baking where George and Dorothy Ellicott used to have lots and lots of wonderful exhibits. However, Fran Larrew certainly has a marvelous garden. The flowers exhibits were lacking too. Then I remembered that Amy Weirich probably had extra volunteering with grandchildren and not so much time to show her flowers and art.

Since Alice Glover has been doing more traveling. I didn’t know if she would have as many baked goods this year. But that amazing little lady did! She still had some wonderful winning baked goods to show. In August she went with her daughter, Peggy, to Ohio to visit both her granddaughters, daughters, Chevaun Glover Hammer and Chelsea Glover Higgins, and their husbands and grandchildren.

One family that many of us look forward to seeing is the Lujan boys, now men, return. This year, Ron came from Idaho, Kelly from New Mexico, and John from Oklahoma. What fun their friends had with them! They attended every event they could. Little class reunions here and there, decorating Kelly’s pickup for the parade. It’s been 55 years! I was shocked! Where did the years go? People like those students were so fun, and made such wonderful memories for others and me, one of their teachers. Cherie Frazee was the homecoming queen 55 years ago, Bless her heart, she was able to get up and in the back of the truck somehow! Some others I remember were Valorie Briggs, Cheryl Rehm, Connie Crow-Shotton, Tim and Sylvia (Blooding} Weeks, Cathy Davis, Keith Barlow, and many others on the right side of the truck. They and others had gathered together until closing time at the popular “truck stop” near the school to visit, laugh, and share some tears,

Joyce Simmons Shade and her husband were here from Casper, Wyoming. We remembered that I sang at their wedding 59 years ago. Where does time fly to?

It was so good to see Leann Scroggins from Wichita, Kansas. She was glad to connect with friends since she couldn’t come to her class reunion this past August, but she as delighted to get to see some of the lead organizers of that great reunion,

Ron Phillips of Eads had a really nice booth of varied types of animal horns applied to cutlery tools and knives of many sizes, art pieces. Ron said he found most of those horns on prairies and near water pathways.

I do, and we do, so enjoy seeing at the fair Don and Alfreda Brown from Idaho and his younger brother, and Lee and Esther (Lane) Brown from Texas. They enjoy visiting with there their brothers and families around Eads.

Carolyn Voss came down to spend family time with Gail Voss and helped her, Sylvia Weeks, and Joyce Berry host over 60 guests at noon both Friday and Saturday in the senior center for both barbecue lunches so families and friends could get a chance to visit with more people before going out to the rodeo.

What a enjoyable fair this was!