Ron and I are still receiving cards expressing sympathy on the passing on my brother, Art Shoemaker. Thanks, everyone, I appreciate your remembering us in our time of loss.
Last Wednesday on my day off, Ron took me to Towanda to run some errands and we were quite surprised to see all the water standing in low lands and the creeks and streams gushing with water all along route 414 especially. With the winds lately we’re in hopes to get the garden tilled and ready for some planting very soon. Those few pots of seeds I started – cucumbers and yellow squash – are sprouted out of the dirt!
Rural Brotherhood is this Thursday, April 16th, hosted by East Canton Methodist Church, starting at 7 PM. All are welcome.
Our Alba Christian Church is hosting a concert by renowned trumpeter Chiz Rider on Sunday evening, April 26th at 6 PM. A “free will” offering will be taken and a dessert bar with refreshments will be served following the concert. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. This is certain to be a fantastic program of musical talent and Christian testimony.
Don’t forget the free breakfast at the Alba Church on Saturday April 25th from 8 to 10 AM.
Last Saturday Ron and I (and Palin, of course) spent the day on the road traveling to West Virginia to pick up a car for a friend of Ron’s. It was just shy of 300 miles, to a place called Newberg. We saw fishermen out dangling their rods at various streams, and we also saw a group gathered around a large tank ready to head out to do some fish stocking. We couldn’t believe how green the yards and fields were getting, even as close as Williamsport. But, as we ventured into Maryland and W. Virginia, even those early flowering trees were sprouting color – like the red bud. As we passed by Mill Hall, PA, I asked Ron what the huge factory was on our right that looked to be deserted. He said it was “Hammermill” – a paper factory, millions of square feet of building, now empty. Imagine the number of jobs lost. So sad. I was surprised when we reached the top of one of the highest points I’ve ever experienced: elevation 2,880 feet, Kiser’s Point, Maryland. We laughed about how often our ears were popping. We also chuckled at some of the names of roads: Pigs Ear Road and White Tail Holler to name a few. When we stopped at one place for fuel, Ron came out and said to me: “You know you’re in West Virginia when you go to use the restroom facilities and its décor is done is camouflage!” Another chuckle for the day. Unfortunately, our first sighting of the year of a ring-necked pheasant was dead along the road – not the best way to welcome spring. All in all, it was a good day to travel and we returned home safe and sound – a 12-hour round trip. And, it was a nice surprise to see that our own daffodils had blossomed during the day.
My many thanks to my husband Ron who got the fruit trees pruned over the weekend! Plus, we are scoping out the yard deciding how we’re going to expand the vegetable garden, and we’re going to plant a shade tree on the west side of the house to help cool in summer, but the final decision on its variety is still out for a vote… Spring is definitely here with warm breezes and sunshine forcing buds. Hopefully, winter doldrums are gone!
Ron and I will celebrate April 17th – International Ford Mustang Day – as this day, 1964, is considered the birthday of the Mustang. A convertible version is on my “bucket list”. April 18, 1934, the first store equipped with public washing machines opened in Fort Worth, Texas – the “LAUNDRY-MAT”! April 19th is “Patriot’s Day” in Massachusetts. Time to plant the peas! (And lettuce). April 22nd is now known as “Earth Day”, which marks the birth of J. Sterling Morton in 1832, founder of Arbor Day. April 23, 1564, marks the birth date of William Shakespeare.
Quote by Benjamin Graham (American economist): “In the short run, the market is a voting machine, but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.”
Food for thought: Time is more valuable than money because time is irreplaceable.