That threat of frost last week was thankfully on the mild side. I covered my pepper plants, brought inside the tray of annuals, and went out back at 5:45 AM and hosed down the apple tree blossoms a bit, but the frost did not seem to be a “killing” frost, so thankfully, I believe we’re okay.
Don’t forget Rural Brotherhood at Alba this Thursday, the 21st, starting at 7 PM. All are welcome.
By the time you read this Election Day will have come and gone. I’m sorry to say that I don’t believe our younger generation gives a hoot about politics and the state of our government affairs. Not only is it quite sad, it’s quite scary to me as well. (Especially as I near retirement age.)
Last Thursday I was able to be a blood donor again through a Red Cross drive held at the Troy Fire Hall. I was told by the volunteers working that it had been on the slow side which is too bad when the need is so intense. It was another quick pump, coming in at little over seven minutes. My next donation appointment is scheduled for September.
As you know, Ron and I are very upset about losing Dr. Kirkowski as our family physician. Thankfully, Ron has found a new doctor, referred by another of his doctors, located in the Wenner Building in Williamsport, right where Ron’s orthopedic surgeon is also located. However, we doubt he will ever replace our beloved “Dr. K”, but we will do our best to keep an open mind.
Pomona Grange was held last Saturday hosted by Windfall Grange and we gathered at the Windfall Methodist Church. Turnout was about average with 26 Grangers. Troy Fair is just around the corner so everyone was reminded to get going on their booth exhibits. I believe they said there will be at least 6 granges setting up booths. Again, where does the time go? During our lunch break I leafed through the church’s memorial book and found several of my relatives listed, including my dad, Max Shoemaker. I am ashamed to say that I did not realize until reading it that he had belonged to the Troy Lions and LeRoy I.O.O F, in addition to other organizations I did know about. And, also, that he was a Journeymen Machinist. I have no excuse other than I was in my early 20’s when dad passed away in 1975, and apparently those things were not of much interest to me at the time. However, now it is treasured memories and information.
As I strolled through the Windfall Cemetery the other day, I saw some unusual names that you never hear of people naming their children today. Many of them are relatives of mine and I came across them in the Shoemaker genealogy in a couple of books. Here are a few: Freegift, Rufus, Guy Detta, Sophrona, Payne, Treat, Augusta, Philander, Cecil, Roscoe, Hilda, Aseneth, Clell, and Pettibone. I could go on and on. It’s this heritage that keeps me here in this area.
Minnequa Grange #754 will hold a regular monthly meeting next Tuesday the 26th at the grange hall at 6PM. This will be the first meeting in several months due to members’ illnesses and injuries.
It’s so hard to believe that May is half over already. We’ll celebrate Memorial Day on the 25th, visiting various cemeteries and will probably attend the special service at Windfall Methodist Church. In recent conversations with friends we agreed that a lot of the younger folks today don’t seem to be interested in honoring those that have passed on by placing flowers on their graves. Just another example of the changing times, I guess.
My niece Shannon was here on Sunday, stopping on her way to Susquehanna to pick up her mom Pat and take her back to Lancaster with her. She had been visiting her sister, Shannon’s Aunt Sandy. She brought me beautiful tomato plants, “Mountain Fresh”, orange peppers, cherry tomatoes, and Spanish onion plants. I got another row of sweet corn planted – I didn’t realize you had to have “2” to pollinate. That little bit of rain we got made the lettuce, radishes, sweet corn (first planting) and green beans pop up out of the ground.
On Monday morning I decided to go to Troy by way of Granville so I could drop off a couple of letters to mail at the post office. When I went inside I heard a loud chorus of “peeps” coming from the back of the office. Boy, did that bring back memories of when I was a youngster growing up in Cowley where my dad ran the store and my mom Lucille was the Postmaster. That time of year when the “peeps” came in – for Rural Delivery – my dad (Max) would holler to me up through the heat register: “Lorelei – peeps are here!” And I would bound down the stairs and go into the post office and stick my finger in the several holes on the sides of the crates to feel their soft, fluffy, down feathers. Again I’ll say, thanks for the memories.
On May 23, 1784, Ben Franklin described his new invention, bifocal glasses. On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened in San Francisco. The 27th marks the anniversary of two great inventions: Cellophane Tape (1930) and the Pop-up Toaster (1919). The 28th is “National Hamburger Day”.
Quote by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: “A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
Food for thought: Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility.