I was surprised to say the least to see all the fall mums being sold at our local fruit stands and grocery stores. Another sign of an impending early fall season. Local flower gardens are sporting blossomed hibiscus and our 20-year old pin oak tree out in the front yard contains many clusters of acorns – for what Ron and I believe to be the first time, ever! And, our black walnut tree is peppered with nuts, both of which must be signs of an early winter. However, the television weather reporters tell us we are in for several days of hot, humid and sticky days this week right on into Labor Day on this coming Monday. That will mean a hot weekend for tractor pullers at the annual event at Morris Old Home Day.
My many thanks go out to my mother-in-law Beverly for giving me a nice basket full of peaches part of which she picked up this past week at a local orchard. I made sure I chopped and froze an amount that is enough to make a batch of jam for the upcoming church bazaar in October. I’m not sure what variety they are, but they’re certainly very sweet and delicious. I’ve taken several in my lunch to work.
Sympathies are extended to the Smith family in Canton and to the Brown family in the Troy area. Both have suffered great tragedies this past week losing loved ones.
Last Sunday’s special music at church was another returning favorite. Heidi Monro sang the popular hymn “How Great Thou Art” and it was so beautiful. It was nice to see she brought along her daughter as well – a cute little toddler indeed.
I picked up a strip of “Forever” stamps at our post office this week and was tickled to see a new one sporting pictures of nostalgic-looking seed packets. I just love stuff like that – I have several tins displayed around the house with that kind of old fashioned similar scene.
We were told that Tricia Hojnowski and Emily Ferguson both qualified for PA State 4-H competition in horsemanship. Congratulations ladies!
It’s so hard to believe that it’s September already. We will be ¾ of the way through the year at the end of the month. I can’t believe I’ll be turning 62 at that time (the 30th) and will be signing up for Social Security benefits. After many conversations with folks in the know, and also between my husband Ron and myself, I’ve decided to take the early retirement package rather than wait until I’m 67 to begin withdrawing benefits. I signed up on line and have already received back acknowledgements from the government, so apparently I did in fact do it correctly. When a person from the Social Security department called me on the phone to verify one of the questions I answered, I took the opportunity to ask them a question. I asked if I would have to continue paying out social security – from my weekly paycheck – if I continued to work part time after I started drawing monthly benefits. She quickly answered “OF COURSE! EVERYBODY HAS TO PAY IN TO SOCIAL SECURITY!” OK! Thank you! She went on to say that maybe I would be making so much money and paying so much in that my monthly benefit amount would increase. (Yeah, right). Anyway, I’m looking forward to the start of collecting as I think of my father Max who passed away at 61 years of age and never got to collect from the decades of paying into that system.
When Julius Caesar decided to start the year with January instead of March, September, named as the seventh (septem) month, kept its name but not its position. “Full Harvest Moon” is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. If September’s moon turns full early in the month, it is usually called the “Full Barley Moon” instead, and the harvest moon moves to October. September is National Biscuit Month, National Chicken Month, National Honey Month, National Rice Month, and Better Breakfast Month. On September 2, 1789, the U.S. department of the Treasury was established. Also on the 2nd, in 1945, Japan formally surrendered to the United States aboard the battleship “Missouri”. On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Revolutionary War. On September 4, 1888, George Eastman patented a camera that used rolls of film. On September 6, 1620, the Pilgrims left England for America.
Quote by Benjamin Franklin: “Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life”.
Food for thought: Urgent things are seldom important. Important things are seldom urgent.