Ricker Rumblings
by Lois Downing
Happy New Year everybody! May your 2009 year be filled with love, joy and peace, also good health. Can’t believe it is 2009! Where do the minutes go?
Nice to see everybody again after my week in the Bangor area visiting my daughter, Kathryn Hall. I had a good vacation.
Good to know that Priscilla Brownlow is back from the hospital in Presque Isle, after undergoing surgery. Heard she is doing well.
Lots of our friends have colds now and trying to get rid of them. If not colds, other maladies that are nuisances.
I must write about Bunny Stewart, who died in Smyrna a few weeks ago. Bunny was a special person. She lived in Houlton for a time, too. Everybody loved her. She brought joy to her friends. When I was in the hospital with surgery, she wrote me a long letter. She wrote many letters and sent many cards. She also made potholders and many other articles and gave them all away. She was generous. My sympathy goes out to her family. We will miss Bunny and many will say the same thing.
I received a Christmas card and note from Jane Grant who lives in Sherman. Her grandmother used to live here and she visited often. We became friends. She reads “Ricker Rumblings,” so hello and best regards to Jane.
Here is something you may be interested in: the National Do Not Call Registry. Put your name on this list to stop most telemarketing calls. (You can’t stop calls from charities, politicians, or companies you’ve done business with in the past 18 months.) Call 888-382-1222 or go to www.donotcall.gov. Your number stays in the registry for five years. The first registrations will start expiring next year. This can be a deterrent for many calls.
Now here is some news about Meals on Wheels. Milk will be delivered on Tuesdays, most of the time. Coffee will be served at the dining center for those who plan to eat there. Have you been in lately? For those not eating in the dining room, your meals will be delivered at your door. You can have either frozen or hot. I have found them to be quite nutritious and adequate for my appetite. There are no hot meals on holidays, but you can have a frozen meal for that day, to be delivered the day prior to the holiday. If school is cancelled due to weather, there will be no meal on that day. For those who request, a frozen meal can be delivered on Thursday for eating on Friday or when you wish. You can actually receive up to 7 meals in a week if you wish. The menu consists of up to 18 different meals. Come and try it. The cost is $2.50.John Walker is the new director of Meals on Wheels. His phone number is 415-1688. They are doing a good job, I might add.
TOPS #ME 233
Take Off Pounds Sensibly #233 of Houlton met at the Aldergate building on High Street for its first meeting of the new year.
Joyce Estey led the meeting with 15 ladies attending and six of those were KOPS. Charlotte Marley was the official greeter and loser of the week was Elinor Harvey, with Joanne Scott as runner-up.
Janette Nelson was the winner of the 50/50 with Melva Folsom winning the mystery gift. The skinny dish was held over.
We registered our walking miles and Joyce reported that we have 822 miles of walking to return to Houlton.
Joanne Scott and Janette Nelson gave reports and Lois Downing read the minutes of the last meeting.
Joyce read a copy of “It’s my time.” Denise Kinney read some facts on KOPS. Joyce related how good it felt to distribute the gifts collected by TOPS 233 to the Salvation Army. They were gratefully received.
Melva Folsom, charm lady, presented the following charms: for 6 weeks no gain, Anita Nason; leeway for October: Lois Downing, Melva Folsom, Barbara Grant, Donna Parent, Betty Ivey, Charlotte Marley and Janette Nelson.
The next meeting will be Jan. 9 and then we will meet at Smoki Haulers clubhouse in Oakfield at 11 a.m. for a dinner that was postponed because of weather. Please bring a gift, no more in value than $1.
Weigh-in is at 8-8:45 a.m. andmeeting is from 9-10 a.m. Everyone is welcome. For information on the chapter you may call Charlotte Marley at 757-8483.
