Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
These late spring mornings are a balm for the soul. Before daylight, the song birds are turning up the volume into a full-fledged orchestra. The sun struggles to break through the early morning mist that is draped over these hills. The grass is wet with dew, and the flowers stretch in the morning sunlight.
June brings the day that one honors fathers. It takes both a father and a mother to make a home complete, and one is not more important than the other. However, the father is the spiritual leader, setting the example for the children to follow. It has been said that a father’s role is to teach his son what it is to be a man and to give his daughter the future foundation for future relationships with men. In this modern age, when the family structure seems to be deteriorating rapidly, many, many children are being raised without a father. Many are being raised by their grandparents. What a loss! Fathers, as well as mothers, are needed to guide and train, love and nurture their families.
The worth of a father cannot be measured. A good father’s influence is incalculable, reverberating for generations and shaping the character of his children.
May God bless the fathers of the land and help them to be the fathers who will lead their children on the right path. May God bless fathers everywhere who are striving to raise their children in this turbulent and confused world. They deserve respect and honor.
Perhaps using life’s little instructions at home, a small difference can be made in one’s day-to-day living, to where gentleness, kindness, and gratitude becomes the order of the day:
- Eat meals with one’s family, engaging in conversation of what happened that day with each member.
- Attend family reunions, and visit grandparents. Show love for one’s family.
- Stand for the singing of the national anthem, and for the flag pledge.
- Attend church with one’s children, and say the blessing before each meal.
- Teach children to say “please” and “thank you” and send thank you notes to show gratitude.
- Volunteer for the good of the community. Be an example for one’s children.
- Teach one’s child how to play ball, board games, go fishing, and have fun with the time spent together.
Gentle rains have fallen over the hills and valleys in this community. The gentle rains were just enough to make the gardens flourish. The up-coming week promises temperatures in the 90s, which makes one wish for swimming holes to visit. Working early in the morning would allow for relaxation in the afternoon when temperatures are high.
Quotes for the week are as follows:
“Good manners, common courtesy and conforming to expectations will convey respect” — Holiday Mathis
“Science and the present economy is broken at many levels. Following two years of educational and social disruption, we are facing a mental health crisis.” — Jeffrey Tucker
“How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” — Father Theodore Hesburgh.
“When I grow up, I want to be a father.” — 5-year-old Connor Stevens (when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up)
Sitting on the front porch, on the swing is a wonderful place to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Ava Bowers, daughter of Shaun and Leslie Bowers, enjoyed her first year at 4-H camp this past week.
St. John Lutheran Church’s Saturday evening lawn party is now history. The food was delicious, music was great and perhaps the biggest hit was the bouncy house. Joe and Sharon Benkert of Ocala, Florida, even attended. They have been visiting friends in the area and were returning home Sunday. Joe attended the crew from the USS Liberty’s 55th reunion. This ship was bombed on June 8, 1967, by Israel. It was at this time that even though Joe was wounded, he continued to assist other injured crew members. At this 55th reunion, which was held in Arlington, Virginia, Joe received a Purple Heart.
There were many graduations to speak of. However, the writer wishes to highlight Morgan Hoover’s graduation from Turner Ashby High School. She is the daughter of Tim and Jennifer Hoover of Bridgewater, Virginia, and granddaughter of Roger and Donna Hoover of Franklin and Tom and Paula Mitchell of Sugar Grove. Morgan plans to pursue a degree in business at West Virginia University in Morgantown in the fall.
Marleta and Junior Wimer spent Sunday with Rosalee Grogg. While there, they fulfilled several chores to assist Rosalee. This all comes in handy for her.
Rhonda Nash recently spent a weekend in Fredericksburg, Virginia, celebrating the 40th anniversary of her graduation from Mary Washington College (now the University of Mary Washington). While Rhonda enjoyed reconnecting with friends and classmates, visiting the old and new of the beautiful campus and marveling at how quickly time truly does fly, Helen Nash spent time with daughter and son-in-law, Terri and Greg Lowery of Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Clickety-clacks for the chin waggers:
- On most days, it’s colder at the South Pole than it is at the North Pole.
- Gloves were once worn as a sign of social rank.
- An estimated 200 million visible meteors enter the earth’s atmosphere each day.
- The oceans’ deepest place, off Guam, could submerge the world’s tallest mountain, Mt. Everest.
- The wearing of wigs dates back more than 4,000 years to the time of the ancient Egyptians.
Justin and April Simmons celebrated their 17th anniversary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and then enjoyed a day at Kings Dominion.
The remaining June birthdays are as follows: Ed Troutman and Junior Evick,16th; Bill Nelson and Mary Child, 17th; Jaylee Brubeck, 18th; Carroll Mitchell, 19th; Alda Propst and Jack Koontz, 22nd; Jerry Wimer, 23rd; Benny Nesselrodt and Lester Propst, 24th; Donna Rader and Sheila Lambert, 25th; Bob Hurry, Marshall Harper, Mike Johnson and Don Vandevander, 26th; Amanda Kiser, 27th; Sunette Propst, 28th; Jeanie Koontz, 29th; and Polly Hartman, 30th.
Concerns for this week are many. They are as follows: Charles Anderson, Bill Brackman, Scherry Chambers, Charlotte Copley, Jeff Craig, Jeff Evick, Lee Roy and Ina Evick, Mary Eye, Ron Gilkeson, Barry Gordon, Lola Graham, Missy Harrison, the Steve and Armanda Heavner, Starr Hedrick, Virgil Homan, Jr., Charlie Marie Hoover, Lorena Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie Horst, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Rex Landis, Angela Lung, Linda Malcolm, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Neil McLaughlin, Naomi Michael, Lincoln Moore, Ernie Morgan, Kathy Nelson, Ken and Ruth Nelson, Bennie Nesselrodt, Cheryl Paine, Sutton Parrack, Alda Propst, Betty Lou Propst, Kara Propst, Linda Propst, Nathan Propst, Sheldon Propst, Pam Rexrode, Donna Ruddle, Bernie Sasscer, Barbara Simmons, Emily Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Charlie Sites, Ona Smith, Stanna Smith, Steve Smith, Judy Snyder, Berlie Sponaugle, Patricia Swecker, Rosa Tichenor, Sandra Vandevander, Jack Vogel, Amby Waybright, Jr., Ron White, Judy Williams, Junior Wimer, Larry Wimer, Carol Windett, the people of Ukraine, and the victims of the Uvelda, Texas, massacre.
