Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
March has shown some fickle ways. Sunday, he swept through the hills, all blow and bluster, bringing very unsettled and colder conditions, including snow. School was on a two- hour delay on Monday. Fickle and unpredictable, he is a big bluff. He storms and rains, snows and blows; and then the sun comes out and shines upon a greening world. When the winds blow, he is drying up the mud that winter left behind. When the mud dries up…one can ride the bicycle, lettuce can be sown, fishing poles grabbed, yards raked, windows washed, curtains laundered, and spring cleaning started.
March brings in Daylight Savings Time, St. Patrick’s Day, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Multiple Personality Day, Middle Name Pride Day, Ear Muff Day, Incredible Kid Day, National Goof Off Day, and National Clam on the Half Shell Day. Time to slow down and smell the daffodils and fresh air!
There are some great blessings to impart in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.”
“For each petal on the shamrock, this brings a wish your way: Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day.”
“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.”
“May luck be your friend in whatever you do, and may trouble be always a stranger to you.”
“May your trouble be less. And your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door.”
The writer wishes all her readers “A Happy St. Patrick’s Day.”
Life’s little instructions to guide one include the following:
- Become the most positive and enthusiastic person.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room.
- Take off shoes when visiting someone’s home.
- Return shopping carts.
- Don’t expect life to be fair.
Saturday was such a gloomy day, bringing at least a half inch of rain. Sunday was quite different. Temperatures really plummeted with a very cold accompanying that. Snow showers brought the reader to recall that it is March with its fickle weather!
Quotes for the week are as follows:
“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something….My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have, to try to make a difference.” — President Jimmy Carter
“The regret of my life is that I have not said ‘I LOVE YOU’ often enough.” — Yoko Ono
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
“There has never yet been an uninteresting life.” — Mark Twain
“I’ve always believed that the most important people on the planet are the ones who plant the seeds and care for the soil where they grow.” — Willie Nelson
Listen to what’s going on at “The Grove.”
Phil Downs visited with K. D. Puffenbarger this past week. He also visited with Pat and Bobby Bodkin.
The first week of the Maple Festival brought folks out; however, the weather was quite nasty. Perhaps the next weekend will prove to be better.
The children in the neighborhood have been busy. Saturday and Sunday was the ball tournament held at the high school, with a beauty pageant and the Winter Formal following on the heels. It is hard to believe that March is halfway over, even though the time change was readily received, bringing in longer evening hours.
A surprise birthday party was held in honor of Rev. Paul Schafer at Faith Lutheran Church Sunday afternoon. A sizeable crowd from the five-point Lutheran parish enjoyed the catered foods served by Dwayne and Karen Propst and the fellowship. To add finality, a blast of snow flurries brought beauty to the scene.
“Pidge” and Charles Andrson attended her brother, Alvin Pratt’s, surprise 70th birthday party at the Ruritan building. The Spencer Hatcher group sang for the occasion which everyone enjoyed.
Mike and Robin DelBiondo of Waynesboro, Virginia, and Ed Rader of Davis were visitors in the home of Willard and Judy Rader.
Quilting for World Relief has come to an end. Each Wednesday morning, knotters arrived at the St. John Lutheran Church’s basement to help bring this to fruition. Boxes have been packed with the 200 quilts that are being sent to assist those experiencing disasters. Many thanks to all the helping hands!
The West Virginia Department of Education hosted nearly 300 students at the 2024 West Virginia Science and Engineering Fair at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on March the 4th. Besides Marion Williams who was mentioned in last week’s column, Dylan Eye (son of Erin and Mike Eye), and Harley Bowers (daughter of Jessica and Stuart Bowers) represented Pendleton County. Congratulations!
This week’s clickety clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
- One in 500 humans has one blue eye and one brown eye.
- The can opener was invented 48 years after the can was.
- No matter how cold it gets, gasoline won’t freeze.
- In 1789, the total U.S. Federal government debt was $190,000.
- Cleopatra wasn’t Egyptian; she was Greek.
Rhonda Nash had a good and busy weekend at the Highland County Maple Festival selling candles. She and Helen also enjoyed a visit from Todd and Cathy Nash of Rhoadesville, Virginia, and Myah Hidalgo and Vadim Barnakov of Richmond, Virginia.
To continue with the March birthdays: Julie Smith, 16th; Gernon Hoover, 17th; Allison Hoover and Jaiden Mitts, 18th; Allen Moats, Virginia Bates and Jean Thompson,19th; Jennifer Hoover, Sharon Harr, Robbie Sites, Cindy Wilkins and David Marsh, 21st; Ken Roberts, Shirley Pratt and Mike Eye, 22nd; Isaac Sponaugle, 24th; Debbie Cayton. 25th; Krista Walls, 26th; Patty Harper, 27th; Andrew Kiser, 29th; Rudy Mitts, 30th; and Gene Boggs and Doyle Moats, Jr., 31st.
Concerns for this week are many. They are as follows: Bob Adamson, Rick Adkins, John Ashley, Roger and Joan Ashley, Mercedes Aumann, Lynn Beatty, “Bo” Boggs, Jane Conrad, Marie Cole, Norma Propst Cunningham, Harold Cupp, Christian Dasher, Isaac Eye, Linda Eye, Marie Eye, Mary Eye, Neal Eye, Loralee Gordon, Lola Graham, Jordan Greathouse, Patsy Green, Rosalee Grogg, JC Hammer, Marlene Harman, Marvin Hartman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Grace Hedrick, Edsel and Mary Ann Hogan, Virgil Homan, Jr., Adelbert Hoover, Keith Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie and Enos Horst, the family of Charlene Simmons Hubbard, Lisa and Mike Jamison, Jessica Janney, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Marsha Keller, Kim Kline, Tracie Knight, Melissa Lambert, Robert Lambert, Ronnie Lambert, Rex Landis, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Ed May, Gary McDonald, Neil McLaughlin, Rose Miller, Bruce Minor, Tom Mitchell, Barbara Moats, Richard Morrison, Aaron Nelson, Marsha Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Cheryl Paine, Wanda Pitsenbarger, Alda Propst, John O. Propst, Kathy Propst, Mike Propst, Sheldon Propst, Tom Rader, Brandon Reel, Charles Rexrode, Jason Rexrode, Jerold “Jerry” Rexrode, Pam Rexrode, Dennis Riggleman, Donna Ruddle, Annie Simmons, Phyllis Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Kent Simmons, Robbie Sites, Mike Skiles, Donnie Smith, the Sarah Smith family, Stanna Smith, Steve Stump, Rosa Tichenor, Sandra Vandevander, Evelyn Varner, Raymond Varner, Amy Vaus, Judy Williams, Ann Wimer and Margaret Wimer.
