Mar 5 - I didn't get a menu for today. The 50/50 for $9.00 was won by Donna Rowton. There will be an Area II meeting in Harlowton on March 20th for anyone who would like to go. The Honor Society kids will be here on March 19. They were supposed to be here next week on the 12th, but it was moved back a week. Cassie won “senior of the month”. Whoever wins the 50/50 pulls a number out of the bucket. Patti has a layout of the tables and the place settings all have a number. Whatever number is pulled out, whoever is sitting at that place, wins senior of the month.
Mar 12 - Today is our St Patty’s Day meal. We had corned beef, cabbage and carrots, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, pistachio salad, and apple crisp for dessert. There were twenty-two members who enjoyed our lunch today.
There were shamrock table favors made by the Flatwillow Homemaker group. March 22 (Sunday) there will be bingo at 1:00. All proceeds from our bingo games goes to the swimming pool. Luann gave an update on what is needed at the pool.
Jim Johnke told about the annual dinner for Fergus Electric. It will be June 4. There will be a dinner meeting next Thursday in Grass Range to choose someone to run on the board from our area (Area 4). This will be for the board of directors for Fergus Electric.
Area II council meeting will be on the 20th in Harlowton. Donna Lund and Jean Cook are planning on attending. Anyone who would like to go is welcome. Luann won the 50/50 for $7.50.
Linda and Melody are putting on a sewing/quilting day on March 31. It will be at the courthouse. There are flyers put up so if you are interested, please come down. They are not teaching a class; it is for anyone who would like to quilt or sew and visit. Bring your own lunch and drinks. Please come join us for a day of sewing and quilting.
Due to the shelter in place guidelines and the coronavirus, seniors had been cancelled for the next several weeks. However, Patti and Cassie came in and made take-out lunches for anyone who lives in town. I don’t know who all helped deliver but thank you to Patti and Cassie for making delicious lunches, Luann and whoever else helped to deliver. We have the best community and crew that takes care of each other.
March 19 - Taco Soup
March 26 - Goulash
April 2 - Hot Beef Sandwiches
April 9 - Soup and Salad
These were all our take out meals. They will continue to do take out meals for anyone in town as long as the shelter in place is in effect. Thank you all
Donna Lund has been coming in the last 4 Thursdays and working for Bill Menenger, who was in the hospital in Billings, and is now in rehab. He hopes to be released to come home on Monday, the 13th. Thank you to Donna for filling in as judge while Bill has been gone.
The Area II meeting in Harlowton has been cancelled as well as the honor society kids coming to seniors. Any type of gathering or school function has been cancelled due to the shelter in place. Please stay safe and healthy everyone. Let’s follow the guidelines and we’ll soon be back to having our meetings and lunches together. Happy Easter!
Winnett Flatwillow News
Flatwillow Homemakers met in the meeting room at the apartments on March 10, 2020. Linda Gershmel was the hostess. There were 10 members present and 2 absent. There was one guest, Denise Seilstad. She is the county agent from Lewistown. She did a presentation on Opioid Addiction. She had very good information for us and handed out several pamphlets with information on symptoms, resources for help, and recovery. She handed out a statewide summary report on current perceptions, behaviors & prevention strategies of prescription opioid misuse. She also had a book titled “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions” that she gave to anyone who would like one. It is so nice she is able to come to Winnett and give wonderful programs. Denise is retiring in June, so we are especially happy we were able to have her come to our meeting. She usually makes it out once a year and always has wonderful information. We will miss her but wish her the best as she moves on to another adventure.
Jean led the pledge to the flag, Sandi read the thought for the day furnished by Linda. It was called “Irish Proverb”. Roll call was answered with your favorite garden vegetable. Melody reported on the May meeting. It will be at Gari King’s on May 10. It will include a luncheon and a tour of their guest house, which is an old house they have fixed up. Our quilt is at the quilter’s being put together. It may take 6 weeks to complete. I am exited to see the finished quilt.
Under new business there was a discussion of our April meet It was supposed to be at the meeting room at the apartments again, but Linda wanted to have it at her house. She provided the meat at the March meeting, but she wasn’t feeling well so didn’t come to the meeting. She was wanting to host April at her home. Thank you, Linda, for your work and effort even though you weren’t feeling well. Luann and Jean also helped set up the meeting room. Thank you all! However, due to the shelter in place guidelines and the coronavirus, our April meeting was cancelled. Now we are waiting to see if we are able to meet in May. Bonnie won the blind pig; everyone bid on the opportunity table and all had a very nice time socializing and catching up on all the news. Jean Cook, Sandy Gonzalez, Luann Knutson, Ginger Moore, Bonnie Moore, Lillian Moore, Florence Wacker, Melody Whitcher, Donna Lund, and Raye Anne Lund were all there. We missed Arlene Bond, and Linda Gershmel.
As everyone is aware, this coronavirus has really changed our normal lives. Schools are cancelled and spring sports are on hold. None of us know what is going on and it is a fearful time for all of us. I think the not knowing what is going to happen or how the virus is going to act makes all of us a bit uneasy. The one good thing I see out of all this, is the time we have with our families. Our lives get so busy with school, sports, work, life in general that sometimes we forget to include our family time. Out here on the ranch, we don’t see much difference in our lives. We usually don’t go anywhere and do much this time of year because we are calving. We also stock up on supplies since we live very rural, and we don’t get away as much again due to calving.
Talking to some of the kids that are doing their school online from home, is that they didn’t realize how much they missed their friends and the interaction with teachers, classmates and other staff. Even those who say they didn’t like school don’t think school is so bad. Kids need that socializing with their friends at school. Sometimes I think that is just as important as academics, maybe even more so. Socializing, being a part of the school and community will go with you forever, even after you are done with school. That is a part of life. I heard it said that we shouldn’t say “social distancing”. Instead we need “physical distancing”. We all need social lives. Keep in contact with your friends by skype, computer, phones. All of us should follow that.
Let’s do whatever we need to do, follow the CDC recommendations and the state of Montana guidelines. The more we follow this, the sooner we can get back to normal. This pandemic will end, our economy will rebound stronger than ever, our lives will get back to whatever normal is for us and we will survive and be stronger. This has been unsettling, scary and so totally different for all of us. Please stay healthy, stay strong, and hang on. It will be a bad memory soon. Let’s learn from this so it never happens again and enjoy your family time.
Happy Easter to everyone!
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