Concert at Redmen Hall on Saturday

BACK TO WET AND COLD--As this week begins we've got some sun breaks amongst the cloud bursts, so this Sunday wasn't a total washout. It was a bummer to have those nice Fall days come to an end last week. While it made for a perfect opportunity to do some of that last minute cleaning outside, my efforts only landed me at the doctor's office with a nasty sinus infection which led to a painful ear infection. This caused me to miss many things last weekend, and I felt bad about that, but with the "cure" causing me to almost feel worse than I was to begin with, it was just a "have to" when it came to staying home.

TIME CHANGE--Did you remember to "fall back" this weekend? Hopefully you got to take advantage of the time change and enjoyed that extra hour of sleep. Now if we can only get our internal clocks to change with the ones on the wall.Did you have a funny "time change" story? Give me a call and tell me about it!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from November 10-17 are Lynda Jensen, Jonnie Knowles, Ray Lindsey, Jeff Hedges, Mark Helms, Joyce Hoven, Ty Briscoe, Pat Ohrberg, Ashley Helms, Hap Anderson, Rory Heywood, Jody Havens, Samantha Havens, Katie Watson, Roberta Trotter, Deloris Lyon, James Pedersen, Julianne Bell, LuAnn Davison and Kylian Cochran. Happy Birthday to all of you! Belated birthday wishes to Skip Irving, Patty Hosley Shanahan and cousin, Linda Palmer Spieth, all of which I forgot to mention last week. Happy Anniversary wishes to Charlie and Kay Buennagel this Sunday. Enjoy your special day!

GET WELL--Judy Garrison is home from the hospital but still feeling punk so we want to send our heartiest "get 100 percent well soon" wishes to her. I heard about several folks who were feeling under the weather lately, and for those who would like to remain nameless, we wish you all perfect health real soon.

THIS WEEKEND--This Saturday evening, November 13, from 7 to 9 p.m., you can meet Alexa Wiley, who is a regional songwriter and poet, and Dave Densmore, a renowned Fisher Poet, at Redmen Hall, as the Friends of Skamokawa presents this concert benefit at the low price of $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors and $5 for those under 12. Also that evening, David Myers and Judy VanderMaten will be on hand to talk about their photograpy exhibit, so it's a "two for one" event. The members of the FOS hope you will come and enjoy this evening of entertainment and help support the continuing effort to keep the doors of the historic Redmen Hall open.

EARLIER THAT DAY--If you are looking for something to do earlier in the day, a trip across the ferry Wahkiakum will take you to the Knappton Cove Heritage Center, which is holding their "November on the North Shore" event this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This was the US Public Health Services Quarantine Station from 1899 - 1938, our Columbia River version of the East Coast's "Ellis Island" and it's listed in the US Registry of Historic Places. Learn all about this historic spot by visiting the museum and taking the tours around the grounds. Your donations to get in will hopefully provide the funding to replace the deteriorating porches on the old "pesthouse," which was what they called the quarantine hospital in those days. If you're already in Astoria, the place is located just three miles from the end of the bridge going upriver.

COMING UP--You know Christmas is coming soon when St. James Family Center holds their annual Holiday Bazaar, and it's coming up November 19 from 1 to 7 p.m., and November 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a place for the whole family as there's food, gifts, games and the kids' store, where anyone under 12 can go in and buy gifts for a dollar or less and get their gifts wrapped as well. You can call the center or stop by the center with your donations for the "store" as well, as I'm sure they could use some more items for the kids to choose from. Want to make sure they need your donation/wrapping paper? Call 795-8612.

TIME FOR TREES--November 26 through December 17, the Sixth Annual Festival of Trees event will take place at the Hotel Cathlamet. You can pick up entry forms at the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce at 102 Main Street in Cathlamet, and all of you businesses or organizations can put together a fantastic tree which will then be voted on, with the winner receiving a prize and of course, then there's the silent auction part where the highest bidder takes home the tree they bid on, if their price is the last/highest on the list! So, get those thinking caps on and get your tree ready to be entered today!

ALMOST SAME TIME--November 2 -December 19, Redmen Hall will host their Silver Jubilee Holiday Open House and Bazaar. They've got some special events going on this month, with the first three days of the event taking place the day after Thanksgiving. The Friends of Skamokawa will start their Open House with three guests, each of those three days, beginning with talented musician, songwriter, entertainer, Sunrise Fletcher, who will play from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that Friday.Doors will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Performing on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon will be our very own Rick Nelson on his guitar and that afternoon, author, Donna Gatens-Klint will be there from 1 to 3 p.m. You can get her latest cookbook and get her to sign it, which would make for an ideal Christmas gift! On Sunday, from 1 to 3 p.m., another local author, Bob Pyle, will be on hand to sign his books, so there's another great gift idea as he's written about everything from butterflies to bigfoot and in between. Come and check out Redmen Hall in all its holiday glory on the last weekend of this month and the first half of December. The original holiday coloring book by local artist, Dory Hicks, is making a return.

BIG WIN--Annette Healy Miller announced that her niece Kayla and her fiance Kenny, were the recent winners of an Escape to Maui Wedding Contest put on by Pacific Wedding Magazine, and so naturally everyone in the family is thrilled for them. What a way to start a marriage! Besides the trip, they'll be featured in the magazine, so lots of special doings to make their wedding day one of the most memorable ever!

VETERANS' DAY--Don't forget that tomorrow (Thursday) is Veterans Day.If you know a Vet, thank him for his service to his country and please say a little prayer and include a thank you to all of those young men and women who are currently serving our country in various parts of the world today. To Veterans everywhere, bless you!

CARDS--I hope your group, or individuals will remember the folks in the nursing home by passing out Christmas cards; they'd truly love receiving them!

OUT OF THE PAST--In 1960 this week, the weather went back and forth between being nice and being wet and then on the 14th, they got a real Fall day with wind and hail. That same day, Clark Gable, "King of the movies," died. Ralph Pedersen was taking flying lessons and took wife, Peggy, up. He was going to be taking lessons in Troutdale next week and asked his grandparents if they wanted to go along for a ride. Rosemary Wolverton from Klamath Falls came by as did Esther Wendell and Helen Kaiser, who all enjoyed tea and cake at Grandma Elsie's house. Grandma was felling bum so only Grandpa Everest went to the Grange meeting; he was elected Chaplain when they elected officers that day, November 16.

It was a pretty wet week around the area in 1965, until the last day when it was really nice all day, but started raining around 11 p.m. On that day in California, the worst rains hit the coast in 80 years and it had been pouring for four straight days. Los Angeles had almost four inches of rain and Burbank had 1.32 inches in six hours, which is a lot in California! Highways were flooded and streets were closed while the creeks spilled over the banks. Back East along the great lakes, it was blowing like crazy and there were warnings from New England to the Carolinas. Meanwhile in Roseau, Minnesota, it was 10 below zero; in Grandma's home town, it was one degree above zero. While all this miserable weather was going on, Florida was basking in 75 degree weather. While Grandma wasn't feeling good, she still managed to make dinner, called folks about the Loyalty dinner that was being planned and started filling in her new address book, after going to church of course. A few days later, Elsie Everest and daughter, Marian went to the Johnsons to use the brand new laundromat. It cost Grandma $1.25 to do up all her "heavy" clothes. After that, she and Marian went to dinner at Jim's Cafe where daughter Carol was working. She was very busy. It was "Election of Officers" time at the Grange that week, and by the time they did business and enjoyed their potluck dinner, it was 11 p.m. All this according to Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.