This week at the Senior Center

July 15th - 21st, 2020

“Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” -- John 15:20

Oh my gosh! I wonder how they are going to manage that! I just heard that China is banning screaming on rollercoasters.

I've never been on a rollercoaster and I have no desire to ever get on one but all the people I've seen on them were screaming including my children. I know it is probably an exciting ride but not for me. The ferris wheel was more my speed. I rode on the merry go round a few times thinking I could grab the gold ring but never even saw one. Oh well, that's the way my luck runs.

We used to take in the Kearney County Fair in Minden every year and the kids had fun on the rides. Tickets were reasonable then. My favorite place was the displays of all the hard work everyone had done during the year. My next favorite was the home made ice cream. Imagine that! Then for several years we went to Lincoln to the State Fair. We took the camper and stayed for two or three days. There was so much to see and do you couldn't do it all in one day.

One day we were called to the information desk. One of the guys from the carnival was caught trying to break into the camper. He told that guard that it was his camper but he lost the key so he was trying to break in. They didn't buy that for a minute but we had to tell them if we recognized him. He was arrested. I don't know what happened to him after that. And we went on to enjoy the rest of our State Fair experience.

So, back to the rollercoasters. The first two rollercoasters were built in 1718 in France. They were called the “Russian Mountains of Belleville” and the “Aerial Walk.” The first American rollercoaster was the “Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway,” built in the mountains of Pennsylvania in the mid 1800s. The track was originally built to send coal to a railway but was later reconfigured as a “scenic tour.” For a nickel, tourists got a leisurely ride up to the top of the mountain followed by a wild, bumpy ride back down. This went on for about 30 years and eventually the rollercoaster as we know it now was built.

During the depression rollercoaster building declined but in the 1970s and 80s it was revitalized. They have become popular in amusement parks around the world.

I don't care how popular they are, I'm still not riding one. By the way, you can order a book from Amazon called “The Incredible Scream Machine” that tells all about the rollercoaster for just $96.45. Have fun at the fair this year.

THIS WEEKS BIRTHDAYS AT THE SENIOR CENTER:

Jim Marco and Bruce Blum, 7/15; Donna Fisher and Duane Olsen, 7/17; Hannah Miller and Judy Reha, 7/19.

Birthday dinner will be Wednesday, July 29. John Worsham will be here to entertain us. Dinner is served at 11:30 a.m.

NOW FOR EVENTS AND CHEF STEPHENS MENUS:

Wednesday, July 15: 1 p.m. FROGS; for lunch: Chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and pears.

Thursday, July 16: 9 a.m. FROGS, 9:30 a.m. Miracle Ear; and 1 p.m. cards; for lunch: Turkey noodle casserole, toss salad, stewed tomatoes and apple rings.

Friday, July 17: 1 p.m. cards; for lunch: Cornbread crusted pork chops, baked potato, peas and peaches.

Monday, July 20: 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. movie and popcorn (the move is “Call of the Wild”), 1 p.m. cards; for lunch: Honey glazed chicken breast, baked potato, asparagus and pineapple.

Tuesday, July 21: 9 a.m. FROGS, crafts and quilting; for lunch: Pork roast, hash brown casserole, green beans and peaches.

It would be great to see you at lunch. Please call 402-694-2176 no later than 9 a.m. on the day you plan to eat.

LOOKING AHEAD: Thursday, July 16 will be Miracle Ear from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be movie and popcorn on the 20th. The movie is “Call of the Wild.”

Commodities pick-up is the second Tuesday of every month from 1-4 p.m. in the garage.

Thanks to everyone who donated to the garage sale and those who purchased from it. It was greatly appreciated. If you want information about commodities you can call 308-385-5505.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK:

“With peaks of joy and valleys of heartache, life is a roller coaster ride, the rise and fall of which defines our journey. It is both scary and exciting at the same time.” -- Sebastian Cole