The heat is on, the rains came and the wind blew. Nevertheless, it is beautiful, with all the flowers, gardens, etc. Enjoy it— after spring is summer and after summer comes fall.

You should see the cake the employees the Townhouse made for Marland and Laura’s 46th wedding anniversary. Double angelfood out of pasteboard. When you opened each slice, there were goodies inside. A unique idea thought up by one of the Amish girls.

Bible Schools have been busy this past week. From the sound of this, there was a lot of learning, playing and snacking.

Robert Fisher brought his brother-in-law, Paul Bender, from Pennsylvania to coffee on Friday. Paul is a brother to Gladys Fisher, Bob’s wife. They are here for a Bender reunion at Crooked Creek Camp. Although somewhat retired, he is busy in many jobs. He still preaches yet on requests.

A few of us stopping at the P&P store on Highway 1 saw Patty Swartzendruber cashiering. She is the daughter of Gail and Virginia Swartzendruber and is formerly of Kalona. By the way, P&P stands for Petro & Provisions.

A good deed is if you contribute to money boxes at Casey’s, Farmers Savings Bank, Hills Bank Kalona and Slagles in Wellman for Gerald Rotenburger. Gerald is a very sick person and is only 43 years old. I think it would be nice to help this family.

Thelma Swartzendruber (Mrs. Bill) from Pennsylvania and Wilma Hartzler’s from California were honored at a meal at the Parlor for the Swartzendruber cousins on Wednesday evening, June 9th.

I was visiting Ed and Nona Slabach the other evening and they are a very unique couple, married for 61 years. They moved to Iowa in 1951 and have lived at their present location since 1952. Their busy jobs— Nona quilting and Ed doing antiques, keeps them from moving to the Home. Nona has quilted over 70 quilts.

They are the parents of three girls and four boys, one in Montana, two in Florida and four here. They are active members of the Sunnyside Conservative Mennonite Church.

Their hobbies are enjoying living with antiques, and as I said, Nona quilts about every day. She showed me a Log Cabin and Lady of the Lake she made, and it was fancy small square quilting.

In 1968, they started buying antiques and had a shop in the basement. They had a large pump organ that Ed played a hymn on for me. The hand-carved woodwork was beautiful. It was made in the 1880-1890 era.

As we went through the house, they had a lot of antiques that were from parents and grandparents. From 1898 to 1903 in Greentown, Indiana, Greentown glass was made. The Slabachs have some of these.

As Ed was telling me, he showed me lamps over 100 years old, end tables, a Rembrook table that had bell flowers, an old French clock, other clocks, a marble top table with flowers and grape designs in it, old pictures of Jesus with children, vases, a Gibson banjo, a Barrel Roll Top desk, a corner cupboard, a dry sink from her family and a pie cupboard.

You name it and they had it. A two-foot hearing aid, beaded bags, hats, a jelly cupboard, brace and bit and an old doll collection. I just can’t mention all because my eyes couldn’t comprehend it all.

It was an interesting evening, and when I left, it was hard to go because of the beauty and interesting things they have.

The word for the week is derelict. It means to be deserted or abandoned. A car on the highway on the side is a derelict car. It is a Latin word meaning to give up. Many things in the house are abandoned at times or also in the office.

Did you get the Farm and Ranch magazine this month? It features a story on the Joetown Dairy owned by Salina Bontrager and her family. The pictures are real good and the author, Wanda, (Salina’s daughter) goes into detail for the month of April on the doings on the farm. She mentioned how her mother likes to cook for the family and tours. I can say Amen to that because of all the tours we have been on at her house. She doesn’t fail on that point. It was an interesting story.