The leaves are falling fast and autumn is truly with us. The wooly worms are black - does that mean we will have a hard winter?

Treater at the Townhouse was Ed Zook who celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary.

He who is a wise man by day is no fool by night.

I saw Mrs. David Unternahr at the hospital Wednesday. Her husband was in an accident at the sale barn and now is in intensive care at the University of Iowa hospital.

The building at Kalona Auto is starting to move. The foundation and the floor are being poured. It looks like a good addition.

Franklin Hochstedler cleaned out all the spouting this week. He crawls around on the roof as good as a squirrel can.

Dallas Schrock drives a U of I van to Iowa City each day. I wonder how many vans from Kalona go up each day.

Don’t forget to send Brandon Eash a get-well card. He has been in the hospital for a while and would appreciate a card.

The Pleasantview Sale was a success with bidding done well. The crowd was exuberant and the music and food went through with flying colors.

Fred Schmidt who moved to a duplex at Pleasantview Home grounds was a new coffee drinker at the 9 o’clock Townhouse coffee.

Alta Marner - Volunteer

Volunteering can be very beneficial to do several things. It can help in a labor shortage, it can also help other people who may be confined and the reward can be benefitted doubly. One of those persons is Alta Marner who works at this very willingly. Listen to this story - she, in her own words, wrote the following. After reading this story, I am sure the Home, the people, the community are very blessed to have people like this. She volunteered for 25 years.

“I am the daughter of Eliza and Chris Rhodes. I attended the Fairview country one-room grade school. Later went to Sharon High School. Some favorite activities in high school were: learned to play tennis, played guard on girls’ basketball team, played the bass drum in the Sharon High School Band.

“Married Walter Marner and Walter and I moved on the Elmer Morgan farm. We were blessed with three children, Anita, Kay and Keith. Walter had a new barn built with a diary parlor included. Enjoyed milking cows in that barn with a milker and in the dairy parlor.

“In 1974 the farm was sold and we moved to 837 3rd Place in Kalona. That summer I started my volunteer work giving outdoor wheelchair rides to the residents at Pleasantview Home. Kathy Venzka was the activity director. Throughout the years as a volunteer, I had many different activities with the residents.

“My volunteer work now is to help with the coffee hour every Wednesday morning, also help on the third Monday in the month with the birthday parties. This summer on Monday mornings I gave one resident a wheelchair ride to my house at 609 Pleasantview Circle. These residents loved to see my house and the fellowship we had. Very enjoyable.

“After Kathy Venska resigned as activity director, Jan Truelson took over the responsibility. Later Jan and her husband Jim decided to move to Sioux City, Iowa.

“So now Julia Beachy is the activity director. I have worked with Kathy Venzka, Jan Truelson and Julia Beachy. The activities directors are very special people. They plan interesting activities for each day. Every month they have a schedule outlined with many interesting and fun activities for the residents. So they contribute much to Pleasantview Home.

“They have also enriched my life and I have considered the three activity directors that I have worked with very special and helpful friends.

“The residents I come in contact with nearly always have a smile for me. The following poem says it all.”

Smile

A smile of encouragement

at the right moment,

May act like sunlight

on a closed up flower.

It may be the turning point

for a struggling life.

-Anonymous

Word of the Week

The word this week is fatuous. The word means being silly or idiotic. For example, TV programs can be fatuous or foolish. Sometimes, people become fatuous, but let’s remember we don’t want to be silly.