Several have inquired as to my disappearance from this column in the past two weeks.  Blame it on technology!
Happy Birthday wishes this month to :  Mary Colwell, Sarah Brown,
Betty Bailiff, Hoyte Odom,Linda Judkins, Gianna Owens, Charmaine Mitchell,Emme Colwell and Dakota Waggoner.
Get well wishes and prayers to :  Hilda Meyers, Delma Murphy, Anne Gilpin,Jeanette France, Phyllis Bennett, Eileen Hayes and my good maintenance friend, Lewis Conklin who will undergo surgery this week.
It seems that school is in full swing at most places now.  Pre-School at First Methodist has a new director, Emily Bass.  She is the Baptist minister's wife.   Headstart got started this week.
Charles Robinson, Rebecca Oliver and I are on the Headstart Policy Committee and we meet monthly in Cookeville at the LBJ&C central office.  I think this is one of the best pre-school child development programs in the nation.  Their daily curriculum is geared toward the total development of the child.  Many may say that I'm prejudice just because my husband who was director of LBJ&C for 11 years was responsible for the first Headstart program in this area.  But it's true!
I promised some more information on cucumbers which are plentiful this year.  My good friend, Rosemary Twilla Jarvis, blessed me with a bunch.  I also appreciate the good tomatoes from T.M. and Juanita and the okra from Mary and Frank.  My husband always raised a big garden, enough to feed the neighborhood.
One suggestion on the cukes is: eat a slice of cuke before going to bed for a bad headache.  Another is rub a slice on your skin to tighten it and good for wrinkles, too, ladies.
My good friend, Betty Turner and I attended the Gourd Gala at First Methodist in Gainesboro last Saturday.  It's amazing the many ways that gourds can be used.  We had a delicious lunch there after we browsed at the display tables.  Then we ventured on around the square to shop at one of the gourd lady's shop, The Picket Fence.  We were surprised to see all the merchandise she and her consignors had there.  It reminded me of our Country Treasures Shoppe we had and closed this month.
This lady may be a consignor at First Methodist's annual Bazaar on Nov. 4.
It's been so hot and dry lately that the Methodists are using wet-wipes; the Baptists and Presbyterians are giving out rain checks and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water. 
Amen.
Smile at all your friends. (They'll wonder what you've been up to).
Hope to see you next week.