Elsanor Community Center will hold an in-door yard-sale and bake sale on Saturday, Oct. 9 beginning at 7 a.m. All sales of your goods are yours to keep. Individuals are needed to rent a table for a small fee and participate in the yard sale. Customers are invited to browse the tables and make purchases in order to raise funds to keep the center’s expenses paid. There will also be a bake sale and concession stand with drinks, bar-b-cue sandwiches, hot dogs and chips. If you would like to participate by renting a table for a small fee please call Carol Merchant, 942-1370, Brenda Rabren 747-5485 or Jeannie Watson at 942-1529. Your support is very much needed as we strive to keep Elsanor Community Center available for rentals and meetings, so call and reserve a space as soon as possible and we hope to see you there.

Summer turned to fall before I realized it and the cooler sunshiny day last Saturday made such a wonderful time for friends and neighbors to gather for Hamilton Baptist Church’s benefit fish fry at the old Bell Fountain School. After browsing the country store operated by the youth of the church and making my purchase, I hurried over to the gazebo where everyone was enjoying the fried catfish, mullet and all the trimmings. A special treat as we ate was the beautiful gospel music provided by the “Sandspurs” from Gulf Shores Methodist Church. Thanks to everyone who came and donated the $5,800 that was added to the church building fund. The members at Hamilton are looking forward to the day the new sanctuary is completed.

Hamilton Church held homecoming services on Sunday, Sept. 26, with many former members and visitors attending. After a delicious dinner in the new building we gathered back together for an afternoon of good old time singing. While talking to my old friends, Barbara and Carl Ellison, at the fish fry they told me that their church Styx River Baptist was observing homecoming this past Sunday. It was good to hear that their church was growing. At the same time they shared some sad news with me concerning the death of Marvin Hayes who was a long time resident of Rosinton. We send his family our condolences and prayers.

My husband and I have been living in a topsy-turvy house for the past few weeks when we started remodeling our kitchen and getting plumbing work done. It was supposed to be a three to four day job, but that was not the case. Thankfully things are about back to normal and we can now cook and use the microwave. It felt like we were camping out at times but I am thankful for the new appliances and other improvements.

Mission night at our church was last Wednesday night. Since we are always served a tasty well balanced supper we wondered where the food was when we arrived. All we saw was a pile of brightly colored Christmas shoe boxes on one table. Then the surprise! Ann Brown and Debbie Peterson and Pam Waters were in charge of the program in the absence of Dawn Hopper. We were instructed to take a shoe box which contained our supper of a sub-sandwich, chips, applesauce and cookies. We carried our shoe boxes home to fill for the Samaritan Purse ministry. It reminded me of the old fashioned box supper held many years ago, except you could eat with your favorite person without bidding.

Two more precious babies whose families attend our church were welcomed into the world last week. Congratulations to Becky and Mark Weaver on the birth of their son, Douglas Cade, on Sept. 30. His sister, Julia, is pretty happy, too. Robert and Cindy Duke’s baby girl, Ansley Elizabeth, was born on Sept. 29. She joined her other siblings, Tanner, Annabeth and Timber. I heard that the mothers were both in Sacred Harp Hospital just a few doors apart. Billie Jo and Chris Kendrick brought their newborn baby girl, Trinity Becca, to church for homecoming along with their other three pretty little girls. I caught a glimpse of Chassity Singler at the fish fry with her new baby, Brentlee Carmene. The baby’s dad, Brian Singler and sister, Madison, are pretty excited, too.

My brother, Bernard Dyess, celebrated his 80th birthday Sept. 18 at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Alvin Wade in DeFuniak Springs, Fla. I was glad that I was able to attend along with my husband, John, and son, Barry.

Bernard’s many preacher friends who came from all over and other friends and relative helped him celebrate and partake of the big picnic meal in the yard that his family prepared. Bernard’s wife, Ethel, had the table full of all sorts of fresh vegetables that they grow and the largest banana pudding. Bernard’s health has not been good lately so I was glad he was feeling better and able to open his you-pick muscadine patch.

I would like to send get-well wishes to Emme Hobbs and her aunt, Virginia Windham who both had surgery recently. Also, I want to wish Florence Foley a late Happy Birthday. I heard her family prepared a big party for her.

My granddaughter, Christina and her husband, Jared Stewart, spent their fifth anniversary at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. They reported that the weather was perfect, the wildlife was out and about and the leaves were turning gold before their eyes. They walked the trails, went on tours, hiked up the mountain and even went horse back riding up the mountain. This was a surprise to me since I never knew Christina had climbed up on a horse. They brought me a beautiful gold aspen leaf Christmas ornament that I will cherish. I must get busy sorting items for the Community Center yard sale. I am selling my collection of apple dishes and things which I thought I would never do.

Bye, until we meet again, Jeanette.