May, 2025 monthly luncheon

Novelty Senior Citizens' met Thursday, May 1, 2025 for the monthly luncheon.  KCHD nurse Phyllis was there to take blood pressures (and also brought a cherry cheesecake to add to our meal).  Others present were Judith, Diana, and Marsha.

The pledge was recited by all, then Diana gave the blessing.  Happy birthday was sung to Marsha and she blew out one candle on the cake baked by Diana.  It was really tasty, with strawberries on top to decorate.  Although our meal was a bit short on vegetables, we did have plenty for the four of us to eat and enjoy. 

After clean-up, and Phyllis had left, Diana called the business meeting to order at 1:15 p.m.  Marsha read the minutes to last month's meeting.  Judith seconded her motion to approve.  Motion carried.

Judith then gave the treasurer's report.  Since it was the first day of the month, no bills had been received yet.  She did present her report however.  Marsha seconded her motion and it was approved as presented.

 Business:

1.  The tree that is west of the building, but on another's property, has been marked by the REC:  we assume it will at least be trimmed, if not completely cut down.  Depending on how much REC does, will  determine if we need to take more action so that our building and property do not have any damage.

2.  Diana has placed her garden flags on the railing along our ramp.  They look nice and show our appreciation for veterans in our community.

3.  The new Knox County WAA committee is planning on a fundraiser on Memorial Day.  It will be a fish fry in the 4-H pavilion in downtown Edina.  $10 per adult plate.  They have asked if any of our group could help with desserts.  Judith and Diana have said they would  

Marsha will make the birthday cake for June as we do have a birthday.  Coffee makers for the month of May are 6--Judith; 13--Diana; 20--Marsha; 27--Kathryn; June 3--Judith.  Next luncheon is June 5.  Anyone is eligible to attend and would be most welcomed!

Meeting adjourned at 2:00 with much conversation amongst the three.

 

                    FINALLY A MONTHLY LUNCHEON:  April 2025

 

FINALLY—a monthly luncheon for the Novelty Senior Citizens! On Thursday, April 3, 2025, we gathered for our first luncheon in 3 months. Diana, Judith, Kathryn, and Marsha, attended, as well as Rhonda the home health nurse who took blood pressures. 

All repeated the pledge, and Diana led the prayer. No birthdays this month. After clean-up, Diana opened the business meeting at 1:25 p.m.

Marsha read the minutes from the January meeting and also the blogs for February and March that told of our cancellations those months. Kathryn seconded her motion to approve. All were approved as presented.

Judith then gave the treasurer’s report for those months.  Marsha seconded Judith’s motion to approve. Motion passed. Judith also gave a report on the money earned in 2024 that she’d compiled (not including WWA): from carry-ins . usuage from FCE club. coffees: that is mostly what we can expect for this year’s income .

Business:

1. We welcomed Kathryn back from her winter in Arizona.

2. There are concerns about the tree located west of the building that is on someone else’s property. It is mostly dead and the light line goes through it Although we have had problems with limbs (and leaves is why we had put in leaf filters on the gutters), if the tree would come down, it would fall on the building. REC has been contacted to check on it and perhaps do some of the trimming on it. Then we might have to talk with the owner of the property  if we can remove the whole tree.

3. Diana had received a garden flag from a veterans’ group that says “thanks to veterans” and wanted our opinion to put it along the handicap ramp railing. She will place it sometime in May prior to Memorial Day.

4. The railing along the ramp needs some repair work as some of it has rusted out. Ronald will see if he can fix it.

Next luncheon will be May 1^st and Diana will make the birthday cake. Coffee makers each week in April will be 8—Judith; 15—Marsha; 22—Diana; 29---Kathryn.

Meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

         MARCH 2025

The March 6, 2025 luncheon of the Novelty Senior Citizens' has been canceled due to other obligations for that day for several of the usual attendees. 

We hope to make it next month, which will be April 3.

And our deepest sympathy to the Howard family.  Denis used to come to the monthly luncheons and enjoyed the visiting.  His wife, Dorothy, is one of our regular coffee drinkers at the Tuesday morning get-together.  

 February 6, 2025

Due to the weather/slick streets and sidewalk, the Novelty Senior Center's monthly luncheon was canceled for this month.  We did not have any pressing business to discuss.  If something comes up, we will discuss it at the weekly coffee.  We had no birthdays to celebrate this month.  

We do know that we have some March birthdays, so a cake will need to be made for those celebrants.  Judith will take care of the coffee on February 11, and we'll assign people for the rest of the month on that coffee day.

Next monthly luncheon will be March 6.

There is quite a bit of sickness going around, so stay well, friends!

         MONTHLY LUNCHEON FOR JANUARY, 2025

The Novelty Senior Citizens’ met Thursday, January 2, 2025 for the monthly luncheon. Rhonda was there to take blood pressures, but had to leave before lunch, as the health department was combining the full week into just the two days or work. Everyone’s blood pressures were good!

Diana led the pledge, then Jim gave the blessing before we sang Happy Birthday to him. He blew out the candle on the raisin crème pie made by Judith to celebrate.

Jim left after the meal, and Diana and Judith did the cleanup. At 1:00 p.m. Diana called the business meeting to order.

Marsha read the minutes to last month’s meeting. Judith seconded and they were approved.She also read the blog post she’d made after the Wreaths Across America ceremony December 14^th.

Judith then gave the treasurer’s report for the month. Marsha seconded her motion to approve. Motion passed.

Business:

1. Marsha has closed the account at the US Bank that was used only for the WAA project. That money was transferred to the NSC account at the Citizen’s Bank of Edina.

2. Snack day with the FCE was held December 17. Only 2 members of the FCE were present (and they are also “coffee” ladies): only six people attended, but we did enjoy some sweet treats before Christmas.

3. It was decided that any time the temperature is below 20 degrees F., we will cancel the Tuesday morning coffee. None of us needs to scoop snow off the sidewalk or to be out in the cold. Since our numbers are generally low anyway, we opted for this decision.

4. No cake is needed for the February luncheon on the 6^th. Coffee makers for the month are: Jan 7—Judith; 14—Diana; 21—Marsha; 28—Judith; Feb. 4—Diana.

Meeting adjourned at 1:40.

 WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA CEREMONY--2024

Our wreaths across America ceremony was held December 14.  This is our last one as we have decided we are getting too old for all the work it involves!  But it was great!!

The wreaths didn't actually come in until Thursday, the 12th as the truck had problems in West Virginia.  It arrived before 8:00 a.m.....although we'd been told it would be at least 8:30 a.m.  But we did gather together enough people to help unload those 51 boxes (with 12 in a box)  of wreaths (that weighed about 40 pounds each!)   A great big thank-you to Larry & Cleva Clark, Jim Pinson, Ronald Rhoades, Byron Harder, Curtis Franke, and Joe Simmons to answering our call for help!  Sue Chaffee, Crystal Murr (and son Jakob) were also there....to help and also learn some of the "ropes" as they are part of the committee taking over this project.     If you scroll back through all the old posts on this blog, you will see that the very first year, the truck showed up unexpectedly and we had to quickly ask for some help.

 Crystal and Marsha (and Jakob) also had the privilege of being interviewed by KTVO television station which was aired Friday evening.  

By working that day, the wreaths got sorted, fluffed (to a degree) and ready to be distributed on Saturday.  Saturday turned out to be cold and wet.  Sometimes the rain was heavy, other times light, but basically an all-day rain.  It was decided before the ceremony began to NOT place the wreaths that day due to that cold cold rain:  no one wanted to be outside in it for very long.  It was decided to come back on Sunday to put them out, although most people who needed to pick up their own wreaths did it Saturday.

As always, it was a pleasure to have Lt. Col (ret) Keith Gudehus be our master of ceremonies for this event.  Veteran Ed Anderson played the national anthem to begin the service, with all singing it.  Keith led the pledge.  These veterans placing the honorary wreaths were Army--Barb Simpson; Marines--Randy Schultz; Navy--David Fagan; Air Force--Steve Letterlee; Coast Guard--Dale Prather; Merchant Marines--(army vet) Angela Wilson;  POW/MIA--(army vet) Larry Clark.  After closing remarks by Lt. Col Gudehus, the Cyril Graham American Legion Post 201 of Edina along with the Knox County VFW Post gave the gun salute and Kent Hagerla played TAPS.   If you haven't attended a ceremony, it is indeed a moving experience. If you watch the video (below), you will see our attendance was less than 1/2 what it has been in past years--that was due to the weather, I am sure.  

We also thank Echo Menges of the Edina Sentinel for videoing the ceremony.    

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ze_bcNEHw     

On Sunday afternoon, members of the Liberty Leaders 4-H Club, junior cadets representing the Navy, as well as other community members helped place the wreaths at Novelty, Locust Hill, and St. Joseph cemeteries.  We appreciated everyone coming again and doing that.  

Please continue to support the new committee, "Knox County Wreaths Across America" with your purchase of wreaths.  Money can be sent to Knox County Wreaths Across America, 107 N. 4th Street, Edina, Missouri 63537.(As they are new, PLEASE remember to tell the cemetery you want the wreaths to go to..and what veteran you wish to honor in this way.  If you wish them to place the wreath, you may want to give instructions on where in the cemetery to find that particular grave.)

Thanks, and God Bless our veterans!   

(Just rereading the 2016 post about the ceremony, there were 243 wreaths purchased.  This year we have 612!)                  

              DECEMBER, 2024 LUNCHEON AND MEETING

The Novelty Senior Citizens’ met Thursday, December 5, 2024 for the monthly luncheon and business meeting. Kathryn, Judith, Diana, and Marsha were in attendance. In addition, Phyllis, KCHD nurse was also there to take blood pressures and enjoy our meal with us. (She had come in on her “day off” to do this as the Home Health nurses were swamped!) The center was decorated for the Christmas season, thanks to Judith and Diana’s work after coffee this past Tuesday. Pledge was recited, and Diana gave the prayer, which was followed by her blowing out her birthday candle. Kathryn forgot she was to make the cake, but we did have a dump cake brought by Phyllis, and also a lemon pie brought by Judith, so we were covered for the “birthday cake”.

At 1:20, Diana called the business meeting to order. Marsha read the minutes from last month, and also the blog she had posted after the soup luncheon. Judith seconded her motion to approve them. Motion carried. Judith then distributed the treasurer’s report (attached). Kathryn seconded her motion to approve; motion carried by acclamation.

Joyce has received notice that 50 boxes of wreaths (12 in a box) will be shipped to us “sometime in the next two weeks”. We assume that also means the 7 ceremonial wreaths. This is the most we have  had! And we hope they will arrive on time, as two weeks is PAST the day of our ceremony. It is also definite that Crystal and Sue, plus Angela Wilson and David Fagin, are taking over the wreath project. We are offering them all the help we can, and hope that they are as successful as we have been with this project.

We will have a Christmas “treats” day at coffee on the 17^th, along with the Green Acres FCE group.

January luncheon will be January 2. Judith will make the cake as we have a couple of birthdays. Coffee makers for this month are December 10—Marsha; 17—Diana. No coffee for the weeks of December 24 and 31^st.

Meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.