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By Cindy Cottrell
Mon. Sept. 17th- What fun at the senior center! Today was the first day of our week long heritage festival celebration. Today we peeled apples in preparation for the apple butter making on Tuesday. What a surprise it was to see so many seniors show up with their paring knives and pans, ready to peel! Peeling apples is one pleasure that doesn't discriminate. The wheel-chair bound as well as the hale and hearty can all peel apples. As quickly as I would empty one dishpan in the sink and return to the peeling there was another pan ready. These senior citizens can really peel apples! 3 bushel of apples were peeled in no time at all and I was getting questioned "Where are the rest of the apples? We were just getting started." I had to tell them 3 bushel was plenty, because we didn't want to stir apple butter for 3 days. Ellen Shock washed the apples and put them on to cook. Hobart Richards came with his electric colander and ran the apples through in a matter of minutes. Everyone in the community is so great in helping us out. Ray and Madeleine LaHaie donated 2 bushel of their very delicious apples. Ellen Shock bought 1 bushel and donated them. Gloria Shock let us borrow large kettles to cook the apples because all of ours were being used for lunch. Hobart Richards saved us an enormous amount of hard work by running the apples through for us. Thanks to the 20 -25 seniors who showed up to peel the apples and make it so much fun. It didn't seem like work! THANKS a million to all these people. They make it a pleasure to live in Calhoun County and work at the senior center.
Tues. Sept. 18th- Today was apple butter making day. The weather was lovely and we had a ball. Mabyn Deweese and Lucy Marks were here bright and early. Mabyn brought her kettle and stir and her expertise in apple butter making. Before long, lots of other seniors showed up and everyone took turns stirring. We sit up a table and chairs and had coffee, cookies and some good Rook games. When it was your turn to stir you could hand your cards to someone else and they could play Rook while you took your turn stirring. Some of our friends from Minnie Hamilton Long Term Care came down to visit and stir. There were lots of stories about "back when I used to make apple butter" and reminiscing about old times.
The ladies formed an assembly line when it was time for the apple butter to come off the fire. Some put it in jars, some wiped off the jars, some put on the lids and rings. We have to give the men a lot of credit for the apple peeling and apple butter making. They were great at peeling and stirring. We had 54 pints of the prettiest apple butter you have ever seen. We want to give special thanks to Mabyn Deweese. She let us borrow her kettle and stir and gave us leadership.
Wed. Sept. 19th- This morning at the senior center began with the judging of our Heritage Day quilt and craft show. We recruited Rose and Jim Wilt to do the judging. Rose and Jim have joined the senior center after moving to West Virginia from Las Vegas. They have been a wonderful addition the senior center. We were very lucky to be able to get them to judge our quilt and craft show because they have done many quilts and crafts personally. They were impressed with the quality and workmanship of the quilts and crafts the seniors entered into the show. Some of the choices were hard for them to make. They felt that all the seniors did a great job. Thank you Rose and Jim Wilt for doing a great job and for all the help you have been at the senior center. Thanks to all the seniors who brought their quilts and crafts into our heritage festival.
Thanks to Barb Roberts for the biscuits she made. The seniors all got to have hot biscuits and sampled the apple butter we made. They said it was delicious!
Hobart Richards came by with his horse and buggy and gave the seniors buggy rides. It was beautiful weather for the rides and the seniors really enjoyed it. Hobart has been great during heritage week to help us and we thank him a bunch.
The Lewis County Swinging Seniors came for a visit and danced for us. They are very talented and we all loved their dancing. They ate lunch with us at the senior center.
Several of the seniors dressed up in heritage costumes. We had guys in bibs and suspenders and ladies in long dresses and bonnets. They brought back memories of times gone by. A door prize drawing was held for the seniors who were dressed in heritage costumes. Winning the door prize was Emma Deel.
Fri. Sept 21st - Today was Heritage Day at the senior center. Helen Morris set up a display from the Historical Society. It was wonderful and everyone enjoyed looking at the pictures and books and reminiscing. We all found family members and people we knew in the book and pictures. The seniors loved taking a walk down memory lane. Thank you so much Helen and the Historical Society. Your display made us remember what the Heritage Festival was all about. The seniors watched the Historical Society's video "Parades of the Past" and saw family members, old friends, and even themselves on the video.
We enjoyed a picnic lunch followed by root beer and coke floats. Thanks to Foodland for donating the coke and root beer for the tasty floats. We had Bingo under the tent in the shade thanks to the Lions Club. The Lions Club members came and sit up the tent on Thursday evening. They had volunteers to come on Friday and call Bingo and come by and take the tent down on Friday evening. Thank you so very much to the Lions Club for all the hard work they did in helping us out.
We had some local crafters some by and set up to show the seniors what they make. Thanks to the crafters - Herman Ayers, Joyce and Phil Payne, Donna Erlewine, Rebecca Adkins, Naomi Hardman, and Violet Hardway. Thanks to Norma Freshour and family for selling food and The CCHS Freshman Class for selling baked goods.
Thank you to the Pepsi Company for donating the banner and Jim Harris and Jim Wilt for hanging it.
Thank you to True Value Hardware for the use of the popcorn machine. The popcorn was delicious and everyone had a sample of it. Thanks to the "popcorn man" for all his hard work.
We had some great heritage music on Friday. Willard Jones and friends played in the afternoon and did a wonderful job.
The CCCOA Choir sang some lovely gospel and patriotic songs.
In the evening well known fiddler Jake Krack provided entertainment. As I was walking by one of the seniors when Jake was playing he made the statement -"I have been around for many years and I have never heard anyone better than this young man." We all agree. Jake is so very talented and we are lucky that he chooses to share his talent with others. Thank you Jake!
All week long at the senior center we got the opportunity to enjoy Virginia Buck's display of heritage memorabilia. Virginia is so great to bring all her ole time memorabilia and share it with us. Thanks Virginia!
If there is anyone I forgot to list and give a personal thank you I apologize. It was a very busy week at the senior center and I could have missed you by mistake.
For all the seniors who participated and all the people of Calhoun County who helped us out during the Heritage Festival the CCCOA wishes to thank each and every one for making the Heritage Festival so much fun for everyone.
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