Before I move on to this month’s activities, I want to go back to the last Tuesday night of August.

I didn’t mention last week how successful our last candlelight supper of the summer was. We had a packed house and everyone had a scrumptious meal of spaghetti and sauce that Bud Burgess had prepared for us. We had all the trimmings such as salad, French bread and cheese to go with the spaghetti. That may have been the last of the summer suppers, but fall’s a coming.

Attendance figures for the health fair came in the range of 750 people. Almost everyone who attended could find booths that provided information of special interests.

There was so much valuable information that no one could absorb it all during the time there, so bags were provided to barry home interesting brochures and the other goodies that were being handed out. We hope you have taken the time to get this material out and read the information they were trying to impart to you. If you have done this and you found some helpful information, then the health fair was a success.

This year we had an outstanding group of vendors who wanted to be of help. Thanks again to all of these folks and to the leadership that made this the most successful presentation in Jefferson County for the year.

I must not forget to thank Bud the Clown and his rubber chicken as he made many people laugh.

I hope you had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. There is nothing like family gatherings for cookouts or picnics.

This week’s food for thought: Most people would be satisfied with enough if others didn’t have more.

We enjoyed Craford Rooks and his bluegrass group who were in yesterday to start off our monthly musical program.

We’ll get to hear James “Skip” Drake and his group on Patriot’s Day which is next Tuesday, Sept. 11.

As we do our featured senior each week, we have to realize that life makes more sense looking backward, but it has to be lived forward.



Featured senior

Our senior this week is Mary Cathryn Thompson Kirkland, better known as Kitty.

Kitty currently resides in Warrior on Rainbow Lane and has also lived in Edgewood, Birmingham and Leeds. She attended school at Robinson Elementary, Leeds Elementary, Ramsay High and finally Auburn.

She began working at a number of lumber companies before finding a home at the U.S. Postal Service were she worked until retirement.

Kitty’s one and only true love was Willie Floyd Kirkland. Out of this love came five children, Riley, Cathryn, Walter, Margaret and James. With all of these children you know Kitty has been blessed with numerous grandchildren to brag about.

Kitty says she still enjoys going to football games. She like to play puzzle board games and does some stitching and crocheting. She is a member of Gardendale Presbyterian Church.

She told me that when the five children were little they did not travel much, but after they were up and gone, they went to all of the lower 48 states and made a memorable trip to Alaska. Another special trip was to Spain.

She says that in her travels they tried to pick out historical sites everywhere they went. She points out that there is history in nearly all of the southern states, but you may have to go out of your way to find it.

About the senior center, Kitty says the people are friendly and helpful. A description that fits Kitty herself as she is always willing to help out wherever needed.

I understand that Kitty is a whiz Bridge player and that most Tuesday afternoon she can be found back in the activity room with the bridge club.

We are glad that Kitty has chosen to be a member of our center.

It is good that people will stay busy wherever they go because if the devil catches you idle, he’ll soon put you to work.

I don’t know about you, but after the summer we’ve just had, I am looking forward to fall and cooler weather. But I’m happy that the good Lord has control of it all, so we will just accept what He sends.

We realize that the human brain is like a freight car created to hold a large capacity, but often running on empty.

Remember folks, that a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met. Reach out to someone and make it a point to speak and be friendly with them. You will both be richer by doing so.

Until next week, God bless.