“A new command I give go you, love one another. As I have told you, so you love one another.” John 13:34

So many of our activities this week, and the colors many people have chosen to wear are colors of reds, pinks, and purples reminding us of the love and Valentine cards and memories of happier times past. We have made such lovely memories here at Weisbrod, which we will always like and love to remember, of these last three or four days of special “Valentine memories.” This is primarily because of the planning of our Activity Director, Brenda Leon, who drives five days a week from Tribune, Kansas, to enliven our lives with entertainment and games, as well as educational experiences by sharing and enjoyment of our lives. For over 60 years, I have been watching during visits at Weisbrod, or when my parents lived here in different decades and now, I get to experience life here firsthand. It gets better all the time. The last year and a half I evaluate as the “best” because of the creative loving personality of Brenda.

Some highlights of the week were when the third grade students came to visit us under the guidance of their teacher, Charlene Gifford. They helped us decorate sturdy white boxes for our Valentines. Then, Saturday after lunch, Nurse Angel Foster delivered each resident their personal valentine box of cards. At noon, when we came to our dining rooms, the tables were gorgeous with red cloths, fresh roses, four tall, huge clear balloons with tiny red lights inside the “strings” and clear balloon. After our four-course lunch, we visited and enjoyed hearing Johnny Leon sing to us. It looked and felt as if we were in an upper-class dining room or club. That is thanks to the extra touches of Marla Darnell and her staff, and Benda and her mother, Nellie Darnell, who came from Tribune to decorate the table settings. The lady in Tribune who sold the balloon decor also gave us each a pretty fuzzy teddy bear-type toy that third grade student, Teller Eder, handed out to each resident. Teller also filmed John’s concert. A neat surprise Sunday afternoon was when Jennifer Rittgers brought big trays of very large strawberries, which were dipped in a pink firm coating, then painted with white designs by her cheerful little waitress at JJ’s Restaurant.

The Eads senior citizens enjoyed their monthly lunch last week.

The monthly senior citizen lunch in Eads this Wednesday is spaghetti casserole. Haswell’s seniors will meet that evening at their center. Readers, do check when the senior center in your town meets. You might enjoy their food and activities. Betsy Evans prepares some wonderful meals in Kit Carson.

Many families and friends from far and wide came to the Eads First Christian Church to attend the funeral and dinner to remember and honor our friend, Don Duane Stoker, of Eads, who grew up in the Haswell community, graduated from Eads. and became a lifelong rancher. Pastor Mark Imel officiated Duane’s service.

Graveside services were held for Eads residents Janice Pfingston and Rita Mousel of Eads, who died recently. We do extend our sympathy to all these grieving families.

For several years, Alizabeth Hulteen has weekly brought me fresh flowers from Lamar so I can make table arrangements for our dining tables. This week, our tables were bare because she is away on a trip, so when Curtis Canopin came to give me one of his great massages, he said he would bring me some flowers. These massages are so very wonderful for me, and for many others who go to his home in Eads, or Dr. Sean Oquist’s office in Lamar.

We are so grateful for sports streaming of some of the high school games and matches on television. I really enjoyed watching the wrestling matches held in Lamar Saturday. Girls traveled from a huge area to wrestle for berths in state. How exciting to see our Eads Giana Gibbs win a wrestling match. Brenden Reifschneider will be coaching two girls at the state tournament. Best wishes to seniors from Eads, Jaden Self and Shane Winder, who won berths for the state tournament, which was held in La Junta. Wrestling fans have lots of good memories of past state tournaments. I know I do, mostly of sponsoring teens at tournaments in Greeley.

One of the best surprises last weekend was to see Steve and Cathy Shotton of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who came to the basketball games primarily to watch their niece, Lexi Shotton.

Rain! In February! We were surprised when we woke up Saturday morning to learn that it had been raining slowly since about 10:00 p.m. Friday. There were lots of puddles. Kent Johnston, who lives northwest of Arlington, said that “it was like an April rain, just sank into the soil!” He and other ranchers had a good time buying bulls and calves at Bill Trosper’s Bull Sale in La Junta Saturday.

We had such a good visit Sunday afternoon with Terry and Susi Gibbs of Arkansas when they came to visit Terry’s aunt, Lucy Barnett. They told us more about his grandchildren, Gianna and Casey. Casey was to wrestle at the Limon Tournament Monday.

Do find ways to love one another.