“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; Hold fast to what is good. Love on another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing brotherly affection. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, and serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 9:9-12

Isn’t that a meaningful verse? Yes! Bill and Charlotte Woelk brought the Sheridan Lake Bible Church bulletin for me on Monday morning with this verse typed in it. Reading it, I thought it was more meaningful for the new year; I quickly deleted the verse I had selected because this verse has such good directions for you and me to live by.

Dear Readers, I do wish you a good new year ahead. This has been such a good past year for many of us, yet for others there have been sad days. But for most of us in southeast Colorado, it has been a good year, with more moisture and pleasant memories in our part of America. Sometimes when people around me complain, I remind them, “but aren’t you glad to be living where we live rather than there with those problems or bad weather conditions.”

The Eads senior citizen brunch was January 1. When I rolled in, I had not expected to see as many people as usual, but the tables were all full of the usual folk, plus several new guests. Our next meal will be January 20 at noon. Bingo was January 4, on the first Sunday as usual, with a good turnout of folks to play the games.

If a person would ask residents of our extended care living facility what is their best memory of the holiday season, they would probably say “the kindness that was shown to us.” Some events were basically traditional, but I want to say on behalf of the residents thank you to Weisbrod’s Brenda Leon. She makes such a positive good difference in our lives! There were other forms of kindness that came to us, such as more visitors coming by, we received more mail, more gifts, and more entertainment than usual. We often remind each other that we are blessed, and I hope that you do, too.

The nursing leaders welcomed our new doctor, Dr. Dennis Linderman, who will be serving here. He looks very tall, has a nice smile, and has a handshake. We do welcome another doctor-provider in Eads. The Eads doctor’s offices and the physical therapy offices are busy places in Eads. It is surprising to see so many people that we just know we have never ever seen that person before. But that is all good. Another department that is very busy is the Ambulance Emergency Service office. It is surprising to see and to hear how often an ambulance makes a “run.” What a blessing to live near Weisbrod Health in Kiowa County.

If you haven’t shopped in the Kiowa Drug in Eads lately, you may be pleased to see the attractive new displays of their merchandise. They recently completed a whole store remodeling project which made the store seem larger and more pleasing to the eye. They are not only a pharmacy, but also have gift items, as well as small appliances, computers, and some office supplies. They also have a wonderful machine that takes photos off your camera while you wait. Manager Sean Kraft is such a good repairer of cameras and computers. I was waiting outside their door this week wondering if I knocked whether they would come. At that same moment, a sweet little girl voice called out, “Wait, Miss Less, wait.” It was that sweet fourth grader, Lexi McCracken, who ran across the street from Crow’s Stop and Shop to help me by opening the door. Now there is another act of kindness! And I am so blessed to often have these experiences of kindness.

One of the best things about the holiday is that my dear sister drove out to Colorado after visiting several of her grandchildren in Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. She really did help me rearrange my new room in Weisbrod. Plus, she visited her Colorado grandchildren.

Another real joy for me was to get to visit with my niece, Celena (Lessenden) Clark and her daughters, Eve and Elkle, when they were here from Pueblo West. Eve is planning another trip to Europe through the 4-H program. Both girls are active in the 4-H program.

I have heard gratifying reports of the generosity of people around Kiowa County. One lady who has and cares for six children told me that on Christmas she found a big box outside her door with wonderful gifts. I know her quite well, and I observe what a good job she does in her occupation. It was so heart-warming to hear about how it happened, just like a storybook dream come true.

Many high school and middle school fans from all over southeast Colorado are looking forward to the winter season as they continue on. This is also true of the wrestling season. Most schools have both sports and enjoy strong competitions to make it to the State Tournaments.

Did you observe the full moon the last few nights? One of our cooks calls it the “Wolf Moon.” It appeared to be unusually full and so beautiful.

Why not set some goals for a positive start on the New Year?

A big thanks to the Town of Eads maintenance crew for plowing the streets after the wonderful snow we just experienced. Also, thanks to John for clearing CR 39.75.