North Norway

NORTH NORWAY — Am I sleepy today! Thought it was my patriotic duty to listen to the debate last night. Am looking forward to the debate between the vice-president and Paul Ryan.

That should be interesting. Perhaps good for a laugh or two. Often politics has more humor than the late night comedians.

We picked up Glenn and Rachel Hayes in Gray last week and drove to Dover, NH to visit Dell’s oldest brother, Erwin and his wife Doris, who reside in an assisted living community.

It was a nice ride but not much leaf color showing. We were met at the door by the manager of Maple Suites, who greeted us and said we were invited for lunch, a freebie. It was delicious and served as if we were in an exclusive restaurant.

Doris and Erwin have a small apartment with a balcony, actually all the room they need as there are large living rooms and activity rooms, a library, pool hall, exercise equipment, large porches with furniture and many walking paths.

Everything immaculate. I tell Dell I am packing my bag and moving there where there will be no more housework nor cooking. I would probably gain so much weight I would have to be rolled to the dining room. But I can dream. Diane and Terry Spires joined us for lunch.

Diane had to hurry back for her classes but Terry stayed and visited for a spell. They live nearby so can keep in touch with her folks often if not daily.

Dell visited his younger brother, Duane, at Market Square Health Center last week and found him much improved. He is making good progress. Getting around with a walker.

Mary and Frank Perham had lunch at Cliff and Mimi Gray’s last Friday. Paula and Dana joined them also. Thursday Mary had an appointment to have fasting blood work and then she met Paula and Dana at Market Square Restaurant for popovers.

Jane Perham came to lunch with Frank and Mary one day recently. She has spent part of the summer sorting out her stored goods and disposing of some of them. She is making plans to return to Arizona for the winter. What her cat is planning, no one knows.

Pat and Charlie Verrill joined us Tuesday morning for a trip to North Vasselboro for the best sauerkraut we know of. They also have ever so many German goodies. Dell has to load up on chocolate bars and Pat bought some also as well as some German noodles.

We have a German exchange student in the family this year and she has been missing the chocolate and noodles. Not cooked together. She is attending Telstar and was welcomed into the soccer team so has been very busy from the git go. I have yet to meet her.

We ate lunch at Moody’s Diner as usual. They no longer make the lemon sponge pie so I satisfied myself with plain lemon pie with mile high meringue. Spell check saved me on that one. The foliage was very pretty and bright in some places.

Hope you have been storing up some items to donate to the food drive on Saturday, October 13. This is to be held in the parking lot of the Norway Savings Bank from 1 to 3 p.m. This is an effort of the local AARP and the Rotary with the participation of the Uptown Cruizers, who plan to have some cars on display.

We will have a truck or two to fill with food, the more the better. Please bring donations in plastic bags or boxes to make it easier for us to handle when delivering them to the Norway/Paris Food Pantry.

Some of the items needed are canned fruit, canned tuna, 100 percent fruit juice, stew, hearty soups, canned tomatoes, canned vegetables and pasta sauce, pasta, white and brown rice, dried beans, cold cereal and oatmeal, pancake mix, peanut butter and jelly, powdered or evaporated milk, Parmalat and please include some low sugar and low sodium foods for those on a special diet.

These are just suggestions to give you an idea of the needs in our communities. We thank you all for supporting this effort to alleviate hunger in our area. See you on the 13th, come rain or come shine.

Mary and Frank Perham are entertaining or I should say have invited Dana, Paula and grandson Kevin Jr., Paul, Brenda and baby Luke and Pam Perham Price to share lasagna with them on Saturday night. Dylan will be unable to attend as he has a job a few evenings a week.

Hoping I will be able to report on a successful food drive next week. Help us make it happen.

In these contentious times, there are two sides to every question. My side and the wrong side. Hang in there. Only 30 or so more days.