It’s the middle of October, and we just had our first frost here in the valley. Once upon a time, I had an Ozarks calendar that stated that when you hear the summer locusts (usually in early August), you can count six weeks until the first frost. After that, I always listened for the summer locusts, and sure enough, within a couple of days of six weeks, we would wake up to frost on the pumpkins. This year I didn’t hear the summer locusts in August and forgot all about them in September, but according to our current frost, the locusts were probably singing the week after Labor Day.
The Hill Country Belles Red Hat gals met Wednesday at The Cotter Pin in Leon and enjoyed a lunch of delicious sandwiches. I picked up Queen Mother Shirley Gorn and Sue Wallace, and we enjoyed a colorful trip over the ridges to the valley where Leon is located.
On Friday evening, the parking lot was full at St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church on South Ridge as people gathered for visitation and to bid farewell to Frank Martalock. Don and Donna DeWitt picked up Jim and Mary Parkhurst for the visitation, and Evelyn and Jerry Zirk and Lynette Vlasak and Sally Dana from the neighborhood also attended. My husband Dave and I were there Friday night and attended the funeral of our brother-in-law Frank on Saturday morning.
Frieda Jacobson picked up Evelyn Zirk on Wednesday morning for the Red Hats meeting in Leon. Randy and Sue Zirk came from Madison on Friday afternoon to see his mom and brother.
Next door to us, Steve and Deb’s foster kids Bryana and Scott were in the Special Olympics bowling tournament in La Crosse on Sunday. They did well and will go to the state tournament.
Randy Parkhurst of Orfordville, Wis., spent Tuesday and Wednesday with his parents Jim and Mary. On Friday, after the visitation for Frank Martalock, the DeWitts took them to Valley Inn in Elroy for supper.
On Saturday, Allan and Heather Vlasak and Lynette Vlasak and Sally Dana joined the Marty, Vlasak and Zellmer families for supper at The Ranch in Johnnycake Hollow.
Lynette Vlasak lunched with the Hillsboro Retired Teachers at Holvy’s Restaurant in Hillsboro on Tuesday. On Thursday, she was in Madison with seven of her classmates from Royall’s class of ‘69 for lunch at Adler’s. She and Sally Dana spent Saturday afternoon at Colors of Kendall after helping serve at the Martalock funeral on South Ridge.
Our extended family is minus one member, and it is going to be hard getting used to Frank’s absence. Keep Darlene in your prayers as she learns to live alone after 63 years of blessed companionship. Our heartfelt sympathy to all who have lost loved ones recently. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
