By Loretta Humble/Around The Town
Swarms of hummingbirds arrived at my place less than two weeks ago. They were supposed to arrive when the honeysuckles bloom, but only a couple of strays showed up then. I wish somebody would tell me where these guys have been, but now that they have arrived, I can hardly keep my feeders full. I don’t mind buying more sugar. I love watching them. They make me happy.
The hummingbirds got me to thinking about other things that make me happy these days. All of them are a lot more important than my hummers.
Across the road from me are Lisa and Wesley Anding, relatives I didn’t really know until they started doing these amazing things. They have just completed their chapel, the latest addition to their Anding Acres Wedding Venue. I’m so proud of everything they do, but I am especially proud they have finished the chapel so that now they can get started on renovating the old Kilman Hospital which they recently bought. That really makes me happy. This is going to help our town a lot, which brings me to the next thing that I really love.
Donna and Rhonda Robertson are doing major updating with the long white building on Terry Street, that we old-timers call the Bradshaw building. They have filled it full of great little shops, all opening, I believe, October 1. This is going to bring so much life to downtown. I love it!
One of those shops will be a side business of Cedar Lake Nursing Home’s activity director, Lisa Moore. Lisa herself makes me happy with the life and joy she brings to our residents. Just look on Cedar Lake Nursing Home’s Facebook page to see the magic she does with our residents every day. She had them hula-ing the other day. The ones who are able to go on regular outings, and she brings plenty of fun and quieter attention to those who can’t get out. You can see on the residents’ faces that the good times are real.
But back to Terry Street. There is something else that I really love. I have had occasion to spend some time with the Faith in Action food pantry this week, as I did the paperwork and carried groceries to Karen Michel’s family. Those people do such wonderful work and with such a great spirit. You should just stop in sometime and see them at work. It makes me happy that such a great service exists right in the middle of our town.
Another thing that makes me happy is knowing Karen Michel. I’ve told you her story, but here it is again briefly: Having spent their life doing good for others, Karen and Wren Michel have found themselves in a devastating situation. Their son Jonathan, as a result of a profound head injury, is left helpless, paralyzed on one side of his body, requiring total care. There was no insurance and no funding at all at this point. They spent what money they had on lawyers to get custody of Jonathan to keep life support from being removed from him. Wren has to keep his maintenance job at the school, so Karen is left to do every bit of Jonathan’s care. And did I mention they are raising two small grandsons? Karen is handling a really tough situation with enormous grace and optimism. Watching her go about it with love and gratitude for any small blessing just lifts my spirit. That is why I’m trying hard to help her. If you knew her like I have come to know her, you’d be trying to help too. You can, you know. Just take my word. This family is worth helping. There is a Gofundme account in Jonathan Michel’s name that got lost and hasn’t done well. You could help it grow again. There is an account at Citizen’s National Bank in his name. Karen made some beet relish from an over-abundance of beets the food pantry gave her. You could buy a jar or two. I have it for sale at the nursing home and downtown as well, just $5.00. It tastes like pepper jelly, a bargain even if you hate beets. It is great with cream cheese on crackers.
Beet relish makes me happy too.