ELDONA Is Not From This World

ELDONA sells various. items with this logo.
American Evangelical Lutheran reminds me of the Disciples of Christ calling all their congregations "Christian."

 ELDONA World Headquarters

Happy Birthday, Brett Meyer

Happy Birthday, Brett Meyer. 

Our Moline High Classmate Gave Us a Tour of the LCMS Holy Land

Debbie Mitchell Gahah, MHS 66, served as
the mayor of Perryville, Missouri.

We have wanted to visit Perryville for many years, because that is one location for the start of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Zion on the Mississippi describes that story in great detail, making me wonder if anyone has read the book.

The Loehe group organized first and asked the Perryville/St. Louis people to join them, which developed after talks.

Zach is a member of our church, so we get together with him from time to time. The last meeting was in scenic Joplin, Missouri. Since his mother lives in St. Louis, we discussed various nearby meetings. Cape Girardeau was on the list first, but Debbie offered to give us a guided tour of the historic sites on the date we selected. We scrapped Cape and the Limbaugh Shrine in favor of staying in Perryville at the Off Ramp Inn.

Chris' short-cut through the Mark Twain Forest Preserve slowed us down a bit, but we arrived Sunday night and had our big day on Monday.

Debbie arrived right on time and we started out in our new/old Voyager, 2002. I have known Debbie since we were in the flute section together at Calvin Coolidge Junior High. We were also in other classes, but those rosters are a blur to me, except Chem-Physics. We linked up on Facebook and met again at several Moline High reunions.

Chris has gone to all of my reunions and she has always been treated as one of the class members.

 We gave away books to the LCMS congregation in Perryville,
and also to the historical museum in Altenburg.
Pastor Jackson, left, Chris Jackson, Anita Engleman, Zach Engleman.
Distinguished Mayor Emeritus Debbie Mitchell Gahan
is in the second row.

Lutherans should visit the sites around Perryville, because they involve a significant amount of history, which is well represented in the Frohna site and the Altenburg Lutheran Heritage Center.

We were leaving the Frohna site - the Saxon Lutheran Memorial - when Chris noticed the tail-light being gone, popped out on its own. We had been bragging about how new the car looked because of our Army Ranger neighbor fixing it up before selling it. All the parts were new. So we started off in a brief rainstorm and the windshield wipers began flying off and tangling.

The rain stopped and Debbie found us a place where they put new wipers on. We also had lunch with her, and everyone needed a nap afterwards.

We were especially graced by Debbie's work in the city, part of the tour. No one expects such a small town to have so much going for it. She described her efforts at getting businesses to work together and social agencies to maximize their service to various groups of people. Those things do not happen by accident, so Moline should be proud of their distinguished graduate.

Anita Engleman, Pastor Jackson, Chris Jackson, Zach Engleman.
CFW Walther is in the second row, Frohna.

Sassy Updates

Sassy is doing well. She just had a good vet's appointment, where she proved to be very healthy. They are a little afraid of her, because she can make some very quick snapping motions, but she never bites. Sassy is so kindly that she cannot hold her fierce look long - it turns into a smile.

Everyone notices that smile. Sassy does have a habit of barking too loudly when excited about meeting someone. She even thinks that barking in the face of a cat is a warm and friendly gesture. Those who know her realize that all they have to do is say, "Come here, Sassy!" and she is all wiggles and happiness.

Her latest entertainment is to howl during new songs about her. She gets buggy eyed when I start to sing - not from pain, I hope - and howls for the chorus, with her muzzle in the air.

Sassy has a regular routine, which she expects to be followed:

1. A sunrise morning walk and an afternoon walk. No excuses, except rain.
2. Two meals a day, plus tidbits here and there.
3. Night-time begins with a dab of ice-cream, which we call Frosty Paws, a cheap ice milk sold under that name for pets. She gets very little, but she expects it and makes a lot of noise until it is delivered with great fanfare.
4. A treat has to follow the Frosty Paws. Normally it is a training bit of food or a little bacon flavored wafer. We though Frosty Paws would substitute for the treat, but she insists on both.
5. She always has a lovey time before going to sleep. Sometimes she growls and demands it. At other times she comes forward on the bed and gives each of us a big hug. She smiles while we pet her and tell her what a good dog she has been.
6. No animal videos are allowed on the computer, especially dog videos. No matter what I do, she spots them and barks them away. She tolerates graphics but growls at ones that do not please her.

 Sassy took Chris to an estate sale a block away.
That was Chris' first walk after her surgery.

Sassy attended the 50th Moline High Reunion, Class of 1966,
visiting with Toby, Guy, and the Country Style crowd.