NOOKSACK CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Plans for the Nooksack Centennial Celebration are moving right along.  It is only about 7 weeks away, being held on September 8th.

I wound up handling publicity and entertainment, but I'm thrilled at how it is all falling together.

Above is one of the banners we have along Highway 9.

Here is the BIG banner, being carried by some kids I recruited the day before the parade for the Everson Nooksack Festival.

We will be serving hot dogs, ice cream and cake.  Afterall, it is a birthday party!!!  What else would you serve?

The entertainment includes two barbershop choruses, an Elvis impersonator, the Nooksack Indian Tribe with a drum ceremonial and dancing, and hopefully a Latina rock band.

Several businesses are having open house that day.

I'm hoping that Country Partners 4-H group decides to provide a petting zoo.

AND, we have a carriage drawn by draft horses that will give free rides through town and on my farm, past the homestead house of Mary Harkness and the 120 year old barn.  I'm really excited about sharing my farm for this purpose.  It is the only piece of agricultural zoned property left here in town, and it will provide a living history lesson to those who take the ride.

The Celebration will be held in Nooksack City Park on Saturday, September 8th from noon to 3pm.

Oh, I forgot to mention that my church, Nooksack Christian Fellowship, will be holding open house from 11am until 5pm.  Their building is also 100 years old this year, and they will be featuring on display the vintage quilt that I researched and traced back to this church.

Now, let's all pray for a bright sunny day!

What is Your Purpose?

I know many of you will remember the vintage quilt I acquired and have been researching for the past three years.  I traced the origin of it to my very own church!!!  Today, during the service, I will be presenting the quilt to the Nooksack Christian Fellowship.  The woman for whom this friendship quilt was made was from Montana.  She and her family of 10 traveled to Nooksack to attend a Tent Revival at the Campground in Nooksack.  They fell in love with the area and bought a farm nearby.  In 1931, Etta Aldrich realized she could no longer run the farm by herself after her husband had died and her children were all raised.  She made the decision to move to Port Angeles to live with one of her daughters.  This quilt was made by the members of her church and presented to her as a farewell gift.

I am so glad to have a home for it, and have found it a true honor to have visited the past and learned so much about the history of my area and those who settled it.

And now Nooksack is 100 years old and I am the chairperson of the Nooksack Centennial Celebration.  My, what a circle of life.  How did this all happen?  Certainly not by coincidence.

Now in a more serious note, my week in Hawaii provided me with some extensive relaxation and introspection.  It was a good time for me to review my life and see if I could come up with a plan for my next chapter.  A week later, I came to the realization that I have been so distraught and desperate because I had no purpose in my day to day life.  I have always had important rolls in my work and personal life, and now I find myself unfulfilled.

Yes, I have many friends, and I am involved in many activities within my community, but somehow this does not give me direction.

Many of you are familiar with Empty Nest Syndrome.  I never had to deal with it, since as soon as my boys left home, we acquired alpacas, and all of my energy was immersed in them.  Those years with the alpacas were my Glory Days.  I built a successful business, I practiced animal husbandry, and took great pride in the accomplishments I achieved here on the farm.

Now, with the loss of my husband, and the sale of my alpacas, I am overwhelmed.

I have had a hard year and a half, running away from my fears, acting impulsively, looking for something to fill this gaping hole in my life.  As Oprah would say, my "Ah Ha Moment" has given me clarity and a goal.

As usual, I talk to everyone I can about my concerns, and of course I pray.  God has not let me down and direction is coming my way.  I have been contacted by a local organic farmer regarding a really special program that I may be able to get involved in.  I also have some volunteer work lined up.  I can't disclose at this time what the particulars are, but I will be sharing them with you as they come to be.