By Helen Lutes
For The Tribune
The Friends and Neighbors Home Extension Club met Oct. 25 at Cornerstone Community Church in Seymour.
President Ruby Niccum opened with prayer, and the ladies visited and enjoyed refreshments under the direction of hostess Mary Jo Morris.
Jan Caplinger used Proverbs 31 for her presentation of the role of a mother in the home. She also used a small puzzle to illustrate how working together gets a job done quicker and better.
Ten ladies responded to roll call telling their favorite way to eat apples. It was concluded that apples are good any way you eat them.
I, as secretary, read the minutes, and Treasurer Donna Abner reported the balance in the treasury has been the same since June.
Niccum read from our daily bread Psalm 37:1-6 as the basis for her devotional, “Surrender to God.” Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrayed Jesus in “The Chosen,” realized God helps those who trust in and rely on him. He poured out his heart and surrendered to God after finding himself broke and with food for only one day and no work in sight.
Later the same day, he found four checks in the mail and then a couple of months later got the job in “The Chosen.” Roumie found that God will help those who trust in him.
Niccum asked everyone to help with the bake sale on Nov. 4. Suggested items and pricing were in the October issue of Tell-a-Homemaker. Abner told how last year, she purchased a plate of vinegar cookies baked by Charlotte Lovegrove and passed out samples and sold out of vinegar cookies. Moral of the story: Be creative.
Niccum reported that the county council is still looking for ways to spend excess funds, and she turned in to increase the scholarship and to purchase a bench for the fairgrounds. Ceiling fans for the Family Arts Building were suggested by the Kum Join Us club.
Niccum also stated she had volunteered Oct. 18 for Blessings in a Backpack and they need volunteers every Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Anchor House.
The fall fling is Nov. 14 at Kay’s Kafe in Brownstown. Snacks will be provided, but you may purchase drinks from Kay’s. We each are to take 14 donations for the Little Food Pantry boxes. It was voted to use this as our club’s November meeting.
There is a Senior Expo on Nov. 10 at the Knights of Columbus.
Our spring Achievement Night is March 14, 2024, with more information to follow.
Debbie Shubert gave a lesson on what’s in a name, five tips for choosing the perfect moniker for your pet.
1. Get to know your pet before deciding on a name. Naming baby kitty Mr. Kelly may backfire when later, you find it’s a misses or Bella Angel may anything but.
2. Shorter, one-syllable names have proven to be picked up or learned more quickly.
3. If renaming an adult pet, choose a comparable sounding name. For example, Rosie will have a far easier time becoming Roxy than Petunia.
4. Make a list of favorite movies and books. You might be surprised at the number of pet names you come up with.
5. Avoid controversy. Naming your grumpy cat a swear words may not seem as funny when you roam the neighborhood at night shouting its name.
Rhonda Kidwell, continuing education leader, had a lesson on how to read labels. She said she recently came across some claims on packaging labels that were confusing, so she researched it through Purdue Extension and found a list with explanations. For example, grass finished is not the same as grass fed because the animals could have been fed grain earlier in life. She passed out a sheet listing the various definitions.
Our December meeting will be held at San Marcos at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 12. Please bring a $10 Christmas gift to exchange.
Donna Patterson volunteered to be hostess for the Jan. 23, 2024, meeting.