Holiday happenings getting underway

While strolling I wondered whatever happened to Betty Heady.

Happy birthday this week to Sandra Hibdon, Mary Chapman, Paula Hudson, Bobby Eichhorn, Mark Glastetter, Janet Kaye Loucks, Rob Abernathy, Mary Kay Shinult, Michelle Dalton, Matt Trost, Jennifer Vandeven, Olivia Gramlisch, Austin Dowd, Jeremy Pobst, Carl Odell, Amanda Hooker, Ashlee Bowman, Ron Eifert, Bill Pfefferkorn, Duncan McKinley, Katie Chasteen, Phyllis Chasteen, James Odell, Francis Wagoner, Sarah Dooley, Craig Ressel, Garner Horman, Derek Gaines, Cindy Burnett, Jack Leslie Burnett, Wayne Chapman, Judy Pobst, Ida Seyer and John Chambers.

Happy anniversary this week to Esten and Pam Cooper, Raymond and Nancy Spies, Earl and Katie Chasteen, Brian and Genni Ourth and Joe and Kerrie Swain.

Congratulations, Pat Moore

Congratulations to first-time great-grandmother Pat Moore on the birth of Gabriel Elijah Romano Rice Oct. 14. The 6-pound-13-ounce baby and his proud parents of Paducah, Kentucky, are happy and well.

The full moon we are enjoying this week is known as Sassafras Moon, Beaver Moon, Dark Moon and Moon When Horns are Broken Off.

The picture of the CHS Class of 1964 was inadvertently omitted but should be in today's paper. The "class that rocks" had a grand time and was thrilled to see Maxine Hale at the banquet. Invited by Tom Davenport, Ms. Hale taught some of them ninth-grade English while Mary Hopkins taught others.

City Council meets tomorrow at 7 p.m. There are now two recycling bins; one at the original location and a second at the Public Works garage next to the Fire Station. No glass is permitted.

Everyone is invited to the annual Christmas Open House at The Chaffee Flower Shop next weekend. Hours are Thursday and Friday 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be drawings, giveaways and refreshments.

The 19th annual three-day Crafts, Gifts and Collectibles Show is Nov. 21 to 23 at Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau. For vendor information call event promoter Dixie J. Burnett at 573-266-3688 or email semocraftshow@hotmail.com; subject line: vendor info.

Dress shopping

Mary Ann Kagle adds that she, too, loved shopping at Libson's. Her dad worked for the Frisco Railroad and, on paydays, her parents would take her to "The Cape" shopping. She remembers how the nice salesgirls Barb and Dolly called you "hon" and told you whether something looked good or not. Mary Ann says that her mom often bought her a different color of Tycora sweater.

Back in the day, our mothers made most of our clothes and, later, if we were inclined and had taken sewing lessons, some of us made our own dresses. Do you remember your first store-bought dress? Mine was given to me by my half-brother who bought it at a dress shop located on the south side of Broadway in the 1950-60s. Maybe someone remembers the name.

There is nothing like a new dress to brighten your day, whether it is for a special occasion or an update to your wardrobe.

When my Mother would make her annual treks to visit, Jo and I always took her shopping. Although we never limited the number of outfits, she would often say we were being too generous and would keep them at a minimum. On many occasions, we would secretly buy the items she liked but left behind to surprise her later. We delighted seeing her joy, and she was always so gracious. Like all grown daughters, my sisters and I loved doing special things for our Mother.

We thank our Signal subscribers who made the move with us to the Southeast Missourian. Former residents residing throughout the U.S. like to read about the old days and what happened to such and such.

One reader confirmed that former CHS teacher Richard Kiehne lives in Jackson and recalls how good looking we girls thought he was.

About Ned Walsh

We recently wondered about Ned Walsh, and, thanks to my sister, Dr. Ruth Welborn in San Marcos, Texas, I was able to get in touch with him. He says he is officially retired but is involved in leading college/university groups of students to Cuba on study-abroad programs. Next spring he will lead a group from the University of Redlands, California, to Cuba on a three-week study program during which students will study first-hand the Cuban Revolution of 1959, meet with and hear Cuban leaders, historians and companions of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. His last position was the executive director of the Johnson County, North Carolina, Habitat for Humanity, and he worked with former President Jimmy Carter in seeking a pilot project in Matanzas, Cuba. Prior to that, Ned taught U.S. history at the University of Matanzas, the first time a U.S. citizen did so since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution of 1959. He was also instrumental in coordinating U.S. and Cuban government authorities to clear the way for two young Cuban children to receive free medical treatment at major hospitals in North Carolina; both cases made national news. Ned has a grown son and daughter and three grandchildren. He and his brother, John, are the sons of former First Baptist Church pastor, the Rev. Edward T. Walsh, and wife, Mary, who lived in the parsonage on Gray Avenue until mid-1961.

The Ebola crisis has quieted down in Dallas but much paranoia and finger pointing continue. Now that we are into the flu season and Ebola is still a concern, people are more troubled about uncovered coughs and sneezes and wary of shaking hands. A recent study by the American Medical Association shows that the fist bump eliminates the transference of 90% of germs.

Remember to tell those special people in your life that you love them -- those three words mean so very much.

Special words

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those who have lost loved ones, our homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, those undergoing cancer treatments and those recovering from surgery. We thank our many brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country so valiantly. We pray for the safe and timely return of those on active duty.

Comments

Please email your news and comments to me at darbuck2@airmail.net. You may also leave a detailed message at 573-887-6430 or 214-207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was the major retailer who apologized for the "fat girl" Halloween costume ads.