SOLON & BEYOND, Week of April 13, 2017

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

The Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club met on April 8 with Michaela Marden presiding.

The members voted to do flowers for Mothers Day at the Solon Congregational Church. Several members are planning to attend to pass out the flowers.
The educational exhibit for Skowhegan Fair was discussed. The members decided to do it again this year.

Leader Hailey Dellarma and several members are planning to attend the “Luck of the Draw” being put on by the Somerset County Leaders Association on Saturday, May 6, at the American Legion Hall, on Route 201, in Skowhegan.

Michaela Marden, Cooper Dellarma, Hunter and Brook Souca gave demonstrations.

After the meeting, Linda French invited the club to visit the Solon Food Cupboard. She explained the days the food cupboard was open, how to apply and some of the items that are available.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, May 13, at 9:30 a.m., at the Solon Fire Station. A guest speaker is planning to come and make jewelry with members for Mothers Day.

The North Anson Congregational Church will be having a 6 a.m. Sunrise Service and breakfast at the church on April, 16, Easter Sunday. The regular worship service will start at 10 a.m.

Received the April letter from the New Hope Evangelical Free Church, in Solon, telling of the many things going on there for good such as, “Through a grant given to the shelter, we were able to install a new large generator that is a big necessity in Maine where the power is apt to go off in any storm. And we were able to have an entrance built around the front door to keep the snow from blowing in against it.”

Also in this letter, “One of the ‘pleasures’ of living in Maine is all the snow we get. Well, we have gotten a lot of ‘pleasure’ this year and along with it some broken trusses in the section of our lower church roof. Snow and ice fell off the upper roof and caused the trusses to snap.” The letter shows pictures of how much snow was up around the building and all the people out shoveling it! The letter states, “The trusses broke in spite of all our shoveling efforts. Spring is coming…they say!”

More from the letter: “Over 500 plus women and children have now come and gone through the Women’s Shelter. The average stay is around three to four months, though some will stay as long as nine or ten months. Others stay for just a day or two and then leave. We require the women to be at morning devotions and evening Bible studies, and they are required to attend all church services. We also have morning classes for the women that help them in practical ways. Recently, we had several of the shelter women commit to following Christ, and four were baptized just a few weeks ago.” (My many thanks to Tim and Pat for giving this letter to me.)

And Percy’s memoir this week is: “I would not trade my lot in life for anyone’s I know, For in my trials, and happiness, I’ve felt my spirits grow, I’ve squelched a tear, and laughed some, too, And done some things that others do, For through the years I’ve had so much Of human love and human touch, I would not trade my lot in life for anyone’s I know. I would not trade one day of time for all the years of others, For even with some heartbreaks, and the pain that sort of smothers, I’ve glimpsed through clouds of darkest hue A glorious sight of all things true; With silver lining that leads me on Towards life’s sunset, with my work well done. So I would not trade one day of life for all the years there are, But keep my chin raised high and firm, and my eyes upon a star.” (words by Velta Myrle Allen.)