OUT & ABOUT WITH LAURA
by Laura Dunham

It was a fun night recently when 12 members of the Red Snappers Red Hat Society met at the home of Pat Franz in Coplin Plantation. Pat is a great hostess making everyone feel welcome. I am the Queen Mother (believe it or not) and that sometimes makes me feel old. I reported on all the flowers and cards that I had sent out or delivered to members who had either been sick or hospitalized this past year. This week we sent out flowers and prayers to Jean Ferris who is recuperating at home after a bad fall.

Pat Franz said that a new Red Hat Chapter has been started in Stratton and will be called the Stratton Strutters. The Queen Mother will be Marcie Herrick. Some of the members, Franz, Sharon Farnsworth, Fran Patterson and Arlene Flick, were present at the Red Snapper meeting. Franz and Farnsworth will continue to be members of the Kingfield-New Portland group.

The door prize provided by the Queen Mum was won by Fran Patterson. The next outing of the group will be hosted by Sally Edgerly and Thelma Cyr on Nov. 12.

It's a small world according to Carol Sleeper of New Portland. She was in the Kingfield Woodsman recently and saw a man that looked familiar, "Don Cutler of Freeman Township." Well, she spoke to Cutler and found out that they had gone to school together in Putnum, Conn. more than 40 years ago and had not seen each other since.

Pat Franz of Coplin Plantation, who hosted the Red Snapper's Red Hat group recently, is pictured with Arlene Flick of Stratton, a member of the newly organized Stratton Strutters Red Hat group. Franz is showing off the handcrafted quilt called "stack and whack" that she is making. (Laura Dunham photo)

I spoke with Kim Jordan who said that her "girls" were coming along well after their bad accident on their dirt bikes some two weeks ago. I saw Katie Beth, who has her arm in a cast, at senior lunch this past Thursday. Taylor Sue had her second surgery on her leg Friday and will now be in a cast, but Kim said she will be able to go back to school on Tuesday in a wheel chair.

Michael and Holly Paul are grandparents with the birth of Payton Mozelle Ladd, born on Sept. 23 and weighing in at seven pounds and 13 ounces. Siblings are Nichole, 10, and Madison, 8; the proud parents are Bruce and Jamie Ladd of New Vineyard.

The Dead River Area Historical Society is selling an Angle Wrap (52x67 inches) which has been hand-quilted. The cost of the raffle tickets is $1 each or six for $5. The drawing will be on Nov. 16 at the annual supper. You can send your money for tickets to PO Box 15, Stratton, Maine O4982.

I am so proud of Chelcey Dunham. On Thursday night, Chelcey, who owns the Queen Anne Flower Shop in Bar Harbor, received the "Rising Star Award" from the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. On hand for the special occasion was her Aunt Deb Jordan of Carrabassett Valley, her mom Suzanne Dunham of Kingfield and Mo McGuire who has worked for Chelcey since she started her shop over a year ago. During the busy season on the coast Chelcey employs five helpers.

I was so pleased to be able to visit recently with the Rev. Marriott Churchill where she serves as chaplain and a member of the hospital patient support team at Franklin Memorial Hospital. Churchill, the former pastor at the Kingfield United Methodist Church, said that she has been to Chapel Hill, N.C. to attend the 50th anniversary as one of the founders of the Olin Brinkley Baptist Church.

Nine of us "Central Girls" met recently at the home of Lena Knapp in Kingfield. Lena treated us to a wonderful luncheon which followed with lots of "gossip" about school days in New Portland. The next outing will be on Nov. 12 when the group will go to the Country Bumpkin for lunch in Avon.

It was cleanup day on Sunday when I met up with Lorraine Savage, Lorraine Ristano, Chenoa Savage and Ruth White and we gave that American Legion Hall kitchen a cleaning. I've decided my bones are too old for that kind of work.

On Saturday we took our beloved cats, Boots and Inky, to the rabies clinic in Kingfield at the fire station. Stacy Rundlett and Leeann Targett put on the one-hour clinic where Dr. John Benson, the traveling veterinarian, gave 26 animals their shots. Rundlett said that this is the first year that a veterinarian has given a $25 donation to the Kingfield Animal Control Fund which was very much appreciated.

My prayers go out to my ill or injured big friends Jean Ferris and Fred Niidas and of course to my dear husband Howard and to my little friend Taylor Sue Jordan and to Richard Lambert.