At last, our long dry spell has been broken! On Friday we received several inches of rain that could not have come down any nicer. There would be a heavy shower of rain and, then it would stop and the moisture would quickly sink into the dry earth. Then another rather heavy shower would come and once again there was time for it to soak into our dry thirsty soil. This continued into Saturday with amounts of rain varying from three to eight inches depending where you lived. Whatever the amount, every drop of it soaked into the soil, nothing went to waste. Even though the crops could have used some rain earlier we were happy to receive this much now. Of course our temperatures moderated. By late Sunday afternoon I thought I am sitting here almost freezing, so, summer is over, I turned up the furnace. I may not be rushing the season as on my way to church I noticed the birds were flocking together, chattering away and I think they were getting ready to go to their winter home. I can hardly believe it is this late in the season, even though I know that when the combines head for the fields the crops are ready to harvest. We had better be getting ready for a change in our schedules — ready or not!Dries and Laura May Bosch attended the service, "America, We Must Not Forget," which was presented at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls on Thursday evening, Sept. 11. Those participating in the program were the Rock Valley Community Impact Team and the Rock Valley Community Chorus and others which came from that area. The offering went to the "Alpha Center." The program was very inspirational and it was well attended. Orrin and Bernice Aukes attended the Spencer Fair on Tuesday.Coffee guests in the Winnie Scholten home to help her celebrate her birthday last week were Henrietta Huenink, Joan Hoogeveen, Jo Aykens, Lori Scholten and Winnie’s sister, Matilda Regnerus, from Sioux Center, Iowa. Those attending the World Home Bible League meeting on Sept. 11 were Melba Boeve, Winnie Scholten, Etta De Jongh, Greta Van Der Brink, Bernice Barstad and Betty Elbers. Sunday evening coffee guests in the Arnold and Jane Bonnema home following the evening worship service in Steen Reformed Church were Arvin and Cena Mae Tilstra.Among those attending the performance of "Confessions of an Ordinary Man" at the Palace Theatre in Luverne Saturday evening were Melba Boeve, Dick and Gert Hup and Art and Henrietta Boeve. Coming events at the Palace Theatre are the South Dakota Chamber Orchestra featuring Emily Lodine on Sept. 21. On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3 and 4, the movie "Sea Biscuit" will be shown. Those attending the Spencer Fair on Thursday were Corrine Niessink, Darlene Bosch, Anna Elbers, Gert Hup, Betty Boeve and Henrietta Boeve. They enjoyed supper together at Pete’s Place in Hartley, Iowa, en route home. Monday afternoon coffee guests in the Winnie Scholten home were Pearl Groen and Malena Boeve. Labor Day is past and the students are all back in school to get their education. We used to say education was reading, writing and arithmetic. In today’s world we have too many machines to do our work for us. For instance, penmanship has been replaced by the typewriter and computer, math by the calculator, and reading by TV. Just what is education today?Is the classroom the only place our students get educated? No, our parents taught us our manners at home. Teaching us to be polite, to say thank you and to learn how to treat others with respect. The church teaches us how to love one another. And life teaches us something every day!In fact, life is a game — the greatest game you will ever play. Play it to win. Play fair. Life has rigid rules but the rewards are high. Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort. It is better to give hope, strength and courage than money. The best help is not to bear the troubles of others for them, but to inspire them with courage and energy to bear their own burdens for themselves, and meet with the difficulties of life bravely. To help others is no easy matter but requires a clear head and wise judgment — as well as a warm heart.Peggy Fleming, a figure skating champion, said: "I think the American dream of always being No. 1 in everything is not necessarily realistic. That should not be the goal. The ultimate goal should be doing your own best and enjoying participating in life and being honest and fair to everyone else as well as to yourself."I think if we could all do this, then our education would be complete.
