St. Elmo News-Feb. 3, 2011

By Anna Jean Rhodes

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, Feb. 3
• St. Elmo Business Association, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• Wheatland Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m. at the Phillips Building.
• St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library. They will decorate and stuff Valentine bags for Friendship Manor residents.
Monday, Feb. 7
• A Red Cross dlood drive, 3-7 p.m., St. Elmo Elementary School.  The Red Cross card announcing the drive states, “Strap on your blue shoes!  It’s time to Rock and Roll Up Your Sleeve with the American Red Cross and Elvis Presley Enterprises.
All presenting blood donors can enter to win one of the following prizes during the Ultimate Elvis Sweepstakes: an expense-paid trip for two to Las Vegas featuring ticket to Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis and accommodations at ARIA Resort and Casino at CityCenter, or a VIP expense paid trip for two to Memphis featuring VIP Graceland access and accommodations at the Peabody Hotel.
“As you can see, it’s “one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, go, go” and make your blood donation Feb. 7.
In addition to a chance to win a VIP Elvis Getaway Trip, all people who attempt to donate will receive a specially designed T-shirt while supplies last.
• St. Elmo City Council, 7 p.m., Phillips Building.
Tuesday, Feb. 8
• Friendship Quilt Club, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
• American Legion Post #420, 7 p.m., American Legion Home.
• Fayette County Board, 7 p.m., Fayette County Courthouse, Vandalia.
Wednesday, Feb. 9
• The Avena Township Park Board, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Community Park Centennial Building.
Thursday, Feb. 1
• The Lunch Bunch, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The St. Elmo Library District Board, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Library.
• Effingham Chapter #110 Order of the Eastern Star, 7:30 p.m., Effingham Masonic Temple.
Future Announcement
Historical Vandalia Inc. and Fayette County Museum’s third “Seasons of Entertainment” performance that was scheduled for Jan. 23 had to be canceled because of the weather.
It has been rescheduled for Sunday, Feb. 13, and will be held at 2 p.m. in the fellowship hall of the Vandalia First United Methodist Church. The program is on the history of the Greenville DeMoulin Factory. Refreshments will be served after the program.
Tickets are $15 each and are available at the museum, which is open from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Tickets also will be available at the door on Feb. 13.
Lions Club
Several forthcoming events were discussed at the meeting of the St. Elmo Lions Club held the evening of Jan. 24 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant:
• They will help with the Viramontes family fundraiser on Jan. 30.
• The annual pancake and sausage breakfast will be held on Saturday, March 5, at the Phillips Building.
• The annual Lions Club-sponsored defensive drivers course will be held Wednesday, March 23, and Thursday, March 24, from 8 a.m.-noon each day; the location and contact person will be named at a later date.
• The annual diabetes awareness campaign also is forthcoming, and the date will be announced later.
President Dave Maxey opened the meeting, with all giving the pledge of allegiance, and Pee Wee Denton gave the meal blessing. Others present were Don Crawford, John Crawford, Lewis Crawford, LeMar Marchman, Charles Moore, Dee Newberry, Bob Wells and Randy Wolf.
Friendship Manor Birthdays
Friendship Manor had a birthday party for residents and employees on Jan. 19. The dining room was decorated and cakes and punch were served. Residents who had January birthdays were:  Mildred Mays on the 7th, Vivian Sarchet on the 16th, Judy Leach on the 22nd, Lucille Rothe on the 26th and Martha Vogel on the 29th. There were 10 employees who had January birthdays.
Special activities at Friendship Manor in January included a pizza party and making sock monkeys for arts and crafts. Pee Wee Denton, Tom Thoele and the Beecher City Kitchen Band provided music during the month. The Beecher City Kitchen Band was scheduled to perform on Jan. 19, but had to cancel because of the weather, and they were rescheduled for Jan. 26.
Royal Neighbors
At the regular meeting of Royal Neighbors of America #5784 held the afternoon of Jan. 26 at the Phillips Building plans were made for the Matching Fund part of the benefit for the Viramontes family the evening of Jan. 30. RNA also will furnish vegetable beef soup.
Plans also were made for the 2011 year. RNA will celebrate Valentine’s Day. The Jan. 23 meeting of RNA will be at 1 p.m. at the Phillips Building.
Those attending were Ina Abendroth, Rosemary Owen, Irene Reed, Marjorie Sarver, Della Stewart and Leona Wright.
Masonic Lodge
The Masonic Lodge #769 voted to donate hot dogs to the Viramontes family fundraiser the evening of Jan. 30. Several also volunteered to help at the fundraiser.
At the meeting held the evening of Jan. 25 in the Masonic Temple, they also discussed several upcoming fundraisers.
Toby Tackett of Brownstown does the meal the Masons have at the monthly meetings.
St. Elmo HCE
The St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education met the afternoon of Jan. 27 at the St. Elmo Public Library.
Chairman Karen Denning opened the meeting with all giving the pledge of allegiance. Roll call was answered by “One thing I’d like to do this year.”
Karen Wegscheid gave the special feature, “Make a Family Tree,” and added additional information, because she is working on a family tree. Neva Carter gave the major lesson, “Planning for What If.”
Sharon Shelton was hostess, and served cake and sodas. In addition to those mentioned, present were Goldie Harris and Anna Jean Rhodes.
RhodesSide Gleanings
Things constantly change!  On the morning of Jan. 26, I wasn’t sure the brace on my polio leg was working right so I called the brace shop in Effingham and got an appointment. After working on the brace for an hour, it still wasn’t working right. He kept the brace to get new parts and I went back to get it Thursday afternoon.
It was hard for me to get out of my wheelchair to get in my lounge chair or go to the bathroom. When I got the repaired brace Thursday. I did not feel secure in using a walker, so I used the walker only to get to and from lounge chair/wheelchair.
Saturday morning, sitting at the side of the lavatory, I finished taking a sponge bath and I got up to get in the wheelchair—either the brace broke or didn’t latch right, because I fell (but I was reaching down for the wheelchair seat so didn’t fall far).
The thigh (that was broken in September of 2009) didn’t hurt. but below the knee did. I took the brace off but knew I could not get up so used my CareLink and told the person on the phone what had happened.
She said she would get help and she called the St. Elmo Fire Department; three came out to help me get in the wheelchair, but had to call an ambulance (I should have told CareLink to call an ambulance).
I went to Fayette County Hospital to have an X-ray taken of my leg, which was swelling a little below the knee, and found out there was a straight-line fracture so I didn’t have to have surgery.
A cast was put on the leg and I got to come back home in an ambulance. I was told to call the bone doctor on Monday to get an appointment on Tuesday, so he could check my leg.
I’m not able to put any weight on it for six weeks, but, I can still drive my van from my wheelchair!
 

Anna Jean Rhodes