Thursday, May 14, 2015

Desert Trail Column, May14, 2015

The USDA Food Distribution will take place on Monday, May 18 at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 ½ Amboy Road, from 11 to noon. The He Provides Ministry will also be there with free clothing and household items for anyone who can use them.
We send out Rainbows-of-Emeralds-and-Lilies-of-the-Valley to Curtis Johnson who celebrates his special day this week. Happy birthday, Curtis!

Darlene’s Commentary: Our father, Jerry Borquez, worked in aerospace and in 1958, our whole family moved to Cape Canaveral, Florida where his expertise was needed. Two years later, when I was eight years old, we returned to California by car. I remember stopping at a fruit inspection station, and as Daddy drove up to the window, he turned to me and my little sister Donna and said, “Now, don’t say anything about the oranges in the ice chest.” We got out of the car to stretch our legs (and, I am sure, to keep our mouths shut) and I remember we walked over to a tall wooden sign that read “Welcome to California” and “Wonder Valley.” Little did I know that I would move to this area 29 years later, and end up living across the road from that very sign!  I love Wonder Valley.
Karen’s Commentary: Our big bullfrog is croaking again! He had quit croaking for about a week when we put three new tadpoles in the pond, but he is now back in fine form. We haven’t named him yet, but are thinking of calling him Damian after Damian McGinty who is a very young and handsome member of Celtic Thunder with a baby face and a surprisingly deep voice. Years ago, we named our first frog Jeremiah. After Jeremiah went to that great fishpond in the sky, we got three frogs that we promptly named Bud, Weis and Er! It’ll be pretty hard to come up with better names than those.
Our community center is open every Monday and Wednesday from 9 to noon, and Star Javier is there to answer any questions or discuss issues about our park and/or roads. On the Mondays when the USDA Food Distribution takes place, the community center opens at 8 am.
Handy Hint: Hang a shoe organizer bag in your garage. The clear plastic pouches make it easy to both store and locate spray paints, lubricants, gardening tools and other items.
Thought for Today: Gene Simmons was a sixth grade teacher in Harlem; Sting taught English, music and soccer at a Catholic girls school in England; and Stephen King was a high school English teacher in Maine. Kind of scary.
Until next time . . . remember to take time to enjoy the WONDERs all around us.