By Rachel Hale
Contributing columnist
Happy September!
I was reflecting the other day about what all the different season represented and all the activities involved. It occurred to me that September is kind of an “in between” month. It is still rather warm, yet not as hot as the typical summer months. It isn’t really autumn weather either and the leaves are still green.
To me it is a month of transition. The summer sports have wrapped up, kids are going back to school and everyone is getting used to a new schedule. I often struggle this time of year with what to wear each day. Sometimes the mornings are a bit cool and a long sleeve shirt is great…until the afternoon and the temperature hits the high 80’s or maybe even a bit into the 90’s.
It is a month to start preparing for fall. Whether that means pulling out the beautiful Harvest decorations or buying some mums for your flower beds. I do this each year, purchase mums from my nephew’s school fundraiser. My husband jokes as to how long before I forget to water them and I can’t get mad because he is right!
I am terrible at gardening or anything to do with flowers. I am probably the only person that has ever managed to kill a cactus! I just laugh along with him, take it as a challenge and I try my best to remember to water them each day. It works for about a month, maybe less, and then they go in the trash can. At least my nephew benefits from my terrible gardening skills.
The weather in September starts to change as we approach fall and I look forward to the change in menu from grilling out hamburgers and hot dogs to pots of soup and delicious sandwiches. There is nothing better than a pot of beef vegetable soup that has been simmering on the stove all day. I could live on soup every day, I really could.
There are so many great soup recipes. I inherited my mother in law’s huge Wagner stock pot and I use it for all my soups. My normal go to soups are Tomato Basil, Beef Vegetable or Cheesy Potato/Broccoli. Slider sandwiches are so easy to make and you can use so many different combinations of meats and cheese that boredom is not possible.
Another yummy “comfort meal” in our family is Spaghetti. My youngest son really would eat that every day if his wife would let him. Pasta is another food that there are so many different ways to fix it that the possibilities are endless.
If you like spaghetti, I invite you to attend the Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County’s Annual Spaghetti Dinner on Friday, Sept. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. For a cost of $10 per person, diners receive spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, bread and dessert. You can dine in or carry out. We will also be selling raffle tickets on several wonderful prizes as well as a 50/50 drawing. All proceeds benefit the Senior Center.
Do you like to dance or kick up your heels? Are you 50 or better? Join us for our Fall dance on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7p.m. The theme is: Western Cowboy. Dress in your best western wear and be entered into a drawing for a door prizes. This is free and open to the public at 50 or better.
Until I see you at the Center, have a blessed day!
