View From The Bridge 10/18/17

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
BY Muncie
10/18/17

BENTON BOOKIES
A new group has formed in the last few months and we are a Book Club. At our 10-11-17 meeting we named our group. We meet at the Chouteau County Free Library at 12:00 noon on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.

We would love you to join us for an enjoyable time choosing a book, reading it, and discussing it. We now have 10 to 12 members and would enjoy having more. They say the more the merrier and the more opinions about the book. It is amazing to me how different the members view the stories.

Much of our discussion today was about people who do not read as they did years ago. It must be the advent of TV and computers that supply you with knowledge we never dreamed of.  In my day all we had was the radio and libraries. I know that I mentioned this before but my library was quiet. No one spoke out loud but in whispers. There were no people running in and out to use computers. It was where I went often for peace and quiet. We did not even have a telephone until I was in high school. This was not because they were not available but because we could not afford it. I purchased my first TV about 1955 and there was really not a show to watch but wrestling and goofy programs. It is truly unbelievable for me to comprehend how far the world has advanced to today. I must admit I actually liked the old way better but that is my opinion. I would like to hear yours.

We would like to have more men’s participation. At present we have only one male who attends regularly. We did have one new member this moth and she was more than welcome.

The leader of our Benton Bookies will have the chosen book (most likely by the time you read this,) and if you would like to join us you can call Rita Braun at 622-3323 to let her know that you will be picking up a book at the Library.

Our next meeting will be the second Wednesday of November the 8th. See you there.

ART FEST
Sunday the 29th will be a busy day. Something new will take place at the Ag Center. A Fall Art Fest will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Put the date on your calendar and come on over to enjoy some fine Art.

Then at about 6:30 p.m. make your way to Shonkin for their Lasagna Dinner Fund Raiser. I have attended this event for many years and it is a fun time. There is a silent auction and the live auction is a hoot. One of the female members is the auctioneer and it is a barrel of laughs.

To make it more interesting, wear a Halloween costume. We do not get to do that very often as seniors.  JUST DO IT. See you there.

VFW BINGO
Next Monday the 23rd at 7:00 p.m. will be the start of the VFW's Bingo games. See you there.

PLAN AHEAD
If you missed Susanna’s Philippine Dinners at the Farmer’s Market, put this date on your calendar, November 5th from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. It will be held at the Catholic Church and the donation is $10.00 per person or $25.00 per family.  I’ll remind you again next week.

OTHER EVENTS
 I am not aware of any. How I wish that the different organizations, Churches, schools, and organizations would call me about their activities.

OOPS AGAIN
I received a phone call last week to tell me that I had made an error in reporting that Blue Cross Blue Shield had cancelled our insurance. I read my View over again and what I said was that SOME OF US WERE CANCELLED. My BCBS Advantage program was cancelled and those of us who have this insurance will know in the next few weeks how we will be covered if at all. I also had a sentence that said “I had my Medicare insurance cancelled for the same reason,” and that reason being we are a rural community. It should have said my auto insurance.

So let me begin again.  This will be the 3rd time many of us have been cancelled.  I cannot remember the name of the first supplement we had and the second was New West and when they cancelled us BCBS offered us the Advantage program.

The point I am trying to make here is to attend the agents programs that are being held in the next few years around town. It is important that you take an interest in what is going on. I spoke to several people who do not know what kind of health insurance they have. SO JUST DO IT and get out and about to learn what is going on.

OOPS No. 2
One other OOPS was that the Boat Race was in 1937 instead of 1936. The quote was “There hasn’t been this much excitement in Fort Benton since the Boat Race of 1936.” (The excitement was the Rectory Trail two weeks ago.)

I have had perhaps a dozen OOPS in the 18 years I have been writing. I did receive 1 criticism from a man who said that the View from the Bridge was too long. Sometimes I feel that way too when I am trying to think of things to write about.

My excuses are that I have a very old computer with the Vista program. It is no longer in existence and nothing can be done to update. The second excuse is reading all the e-mails and mail that I receive. It takes a long time to sort out the junk mail because a great deal of my e-mail goes to junk mail. If there is one word that does not comply with Microsoft it is then sent to junk mail. What else can go wrong to annoy me?

HAVRE MUSEUMS
On Sunday afternoon, I attended the yearly meeting of the Friends of the Clack Museum annual celebration in our sister city of Havre. They had a dinner at the Duck Inn and both of my Morger boys, Randy and Brian, were quest speakers. It was all about Shep and as always I learned something new. Randy gave his Shep talk and Brian brought along all his Shep pictures.

Would you believe here were 60 people in attendance and that fact held us in awe. Randy and Brian met many new people there. A lovely young woman came up to me after the program and said she was Kathy Buckingham’s sister. I could have guessed that as she looks just like Kathy.

It was a joy to see how the Havre people support their Museum.

The museum project also includes the Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump. John and Anna Brumley were honored for the dedication of 23 years at the Jump. They retired after their passion showed a profit. They will be sorely missed as they are or already have moved to Utah.

Fort Benton’s Visitor Information Center Volunteer’s field trip last year was to visit the Buffalo Jump, the Under Ground Businesses, and the Old Post Office that is now converted into a home.  John and Anna were there as our guides.

One of the first things I was taken to see when I moved to Fort Benton was the Buffalo Jump. The work on improvements in 23 years was remarkable. John and Anna were two people who “JUST DID IT.” I wish that I had known them. I know that I would have gained inspiration from them. Another old saying is, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” Happiness is living your dream.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUT TROOPS, POLICE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS, and OUR TMT’S.