November 1 – Well, I certainly hope everyone weathered “Sandy” with a minimum amount of damage. I have a few small limbs and branches down but haven't found any significant damage to anything.

It would appear that Old Man Winter is putting in an early appearance in some areas. I received an email from friends in Abingdon this morning with a photo showing a foot of snow on their deck! And, if the old wives' tales are true about the number of acorns on the ground being a sign of a bad winter, we are in for a doozy! I have never seen so many acorns on the ground.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW: The Women of the United Methodist Church will hold their Annual Turkey Dinner Saturday, November 10, at the Abilene Community Center. Take-out will be available from 4 to 5 p.m. Sit-down dinner will be served from 5 to 7 p.m. Everything is home-cooked and delicious. Tickets are $8 for adults; $4 for children. Advance tickets are available from any of the Women of the Church and tickets will be available at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Betty Gryder at 223-8343.

I recently returned from a weekend on the Eastern Shore – yes, just as Sandy was beginning to show herself. I attended a wedding Saturday afternoon and the weather didn't have any effect on that but by the time the reception was over it was starting to rain. As I headed for home Sunday morning the rain was pouring and when I got to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel they were starting to restrict the high-profile vehicles like trucks. The wind and waves were kicking up pretty high but I had no trouble making the transit. But, even with the storm I was able to get a bag of Hayman sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving! When I was growing up in Hampton, Leggetts/Belks would always bring in a shipment of Haymans for the holidays. Yes, I said Leggetts/Belks.

On Wednesday, October 24, a group of ladies from the Cardinal Quilt Guild of Prince Edward, delivered 16 handmade quilts to the children at the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Homes. The next meeting of the Quilt Guild is Tuesday, November 6, at 10 a.m. at the Douglas Presbyterian Church. Visitors and new members are always welcome.

As part of the community outreach of the Abilene Homemakers Club, on Tuesday, October 30, I delivered Halloween treats to the children at the Piedmont Juvenile Detention Center.

The next meeting of the Abilene Homemakers Club will be on Monday, November 12, at 1 p.m. at the Abilene Community Center. We will be making Christmas treat bags for area nursing homes. We'd love to have you visit us.

On Wednesday, October 31, I accompanied a group of ladies from the Woman's Club of Farmville to lunch at Babcock House in Appomattox, followed by a Tour and Tea at the Museum of the Confederacy. A good time was had by all. If you have not been to the Museum of the Confederacy, it is a wonderful facility – a good place to spend time with your children or grandchildren.

DON'T FORGET, this weekend is the end of Daylight Savings Time.

If you have any news or announcements that you'd like to share, please call me at 223-2271 or e-mail me at kz5ro@kinex.net.