Out and About – Week of Sept. 14th

Every so often, I am totally amazed as to how some things work out. The Wednesday before Labor Day weekend, I topped off my gas tank in my car. I also filled two containers with that liquid gold we call gasoline. Why? Because a holiday weekend was approaching and I thought I’d be smart and buy gasoline before the price shot up 25 cents.

Lo and behold, the price stayed at $2.45 a gallon all the way through Labor Day weekend. In fact, it even dropped down to $2.43 at one station the day after Labor Day. Just when I thought I had the oil barons figured out, they threw me a curve ball. They didn’t disappoint me, however, because last Wednesday, the price jumped to $2.59 a gallon. Ya gotta love ’em.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere, you are aware of the fact that the St. Joseph County Grange Fair comes to Centreville next Saturday, September 19. I’m not sure if it’s because this year is an odd-numbered one or what, but the fair this year has a few changes. The first is that it opens on a Saturday, rather than the normal Sunday, and admission is FREE on opening day. The second thing that caught my eye is that the big name entertainment appears Wednesday evening, instead of the normal Saturday night. Darius Rucker will take the main stage at 7 P.M. Wednesday, the 23^rd. Perhaps the change in days has something to do with Darius’s schedule. This newspaper has listed a schedule of events for this year’s fair, and there are plenty of brochures available for the asking. I’d strongly advise picking one up for your own quick reference. We’re planning to travel over to Centreville for our usual two or three fair visits. We especially seek out those attractions that are FREE. No matter how hard I try, I still end up paying for a funnel cake or two. After all, they are FREE of cholesterol. One FREE attraction will be the Three Rivers High School Vocal Music Department performance at 4:30 P.M. on Tuesday, September 22.

There are several locations in the Three Rivers area where you can obtain a Flu shot. I try to get mine every year. I figure it’s just common sense to spend a few dollars for a shot, rather than lose a couple days of work. It’s a fact that we don’t appreciate our good health until we spend time under the weather. It’s always a good practice to wash your hands whenever the opportunity becomes available, and this is especially true during this time of the year.

2009 has a little more than three months left to its existence. This has been a very memorable year, especially when it comes to the economy. Fifty years ago, things were different. Here are a few examples of what people were saying back in 1959:

1. “I’ll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it’s going to be impossible to buy a week’s groceries for $20.”

2. “Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won’t be long before $2000 will only buy a used one.”

3. “If cigarettes keep going up in price, I’m going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous.”

Let’s all hope for some great weather for next week. The St. Joseph County Grange Fair is coming to the county. It’s time to travel to Centreville and see what the 4-Hers have been up to. There’s so much talent right here in St. Joe County. See you Out and About at the fair.

 Submitted by Norm Stutesman