ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

The week started on a very solemn note, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, which was watched and followed by millions of people worldwide. There will probably never be another like that. Charles, no matter how well he fills her shoes and lives as long as his father and mother did, can only reign for a portion of that time and the world will be a very different place than it is now. I am kind of glad I probably won’t be around by then to see what the world has morphed into. The signs are not good.

That can be illustrated by what else happened just then, the funeral of a police officer who was murdered for being a police officer. There are far too many incidences like this, and law and order is difficult to come by when even politicians approve of unlawful acts.

The weekend has certainly indicated autumn is on the way, in line with the date. The cool and wet days have brought welcome moisture, and we know there will still be many more lovely warm and colourful days to enjoy. We can be very thankful we are not living in our maritime provinces where they have suffered immensely from Hurricane Fiona with a great loss of property and electricity probably out for days. Thankfully my several cousins are all safe, but there have been deaths, especially in Newfoundland. We got a small taste of that back in May when the tornado passed through.

Now, of course, we have lost another heritage building to fire this time; three businesses and four apartments, I think. My sympathies to my friend Cheryl Hinzel of Sugar FX and Red Hot and the owner of the Sushi place! We already know that living space is at a premium following the tornado, and here we have more folks looking for a place to live. And this, too, sounds like it happened due to actions that should not have taken place.

Belated birthday wishes go out to Linda Wagg, whose birthday was earlier last week, just a few days after Elwood’s. Linda works very hard to keep things moving at Zephyr United Church, too, and we thank her for that. Happy birthday also to Steve Harwood. Steve and Sandra have lived in the USA for many years now but were home here a few months ago when Bruce was sick. It is always good to see them.

Happy anniversary wishes go out to Steve’s youngest sister Karen, and husband Jerry Popadynec, who celebrated this past week. A bigger anniversary wish goes out to Alex and Gail Williamson of Port Perry for their 57th. I went to high school with Alex, and Gail is one of the Shier sisters who was born and raised just down the road and is Linda Wagg’s sister.

After suffering through emergency surgery and spending a week or so in hospital, having to take it very easy for several more, Deborah Clements is happy she and Dwight could enjoy a week of camping. Of course, Dwight had to do the heavy lifting, but I am sure he was happy to do it. Best wishes for a complete recovery.

The Uxbridge Seniors group held their first lunch of the upcoming season. There was a large crowd, and everyone once again enjoyed the lunch prepared by Mary Evans. Another will be held on October 21st. Membership is $15, and lunches are $15 each.

In our family, we have a couple of sets of siblings whose birthdays fall only a day or so apart, but we also have a couple of cousins who were born on the same day. Richard Ashton and Tom Armstrong have both reached the grand age of 60. Born to mothers 20 years apart in age, Richard became an older sibling to three more, while Tom was an only child. A small party was held to help them celebrate on Friday.

Andrew Heathcote performed at the Foster on Friday night. Andrew has been there many times before and always draws a crowd. This week, September 30th already, the last of the regular series, Mike Burns will return for the second time this season. Earlier, he filled in when ‘Now and Again’ were unable to come. On Sunday, October 2nd, though, there will be a special ‘Jazz and Blues’ concert at 1:30 p.m. Check the website for the names of the entertainers.

Bob Kirvan informs me that Dave Watts, son of Ken and Irene Watts, will install a bench near the horseshoe pitch at the Uxbridge Scott Museum in his parent’s name. Ken was one of the founding members of the club.

Next Sunday, The Sandford Zephyr Charge will meet once more at Sandford United Church at 10 a.m. This week is World Communion Sunday, and the worship leader will be Rev. Paul Reed, who will also conduct the communion service. Please join us.

#sandford #shorelines #Zephyr