The first free community dinner of the season will be on Sept. 14, with the deadline to request a meal on Sept. 7 by noon. The order deadline is firm. There are some changes to note, since demand nearly tripled since the start of the pandemic. 

In-person dining is returning, and meals will also be available for pickup just inside the door at the Lutheran Center. Something new is that all dinners must be reserved by calling or emailing the church or registering online on the church's website. Please leave a clear message with your name, phone number and the number of "take-out meals" or "seats at the table" requested.

The September menu will be brats, mac and cheese, baked beans and a cookie. Pick-up will be available beginning at 5 p.m. on September 14, with in-person dining from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Harriet Jackson

I am sorry to write that Harriet Jackson died on Saturday. Her funeral will be on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 11 a.m. at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in rural Welch. Burial will be at Aspelund. Sincere sympathy goes to her family and friends.

Music on trail

There will be live music on the Cannon Valley Trail at Welch on upcoming Saturdays. Flatt and Square's bluegrass trio will perform on Sept. 3, and Tom Peschges will sing and play his guitar on Sept. 10. The hours are from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., weather permitting. Access is easy from the trail or by car.

Bloodmobile

The Red Cross Bloodmobile will be at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in rural Welch on Sept. 1 and 2. The hours will be from noon until 6 p.m. Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Friday. 

It will return to Cannon Falls on Sept. 7, when it will be at First English Lutheran Church from 1-7 p.m. St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Red Wing will host the bloodmobile on Sept. 7 from 1-7 p.m. Registration is required. Check out the Red Cross website to make an appointment and learn of other upcoming blood donation sites and dates. 

Vasa Museum

The Vasa Museum is open for a while yet, into the beginning of October. Regular hours are on Sundays, from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. It's also open by appointment; contact the church office or any member of the museum board to make arrangements. Admission is free of charge. Of course, donations are welcome and appreciated. 

To keep informed about happenings in Vasa, check out the church's website. The office phone number is 651-258-4327; be advised that office hours are limited. Please leave a clear message and phone number, and someone will return your call. 

Email the church at any time: office@vasalutheran.org Reach Pastor Maureen at: pastor@vasalutheran.org Masks are optional at all events. And thanks for saving those canceled postage stamps for veterans.

Looking ahead

Looking ahead, mark the calendar for Cross of Christ's Fall Fest on Oct. 8 and the Vasa Bazaar at the Lutheran Center on Nov. 5. Vendor spaces are available for the bazaar. Look for more information about these events as the dates draw closer.

As school starts for the year, be on the alert for youngsters waiting and also for the big buses on the narrow country roads. The motorcyclists are enjoying the late summer weather for rides in the countryside, too, and farmers will soon be harvesting their crops and moving their equipment from field to field. Be safe.

Until next week, may your joys be many and your care be few.