Orchids to …
• Mike Pence, who proved that the only acceptable form of protest is one that offends no one and is easily ignored.
• informed people who understand it is moronic to carelessly raise the temperature of nuclear tensions.
• BCSC Health Center for helping a patient while out of town for fall break.
• Harry, we are glad we had you for a while.
• Jim Babcock and Robert Valek for your interesting letters in Saturday’s Republic.
• my husband and all my children for taking me to Shelbyville on Sunday, from Mary.
• Rust-Unger Monuments for the great job they did on the tombstone, from David.
• Joe, my new best friend -– you are awesome, from Lisa.
• Dr. Phillips and his staff for restoring my smile even if only temporarily, from someone who’s not really a patient.
• John Tinkey for always thinking of others, from a friend.
• Shirley Schaefer of Hope for collecting all the grocery bags for me to take to Love Chapel, from Rick.
• all the nice people in Two Worlds who bring bags to my house to take to Love Chapel for groceries, from Rick.
• county council members Bill Lentz, Matt Miller and Evelyn Pence for voting against the tax hike and understanding that there is a lot of unnecessary spending in certain departments that should be cut out.
• Dan Fleming for the excellent, thought-provoking letter to the editor, from Ginger Bloom.
Onions to …
• the elected official whose aircraft costs $200,000 an hour for not attending the game, wasting taxpayer money.
• those who do not realize it was the previous president who divided the country.
• the person who needs to look at the words of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and re-learn what it’s truly about, the battle with cannon fire at Fort McHenry.
• the four county council members who voted for a massive and totally unjustified tax increase.
• city and county officials for raising our taxes in typical good ol’ boy fashion.
• people who don’t realize you don’t have free speech at your workplace — and if you were to cause your workplace to lose money over your free speech, you would be fired.
• the political party that would rather see previously elected officials run for office instead of fresh faces.
• the elected officials who raised taxes and to the other elected officials who advocated for it, from a voter who won’t forget.
• the politician who would rather make a political statement by leaving the stadium early rather than staying and watching a great football game that the Colts won in overtime.
• taxpayers who think the president’s tax plan will benefit more than the top 1 percent of taxpayers and not make it worthwhile to pay down the national deficit.
• a president that wants us to believe his new tax plan won’t benefit him but refuses to release his taxes returns.
• those who don’t realize that the right to bear arms does have responsibility, and anyone who use a gun to kill a person does not have that right.
Happy Birthday to …
• Brent Lambert on No. 20, from Billie.
• Wilma Houshour, from Bethel Baptist Church.
• Jerry Denton.
• Charly Kleinhenz, from Mrs. Erickson.
• Jenna Boewe from friends at the Moravian Church.
• Tyler Jackson from friends at the Moravian Church.
• Lori Robertson.
• Riley Repp.
• Tyler Knotts.
• Rosemary Long.
• Helaine Archer.
• Jessie Curd, from Mom, Dad, Tommy, Zoe, Nick, Grandma Jean and Grandma Joann.
• Lilly Rose, from Jean Patrick.
• Jenna Boewe from Mom, Dad and Brendan.
• Lincoln Elkins, from Grandma Pam, Gabby, and Carmyn and Lucas.
• Donna Rossittis, from your Daughters of Isabella sisters.
• Carol Gleason, from Duke and Debbie Floyd.
• Bryan K. Hawley from Mother, Frank and family.
Happy Anniversary to …
• Bill and Carolyn Owens.
• Ken and Michele Seim, from friends at the Morvian Church.
• Brenda Showalter, on our 15th, from Doug.
• Pastor Mike and Jill Newlin, from Dove Ministries.