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Valley Home News 8-31-22
Winnie Mullins

We are sending tons of Happy Anniversary wishes to two of the finest folks we know – Jennifer and Tom Higgins – you are very special to all of us here in the Valley Home and Farmington areas. Jennifer was our Valley Home School Secretary for many, many years and is deeply loved by her former students and everyone who knows her! Tom is a hard-working rancher, the kind of man who gets up at dawn and puts in a full day. Tom, your hard work is a great example and an inspiration to each of us; you are loved by all! We have been extremely blessed to have Jennifer and Tom as an important part of our Valley Home/Farmington family. Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to this very special couple! May God Bless you with many, many more beautiful years together.

Also this week we would like to send very special Happy Anniversary wishes to another amazing Valley Home couple, Donna and Dennis McCutcheon. What a great blessing it is for all of us to be able to call Dennis and Donna our dear friends and neighbors! Whatever event or activity is happening in Valley Home, you will always find this energetic and enthusiastic couple helping out. Dennis is well known throughout Valley Home for his tremendous BBQ skills. His bride is the most delightful and talented cook; Donna is appreciated by many, many in Valley Home for her delicious culinary skills. She is always very generous and is loved by so many for the tasty treats she shares with all of us here in Valley Home. If you are looking for Dennis, you can usually find him caring for his animals, working at the park or making sure our Valley Home School is perfectly groomed and everything is in great condition, always ready for our students. Donna and Dennis, thank you for being such an important part of our Valley Home community. Congratulations on 34 years of happiness; we love you both very much!

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Wow, it looks like our lovely Nicole Brady Castillou, Kaylee and Patrick’s proud mama, has been having more fun fishing up at Beardsley. She and Brian are bringing home some really awesome catches. Nicole’s proud mama is our very own Darlene Brady, a grand lady loved by all.

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We are happy to report that our beautiful and adventurous Valley Home resident Julie Haynes, who is also proud mama to Daisy and Violet, had a great time rafting with friends on the middle fork of the American River. So nice to see you having such great fun Julie; yes, you lived to tell the story!

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I know it’s early but I would like to share an important date with each of you. Our Valley Home “Fall Harvest Festival” will be held on Saturday, October 22 from 6pm to 9 pm at the school. Please consider putting this very special date on your calendar. Our Fall Harvest Festival was created many, many years ago as a way for our Valley Home School and our Valley Home community to come together to celebrate our fall harvest season. It definitely took a village to create this special evening! Games, excitement, cotton candy, sno-cones, popcorn, Sweet Shop, Mrs. Mattos’ Portuguese sweet bread. We are so grateful; thanks to Mrs. Mattos, to the Monschein family, and a heartfelt thank you to so many more who over the years have continued to come help and keep this very special fall tradition alive in Valley Home! This year we will once again have delicious dinner foods, tasty desserts and delightful drinks for your enjoyment. Bring a chair if you wish to sit outside by the Pumpkin Patch and visit with your neighbors; hay bales are also placed throughout the festival for you to sit on and enjoy the ambiance of the evening. Inside, tables and seating are plentiful; enjoy dinner, a fun game of bingo or bid on Class Baskets or Silent Auction items. For those of you who may want a little adventure, our Haunted Hayride will begin at dark, approximately 7:30pm; be prepared to scream, laugh, cry, and …well … who knows what really awaits you!?

All this and lots, lots more so please consider marking your calendar for an evening of fun and tradition in Valley Home on October 22. I hope to see you there!

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We would like to send a hello and a huge thank you to our hard-working Stanislaus County Supervisor Buck Condit. Thank you for all you do for all of us. You are greatly appreciated!

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We end this week’s column with a beautiful and heartfelt gesture between a caring grandson and the Valley Home grandfather he loves so much. Glenn Burghardt’s grandson Mitchell took him into town for a haircut and shave this week … Glenn says he feels like a new man! Kindness counts!

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As always, you may reach me by email at winniemullins51@gmail.com or by telephone at 209-985-5233. Until next time, “Happy Trails to All!”