In addition to my five regular local readers, I have two regular readers over in Florence. I ran into one of them at Jackrabbit Hollow the other day and she said she has used hedge apples for fall decorations for some time now. However, I still would bet she didn’t run off to an area grocery store to find them like the article in “Better Homes and Gardens” advised. She has her own hedgerows. Maybe someone needs to put her in charge of agri-tourism projects for Marion County. She is a farm wife/partner and probably has all kinds of clever agri-tricks up her sleeve.

Since she was smart enough to pounce on the hedge apple phenomenon before a major magazine discovered them, she has my vote!

*****

I understand the Peabody Downtown Whiners’ Association has elected a new president. Congratulations.

*****

Shhhh … you are going to have to keep this under your hat. I don’t know all the details, but a really selfless soul anonymously donated the paint for the American Legion façade renovation. Now wasn’t that a nice thing to do? I don’t know the person’s identity, but What’s His Name, my son-in-law, told the Peabody Main Street board that the donation was made. I just think that person is the cat’s meow for this month and I would like to acknowledge the gift.

But you have to promise not to let on that you know about it. Shhhh …

*****

You might already know that our community was hit pretty hard this past weekend by some destructive folks who thought they were celebrating Halloween. The coffee shops are abuzz with rumors and innuendoes.

I am pretty sure the vandals were bands of marauding senior citizens. I have been told by experts that our young people never vandalize anything, never destroy public or private property, and never violate curfew or criminal trespass ordinances. I have been told this on several occasions and I know when something is said often enough, it becomes the truth. I expect that is the case once again.

I think you senior citizens ought to know that when your buddies behave the way they did this past weekend, they make ALL senior citizens look guilty. No one wants to contribute to your building fund or volunteer for your peppernut baking project when members of your group behave like that! Some people actually want you to pay for the damage you did. Some are hoping the city will crack down next year and keep you all indoors for Halloween.

So, those of you who were not out tearing up the town ought to make it a point to smack one or two of those who have now tarred you all with the same brush. Why do you let them get away with this stuff? Don’t you know that when they do it and you keep still, you are acquiescing to their bad behavior? You provide them with the entitlement to just do whatever they want.

But I sound like a broken record, don’t I? I wonder why I have to keep saying the same thing over and over and then over again.

*****

And, since so many of you have asked, I should let you know that my mom did, in fact, get her boxes of apples from the apple grower in Illinois. They were not the variety I requested, but by the time I placed the order and wrote the editorial, I was just hoping she would get something in the near future. So, I actually did buy into the theory that as a customer I have little say in my purchase power and the vendor with whom I am dealing holds all the cards.

Must be time for an attitude adjustment.

— Susan Marshall