4 minute read
Plummer trip a welcome departure from the norm
Day trip to Plummer, Potlatch nourished body & soul
With all the smoke and heat, there have been few times this summer when we have gone out of town. When my daughter, June, and her husband, Doug, invited me on a day trip, I readily accepted. This was several weeks ago, before the contagious delta variant became problematic.
They wanted to take me to The Gateway restaurant in Plummer, Idaho, for breakfast one morning and promised to drive back to Freeze Cemetery, near Potlatch, so I could place some flowers on my birth mother’s grave.
It has always pleased me to know you can go in any direction out of our valley and, in an hour or two, be in some small town with a good restaurant. Two examples are Pataha Flour Mills in Pataha and the Hearthstone Bakery and Restaurant in Kamiah. This proved true at Plummer, too. June and Doug had eaten there before and knew I would enjoy it as well.
After being seated, two women approached our table. The older woman was obviously training the younger one in the skills of becoming a waitress. They both were friendly, and before long we realized that the older of the two was The Gateway manager and also had managed Granny’s Buffet in Lewiston, some years ago. Having Granny’s close was a blow to many people. We often went there after church and joined a crowd of people who were enjoying selecting their own food and being in the midst of many friends. So sad it had to close.
Breakfast was bountiful, and we were glad we had made the trip. Returning to the car, we headed back toward Potlatch. A few miles before reaching the Potlatch turn-off, you will see a small white church on a hill, and if you look, there is a road marked Freeze Cemetery. Turn to the right on that road, and after a short distance you will reach the church. Coming from Lewiston, it’s a left turn onto Freeze Road.
In November, my mother’s grave will be 90 years old. She died when I was 3. I was her 10th child and two more came after me. She died when her 12th child was born. I haven’t been able to visit her grave as often as I would have liked, but on this trip I had a bouquet that I wanted to leave with her.
She was a gifted musician and got out her guitar each evening and gathered us all around. We sang the old hymns, folk tunes and other songs that she shared with us. We were all musical and the older ones sang in harmony while we younger ones joined in. She loved the Lord and instilled that attribute in all of us. I was so touched to be standing by her grave once more. Drug prices would take your breath away
The price of prescription drugs has long been a concern of mine. President Biden is asking Congress to do something about that. I recently experienced a situation that shows how badly those price controls are needed.
During our smoke-filled days, I have needed my inhaler for asthma each and every day. The inhaler was running out, and I found that my drug plan no longer covered that particular inhaler. When my pharmacist announced that the price is $400 for one inhaler, I nearly fell over.
I called my insurance group, and they suggested that I call the manufacturer, saying that they sometimes have coupons to help with the payment. The manufacturer said they no longer owned that drug. They sold it to Merck and I should call them. Calling Merck brought me the news that they had sold it to another company. I gave up at that point and started calling different local pharmacies, hoping one of them might have a cheaper price. Only one had a slight discount, and with a coupon I had found online, I received $60 off of that enormous price.
I have been given other inhalers that aren’t especially helpful, and I do need a good one. I will talk to my caregiver about finding another one.
Meantime, Congress, get your act together and take pity on the elderly in your constituency! I haven’t missed a meal since buying that inhaler, but I hear and read of those whose incomes are limited. They either buy the high-priced drugs or they skip them and buy food. We have the most expensive drugs in the world, and you can chalk it up to greed on the part of those who manufacture them. Something has to be done.
MOVING FORWARD Ruth Bosserman Relax with coffee or a fresh deli meal in our spacious dining area!
Soups • Salads Sandwiches • Pizza and MORE! Made Fresh Daily. 332 Thain Rd., Lewiston | (208) 746-2377 587853A
Bosserman, 92, is a retired Clarkston fi rst-grade teacher. She may be reached by email at ruthboss20@gmail.com.
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