When I talked with her last week, Edith Libby, a Windham resident for more than 50 years, told me that by June, she would have logged in more than 7,000 hours knitting! What is more amazing is that she celebrated her 100th birthday on March 8 with friends at New Marblehead senior housing, where she has lived for 23 years.

A former dressmaker and clothing designer at House of Styles, she told me she’s still designing only now, it is tiny baby sweaters which she knits for Mercy Hospital. All that knitting has kept her from getting arthritis and she, like many of us, is anticipating the warm spring days.

We hope she got many happy birthday wishes and we look forward to talking with her again! Thanks to Betty Malloy at New Marblehead for sharing this week’s good news! And how many baby sweaters can be made in 7,000 hours, we wonder?

Poker tournament

Saturday, March 12, will be the next time a poker tournament will be held at the Windham Veterans Center. Don Swander tells us there were 39 players in February and they hope for more each month. The buy-in is $50 and a $2 chair fee. They pay the top eight winning players the maximum allowed by the state. They also have 50/50 cards available in the lobby outside the hall and offer a good selection of snacks, food, and drinks at reasonable prices. Registration starts at noon and the game begins at 1 p.m. sharp – there are no late entries and no re-buys. Come to the Windham Veterans Center and have a lot of fun while feeling good about supporting the veterans.

Economy ?got you down?

Great bargains of all kinds can be found at No. Windham Union Church Thrift Shop,Wednesday and Thursday, 1-3 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon. Take a look! It’s downstairs! Not just clothing but items of a wide variety at rock-bottom prices.

Cribbage, music and more

The local VFW Post has challenged the local American Legion Post 148 to a cribbage match, which is slated for Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at the Windham Veterans Center. While the two commanders of these groups are vying for a trophy, others may play cribbage or any game they wish. In addition to these activities, an evening of good fellowship will include refreshments, piano music, listening to Golden Oldies and even dancing if you like. Refreshments will come from a potluck buffet, so all are invited to bring food to share. Vets, members, interested veterans, families and friends invited.

Project Graduation

Dancing with the Staff is the latest project to help fund a wonderful graduation event for the Windham High School class of 2011. The first round was held March 9 and the second round will be Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at the high school’s Performing Arts Center. Staff dancers include: Steve Floyd and Cindy Curtis, Daniel Wirtz and Cindy Pellerin, Matthew Ryder and Diane Leavitt, Todd Wing and Monica Sandifer, Jason Lanoie and Shelly Cook, Kyle Rhoads and Susan Crockett, Hal Leighton and Beth Bubier, Tom Nash and Debbie Hall, Pete Small and Kelli Deveaux, and Craig Haims and Paige Nichols. Tickets are available at all Windham and Raymond schools or at the door $10 for adults $5 for students.

Spring cleaning

If you’re cleaning out your garden supplies and don’t know what to do with extra plant pots and equipment, there is an easy solution. Windham Historical Society is planning an open house featuring a plant and garden sale on Saturday, June 4. Society members are collecting old or unique containers, plant pots, birdhouses, garden decorations and, most important, plant cuttings and re-potted cuttings of house plants, annuals or perennials. Seedlings of veggies would be most welcome. Proceeds from this sale will support the Society’s plans for handicap accessible expansion of its museum and development of a living history center. For more information, contact Linda Lunt at 655-3421 or Sue Simonson at 878-3417.

Read all about it!

A historical selection of old newspapers, owned by Beth Kus of Windham, are on display at the Windham Public Library, now through April 30. Call the library for more information, hours, or for directions at 892-1908.

Corned beef ?and cabbage

The first public supper of the year to be held at Windham Hill United Church of Christ, and it features corned beef and cabbage, as well as carrots, onions, turnip, potatoes and dessert. A real New England boiled dinner! Join other community members on Saturday, March 26 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the church on Windham Center Road, Windham Hill. $8 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.

American Legion update

Reminder to all American Legion Post 148 members. The next meeting of 2011 will be held on Wednesday, April 6 at the WVC. Social hour (and food) at 5 p.m. Business meeting at 6 p.m. Any veterans from the Raymond and Windham area that would like to join the Legion are cordially invited to attend the meeting. To date, 11 new members have joined the Legion as a result of this year’ membership efforts.

Need information about Medicare?

On Tuesday, March 15, the Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) will offer a Medicare seminar and counseling for the Lakes Region at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 919 Roosevelt Trail, Windham. A “Welcome to Medicare” seminar is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition to the Medicare seminar, there will be one-on-one counseling with volunteer Medicare advocates available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The seminar and counseling is intended to help you sort through your Medicare options – and to help you enroll.

Please call the Southern Maine Agency on Aging to register for the upcoming Seminar or to make an appointment to meet one-on-one with a Medicare Advocate at 396-6500 or 1-800-427-7411. Further opportunities for these services will occur at the same time and location on April 19. Visit the website at www.smaaa.org to learn more about the many other services that are available.

Veterans and dependents help

Wednesday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to noon, Veterans Service Officer Phyllis D’Orsay will be available to assist veterans, widows of veterans and dependents with questions about benefits and other information, at Windham Veterans Center. She is on hand on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. If you have questions of a military nature, stop in and get some answers. The Veterans Center is off Route 302, on Memorial Drive, between Evergreen Credit Union and Friendly’s. Follow Memorial Drive all the way to the Veterans Center – to the right of Home Depot – a dirt, town road. No appointment necessary.

Wednesday Senior Shopping Van

The Parks & Recreation Department provides a popular weekly “Senior Shopping” trip to North Windham for senior citizens. This is a great help in a winter like this one has been! To reserve a place, you must call by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday for a ride on Wednesday. The new schedule is on Wednesdays, for a $3 fee. Call 892-1905 for reservations and more information.

Free community supper

Food & Fellowship, Inc., began in 1999 with a mission to provide hot meals to people living in Windham and surrounding communities in the Lakes Region. On Monday nights, free “Monday Meals” are served to anyone who would like a hot, nutritious meal. On the first and second Mondays, the site is Windham Assembly of God Church, 1051 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302); on the third and fourth Mondays, meals are served at Windham Hill United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Center Road, and on the occasional fifth Monday, the table is set at Standish Congregational Church, 25 Oak Hill Road in Standish.