Ahead of Father’s Day this weekend, we’ve been collecting Bad Dad Jokes from readers.

Edith Poidomani was first in line with a response. Her late father, Frank Ellison, “loved telling jokes,” she shared. “My brothers and sisters would love laughing each time he told a joke to a relative or friends,” she also told me. According to Edith, Frank’s favorite joke went like this: What is a Honeymoon Sandwich? Lettuce Alone! “I’m laughing now, thinking of him,” she also put into her note. We’re laughing with you, Edith (or maybe groaning, as all Bad Dad Jokes are meant to make us do).

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, fathers-in-law, stepfathers, and surrogate fathers. To all of you we share the following, also received from readers:

What is the leading cause of dry skin? Towels

What do you call a deer with no eyes? No eye-deer (pronunciation makes this one work!)

Why do chicken coops have only two doors? If it had four doors it would be a sedan.

What do you get when you have an explosion in a French kitchen? Linoleum blown apart!

And then there’s this classic: Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom? The P is silent.

Thank you to those who took a moment to share your jokes.

It’s standard practice today but there was a time when graduation did not include caps and gowns. Ninety years ago this month, the first Newtown High School class to wear the graduation uniform were the 26 men and women who comprised the Class of 1933. Just a little nugget of trivia there as we continue to celebrate everyone graduating this season as part of the Class of 2023.

My very best wishes to Pastor Lori Miller, who will lead her final worship service at Newtown United Methodist Church this weekend. Lori gave notice last year that she was heading into her final year with the church where she has served since July 2016 and now it’s that time. She and her husband John are moving to New York, where she has been appointed to another UMC parish and he will continue commuting into the city, where he works part-time.

At the same time, we are preparing to welcome Stephen Volpe, who has been appointed the new pastor for NUMC. We look forward to meeting and getting to know this town’s newest leader of faith and his family.

Newtown Congregational Church said a temporary farewell to its Senior Pastor last weekend. As of Monday, The Reverend Matt Crebbin is on sabbatical until late August. Rev Carra McFadden, a member of the NCC congregation and a retired UCC pastor, will lead many of the upcoming Sunday morning worship services at 14 West Street. A few guest preachers will also lead services. Plans are in place in the event of emergencies. Rev Crebbin was due for his latest sabbatical — due every five years, according to guidelines of the Southern New England Conference and NCC’s own guidelines — last year, but postponed it for multiple reasons. We’d say the good pastor has certainly earned this break, and we look forward to seeing him again in 70+ days.

In about 20 days, the 47th Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale will be presented at Reed Intermediate School. We’ll have a few previews ahead of the major July 7-11 fundraiser, including one in this week’s paper. Be forewarned, however, that part of the preparations for each year’s sale include a temporary donations pause. Volunteers need to be off-site from the library each year, preparing for the sale. They are not available to receive or sort anything new. This year’s pause is will be Monday, June 19, through Sunday, July 16. Anything left at the library between those dates will be discarded, and that would be a real shame. Please get your donations to the library by end of day Sunday, or hang onto them for just a few more weeks. For more information, visit boothbooksale.org.

In its column last week, Booth Library began highlighting this month’s Humanities Spotlight: James Brunot. The former longtime resident is being celebrated for his development of Criss-Cross Words into one of the world’s most successful board games. Managing Editor Shannon Hicks wrote all about Brunot and his Scrabble development in one of her first installments of ABCs of Newtown (“B Is For Brunot,” February 26, 2021). The late Sarah Mannix was also part of that project. Sarah, who called her friend “a very enterprising man … who put in hours and hours of work to develop this game,” cut the original letter tiles from birch plywood in her South Main Street shop. It was a very challenging start for the local game developers, but it certainly paid off. According to scrabble.hasbro.com, Scrabble sets are now found in three of every five American homes. If you have a few minutes this month, do stop in the library to see how the man behind the game is being celebrated. The monthly spotlights are set up in the main lobby, just in from the front door, west of the Gathering Room entrance. Among the items on view is a copy of the 2004 documentary Word Wars, an entertaining and enjoyable film about “tiles and tribulations on the Scrabble circuit,” according to its subtitle. For any word nerd — and there are many who wear that mantle proudly — it’s an enjoyable must-see. Those of us who admire our late fellow resident have long wondered what Mr Brunot would have thought of these competitions and the enduring popularity of his updated game.

Meanwhile, Shannon (an admitted Scrabble nerd) is hoping to publish the next ABCs of Newtown installation soon. Finding time (and a topic) for O has been challenging. But she’s stubborn, and on it.

Protect Our Pollinators has coordinated another new display at the library. Beginning Friday, June 16, just inside the Gathering Room, Homegrown National Park posters and informational hand-outs that were developed for the recent local Homegrown National Park launch event will be displayed. Topics include lawns, pesticides, native plants, invasives, birds, and more. The display will be on view for two weeks.

Fresh off a weekend of back-to-back fundraisers, Friends Of Newtown Seniors continues to seek new board members and its volunteer base. Since May 2016, this group of volunteers has had a mission to provide advocacy and services to Newtown residents age 55+ by creating new initiatives conceived and by partnering with various nonprofit, for-profit, governmental, political, and religious organizations serving the local senior population. If you’re interested in learning more, email info@friendsofnewtownseniors.org or call 203-430-0633.

If you'd like to become more familiar with FONS and its work, or even meet some of the people who regularly work within the group, its next event is planned for Wednesday, June 28, at 5 pm. The FONS June Social will be at Farmhouse Restaurant, 43 South Main Street. Readers age 55 and over are invited to socialize and network. Checks will be the responsibility of each guest. Reservations are required to help organizers and the restaurant plan for seating. Call Janice Garten (203-304-9196) for additional details or to get on that attendance list.

Want to walk calmly into the next season? Trinity Episcopal Church is planning its Second Annual Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk for Wednesday, June 21. All are invited to join members of the 36 Main Street church at 8:15, at the gazebo, to walk the labyrinth there and celebrate the longest day of 2023. We’ve had a few days recently that have felt very long. Maybe a calm walk within that beautiful space will help some of us decompress and be open to a new season.

You know me. Any excuse for a nap, even if it’s during the shortest night of the year. I hope you’ll remember to not only take a deep breath when you get upset (and exhale! don’t forget that part) ...but also read me again.