We’ve almost reached the midpoint of December and everyone is caught up in the whirlwind of activity that the holidays bring.
Shoppers are busy buying and wrapping gifts. During the day folks are cleaning, baking and decorating. Evenings are spent writing holiday greetings and attending seasonal programs and concerts.
Just don’t forget, in all the fuss and flurry, to focus on the important things. Save time to sit down and spend time with your family, listening to favorite carols, sharing a favorite book, sipping a cup of hot chocolate or cider. The holidays will come and go but the relationships you build with your loved ones will carry you through the year.
The first weekend of the month I did a little shopping and was happy to find some special gifts for special people - like my husband, the kids and grandkids. Last Tuesday evening I left our library commission meeting early to go see grandson Matthew perform in his program at school. The youngsters put on an entertaining skit and Matthew played his part well, speaking out loud and clear.
Last weekend was a busy one. Friday about midday we caught a glimpse of the KCS special holiday train as it rolled through town. Friday evening was the annual “Love Lights a Tree” ceremony but I missed it. The air was cold and crisp and I’d been busy until late in the afternoon enrolling Aunt Leta in a hospice program. I stayed home, melted chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and made a double batch of fudge. After my candy was in the pan, I enjoyed phone visits with sister Nancy and a friend in Noel.
Saturday morning after breakfast Jim went out to tackle a plumbing job and I took my fudge and went to town. I dropped it off at the bake sale where goodies were being sold to benefit the library and bought a few sweets myself. Soon we heard the sirens of the firetrucks and drum rolls from the band and I moved to the sidewalk to watch the annual Christmas parade. Grandson A.J. marched past playing his trumpet with the band. His mom, in antlers, and sister Alyssa accompanied the Girl Scouts.
Jim returned in early afternoon and we watched a little of the Razorback game before I headed for Missouri. I stopped for a short visit with friends on Togi Hill west of Noel and we exchanged cards and gifts. Then it was on to Southwest City for the holiday home tour to benefit the new Anne Croxdale Memorial Library. I stopped by the library to purchase my ticket and pick up a map. I viewed their lovely displays, then moved on to the old red brick Collingsworth home and up Cherokee Street to the Adam’s attractive bungalow.
I stopped for a musical interlude at the historic Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Built in 1888, it’s the oldest church in Southwest City but church services are no longer held there. It’s being converted into a community arts center and was a perfect setting for the performance by Brandyand Brandon Wooden of Baled Green and Wired Tight. Their soulful ballads and folk tunes in the candlelit sanctuary seemed to transport us back to earlier services there.
Next I traveled out Frye Road to the beautiful restored Victorian home of the Morris family, filled with ornate antique furniture. Each home was festively decorated for the holidays and filled with the sights and sounds of the season. Flickering candles, sparkling ornaments and familiar carols all added to the ambiance. A small gift was presented at each home. Bookmarks, tote bags, key chains, ornaments and cones filled with marshmallow, nutand caramel corn treats were all part of the package.
I returned to Main Street for tasty snacks at the Methodist Church. We sampled pasta and cranberry salads, meats, cheese and crackers, olives, pinwheels, cookies and candies. Then, on my way home, I stopped at the David Collingsworth ranch home on MM Highway. The cowboy Christmas theme appealed to me, with boots filled with greenery, paintings and figurines of horsesand cattle, even a buckboard accented with packages in the driveway. Leaving the house, I passed the large teepee in the back yard where wood smoke drifted skyward and ended the tour with hot spiced cider in the bunkhouse. What a delightful evening - perhaps I’ll make this an annual affair!
Susan Holland, who works for the Westside Eagle Observer, is a lifelong Benton County resident.
Opinion, Pages 6 on 12/14/2011