December 13
Christmas Parties Abound
Several groups are having their annual holiday get-togethers this week to celebrate the season and friendships. Those which are open to the public or social groups are listed here with a little bit about each group and event.
YAHS Christmas Dinner
The YAHS (Young at Hearts) will be meeting for a carry-in dinner Tuesday, December 14, 5:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in the basement. People with last names beginning with letters A-J bring salads or appetizers, letters K-Q bring casseroles or main dishes, letters R-Z bring desserts. The program will be presented by Rev. Hartford from over in Huntington who will tell the stories of the carols and play the autoharp as people sing along.
Baptist Youth Gift Exchange
The Baptist Youth will have a gift exchange and social time at their weekly meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. There will be singing and games in the Praise Hall at Holy Waters Baptist Church. Refreshments will be served. If you did not get a name on the exchange and would like to come and participate, bring a wrapped gift appropriate for a 12-18-year-old youth. There will be enough to make sure there is an exchange for you.
Holiday Lights Walking Tour
The Grange is once again sponsoring a walking tour of Willow Mills holiday decorations. Always a popular event, this year it will be held on Friday evening December 17. The tour starts at Fountain Square. A Map with suggested route will be available starting at nightfall. Starred locations have refreshments. We ask once again this year that tours be completed by 9:00 p.m. as folks start going to bed and would rather not be chorused after that hour.
Caroling at the Fountain
All singers and singer-wannabes are invited to join the many carolers that will perform in front of the Bank on Saturday December 18 from 11:00 a.m. till 8:00 p.m. local trios and quartets as well as larger ensembles have each taken a half hour block during the day. This is the last Saturday before Christmas, so many merchants will have special displays and it is rumored that Santa himself will stop by at 3:00 p.m. to talk to the kiddies. Bring your camera, or buy a picture from Santa’s photo-elf.
Kwanzaa Celebration
The Unitarian Church will celebrate Kwanzaa at services on Sunday December 19. Special crafts are planned for the children with storytelling and a dramatization. Several members of the congregation have taken it upon themselves to learn about Kwanzaa and to present this celebration.
Christmas Pageants
Pageants at both Holy Waters Baptist and Willow Mills United Methodist Churches will occur at each church respectively on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. The Baptist Pageant is titled “How Far the Stars.” The Methodists, assisted by the Pawns of Injustice, are presenting the rock opera “Rock that Baby, Mary.” Both promise to be entertaining events.
Winter Solstice
The annual Yule (winter solstice) celebration at the Herb Farm will be held on Tuesday evening December 21. First glass of champagne will be raised at 5:30 p.m. This celebration is strictly by reservation. Call the Herb Lady at 5712 no later than Sunday the 19th. Remember to bring your carry-in dish to share and your ornament for the tree. This celebration often goes until past midnight and the year there were 57 people at the celebration, they didn't break up until after 2:00 a.m. For details on the ritual, talk to the Herb Lady.
Christmas Eve Services
All three churches will hold Christmas Eve services on December 24 at 7:00 p.m. The Baptist Church Service will be a full worship service to celebrate the coming of our Lord. The Methodists will have a “Festival of Carols” at 7:00 p.m. and this year will hold a midnight communion service starting at 11:00 p.m. The Unitarians will hold a “Secular Christmas” service that will include a visit from Santa Claus as he makes his pass through Willow Mills. A favorite of this party is the White Elephant gift exchange. Creative wrappings are encouraged. Bruce and Edna will once again deliver the story of “Mr. and Mrs. Wright Celebrate Christmas.”
Mr. and Mrs. Wright—A Holiday Revisited
THE STORY of Mr. and Mrs. Wright and family has persisted ever since the hippies first moved to Willow Mills. It’s changed over the years as the times have changed, but it continues to be a highlight for many families on Christmas Eve. Everyone brings an interestingly wrapped white elephant gift to the party-often the same one they received the previous year. The longest standing regift is the three-foot long harmonica that has been passed from family to family for close to twenty years.
To start the story, everyone selects a gift from around the tree. Size and shape have nothing to do with the contents of the package. But imagine yourself in possession of one of the dozens of gifts. Brian Green is usually called upon to read the story.
The Story:
This is a story about a typical family scurrying about preparing for the next day’s typical winter holiday. As you might suspect, the gift in your hands plays an important part in this story. Look at it closely. Shake it. Smell it. You will never see it again. For in this story, you will pass the gift in your possession at any moment to the person on the left or right of you, depending on whether you hear the word left or right in the story. But you must also listen for key modifier words, like “skip” or “hop.” For you will also have to incorporate those modifiers into your passing frenzy. So, let’s try it out slowly at first.
This is the story of the Wright Family Holiday. Okay, did you get that right? No one should be left with the same gift. All right.
Let me introduce the Wright Family to you. There is Mr. Wright and Mrs. Wright. They have a son, a sometimes rambunctious youngest child, named Skip Wright. And finally, there is their very athletic teenage daughter Amelia Wright, who because of her pitching arm everyone calls Lefty.
This story takes place as they prepare for a major winter holiday on December 24.
“It’s not fair,” said Skip Wright. “We used to celebrate Christmas.”
“I understand, son,” answered Mr. Wright, “but ever since the Right Wing took over the government, the Left Wing has had to stake out its territory with more determination. So, we had to re-write the story. It’s the only way to protect everyone’s rights.”
“Well, I don’t care,” said Lefty Wright, “as long as there are presents left under the tree tonight.”
“Oh dear,” said Mrs. Wright. “According to the neighborhood memo, it’s not right to have a tree. But I’m sure presents will be left in your stockings and around the fireplace.”
“Well, we want to celebrate the right way. What’s on the agenda?” asked Mr. Wright.
“Well,” answered Mrs. Wright, “we’ll still be singing holiday songs. I have a list right here.”
“There’s only three left on the list!” exclaimed Lefty. “That can’t be right!”
“I’m afraid so, dear,” said Mrs. Wright. “I left off all the songs that refer to a specific religious holiday or an icon that might rightly be presumed to be part of some religious rite. These are all that were left.”
“Well, so much for singing,” Skip Wright sighed. “What’s on the menu?”
“Leftovers, I’m afraid,” said Mrs. Wright.
“No turkey?” cried Skip Wright.
“The animal rights groups were picketing the grocery store.” Explained Mr. Wright. “It didn’t seem right to cross the picket line, so I turned right around and left.”
“It’s still all right to have a party isn’t it?” asked Lefty.
“Of course it’s all right, Lefty,” soothed Mrs. Wright. “Your father mailed the invitations days ago.”
“Oh, oh,” said Mr. Wright into the silence.
“What is it dear?” asked Mrs. Wright.
“I think I left them in my overcoat pocket,” answered Mr. Wright.
“No party?” Skip Wright cried. “What’s left?”
“Now, now, dears,” comforted Mrs. Wright. “Let’s not be left out in the cold this holiday. Get your coats on. We’re going to hop right over to the neighbors and invite them in for what’s left of our eggnog and holiday cheer.”
“Why don’t we sing to them, too,” Lefty suggested. “We’ve got three left.”
“And we’ll go to every house.” Skip Wright enthused. “No one gets left out.”
“Let’s take whatever is left in the pantry to the food shelf, too,” suggested Mr. Wright.
“My, my,” exclaimed Mrs. Wright. “Now that’s the Christmas Spirit!”
“Mom!” yelled Skip & Lefty. “That’s not right!”
“As soon as we get home, I’m going to write a letter to the editor about restoring our rights to the kind of holiday we used to have,” said Mrs. Wright.
So, Mr. Wright, Mrs. Wright, Lefty, and Skip Wright, went right out and spread holiday cheer to everyone. And what they left right here was a present for everyone. So, if you have a present left, open it right now.
Comments
Please feel free to send comments to the author at nathan@nathaneverett.com.
