Jerry Nichols wrote about cutting a cedar tree for Christmas. This week a fourth-grader and I started out across the pasture, determined to bring me back a small cedar. I had picked out one from the road. It was about 2-feet tall and would be perfect trimmed down and put in a red coffee can filled with rocks. I have six miniature ornaments. I lost all the others in a fire a few years back and I don’t want to get back into the full routine.
No one was home at his house so for tools we collected a hammer with a very dull camping ax on one end, a big butcher knife and a pair of loppers. My helper saw about 20 trees that he thought were perfect, but I pushed on. Jerry would have flinched if he had seen our effort to hack an inch-thick trunk. Cedar trees have very resilient bark and growth. This one will soak up water easily the way it’s end is hacked up. It looks glorious in its coffee can and decorated sitting on a patio table. He cut a star from some red cardboard and Scotch-taped it on.
One evening when the day was done, I sat down to be entertained for three hours. I’ve done a lot of reading this winter because it seems to me that there is a lot of crime, murder and mayhem this winter on TV.
I never have heard so much about witches and vampires before. I stumbled on to a rerun of the Griswold’s Family Christmas. I’d seen it before, but I settled back and thoroughly enjoyed the ridiculous humor. One other evening I spent chuckling through America’s Funniest Home Videos, and I watch a lot of educational channels.
A few years ago, I said to a town grandson that he was as handy as a cub bear with an arm load of shelled corn. It drew a total blank look because the kid had no visual image to compare it with.
But last week I mentioned that my mother called his awkward, overloaded attempt to get groceries in the house “a lazy man’s load” because the man was too lazy to make two trips. I got that thrown right back at me this week as I carried dog and cat food to the barn at the same time. Oh well, fair’s, fair!
It must be holiday time.
It’s busy, busy, busy. I’m looking forward to hearing the combined choirs present a program of music at Brightwater at 9:30 a.m.
and again at Pea Ridge at 11 a.m. on Dec. 18. Then the Pea Ridge United Methodist children will present a Christmas pageant at 5 p.m.
on Dec. 18.
Brightwater Christmas Eve candlelight services will be at 5 p.m. and Pea Ridge at 6:30 p.m. on Dec.
- Regular services will be held at both churches on Dec. 25.
Merry Christmas to all!
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Editors note: Edith Lammey has been a resident of the area for nearly 40 years.
She can be contacted through The Times at 451-1196 or [email protected].
Opinion, Pages 4 on 12/14/2011