Dinner at Skamokawa Grange Hall Saturday

WET ENOUGH?--I hope you are still afloat wherever you are, as we certainly have had some rain coming down, along with some blustery moments as well. I am thinking we should move the holiday season to summertime, as it seems we have to battle a ton of weather issues every year as we plan our gatherings, or cancel our gatherings, due to nasty weather events. Ok, I know that isn't going to happen, but as you travel to and fro to all the various family doings or community doings, be extra vigilante on the roadways, as standing water can yank your car off the road, or icy conditions can have you skating along when you least expect it! For those who want a white Christmas, well, I hope you get it by traveling to the mountains as personally, I could do without one more weather concern!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Dec. 10-16 are Carol McClain, Seth Kuljis, Tom Bosch, Elaine Lindsey, Jai Snow, Ian Anderson, Cristina Luthi, Paul Stewart, Joyce Cothren, Sandy Bergseng, Jim Webb, Tracie Souvenir, Ruth Linquist, Lynah Bergseng, Julie Burdick, Sam Patching, Tyler Johnson, Abby Buennagel, and classmates: Elaine Rolf and Sharon Servis. May your birthdays be ever so special this coming week!

Those celebrating anniversaries this coming week are Nick and Martie Vavoudis, George and Judy Wilde and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Backman; enjoy!

OPEN HOUSE FRIDAY--If you like flowers and soaps and other neat gift items, why not swing by "Daisy Chain Floral" in Cathlamet where there will be a Holiday Open House from 4:30 to 7 p.m., on Dec. 11. This business is operated by Nicole Emery at 65 Main Street and she has some great things to offer up for the holidays and of course, everyone loves to get a bouquet of flowers for Christmas or a nice centerpiece for the dinner table, so stop by and check her things out.

HOLIDAY BAZAAR--This Saturday there will be a Holiday Bazaar held at the Appelo Archives Center, located at 1056 SR 4 in Naselle, so if you happen to be in that area, check out their vendors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DON'T FORGET--Redmen Hall's "Deck the Halls" holiday gift event with a multitude of vendors, will be ending this Sunday, Dec. 13, so be sure to come on down and grab some of those awesome items made by these talented, local craftsmen and artisans. From jams and jellies, to cutting boards, photos, paintings, aprons, scarves and much, much more, there's some truly unique items for that special person on your Christmas list!

CELEBRATES--Mark Pedersen celebrated his birthday by hanging out with his folks, Ralph and Peggy, in Cathlamet this weekend. A chocolate cake was enjoyed by all after his cousin, Sherry, whipped him up one, so coming from Vancouver to celebrate his special day worked out pretty good for them all. To top it off, Mark set up a "skype" visit with his two grand-daughters back east, so great grandma and grandpa Pedersen sure had a wonderful visit with the two little cuties, and grandson, Adam and his wife, Samantha as well! For all the annoyances given to us by some electronic gadgets, this one really was a hit with the grandparents!

SONS OF NORWAY--The Norse Hall on Puget Island was decorated in time for the big holiday season and the party on Sunday was a big hit with the kids. There were lots of children who came to see Santa and they loved the various games and such. Many parents said they thought it was a great place for the young ones to come and have a fun time, and was just "one of the best" Christmas parties in the community, so that was nice to hear. Of course, they didn't mind the availability of the Norwegian goodies for sale either, so kudos to all those who worked so hard to make all those treats.

NO BINGO--Due to the busy holiday season, the members of the Sons of Norway want to remind you that there will be no bingo at the Norse Hall this weekend.

SKAMOKAWA GRANGE--While there may not be any bingo this weekend, there will be a community dinner held at the Skamokawa Grange Hall on Saturday, 5:30-7 p.m., complete with live music and a silent auction. The main dish this year is lasagna. Everyone is encouraged to bring a couple of non-perishable items to donate to the local food bank.

The following week, on Dec. 19, they will hold a Christmas Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are seeking vendors. Call Carol Blalock at 795-8729 for more info or to reserve a spot for just $10.

CALENDARS--If you ordered calendars from the Lions Club this year, this is to let you know that they were going to be picked up at the beginning of this week, so they'd be going out to you soon.

METHODIST CHURCH--According to Randi Curtis, everyone is welcome to attend their advent lighting services being held on Sundays at the Skamokawa United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Also, they will hold a special Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m., so you're invited to join their congregation during this special time.

NUSD--So, do you know what the third Friday of December is? Why, it's "National Ugly Sweater Day"! This means that instead of that "casual Friday" look, you should be donning that wild and wacky sweater you were always afraid to wear in public, as this is the day that it's perfectly alright to do so, as you'll fit right in with all the other "ugly" sweater wearers! Maybe your office could even hold a contest and see who "wins"; fun times for everyone for sure!

NFD--With the Winter Solstice close at hand, Dec. 22 has been deemed National Flashlight Day. This is the day to make sure those batteries are up to par, and that you have working flashlights in your home and in your vehicles. There's nothing worse than getting stuck in the dark with no alternative light source. While you're at it, why not check the batteries in your smoke detectors too!

PERFECT GIFT--If you're still shopping for that special gift, I know of a gift that is just perfect for everyone--yourself. Yep, that's it! Young or old, rich or poor, there's no better gift than making yourself available to the ones you love. Often times, the best gifts are the ones you can't wrap in a box as "you" are the most special gift of all to somebody in your life.

Now just in case you parents want to spread out this giving season, here's a little gift you can have your kids make. Just have your little ones color several pictures and make them into a "book" for their grandparents and maybe those could represent holidays throughout the year, so you'd make grandma and grandpa happy all year round. Or if your kids are older, they could "give of themselves" with a little coupon book which offers up themselves for a day of say, flower bed cleaning, wood chopping, lawn mowing or anything else that might be useful. But just maybe it's something most folks would really love, like a bit of attention with a short visit and a little conversation. If you live far away and can't make yourself available in person, a cute box with little notes in it would make a great gift, "thinking of you"; "I'm so glad you're my ? (Grandchild, Mom, Dad, etc.)"; or "I appreciate all you have done for me." Things like that; it's a heartfelt gift that the one who receives it, will cherish forever. So, with a little imagination and creativity, you could make someone very happy this Christmas, as the gift of love, a gift of yourself, is the best gift of all!