Merry Christmas!

BITTER COLD. While my weather app was telling me that I was sitting in mid-forties temperatures this past weekend, the truth of it was that we were experiencing below freezing temperatures with lots of frost everywhere. So they were off just a wee bit. I was definitely bundling up and trying to stay warm while it slowly warmed up amid the call outs for power outages due to cars sliding around on the slick roads and those pesky power poles getting in the way. We are supposed to be getting rain for several days prior to Christmas. I hope it is not heavy and nobody will have to deal with flooded roads like we had a short time ago. At any rate, while you travel to and fro, may your travels be without any problems and may all the speeders and red light runners, stay home!

SPECIAL DAYS. Celebrating birthdays week are Gwen Gorley, Alysha Gibson, Stephanie Vossen, Tyler Gorley, Wendy Lechner, Alayna Davis, Lauren Elfers, Linda Price, Brittany Vik, Garrett McClain, John Hoven Jr., Kole Langston, Chris Johnson, Patrick Olson, Shelby Mace, Libby Thomas Ravander, Nancy Bielman, Michele Smith, Veronica Hill, Traci Williams, Kyla Gribskov, Leah Moffitt, Steve Smith, Grant Turner, Marja Ringen, Alex Everman, Lorraine McNally, Toby Bell, Arve Ronninghaug, Sherry Sewart, Emma Pedersen and Ron Clement. May all of you that are celebrating birthdays this week have a wonderful celebration, as sometimes they get merged together with Christmas. I hope that doesn't happen to you! Happy Anniversary wishes this week go out to Armondo and Kristie Andrea-Donias.

THURSDAY. If you're reading this on Thursday morning, Dec. 21, then you still have some time to head to the Skamokawa Grange Hall and enjoy their free community breakfast and get in on some local gab from 10 a.m. to noon. After that, the Annual Shoebox wrapping party will take place from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at the Grange Hall as they get ready to deliver all those gifts around the county beginning Friday. If you have some spare time, you are most welcome to come on by and give them a hand, and, if possible, help out with delivering them. Many hands make for light work so the Shoe Boxes of Joy folks hope to see you there!

NEXT STOP: CHRISTMAS. Since this is the last weekend prior to Christmas, I imagine we are all doing last-minute shopping, baking, cleaning and gift wrapping. This weekend, stores will be jam-packed with shoppers and the roadways busy with lots of traffic so I hope we are all being extra careful and "packing our patience" while we do those things so we can arrive home safely to spend this special time with our families. Don't forget to pass around those "free gifts" while you're out and about — some kindness towards strangers, along with a smile, are some of the best presents a person could receive that day.

HOLIDAY WISHES. This is also the last Eagle prior to the big day as well, so I want to wish all the readers and supporters of this locally owned newspaper, a very Merry Christmas! I hope to hear all about your family gatherings and your favorite things, or, maybe, for a little fun, even your worst moment or snafu that occurred! (Like who forgot to bring the sweet potatoes or that special dessert they said they'd make!)

EARLY DEADLINES. In case you missed it in last week’s paper, we have very early deadlines for next week, so we may have some very short columns as we need them in by tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 22, so that means all holiday gatherings will not get mentioned until the following week. Anyway, here's to the holidays: may they be merry and bright and everything turns out just right....enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!