Christmas Eve is Here!

 I'm hearing many people saying, "I can't believe it's Christmas Eve Day already!"

Funny how it sneaks up on us like this. Last week at this time I was thinking I had plenty of time to get everything done, but today, suddenly, I'm behind schedule and feeling the crush.

I had a message from Joanne Stewart yesterday saying the link to the video Patty Conly and I did about our book coming out wasn't working on the Joe's Pond Association website. I got in touch with Jamie (Dimick) and he said they had updated information about where the book can be found, and that messed up the link. So here is a new link that works, and Joanne has it, as well.

I'm very happy to say that we are getting great responses about the book! Cousin Ora in Rhode Island received hers in record time (four days!) and she is delighted. She sent this photo yesterday and this morning I received another brief email saying they are getting their first snow (how appropriate, on the day before Christmas!) and she isn't minding a bit because she has a great book to read, the West Danville history. That is great to hear, and thanks, Ora. Patty and I are very pleased and proud; there is one thing that makes us very sad, though, and that is that Dot Larrabee and Jane Hastings Larrabee are not here to enjoy the praise with us. Dot worked very hard researching and writing chapters on the stone sheds, the West Danville church, prohibition, and more; Jane was a staunch supporter from the beginning, with stories, photos and lending us her grandmother's diaries. I hope their families know how much we missed them while finishing this project, and that perhaps both Jane and Dot are celebrating with us. We certainly feel their presence as we sign and distribute the books.

It was cold this morning. I had a low of zero and when I first looked at the thermometer at about 7 a.m., it was reading only 5 above. Diane Rossi told me her overnight low was -4.2. Yep, that's right minus 4-2! Cold enough, for sure. But it is almost the end of December, and January is usually a pretty cold month. Temperatures will be moderating in the next few days, in fact, tomorrow we could have an icy mix to deal with. So much for a nice, gentle snow shower to brighten things up on Christmas Day.

I heard that the old E. T. & H. K. Ide building in St. Johnsbury has been sold. There are lots of things happening down on Bay Street in St. J. It's looking very different than just a couple of years ago - and Railroad Street is perking up, as well. I think St. Johnsbury is heading for a very nice recovery period. Now if we can just get a handle on this pandemic so people feel free to move around and gather at will, things will be turning around there. 

Coordinators of "First Night North" in St. Johnsbury had planned to have in-person performances this year, but this past week the decision was made to cancel those plans. Last year Catamount Arts collaborated with Kingdom Access Television to live-stream performances on cable TV. This year, because of the short time frame, that will not be possible, but coordinators are working on finding some solution to stil celebrate First Night North. The Caledonian Record will have more on this and instructions for those who have already purchased admission wristbands that would admit them to venues on December 31. 

There was a funny little story in today's Caledonian Record about two New Hampshire brothers who have been re-gifting the same box of hard candy to each other for 30 years. It is not just a case of re-wrapping it as a normal gift; they each try to think of creative ways to give it back, like on a tray at a restaurant, hidden in a teddy bear, or delivered in a block of ice. I think that is hilarious. Actually it reminded me of my mother and her friend, Julia Milligan. My mom was Scotch, not only by birth, but by nature. I suspect Julia was, as well. She and her husband, Fleming (or "Flee", as we knew him), owned a general store almost directly across the road from Hastings store from about 1913 to when they retired, probably in the late 1940s or early 1950s. One year one of them, I'm not sure which one, sent an unsigned Christmas card to the other. The following year, it went back, still unsigned. They both knew the other had sent it because of the return address on the envelope, but they continued re-sending that same card for many years. I do not know who ended up with it - Julia finally passed away, breaking the tradition. At the time, I thought it was silly and perhaps carrying being thrifty a bit too far; but now I know that it was way more than saving a few cents to them. They had been good friends for years and it was their "inside joke," a way to stay connected and share some fun.

And I fondly remember Julia's annual Christmas gift of home-made candy - so good!! Chocolate fudge, fondant, pulled taffy - she was an expert at it. She also collected buttons, and I loved seeing the artistic designs of lovely antique buttons sewn onto cardboard-backed velvet panels in one display cases in their store that always smelled of "Flee's" cigar smoke. Flee gave me a wooden two-drawer box that had been filled with cigars in the store, and I still have it. Good memories.