Friday, December 12, 2014

Getting Close to Christmas

Earning Money

ON Saturday, December 6, 2014 there was a a fund raising breakfast at the Allen, Community Hall. The menu consisted of Scrambled Eggs, Pancakes,Sausage, Scrapple, Fruit Cup, OJ, Coffee and toast. All proceeds were to go to the Allen Historical Society.

The existing Historical Society site.


I sometimes wonder how many people come through the Community Hall doors to nourish in any given year. Besides the Historical Society, The Asbury Allen Church, Lions Club, Fire Department and its Auxiliary regularly dine for one function or another. 

Lately it has been with sadness that post funeral gatherings have been feeding mourners who have paid their respects to the family of the deceased. Volunteers and the food they prepare are choreographed through the Internet by missives from one source or another. How this was accomplished in years gone by is beyond me.

Only one person listening, no NSA.


I was there early for the feed on this day. I sat with a local farmer and his wife and conversation at the table covered the silting in of our local waterways. We are a farming community surrounded by waterways which spill into the Chesapeake Bay. Every two years at election time, various theories on how to clean the bay become platforms for the candidates on both sides of the bay.



As different folks wander by, the conversation invariably changes to “how you been,” “what’s new,” did you hear,” “good food huh.” A village coming together, greeting folks they haven’t seen in a few weeks or months, catching up on the goings on. To carry the greetings further, once finished eating, a trip to the kitchen often takes place to thank the regulars who are always there with aprons on bringing the meal together. Should you attend one of these functions enough, you’ll see that certain individuals keep the same tasks from gathering to gathering. Personally I think I'd get tired of doing the dishes.

We have been fortunate to live here for the past 26 years, we shall always be “come heres” in the eyes of the “born here's.”  We shall forever be thankful that we did come here and have felt like we always belonged here. Thank you Allen.

After breakfast Santa made an appearance and had Christmas Photos taken with children. And yes, I said “Christmas”. Got a problem with that, get over it. Thanks Rick for a whole lot over many years.





Many in the community were going to a fund raising Spaghetti Dinner at a Salisbury church. Every weekend one can find a meal of choice here on the Eastern Shore. From fish, crabs, beef, pork or burgers and hot dogs, you can almost always find a meal of choice. We have but to check the papers to find which church or civic organization is serving what, where and when. And did I mention, “you cant beat the price.”

Up the River to Salisbury


It has been the custom for the weekend following Thanksgiving for “The Wicomico Yacht Club” to gather it’s boat owners for a Christmas parade of lights up the river. One boat routinely has Santa aboard to deliver the collected “Toys for Tots” that the Yacht Club conducts each year. 



Just a nice story from Tumblr


This is what the holiday season should be all about.
An anonymous couple walked up to the customer service counter Thursday at the Toys”R”Us on Cambridge Road in Woburn and secretly paid off the lay aways of eight unsuspecting customers in line.





Secret Santa Pays off Bills in Woburn, MA

Tiffany Nelson-Boyd, a mother of two young children, was one of those customers.
"She said, ‘Your secret Santa took care of it,’" Nelson-Boyd said, remembering what the customer service rep telling her when she finally got to the front of the line. "I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ And she pointed to the couple and said, ‘They’re your secret Santa.’"
Nelson-Boyd, who has spent years trying to catch up on medical bills after a long and costly battle with cancer, broke down. She says she cried, and hugged the couple as tightly as she could.
"I wish I could hug them again and say, ‘Thank you’ over and over and over again,’" she told News Center 5’s Liam Martin in an exclusive interview Friday. "Because I will never, for the rest of my life, forget that. That’s a lesson I will teach my children — that you put someone else ahead of yourself, especially this time of year."
She said she hopes this helps make this Christmas particularly special for her family — her husband, a 4-year-old boy and a 7-month-old girl.
"Those two angels that provided a nice Christmas morning for us makes it that much more special," she said.
The couple paid the lay aways of seven other customers, including a couple who had a sizable baby registry set up at the store.

In total, the anonymous donors spent $1,200, according to a Toys”R”Us spokesman.
Wordsmith

I'm a subscriber to Wordsmith and am including the word for the day of 12/9. It's the picture that led me to include this. Notice there is no Rooster in the Klatsch gathered around the table, a definite affront to " The Rooster."

 Should you ever wish to increase your vocabulary Wordsmith is an excellent source. Only five words a week gathered around a universal theme.

klatsch    
No Rooster at this Klatsch
MEANING:
noun: A casual gathering of people for conversation, etc.
ETYMOLOGY:
From German Klatsch (gossip). Earliest documented use: 1953. Also see kaffeeklatsch.
USAGE:
"An employee entertained a group of about four other store employees. I stood nearby, looking around and wondering if I'd have to break up their klatsch."
Smokepole Questions Bring Out Hot Air; SHOT Business (New York); Oct/Nov 2012.

 See more usage examples of klatsch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe. -John Milton, poet (1608-1674) 
Where in the World?

 As I mentioned in the last edition, Jeff is now in Canberra, Australia.
U.S. Chancery, Canberra
This has got to be a step up from Nigeria. Safe trip my friend, see you Christmas eve. Just as a side note, Jeff mentioned on Facebook that he was in an attic (I'm guessing pulling fiber) and was dealing with Possum Poo. They are just leaving a little holiday greeting for you Jeff. Why not call it some of the mystique of the job.


ARMY - NAVY WEEKEND


Last but certainly not the least is once agin a football game.

This is Army - Navy weekend with much going on in the town of Baltimore, MD. The events of the weekend culminate on Saturday, 13 December at M&T Bank Stadium with their annual Football game.

The spirit of the game really begins as the new members of the two service academy's begin their four year journey in July of any given year. At each academy knowledge of their school and branch of service is gained through a book. At West Point that book is "Bugle Notes."  At Annapolis the study guide for knowledge is "Reef Points." Besides the material inside these study guides, the number of days until Navy beats Army or Army beats Navy on the gridiron is quickly learned. For this posting coming from your scribe here at 'The Rooster," "Sir there is one day until Navy Beats Army."


The below listed site captures Spirit Videos produced by the two academies.



This year the only thing on the line is pride between these two schools. The U.S. Air Force Academy has already captured the Commander in Chief's Trophy, having beaten both West Point and Annapolis.



Enjoy the game.

Bringing a smile to my readers.



Have a wonderful week, get that shopping done early and please, don't stress out!
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