Christmas Tree

HARRODSBURG - Law enforcement personnel are in the process of identifying two people caught on surveillance tape as they were about to burglarize the home of the Bruce Ashford family at 200 Sexton Lane earlier this month. A man and a woman were photographed; the man is shown walking toward the home and back to the car. The woman was photographed standing on the front porch of the home outside the front door. The car in which the couple arrived at the home can be seen in the background of two of the pictures.

The attendance at the Green River Pentecostal Church on Sunday morning was 319. Donations are being brought to the church for gifts to be sent to Steven Knight and his unit, who are serving our country in the military. See Sister Barbara Moore for more information. Everyone is asked to bring a Christmas ornament to be placed on the Christmas tree in the fellowship hall. Our Christmas play will be on Sunday, Dec. 23. There will be play practice this Sunday for acts one and two. Sister Alice Carpenter is in charge of the Christmas play.

Santa Claus will temporarily forsake his traditional sleigh and reindeer for a stretch limo on Saturday, Dec. 1, when he hopes to visit with all the the children and will serve as grand marshal of the town's Christmas parade. Mr. Claus will arrive with his typical flamboyance at 4:30 p.m. at the parking garage on Main Street and greet children there. The parade will begin at 6 p.m. and include floats, movers and shakers riding in fancy cars, and, midway through, the crowning of the Snow Court candidates, who will be featured next week in The Interior Journal.

The Rowdy Golden Girls Homemakers met Nov. 11. Those present were Carolyn Knuckles, Mary Alice Sosby, Nancy Beck, JoAnn Webb, Jeni King and Donna Walden. After a delicious appetizer and dessert dinner, the meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. Donna Walden gave the inspiration with a Thanksgiving devotional entitled, "So Many Things I'm Thankful For. " Each member was given a copy of the poem. Shirley Holden will be a mailbox member of the Rowdy Golden Girls. A picture of the gourd Pam painted for the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort was passed around.

The day was dark, dreary and raining, but as one stepped into the Ottenheim Lutheran community church on a recent Sunday, things changed. The chandlier was glowing, the sound of soft music from Charlie Fields and his band wafted about, the lighted and decorated Christmas tree glowed, and the well-decorated windows and Christmas lights illuminated up the place. Yes, Charlie is back to playing after he lost three fingers in a table-saw accident. It was good to see and hear him again.

PLEASANT HILL — If you’re looking for a way to escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill keeps Christmas “simple.” “The Simple Gifts of Christmas” takes place on Saturday, December 4, 2010 and offers guests a simple, Shaker style Christmas with seasonal festivities and special programming.   Craft store open house: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; no admission required. Visitors can shop for one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts surrounded by the smell of sweet breads and the sounds of the holidays — and receive 10 percent off all regularly-priced merchandise, excluding furniture pieces.

Christmas tree lighting, chili cook-off planned LANCASTER - Lancaster citizens will ring in the holiday season with the lighting of the Christmas tree 6 p.m. Friday in front of the Garrard County Courthouse. Santa Claus will ride in on a fire engine at 6:30 p.m. and will visit with children and give them bags of treats. The lighting will follow the Great Garrard County Chili Cook-off, which will take place 4:30-6 p.m. in the First Southern National Bank community room. Entry forms for the cook-off are available at City Hall.

Please return this 'man's best friend' To the Sun: Last week an elderly man had his dog stolen, or it escaped in front of Kroger. This man loved this dog and it made him happy. I ask that the person who has it to please return the dog to him; no questions will be asked. I'm sure if someone did steal it, they do not need this dog more than this man does. Please make a miracle happen for Christmas and return his dog. If you know anything about this dog a little black Pomeranian named Max, who is on medication.

The members of the Winchester Chorale are not professional singers, but no one could enjoy performing any more than they do. The choir has been sharing its talents with the Winchester community since 1993 and is already gearing up for its annual Christmas concert. "Everybody that has joined in it now, or has ever been in it, they just enjoy singing. It's just community members that enjoy singing. We're not professional singers," said choir member Peggy Case. Case has been part of the chorale right from the beginning, and it's an experience that she has thoroughly enjoyed.

In four days, wrapping paper will be flying around living rooms everywhere, little ones will be screaming over the latest electronic gadgets, and older kids will be expressing gratitude for ties, gloves-and-scarf sets and fruit cakes that look an awfully a lot like gifts we had given last year to the people who are giving them to us this year. It will be the annual American Christmas morning ritual of gift-opening. At my house, I will be performing my annual Brock Christmas morning ritual as the "gift elf. " At my advancing age, performing my elf duties of passing out gifts is becoming increasingly difficult, as my knees and back are not as young as they used to be. But serving as the gift elf for more than 50 years, in the house in which I was raised and in the house in which I am husband and father, is a Christmas memory I will always cherish.