A great piece of news came to my ear over the weekend! Our wonderful Chester Community Chorus that was facing disbanding received a sizeable donation from an anonymous donor. These funds will allow the Chorus to continue presenting two concerts a year for the indefinite future. My husband and I sang with the Chorus for a number of years until our snowbird schedule interfered with our continued participation. We miss being a part of that great group of singers. So the Spring and Christmas concerts will be presented annually under the direction of Elsie Westly.

Following my thinking about the Christmas Concert, I naturally progressed to contemplating the upcoming holiday season. Now with Halloween out of the way, I’m ready for my very favorite holiday of the year…Thanksgiving! And that precipitated a trip to the Christmas Fair at Crescent Mills and Open House at the Huddlestons’ Sterling Sage (the new name for Main Street Antiques). The delightful trip down Highway 89 winds along Wolf Creek and the woods are full of fall color. I always give each grandchild an ornament for their Christmas tree and shopping for them at both venues is a feast for the eyes. In Crescent Mills we picked up a wicker basket and a glass of hot English wassail and began checking out the many decorated trees. It wasn’t long before I’d filled my basket with ornaments and then we proceeded back up 89 to Greenville.
As always, Josh had filled the store with beautiful decorations and wonderful Christmas music played in the background. Bink presided at the bar and offered us pancakes with apple/caramel butter topping. They were delicious! I overspent my budget a bit more before saying goodbye and back up the road to the Lake.

Thanksgiving was also my mother’s favorite holiday. For years she played hostess to the event before passing it along to me. Now I’ve been relegated to the peanut gallery while my own daughters do the duty. Mom was Danish and she added a number of unusual dishes to the traditional fare which we have continued to include in our menu. She always made creamed cabbage decorated with cheese on top, and alternated that with creamed boiled onions…note the emphasis on creamed! There was always a TON of mashed potatoes, yum! My grandfather was a potato farmer in Wisconsin and always said “…eat potatoes and keep the price up”.
We always sang “We Gather Together” and since there were usually about twenty folk there we had all the parts covered. This year will be a very special one indeed since the first member of the new generation will be taking part in the festivities. Joseph Donald LaPlante is scheduled to make his appearance just before Turkey Day and tho’ he’ll probably pass on the drumstick he will be welcomed at the table by his admiring family.

Then, of course, there’s Christmas. This is usually a quieter time for us as the separate families have their own traditions which is important. The music of the season plays pretty much non-stop on our sound system in Southern California. I have to hear “The Messiah” several times, and enjoy the old familiar hymns. We draw names and have a modest gift exchange which is always fun. And of course, the overeating continues and doesn’t wind down until New Year’s.

We will miss being in the Almanor Basin during this special time of the year. I expect the trees will be laden with fluffy white snow since it looks like winter is going to be early. Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving, a merry Christmas, and a joyous New Year! See you in the spring.