Connection December 2022

YOU’RE INVITED TO VISIT THE FUTURE.

THE NEW MONETT LIBRARY is the FLAGSHIP facility that will lead the way into the Future of the entire Library District. Starting November 14th, you can see this fantastic new library branch.

THIS LIBRARY INCORPORATES FRESH IDEAS with spaces tailored to modern programs and better ways of serving our community. Drive-through services, inspiration kitchen, and an innovative Children’s Library space are only a few examples of the unique features of this incredible building.

IN THE FUTURE, we will strive to bring the same excellence embodied in this new facility to every branch of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library.

STARTING NOVEMBER 14TH, Monday - Saturday, from 8:30 to 5:30.Located at 2200 Park St. on the corner of Park St. and Old Airport Rd. You can also visit the project online at blrlibrary.com/new-monett-library or scan the QR code below. blrlibrary.com/new-monett-library

Hurry Up and Celebrate!

By the time you read this we will have already exited the Thanksgiving holiday and entered into the season of Christmas. Didn’t I just write the column for November, yesterday? I have prob ably written something on this subject before but I will never understand the concept of time moving so much faster, the older we get!

We seem to hit the month of January and the next thing you know it is July 4. Once that celebration is over, we wake up and Thanksgiving and Christmas are here. I am not absolutely sure how that works but I truly believe that once I graduated high school I entered into a time warp with a speed three times as fast as what I was use to while I was in school!

Our aging brains may be a factor as well. A mechani cal engineer, Adrian Began, recently proposed that as we get older, our brains process images at a slower rate than they did when we were young. This results in what he calls “mind time,” which is different from clock time. Also as we get older, we have fewer new experiences and the world around us becomes more and more familiar. We become desensitized to our experience, which means that we pro cess less information and time seems to speed up.

Does this make sense? Well at least it is more of an explanation than I can come up with. I came up with this subject because I think that it would be wonderful to get to this time of year and put the brakes on to make every thing go in slow motion. Slow motion so we could have Thanksgiving with the family, enjoy the time that we all gather in the kitchen to cook the massive feast, laughing and carrying on. Passing out in front of the television watching football and then we could play games or just exchange different stories.

Once we enter the Christmas season I would love to not worry about how much time there is to get gifts for everyone. Again, put time in slow motion and totally enjoy the magical season. Have fun creating the ginger

bread houses with the children. Take them shopping so they can buy gifts for parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. The children really seem to love buying gifts when they are young.

Taking the time to decorate and get together with others to decorate other homes, the community, businesses and any thing else you can come up with. Decorating is so much fun and the more lights, the better. Even though we know that everyone thinks that Christmas is for the children, even the adults have that child-like heart at this time of year. But I really think sometimes it is lost when we cannot slow down and enjoy.

She can be reached at lcraft@cherryroad.com

Unfortunately, there is no way to slow down time, however there are some tips and tricks that could help you slow down the perception of time. Being more mind ful and present will help you take in your surroundings and form more memories, in turn making it seem that time is slowing down. There are some little things that we can change to help slow down time like refreshing our daily routine; changing where you work throughout the week; stop multitasking and incubating on work in your downtime; and taking the time to sit and write in a journal. Just a few steps to help trick us into thinking that time might be slowing down.

In the meantime, try to slow down over the holidays and enjoy your time, family, traditions and think of new traditions you can create for your generation to carry on.

The Connection staff wishes everyone more time at the holidays and magical wishes that come true at this time and throughout the year.

Lisa Craft Regional Advertising Director, Connection Magazine

Lisa Craft is Regional Advertising Director of Connection Magazine, The Monett Times and Cassville Democrat.

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Lisa Craft lcraft@cherryroad.com

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going to do her best to steer clear of traffic this month so that she can stay in the holiday spirit.

by Meagan Ruffing

10 Ways to Get You Into the Holiday Spirit

This time of year tends to bring out the hurriedness in all of us. I’m guilty of saying things (okay, maybe yelling) in the car that would not normally come out of my mouth. I somehow let the traffic in northwest Arkan sas get the best of me at times. To help ease the stress that can inevi tably creep up during the holidays, I fall back on a few of my favorite things to help me get back into the holiday spirit. Having a few of these tricks up my sleeve helps me stop a bad day from getting worse.

Turn that Christmas music on. You had to have known I was going to put this one on the list. If this type of music isn’t your thing, crank up some other tunes but if you can, sing along to some of your favorite carols and challenge yourself to learn all the words to one that you may not be as familiar with.

Adopt-a-Family. Visit a local church, hop online, or grab a tag off a Christmas tree in your grocery store to buy presents for a family in need. If you cannot find any families to ‘adopt,’ get online and pose the question, “I’m looking for a family to adopt for Christmas this year. Would anyone know where I can find a family in need of presents this year?” Make this a family affair if you can and let your kids pick out gifts for the children on

the adopt-a-family tags. Set a budget if you need to and let your kids decide what they think a child with the age listed would like. The wrapping might not be as good as you can do, but that’s okay, try to let your children be a part of this from beginning to end. Giving to those in need always lifts my spirit.

Volunteer. Find a place where you and your family can volun teer this month. It might be at a food bank, soup kitchen, wrap ping gifts, or making homemade meals to deliver. It’s so important to donate your time because it’s the most priceless thing you can give. Even though this time of year is busy, we can always make time for what we want.

Light a candle. When you’re home on the weekends or you’re home for the night during the week, dim the lights when it gets dark out and light a candle. This is a visual cue to your body and mind that it is time to settle in for the night. The glow of the flame and lights from your tree will offer a warmth of gratitude that will be sure to carry you through to the next day.

Drink hot cocoa and go ice skating. Find a place to go ice skating, even if you are tired and it’s been a long day. You will be so glad you did. If you have kids,

take the kids. If you don’t have kids, grab some friends and head out for the night. Getting some fresh air and doing something winter-related will help lift your spirit in the midst of a busy season. Don’t forget to take pictures!

Wrap presents and put a movie on in the background. The first year I was divorced, I didn’t have my kids for Christmas since they were with their dad and I was devastated. It’s still one of the hardest things about being divorced. But, I’ve learned to make my home an oasis of sorts; even when I may be feeling sad. To help get yourself in the holiday spirit, clear a big space on the living room floor and put a cheesy holiday movie on in the background. Make some hot tea and get going on that wrapping. The finished product of all those beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree will help remind you just how magical this time of year can feel.

Look at Christmas lights. Find out where you can go to look at Christmas lights, load up the car, and go! Take your time and enjoy driving through (or walking) as you take in the beauty of the lit-up night. Don’t forget to bring a few dollars with you. Most places have a donation bucket at the end of the light show.

Meagan Ruffing is a parenting journalist and mental health therapist. She is

Merry Christmas

From

Bring poinsettias to a friend. Grocery stores always have a plethora of poinsettias during this time of year. Pick a friend or two to pick one up for and hand-deliver it to them with your Christmas card. It might just be the pick-me-up that someone else needs to get into the holiday spirit.

Mail those Christmas cards out. Even if you had good inten tions of sending those cards out but haven’t yet, still do it! They might be late but that’s ok. Your card might be the only card that someone receives that day. Never underestimate how good it feels to share with friends and family the joys in your life through those smiles on your Christmas cards. People like receiving snail mail; especially when it’s something fun like a Christmas card.

Enjoy your holiday season this year and use this list to help you get into the holiday spirit. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, stressed out, or overwhelmed, slow things down a little bit and take it easy. You might just need a simple reset to help you start the next day with a fresh perspective. n

Congrats Zaylee

Email your child’s photo to: lcraft@ cherryroad.com

Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible. Remember to include your child’s name, parent’s name, age, city and your contact information. The con test is open to children ages 10 and younger. The photos submitted will be used for the sole purpose of this contest.

Zaylee Marie Randall, 22 month-old daughter of Allison Burnette and Robbie Randall, of Exeter.

Mitzi Doss’ ornaments

Sometimes a touch is all it takes

We’ve all been there. You walk through a cloud of someone’s perfume and immediately recall it was a loved one’s favorite. The opening credits of a popular television show remind you of the hours spent enjoying it with your family or a special friend. A movie somehow becomes a holiday tradition almost without you knowing it.

There are certain traditions, deco rations or ornaments that immediately bring back memories of loved ones and holidays past that we love passing down to our children and grandchildren, knowing they will bring joy for many years to come.

For my family, it was watching A Claymation Christmas, featuring those famous California Raisins and other

Sights, sounds and smells bring back holiday seasons past

performances in stop motion clay an imation that originally aired Dec. 21, 1987, on CBS. Since its debut, it has been a family tradition to annually watch this amusing, entertaining and even educational animated video as part of our holiday celebrations. Per sonally, I love the tennis shoe clad, toe-tapping, doo-wop singing camels featured in “We Three Kings,” which I am listening to even as I type this story.

For Linda Sitton, owner of Peppers and Co., it was her grandmother’s San ta Claus.

“We hung it on the tree every year,” she said. “It was a 1920’s-era plastic Santa, but it had a cotton ball in his bag that was slung over his shoulder. Even now, I can smell that cotton ball and it takes me straight back to my grandmas. That was my happy place.”

For MaLinda King, director at Crosslines of Monett, her happy mem ory is oranges.

“We got oranges in our stockings every year,” she said. “Now, here at Crosslines, when we hand out food boxes I try to make sure there are

oranges in them. It’s my way of con tinuing that tradition and trying to make someone else’s Christmas a little happier with something special.”

Jeff Meredith, director of Monett Chamber of Commerce, recalls trips to his grandmother’s home in Noel to celebrate Christmas Eve.

“We always drank sparkling grape juice on Christmas Eve,” he said. “She

Story by Melonie Roberts

Linda Sitton’s Santa Claus

MaLinda King’s oranges

always served ham. Then, on Christmas day, we’d go to my grandma’s in Alba, where the menu was roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy all served on cot tage cheese. Even today, I have my roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy on cot tage cheese. It’s really good.”

Rosa Villeda, who works at the Monett License Office, said on Christ mas Eve the house would be filled with women gathered in the kitchen to make 18 to 24 dozen tamales.

“We’d use 20 pounds of masa,” she said. “I remember the cousins, grand parents, everyone gathering in the kitchen when the tamales were ready.

“Today, I continue making tamales with my children,” she said. “Not as many, of course. And it is tradition to put the tree up on Dec. 1. It is a fami ly event. And while my children are 10 and 13, they still believe in Santa be cause Mama believes.”

On her husband’s side, the family carries on his family tradition of partici

pating in the nine nights of posadas.

“Each night we would go to the home of a different family, retelling the story of how Mary and Joseph sought shelter in Bethlehem,” she said.

A posada is a religious festival cel ebrated in Mexico and some parts of the United States between Dec. 16 and 24. Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus. Ultimately, the couple was unable to find lodging in Bethlehem, and Joseph and Mary were forced to seek shelter in a stable, where the Christ Child was born.

Mitzi Doss recalled the fragile Ger man glass ornaments handed down by her husband Leland’s mother, Erna Doss.

“They were frosted glass,” she said. “They were very unique. We used them for years and then I passed them down to my son.”

The decorations hail from IngeGlas of Germany, the oldest Christ mas ornament company in the world. The company started production in the mid-1850s in Lauscha, Germany. Inge’s glass ornaments have seen 15 generations of glass blowing experts, and more than 250 workers crafting and hand painting the fragile decora tions.

Cathy Lewis, chaplain at Cox Mon ett Hospital, shares several experiences.

“When I taught in Oak Ridge, Tenn., we had families from Spain who were at Lab for Research,” she said. “I marveled that these families all brought huge nativity sets to United States, many, many, pieces of people and things like stables and animals and shepherds. On the first day of ad vent the box was set out in a room far from the living room. They literally unpacked a few pieces at a time — in parade fashion through the house — until Christmas Eve in the living room, they got out Christ Child.

“When I taught in Hampton Roads we had a teacher on staff from Ger many,” she continued. “Each Christ mas she prepared an elegant eve ning of German appetizers or supper and served them in dishes from her

Rosa Villeda’s tamales

“Today, I continue making tamales with my children.”

Ken’s Collision takes care of All Unavoidable Accidents

grandparents who died at Auschwitz (a German concentration camp that housed Jewish people during World War II.) Her parents had smug gled this set of dishes out and each Christmas our faculty went to her home to feast on these historic dish es and celebrate her music and deco rations and family.”

On another note, Lewis described a different kind of holiday celebra tion she once attended.

“My dear Jewish friends in Palm Beach, Fla., invited me to celebrate Hanukkah in their home,” she said. “Maybe it was the warm weather and a full moon and carefully pre pared treats, but the lighting of those candles and chants and strong inter-generational ties created a mys tical, symbolic evening. It was as if we had stepped back to 10 BC to celebrate 1999 AD.”

The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. This year, the event will be celebrated from the evening of Dec. 18 through the evening of Dec. 26. n

Cathy Lewis’ menorah

by Guthrie Lauraleigh

Living with diabetes: Healthy eating tips for the holidays

Diabetes can make social gatherings difficult and stressful at times, as it requires much more effort to maintain blood sugars as com pared to others. Individuals with diabetes have a harder time con verting food into energy, which can cause negative long-term effects if not managed well.

Here are some simple tips and tricks to make eating this holiday season easy:

Utilize the “My Plate Method”



Half of your plate should be composed of non-starchy, colorful vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, bell pep pers, and Brussels sprouts.

one source of carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Eat your proteins and veggies first

Vegetables provide our bodies with plenty of micronutrients that are crucial for our overall health. Along with this, they are full of lots of fiber that will help keep you full, longer.

Foods high in protein also help with fullness ques and assist in the maintenance of muscle mass. Remember, a high amount of muscle within the body equals a higher metabolism, so make sure to prioritize lean protein sources with every meal.

Keep your consistent meals

Do not restrict your meal intake to “prepare” for a larger meal you may have later in the day. Part of maintaining healthy blood sugars is providing a consistent amount of carbs to your body. So, plan to have your regular one to two meals and a snack before head ing to enjoy a meal with loved ones!

Enjoy yourself



One quarter of your plate should be composed of a protein source such as fish, chicken, or beef.

Keep your plate balanced



One quarter of your plate should be composed of carbo hydrates such as bread, rice, or pasta.

Healthy fats should also be added to the meal, which can be added through foods such as oils, nuts, or seeds.

Understanding the plate method allows for flexibility in your meals.

If you plan to have a dessert, fill your plate with just proteins and vegetables, and save your carbohydrate for the dessert. Just make sure that every meal has at least

Eating carbohydrates such as bread or pasta are digested very quickly, causing a large spike in blood sug ars. By adding in some healthy fats, protein, and vegetables, the diges tion of the carbs is slowed down, causing a much less significant spike in blood sugars. Therefore, if you are having a carbohydrate with a meal, make sure to pair it with a vegetable and protein.

Stay active

Find ways to add physical activity to your day, such as going for a long walk or helping clean up the house. Aim for 15-30 minutes daily, and remember, any activity is better than none.

Restriction and not enjoying the foods you love create an un healthy relationship with food. Remember that the holidays make up a very small portion of the year, so get back on track after and enjoy the day. Remem ber, there are no “bad” foods, and you should enjoy everything in moderation.

Along with the tips provided above, it is important to continue to check your blood sugars at home, take your medications as prescribed, and look into meet ing with a registered dietitian to learn more about healthful eating.

The My Plate Method provided above can also be used on a dayto-day basis, even for individuals without diabetes, as it encourag es variety, adequate amounts of protein and carbs, and adequate micronutrients from vegetables. n

GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES 988 SUICIDE & CRISIS

The 988 line will be health crisis. There are seven crisis or the state. The trained crisis specialists individual’s problems are affecting

On July 16, 2022, the newly designated existing National Suicide Prevention are available 24/7 for anyone experiencing 988 line is confidential and free for function. After July 16, 2022, both number “The launch of the 988 crisis line will Missourians in behavioral health crisis, are experiencing crisis the sooner w better

The 988 line will be the first step to There are seven crisis centers in Missouri The trained crisis specialists at each problems are affecting them, provide While 988 is a national initiative, it anyone, anywhere, and anytime. After 988 centers are prepared and ready chats) expected in the first year of the Need to talk or get immediate help assistance, please reach out by calling

While 988 is a national available to anyone, anywhere, and Missouri’s 988 center s are prepared (calls, texts, and chats) expected in the Need to talk or get one needs assistance, please reach https://988lifeline.org . suppor t now, contact

Giftable

The act of gift giving is sig nificant to most cultures.

Whether it is for a birth day, anniversary or a holiday, giving or receiving a gift can be a really special experience.

As Christmas comes around the corner many people are preparing to give their loved ones something truly meaningful.

I wanted to know what some of these gifts were, so I asked the question, “What is the most meaningful gift you have ever received, and what is the most meaning ful gift you have ever given?”

The call, the doll and the teddy bear

Janet and Larry Frakes remembered some wonderful experiences while hav ing lunch at the Cassville Senior Center.

Larry served on Midway Island in the 1970s.

“My favorite time is Christmas time,” he said. “I remember I missed Christmas when I was in the military, and I decided to call home and tell my mom and dad Merry Christmas. It took me three days before I got through to them, and it cost me a couple hundred dollars — but it was worth it.”

Janet remembered a time when she was an 11- or 12-year-old girl.

Story by Jordan Troutman

“I wanted a Barbie Doll so badly,” she said. “I didn’t get Barbie, but in stead I got Midge, Barbies best friend.

“My grandma handmade all of the clothes for her, that was really special to me.”

Janet said her birthday is on De cember 30th.

“My grandma always used to ask if I wanted my birthday gift early, on Christmas, or if I wanted to wait,” she said. “Well, I was a kid, of course I couldn’t wait, so I would always be upset on my birthday that I didn’t get more gifts because I opened them all already.”

Myonza Kennedy, was having lunch with the Frakes.

“I was a navy kid,” she said. “The one Christmas I remember the most was when we were in Hawaii. I want ed a Teddy Bear more than anything. I was about 7. I got a Teddy Bear and a baby stroller that year. The legs and arms moves and its head tilts — I still have it.”

The gift Myonza was most proud of giving, was a Mother’s Day ring to her mom.

“All four of us saved and pitched in to buy it for her,” she said. “She cher ished that ring. She said she would be buried with it, and she was.”

Gifts come in all sorts of packages, what is meaningful to you?

The farm and the house

Kathy and Bob Schuman have a wonderful life on their farm in Jenkins, and have been married since October 1, 1966.

Kathy said the best gift she has ever been given was the house her husband bought for her.

“It started out as a shop, then he built a home upstairs and eventual ly built a different shop,” she said. “I guess he bought me the farm first, so that was pretty special because I really wanted that farm.”

Bob bought his wife their farm in 1976, built the shop in 1990 and re modeled it to be a home shortly after that.

“We have been married for 56 years and still live in that house,” she said. “One reason I wanted that farm was because of the spring house that is on the property. I built a spring house pool, but Bob built a better one and poured a sidewalk around it for me.”

The floor in the house that was orig inally on the farm began to give out, which is why Bob had to remodel his shop as a home.

“The back wall of the house is un derground,” Kathy said. “But, I have a great view from the upstairs sunroom to look at the land with all the flowers and the deer.

“I carry my pictures with me all the time so that if I am waiting, I can look at them.”

Kathy has hundreds of photos of her land, her home, and the deer that visit her property.

“The deer are friends and I watch them grow up,” she said. “I put out bird food and the deer started to come.

“Bob added the sunroom for me in 2013. I took this photo of a mom and two baby deer and the twins keep com ing back. I put a photo of them in the Aurora Library photo contest and I won the grand prize.”

Kathy had four children before she met Bob, and he adopted all of them.

“I love everything about our house,” she said. “I love that we lived in that little house, I love gardening, I love the deer. We made a beautiful place out of a scrubby looking farm. I love that the deer come and make it beautiful.”

Kathy even takes notes about the deer she sees.

“If I see one hurt, I make a note and watch them as they get better,” she said.

Kathy and Bob Schuman on their 50th wedding anniversary.

The baby and the determination

Emilee Davis is a 19-year-old mom of a one-month-old baby boy.

Steven Michael was born on No vember 2 at 11:02 a.m. at 6 pounds, 9 ounces and 19 and three-quarter inches long.

“He is the best thing that ever hap pened to me,” she said. “As soon as he was born all of my worries went away.

“I had a super rough pregnancy, and in the beginning I didn’t want the baby.”

Emilee said the scariest moment of her life was when the two lines on the pregnancy test turned pink.

“It is ok to doubt it at first,” she said. “It’s ok to consider adoption or abortion — I did.”

Emilee said she is so glad that her mom talked her into keeping the baby. “Everything was worth it,” she said. “The sadness, the crying, puking, just everything was worth it. I am so glad that I stuck around long enough to find my true meaning in life.”

Emilee said for her son, she wants to give him the gift of determination.

“I want him to have my determi nation,” she said. “I am determined to do everything by myself and to do it right.

“If he goes through the same strug gles I have had, I want him to know his worth. I want him to tough it out until he finds his true meaning in life, like I did for him.

“Who knew 9 months after one of the scariest moment of my life I would be happier than I have ever been.” n

Emilee Davis and her son Steven Michael share the gift of love between them.

The Sounds of Christmas

The Christmas season brings on wonderful times spent with family and friends around a dinner table, a fireplace, or maybe even around a piano where rib bons of musical notes fill the air with Christmas hymns.

People often join in to sing these beautiful Christmas songs, and if you are lucky, you might get the pleasure of hearing a group of Christmas carolers sing to you.

The holiday season brings a number of carolers and Christmas programs for everyone to enjoy.

The point of Christmas caroling and Christmas programs is to spread the Christmas spirit.

Taylor Bench, Cassville middle school music teacher, said the school will perform a Christmas concert on December 15.

“After that, we will have one week of school left before the Christmas break,” he said. “I decided that I will take the music class around the school to sing Christmas carols. They will go to the central office, the elementary building and more.

“The point is just to spread Christ mas joy.”

Taylor said she was part of a caroling group when she was in middle school.

“It was with my church,” she said. “That is when I fell in love with Christ mas caroling.

“For me, it is about seeing joy on peoples faces when we are singing to them.”

Boise: ‘Celebrating a season based on giving more than receiving’

Taylor said the students will sing songs about happiness and joy.

“It builds up the energy for the car olers too,” she said. “We will sing things like, Joy to the World, Silent Night, Jin gle Bells and Let it Snow. It will be a mix of traditionally Christian songs and contemporary.”

Taylor said she would love to build the group up in the future, so that it gets out to the community to carol.

“It would be phenomenal to get that kind of interest,” she said. “We are in the beginning stages, but I am excited to see where it goes.”

Shawn Trent, the Cassville Fellow ship of Christian Athletes sponsor, said the group will be caroling in the Wild wood neighborhood on December 21, from about 5 to 6:30 p.m.

“We have a dozen students in our club that will be singing along with

a few teacher chaperones,” he said. “Christmas is about God’s gift to the world.

“He gave us his son who would later save us all if we accept the Lord’s gift. Christmas music is so joyful. I think when you hear Christmas music it makes everyone smile and you think about all of your Christmas memories as a kid and being together with all of your loved ones.”

Jeff Fugitt, pastor at the United Methodist Church in Cassville, said Christmas Card to Cassville, a Christ mas program at the church, is on De cember 11 at 6:00 p.m., and the Christ mas Eve service is also 6:00 p.m.

“On Christmas day, we are having a ‘Christmas Coffee House’ at 10:00 a.m. with coffee, donuts and music,” he said.

Micah Boise is the Cassville school band director, and he is in charge of

Story by Jordan Troutman

Christmas Card to Cassville 2021

the Christmas programs at the United Methodist Church in Cassville.

He said there will be a youth-led Nativity scene and program, Christmas solos and a handbell choir.

“[We will perform] traditional Christmas hymns that pair with the story of the Nativity Scene and story of Jesus’s birth,” he said. “Ages for our youth program are all elementary grades with some help from middle school and high school students. For the youth, the meaning for them might be edu cation based. Our program gives them a chance to learn about the details sur rounding Jesus’ birth and it gives them a chance to share about their faith.”

Micah said the United Methodist Church congregation has always en joyed these kind of seasonal performances from church volunteers.

“We as a church celebrate the birth of Jesus and we invite others, like Jesus did, to join us,” he said. “The tradition of it keeps families close to each other and God through the celebration of worship and music that many genera tions can share.”

He said Christmas programs are merely an outward expression of faith in God and belief in Jesus.

“To me, Christmas and the concepts we celebrate during our Christmas Card Program are crucial to bringing our communities and families together under God,” he said. “[Especially,] in the world today, where so many sources seek to divide us.

“Christmas music is fun, familiar and it always warms the soul a little. These songs are a part of all of our histo ries, whether we enjoy them or not. For me, it’s not just about hearing familiar tunes, but celebrating a season based on giving more than receiving, celebrat ing a loving Savior who came to show us a better way to live and celebrating each other, our families and living life together.” n

Previously in Keeping Secrets, 15-year-old Paige learns that her mom, Alice, is a spy and that her dad has been kidnapped by Alice’s rogue boss, Piper. With the help of tech guy Tom, they track Alice down and find Nathan, Paige’s dad. But everything goes wrong, and Piper snatches Paige to hold until she can access and destroy the files that will surely destroy her and Sebastian Miranda, the mob boss she works for now.

Keeping Secrets part five

By Annie Lisenby Smith

Sandwiched in the back seat of a big van between two hulking guys that smelled like stale cheese wasn’t what Paige expected to be doing during summer vacation. Band camp? Yes, she expected that. Reuniting with her mom to learn that she’s a secret spy and had kidnapped her dad because she was wrapped up in stopping an international drug ring? Nope. Not in all of her fifteen years would Paige have guessed that’s what she’d write on her eventual “what I did this summer” essay when she went back to school in a few weeks.

“Keep going to point Beta,” Piper Glenn orders from the front seat. Driving was her henchman, Roberto. They were both CIA agents turned bad guys, from what Paige’s mom, Alice, had shared. “I need to check in with Sebastian.” The stuffy van fills with the pinging sound of Piper’s phone con nected on video chat.

“Sebastian, love,” Piper coos as soon as the chiming stopped.

“Where do we stand?” Sebastian Miranda cuts her off, his voice deep, clipped. Paige can tell he’s no one to mess around with.

“Secure,” Piper replies. “I’ve obtained the files. Soon we’ll have them destroyed, gone forever. Poof.”

“Soon?” Sebastian asks. Paige shifts to the side to see around the front seat. With the way Piper holds her phone lifted high, Paige catches a glimpse of Sebastian. He doesn’t look like an international criminal. He looks more like a love interest on her friend Gabriella’s favorite telenovela. Thick curls of dark hair are styled with a perfection that highlights his heavy eyebrows and chiseled jaw.

“Yes, love,” Piper’s voice pitches higher. “There was a technical hiccup. Nothing big. We just need to get a char ger to access the files, confirm their location, and destroy them. We’ll be done in a jiffy. I’m sure of that.”

Sebastian’s gaze hardens. “It better be soon. If not, you know what will happen.”

Piper laughs, her voice strained. “Oh, Sebastian, when have I ever failed you?”

A slight lift of his lips is all Paige sees before Roberto turns hard to the left. She and the two henchmen beside her shift with the force of the turn, squashing Paige be tween their cheap suit-covered bodies. The scent of rotten cheese strengthens.

“What’s our ETA?” Piper asks Roberto. “Four minutes,” he replies keeping his focus on the road with another quick turn.

“Make it three,” Piper commands with a glance at Paige. . . .

“How are we going to get Paige?” Alice’s chest tightens. “We can’t even drive this car.”

Ignoring her, Tom pulls his phone from his back pocket and taps furiously at the screen. He sits in the driver’s seat of the useless SUV.

“Alice, what’s going on?” Nathan asks from the back seat. His head still droops low from whatever sedative Piper and her goons had pumped into his veins. Studying him she was glad to see though that his eyes were less glassed, more focused on the world around him. It was wearing off.

“Got it!” Tom pumps his fist. “Push the start button,” he orders Alice with a glance at the button next to his steering wheel.

“We don’t have the keys,” Alice disputes.

“Just push it,” Tom smiles.

Pressing her finger against the engine start button, Alice feels the SUV’s engine come to life.

“Remote start, baby,” Tom happy dances in his seat.

Leaning forward Nathan asks, “But you can’t drive using remote start, can you?”

Tom twists in his seat to face Nathan. “You can’t. I can. I am the Dumbledore of tech.”

“Alice,” Nathan’s gaze whips to her, “Seriously, what is going on?”

Alice for music and so many other things as soon as she saw her again. Assuming she saw her again.

. . .

“Come on, Paige,” Piper orders with a smirk. She turns to lead Paige across the tarmac of the small airport outside of town. Heat from the hot pavement radiates over Paige’s feet. With the chirp of crickets and gentle breeze bringing cool night air, Paige is reminded of just how tired she is. Staying up late to binge-watch Netflix seemed like a great idea when all she had to do today was evening band camp. Now, she’s regretting that choice.

Stifling a yawn, Paige follows Piper and Roberto. The two nameless goons take up the rear, their gazes shifting periodically looking out for signs of trouble.

“In here,” Piper pushes open the door on the side of a hangar.

In the hangar sounds echo off the metal walls of the vast building. From her pocket, Tom’s keys jingle, the tiny sound enhanced with its echoes. Paige is immediately over come with dread. Did she take the only means of escape that her mother had? Does that mean she’s all alone with Piper? And what will Piper do when she discovers that the files she wants are definitely not on her dead phone?

“In the office,” Piper says, her heels clacking on the ce ment floor. “There’s a plug in there to charge the phone. Now, Roberto, get the plane ready. We’re taking off ASAP.”

Paige comes to a stop in an empty space between the office door Piper has disappeared behind a large private jet. It has panels of windows down the side showing it can hold maybe 10 people. Streaks of blue travel the underside of the plane and curl around the tail. Above the curls is a series of numbers and letters.

“Oh, Paige, in here,” Piper calls from the office door. “Hurry up!”

Taking her time, Paige’s shoes squeak lightly, and mixed with the jingle of the keys, the rhythm reminds Paige of a piano piece she had to play in third grade. That was when she hated piano with a passion but Alice had insisted. Paige had never told Alice how glad she was that she’d pushed her into music. In that moment, Paige made a plan to thank

Sitting on the edge of a heavy wooden desk, Piper holds her gun pointed at Paige. She nods to a chair at the desk. “Sit,” Piper says. “It should be charged soon, and we can get this all over with.” . . .

“No, open the other app,” Tom sighs as he slows his SUV at a red light. No other cars are on the road this late, so he could have breezed through, but Alice’s ineptitude with technology has brought him to the end of his rope. “The find my keys app.”

“I was on that app, it said it didn’t work,” Alice shakes her head in frustration.

The SUV shudders with the force of Tom slamming it into park. “Switch,” he says as he climbs out of the front seat. Happily, Alice steps onto the road and rounds the ve hicle. As she passes Tom by the rear bumper, she passes him his phone.

Being shorter than Tom, Alice takes time to adjust the seat and mirrors. The traffic light has cycled back to red when Tom let’s out an, “Ah ha!”

“You found her?” Nathan asks from the back seat. He’s drinking another bottle of water from Tom’s stash. It’s hav ing the affect Alice had hoped, helping clear the drugs from his body faster.

“Sit,” Piper says. “It should be charged soon, and we can get this all over with.”

“Yes,” Tom smiles. “Keep going north. The signal stopped at the old airport.”

“We found her,” Nathan celebrates with a squeeze to Alice’s shoulder. She smiles at him in the rearview mirror, enjoying being a part of the Melbourne family team again. Many nights since she’d left two years before she wondered if she’d ever see her family again. She knew she’d had to leave. His job had been easy before, but once one of the suspects learned her real identity and sent that threat, she knew she had to leave to protect her family. It had worked until tonight.

“We found her,” Alice repeats. . . .

Tap, tap. Flick. Tap, tap. Flick.

Piper’s heels tap on the floor as she paces and flicks one of her manicured nails against the edge of her gun. She’d been pacing as she waits for Paige’s phone to charge. The noise had nearly driven Paige batty, but the annoyance was overcome with apprehension. Paige completely lied about the data being on her phone. As she fingers the flash drive disguised as a Lego brick necklace hanging against her ster num, Paige tries to create a story that Piper will believe when she discovers the truth.

The trill sounding from Paige’s phone brings Piper to a stop. In a few quick steps, she hovers over Paige’s shoulder. Her closeness and the gun in her hand makes Paige sink lower into the office chair.

“Go ahead, unlock it,” Piper says using her gun to point at the phone sitting on the desk.

Paige wipes the sweat from her hands on her shorts before reaching for her phone. In an instant, it’s un locked glowing with a picture of her and Nathan dressed up for Hallow een from last year. Their goofy pirate costumes are dotted with icons for Paige’s apps.

“I can’t do this with you over my shoulder,” Paige says, her fingers trembling noticeably.

“Oh, give me a break,” Piper huffs and steps away.

With a sigh of relief, Paige hunkers over her phone pray ing with all her heart that she doesn’t get caught. She opens her texting app and takes a look at the smeared marker on the palm of her hand. She taps in Brayden’s number, balking at the fact that she’s having to use it to send out a distress signal instead of to ask him to hang out like they’d intended.

The deep hazel of his eyes and his slightly sideways smile flash through her mind as she types in the distress mes sage. Bobbing her head to the rhythm of Piper’s tap, tap, flick, she taps in the tail number of the plane in the han gar. While waiting for the phone to charge, Paige had been rhythmically chanting it in her mind to the beat of Piper’s pacing.

“Are you kidding me?” Piper rages grabbing for Paige’s phone. “Like seriously, are you kidding me?” Her face is tight with wrath, her mouth a snarl.

Paige scuffles with Piper tucking the phone close, strug gling to get her finger to the “send” button. She has to send this text. She has no idea where her mom is or where Piper plans to go next. This is her last shot.

But Piper is furious. Her sharp nails scratch across Paige’s bare forearm as she grasps for the phone. Thin strips of red appear looking like a giant cat scratch.

“No,” Paige cries. “You can’t do this.”

“Boss?” Roberto fills the office doorway. “Get the phone!” Piper screeches.

With a quick slip of her thumb, Paige hits send and does the only thing she can do next. Leaping from the chair, Paige raises her arm high and throws her phone against the cement floor as hard as she can.

The sound of plastic and glass break ing fills her with a short-lived joy.

“You!” Piper screams. “I’m going to kill you!” By the look in Piper’s eyes as she lunges for Paige, Paige knows she means it.

All her senses sparking and her sur vival instincts commanding her to run, Paige gets two steps from Piper before she’s seized around her waist. Piper might be small, but she’s as strong as an ox. She drags Paige into the hanger screaming out commands to her team to get the plane ready for flight.

Everyone is moving quickly. Roberto has scooped up the remains of Paige’s phone and is on his way to the plane’s cockpit. The two nameless goons are un locking the large hangar door. Fighting to no avail against Piper’s grasp, tears have begun to stream down Paige’s face.

With a roar, the engines on the plane come to life making Paige’s heart race faster. She knows she can’t get on the plane, that she’ll never leave it alive if she does.

The hangar door trembles as it locks into its open position. This is it. It’s now or never. Paige digs her teeth into Pip er’s arm. With a yelp, her grip loosens on Paige, who’s now squirming to break free.

A flash of headlights fills the hangar. Blocking their exit is a white SUV. Squinting into the light, Paige can’t see who’s driving. Her heart drops thinking it might be one of Piper’s friends. But then she hears Alice’s voice, faint over the roaring engines.

“Let her go now!”

Thoughts flicker across Piper’s face as she looks between the airplane and the SUV. But she doesn’t let go of Paige. n

Spoiling Our Pets for the Holidays

With 68 percent of households having pets, Americans spent more than $109 billion on their pets in 2021. This covers the cost of food, pet healthcare, cleaning supplies, and special gifts. These fluffy, and some times scaly or spiky, animals become like family when they’re welcomed into our homes. And with the many recognized health benefits of pet ownership, it’s not surprising that families like to spoil them. In recent years, more and more products and services are being offered for pet owners to do just that.

When celebrating the holidays, many pet owners want to involve the entire family. This means that fourlegged friends are included. Common gifts for dogs include chew toys and dog clothing. Toys are great to help dogs get out that extra chewing en ergy so they don’t use that energy on your favorite pair of shoes. But toys can also help dogs feel comfortable in their new homes.

One family adopted rescue dogs, Cheeky and Rosebud, and it was in sisted that the new family be given specific toys that the dogs were at tached to. Since living in their new home, the dogs have been given many more toys to chew and play with and help them feel loved and welcome in their new home.

It’s also great fun for many pet owners to dress their pets in special ized clothes, whether the pets like it or not. The family with chocolate lab

Story by Annie Lisenby Smith

Ryder and Malshi Lily, buy outfits for their dogs all year long. Favorites in clude Star Wars Halloween costumes and their special Chiefs shirts to help cheer on their favorite football team.

When it comes to cats, any cat owner will tell you that they will let you know when they are disgruntled. Want to disgruntle a cat? Put it in a hat. Sir, a rescue cat, was invited to celebrate his birthday with a party hat. He did not like it, and escaped it almost immediately. But the family enjoyed the brief moment of celebration. A common cat-clothing item is a bowtie, which some cats grow to love.

One family had a cat named Puppy that was never seen without his bow tie.

Practical gifts are important too. Like the gift of a scratching box for Rocco, a rescue cat from the Joplin

Fluffy the cat is amused about his bowtie, but his family thinks it looks dapper.

(top) Murphy the hedgehog is feeling the holiday spirit.

tornado. Practical, fun, or personal ized gifts can also be homemade. Us ing recycled shopping bag handles, one family weaved them together to create a toy their cat played with until the toy fell apart. A quick search on on line shopping sites will also lead you to many handmade pet toys, clothing, and more.

And sometimes, when you are a pet owner, you put a Santa hat on your hedgehog because it’s just so stinking cute. May your celebrations with your pets be merry and bright!

How can you help support local pets this holiday season? Local no-kill animal shelter Haven of the Ozarks has a list of items you can donate to help their animals. The following lists are items that they always need. If you’d like to give an extra special gift, go to their website to click on their wish list.

Ryder, a chocolate lab, isn’t feeling the Christmas spirit, so his family added a fun filter to his photo. Visit

SHEP

Shep is the 12-year-old long hair German shepherd fur baby of Luke Steele of Fairview

Email your pet’s photo to: lcraft@cherryroad.com

If you think your furry or feathered friend is the cut est in the area, let us know! We invite you to share a photo of your pet to be featured in Connection’s Cutest Pet contest. Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possi ble. Remember to include your pet’s name, city of residence and your contact information.

To learn more about Soup’s caretakers and more ups like him, vist the Faithful Friends Facebook page:

by Christa Stout

More Success Stories to Share

This month’s visit took me back to where it all started at Faithful Friends Animal Advocates in Neosho, Mo.

I recently did a transport to Rolla, where the next leg was covered by Meredith. Well, Meredith was also part of the transport of little Millie Grace (see March and May issues), the pup who had been caught in a trap and eventually had to have one leg amputated.

However, she was doing one of the last legs while I had done the first leg, so we had never met. When I realized that I would finally meet Meredith, it was happy times. We hugged and cried, but neither one of us had heard any more about our favorite transport that we had worried over and prayed over and eventually celebrated her adoption.

We both contacted the original fos ter mom and she brought us up to date. Millie Grace is doing wonder ful at her new home, doesn’t let her missing leg interfere with her joy in life and having fun, and it is hard to get a picture of her because she is totally tuckered out after playing!

We did receive a new picture of Millie Grace (the adopters kept the name because it was so appropri ate), boy had she grown, and she still has the best smile in the world!

Her left paw healed fine, no prob lems!

Soup

So, in thinking about the Decem ber column, Millie Grace came to mind and I really wanted to share some of the joy we have when doing what we do, whether trans port, foster, adopt or rescue. So I contacted some of the rescues and shelters and asked them to give me their rescue/adoption stories:

Catherine at Granby said she had a dog in the pound that she was afraid would never get adopted. They called him Mr. T and he was so very afraid of meeting people and therefore came across as aggressive. Catherine finally found a rescue that would take him and he was scheduled to leave the following day. Then, shortly after arranging transport, came a phone call from a man who said “this is my dog”.

No, it wasn’t his lost dog but he was convinced that he should adopt this dog no one else had giv en a second thought to. The gentle man had just gotten divorced, and was somewhat depressed until he saw this Mr. T on Facebook.

He lived out of state and was willing to drive 5 hours to the pound to get “his” dog. Catherine, of course, was reluctant. What if it didn’t work out, what if the adopter doesn’t make it to the pound, what

if, what if…

To make a long story short, he and his children arrived at the pound a couple of days later, after the 5 hour drive, and it was love at first sight. The dog loved the adopter and his kids and they all loved him.

He sent a current photo with him and his new lovely wife, his children and Oreo (formerly Mr. T) and his dog sibling, with whom he has lots of fun!

And remember the kitten that was found along the lake, scared and hungry? Wes at Haven of the Ozarks tells me the kitten was adopted almost immediately and is now living the life of a spoiled cat.

Cynthia at Faithful Friends tells of her favorite story: A 12-week old puppy named Soup had been at the shelter for quite a while until one day a family fostered him for a weekend. The foster then posted some pictures of Soup and gave him an excellent report card. Here is what she wrote about Soup: ‘Having to grow up in a shelter took a toll on Soup. He’d never been inside a home or known what it was like to have a family, he didn’t have much socialization other than from shelter staff and volunteers, and he had developed kennel stress, which made it even harder to place him in a home. Shelter life was all he had ever known.

After spending almost a year at Faithful Friends, he was finally adopted. Six months later he was brought back due to him still having accidents in the house and them not having enough time for him. He is now going on 2 years old and once again back at the shelter. He is currently in search of a family who won’t give up on him and will show him what it’s like to be loved uncon ditionally. He does great with other dogs. It takes some time for him to learn to trust new people, but once he does he is such a love bug! He is ready for the next chapter of his life to begin.’

Shortly after the foster mom posted Soup on Facebook, he was adopted it is so true, fostering saves lives! So true.

My personal favorite is one of two of my dogs, Polly the lab and Rudi the German Shepherd. Polly had just been diagnosed diabetic and had gone blind. She knew her way around the house and had jumped up on the couch. When she was ready to get off the couch, she was very reluctant, no longer being able to see where she was jumping.

I had a camera setup so I could check on Polly periodically and just happened to catch her hesitat ing and wanting to get down. Rudi, who has always been a protector, slowly walked over to her, let her know he was there, then touched her nose with his, and that was enough to give Polly the courage to jump down. Not an adoption story, but definitely a rescue story, Rudi rescued her from being stuck on the couch!

So, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all pet owners, future pet owners and of course all the dogs and cats. Please remember to adopt, there are so many wonder ful animals in the shelters waiting to get and to give love! n

Advertiser Index

Aire Serv ....................................... 2

Aurora Motor And Machine 20

Barry County Farm Bureau .... 40

Barry Lawrence Regional Library ................................................. 3

Bruner Pharmacy...................... 14

Carey’s Cassville Florist .......... 30

Cassville Dispensary ................ 28

Clark Community Mental 22

Coldwell Banker/ Show-Me Property 43

Coxhealth ................................... 44

CS Bank ...................................... 14

Doug’s Pro Lube ....................... 16

Edward Jones ............................. 5

First State Bank 27

Fohn Funeral Home ................. 14

Four Seasons Real Estate 37

Freedom Bank .......................... 41

Friendly Tire 30

Ken’s Collision Center ............. 20

Lackey Body Works ................. 37

Les Jacobs .................................. 30

Lil Boom Town Event Center ...... 37

Making Memories .................... 40

Michael’s Hardware 36

My Best Friends Closet ............ 6

Ordinary 2 Oddities 37

Ozark Methodist Manor ......... 34

Patak-Phillips Finearms, LLC ...... ............................................... 43

Peppers And Co. ....................... 13

Pink Zebra 13

Qc Supply, LLC.......................... 27

Roaring River Health & Rehab ............................................... 28

Rusty Gate Flea Market .......... 41

Security Bank ........................... 34

Shelter Insurance ...................... 2

Spears, Jared, DDS 22

Trogdon Marshall Agency Inc .. 6

VisionHealth Eye Center 16

Whitley Pharmacy.................... 13

Merry ChristmasAnd happy new

year

Wishing you and your family a joyful holiday season!

“

I once received a letter from an old lady in California who informed me that when the tired reader comes home at night, he wishes to read something that will lift up his heart. And it seems her heart had not been lifted up by anything of mine she had read. I think that if her heart had been in the right place, it would have been lifted up.”

Flannery O’Connor

PARTING

Photo by Christel Vore

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