Merry Christmas 2023

Special Edition December 2023

Page B2 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Wishing you a season filled with sweetness.

Merry Christmas It’s the Christmas season again and as in every other previous year for quite some time, as editor I personally spend hours and hours reading Christmas stories to share with our readership here in our region. As well, our designer Sandra Stewart is passionate about Christmas and goes to great lengths to make this section tasteful Joan Ritchie and beautiful. This special Christmas offering EDITOR wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of our sales personnel who go above and beyond giving Moose Jaw an opportunity to wish the community a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Because Christmas has significant meaning for me, I try and share a little about the ‘reason for the season’, as well as stories that are poignant, funny, thought provoking or encouraging.

This is the season of goodwill to man, a message of peace, prosperity and love for all people.

Because the celebration of Christmas is one that started with the birth of a Saviour who came to save the world, it continues throughout the pages of time.

I hope the spirit of the season touches each and every heart and mind and fills their lives with hope, because we all are significant in God’s eyes. The gift of God through the birth of his son Jesus Christ is free for all to receive, just open your heart and believe.

Merry Christmas to all from myself and all the management and staff at the Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com and may 2024 hold everything that your heart desires.

Joan Ritchie

CUSTOM KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES COUNTER TOPS IN LAMINATE & QUARTZ 3D COMPUTER DESIGN Jason Cushway 306-631-8727 Joseph Cushway 306-631-0153

Follow us on Facebook

Stop in and visit our ever changing 800 sqft show room

63 HIGHLAND RD • www.hanovercabinets.ca

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B3

Residents of Moose Jaw Wishing you and your family happiness, peace and joy this holiday season.

Mayor Clive Tolley and Councillors Jamey Logan, Kim Robinson, Crystal Froese, Doug Blanc, Heather Eby, Dawn Luhning, and City Employees

May the memories of Christmas past warm your heart Talk to us about making the Chateau your new place to call home.

306-693-2323 ChateauStMichaels.com

I hope your holiday is full of love, peace and joy!

Page B4 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

The First Christmas

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David): To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

— Luke 2:1-16

Church of Our Lady

Worship Services Sunday Mornings 10:30am We invite all to our Candlelight Christmas Eve service at 4:30 pm with Communion offered.

Blessings for the new year!

Blessings to you at Christmas Masses Saturdays - 7pm • Sundays - 10am Christmas Eve - 7pm Christmas Day - 10am New Years Day - 10am

60 Athabasca Street East Phone: 306-692-0533 st.andrews.mj@sasktel.net www.standrewsmoosejaw.ca

566 Vaughan St 306-692-2950

Believe in Santa…just beclause!

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B5

A Gift in the Trees’

By Cynthia J. Teixeira

God shows his love for us in many ways. Something that may not seem extraordinary to one person might appear as a miracle for someone else. On Christmas Eve 1997, that is exactly how I saw things, though not at first. At first I was feeling too sorry for myself to see anything but my own unhappiness.

The holiday season is a popular time for couples to get engaged. I had been in three long-term relationships by the time I was 29, but none of them had ever produced a marriage proposal. I had always considered myself a loyal, caring, unselfish girlfriend, and boyfriends often told me as much after the relationship had ended. I always seemed to be “the one that got away,” and I began to feel like I was special only once the relationship was over. After a while, I started to feel like I just wasn’t worth a lifetime commitment.

At the age of 29, I decided I needed to take my own happiness into consideration. It took a couple years of dating mistakes, but I finally figured out how to respect my own needs and not just worry about the needs of my partner.

That’s when, at the age of 31, I met Paul. He was a wonderful person who didn’t expect me to take care of him. He just wanted to be with me, and he respected me for who I was. Everything felt right between us, and I figured I had finally found a man I could marry.

During our second Christmas together, I thought Paul might propose. On December 22, we ventured onto the topic of marriage. Paul said that he did see himself marrying me, but the timing was not good “right now.” I couldn’t help but feel sorry for myself. So many of my friends had received proposals and engagement rings, but I had never received either. I was at the point where I figured maybe marriage just wasn’t in the cards for me.

On the following day, December 23, school was canceled because of a winter storm. I knew my students would be as excited as I was for the extra day off right before the holiday break. It would also be nice to have a beautiful, white Christmas. The roads were covered in snow, and the trees were buried under a sheer layer of ice. It was much too hazardous to venture out, so I just stayed inside and reflected on my situation.

By the end of that snowy day, I had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t the proposal I needed. It was simply that I wanted to feel loved and appreciated enough that someone would want to be with me forever. I prayed to God and asked that someday a man would think I was important enough to give me a diamond, the symbol of the commitment that my heart needed the most.

Christmas Eve finally arrived. Paul came to my house so we could ride together to my sister’s holiday party. I was happy to be with him but a little sad knowing he wouldn’t be proposing that night.

By this time, almost all the snow and ice had quietly melted away. I realized that we wouldn’t have a white Christmas after all. It would, however, make the drive to the party much safer.

The gathering was a happy one. My nieces and nephew were a joy to watch as they opened their gifts. Paul and I had a wonderful time with my family.

Eventually, after all the gifts had been opened and all goodbyes repeatedly exchanged, we left.

It was a long, quiet ride home, as Paul fell asleep 25 minutes into the trip.

The roads were dry and the trees were barren. Yet the stars shone brightly against the black, cloudless sky, adding a touch of beauty to the night.

As I neared my home, a small group of trees caught my attention. They stood out from the rest of the dull, dry landscape. Of all the tress I had passed on my way home, these were the only ones that had any sign of the recent winter storm upon their branches. As I drove, I wondered how this could be.

The temperature was much too warm. Yet somehow the branches were covered in an incredible layer of ice. I had seen ice-covered trees many times before, but something about these was extraordinary. This was a dazzling light like I had never seen before.

As I gazed at the beautiful trees, warmth spread through my heart. This was a truly magical moment. No longer was I seeing these winter-decorated branches with the eyes on my face; I now looked upon them with the eyes in my heart and soul. That night — Christmas Eve 1997—the air was clean and crisp, the sky was entirely filled with stars, and the trees...the trees sparkled with diamonds. Thousands and thousands of diamonds.

In my heart I knew this was God’s way of answering my prayers. I had needed him to show me that there was a man who thought I was worth a commitment, the commitment that is symbolized by a diamond ring. That Christmas Eve, God covered the trees in diamonds for my eyes and heart to behold. It was his way of showing me that he thought I was special and worthwhile enough for an eternal commitment.

As Paul slept quietly in the seat next to me, completely unaware of the miracle that had taken place, joyous tears of peace and self-worth streamed down my face. I knew that I had found someone who would love me forever, and realizing this was more profound and meaningful than any marriage proposal I could ever receive. https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/ inspirational-christmas-stories4.htm

YOUR Name

Blood

­

­ ­

DON’T WAIT Stripes

For Tomorrow may be too late...

DON’T HESITATE

Word

Happy Birthday Jesus

Page B6 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Christmas Fairy Facts

It’s that very special time of year again! Just like humans, fairies love Christmas time too. Here are some festive fairy facts that you may not know about!

Fact #1 Fairies and Santa Claus are very good friends!

Fact #2 Fairies love playing in the snow. They usually wait until all the humans have gone to bed, although some particularly mischievous fairies like to head out with their humans and hope they won’t be noticed, especially as the snow falls. One of fairies’ very favourite things to do is to make snow humans in newly-fallen snow. They are a bit like snow angels, but fairies tuck their wings in, so the imprints are just like humans! If you don’t have snow in your area this year, you might find that they do snow humans in flour on your counter!

Fact #3 Do you love mince pies, Christmas dinner and maybe even a chocolate or two? So does your fairy!

All year round, fairies mainly like to eat raisins, but over Christmas, they love to have what their human has. Perhaps you could leave out a small piece of your mince pie, or maybe a teeny tiny piece of your Christmas dinner, or one tenth of a chocolate… we think you will find they are gone in the morning!

Fact #4 Fairies love Christmas songs! Often, if everyone in your house is completely silent, you will hear the very faint sound of your fairy humming or singing to themselves. Some of the songs they love include Flying Around the Christmas Tree, Winter Fairyland and Flying Home For Christmas.

Maybe you could ask your fairy their favourite?

Fact #5 You might find that you and your family spend quite a bit of time visiting relatives over Christmas.

A-1 Tree Service

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays, wishing you all the best in the New Year, John, Joel and the Boys MOOSE JAW’S #1 Call 306-692-6701 TREE SERVICE

Season’s Greetings!

Your fairy will be absolutely fine but if you can, please leave them a note telling them when they can expect you back, so they will know when to go back into their fairy home once they’ve finished playing with your pet or lying on the couch!

Fact #6 If you would like to give your fairy a gift, they would absolutely love a drawing of you and your family or friends, or just you being very happy.

Maybe you could even put them in the picture too? This would be the best present they could ever receive!

Fact #7 The end of December is a great time to think about the year you have had and to be thankful to those who have helped you. We think your fairy would love to be appreciated.

Fact #8 Fairies feel extra brave on New Year’s Eve, and love to celebrate the start of a new year with their human family! So please be aware that they might be around you as midnight strikes and wish them a Happy New Year. They will do the same – if you listen carefully, you might just hear them, as well as a small fairy giggle! https://theirishfairydoorcompany.com/fairy_ stories/christmas-fairy-facts/

Call in or Order Online for Pick-up & Delivery options southhill�inefoods.ca

468 Lillooet St. W. | Moose Jaw, SK | 306-692-1516

Wishing you a very Merry

Moose Jaw Public Library 461 Langdon Crescent (306) 692-2787 www.moosejawlibrary.ca December 24, 25 & 26th: December 27, 28, 29th: December 30th: December 31st: January 1st, 2024:

CLOSED 9:30 am - 9:00 pm 9:30 am - 6:00 pm CLOSED CLOSED

Regular Hours Resume January 2nd

1251 Main Street

410 Lillooet Street West

306-691-0495 306-692-5336

Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B7

Santa Claus Does Not Forget

Bertie was a very good boy.

He was kind, thoughtful, obedient, truthful, and nice to his little sister.

Unfortunately Bertie had one big fault. He had a very annoying habit of forgetting!

It was strange how often he forgot. He forgot to do things his mother asked him.

“Did you remember to brush your teeth, Bertie?”

“Oh, sorry, I forgot!”

“Did you remember to make your bed, Bertie?”

“Oh sorry, I forgot!”

“Did you remember to write to Auntie Sue to say thank you for the present?”

“Oh sorry, I forgot!”

He forgot to do things his father asked him to do, too.

“Did you remember to help your mother with the washing up this morn-

ing, Bertie?”

“Oh sorry, I forgot!”

Heforgottotakehisbootstofootball practise. He forgot to give his Grandma a very important message from his mother. He forgot to take a gift to his best friend’s birthday party. And he even forgot to do his homework.

“Oh sorry, I forgot!”

His father and mother were very patient, but no matter what they did, Bertie forgot all the things he wanted to forget and only remembered the things he wanted to remember. After a while his parents decided that something must be done to help their little boy remember to do the things they asked him to do.

Christmas was near, and Bertie remembered to write out a list of things which he would like Santa Claus was to bring him.

“Santa Claus may forget some of those things,” said his mother.

“He won’t,” replied Bertie. “I’ve

written them very clearly, and there isn’t too much on my list, and I’ve been very good this year. I’d like a new remote control car, and some chocolate, and a DVD or two, and a ball, and maybe a football shirt. I think Santa can manage that!“ Christmas morning came, and Bertie and his little sister were up at the crack of dawn to see what was in their stockings.Thelittlegirl’sstockingwas bulging, and she kept squealing with delight as she put her hand in and pulled out all the goodies. Bertie was very quiet. His mother kept away from him as long as she could, for she knew what Santa Claus had done.

Finally she heard him coming with slow steps into her room. Sadly he opened the door and came towards her.

He held in his hand a very long list : in fact, it seemed to be much longer than the one he had sent Santa. He put it in his mother’s hand, while tears of disappointment fell from his eyes.

“Look what Santa Claus left for me.

He might have left me one tiny present, don’t you think?” Bertie’s mother looked at the list. It was a list of all things that Bertie had forgotten to do over the last six months. At the end of the list was written, in big bold letters, “OH SORRY, I FORGOT!” Bertie wept for an hour. Then his mother reminded him that they were all going to Grandma’s house for lunch.

Grandma always had a pretty tree and she would have a present for Bertie.

When Bertie arrived at his Grandma’s house he gave her a big hug and told her that he wasn’t going to forget things anymore. And guess what he found underneath Grandma’s tree? A stocking full of presents, just for him.

Santa Claus hadn’t forgotten him after all, and, from that day onwards, Bertie didn’t forget either. https://skidos.com/blog/shortchristmas-stories-for-children/

From all of us CPKC We wish you all the best this Holiday Season.

Have a Safe & Happy Holiday

Scan the QR code for New Job Opportunities in 2024!

Christmas, my child, is love in action.

Page B8 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

The Christmas Star

Isaac’s head began to nod. His hand slowed down scratching the dog’s head. It was hard for a boy of ten to stay awake all night in the field.

The dog licked his face. “What? Oh, good boy,” Isaac said. He rubbed his eyes and stretched. The sky was clear and full of stars. Isaac was glad his father thought he was old enough to help with their flocks of sheep.

Isaac’s father and his uncle soon came by to check on him. The three of them sat to share a loaf of bread and some cheese. Suddenly a bright light washed over the shepherds from above. They were scared. They looked up to see a host of beautiful angels. One of the angels spoke to them. “Do not be afraid,” the angel said. “I bring you good news of great joy! Today a savior is born in Bethlehem. He is Christ the Lord. Go to the city. You will find the baby lying in a manger. Follow the brightest star.”

Hundreds of angels appeared and sang praises to God. As suddenly as they appeared, the angels returned to heaven. Only one bright, shining star over Bethlehem was left in the sky. The shepherds were amazed.

“We must go to the city and find this savior,” said Isaac’s father. “We must hurry!” said Isaac.

The shepherds began to round up their flocks and herd them toward home. Once the sheep were penned up, Isaac and his father and uncle walked

quickly to Bethlehem, where the star was shining down on the stable behind the inn.

There they found Mary, Joseph, and the baby in the stable.

Jesus was bundled in clean cloths and sleeping in a feeding manger full of fresh hay. The light from the star shone back from the baby’s face. The shepherds fell to their knees.

Isaac knelt by the manger and said a prayer, thanking God for giving a savior to the world. Isaac’s father thanked Mary and Joseph for letting them see the baby.

When the shepherds left, they told everyone they saw about the miracles they witnessed that night.

The star shone over Bethlehem day and night.

One night a large caravan made its way past the shepherd’s field. Isaac went to the edge of the field and called out to the men.

“Did you see the one they call Jesus?” he asked.

“We did!” the men replied.

These men were not like any men Isaac had ever seen. They were the three Wise Men. “We saw the star from our lands very far away. We have traveled a long time to see this child called the Savior.

The kings from our countries sent precious gifts to give to him.”

Isaac said to the Wise Men, “You did not come by my fields when you came to Bethlehem.” “You are right,” said the tallest man. “We asked King Herod where to find this savior.” “The king did not know,” continued the man, “but he told us to find out so he might worship him also.”

“We followed the star to the house where young Jesus was staying,” said the shortest man. “We gave our gifts of gold and frankincense, to scent the air, and myrrh, a costly oil.”

“Then we were warned in our dreams by an angel not to return to Herod but to go home another way,” said the oldest man. “So that is what we have done.

And now we have met you, my young friend.”

“I am Isaac,” said the young shepherd. “I’m telling everyone about God’s glorious star lighting the way to the King of Kings.” https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/inspirational-christmas-stories12.htm

Transmission & Automotive MOOSE JAW, SK

As 2023 comes to a close, we would like to thank our customers in helping shape our business over the last 59 years. Thanks for a great year and we look forward to seeing all our past, present, and future customers in 2024. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of the staff @ Andy’s Transmission & Automotive

BRET

429 HIGH ST. W • 306.692.4255

Have I been naughty or nice? Only Santa knows.

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B9

Christmas Presents

By Pedro Pablo Sacristan

That year, the Christmas Present Conference was full to overflowing. In the audience were all the toymakers in the world, and many others who weren’t toymakers, but who had lately come to be regular attendees. There were also those who, of course, could never miss the conference; the distributors: Santa Claus and the Three Wise Kings.

Like every year, the discussions dealt with what kind of toys were the most educational or the most fun.

Another common topic of conversation was what size of toys should be made. Yeah, that was something they often argued about, because the Three Wise Kings and Father Christmas complained that every year the toys were getting bigger, and this was causing serious transportation problems.

However, something happened to make this conference different from all the previous ones. A little boy snuck in. Never had any child ever attended those meetings, and when they realised that there was a boy sitting next to the Three Kings, no one really knew how long he’d been there.

When Santa Claus was talking to an important toymaker about the size of a very in-demand doll, the toymaker shouted -“What are you talking about, Fatso?! If you were a bit slimmer you could fit more in the sleigh!”

The little boy saw this, stood up, and said, -“It’s fine, don’t argue. I’ll deliver everything

the Three Wise Kings and Father Christmas can’t carry.”

The attendees roaredwith laughter for quite a while, dismissingthe boy’s suggestion.

While they were still laughing, the boy got up, a tear fell from the corner of his eye, and he left the hall, head hanging...

That Christmas was like most others, if a little colder. In the street, everyone was carrying on with their lives, and there wasn’t much talk of the wonderful stories and events of that season. And when the children received their presents, they were hardly excited at all. It seemed that yuletide was really no longer of much importance.

At the next Christmas Present Conference, everyone was worried about how Christmas seemed to be losing its magic. The discussions began once more, until there suddenly appeared, in the doorway, the boy they had laughed so long and hard at the previous year. This time he was with his mother, a beautiful woman. On seeing her, the Three Kings jumped up in excitement: -“Mary!”

They ran over and embraced her. Then she ap-

proached the stage, took the floor, and said, -“Every year, my son celebrates his birthday by throwing a big party - the biggest in the world and he fills it with all his best gifts for young and old alike. Now he tells me he no longer wants to celebrate it, that none of you really enjoy his party, that you are more interested in other things... Can someone tell me what you have all done to him?”

It started to dawn on most of those present what they had done, and where they had become so confused. A very old toymaker - one who had never spoken up in those meetings - approached the boy, knelt, and said, -“Forgive me, Lord. I want no other gift than those you offer. Though I never knew it, you were forever delivering that which neither the Kings, nor Santa Claus, nor anyone else, could give us.

Love, peace, and joy. And last year it was so terribly missed... forgive me.”

One after another, everyone there asked the boy’s forgiveness, admitting that his gifts were the best available in any festive season; gifts which fill the hearts of good people, gifts that make every Christmas a little bit better... https://freestoriesforkids.com/children/storiesand-tales/christmas-presents

K GOL F OO

TH

UB CL

LYNB R

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS!

1924

ANNIVERSARY 1525 4th Ave NW, Moose Jaw SK www.lynbrookgolf.org ProShop & Bookings 306-692-2838 | Clubhouse & Lounge 306-692-3196

May your stuffing be tasty and your turkey be plump

Page B10 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Lost and Found

Here is a heart warming story to tell your friends.

It involves a family that was able to help another family out and their first-hand account.

“Every year my parents have gone out to the streets of San Francisco to hand out gift packages filled with food and candies to the homeless. They also give out socks, sleeping bags, scarfs and other clothing to help them in the winter season.

My parents, along with my good friends parents, the Clausons, approached their first homeless person of the day. He was disheveled, a bit confused, without shoes and looked beat up. With no possessions on him, my parents and friends asked “Would you like some food?”

He said a hearty “Yes” and then was asked “What happened?”

He said he had recently been beat up and had all his stuff stolen. His name was Tom Cronin. My parents then asked if he would like to have them contact anyone for him, and he pulled out of his pocket a card with his brother’s name on it. What happens next is a crazy adventure.

After getting him new clothes and giving him a sleeping bag, my Mom came home and told me about Tom. She told me to look up the name of his brother and within a few minutes I had found the information of his brother in Big Sur. My Mom contacted him and after a day, brother Dan came to San Francisco to try to find Tom, whom he had not seen in 14 years and who lost any contact with him this last November.

Tom Cronin didn’t choose to be homeless on the streets of San Francisco. He suffers from epilepsy, and can be helpless when attacked with seizures.

Likely being deported from Japan (where he lived

for over ten years) for overextending his visa, Tom found himself in San Francisco and upon suffering a seizure, became very “basic” and unable to take care of himself. In the process, any possession he had previously was stolen and he was left to suffer and just fade away.

Dan came to the city, and together with my Dad and Bill Clauson searched the streets. They visited the shelters, looked in the Mission district where Tom was seen last, and contacted friends who worked daily with the cities homeless population. For a few days, there was no luck. Dan filed a missing persons report and posted fliers all over.

Still, no luck. Then a writer from the San Francisco Chronicle by the name of C.W. Nevius picked up the story and wrote an article about finding Tom. A website was subsequently created by Dan called Findtomcronin.com What happened was magical. People started calling and emailing both C.W and Dan. They said they would be looking out for Tom. Here was a situation where a helpless homeless individual wanted to be found and his family wanted to find him. The family had everything ready for him, including social services and the medical attention he needed.

Through the searches and a little less than two weeks later, it came to be that police officer Rodney Barrera identified him and immediately brought him to the emergency room to be cared for. He looked further beat up and without anything again.

The hospital contacted Dan and the family. He was lost and now he was found!

The family was overjoyed. Tom’s sister in Florida flew over the next day, crying most of the way over and his parents were so happy to hear he was alive

and that they were going to see their son again.

Dans efforts had been successful and he took Tom to a hotel room where he could care for him. Tom was first confused when he saw his brother, but when his brother told him who he was, Tom looked at him and started to tear up.

With the efforts of so many, a family was reunited. I’m happy I played a small part in this and wish a Merry Christmas to the Cronin family.”

Source:(shawnsaleme.wordpress. com/2012/12/25/a-heart-warming-christmas-story/)

What is the Origin of the Traditional Mistletoe Kiss?

Who doesn’t love hanging mistletoe? Although most mistletoe is parasitic, and, therefore, harmful to the trees on which it grows, the Celts thought it had magical powers for healing wounds and increasing fertility, so they placed it throughout their homes for good luck and to ward off evil spirits.

In ancient Britain, mistletoe was considered so sacred that it could only be cut with a golden sickle. Today, Americans decorate doorframes with this plant in hopes of catching a smooch from a sweetheart while standing under its leaves. This tradition is credited to Frigga, the Scandinavian goddess of love and beauty, and is said to date back to the eighth century.

We Wish You A

MERRY CHRISTMAS And A Happy New Year

From Everyone at

4 HIGHLAND ROAD, MOOSE JAW 306-692-7255

1743 Main Street North | Moose Jaw, SK | Toll Free: (866) 495-9787 www.moosejawtoyota.ca

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B11

Why Do We Make Fun of Fruitcake?

By Aimee Lee Ball

A long-running joke holds that there is only one fruitcake in the whole world. It is epitome of regifting — unwanted, passed along, never eaten. In Manitou Springs, Colorado, the Chamber of Commerce holds an annual Fruitcake Toss, where loaves of what has been called “the hapless dessert” are catapulted into oblivion by hand throw, pneumatic gun, or canon. The record is 1,420 feet, set by a group of Boeing engineers who used compressed air pumped into a mock artillery piece by an exercise bike.

The cake that gets no respect dates back to the Middle Ages, when dried fruits and nuts were luxuries, mainly reserved for holidays. In the 16th century, the English tradition of Twelfth Night cake to commemorate the end of the Christmas season was a fruitcake baked with a coin or a dried bean, establishing the finder as King or Queen of the celebration.

It’s a wonder that the cakes ever got made. As renowned food historian Alan Davidson explained in the “Oxford Companion to Food,” sugar was cut from loaves, then pounded and sieved; butter was rinsed in rosewater; and various kinds of fruit had to be dried. No wonder the laborious effort was saved for the most special occasion of the year, Christmas.

For a while during the early 18th century, fruitcake was actually outlawed in Europe because it was considered “sinfully” rich. By the Victorian era, preparation often began months before, allowing

the holiday? You’d go down to the canning center in your basement. Rum and hard cider were dirt cheap in colonial America, as was molasses, a byproduct of sugar.”

In the early 20th century, nuts were added to recipes in the rural South and Southwest, where they were cheap and plentiful, leading to the pejorative expression about someone who acts strangely: “nuttier than a fruitcake.” Claxton, Georgia, and Corsicana, Texas, vie for the title of “fruitcake capital of the world.” Preparation for the holiday season begins in August — bakeries in these two towns bake millions of pounds of cake every year.

And that joke about just one fruitcake in the world?

Them’s fighting words. https://www.marthastewart.com/1520842/ fruitcake-not-joke-why-we-eat-christmas

for a long boozy soak. Queen Victoria supposedly put aside a fruitcake that she received as a birthday gift, in the belief that waiting a year to consume it showed restraint and decorum.

Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory” refers to “fruitcake weather,” and the tradition may be simply a function of the seasons.

“Fruits were put up and canned in the summer,” said Frederick Opie, Ph.D., Professor of History and Society at Babson College in Boston. “What could you make that was festive but not fresh for

Q: Why are candy canes bent?

A: In 1670, a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, bent the ends to resemble a shepherd’s staff and handed them out to children during church services to keep them quiet. In the early 1900s, candy canes acquired their famous stripes. The first candy canes were straight, white sticks of sugar candy used as Christmas tree decorations.

Moose Jaw

Right to Life P.O. Box 1863, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 7N6 PHONE: 306-694-4111

POWERED BY EXPERTS®

s n o s a Se tings Gree

On the Feast of the Lord ‘s birth we send Christmas Blessings to all our Families and Supporters.

Moose Jaw Right to Life

SERVICES & ACTIVITIES •

Baby Clothing Giveaways •

Sanctity of Life Sunday

•

Annual Banquet with Guest Speaker

•

Giant Spring Garage and Plant Sale • • •

•

National Life Chain

Christmas Fruitcake Fundraiser Educational Materials Available Information on Current Life Issues

Follow us on Facebook

Realty Executives MJ 70 Athabasca St W Moose Jaw, SK 306-692-7700 RealtyExecutivesMJ.com

Proud to be Locally Owned & Operated

Page B12 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Christmas 1881 author unknown

It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn’t been enough money to buy me the rifle that I’d wanted for Christmas.

We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible.

I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn’t in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn’t get the Bible instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn’t figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn’t worry about it long though I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. “Come on, Matt,” he said. “Bundle up good, it’s cold out tonight.” I was really upset then.

Not only wasn’t I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We’d already done all the chores, and I couldn’t think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this.

But I knew Pa was not very patient

at one dragging one’s feet when he’d told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn’t know what..

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn’t going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell.

We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn’t happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed.

He got off and I followed.

“I think we’ll put on the high sideboards,” he said. “Here, help me.” The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.

After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood – the wood I’d spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks

and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. “Pa,” I asked, “what are you doing?” You been by the Widow Jensen’s lately?” he asked.

The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I’d been by, but so what?

Yeah,” I said, “Why?” “I rode by just today,” Pa said.

“Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They’re out of wood, Matt.”

That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood.

I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait.

When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand.

“What’s in the little sack?” I asked.

Shoes, they’re out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn’t

be Christmas without a little candy.”

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen’s pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing.

We didn’t have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile,thoughmostofwhatwasleft now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn’t have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn’t have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, “Who is it?” “Lucas Miles, Ma’am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?”

Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

“We brought you a few things,

Thank You

Moose Jaw & Assiniboia

and surrounding Districts for your generous giving.

Because of you, we are able to help others at Christmas and year round.

1205 Athabasca Street East • Phone 306-692-1242

Merry Christmas

LB Beattie AUTOBODY

340 RIVER Street W Moose Jaw 306-693-6648 WWW.LBAUTOBODY.COM

35 Ominica St W | Moose Jaw, SK | 306-691-RRSP (7777)

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B13

Ma’am,” Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children – sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn’t come out.

“We brought a load of wood too, Ma’am,” Pa said.

He turned to me and said, “Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile.

Let’s get that fire up to size and heat this place up.”

I wasn’t the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn’t speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy that I’d never known before filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone’s spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn’t crossed

her face for a long time. She finally turned to us.

“God bless you,” she said. “I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us.”

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again.I’dneverthoughtofPain those exact terms before,butafterWidow Jensen mentioned it I couldseethatitwasprobably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth.

I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen’s face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn’t want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, “The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We’ll be by to get you about eleven.

It’ll be nice to have some little ones around again.

Matt, here, hasn’t been little for quite a spell.” I

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.

Widow Jensen nodded and said, “Thank you, Brother Miles. I don’t have to say, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will.”

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn’t even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, “Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn’t have quite enough.

Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand.”

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more.

He had given me the look on Widow Jensen’s face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, Whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

Source:(www.seniorforums.com/showthread. php/431-Touching-Christmas-Story) https://realizemarketing.com/real-life/5-heartwarming-christmas-stories/

Merry C istmas and a Happy New Year from our team to yours!

DISCOUNTS FOR FALL AND WINTER BOOKINGS

COMPETITVE RATES • 3 YEAR WARRANTY • COMPLIMENTARY QUOTES

Hon. Tim McLeod

Serving Moose Jaw and Surrounding area for over 15 years

MLA for Moose Jaw North 306-692-8884 20231204_McLeod,T_MJ-Express_Christmas_4.85x3.75.indd 1

2023-12-04 2:55:10 PM

24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES

Halverson Accounting #6-75 Highland Rd, Moose Jaw SK

306-692-5588

jerry.breti@svmrestore-moosejaw.ca

39 Lancaster Road (306) 691-6633

May your fun be large and your bill be small this year...

Page B14 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Reginald’s Christmas Revel

Hector Hugh Munro (18 December 1870 – 14 November 1916), better known by the pen name Saki and also frequently as H. H. Munro, was a British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirize Edwardian society and culture.

H.H. Munro’s (aka SAKI’s) Reginald’s Christmas Revel is a remembrance of Reginald’s eventful Christmas with the Babwolds. Munro’s wit is uncanny, perfect holiday reading.

They say (said Reginald) that there’s nothing sadder than victory except defeat. If you’ve ever stayed with dull people during what is alleged to be the festive season, you can probably revise that saying. I shall never forget putting in a Christmas at the Babwolds’. Mrs. Babwold is some relation of my father’s — a sort of to-be-left-till-called-for cousin — and that was considered sufficient reason for my having to accept her invitation at about the sixth time of asking; though why the sins of the father should be visited by the children — you won’t find any notepaper in that drawer; that’s where I keep old menus and first-night programmes.

Mrs. Babwold wears a rather solemn personal-

By H.H. Munro (Saki) ity, and has never been known to smile, even when saying disagreeable things to her friends or making out the Stores list. She takes her pleasures sadly. A state elephant at a Durbar gives one a very similar impression. Her husband gardens in all weathers.

When a man goes out in the pouring rain to brush caterpillars off rose-trees, I generally imagine his life indoors leaves something to be desired; anyway, it must be very unsettling for the caterpillars.

Of course there were other people there. There was a Major Somebody who had shot things in Lapland, or somewhere of that sort; I forget what they were, but it wasn’t for want of reminding. We had them cold with every meal almost, and he was continually giving us details of what they measured

from tip to tip, as though he thought we were going to make them warm under-things for the winter.

I used to listen to him with a rapt attention that I thought rather suited me, and then one day I quite modestly gave the dimensions of an okapi I had shot in the Lincolnshire fens. The Major turned a beautiful Tyrian scarlet (I remember thinking at the time that I should like my bathroom hung in that colour), and I think that at that moment he almost found it in his heart to dislike me. Mrs. Babwold put on a first-aid-to-the-injured expression, and asked him why he didn’t publish a book of his sporting reminiscences; it would be so interesting. She didn’t remember till afterwards that he had given her two fat volumes on the subject, with his portrait and autograph as a frontispiece and an appendix on the habits of the Arctic mussel.

It was in the evening that we cast aside the cares and distractions of the day and really lived. Cards were thought to be too frivolous and empty a way of passing the time, so most of them played what they called a book game. You went out into the hall — to get an inspiration, I suppose — then you came in again with a muffler tied round your neck

Moose Jaw

Stop by your Moose Jaw Co-op for what you need – and want – to make the season memorable.

Moose Jaw - Avonlea - Liberty www.moosejawcoop.com

They make a great gift!

636 Main Street North - Moose Jaw, SK S6H3K4

306-692-6438

CO-OP® Gift Cards are redeemable right here at your local Co-op and at any participating Co-op location across Western Canada!

FOOD | HOME | AGRO | FUEL

Christmas is love, with all the trimmings…

and looked silly, and the others were supposed to guess that you were “Wee MacGreegor.” I held out against the insanity as long as I decently could, but at last, in a lapse of good-nature, I consented to masquerade as a book, only I warned them that it would take some time to carry out. They waited for the best part of forty minutes, while I went and played wineglass skittles with the page-boy in the pantry; you play it with a champagne cork, you know, and the one who knocks down the most glasses without breaking them wins. I won, with four unbroken out of seven; I think William suffered from over-anxiousness. They were rather mad in the drawing-room at my not having come back, and they weren’t a bit pacified when I told them afterwards that I was “At the end of the passage.”

“I never did like Kipling,” was Mrs. Babwold’s comment, when the situation dawned upon her. “I couldn’t see anything clever in Earthworms out of Tuscany — or is that by Darwin?”

Of course these games are very educational, but, personally, I prefer bridge.

On Christmas evening we were supposed to be specially festive in the Old English fashion. The hall was horribly draughty, but it seemed to be the proper place to revel in, and it was decorated with Japanese fans and Chinese lanterns, which gave it a very Old English effect. A young lady with a confidential voice favoured us with a long recitation about a little girl who died or did something equally hackneyed, and then the Major gave us a graphic account of a struggle he had with a wounded bear.

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B15

I privately wished that the bears would win sometimes on these occasions; at least they wouldn’t go vapouring about it afterwards. Before we had time to recover our spirits, we were indulged with some thought-reading by a young man whom one knew instinctively had a good mother and an indifferent tailor — the sort of young man who talks unflaggingly through the thickest soup, and smooths his hair dubiously as though he thought it might hit back. The thought-reading was rather a success; he announced that the hostess was thinking about poetry, and she admitted that her mind was dwelling on one of Austin’s odes. Which was near enough.

I fancy she had been really wondering whether a scrag-end of mutton and some cold plum-pudding would do for the kitchen dinner next day. As a crowning dissipation, they all sat down to play progressive halma, with milk-chocolate for prizes. I’ve been carefully brought up, and I don’t like to play games of skill for milk-chocolate, so I invented a headache and retired from the scene. I had been preceded a few minutes earlier by Miss LangshanSmith, a rather formidable lady, who always got up at some uncomfortable hour in the morning, and gave you the impression that she had been in communication with most of the European Governments before breakfast. There was a paper pinned on her door with a signed request that she might be called particularly early on the morrow. Such an opportunity does not come twice in a lifetime.

I covered up everything except the signature with another notice, to the effect that before these words

should meet the eye she would have ended a misspent life, was sorry for the trouble she was giving, and would like a military funeral. A few minutes later I violently exploded an air-filled paper bag on the landing, and gave a stage moan that could have been heard in the cellars. Then I pursued my original intention and went to bed. The noise those people made in forcing open the good lady’s door was positively indecorous; she resisted gallantly, but I believe they searched her for bullets for about a quarter of an hour, as if she had been an historic battlefield.

I hate travelling on Boxing Day, but one must occasionally do things that one dislikes. https://americanliterature.com/author/hh-munro-saki/short-story/reginalds-christmas-revel

The Christmas Dinner Young Jessica always wanted a dog for Christmas. She asked Santa at the mall, and she even put it on her wish list. When Christmas came, her mom handed her a huge box with holes. Excited, Jessica ripped it open, only to be disappointed to find a little potbelly pig.

Then Jessica asked her mom, “Why did Santa get me a pig?” From the kitchen, her dad yelled, “Oh, that’s my fault.”

“Why?” Jessica asked. Her father replied, “I asked Santa for a Christmas ham.”

Page B16 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Combine loads of good wishes, heart full of love and armfuls of hugs.

‘Sippers’ on a snowy winter’s day

*Easy Mulled RedWine (Substitute with Juice for no-alcohol version) This warming winter drink is just the thing for a cold-weather gathering and can be made on the stove or in a slow cooker to keep it ready to drink when ready. If you’re skipping the alcohol you can simply use a non-alcoholic red wine or a combination of dark red juices such as cherry, pomegranate and cranberry - 4 cups of juice will replace the wine — and you can skip the sugar (recipe).

Ingredients 1 (750-ml) bottle dark red wine (such as Merlot or Zinfandel) 3 whole star anise pods 2 whole cloves 2 whole cinnamon sticks, broken, plus more for garnish 1/2 c. sugar 1 medium orange, sliced, plus more for garnish 1 c. water 1 c. bourbon or brandy Directions Step 1Heat wine in a medium saucepan over low heat just until steaming. Combine spices in a muslin bag, large tea ball, or coffee filter tied with baking twine to create a sachet.

Step 2Add spice sachet, sugar, orange slices, and 1 cup water. Cook until flavors have melded, about 20 minutes. (Do not allow to boil.) Remove from heat and stir in bourbon. Serve in mugs garnished with orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

Tip: To easily remove mulling spices before serving, place them in a muslin bag or in a tea ball before putting them in the liquid. If you don’t want to purchase those, you can also use a coffee filter tied tightly with baking twine.

Fresh cranberries, for garnish Directions Step 1Combine cranberry apple juice mix, rum, ginger ale, orange juice, and sparkling wine in a punch bowl or pitcher. Garnish with orange slices and cranberries. 2 cups of Sparkling cider can substitute for the rum. *Winter Wonderland Ingredients 1.5 oz vodka .75 oz peppermint schnapps .75 oz white chocolate liqueur Candy cane Red sugar Directions Mix and chill ingredients. Pour into a red sugarrimmed martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane hanging on the rim.

*Fireside Ingredients 4 oz vodka 1 sprig rosemary 5 oz pink grapefruit juice 1 pinch of salt Directions In the bottom of a rocks glass briefly crush the rosemary leaves into the maple syrup and salt. Fill glass with ice and add the vodka. Top with fresh pink grapefruit juice and salt and stir well. Garnish with an extra sprig of rosemary.

*Jingle Juice Punch (Substitute with sparkling cider for no-alcohol version) Punch is a great party drink! Guests can serve themselves, freeing you up to mingle.

To make a non-alcoholic version of this, swap the rum for 2 more cups of cranberry juice, then use a sparkling cider in place of the wine. (Martinelli’s usually can be found in the grocery store.)

Ingredients 4 c. cold cranberry-apple juice mix 2 c. white rum 2 c. cold ginger ale 1 c. cold fresh orange juice, plus orange slices for garnish 1 (750-mililiter) bottle cold sparkling wine

Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday season from Cheryl at

EMCO

MEMORIALS

Moose Jaw, SK

306-692-4666

*Cran-Spiced Martini Ingredients 2 oz vodka 1 oz 100% cranberry juice .75 oz vanilla spiced syrup* Directions Combine all the ingredients into shaker with ice.

Shake, strain into a martini glass and garnish with skewered cranberries. *Vanilla spiced syrup: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, .25 tsp ground black pepper, 5 tsp allspice, and a cinnamon stick to a saucpan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool completely. Strain and add .5 oz vanilla extract.

*Frostbite Ingredients 1.5 oz White Tequila .75 oz White Chocolate Liqueur .25 oz Crème de Menthe 1 oz Cream .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice Top off with Whipped Cream Directions Combine all ingredients into tin shaker. Add ice, shake vigorously, strain into champagne glass. Top off with whipped cream and garnish with crushed peppermint candy/rosemary sprig. https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/ a38538428/french-style-hot-chocolate-with-coffee-recipe/ https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/ drinks/g1022/holiday-cocktails/

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and a safe New Year!

LT D

www.remco-memorials.ca email: c.richardson@remco-memorials.ca | 721 Caribou St W

Blaine McLeod, MLA Lumsden-Morse

306-693-1001 | lumsdenmorsemla@outlook.com

Love was born on Christmas morn.

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B17

Christmas I Remember Best

(Summary: “Christmas I Remember Best” by Charlie Flood recounts a poignant childhood experience during the Great Depression. A resourceful young boy, facing hardship after his father’s death, decides to steal a Christmas tree for his family. Despite his efforts, he ends up creating an unexpected friendship with the store owner, Nels Petersen, who surprises him with a lit tree, gifts, and groceries. The story beautifully captures the spirit of Christmas, emphasizing the joy of giving and the unexpected bonds formed during the holiday season.)

Stealing a Christmas tree is something that isn’t done every day. And it really wasn’t stealing–not like the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas. The motivation and timing were different.

I was a feisty 9 year old when Dad took sick and left mom and me sudden-like. That same year, the Great Depression hit the country, but it made no difference to us. We had nothing to begin with.

Since mom was an invalid, our existence depended on kind-hearted neighbors and my marvelous talent for survival.

I sold newspapers on street corners and occasionally moonlighted at night by picking up a bottle of milk from some front porch, a pie from a pantry window, or fruit from neighborhood trees.

I thought I had my mother believing they were neighborly gifts, but I knew I didn’t fool Him, if you know what I mean.

During the first Christmas season without dad, I got caught up in the yuletide spirit. Like any other young boy, I reveled in the holiday sights and sounds. My anticipation was high, but deep down in my heart was a gnawing resignation that the man in the red suit would skip right over our little two room shack. He stopped only at houses that had fireplaces. That’s what I told myself. I knew I was being punished and fervently promised that I would leave other people’s milk and pies alone.

Meanwhile, there would be no bounteous goodies under the tree. In fact, there would be no tree. That didn’t seem right. At least, a tree would ease the hurt. I resolved to remedy this decoration omission. On Christmas Day I hurried to Petersen’s Market. A fresh layer of new snow lay on the street unmarked by passing vehicles, not a soul was stirring.

I figured that since the store was closed and the unsold trees were usually thrown away, I was embarking upon fair game. As I prowled among the snow-dusted trees beside the store, old man Petersen popped out of nowhere yelling dire

by Charlie Flood threats and chasing me away.

Nels Petersen was an old bachelor who could squeeze a nickel till the buffalo bellowed. Scrooge could take lessons from him—he was that mean.

The following year, he installed a fence around the Christmas tree lot and locked the gate every night.

I accepted the challenge.

On that eventful night, when people basked in the warm glow of family togetherness and somewhere angels were singing, I climbed the fire ladder that hugged the store wall. Hanging onto the rung with one arm and leg, I lifted over the fence a busy six foot fir. The next day, old Nels knew one was missing; he had counted them. Next year, the ladder was removed. I dug under the fence. The following summer the area was cemented and a light installed.

Then came a Christmas that I shall always remember with fondness and warmth. My teacher at school involved our class in making Christmas cards for our favorite person, not counting our families. I participated reluctantly; I was almost 12 and this was kid stuff. I made a humdinger for Nels Petersen. Why I included him as my favorite person, I didn’t know.

I pasted up a magnificently decorated green tree with all the trimmings. As I worked on it, my enthusiasm sparked a tremendous artistic fervor. I figured that it would be the only card he would get from anybody. By the time I had finished, I felt a strange kindship for my a d versary.

I

signed it and put it in his mailbox. He spotted me and the chase was on. I guess he thought I was stealing his mail.

Late Christmas Eve, when the stores were closed and everybody was home, I peered around the corner of the back of Petersen’s Market cautiously. Lo and behold, the security light was out and the lot was shrouded in darkness. The heady scent of evergreen caressed my nostrils. With neck hackles alert and nerves keyed for a quick getaway, I moved with suspicion along the fence.

The gate was open! My first thought was that anyone that dumb deserved to lose a tree. Me second thought was that he may not be so dumb; this could be a trap! He was probably hiding among the cluster of branches ready to grab me when I stepped through the gate. A mixture of strategies raced through my mind. Not so dumb, maybe, but slow; he never could catch me. I’ll rush it, grab a tree and be gone before he can move. I stood motionless while scanning the enclosure. I spotted a lone seven footer standing in the center by itself–a beautiful ready-made target.

My muscles stretched taut as I sprang through the gate. Suddenly, the tree blazed alive; it sparkled with brilliant colors of light like a Christmas tree should. The sudden brightness stripped me of all anonymity. I felt the whole world was watching me in the midst of a heinous crime.

Just as I was about to turn and bolt, I saw the large crudely- lettered sign on the tree. It stated simply: DON’T FORGET TO PULL THE PLUG AND LOCK THE GATE—MERRY CHRISTMAS! Dazed, I reached down for the connection and saw the presents and box of groceries. Mr. Petersen wasn’t among the trees; he was somewhere throwing the switch and watching me. With a suspicious lump in my throat, I waved and called out, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Petersen!” I did as his sign directed and carried home the best Christmas I have ever had.

My new friend and I had learned a beautiful lesson on the joy of giving—all because a simple home-made Christmas card had touched a lonely heart and opened a locked gate. https://christmasstories.org/christmas-i-remember-best/

happy holidays Our hours of operation for the holiday season will be: December 22, 2023 Closed December 25, 2023 to December 29, 2023 CLOSED January 1st, 2024 CLOSED We will be open January 2nd, 2024 Regular Business Hours

Have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Prof. Corp.

Brenda A . Walper-Bossence, K.C. Lawyer and Notary Public

(306) 693-7288

Providing Emergency Medical Services to Moose Jaw, Central Butte & Surrounding Communities

Paramedics Wishing Everyone a Safe & Healthy Holiday Season & New Year!

EMERGENCY 9-1-1

777 High Street West, Moose Jaw Saskatchewan, S6H1T7 Bus: (306)694-2151 Website: www.moosejawems.ca

@MooseJawEMS

@moosejawparamedics

moose_jaw_district_paramedics

Page B18 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

May all your days be happy and bright and all your Christmases be white.

Nanea’s Wartime White Fruitcake

The earliest known recipes for fruitcakes date back to Ancient Rome, and they were extremely popular during the Middle Ages in Europe. Fruitcake became affordable and therefore popular in the American colonies after sugar plantations led to an excess of candied fruit. 1913 saw the first mail order fruitcakes in America, and the expression “nutty as a fruitcake” can trace its history back to 1935, as southern based companies with access to large quantities of nuts produced fruitcakes that were loaded with nuts. These mail order fruitcakes - or just bad recipes from home bakers - are probably responsible for fruitcake’s less than beloved reputation in the United States.

So, what does fruitcake have to do with World War II? Unsurprisingly, Christmas during war time was a lot less extravagant than the holidays we enjoy today, or Maryellen might have enjoyed in the 1950’s. Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, many people were too worried about the war to feel like boisterous holiday celebrations were appropriate. As the war continued, rationing and shortages meant people had to get creative in creating decorations, presents, and holiday treats.

Although rationing was never instituted in Hawaii, Nanea and her family would have been thinking of ways to save and contribute to the war effort in addition to celebrating the holidays.

One important way people contributed was to make holiday care packages for America’s fighting

forces overseas, and a popular item to include in these packages was - you guessed it! - fruitcake!

As fruitcake is traditionally soaked in alcohol over several weeks to help preserve it, it can survive a long trip across the Atlantic or Pacific to a hungry serviceman or woman who’s tired of eating repetitive military rations. The National World War II Museum has many letters in its collections specifically thanking family members for sending them a fruitcake in their Christmas package. These were genuine words of thanks, as anything sweet or different from C-Rations were really deeply appreciated. One of my favorite funny stories from the war comes from R.V. Burgin’s memoir Islands of the Damned. His Australian girlfriend mailed him a fruitcake, but his friends got into it first and

Merry Christmas!

Thank you for 37 Years of Giving Christmas is the season for giving and the Moose Jaw Health Foundation would like to thank its many donors and volunteers who contributed to helping save lives at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.

Many individuals, businesses and organizations in Moose Jaw made generous donations to equip our regional hospital with state-of-the-art equipment.

Your donations have saved and enhanced lives.

Thanks to the generosity and support of donors and volunteers over the last 37 years the Foundation has raised more than $39 million dollars to help dedicated health care professionals save lives. This was only made possible by your support.

In the spirit of the holidays, please consider making a donation to help us continue to save lives. Every donation makes a difference.

For more information on donating to the Foundation, please visit mjhf.org or call the Foundation at 306.694.0373.

Please consider including the Moose Jaw Health Foundation in your estate plan.

Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year!

Equip your hospital today for a healthier tomorrow.

ate all of it. He wasn’t pleased!

POWs in German camps also received fruitcakes in Red Cross packages. These would have gotten to prisoners in Japanese camps as well, but the Japanese prison guards notoriously inspected these packages first, and often took most of the items for themselves. Fruitcake would have been deeply appreciated by underfed or starving prisoners on both theaters of the war.

According to Anne Byrne’s American Cakes, Mrs. Harvey’s White Fruitcake is not only the “fruitcake people want to eat”, but during World War II, Mrs. Harvey shipped it to service members in thirteen different countries during the war. That’s amazing! I’d love to know which thirteen it was.

Mrs. Harvey was from Tampa, and every year the Tampa Tribune reprints the recipe around the holidays. A recipe like this might have been passed on from Nanea’s grandma Mitchell, and definitely would have been something the McIntires might have baked to send to Dr. McIntire while he was stationed in England. Both girls might have helped make cakes like this to send to friends and family - or even strangers - who were serving overseas.

You can find the recipe and a lot of facts about Christmas during World War II on NOLA.com. h t t p s: //a p e e k i n t o t h e p a n t r y. b l o g s p o t . com/2018/12/naneas-wartime-white-fruitcake. html

Christmas cookies and happy hearts, this is how the holiday starts.

Dear Santa,

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B19

A Letter To Santa From Mom

I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor, sold sixtytwo cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache after a day

of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don’t fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, “Don’t eat in the living room” and ‘Take your hands off your brother,’ because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

And please don’t forget the Playdoh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine. If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don’t

mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn’t look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice cream in his pajamas at midnight.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always…Mom. P.S. – One more thing… you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough believe in Santa.

t o

https://www.coolest-holiday-parties.com/funny-christmas-stories/

a Child is Born

Merry Christmas from our family to yours Merry Christmas!

SUCCESS

OFFICE SYSTEMS TED KENNEDY, General Manager 1-800-667-8173

HALF SEASON T ICKET

ADULT $292.75 + FEES & tax STUDENT $160.00 + FEES & tax CHILD $99.00 + FEES & tax 16 game package

dec 29

th vs

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

7pm

Page B20 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

The Fir Tree

Get your fat pants ready, it’s Christmas!

A Christmas Story by Hans Christian Andersen

FAR down in the forest, where the warm sun and the fresh air made a sweet resting-place, grew a pretty little fir-tree; and yet it was not happy, it wished so much to be tall like its companions the pines and firs which grew around it.

The sun shone, and the soft air fluttered its leaves, and the little peasant children passed by, prattling merrily, but the fir-tree heeded them not. Sometimes the children would bring a large basket of raspberries or strawberries, wreathed on a straw, and seat themselves near the fir-tree, and say, “Is it not a pretty little tree?” which made it feel more unhappy than before. And yet all this while the tree grew a notch or joint taller every year; for by the number of joints in the stem of a fir-tree we can discover its age.

Still, as it grew, it complained, “Oh! how I wish I were as tall as the other trees, then I would spread out my branches on every side, and my top would over-look the wide world. I should have the birds building their nests on my boughs, and when the wind blew, I should bow with stately dignity like my tall companions.”

The tree was so discontented, that it took no pleasure in the warm sunshine, the birds, or the rosy clouds that floated over it morning and evening. Sometimes, in winter, when the snow lay white and glittering on the ground, a hare would come springing along, and jump right over the little tree; and then how mortified it would feel! Two winters passed, and when the third arrived, the tree had grown so tall that the hare was obliged to run round it.

Yet it remained unsatisfied, and would exclaim, “Oh, if I could but keep on growing tall and old!

There is nothing else worth caring for in the world!”

In the autumn, as usual, the wood-cutters came and cut down several of the tallest trees, and the young fir-tree, which was now grown to its full height, shuddered as the noble trees fell to the earth with a crash. After the branches were lopped off, the trunks looked so slender and bare, that they could scarcely be recognized. Then they were placed upon wagons, and drawn by horses out of the forest.

“Where were they going? What would become of them?” The young fir-tree wished very much to know; so in the spring, when the swallows and the storks came, it asked, “Do you know where those trees were taken? Did you meet them?”

The swallows knew nothing, but the stork, after a little reflection, nodded h i s head, and said, “Yes, I think I do.

I met several new ships when I flew from Egypt, and they had fine masts that smelt like fir. I think these must have been the trees; I assure you they were stately, very stately.”

“Oh, how I wish I were tallenoughtogoonthesea,” said the fir-tree. “What is the sea, and what does it look like?”

“It would take too much time to explain,” said the stork, flying quickly away.

“Rejoice in thy youth,” said the sunbeam; “rejoice in thy fresh growth, and the young life that is in thee.” And the wind kissed the tree, and the dew watered it with tears; but the fir-tree regarded them not.

Christmas-time drew near, and many young trees were cut down, some even smaller and younger than the fir-tree who enjoyed neither rest nor peace with longing to leave its forest home. These young trees, which were chosen for their beauty, kept their branches, and were also laid on wagons and drawn by horses out of the forest.

“Where are they going?” asked the fir-tree. “They are not taller than I am: indeed, one is much less; and why are the branches not cut off? Where are they going?”

“We know, we know,” sang the sparrows; “we have looked in at the windows of the houses in the town, and we know what is done with them.

They are dressed up in the most splendid manner.

We have seen them standing in the middle of a warm room, and adorned with all sorts of beautiful things,- honey cakes, gilded apples, playthings, and many hundreds of wax tapers.”

“And then,” asked the fir-tree, trembling through all its branches, “and then what happens?”

“We did not see any more,” said the sparrows; “but this was enough for us.”

“I wonder whether anything so brilliant will ever happen to me,” thought the fir-tree. “It would be much better than crossing the sea. I long for it almost with pain. Oh! when will Christmas be here?

I am now as tall and well grown as those which were taken away last year. Oh! that I were now laid on the wagon, or standing in the warm room, with all that brightness and splendor around me!

Something better and more beautiful is to come after, or the trees would not be so decked out. Yes, what follows will be grander and more splendid.

What can it be? I am weary with longing. I scarcely know how I feel.”

“Rejoice with us,” said the air and the sunlight.

“Enjoy thine own bright life in the fresh air.”

But the tree would not rejoice, though it grew taller every day; and, winter and summer, its darkgreen foliage might be seen in the forest, while passers by would say, “What a beautiful tree!” A short time before Christmas, the discontented firtree was the first to fall.

As the axe cut through the stem, and divided the pith, the tree fell with a groan to the earth, conscious of pain and faintness, and forgettingallitsanticipations of happiness, in sorrow at leaving its home in the forest. It knew that it should never again see its dear old companions, the trees, nor the little bushes and m an y -co l ored flowers that had grown by its side; perhaps n o t even the

birds. Neither was the journey at all pleasant. The tree first recovered itself while being unpacked in the courtyard of a house, with several other trees; and it heard a man say, “We only want one, and this is the prettiest.” Then came two servants in grand livery, and carried the fir-tree into a large and beautiful apartment. On the walls hung pictures, and near the great stove stood great china vases, with lions on the lids. There were rocking chairs, silken sofas, large tables, covered with pictures, books, and playthings, worth a great deal of money,- at least, the children said so. Then the fir-tree was placed in a large tub, full of sand; but green baize hung all around it, so that no one could see it was a tub, and it stood on a very handsome carpet. How the fir-tree trembled!

“What was going to happen to him now?”

Some young ladies came, and the servants helped them to adorn the tree. On one branch they hung little bags cut out of colored paper, and each bag was filled with sweetmeats; from other branches hung gilded apples and walnuts, as if they had grown there; and above, and all round, were hundreds of red, blue, and white tapers, which were fastened on the branches. Dolls, exactly like real babies, were placed under the green leaves,- the tree had never seen such things before,- and at the very top was fastened a glittering star, made of tinsel. Oh, it was very beautiful!

“This evening,” they all exclaimed, “how bright it will be!”

“Oh, that the evening were come,” thought the tree, “and the tapers lighted! then I shall know what else is going to happen. Will the trees of the forest come to see me? I wonder if the sparrows will peep in at the windows as they fly? Shall I grow faster here, and keep on all these ornaments summer and winter?”

But guessing was of very little use; it made his bark ache, and this pain is as bad for a slender firtree, as headache is for us. At last the tapers were lighted, and then what a glistening blaze of light the tree presented! It trembled so with joy in all its branches, that one of the candles fell among the green leaves and burnt some of them.

“Help! help!” exclaimed the young ladies, but there was no danger, for they quickly extinguished the fire. After this, the tree tried not to tremble at all, though the fire frightened him; he was so anxious not to hurt any of the beautiful ornaments, even while their brilliancy dazzled him. And now the folding doors were thrown open, and a troop of children rushed in as if they intended to upset the tree; they were followed more silently by their elders. For a moment the little ones stood silent with astonishment, and then they shouted for joy, till the room rang, and they danced merrily round the tree, while one present after another was taken from it.

“What are they doing? What will happen next?” thought the fir.

At last the candles

What kind of Christmas present would Jesus ask Santa for?

burnt down to the branches and were put out. Then the children received permission to plunder the tree.

Oh,howtheyrusheduponit,tillthebranchescracked, and had it not been fastened with the glistening star to the ceiling, it must have been thrown down. The children then danced about with their pretty toys, and no one noticed the tree, except the children’s maid who came and peeped among the branches to see if an apple or a fig had been forgotten.

“A story, a story,” cried the children, pulling a little fat man towards the tree.

“Now we shall be in the green shade,” said the man, as he seated himself under it, “and the tree will have the pleasure of hearing also, but I shall only relate one story; what shall it be? IvedeAvede,or Humpty Dumpty, who fell down stairs, but soon got up again, and at last married a princess.”

“Ivede-Avede,” cried some.

“Humpty Dumpty,” cried others, and there was a fine shouting and crying out.

But the fir-tree remained quite still, and thought to himself, “Shall I have anything to do with all this?” but he had already amused them as much as they wished. Then the old man told them the story of Humpty Dumpty, how he fell down stairs, and was raised up again, and married a princess. And the children clapped their hands and cried, “Tell another, tell another,” for they wanted to hear the story of “Ivede-Avede;” but they only had “Humpty Dumpty.”

After this the fir-tree became quite silent and thoughtful; never had the birds in the forest told such tales as “Humpty Dumpty,” who fell down stairs, and yet married a princess. “Ah! yes, so it happens in the world,” thought the fir-tree; he believed it all, because it was related by such a nice man. “Ah! well,” he thought, “who knows? perhaps I may fall down too, and marry a princess;” and he looked forward joyfully to the next evening, expecting to be again decked out with lights and playthings, gold and fruit. “To-morrow I will not tremble,” thought he; “I will enjoy all my splendor, and I shall hear the story of Humpty Dumpty again, and perhaps Ivede-Avede.” And the tree remained quiet and thoughtful all night. In the morning the servants and the housemaid came in.

“Now,” thought the fir, “all my splendor is going to begin again.” But they dragged him out of the room and up stairs to the garret, and threw him on the floor, in a dark corner, where no daylight shone, and there they left him.

“What does this mean?” thought the tree, “what am I to do here? I can hear nothing in a place like this,” and he had time enough to think, for days and nights passed and no one came near him, and when at last somebody did come, it was only to put away large boxes in a corner. So the tree was completely hidden from sight as if it had never existed.

“It is winter now,” thought the tree, “the ground is hard and covered with snow, so that people cannot plant me. I shall be sheltered here, I dare say, until spring comes. How thoughtful and kind everybody is to me! Still I wish this place were not so dark, as well as lonely, with not even a little hare to look at. How pleasant it was out in the forest while the snow lay on the ground, when the hare would run by, yes, and jump over me too, although I did not like it then. Oh! it is terrible lonely here.”

“Squeak, squeak,” said a little mouse, creeping cautiously towards the tree; then came another; and they both sniffed at the fir-tree and crept between the branches.

“Oh, it is very cold,” said the little mouse, “or

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B21

else we should be so comfortable here, shouldn’t we, you old fir-tree?”

“I am not old,” said the fir-tree, “there are many who are older than I am.”

“Where do you come from? and what do you know?” asked the mice, who were full of curiosity. “Have you seen the most beautiful places in the world, and can you tell us all about them? And have you been in the storeroom, where cheeses lie on the shelf, and hams hang from the ceiling? One can run about on tallow candles there, and go in thin and come out fat.”

“I know nothing of that place,” said the fir-tree, “but I know the wood where the sun shines and the birds sing.” And then the tree told the little mice all about its youth. They had never heard such an account in their lives; and after they had listened to it attentively, they said, “What a number of things you have seen? You must have been very happy.”

“Happy!” exclaimed the fir-tree, and then as he reflected upon what he had been telling them, he said, “Ah, yes! after all those were happy days.” But when he went on and related all about Christmaseve, and how he had been dressed up with cakes and lights, the mice said, “How happy you must have been, you old fir-tree.”

“I am not old at all,” replied the tree, “I only came from the forest this winter, I am now checked in my growth.”

“What splendid stories you can relate,” said the little mice. And the next night four other mice came with them to hear what the tree had to tell.

The more he talked the more he remembered, and then he thought to himself, “Those were happy days, but they may come again. Humpty Dumpty fell down stairs, and yet he married the princess; perhaps I may marry a princess too.” And the fir-tree thought of the pretty little birch-tree that grew in the forest, which was to him a real beautiful princess.

“Who is Humpty Dumpty?” asked the little mice.

And then the tree related the whole story; he could remember every single word, and the little mice was so delighted with it, that they were ready to jump to the top of the tree. The next night a great many more mice made their appearance, and on Sunday two rats came with them; but they said, it was not a pretty story at all, and the little mice were very sorry, for it made them also think less of it.

“Do you know only one story?” asked the rats.

“Only one,” replied the fir-tree; “I heard it on the happiest evening of my life; but I did not know I was so happy at the time.”

“We think it is a very miserable story,” said the rats. “Don’t you know any story about bacon, or tallow in the storeroom.”

“No,” replied the tree.

“Many thanks to you then,” replied the rats, and they marched off.

The little mice also kept away after this, and the tree sighed, and said, “It was very pleasant when the merry little mice sat round me and listened while I talked. Now that is all passed too. How23124CC0

ever, I shall consider myself happy when some one comes to take me out of this place. But would this ever happen?”

Yes; one morning people came to clear out the garret, the boxes were packed away, and the tree was pulled out of the corner, and thrown roughly on the garret floor; then the servant dragged it out upon the staircase where the daylight shone.

“Now life is beginning again,” said the tree, rejoicing in the sunshine and fresh air. Then it was carried down stairs and taken into the courtyard so quickly, that it forgot to think of itself, and could only look about, there was so much to be seen.

The court was close to a garden, where everything looked blooming. Fresh and fragrant roses hung over the little palings. The linden-trees were in blossom; while the swallows flew here and there, crying, “Twit, twit, twit, my mate is coming,”but it was not the fir-tree they meant. “Now I shall live,” cried the tree, joyfully spreading out its branches; but alas! they were all withered and yellow, and it lay in a corner amongst weeds and nettles. The star of gold paper still stuck in the top of the tree and glittered in the sunshine. In the same courtyard two of the merry children were playing who had danced round the tree at Christmas, and had been so happy. The youngest saw the gilded star, and ran and pulled it off the tree.

“Look what is sticking to the ugly old fir-tree,” said the child, treading on the branches till they crackled under his boots. And the tree saw all the fresh bright flowers in the garden, and then looked at itself, and wished it had remained in the dark corner of the garret. It thought of its fresh youth in the forest, of the merry Christmas evening, and of the little mice who had listened to the story of “Humpty Dumpty.”

“Past! past!” said the old tree; “Oh, had I but enjoyed myself while I could have done so! But now it is too late.” Then a lad came and chopped the tree into small pieces, till a large bundle lay in a heap on the ground. The pieces were placed in a fire under the copper, and they quickly blazed up brightly, while the tree sighed so deeply that each sigh was like a pistol-shot.

Then the children, who were at play, came and seated themselves in front of the fire, and looked at it and cried, “Pop, pop.” But at each “pop,” which was a deep sigh, the tree was thinking of a summer day in the forest; and of Christmas evening, and of “Humpty Dumpty,” the only story it had ever heard or knew how to relate, till at last it was consumed.

The boys still played in the garden, and the youngest wore the golden star on his breast, with which the tree had been adorned during the happiest evening of its existence.

Now all was past; the tree’s life was past, and the story also,- for all stories must come to an end at last. https://medium.com/the-mission/the-fir-tree7e63868c4dee

NORTHERN AIR & AUTO

405 Lillooet St. W • 306.694.0088 We will get to the ‘HART’ of the problem

Page B22 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

A Christmas goodie from me to you. Eat it quick before i do…

Christmas is a holiday full of symbolism. The Gospel of Matthew (2:1–12) speaks of Magi, or wise men, who followed a star from the East to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king. There they found Mary and the baby Jesus and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Do you know the symbolism of these gifts?

What is the Meaning of Gold?

The gift of gold to the Christ Child is supposed to have come from Melchior, a king from Arabia, who, legend has it, was one of the Three Wise Men. His contribution is thought to have financed the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt.

Gold, as valuable today as it was in Christ’s time, symbolizes immortality, divinity, purity, and the kingship of Jesus Christ.

What is the Meaning of Frankincense?

prayers and praises of the faithful as well as Christ’s sacrifice and the divine name of God. What is the Meaning of Myrrh?

Caspar, a king from Tarsus and one of the Three Wise Men, is believed to have given myrrh to the Baby Jesus.

Myrrh is known for its medicinal value and was used in ancient times for cleaning wounds and sores, as an analgesic, and for embalming the dead or anointing kings.

Myrrh is actually an aromatic gum resin that oozes from gashes cut in the bark of the commiphora tree. It hardens into teardrop-shaped chunks and is then pounded into powder or mixed to make ointments and perfumes. It is named for its bitter taste and symbolizes the Suffering Savior, the Great Physician, and Christ’s human nature.

Do you know the symbolism of the three gifts given to the Christ Child by the Three Wise Men? Tradition maintains that Balthasar, one of the Three Wise Men who came from the East to find the Christ Child, presented frankincense to the baby as a gift. By honoring him in this way, Balthasar fulfilled the prophecy that gold and frankincense would be brought from the Gentiles to honor the heavenly king (Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72).

Frankincense, a sweet gum resin from the Boswellia tree, is the purest of incense. When bur ned, it produces white smoke and a s we e t smell, symbol i zing the

https://people.howstuffworks.com/ culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/christmas-trivia.htm#pt1

Real Estate . Personal Insurance . Commercial Insurance

Real Estate . Personal Insurance . Commercial Insurance

Motor Licencing

Town & Country Mall

Over the past 105 years many May yourimportant holiday be filled with plenty of warmth, love, cheer, and people have walked happiness.

Merry Christmas you and yours! through our doors…

OURtoCUSTOMERS! Gift Cards only available in $60.00, Receive a bonus $20.00 gift coupon From allValid of us at Ottawa Real Estate Company from January 2nd, 2024 to March 31st, 2024 we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Holiday Year! Hours SMITTY’S 324 Main Street BUGSY’S N. MOOSE JAW, SK

Christmas Eve 7:00am-5:00pm Christmas Eve 9:30am-5:00pm www.moosejawrealestate.net • info@orecol.ca Christmas Closed Christmas Closed Boxing Day 7:00am-5:00pm Boxing Day 9:30am-12:00am New Year’s Eve 9:30am-2:00am New Year’s Eve 7:00am-5:00pm New Year’s Day 9:30am-8:00pm New Year’s Day 7:00am-5:00pm

DJ Dance Party and Karaoke 9:00PM-1:00AM Champagne Toast at Midnight

1/2 Price Appetizers

All domestic Bottled Beer $4 Highball $ 4 Double Highballs $6.50 Shot Specials $3.50

Phone 306-692-8479 Reservations Town N’ Country Mall, 1235 Main St. N.

Phone Bar: (306) 692-8479 Restaurant: (306) 693-1773

Over the past 113 years many important people have walked through our doors...OUR CUSTOMERS!!

From all of us at Ottawa Real Estate & Insurance we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

324 Main Street N. MOOSE JAW, SK info@orecol.ca Phone (306) 694-4747 www.moosejawrealestate.net

Management and Staff of

McCauley Agencies 453 Main Street North

306-694-4848

See us for all your general insurance needs

Oh, Merry Christmas Christmas tree! & Happy Oh Christmas New Year! tree!

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B23

5 Tips on Safe Snow Shovelling to Prevent Back Pain

By Adam Brown

Here are a few tips on proper snow shoveling. If you follow these guidelines your chances of injury when shoveling with be greatly reduced.

Push The Snow, Don’t Lift.

When shoveling, you don’t want to have to lift the snow and ice! Push it to the edge of the driveway or side walk with the shovel blade rather than lifting and carrying a load. It is a daunting task for even the strongest backs to carry a full load of snow on the end of a shovel for long. So make sure you push it to the edge, then shovel it in small amounts to pile it up where it needs to be.

Your local hardware store has lots of great shovels that are specifically designed for the big push.

Use those abs!

Before you push or lift any significant weight be sure you tighten up your mid-section with a little abdominal contraction. This provides stability to your spine and protects the joints, discs and nerve roots of your low back while you lift.

Use Your Hips and Knees – Not Your Back.

To reduce your risk of injury, be sure you are bending (squatting) from the hips and knees, not bending forward from your spine. The discs of the low back are injured from forceful forward bending and rotating. Many people shovel this way. It is important to keep the back straight and use those powerful leg muscles!

Choke down on the Shovel.

The further away the weight is from your body the harder you have to work to stabilize your spine.

So get one hand at least half way down the shovel when lifting. This will keep the snow load close to your body and reduce the likelihood of injury.

The Right Boots Are Important For Shoveling Snow!

People rarely realize how important footwear selection is when performing snow removal. The bottom line is that you need traction. If you are slipping around on a cold icy driveway you can’t hope to safely stabilize your spine when you lift. It can also lead to falls which result in significant injury.

So choose a pair of boots with excellent treads!

Heart Attacks and Snow Removal The first snowfall of the year always leads to a few heart attacks. Often people do not realize how physical this task is. If you are someone of advanced age or you have significant cardiac risk factors, consider using a snow removal service, or purchasing a snow blower. https://cornerstonephysio.com/resources/safesnow-shovelling-to-prevent-back-pain/

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year from our Family to yours!

Phone 306-694-6300 Toll Free 1-800-663-6303

OPEN December 27, 28,29 and January 2nd 7am- 5pm

22 Lancaster RD, Moose Jaw, 306.694.4644

Being together is the best gift of all.

Page B24 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

The Nutcracker Ballet dates back to the early 1800s

Editor’s Note: I don’t know how many of you have had the pleasure of experiencing the Nutcracker Ballet in person, but to me personally it was always a Christmas tradition and for many years a highlight of the season. To get dressed up and experience the magic on stage is something special to remember.

The Nutcracker is a classical ballet in two acts.

It is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It tells the story of a little girl who goes to the Land of Sweets on Christmas Eve. Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa adapted Hoffmann’s story for the ballet.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the music. Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov designed the dances. The Nutcracker was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on 18 December 1892 to a modest success and rarely seen the next years.

In 1940, Walt Disney used some of the Nutcracker music in his animated movie Fantasia, which led to an interest in the ballet. Interest grew when George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker was televised in the late 1950s. The ballet has been performed in many different places since then. Before the first performance, Tchaikovsky took some numbers from the ballet to form the Nutcracker Suite. This work was a great success on the concert stage, and is still played today.

The origin of The Nutcracker has its roots in the great success of The Sleeping Beauty ballet. This ballet was staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1890. It was the work of the director of the Imperial Theatres in St. Petersburg, Ivan Vsevolozhsky; the composer, Tchaikovsky; and the choreographer, Marius Petipa. Vsevolozsky thought another ballet based on a children’s story would be just as successful as The Sleeping Beauty.

He picked Hoffmann’s 1816 fairy tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” as the subject for the new ballet. This story was loved by Russians. He wrote an adaptation of Hoffmann’s story based on theAlexandre Dumas translation. He dropped much of the original. Petipa adapted Vsevolozsky’s story to the requirements of ballet. Vsevolozsky then pressured Tchaikovsky into writing the music for the ballet. Tchaikovsky did not like the adaptation of Hoffmann’s story, but he agreed to write the music.

Petipa designed the dances. He gave Tchaikovsky special directions about how the music was to be written. For example, he wanted a great crescendo of 48 bars as the Christmas tree rose higher and higher in Act 1. He wrote that the music for the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” should sound like drops of water splashing in a fountain.

In March 1892 the music was almost complete.

Tchaikovsky took the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”, the “Waltz of the Flowers”, and other numbers from the ballet to form the 20-minute Nut-

cracker Suite. It was first played for the Russian Musical Society. The organization’s members loved it. Nutcracker Suite is still played today.

Tchaikovsky completed the music for the ballet in April 1892. Rehearsals started in September 1892. Petipa fell ill and his assistant Lev Ivanov completed the dances. The ballet was first performed on 18 December 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Tchaikovsky’s one-act opera Iolanta was played before the curtain rose on The Nutcracker. The run ended in 1893 after eleven performances. When the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, many ballet dancers were put out of work. They went to Europe. They talked to their new friends in Europe about The Nutcracker.

The first complete performance outside Russia took place in England in 1934. It was staged by Nicholas Sergeyev at the Vic-Wells Ballet. It used a version of Petipa’s original choreography. Annual performances of the ballet have been staged there since 1952.

In 1940 Walt Disney used some of the music in his movie Fantasia. In 1944 the Nutcracker was staged at the San Francisco Ballet by William Christensen, the ‘very first full-length’on Christmas Eve. W.Christensen was called the grandfather of AmericanBallet,born(1902-2001)inBrighamCity, Utah. He had established the San Francisco Ballet in 1938. Later he founded the ballet department to the University of Utah in 1951, the first of its kind, and

1650 Stadacona St W, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 4P8 Aaladin, Grasshopper, Grundfos, and Rentals

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a fantastic New Year!

From my family to yours,

Laurie Lunde

REALTOR®

Not intended to solicit properties already listed for sale

FIRST AID and CPR TRAINING

580 Lillooet Street W. 306.693.3359

• Providing Qualified, Experienced Instructors •

Serving Moose Jaw and Area Individual registration Group or corporate registrations Wishing you a

Magical

Christmas

Offering:

ELECTRICAL

CONTRACTORS

• Full Courses (2 day) • Blended Courses (1 day plus online component) • 1 day recertifications • BLS & Oxygen Administration • Babysitter & Stay Safe!

(Home Alone Safety)

306.631.8527

COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL • RESIDENTIAL

Snowmen fall from heaven unassembled.

Ballet West in 1963. Mr. C’s creation has an 75th Anniversary during the 2019-2020 season. In 1954 George Balanchine staged The Nutcracker in New York City. People liked it.

When it was aired on television in 1957 and 1958, the ballet became more famous than ever. Balanchine’s television Nutcracker had enough fun in it for peo-

ple who had not seen a ballet, and enough dancing in it to please the ballet lovers who watched it.

In the 1960s small ballet companies started producing The Nutcracker because it could make a lot of money and, in doing so, keep the company in business.

Today, The Nutcracker has been staged and seen by many people all over the world.

The Story

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B25

The ballet takes place in Germany in the early 19th century. The curtain rises onaChristmas Eve party in the Silberhaus home. Guests arrive.

The children g e t their presents, then dance about the room.

The door opens.

A strange little man named Drosselmeyer comes into the room. He is a toy-maker.Heisalso Clara Silberhaus’s godfather.

He has four dancing dolls for the children and a special surprise for Clara. It is a nutcracker. She loves it, but her brother Fritz breaks it. She puts the Nutcracker in her doll bed to get well.

The party ends and everyone leaves. Clara and her family go to bed. Clara creeps back to the room.

She needs to be certain her Nutcracker is resting quietly. All of a sudden, mice start running about the room. The dolls, the tin soldiers, and all the other playthings come to life to fight the mice.

The Christmas tree rises higher and higher. The Nutcracker jumps out of the doll bed to fight the Mouse King. When the Nutcracker is in danger, Clara saves

his life by throwing her slipper at the Mouse King.

The Mouse King runs out of the room with all the other mice.

The Nutcracker becomes a human prince. Clara and the Nutcracker Prince set off through the snowy woods for the magical Land of Sweets. The beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy rules this land. She welcomes the two children then orders her subjects to dance for them. Dances about Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate are presented. Many other dances are presented. The ballet ends with everyone dancing a waltz.

The ballet’s initial run ended in January 1893.

When the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, many ballet dancers were put out of work. They went to Europe. They talked to their new friends in Europe about The Nutcracker. Some selections were performed here and there. In 1940 Walt Disney used some of the music in his movie Fantasia. In 1944 the Nutcracker was staged at the San Francisco Ballet by William Christensen, the ‘very first full-length’ on Christmas Eve. W.Christensen was called the grandfather of American Ballet, born (1902-2001) in Brigham City, Utah. He had established the San Francisco Ballet in 1938. Later he founded the ballet department to the University of Utah in 1951, the first of its kind, and Ballet West in 1963. Mr. C’s creation has an 75th Anniversary during the 2019-2020 season. In 1954 George Balanchine staged The Nutcracker in New York City.

People liked it. When it was aired on television in 1957 and 1958, the ballet became more famous than ever. Balanchine’s television Nutcracker had enough fun in it for people who had not seen a ballet, and enough dancing in it to please the ballet lovers who watched it. In the 1960s small ballet companies started producing The Nutcracker because it could make a lot of money and, in doing so, keep the company in business. https://kids.kiddle.co/The_Nutcracker

Join us for

Christmas Eve at Victory Church

Candlelight Services 4:00pm 5:30pm 7:00pm

A family-friendly service that includes carols, candlelighting, and children's Christmas story followed by warm drinks & cookies.

CHRISTMASATVICTORYMJ.COM

637 Main St. North Moose Jaw,SK

Elkridge Glass Trevor and Kim would like to thank you all for your support as they opened Elkridge Glass.

We want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

We will be closed for Christmas Dec. 23-26 reopening on Dec. 27.

Bay 7 - 930 Manitoba St E | Moose Jaw, SK S6H 0A1 | 306.631.0883 ElkridgeGlassMJ@gmail.com

Save Santa a trip: be naughty.

Page B26 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Did you know the animals can talk?

Once a year, early, early on Christmas morning, long before the sun even thinks about peeking over the horizon, God’s Spirit swings through the sky, calling all the animals to remember their Creator.

On this one night all the animals talk the way they used to talk. And they tell this one story.

It’s about a donkey. This donkey is special. This donkey is the one who carried Mary to Bethlehem.

Joseph, Mary’s husband, who was a carpenter in the town of Nazareth, had made a small, but beautiful, piece of furniture for a Roman soldier. He was an important soldier in charge of many other soldiers.

Sometimes the soldiers would not pay Jewish men who did work for them. But this soldier was so impressed by the tiny carvings of pomegranates, apples, and grapevines that he told Joseph he could have anything hewanted,withinreason.

Joseph said, “As you know, I must leave in two weeks for Bethlehem so I can get there

By Dr. Doug Beacham in time to register for the Emperor’s census tax. My wife will soon have her Baby, a very special child.

Could I select one of your horses so she could ride on this journey? I promise to give the horse to the Roman garrison near Bethlehem.”

The soldier was agreeable; he knew Joseph was an honest and righteous man. He took Joseph to the military stables and they looked at the horses.

The problem was that all the horses were too strong.

They were trained to run hard, not walk slowly.

They wanted sound, action, important people and events so they could show other horses how strong they were. Joseph tried to walk one of them, but it reared up and almost hit him and the soldier. Both men agreed that this would not work.

“Perhaps you could manage a chariot where these horses are more accustomed to being controlled,” said the soldier.

But Joseph said no. He had never driven a chariot and was afraid that a two horse power wreck might really hurt or even kill Mary or the Baby.

Walking out the stables, Joseph saw an old donkey in the corner of the yard. “What about that donkey?” he asked.

“You don’t want that old animal. I’m not even sure it would make it to Bethlehem.

Besides, I want you to have the best I can give you.”

MOOSE JAW AUTO GLASS WINDSHIELDS REPLACED & ROCK CHIPS REPAIRED

AUTO GLASS SPECIALISTS • PROFESSIONAL WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED

LOCALLYLOCALLY OWNEDOWNED • 46 YEARS EXPERIENCE • 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE

“You’re very kind, and I do not mean to be ungrateful, but all I really need is an animal I can manage. I’m not royalty, and I have no reason to try and impress other people.”

“Well,” the soldier said, “if you promise not to tell anyone you got this old donkey from a Roman garrison, you can have it. We were going to destroy it soon anyway, so just keep it and don’t worry about turning it in to the Bethlehem garrison.” The old, weary donkey obediently followed the slight pull of the rope as Joseph led him to their home.

The time soon came for Joseph and Mary to begin the journey. Joseph had fed the donkey and taken time to groom it. In fact, both he and Mary were surprised at how much better the donkey looked.

In only two weeks of loving care the donkey was much stronger. Over the next weeks they traveled, and while riding a donkey is not the most comfortable ride, it kept Mary off her feet and made these final days of her pregnancy a little easier.

The night they arrived in Bethlehem, Joseph went door to door looking for a place for them to stay. Mary could feel that the Baby would soon be born; much sooner than she imaged, in fact.

Riding the donkey had actually shifted the Baby so that He would be born more quickly and easier than she had thought. At times while Joseph was trying to find a room, stray dogs would bark at the donkey and Mary, but the donkey would bray back to them, and the dogs would stop and run away.

There was no room among the ancient family lines of Joseph in Bethlehem. There were just too many people arriving at the same time. At the last

909 HIGH ST W 306.972.6909 M.J.GLASS@SASKTEL.NET

CRUISERS

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays

Here’s hoping your holiday is the best!

I appreciate your support during the past year.

- Tim

HOLIDAY HOURS

December 24th-25th - CLOSED December 26th-31st - OPEN January 1st - CLOSED January 2nd - 7th - OPEN January 8th - 12th - CLOSED RENOS

23 High St E | 306.692.6066

Thunder Creek Coach & Carriage Ltd.

Rob &Staff wish you all...

Merry Christmas

Management and Staff

8 McKenzie Lane • 306.692.4707 • moosejaw@carstar.ca

Merry Christmas

and a prosperous New Year!

• Collision Repairs & Refinishing • SGI Accredited Repairer • Award Winning Restorations

1225 Athabasca St. E. Moose Jaw • 306-693-3990

Love’s the thing. The rest is tinsel.

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B27

place in town, the innkeeper told Joseph there was no more room at his place or any place that he knew in Bethlehem. Leading Joseph to the door, he saw Mary atop the donkey.

“I don’t have a room for you, but seeing your donkey reminds me that there might be room in the stable in the back. It’s a small cave area just this side of the shepherds’ fields. It is part of the house but you’ll have some privacy. If you don’t mind sleeping with the animals, you can at least get out the night air. Roll up some of that hay for your wife. I’ll send some food to you.”

That’s how Mary and Joseph ended up sleeping in the stable. And that’s how Jesus was born in a manger, a small crib that held the straw that animals ate.

Many exciting things happened that night: the shepherds visited and worshipped the newborn King Jesus and angels filled the night sky with praise to God. Later that night after the shepherds had left, Joseph prepared a nice place for Mary to sleep while nursing the Baby. Joseph soon fell asleep, and Mary did too. She held Jesus near her heart, and for awhile He was asleep.

Sometime while Joseph and Mary were asleep, the Baby Jesus woke up and saw the donkey. His eyes and the eyes of the donkey spoke to one another. The Baby Jesus even cooed like a new baby, and the donkey understood what He was saying. The donkey started to bray softly and to his amazement, he was speaking like a human. The other animals in the stable — the sheep, the dog, the cat, and the cow – all started talking very softly. It was the way animals had talked a long time ago. They talked, Jesus cooed, and they all understood one another.

The infant Jesus told the sheep He would taketheirplaceandbethesacrificeforevery person on the earth. He told the donkey

& Burrowing Owl Centre

Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a Wonderful Christmas & Happy New Year!

250 Thatcher Drive E

306.692.2723

to take care of himself because they were going to need him again for a journey to Egypt before too many months. He told all the other animals His birth meant that all that was lost when the snake talked too much would be regained through Him. He told them that the day would come when all the creation, including the animals, would be restored to God’s original purpose. The animals were filled with joy and praised God. “Oh, I can’t wait until tomorrow,” said the horse, “to tell everyone what Jesus is going to do for them and us!”

“Yes,” said the cow, the dog, the cat, and the other animals. “This is wonderful news.”

Cooing, Jesus told them, “Not yet. You will not be able to talk like this again, even in the next few minutes.Butonceayear, if you will listen carefully, you will hear

Moose Jaw Humane Society

Merry Christmas Our Hours:

Monday to Friday 10:00 am until 5:00 pm | Saturday 10:00 am until 4:00 pm | Closed Sundays and Stat Holidays

Available 24/7 for Animal Emergencies Thank you for your support!

1755 Stadacona St W | 306-692-1517

www.mjhs.ca

Warmest Christmas Wishes from our Families to Yours.

474 hochelaga st w moose jaw 306-693-4644

and then see the glory of my love in the sky. Then, for a short time, you will talk to one another. People will have to discover my love in a different way.

They will hear and see from one another — not from you. But on that night, all around the world, tell one another that I am coming again to finish what was started here tonight.”

And so it is. Tonight, the animals will again talk and tell the young animals what the sound and sight in the sky means. In the meantime, we can tell others, and remind one another, Jesus is coming back to finish what He started that night. https://iphc.org/discipleship/2016/12/20/nightanimals-talk/

Merry Christmas!

OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR

2 Convenient Locations 212 Main St. N 306-692-6433 MON - FRI 9AM - 8PM SAT. 9AM - 6PM SUN. & HOLIDAYS 11AM - 6PM

890B Lillooet St. W 306-692-2900 MON - FRI 9AM - 5:30PMSAT. 9AM - 1PM COMPOUNDING PHARMACY

May the magic of Christmas warm your heart.

Page B28 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

“The King of the World”

A pale desert moon gazed down, washing the earth in its milky glow, glinting subtly off the costly, glittering fabric of the magi’s clothing in front of me.

The sand chaffed against my open skin as breezes blew the grains into the air. Beneath me I heard the heavy snorting of my camel as it labored forward, loaded with bags that jangled with expensive gifts— gifts that were fit for the finest of kings—a king we knew was worthy of weeks of difficult travel because we knew this king was worthy of honor.

Itwasakingwehadn’texpected.Ithadseemedlike any other night.We were observing the night sky, as usual, taking copious notes on the posi-

102 Manitoba St. E. Moose Jaw • 306-692-5717

tions of the stars and planets, and consulting our books to discover what they meant. Nothing was unusual—except—the star. It was a single star out of place with all our notes, a star that no one had previously written about in their scholarly texts. It was a single star more brilliant than any of us had ever seen. Our group of astrologers was up all night, scouring our records and our books to see if we had missed something, and debating over what it could mean. Then finally, we arrived at a consensus. This was no ordinary occurrence of the natural world.

This was a miraculous phenomenon announcing the arrival of a new king.

So, we turned from our texts on astrology to texts on kings, trying to discern what king had come.

Nothing seemed too convincing until I stumbled upon an old Jewish text, a verse that read, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.

He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of

of Moose Jaw

140 Main St N 306.694.5766

May the joy and peace of the holiday season bring happiness that lasts all through the upcoming year!

1885 CARIBOU ST W 306.692.3622

May your holidays bring you gifts of Love, Peace & Happiness

Sheth.” Suddenly, I knew this text fit…”Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews?” Matthew 2:2 (The Message Bible) So off we went. We packed our bags with supplies and rare gifts native to our Eastern land.

Once our camels were loaded and our servants were rounded, we set off at night, leaving our country of valleys and basins to travel through the salt-caked deserts towards Jerusalem, in Israel. Of course, that was where the King would be, for that was where the king ruled from his palace.

The trip took weeks, but finally, we arrived at this city in the middle of the hill country. I was somewhat taken aback by the setting of this new king. The city boasted of new buildings and monuments decked out in the latest style and technology, but the city itself seemed less than wealthy. Even our expensive Eastern garb seemed a little out of place in the modest town. I thought such a bright star would have meant a much more splendid city as the home of the new king, but I could not doubt what I had discovered. So we went along the streets, stopping anyone who passed by and knocking on doors to inquire. We explained the star, unlike anything our expertise had known…but we were met with troubled faces. Some treated us as ignorant, reminding us that King Herod reigned over Israel.

Many claimed they did not know what we were talking about, but many others seemed stand offish.

They stepped away, putting up defensive hands, widening their eyes in confusion or furrowing their brows in skepticism and disdain for us foreigners.

However, some seemed to light up inside with a spark of hope, before quickly falling back into confusion. “We are awaiting our Messiah,” they would say, “Someone to free us from these Romans who oppress us, but he is not here yet.”

After several days of no answers, we were discouraged and confused as what to do, until a single guard in royal armor approached us.

“King Herod has summoned you,” he said. I was surprised at how this messenger

295 8TH AVE. N.W. MOOSE JAW acottph@gmail.com

306-690-6718

If you don’t believe, you don’t receive.

from the king had come alone, and he quickly led us to the palace on streets that seemed to avoid public life. However, we knew better than to disobey his orders.

“I have heard you are inquiring about “the king…

You have seen a bright star, to announce his arrival? Only scholars such as you would be able to discern such a sign.” His words were smooth and silky, and his expression was painted with humility and a smile. But beneath his pleasant expression, I could detect a hint of insincerity.

“Yes, my king,” I replied, mustering up my boldness. “It was a star unlike anything we had seen, and one of your own texts told us that a ruler would come out of Israel.”

The king nodded and seemed to quietly think.

“Hmmm…well when was it exactly that you saw this star? If you tell me, I can tell you where he is.”

I did not understand the reason for his question, but this royal figure required an answer, and I was elated to know that King Herod could help us find the one we were seeking. “I am not sure, my king, we must consult with one another briefly to discern the answer to your question.”

“Of course,” he said, with a sickly-sweet smile. I turned to the other magi, and we huddled together, whispering over how many nights we had traveled and asking the people of Jerusalem. We quickly came to a consensus, and I told the king.

“Hmmm…well then,” King Herod said, “I know where you can find him. I have consulted with the brightest religious leaders of my land, the Pharisees and Sadducees. They are priests in our temple, and they are experts in the law and Jewish tradition.

They told me of a text that says a ruler will come out of Bethlehem, a ruler who will shepherd the people of Israel.”

I could hardly hide my excitement at his answer.

Finally, we knew!

“I know that this king is important, for the Scriptures seem to tell of his arrival, and you have come far for him,” said Herod. “So go to Bethlehem. It is approximately five miles south of here. Search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, tell me, so that I can also go and worship him.”

I could sense the stir of excitement among us at the king’s words. We bowed again, expressing our deepest gratitude, before being escorted out and reminded by the guard to go quickly and find

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B29

the child.

According to our habit, we waited for nightfall and then loaded our camels. We were about to embark according to the instructions of the king, following the roads south, but were shocked to see the star once again, filling the silky midnight sky with light. Wow, I pondered, this must be confirmation.

This must be our guide to this new king. We will finally get to worship the king of the Jews.

We traveled many more days. The journey was exhausting, but my eagerness pushed me forward. We followed the sparkling white star, beaming from above until we arrived in Bethlehem.

But in Bethlehem, I began to doubt. This was hardly even a city. This was a town. A small town with small, crowded streets and small homes and buildings. I felt cornered by the stares of the people at our foreign, priestly lot. Ugh. I thought. How could the king of the Jews be born here?

I expressed some of my doubts to one of the other magi, “But friend, the star.” He responded, “Remember the star. It is still shining above us. As we travel, we seem to get closer to resting beneath it. It is guiding us to the place of the king, and the place of the king is here.”

So, we pressed forward.

Until the final night.

After taking a day to rest, we traveled through the little town, trusting in the guidance of the star.

Then, we finally reached the place over which the star resided. The brilliant celestial orb stood still above the residence, pointing down with its glints of light towards our destination. It was no palace.

It was not large and sculped and state of the art like Herod’s home. Instead, it was a small house, a young woman and a man softly bustling inside, illuminated by the glow of a flickering fire.

But I knew we had found the king.

I stepped forward, unable to contain my joy. I knocked on the door, trying not to burst through it myself. A middle-aged man opened. His expression seemed alarmed and confused at these unknown, foreign, and wealthy visitors.

“Hello,” I said, trying to catch my breath from my excitement, “We are here to pay homage to the king…”

177 Iroquois St W • Moose Jaw, SK www.danceimagesinc.com Book us for all your catering needs!

FULLY LICENSED Hwy #1 - 820 North Service Rd

OPEN 7:00AM - 8:30PM DAILY

You can read the full version at: https://caristarose.com/a-story-for-christmas-wise-men/

306.631.0584

Delicious Homemade Cooked Food Wide selection of home cooked meals: appetizers to soup & salad, to steaks, ribs, roast beef, roast turkey, home made burgers & all day breakfast.

All of a sudden, his expression relaxed into awe.

“Come in,” he said, welcoming us into his home.

The room was modest, simple, and small. A very young woman bounced a child on her lap, a small Jewish boy no more than two years old. He gurgled and cooed at the sweet smiles and words of his mother. But when we stepped in, her expression was filled with confusion, and the boy clung to his mother in fear.

It was a strange setting for a king. It wasn’t royal at all. In fact, the family looked poor.

But somehow, I knew it was Him. This was the king that bright light had guided us towards and that the texts the Jews called the Scriptures had prophesied would come. This was the king who would conquer. This was a king who would tenderly shepherd his people.

“We’ve come to worship,” I said, and I bowed down, touching my forehead to the ground, taking the lowest form of submission.

The room was quiet, but the atmosphere felt heavy with awe, wonder, and glory.

When we finished our bowing, we opened our bags and presented the poor couple with our royal gifts. We handed them boxes of gleaming gold, glittering frankincense, and fragrant myrrh. The quaint home was suddenly rich with the scent of royalty.

The woman and the man had eyes wide with awe and faces flushed with wonder.

However, I gazed at the infant king. He seemed so ordinary, yet also so significant. The woman caught my eyes staring in deep contemplation.

“Would you like to hold him?” she said.

Hold him? I thought. This family is ordinary, but this baby is royalty. How could my arms ever be worthy?

But before I knew it, he was thrust into my embrace. I felt my eyes fill with tears of joy and awe as I cradled him close to my chest, excitedly thinking about his future that would unfold, a future of rising above this poverty and ruling, conquering, saving, and leading all for His sake.

Classes starting in January * Children Classes *

Kidventure Korner Fine Arts Preschool Girls & Boys age 3-5 Creative Movement/Kinder Acro Classes Parent & Tot • Kid’s Hip Hop • Intro Jazz/Mth

* Classes for Adults *

Ballet • Tap • Hip Hop Groove • Yoga

Merry Christmas AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Merry Christmas We are here and open to help you with all your special occasions to safely bring joy to your loved ones!

17 High St. W. Moose Jaw • (306)692-1881

Holiday Wishes from the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce We are sending our warmest holiday wishes your way.

Thank you for supporting local and may the holiday season bring you good cheer and health throughout the coming year.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from all of us at the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce!

Cheers Rob Clark, CEO of the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce

75-3rd Ave., NW • 306-692-4026

Page B30 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

Joy is not in things; it is in us.

12 Days of Holiday Fire Safety

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also a time when the risk of home fires increases.

To keep your home and loved ones safe this holiday season, it’s important to be aware of potential fire hazards and take steps to prevent them. Here are some tips for keeping your home fire-safe: Holiday Lights: Make sure to only use lights that are ULC-approved and in good condition. Avoid overloading outlets and turn off all lights when you leave the house or go to bed. It is also a good idea to use timers for outdoor lights.

Candles and Decorations: Keep lit candles away from flammable materials, such as curtains and decorations. Consider using flameless candles instead.

SmokeAlarms: Test your smoke alarms to make sure they’re working properly, and install them on every level of your home, including the basement.

Batteries should be replaced twice a year (once in spring and once in fall).

Carbon MonoxideAlarms: Install carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home and test

them regularly to ensure they’re working properly.

Carbon monoxide alarms should be used if the home is equipped with fuel-burning appliances, a fireplace or an attached garage.

Tree Watering: Keep your live Christmas tree well-watered to prevent it from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. Trees should be at least a meter away from any heating source.

Extension Cords: Use extension cords sparingly and avoid overloading them with multiple plugs.

Use CSA or ULC-approved extension cords.

Hannukah Candles: If you celebrate Hannukah, make sure to keep lit candles away from flammable materials and never leave them unattended.

Home Fire Escape Plans: Develop and practice a home fire escape plan with your family, so everyone knows what to do in case of a fire. Two-storey homes should have an emergency fire escape ladder. Every home should also have at least one fire extinguisher and it is suggested to have one on each

level of the home. Ideal areas to have a fire extinguisher include the kitchen and the laundry room.

Fire extinguishers make great Christmas gifts!

Cooking: Stay in the kitchen when cooking and keep a close eye on food that’s on the stove. Use a timer to remind yourself when it’s time to turn off the stove or oven. Never store combustible materials on or in your stove. Ovens that are used often should be cleaned every three months.

Heating Sources: Keep flammable materials away from space heaters, fireplaces, and other heating sources. Make sure to turn off heaters when you leave the house or go to bed. Have chimneys checked annually by a qualified contractor.

Smoking: If you smoke, make sure to properly dispose of cigarette butts and never smoke in bed.

By following these tips, you can help prevent home fires and keep your family safe this holiday season.

Happy holidays! https://carleton.ca/emergency/2022/12-daysof-holiday-fire-safety-2/

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023 Page B31

Who is Santa Claus?

For centuries, St. Nicholas has been remembered

by Christians for his generosity toward children and the poor. The real St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, where he served as bishop in the town of Myra, during the fourth century. According to Dutch legend, Sinter Klaas (St. Nicholas) brought gifts at Christmastime, either through an open window or down a chimney. This legend is the basis of the Santa Claus we know and love today.

Prior to the 16th century, gifts were exchanged during the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6.After that time, German Protestants began celebrating Christkind on December 25, a feast day for the Christ Child. Soon the two days merged into one, although, today many people in Europe continue to celebrate both days.

As early as 1773, the name “St. A Claus” appeared in print.

ButAmericans did not have a detailed description of St. Nicholas until Washington Irving included a drawing of him in the 1809 publication A History of New York.. Then, in 1823, Clement Clarke Moore wrote ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas or A Visit from St. Nicholas It was Moore’s account that characterized Santa as a jolly old man who rides in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and slides down chimneys to deliver gifts.

Who’s Tracking Santa Claus?

“Deter. Detect. Defend.” This motto of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, better known as NORAD, applies to the Canadian and American agency’s responsibility to defend the airspace of Canada, Alaska, and the continental United States. However, each December 24, NORAD is also involved in tracking Santa Claus’s sleigh ride across the globe.

Using data obtained from a worldwide network

• The Wild Christmas Reindeer. Jan Brett What are Santa’s Aliases?

Christmas gifts are bestowed by different gift givers in various countries. These include Père Noël in France, St. Nicholas or Sinter Klaas in Holland, Father Christmas in England, the Three Kings in parts of Latin America and Spain, and Santa Claus in the United States. In Germany, children are visited by Christkind, an angelic messenger of Jesus.

Babouschka, a grandmotherly figure, brings presents in Russia, while in Sweden, Jultomten, a gnome who rides a sleigh, does the honors. Syrian children receive gifts from a camel of one of the Three Wise Men, reportedly the smallest one in the caravan. And in Italy, a kindly old witch named La Befana leaves gifts for children.

Reindeer Facts • Reindeer are one of several subspecies of caribou found around the world.

• Reindeer are herbivores, which means they eat vegetation. In the summer, they eat leaves and herbs. In the winter, they eat lichen and moss.

• Reindeergenerallydon’trunveryfast.Infact, a white-tailed deer could outrun a reindeer.

• Reindeer use their antlers like a shovel to break through the crust of snow to reach the vegetation underneath.

• Reindeer are various colors, including white, dark gray, and brown. Males can have lightcolored manes, necks, and shoulders.

• The only female deer to grow antlers are reindeer. Each summer, both males and females grow their wonderful racks, but males usually shed theirs in late November to midDecember. Females keep their antlers until spring. Because all of Santa’s reindeer are depicted with antlers, one might conclude that every one of them, including Rudolph, is female.

Christmas Trivia of radar and satellites in space, NORAD staff and more than 360 volunteers begin reporting on Santa’s progress at 5:00 a.m. MST. Real-time updates via e-mail, the Internet, and telecasts are transferred into streaming audio and video updates and then translated into French, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

Which Cities are Easiest for Santa to Visit?

Those with snow, of course! According to the Statistical Abstract of the United States, the average snowfall each December in the following locations is more than two feet: • Valdez, Alaska • Yakutat, Alaska • Blue Canyon, California • Marquette, Michigan • Muskegon, Michigan • Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan • Mount Washington, New Hampshire • Syracuse, New York Does Santa Really Exist?

Yes, Santa Claus really does exist -- and he lives in Rovaniemi, Finland!

At Santa’s Village, you can visit Santa in his workshop and watch his trusty elves building toys and decorating for the holidays. You can also stop by one of the gift shops and pick up Santa’s favorite Finnish candies or a toy from Santa’s workshop.

In keeping with Santa’s North Pole address, Santa’s Village is located in the Finnish Lapland on the Arctic Circle. The Lapland is a region that includes northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway. It is north of the Arctic Circle, an imaginary line on the surface of the earth where the sun does not rise on the winter solstice or set on the summer solstice.

What are Santa’s Favorite Reads?

• Olive, the Other Reindeer. J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh • How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Dr. Seuss • St. Francis and the Christmas Donkey. Robert Byrd • The Polar Express. Chris Van Allsburg • Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters. Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack • “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry • The Snowman. Raymond Briggs

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidayschristmas/christmas-trivia. htm#pt4

Warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year

Call Kelly (306) 693-1284 or

(306) 631-1202

ckdispatch@sasktel.net

270 Caribou St. W. 306.693.0606 www.culligan.com

Page B32 – MOOSE JAW EXPRESS.COM – December 2023

May you have the gift of Faith,the blessing of home and the peace of his love.

Dear Diet Diary

As a Christmas present this year, my daughter, Cresley [what a thoughtful darling] bought for me a week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in reasonable shape since being a high school cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Juan Antonio [ooh what a name] who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

Monday Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Juan Antonio waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god: he has curly hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Yippee!

Juan Antonio gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skilful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Juan Antonio [call me Tony by now] was

encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my stomach was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FABULOUS week! My New Year resolutions will be easy.

Tuesday I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out of the door. Tony made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air. Later he put weights on it. My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Tony’s rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It’s a whole new life for me.

Wednesday The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. Tony was impatient with me, insisting that my screamsbotheredotherclubmembers.

His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning; and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Tony put me on the stair ‘monster’. Why would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Tony told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other garbage too.

Thursday Tony was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were back in a full snarl.

I couldn’t help being a half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes. That man then took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom.

He sent a skinny woman to find me.

Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine – which I sank.

Friday I hate that man, Toady or whatever his name is, more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. He is a stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little bighead. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Toady wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps!And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the flippin’ barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on the health and nutrition teacher.

Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

Saturday That person, that Toady, left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

Sunday I’m having the Church bus collect me up so I can go to services today and thank God that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter Cresley [the cruel, whingeing creep] will choose a gift for me that is fun: like root canal treatment or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds! https://curiousasacathy.com/garfield-alf-stupid-people-grumpy-catnew-years-resolutions-weird-al/

The Difference Between An Optimist And A Pessimist A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other claimed the volume needed to be turned up.

Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom and gloom pessimist.

Just to see what would happen, at Christmas time their father loaded the pessimist’s room with every imaginable toy and game.

The optimist’s room he loaded with horse manure.

That night the father passed by the pessimist’s room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly.

“Why are you crying?” the father asked.

“Because my friends will be jealous, I’ll have to read all these instructions before I can do anythingwiththisstuff,I’llconstantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken.” answered the pessimist twin.

Passing the optimist twin’s room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure.

“What are you so happy about?” he asked.

To which his optimist twin replied, “There’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!”

New Years Eve7pmPar ty - 2am

EVERYONE WELCOME

“Take Comfort in Quality Work”

48-6th Ave., N.E. Box 1330 mjcollision@sasktel.net

(306) 693-Dent (3368) After Hours: (306) 631-6778

Advance Tickets $25.00 after December 25th $30.00 Entertainment - Original Covers

from Fraternal Order of Eagles 561 HOME ST W • MOOSE JAW • 306-693-1496

Warmest Wishes for a Festive Season May your holiday season be filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments with loved ones. Happy holidays!