Page 2 • Valley Bugler • December 2017
From the Editor’s Desk Thankmas officially melded into Christmas, and the Lifetime channel has begun its nonstop cheesy Christmas movies. I have to admit it, I'm a sucker for some of those movies, I don't know why. Maybe it's the absolute cheesiness that gets me, or the sappy story ending that you can see coming a mile away. Whatever it is, they are fun to watch while sipping hot cocoa under a warm blankie. Quite possibly, it is the cold rain falling outside that contributes to our strange affinity toward these heart warming movies playing on tv. Everybody has a favorite. What's yours? Elf? It's a Wonderful Life? The Christmas Story? Scrooged? Home Alone? Miracle on 34th Street? Die Hard? What? Yes, my dad and brothers always watch Die Hard for Christmas. And before that, my mom and dad used to watch it at Christmas time. This is one tradition that nobody really remembers why or how got started, but it was many, many years ago. Probably back in the 90's. ☺ Whatever your favorite Christmas movie, I hope that you have already gotten it out and begun your traditional viewing. And break out some new ones. Netflix and Amazon Prime have some great Christmas flicks, and even fulfill the cheesy factor. Grab a bowl of popcorn, gather friends and family, and start a new tradition. Speaking of traditions, if you're feeling the need to create some new
Valley Bugler, LLC Longview, WA (360)414-1246 www.ValleyBugler.com editor@valleybugler.com
Photos: Oscar R Myre V, at age 9 months; 3 years and almost 9 years of age. ♥ This highly intelligent little boy keeps us all on our toes, and has us all rolling in hysterics with his personality. ♥
December is the month that things start to go a little wild around these parts. Not including Christmas and New Year, there are a total of 8 birthdays in the span of 6 weeks. FUN! So, happy birthday, to our dear sweet little boy, who is turning 9 this Christmas! It's hard to believe that this is our "baby" who is growing up so fast...Minecraft gamer, outside adventurer and overall FUN little boy, you are such a beautiful part of the family. You are truly my little buddy, and I cherish the times we get together playing and our snuggles, as well as seeing you learn and refine your "Math Wizardry" and love for Jesus!!! WE LOVE YOU, AND ARE BLESSED TO CALL YOU OUR SON!
ones, develop an outdoor game that your family and invited friends can enjoy. One such game we played was called Christian Killer Football. Yep. It was pretty gnarly. CKF for short, became an annual event that left the remainder of our clothes soaked with mud and grass stains. CKF was played on a large, steep hill. The rules were easy: 2 teams; one football; get the football either up
or down the hill...and when played on slippery leaves and mud, it's even more of an adventure. We loved every second...even the injuries. ☺ Wishing you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Until next month, Michelle Myre Publisher / Editor
Editor/Publisher: Michelle Myre Copy Editor: Tom Reich Web Manager: Oscar Myre IV Distribution: Diana Jones Advertising: Michelle Myre
Columnists: Blake Peterson: Movie Reviews Georgia Butterfield: Adoptee Georgia Cox: Castle Rock Seniors Oscar Myre IV: Geek Speak Paddy Elkins: Fruits & Nuts Pat Nelson: Windows on Woodland **The Valley Bugler newspaper publishes content supplied from columnists, and is not responsible for factual mistakes or anything other than the occasional spelling error. The Valley Bugler retains a neutral stance on ads, issues and articles printed, unless otherwise stated. Columnists may not always submit material for each month. Columnists may be reached by eMailing the Valley Bugler Newspaper.** eMail: editor@valleybugler.com Phone: (360)414-1246 Web: www.valleybugler.com
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December 2017 • Valley Bugler • Page 3
Festivals, Fairy Tale Balls & more! December 1-3: Festival of the Nativities 4pm - 9pm, 900 11th Ave, Longview Hundreds of Christmas nativities from around the world will be displayed. A free event, open to all, features hundreds of nativities from around the world set up in an Old World Bethlehem marketplace.Also including local music performances, living nativity vignettes, a special "white" room and a children's room with activities and "touchables" nativities. Friday, December 1st: Christmas in Kalama Kicks off 6:30pm, Toteff Park, Kalama Kicking Christmas season off right with a tree lighting ceremony. The Walk and Knock food driver for Helping Hands is December 2nd. Kalama residents are asked to set out bags of non-perishable foods for pickup. December 2, 1-3pm people of all ages can visit with Santa, get a free photo, gift and candy cane at the Kalama Public Library. Sunday, Dec 3 at 5pm is the annual community turkey dinner at Kalama Elementary School. Cost is $7 per person, and kids 8yrs and younger eat for free. Music and entertainment, as well as visiting and photos with Santa, gift and a candy cane
Saturday, December 2nd: Woodland's Winterfest, 6pm Beginning with a Christmas tree lighting at 6pm, the Hoffman Plaza in downtown Woodland will be hopping with holiday cheer. The Winterfest queen and princess will light the tree, and following all kids will have the chance to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus for a free gift. Free hot dogs, hot chocolate, coffee and cookies will be served. Saturday, December 9th: Breakfast with Santa Claus! McClelland Center, 951 Delaware Ave, Longview Tickets now available for 8:30am and 10:45am breakfast seatings. Tickets are $9pp and include breakfast, hands-on workshops, Santa & Mrs. Claus, and Penny's Puppets from Portland leading a singalong and puppet show. Professional photos with Santa available for $5. Each child goes home with a gift. NO tickets sold at the door. Register online or call 442-5400. Online: mylongview.com/recreation for session 152858 (8:30am) or session 152859 (10:45am). Saturday, December 9th: Jingle All the Way 5k The annual Jingle All the Way 5K starts at 5pm at the Civic Center in
Home for the Holidays Parade Saturday, December 2nd @ 5pm
Tons to do for the whole family in Downtown Longview on Parade Day, December 2nd! Starting at 12pm and lasting until right before the big Parade at 5pm, there will be: Longview’s Gingerbread Haus Contest, Gift Bazaars, Pedicab Rides, Live music, and of course delicious treats from local restaurants. Downtown, at Teague's Interiors, the annual Gingerbread Haus contest will be on display from 12:30pm - 7pm, where you can see all the
houses and sweet creations. Then, at 5pm, The Parade will begin! Winding around Downtown, this cheery and flashy parade will finish at the Civic Circle in front of the Monticello Hotel, with the arrival of the famous big guy himself, Santa Claus and his lovely wife, Mrs. Claus. Once the switch is flipped, and the entire Civic Circle is lit up by beautiful lights, little boys and girls of all ages can sit on Santa’s lap to tell him their special Christmas wish.
Longview. All ages are invited to run, walk, dance, skip, stroll and "jingle all the way" as many laps as they want up to 5K. Prizes awarded for first 3 men finishers, first 3 women finishers; best group costume, most original costume and Griswold brightest costume. To enter costume contest, arrive at 3:30pm, contest at 4:30pm, Santa will stop by at 4pm. Entertainment provided along the course. Registration is $25pp (includes shirt) or $65 for a family of 4 (includes shirts); $10 per additional family member and $20 per individual (no shirt). Register: kelsolongviewchamber.org Saturday, December 9th: Castle Rock Festival of Lights Downtown Castle Rock, WA See article on page 6 for all info!
Saturday, December 9th: Festival of Lighted Boats Kalama Marine Park, 5pm 101 West Marine Drive, Kalama Decorated boats will light up the waterfront, featuring a parade of lighted vessels, music and caroling, live entertainment, festive food and drink. Holiday photos with Santa and a McMenamins beer garden. Tuesday, December 12th: Fairy Tale Snow Ball Longview Public Library 6pm - 7:30pm The annual fairy-tale winter ball invites attendees to wear folk and fairy tale themed costumes. Ball goers will listen to stories told by the fire, drink delicious hot cocoa, eat magical treats, play with "snow dough" and make holiday crafts. This is a free event for the whole family!
The Nutcracker Ballet Southwest Washington Dance Center’s performing company, Southwest Washington Dance Ensemble, will present their 21st annual production of the full-length Holiday classic “The Nutcracker”. The ballet will take place in the state-of-the-art Corbet Theatre, (see
ad same page).
The 2017 production of “The Nutcracker” is under the direction of Danielle Brosco. The Dance Ensemble is made up of over 130 dancers from Southwest Washington Dance Center and children and adults from the Lewis and South Thurston County areas. As always, the ballet is full of new choreography, costumes, and lots of surprises. Under the directorship of Brosco, this year’s production is sure to delight all Nutcracker fans.
One does not need to drive to Seattle or Portland to see a wonderful Nutcracker. This production truly rivals the big city productions with handmade costumes and sets created by gifted local artists. A faithful group of volunteers labor on costumes, props, all the behind the scene jobs and serves as the technical crew. Tickets: $22.00-Adults, $15.00Seniors 62+ and children, 18 and under Tickets online at swwdance. org or the Dance Center at 360-7484789, located at 455 N. Market Blvd. in Chehalis. After December 10th, tickets will only be available online, at the box office of Corbet Theatre on the campus of Centralia College from the hours of 1:00-8:00 pm or phone.
Page 4 • Valley Bugler • December 2017
Movie Reviews By Blake Peterson
'THOR: Ragnarok' Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett Directed by Taika Waititi Running Time 2hr, 10min, PG-13 My Rating: B+
At this point the Marvel universe has expanded so much that film executives no longer feel the need to go with the bigger-is-always-better sequel mentality. Audiences are used to being hand-fed multimillion-dollar spectacles. Being floored by a particularly gutsy action sequence or visual snack is so “yesterday”. It’s the goofy, “knowing” stuff that flies highest now. As such, more comedic excursions like 2016’s “Deadpool” and 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” have fared better than the likes of more dramatic adventures like “Doctor Strange” (2016) or “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017). An unbridled sense of fun is more appealing than a general heaviness that’s sometimes interrupted by screwball comedy. It’s always lightheartedness that wins in the long run. And “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) knows it. It’s simultaneously the best movie in the Thor series and the first movie within its superheroic universe that doesn’t seem all that concerned with outdoing its counterparts. Directed by Taika Waititi, who is a true original best known for his work on television’s “Flight of the Conchords” (2007-09), “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014), and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (2016). “Ragnarok” is an anomaly in the Marvel canon in that it is more a product of its maker. As great as canon-definers James Gunn and Joss Whedon are, their comedy styles are nonetheless easy to weave into the grand scheme of superhero-led action. By contrast, Waititi’s sensibilities are idiosyncratic.
For example, scenes are propelled by awkward silences, bizarre one-liners delivered with monotone affectation, and more. In this case, that’s a good thing: The “Thor” movies thus far have been enjoyable placeholders, and the Marvel universe as a whole is in great need of ego deflation. In “Thor: Ragnarok,” we follows its title character (Chris Hemsworth) as he tries to stop Hela (Cate Blanchett), his estranged sister who happens to also be the Goddess of Death, from taking over his home planet after their father (Anthony Hopkins) dies. Granted, the movie is a lot more complicated than that. For most of its length, Thor, as well as his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), are trapped on a goofy planet where an eccentric, totalitarian leader (Jeff Goldblum, apparently playing himself) forces the population to compete in an extravagant, arena-housed battle to the death. Jokes are cracked. So are bones. It’s all very “Flash Gordon” (1980), almost a satire of all the superhero movies and space operas preceding it. Given its silliness, we’re tempted to call it throwaway. But then we try to think of the last Marvel movie we saw where the comedy was at the forefront and the action set pieces were merely decorations. And we come up with nothing. “Ragnarok” is one of the few Marvel movies that seems to understand that superhero movies don’t have to be more than their sensorial pleasures. The movie is certainly much more primed for repeated viewings than many of its peers. “Ragnarok” exceeds expectations. It not only showcases lead Hemsworth’s comedic timing in ways the saga hasn’t before, but also uses Waititi’s style of humor, as well as the abilities of its exceptional supporting cast, to make us crave more of whatever kind of superhero movie this is. Give me more, please. A student at the University of Washington, Blake will major in Visual Communications or Journalism. petersonreviews.com
"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!" - Buddy, the elf
December 2017 • Valley Bugler • Page 5
The Holidays and Grief
Local Shop Makes Lemonade from Lemons HUBBUB, a unique gift, clothing, and art boutique in historic downtown Centralia, celebrated its 12th anniversary last month with its popular storewide sale and usual colorful style. What was far from usual this year was that the celebration was not held in the shop’s historic home. In early May a drunk driver lost control of his speeding vehicle and crashed through the corner of the brick building, causing extensive damage and destroying one of the shop’s signature display windows. (See above photo.) Following the incident, shop owner Rebecca Staebler along with employee Tiffany James and a crew of
were excited to have HUBBUB take over the lobby, which has been vacant for several years. (See photo below.) Staebler is anticipating a lively and fun holiday season. To kick it off she is planning an open house on December 2 to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of the hotel, which took place in the winter of 1914. She’s heard great stories over the last several months from people who owned the building, lived and worked in it, or remembers the various businesses housed in the adjacent storefronts. “One of my favorites is a gentleman who used to come in at 3:30am every day as a young boy
friends and customers, transported select merchandise up the street to a temporary location. “We popped up within a few days to a tiny space— about the size of our display window!” said Staebler. “It was just a few days before Mother’s Day and we didn’t want to disappoint our customers,” she explained. However, it was quickly apparent that repairs would be extensive and customers wanted more of HUBBUB’s merchandise. So Staebler and her team moved the entire contents of the store into the lobby of The Wilson Hotel. HUBBUB is now open at 328 North Tower Avenue, which is just over a block south of its home location. “It’s a great space,” said Staebler, “and I feel so fortunate that it was available. “ The buildings owners, she reports,
to sit in front of the massive fireplace and fold papers for his newspaper route.” She says his breakfast most mornings was a donut from the shop at the front of the hotel. As a nod to that memory she’ll serve fresh donuts at the open house. HUBBUB features unique and handmade artisan goods and gifts for all ages and occasions. It is also well known for its selection of comfortable, colorful boots and clothing. In addition to its storefront (wherever it might be!) customers can shop online at www.hubbubshop.com HUBBUB is open every day during the holiday season, and Staebler is confident the building will be repaired and restored very soon, so that HUBBUB will move back ‘home’. Photos provided by HUBBUB.
Overcoming the pain and loss of a loved one, either to death or the death of a relationship, can be extremely traumatic. Especially when presented with the times of the year that are notorious for celebrating "with loved ones". So how on earth is anyone expected to cope on these special occasions without that special someone? For many, myself included, this is one of the hardest aspects of grieving. When you have lost someone immensely important and special in your life, for me it was my mom, the ability to celebrate almost anything flies out the window. Holidays only magnify the loss, and can often present traumatic anxiety and deepened grief and sadness. The need for support is often times greatest during the holidays an dspecial occasions celebrated with the missing cherished one. Pretending that this isn't the case, or that you aren't hurting just isn't true for you. It isn't a sign of weakness to share that your grief is more acute during holiday celebrations. It is a sign of loving. Lean into the grief as you make it through this holiday season - and you will. There are many beautiful ways to incorporate and remember your departed loved one and your loss into the holidays, which will, in turn, help you process through this year's experience. Which is, undoubtedly different than before. Maybe it has been years, or only a few months. * Say a special prayer before the
dinner about your loved one * Share online about them and their traditions they brought to your holidays * Have everyone tell or share a funny or special story about your loved one * Light a candle for your loved one * Place a special flower (their favorite?) at the Holiday dinner table in their memory Of course, there are other ways to cope. Develop a Plan B. If Plan A is to go over to Christmas dinner at Bob's house, then make a Plan B. If things don't feel right, then have Plan B ready to go into motion, such as a movie or special book. Cancel the holiday. Yes, you can. Not forever, but just for this year if you are feeling nothing. Many people find the Holiday routine as a comfort, and that life continues, despite grief. Create new traditions. The traditions that you once held with your loved one may not be able to continue in their absence, and that's okay. Build on some new traditions, with their memory as the base. My family is still working our way through life and the holidays without mom. We've started a few new traditions to cope. Time really does heal. I've learned to give myself grace. To be gentle with myself and allow time for the feelings, of joy and deep sadness in remembrance. To allow the tears to honor her memory. Try the holidays in a new way, living one day at a time, and allowing yourself to remember and cherish.
Page 6 • Valley Bugler • December 2017
Join in the Fun at the 8th Annual
Castle Rock Festival of Lights • Dec.9th Submitted by Georgia Cox DECEMBER Events Every Monday: Our delectable Cinnamon Rolls and coffee will be served to the public from 10am to NOON. Suggested donation is only $1.50 for these delicious concessions. A great way to start your week! Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday: Get that heart rate up and get healthy with Senior exercises from 9:30am-10:30am. Every Tuesday afternoon: Games, cards and visiting will be in the Center from Noon to 3pm. Anyone is welcome! Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday: "Write Your Life Story" will meet in the Center at 1:00pm - 3:00pm. Every Wednesday: CAP offers Nutrition Meals for Seniors at the Center at NOON. Suggested donation is $3.00, PLEASE call #6362118 (by Monday) for reservations. Paper Tole classes will be taking place from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. Every Thursday: Quilting projects will take place from Noon - 3pm and
fun Pinochle games are played in the Center later at 7pm and open to all who are interested! Every Friday: Lunches by reservation only, will be served in the Center at NOON. Must Reserve by calling 6362118 by Monday. Every Saturday: BINGO games played from 1pm - 3pm. Come join in the fun! SPECIAL EVENTS: Tuesday, December 12th: Potluck Lunch & Raffle! Meet at the Center at 11am, with a potluck lunch starting at Noon. At 1pm, there will be a raffle drawing for a beautiful quilt and several other items. Thursday, November 16th: Commodities will be distributed from 10am - 1pm. Have a valid punch card. NOTICE: Center will be closed: Dec. 23, 30 and January 1 for the Holidays. Watch the reader board for announcements during the coming holiday weeks. Castle Rock Senior Center 222 - 2nd Ave • Castle Rock WA (360)274-7502
Castle Rock Senior Center Bazaar
Saturday • December 9th • 9am - 3pm It's that time of year! The Castle Rock Senior Center Bazaar is bursting with holiday goodness, goodies and presents galore for their annual Christmas Bazaar. Plenty of vendors will be displaying their holiday crafts, gifts and goodies for you to do some shopping and finish off that Christmas list, or find some great stocking stuffers. Same day is the Castle Rock Festival of Lights, parade and overall Christmas Cheer for the whole family. Save the date to your calendar today for December 9th!
‘Twas the month before Christmas, and all through the town, the lights were a’twinkling and the elves were around!' Castle Rock, Washington, and all of its merry elves invite you to attend the 8th annual Castle Rock Festival of Lights celebration! This year’s festivities continue the traditions of a truly unique Northwest Christmas. Visit the town on December 9th for a party throughout town. Free pictures with Santa will be held inside Fibre Federal Credit Union (202 Front Ave SW, Castle Rock) beginning at 2pm and continuing throughout most of the afternoon and evening. Little munchkins, young and old, can meet and sit on Santa's lap to share their Christmas wishes. Come by and snag a complimentary cookie and cup of cocoa while you wait! Santa will take a break for the holiday parade, scheduled to begin at 5:30pm. The tree lighting ceremony
and caroling will follow immediately after the parade. The tree lighting display, and parade lights are sure to bring out your holly jolly self, as you rub elbows with other fellow community members and join your voices in song. Santa will stick around until 7:30pm for more pictures, and will have a sweet treat for all the good little girls and boys. The town will be full of good cheer all day long, with shopping deals, street venders, activities for the whole family, and plenty of photo opportunities with Frosty, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, and a whole team of elves! Plus, don’t miss your chance to win fabulous raffle prizes! The lights will stay on through December 31. The magic of the Castle Rock Festival of Lights is truly in the old fashioned, hometown feel of the festival, and the glittering lights hung with care throughout the town. If you are looking for a place to recapture the magic of what Christmas used to feel like, this is certainly the place for you. To you and yours from everyone at the Castle Rock Festival of Lights, may you have yourself a very merry Christmas! For more information and a complete schedule of events, please visit the Castle Rock Festival of Lights on Facebook at: facebook.com/CastleRockFestivalOfLights
[Photo at left: The Castle Rock Annual Festival of Lights festivties, captured by Melody Kranz, Storytelling Photography.]
December 2017 • Valley Bugler • Page 7
Please enjoy this extensive and hopefully comprehensive list of bazaars (up to date when published - we do our best), and keep it handy throughout the month. Didn't see your Bazaar listed here? Make sure to contact the Valley Bugler in early October next year to ensure your listing gets seen and published. Merry Christmas to you, and to all a happy Bazaar-ing!
Thursday, November 30th Artisan Guild of Mt St Helens Bazaar Cassava's on 14th & Broadway, LV Nov. 30th & Dec. 1st, 9am-5pm Gifts, stained glass, jewelry, handmade pet items, benefit Humane Society Deck the Hall Holiday Open House Redman Hall, Skamokawa 1394 W. State Route 4 Nov. 30th Noon - 4:00pm Benefits River Life Interpretive Center (Also: Dec.1,2,3,7,8,9,10,14,15,16)
The
Saturday, December 2nd Christmas Bazaar Longview 1st Church of God 2335 46th Ave, Longview December 2nd, 8am - 4pm Christmas Bazaar & Collectibles Shilo Christian Fellowship 701 East E. Street, Rainier OR December 2nd, 9am - 4pm Benefits Mountain Ministries Community Hospice Bazaar 1035 - 11th Ave, Longview WA December 2nd, 9am - 3pm Handcrafted items, Benefits Community Home, Health & Hospice Handcrafted Holiday Bazaar McClelland Arts Center 951 Delaware, Longview WA December 2nd, 10am - 3pm Home-made & handcrafted items.
Lighter Side
Proverbs by six year olds A 1st Grade Teacher asked her six year old students to complete the second half of some well known proverbs. Their true answers will leave you in stitches. Don't change horses...until they stop running. Strike while the...bug is close. It's always darkest before...Daylight Saving Time. Never underestimate the power of...termites. You can lead a horse to water, but... how? Don't bite the hand that...looks dirty. No news is...impossible. A miss is as good as a...Mr. You can't teach and old dog new... math. If you lie down with dogs, you'll... stink in the morning. Love all, trust...me. The pen is mightier than the...pigs. An idle mind is...the best way to relax. Where there's smoke there's...pollution. Happy the bride who...gets all the presents. A penny saved is...not much. Two's company, three's the Musketeers. Don't put off till tomorrow what... you put on to go to bed. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and...you have to blow your nose. There are none so blind as...Stevie Wonder. Children should be seen and not... spanked or grounded. If at first you don't succeed...get new batteries. You get out of something only what you...see in the picture on the box. When the blind lead the blind...get out of the way. A bird in the hand...is going to poop on you. Better late than...pregnant. Did you Know? What do you have in December that you don't have in any other month ? The letter "D"! What do you call a letter sent up the chimney on Christmas Eve ? Black mail!
Kelso Eagles Christmas Bazaar 609 S. Pacific, Kelso December 2nd, 9am - 5pm December 3rd, 9am - 4pm Toledo Christmas Bazaar Toledo High School 1242 Hwy 505, Toledo December 2nd, 9am - 3pm Dozens and dozens of holiday cookies, lunch will be served, vendors
Friday, December 8th 6th Annual Holiday Bazaar Blowout Cowlitz County Fairgrounds 1900 Seventh Ave, Longview December 8th, 8am - 6pm December 9th, 8am - 6pm Benefits military overseas
Saturday, December 9th
Get in the holiday spirit! Visit downtown Castle Rock for the annual Tree lighting and Bazaar! Festival of Lighted Boats in Kalama Kalama Marine Park, Kalama December 9th, 5pm - 9pm Get in the holiday spirit with this delightful Festival of Lighted Boats! Giving Hope Bazaar & Toy Drive
Prestige Senior Living, Monticello Park
605 Broadway, Longview December 9th, 10am - 4pm Benefits Community House
Toutle Country Christmas Toutle Lake School, 5050 Spirit Lake Hwy, Toutle December 9th, 9am - 3pm Benefits Toutle VFW & Grange
Castle Rock Bazaar & Festival of Lights in Downtown Castle Rock Bazaar: CR Senior Center December 9th, 9am - 3pm
☺ The history of the candy cane
Why does Father Christmas go down the chimney ? Because it soots him! What is a stable? Every Christmas morning, when my kids were little, I read them the nativity story out of the big family bible. When my son was old enough to talk, he asked me what a stable was. I thought for a moment how to explain it to him in terms he could understand, then told him, "It's something like your sister's room, but without a stereo." Short Snow Jokes What happened when the snowgirl fell out with the snowboy? She gave him the cold shoulder! What do snowmen wear on their heads? Ice caps! Where do snowmen go to dance? Snowballs!
There is much controversy over the beginnings of this humble confection. Was it started with a German Choirmaster in 1670? Indiana candy maker create them in the mid 1920's? Contrary to popular belief, candy canes, or sweet sticks of hard candy, have been around for over 250 years. The Christmas Candy Cane originated in Germany around the early 1800's, and had their start as straight, white, sugar sticks. Sometime around 1900 the red stripes were added, along with peppermint and wintergreen flavoring. As with many symbols, the candy cane can be used as a teaching example for Christian beliefs. The "J" can mean Jesus, as well as represent the staff of the shepherds watching their flocks by night. The white of the cane can represent the purity of Jesus Christ, and the red stripes for the blood he shed on the cross. As history would have it, around 1920, Bob McCormack from Georgia, started making canes for his friends and family. McCormack's brother
in law, Gregory Keller, invented the Keller Machine that automatically made straight candy sticks into curved ones, giving us today's candy cane!
Page 8 • Valley Bugler • December 2017
COUPON Central
December 2017 • Valley Bugler • Page 9
KIWANIS CLUBS focus their community service hours to the welfare of children. CATHLAMET 1st Tues. 6 p.m. at the St. Catherine’s Catholic Church; 3rd Tues. at Sugar Lillies at noon. CHEHALIS - Thursday 12 p.m. at “The Restaurant” in Sunbirds. CLATSKANIE - 1st & 3rd & 5th Tues 6 p.m. at Fultano’s; 2nd & 4th Tues 12 p.m. Colvin’s. KELSO LONGVIEW - Every Thursday at noon. Kelso Senior Center (Catlin Hall). Richard (360)636-3906 SCAPPOOSE- 1st & 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Windemere Real Estate Office) ST. HELENS - Thurs. noon at the Elks Lodge (350 Belton Rd, St Helens). ST. HELENS DAYBREAKERS - Tues 7 a.m. at Warren Country Inn, Last Tues 6pm Columbia Soil and Water District Office AMERICAN LEGION GLEN HOYER POST 175 meets in Castle Rock every 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. For info call 423.9542. The LADIES AUXILIARY to Glen Hoyer Post #175 of the American Legion meets first Thursdays. For info call 423-9542. AMERICAN LEGION GUY RATHBUN Post #25 meets the 2nd Thurs. of the month at 7 p.m @ Kelso Eagles For info Kandi 423.2504 BUFORD ROCKAFELLOW POST 101, The American Legion, and Auxiliary meets the 2nd Friday of each month at the Winlock Community Building. Potluck 6 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m.. For info Post Commander Wendy Carolan 360-785-0929 or Adjutant Phil Carolan at (360) 785-0929. The FLEET RESERVE ASSOCIATION (FRA) Naval Service Veterans, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard. Lower Columbia Branch 363 meets 6:30 p.m., 2nd Friday, Longview VFW building, 4311 Ocean Beach Highway. Information: Ray Hegr (360) 425-6981 FLEET RESERVE AUXILIARY #363 meets 2nd Fri of month at VFW Hall, 4311 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview. Potluck 6:30 p.m. meeting 7:30 p.m. Active, retired, or reserve status family members with the US Navy, Marines, Coast Guard. Info 425.4688. KOREAN WAR VETS ASSOCIATION CHAPTER #321 of SW WA meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month @ 10am; Vancouver WA. Call Commander James Mead (360)907-0592 for information. KELSO-LONGVIEW ELKS LODGE #1482 meets Thurs at 7:30 p.m. for our members only. Dinner is served before Lodge at 5:30 p.m. Lunches are served Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 900 Ash St., Kelso. 360.425.1482. TOUTLE VALLEY VFW POST & AUXILIARY #10882 meets the 1st Tuesday @ 7 p.m. at their Post Home, 101 Hansen Road in Toutle. For more information, contact John at 274.4350 or Nikki at 274.5263. TOLEDO VFW 3429, Reg. Meeting 1st Monday, Potluck at noon, meeting at 1 p.m. COWLITZ VALLEY VFW POST 1045, Tues. Bingo @ 6 p.m., 5 p.m. dinner; Auxilary mtngs at 11 a.m. every 2nd Wednesday. Breakfast for veterans served 1st Sat. of each month $6 each from 9 - 11 a.m. The COWLITZ VALLEY VFW LADIES AUXILIARY POST #1045 meets 2nd Wed., 11a.m., VFW Hall 4311 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview. Info: Ruby (360)5770414 or Jeannette (360) 414-4053. COWLITZ PRAIRIE GRANGE #737 meets 2nd Wednesdays 6:30pm potluck, 4th Wednesdays 7:30pm dessert. 5180 Jackson Hwy, Toledo, WA 864-2023 SUNNYSIDE GRANGE #129 meets the 1st & 3rd Thursdays. 6:30 for potluck, 7:30 meeting. Call 274.6013 for information & rental hall. SILVER LAKE GRANGE 2nd and 4th Thurs. Potluck 6:30, meeting at 7:30 p.m. Info Anita Morgan 748-8098, Rentals call Claudia Hunter 274-5263 CATLIN GRANGE #199 2nd & 4th Fri. 6:30 p.m. Potluck dinner 2nd Friday. 7:30 meetings. More info: 423-2122; Rental call Barbara Wilburn: 425-5970. PLEASANT HILL GRANGE # 101 2nd Monday. 6:30 p.m. Potluck, meeting @ 7:15 p.m. Community Service group meets Thursdays @ 10am. Info & rentals call Zula Bryan 360-425-6101 ROSE VALLEY GRANGE #9453 2nd Tuesday, 7p.m. Info & Hall Rental: Nicole Nickel 360-431-3175 WOODLAND GRANGE #178 1st Thursdays 7:30 p.m. 404 Davidson, Woodland. Info & rentals call John Burke 225-9888 CASTLE ROCK WOMANS CLUB meets every 2nd Monday at 1 p.m. 206 W. Cowlitz Street. Business meeting & program. Public iinvited. Info: 274.8149. THE PYTHIAN CASTLE 24 holds their meetings every 2nd and 4th Thursday @ 1 p.m. at the Castle Rock Womens Club, 206 Cowlitz St. West, Castle Rock. THE CASTLE ROCK LIONS CLUB meets the 1st & 3rd Thursdays at Hattie’s Restaurant @ 5:45 p.m. The club sponsors newspaper recycling. R Square D Square Dance Club: Sept - May. 2nd Fri & 4th Sat. 7:30 pm Plus, 8:00pm - 10:00pm Mainstream with Rounds. $5 admission Kelso Senior Ctr 636-1993 LONGVIEW MONTICELLO LIONS meets 6:30 p.m. 2nd and 4th Mondays, dinner and speaker at The
on 2nd & 4th Mondays. LONGVIEW EARLY BIRD LIONS meets at The Carriage Restaurant on the 1st Wednesday @6pm, 3rd Wednesday @6:45am. VADER LIONS CLUB meets 1st Thurs @ 6 p.m. & 3rd Thur @ 7 p.m. at club building on Hwy 506 in Vader for a potluck dinner and meeting. Info: 295-3087 or 295-3801. KALAMA LIONS CLUB 2nd & 4th Mon. of month, 7:00pm Kalama Comm. Bldg., 126 N. 2nd St, Kalama,Wa. All welcome. www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/kalama.com LONGVIEW PIONEER LIONS CLUB meets every Tuesday at noon at the Longview Eagles Club (152612th Ave) Visitors welcome. WINLOCK LIONS CLUB meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 12 p.m. at Guadalajara Restaurant, off SR 505. Visitors welcome. Call 7853744 info KELSO LIONS CLUB meets 1st & 3rd Monday @ 6:30 p.m. at Kelso Presbyterian Methodist Church. Call Gary 423-7181 ROSE VALLEY GRANGE #953 meets 2nd Tues. @ 1pm, & 4th Tuesdays @ 6 p.m. 1520 Rose Valley Road, Kelso. Info: Becky 575-3977 or Debbie 414-9627 COWLITZ COUNTY VETERANS ASSOC. meets the second Friday of each month. CALL 577-6757 for locations. LONGVIEW REBEKAH LODGE NO. 305 Meets the 1st and 3rd Saturday each month at the IOOF Hall, corner of Pacific and Pine, Kelso, 1 p.m.. Info: 1-866725-3507 CASTLE ROCK EAGLES, celebrating their 100th birthday, meets at the Eagles Aerie on Huntington Ave. @ 8 p.m. every 2nd & 4th Tuesday for the Aerie & Auxiliary. KELSO EAGLES meet 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7 p.m. Aux., Aerie meets at 8 p.m. Initiation 3rd Tuesday. BINGO MonWed-Fri @ 6:30 p.m. Special Charity BINGO Monday 12 - 3 p.m. Call 425-8330 for info. CASTLE ROCK FREEMASONS 3rd Mon @ 7:30 p.m. at Lodge located on SW First Ave DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, MaryRichardson Walker Chapter. rootsweb. ancestry.com/~wamrwcdar/ FRIENDS OF CASTLE ROCK LIBRARY, 1st Mondays from 10 - 11 a.m., Library 137 Cowlitz St. West in Castle Rock WORSHIP & RECOVERY meeting, Sunday @ 1 p.m., refreshments. Positive faith group meeting. 1260 12th Ave., LV S.C.O.R.E. - Free counseling & guidance for small businesses by the nation-wide of S.C.O.R.E., Kelso/ Longview Chamber of Commerce, 1563 Olympia Way, Longview, WA. DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS: 1st Fri of the month at 1 p.m. @ 1639 10th Ave. 577-5890, and Auxiliary meets the 2nd Friday of the month at 11 a.m. 423-3125 MT. ST. HELENS CLUB - meets 2x week to hike on a rural trail in SW Washington &/or NW Oregon. Location and info: mtsthelensclub.org or 360- 673-2799 NATIONAL ASSOC. OF ACTIVE & RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Longview - Kelso Chapter 1070, meet the 1st Wednesday @ 11:30 a.m. at the Monticello Hotel, Longview. Info: 423.6032. LOWER COLUMBIA WOODCARVERS Tues 5 - 7 p.m. & Thurs. 1 - 4 p.m . @ LV Senior Center 274-3175 LONGVIEW BORDER CROSSINGS Volks walking meet on 2nd Tuesdays at St. John’s Hospital, Longview, @ 6:30 p.m. Cafeteria Sam Korff 503-728-0400 KELSO ROTARY Meets Thursdays at 12 p.m. Lunch available to purchase. Kelso Longview Elks Lodge Call 414-5406 for more information ALTRUSA of Longview/Kelso meets Thursdays from 12 - 1 p.m.. 1st - Board; 2nd - Business; 3rd - Committee; 4th - Program; Lunch served for $5 at all meetings except Board. Meet at Altrusa room at CAP. THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM Christian Intervention program for the chemically dependent, meets Wednesday 6 p.m. at Landmark United Pentecostal, 4333 Ocean Beach Hwy, 360-636-0580 LONGVIEW GARDEN CLUB meets at 10 a.m. the 4th Thurs. Jan. - November; Sept. - Oct. Due to holidays, Nov. & Dec. meetings are on the 3rd Thurs. Most mtngs Grace Lutheran Church in Longview. Info: 425-0755 Lower Columbia Genealogical Society 7:00p.m. 2nd Thurs @ Somerset Retirement Home, 2025 Tibbetts Dr., Longview. Visitors welcome. Info: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~walcolgs/index.htm COWLITZ BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION meets the 3rd Thursday each month, 7 p.m. @ 3 Rivers Bible Church 102 Harris Street, Kelso, 360-749-9040 OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS of Longview meets Thursday @ 5:30-6:30pm at 1414 12th Ave, Longview. Info: Gloria 360-749-7449 or www.oa.org NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) "Connections" Open Support Group Mondays @ 4-5:30pm & Thurs 12-1:30pm. Counseling avail. Call (360)703-6722 Kelso office: 109 Allen St, Kelso WA Kalamas GFWC AMALAK women's service club 1st & 3rd Thurs from Sept - May at Community Center, 216 Elm street in Kalama at 7:00 p.m. Call 360-901-1791 CASTLE ROCK TOPS # 0740 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly)Thurs 9:30am, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 312 First Ave. Darlene: 703-5042.
Abernathy Assembly of God 702 Abernathy Creek Rd. Longview Phone: 360-636-1620 Website: www.AbernathyAoG.com Sunday Service 10:45 AM Apostolic Lighthouse 803 Vandercook, Ste 12, Longview Bible Study Tues 7:30pm Church Service Sun 2:30pm Pastor Mozingo (360)219-6109 Apostolic Lutheran Church 248 Cowlitz St. W., Castle Rock Sunday School 10:15 a.m. Church at 11 a.m. Information Dave Kandoll 295-3461
Worship Sunday 10:00 a.m. facebook.com/thefireside First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 2000 East Kessler Blv - Longview 360.425.4220 Rev. Eric Atcheson lvfirstchristian.org revericatcheson.blogspot.com Grace and Truth City Church 525 Third Ave SW – Castle Rock Pastor David Beer Worship 10:15am, 749-2289 Grace Bible Fellowship 300 S.10th Ave, Kelso Worship: Sunday 11:00am Bible Study 9:30 a.m. www.GraceIsReal.org (360)423-4035
Baha’i Faith Vader 360-751-2181 Packwood 360-494-4767 Longview 360-423-4105 Lutheran Church, MS Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Grace 2725 Dover Street, Longview Worship: Sunday 10:30am Bethany Lutheran Church www.Glcmslv.net 2900 Parkview Drive, Longview (360)414-4147 Office: (360)577-8240 Pastor Megan Filer Sunday Worship: 9:30 a.m. Grace United Methodist Church, Vader, 295.3402 Castle Rock Christian Church Rev. Steven A. Caskey, pastor 542 Huntington Ave. S, Castle R. Sunday worship service – 12:15 p.m. Sunday school – 9 am (all ages) Potluck every 2nd Sunday Quilting on Mondays & Thursdays Sunday Worship – 10 am Dr. John Leffler, Senior Pastor 6th-12th Gr. youth Wed, 6-7:30 pm Highland’s Baptist Church 360-274-6771 M-F, 9:30a -1:30pm 371 20th Avenue 425-1960 Longview Call for home groups/studies Sunday School 9:00am www.cr-cc.org Worship Service 11:00am Pastor Larry Pedigo 703-2117 Castle Rock Church of the Nazarene 456 Pioneer Ave. NE, Castle Rock House of Prayer for All Nations Sunday School classes 9:30 a.m. 868 9th ave. Longview, WA Worship Celebration 10:45 a.m. Sunday School 9:45 AM Evening church service 6:30 p.m. Morning Service 11:15 AM Women’s Bible study Th 10:30am Evening Service 6 PM Rev. Reo McBride, 274.6546 Heart of Mary Catholic Church Castle Rock First Baptist Church Immaculate Allen Street, Kelso 211 Front Ave. NW, Castle Rock 2200 (360) 423-3650 Pastor Joel Royce 274-4113 & F Daily Mass 12:15 PM Sun Bible Study all ages: 9:45am M Sat Vigil Mass 5:30 PM Worship 11a.m. Women’s Bible Study: Wed 1:30pm Sunday Mass 10:30 AM Cowboy Church: Last Sat.; 3-6pm Kalama Baptist Church, Castle Rock Church of Nazarene Pastor Wes Eader 456 Pioneer Ave NE, Castle Rock 112 Vincent Rd, Kalama WA (360)274-6546 9:45am - Sunday School Pastor Reo McBride 11:00am - Worship Sunday Service: 10:45am www.kalamabaptist.com Sunday School: 9:30am Call 673-5570 Children’s Service: 11:00am Sunday Eve Service: 6:00pm Kelso First United Methodist Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study: Wed 6:00pm 206 Cowlitz Way, Kelso Contemporary Service 9:00 am Castle Rock United Methodist Traditional Service 11:00 am 241 First Street, Castle Rock Wed: Children (Grade 1-12) 5:30-7 pm Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Pastor Vonda McFadden Worship 10:30 a.m. Sunday 360-423-7480 Youth Group: Sundays 2 p.m. www.kelsoumpc.org Rev. Pam Brokaw - 274.4252 Lexington Bible Fellowship Central Christian Church 98 Garden Street, Kelso (Lexington) 401 Crawford St., Kelso Sunday school @ 9:45am Worship -11am, school @ 9:30am Sunday worship @ 11am Jerry Hancuff Wednesdays @ 6pm (Youth @ 6:45 Pastor www.lexingtonbible.org Bible Studies - many available Russ Tevis, Minister Life Center 360-425-3420 Church Office Corner of Rock & Pine in Centralia Sundays at 10:30am or Oyler Rd & Hwy 12 in Ethel Community of Christ, Longview Sundays 202 Delaware Street 9:00am 360-736-5898 Pastor Sharon West www.yourlifecenter.com Classes all ages: 10:00am Living Hope Church Worship Service: 11:00am 2711 NW Andreson, Vancouver 11:00am Sundays Church of Christ Pastor Dean Jenks (360)944-3905 300 St. Helen’s St., Toledo, Wa Sunday Bible Class 10 a.m. Longview Church of Christ Sunday Worship 11 a.m. & 6 p.m. 2219 50th Ave. Sunday Bible Class 9:30, Sunday Worship 10:30 John Gadberry, Minister Pastor Larry Hartwick 360-274-8570 Longview Church of the Nazarene Emmanuel Lutheran Church 2218 E. Kessler Blvd. - Longview 814 - 15th Ave, Longview Sunday Service 10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship - 8:30am Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Sunday “Celebration” - 11 a.m. Celebrate Recovery Thurs at 6 p.m Thursday Worship - 6:30 p.m. 360-577-1100 Pastor David Martin, Senior Pastor Longview Community Church, Church office - 360-423-3250 2323 Washington Way - Longview www.elclongview.com Contemporary Service 8:45 a.m. Sun. Traditional Service 11 a.m. Sun. Faith Fellowship Lutheran Brethren; Pastor John Williams 423.6380 Church 210 Fishers Lane, Kelso LongviewCommunityChurch.org Pastor Chris Leingang Worship at 10:00am Longview Presbyterian Church www.fflbc.org 3808 Pennsylvania St., Longview Church Office (360) 425-4390 Worship and Children’s Class: Sundays at 10am Fathers House Church Dexter & Liz Kearny 577-8951 1315 Commerce Ave, Longview Pastors www.longviewpresbychurch.net Worship Sundays: 9am, 10:30am Pastor Chuck Tilton 423-7826 Longview Pentecostal Church www.FathersHouseChurch.com 4333 OB Highway, 636-0580 Sunday School 11am, Worship 12pm Bible Study Wed 7pm, Youth Fri. 7pm Fireside Fellowship Pastor Perry Hanchey 271 Atmore Road, Toutle New and Living Way Church
215 Academy St., Kelso Sundays 10am & 6pm Wednesdays 7pm 703-3340 newandlivingwaychurch.org Oak Point Community Church 445 Oakpoint Rd, Longview Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Sunday Service 11 a.m. & 6 p.m. Thursday Bible Study 7 p.m. Pastor Doug McMurray #577-6037
The Rock Meeting at 1955 Huntington Ave S, Castle Rock Worship 10 a.m. every Sunday Wednesday @ 7pm Service Pastors Jerry & Angie Hughes 274.7480 Rose Valley Friends Church 1437 Rose Valley Rd. Kelso 360-425-3222 Church Office 9:30am Sunday School Hour for all 10:45am Worship Service 5:00pm - 7:00pm Valley Youth Group 6-8pm Wednesday-JValley Youth 6-8pm -Sunday-JValley Youth Ryderwood Community Church,
315 Jackson St. PO Box 161, Ryderwood, Pastor Bill Bowlby, 360-295-3962 Service Opportunities 11 am Sunday
St. Mary Catholic Church 120 Powell Rd., Castle Rock 274.7404 W & Th Daily Mass 8:30A Sunday Mass 8:30A St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church 412 Pioneer Ave., Box 1467 Castle Rock Worship 10 a.m. Sunday - 274.9393 St. Paul Lutheran Church 312 First Ave. SW, PO Box 847, Castle Rock 274.6604 9 & 11am Sunday Worship. Adult Study & Sunday School 10:10am Tues 10:30am Text Study Wed: 5:30pm Youth Group Wed: 7:30pm Adult Bible Study Pastor Bob Sinclair St. Rose Catholic Church 2571 Nichols Blvd Longview, WA 360-425-4660 The Salvation Army Church 1639 10th Ave, Longview Sunday School @ 9:45am Holiness Meeting @ 11:00am 360-423-3992 St. Stephens Episcopal 1428 - 22nd, Longview WA Office: (360)423-5600 Sunday Worship: 8:00am & 10:00am www.sslv.org Seventh Day Adventist Church 7531 Old Pacific Hwy -Castle Rock Worship 11 a.m. Saturday Pastor Ben Moore 274.6090 Seventh Day Adventist Church 77 Solomon Road, Kelso WA Office: (360)423-7344 Saturday Worship: 11:05am Pastor Marcia Stone journeyadventist.com Stella Lutheran Chapel 124 Sherman Road, Longview Pastor Carol Plummer Sunday Worship 10:00 am Office (360) 423-3795 (Wed. Only) Toledo New Life Assembly of God 420 Silver Street, Toledo 864-4366 Worship: Sun. @ 10am, Wed. @ 6pm Dinner on Wednesdays @ 5:15pm Food Bank: Last Tue/Wed of month Toutle Christian Fellowship 5067 Spirit Lake Hwy – Toutle Worship Service Sunday 10 a.m. Pastor Adam VanGorp www.toutle.org (360)274-6305 Vader Assembly of God Church 302 - 6th St., Vader (360)295-3756 Pastor Tracy Durham Sunday Worship: 10:30am & 6:00pm Wed. Adult Study, Kidz Church: 7p.m. Valley View Church of God 1435 - 33rd Ave, Longview WA Pastor Dwayne Cothron (360)636-6787 Worship Sundays @ 10am & 6pm Word of Life Christian Center 277 Brown Rd. E, Chehalis Sunday 9:45am / Wed 7pm Study 360-864-4407 / 360-523-8828
Page 10 • Valley Bugler • December 2017
Shopping for your geek. Christmas is almost here, but what have you got for your favorite geek? They can be tough to shop for because they are geeks. Don’t let this dampen your Christmas spirit. I have a few ideas to help. Ho Ho Ho. Gadgets first, right? Not necessary. If s/he hasn’t told you about some new tech they just gotta have, they probably already bought it. They are a difficult bunch to buy tech for. Please remember that geeks are not just nerds. They are nerds with style. So try to find gifts that are smart and cool. Some geeky ideas to consider: anything to do with science, legos, robots, math, puzzles (difficult ones), things that levitate, astronomy, magnets, NASA, narwhals, old school video games, optical illusions. comic books and movies, hand sanitizer, led candles, apocalypse/zombie stuff & pranks are just a few ideas. The more you know about your geek, the more difficult it might be to shop for them, but no worries we have the Internet. The first web site I’d check out is thinkgeek.com. They can help you geek out and they have some nice gift guides. You can shop by Price, Recipient, Category or by Fandom. Another site to check out is uncommongoods.com. They have a nice geek section. I would be remiss to not
mentioning doing a search for Geek at Amazon. So I won’t. Use the force. All things Star Wars are generally a good bet. With Disney now doing releases in December, maybe you could get your geek away from the computer screen and out in a real world for a movie. Ok, I know it is another screen but, there is bound to be some social interaction. The last Jedi surely use some company. Warning, not all geeks admit to liking both Star Wars and Star Trek. For what I believe to be esoteric reasons some geeks passionately claim that they don’t like one or both of the Stars. You will surely now if this is the case. If it is true, then I encourage you to get them something that they claim to hate as I’m sure they really love it. And if all else fails, caffeine and or bacon always shows that you care. Be good to your geeks because remember the good book says, “the geek will inherit the earth”. A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. One more thing, geeks like gifts all year round, not just during Christmas time. Oscar Myre IV is currently Senior Visual Designer on contract with Allied Telesis in Bothell. He enjoys to continually learn and share his knowledge .
By Pat Nelson Valley Bugler Columnist
Woodland Assisted Living
I stopped by the Woodland Assisted Living facility in November to check out the holiday bazaar. It was the first of many holiday events for the center. Five-year resident Myrtle Adams (pictured above) attended a table with items made by residents for the Resident Council for Extra Activities. This volunteer group raises money for things like plays, outings, entertainment, lunches, and casino trips. Myrtle Adams was proud to tell me that she and her mother had both graduated from Woodland High School. The Resident Council is not her only volunteer activity. She is also the "weather girl," listening to the weather station and passing the weekly weather forecasts on to those attending exercise classes. Julie Porter, Life Enrichment Coordinator, filled me in on other upcoming holiday events at the facility. "The Family and Residents' Christmas Party," she said, "will be held December 15 with lunch, games, Christmas carols and musical performances." A Christmas party for residents only on the Friday before Christmas is also scheduled. That's when Santa will arrive to pass out gifts and stockings. Many items have been donated by the VFW and others, and some have been provided by the facility. The donations help fill the stockings and also provide gifts like hats, soaps, personal-care items and candy. Other popular items are stuffed animals, lap robes and new or used clothing items, particularly in sizes 4x and 5x. "Small sizes are not in high demand," Porter said. "And lap robes
are always good because they wear out and need to be replaced." The facility has its own 12-passsenger bus, and about half of the assisted-living residents take a tour of the holiday lights at Portland International Raceway (PIR). The Woodland Care Center side of the facility, too, takes some residents on the PIR tour. Tuesday shopping excursions are also a popular part of the season, a chance for some to purchase gifts for friends and family and to enjoy going out to lunch. Residents shop both locally and in Vancouver. The Auction Game played at the facility gives folks a chance to earn play money and to bid on prizes. The game is always popular, and at this time of the year, some residents are excited to win prizes that they can give as Christmas gifts. On Christmas Day, many on the Assisted Living side leave the facility to go out with family members. Those who do not go out enjoy a nice lunch and a light dinner. Family members are welcome to join in on the Christmas lunch by making reservations at least a week in advance. Call 360225-9443 for reservations. Anyone wishing to donate prizes, Christmas-stocking stuffers or gifts is welcome to stop by Woodland Assisted Living at 310 4th Street in Woodland. I'm sure I have some items that will make good stocking stuffers and Christmas presents for the residents, and often the best gift of all is the one you give to someone else. Pat Nelson, is co-creator of three humorous and sometimes edgy anthologies: ‘Not Your Mother’s Book: On Being a Parent’ (Amazon.com & retailers); On Being a Grandparent; and On Working for a Living.
LOCAL KELSO AUTHOR
December 2017 • Valley Bugler • Page 11
The 12 Days of Pet-Safe Holidays
(Family Features) The holidays can be a hectic time for everyone. While you’re busily gearing up for guests and parties, it’s important to remember your pet’s safety to ensure a festive and fun season is enjoyed by all. From bright decorations to holiday house guests, it can be easy to overlook a few household dangers that may cause harm to your favorite companions. Here are a few things to keep in mind to keep your fuzzy friend safe and jolly this holiday: 12) Covered Cords: Cords used for holiday lights can be tempting to chew for many pets. Take time while decorating to tape down or cover cords to help prevent shocks, burns or other serious injuries. Even if your pet doesn't normally chew cords, just playing with them can cause fraying or breakage, due to their sharp claws and nails. Don't take a chance, and get them covered. 11) Tempting Table Scraps: Rich scraps such as drippings, gravy and poultry skin can cause pets to suffer from upset stomach, diarrhea and even pancreatitis, which are not only terribly painful but can be fatal. Giving your dog poultry bones is also a bad idea as they can splinter and get stuck in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. 10) Radiant Ribbons: Cats may be interested in playing with or eating tinsel and ribbons hanging from trees. These decorations should be placed high on the tree or not used at all because they can potentially cause serious intestinal damage if swallowed. 9) Dinging Doorbells: Consider putting your dog on a leash before people start arriving. Not only will you be able to control him if he begins to jump, you’ll also avoid him running
out the door. 8) Tasty Treats: Keep human party snacks out of reach from animals and offer petfriendly options instead, such as BLUE Santa Stew Holiday Feast and Santa Paws Snacks. 7) Quiet Corners: Provide pets with a quiet place to retreat so they can choose whether to come out and visit or keep to themselves when company arrives. 6) Patient Puppies: Tell your guests that your puppy is in training, and he needs to be polite before they say “hello” to him. Have your dog sit, using a treat if necessary, and once he’s sitting and calm let your guests pet him. 5) Perilous Plants: Mistletoe, holly berries and poinsettia plants are all poisonous for dogs, so skip them as decorations or make sure they are out of reach. Symptoms of illness form ingesting these plants include intestinal upset, such as vomiting and diarrhea, excessive drooling, and abdominal pain. 4) Guarded Glasses: Alcohol and pets do not mix. Place alcoholic drinks safely out of reach and patrol the party to be sure your guests do the same. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal. 3) Calming Coats: Using a ThunderShirt can calm a nervous dog by applying gentle pressure to the body. In addition to the traditional coat, there are now cold weather ThunderSweater and ThunderCoat options. 2) Nearby Numbers: Keep contact information for your veterinarian and the nearest emergency veterinary clinic readily available in case of a holiday mishap. Also for that pet sitter, if you happen to be taking a vacation or a holiday for a few days, and leaving Fido in their care. 1) Towering Tree: Seasonal trees are sure to attract a pet’s attention and should be secured to keep from toppling over if a pet should try to climb them, use as a scratching post or simply bump into them. For more information on how to keep pets safe during the holiday season, visit www.petsmart.com
Adorable Adoptees
Butterscotch & Blackjack Are you a cat lover, or looking to add a kitten into your family? Two adorable kittens, Butterscotch and Blackjack, were brought into rescue as tiny kittens, undernourished and neglected. They have now spent a month in loving foster care, getting lots of TLC and high quality food, and they have thrived! They are playful, inquisitive, and will make you laugh with their antics. Just beware the Christmas ornaments on the bottom of your tree!
These little boys will be neutered, microchipped and vaccinated and ready for their new home at Christmastime. Take one or both, these sweeties will be a great present! facebook.com/rescued.paws rpaws.petfinder.com
Page 12 • Valley Bugler • December 2017