December Villager Voice Magazine by PK Publishing

VILLAGER Voice

ADVANCE • BERMUDA RUN • CLEMMONS • LEWISVILLE • MOCKSVILLE • W-S • YADKIN

F R E E

December 2011

Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Calvin Coolidge

December 2011

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Feature Articles...

In Every Issue...

8 Foxx Report 16 Five Ways to Stay Upbeat During the Holidays 17 Charitable Giving Helps Everyone 30 Black Christmas 36 Senior Musings on the Lasting Gifts

12 Social Media Maven 13 Going Green 19 Church Directory 23 Restaurant Directory 26 What’s Happening? 34 Carolina Survivalist

Publisher PK Publishing Editor Brenda Gough

“May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright new year. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!” ~ Villager Staff and Contributors ~ It is hard to believe that American troops are fighting overseas for the tenth straight Christmas. We send our prayers to all of the young people serving our country. It is hard to imagine what it is like to celebrate so far away from friends and family. We are so proud of you and the sacrifices that you are making and hope you will be home safe and sound next year. Merry Christmas! You are the best!

Sales Director Pat Dixon

The intensity on the front lines is masterfully presented in an award-winning documentary by Photojouralist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis. “Hell and Back Again” takes us deep inside the war in Afghanistan and reveals the devastating Distribution points are at impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25-year-old Marine Sergeant over 600 locations throughout Davie, Davidson, Nathan Harris. Harris leads his unit on a mission to take down a Taliban stronghold, Forsyth, and Yadkin County. is critically injured in battle, and returns home to face a new “reality.” The movie has special showing at the a/perature Theatre in downtown Winston-Salem this To locate a spot, visit our month and will be released on DVD in January. website or give us a call. Contact Information: Tele: 336.766.7877 Fax: 336.766.8904 editor@villagervoice.com villagervoice.com

facebook.com/villagervoice

Lynn Hall contributed a special feature story about Norm and Reba Birdsall, founders of the Clemmons Community Theatre. The theatre company opened its doors in December of 2006 with a production of “I Love Ruthie,” followed by a Neil Simon comedy, “God’s Favorite,” in the spring of 2007. Since then CCT has staged productions of “Steel Magnolias,” “The Fantasticks,” “The Cemetery Club,” “Nunsense I and II,” “Never Too Late,” and “The Red Velvet Cake War.” You only have to meet Norm and Reba one time to share their vision of the arts in our community. As they share on their website: “The arts are integral to the wellbeing of a society, enriching the lives of all who partake, and nowhere is that better demonstrated than in community theatre. It is here that we bring together a multitude of people – actors, singers, dancers, musicians, set designers, costumers, carpenters, sound and lighting technicians – people who are professionally trained and those who simply have a talent or skill they are willing to share. Young and old, on stage or behind the scenes, community theatre has a place for everyone.” Enjoy! Be back in 2012 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Villager Voice Magazine!

Brenda

A special thank you to Bill Talich for the cover photograph.

December 2011

Shooting Great Holiday Photographs

1. Set your White Balance

Pay attention to what type of light you’re shooting in and set your white balance settings accordingly. Alternatively, if you’ve got a camera that shoots in RAW you can shoot away and set your white balance later.

2. Fill your Frame

One of the most common mistakes in Christmas photos is that people often end up with shots of their subjects off in the distance on the other side of a room with lots of space around them. Fill your frame with your subject either by using your zoom or moving yourself closer. While this is one of the simplest tips, it is one that can have the most profound impact on your shots.

3. Diffuse/Reflect Your Flash

Another common problem with Christmas shots is ending up with shots where the flash is so bright that subjects

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look ghost like in a spotlight with harsh shadows behind them. One way around this is to use some sort of a flash diffuser or reflector. If you’re lucky enough to have an external flash try bouncing it off walls or the ceiling. Another way to reduce the impact of your flash and to create some interesting effects is to switch your camera into ‘night mode.’ This will tell your camera to choose a slower shutter speed but still fire your flash. In doing so it’ll capture some of the ambient light of the room as well as freeze your subject. Be warned, you can end up with some weird shots doing this.

4. Watch Your Aperture

It is good to shoot in Aperture Priority mode on a day like Christmas and you can constantly change the aperture depending upon the subject. For example when taking shots of a Christmas decoration

on the tree select a large aperture (a small number like f/2.8) so as to throw the background out of focus, but on a shot taken from the end of the table with everyone sitting down eating choose a small aperture (like f/8 to f/11 or more) so as to have a larger depth of field and keep everyone in focus.

5. Pet Tips

Being aware of what is around you before you snap the picture will enable you to take perfect pictures of your pets every time. Let your pet interact naturally with his surroundings. First thing what you need to remember when you are taking a photo is to make sure that there is plenty of light surrounding your pet. If the area in which you are taking the picture is dark, then the picture will turn out dark whether you use a flash or not. If you are taking pictures indoors, use the flash still even though there is good lighting around you.

Adjusting White Balance Different digital cameras have different ways of adjusting white balance so ultimately you’ll need to get out your camera’s manual out to work out the specifics of how to make changes. Having said this – many digital cameras have automatic and semi-automatic modes to help you make the adjustments. Preset White Balance Settings: Here are some of the basic White Balance settings you’ll find on cameras: Auto – this is where the camera makes a best guess on a shot by shot basis. You’ll find it works in many situations but it’s worth venturing out of it for trickier lighting. Tungsten – this mode is usually symbolized with a little bulb and is for shooting indoors, especially under tungsten (incandescent) lighting (such as bulb lighting). It generally cools down the colors in photos. Fluorescent – this compensates for the ‘cool’ light of fluorescent light and will warm up your shots. Daylight/Sunny – not all cameras have this setting because it sets things as fairly ‘normal’ white balance settings. Cloudy – this setting generally warms things up a touch more than ‘daylight’ mode. Flash – the flash of a camera can be quite a cool light so in Flash WB mode you’ll find it warms up your shots a touch. Shade – the light in shade is generally cooler (bluer) than shooting in direct sunlight so this mode will warm things up a little.

“ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph”. – Matt Hardy

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December 2011

Frugal Christmas Gifts If you’re trying to cut down on spending, like we are at our house, it can become a challenge to find creative gifts to give.

Make teacup candles! Shop at thrift stores for

teacups or other attractive containers. You can purchase candle supplies at the craft store or even better have your cups filled with wax at Potterworx in Clemmons. They have a huge list of fragrance choices.

over the summer? Use a colander for a basket, add some garlic bulbs, gourmet noodles, and a wooden spoon — a little taste of Italy. Or consider a breakfast basket. Or a breakfast basket (syrup and pancake mix), a movie basket (popcorn, candy, and a movie rental coupon), or a gardening basket (a trowel, a gardening hat, and some packets of seeds).

Create a spice sampler. Bulk spices can make an

Create a secret hollow book. Find a cheap musty old classic at your nearby Goodwill or used bookstore. Glue the pages together, use an X-Acto knife to hollow out the center of the book. Now the recipient can store treasures!

affordable and appreciated gift for anyone who loves to cook, or who is moving into a new kitchen. Don’t know which ones to choose? Find some tempting recipes that call for exotic spices, then include the recipes with the spices. Or, get creative and make a custom spice blend for a meat rub, marinade mix, salad dressing kit, dip, or seasoning.

Give coffee. Give gourmet coffee and a personalized coffee cup for the coffee lover on your list.

Make granola. I like to make homemade granola

Make a theme gift basket. It’s difficult to go wrong with gift baskets. Did you can your own pasta sauce

year-round, but it makes a perfect Christmas gift, too. Low-cost basic ingredients turn into toasted goodness and don’t require a fancy kitchen. Granola blends can be easily customized to your tastes with add-ins like

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raisins, nuts, cinnamon, dried cranberries or cherries, sunflowers seeds, coconut, wheat germ, etc. Begin with a couple of mini-batches to fiddle with it to your taste. Start with this almond maple granola. Stretch your budget even more by omitting the coconut and adding three more cups of old-fashioned rolled oats.

Almond Maple Granola 3 cups rolled oats 1 cup blanched slivered almonds 1/4 cup wheat germ 1 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut 1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (optional) 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup 6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons warm water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup raisins Directions Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with sides, or a large cake pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, coconut, and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, water and salt. Pour the liquid over the oat and nut mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet. If you want some chunky bits, squeeze some small handfuls into little clumps. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally until evenly toasted. Mix in raisins. Cool, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Make a cookie kit. Give people unbaked, made-from-scratch cookie kits. Get the dry ingredients to your favorite cookie recipes together, along with a mason jar, a note card, and some ‘country’ style ribbons. Then layers all the dry ingredients in the mason jar, screw on the lid and print the recipe on a note card and adorn the jar with a pretty Christmas ribbon. The result is cool looking, because the ingredients are layered in the jar.” December 2011

The Cautionary Tale of Europe’s Debt Crisis After the super-committee’s failure the cost of inaction increases By Congresswoman Virginia Foxx

Just before Thanksgiving the congressional “super-committee” announced it was unable to come up with a package of deficit reductions totaling $1.2 trillion. This is a sad commentary on Washington, DC’s addiction to over-spending. After all, $1.2 trillion seems like a lot of money, but in reality amounts to less than one year’s worth of federal government over-spending at the going rate. Apparently Congress needs more than a so-called “super-committee” to get the federal government’s finances in order. Perhaps it’s time for a lesson in the consequences of unchecked fiscal irresponsibility. Consider the case of European profligacy. For years, decades even, many European nations piled up deficits that would make a drunken sailor blush. Few governments restrained their appetite for spending and soon many national balance sheets were written in red ink. Now the bills are coming due. Over the course of this year the Euro-zone sovereign debt crisis has spiraled out of control, pulling more and more nations into its chaotic orbit. As a result we’ve seen governments toppled in Greece and Italy. It’s gotten so bad, that the EU created a sort of bailout fund of its own. This time instead of bailing out banks, it’s bailing out entire nations. How did this happen? In simple terms, over-spending finally caught up to the Europe’s spendthrifts. Take for instance, one common measure of the creditworthiness, and by extension the frugality of, a nation: the ratio

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between the size of its economy and its national debt. In Greece, now the poster child for insane amounts of deficit spending, the national debt is 150 percent of the size of its economy. As investors watched Greece’s debt balloon they became less and less willing to lend to Greece at pitifully low interest rates. And so Greece got a twofer. Not only were its debt interest payments increasingly enormous, but the interest rate on new or refinanced debt spiraled higher and higher. Eventually it became too much and Greece came hat in hand for a bailout. In Portugal, where the national debt to economy ratio was a more modest 100 percent, the government was also forced to tap the EU’s bailout fund as its interest rates grew unsustainable. In Ireland, with a 114 percent debt to economy ratio, the same thing happened. Then in November the formerly unthinkable occurred. The interest rate at which Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, could borrow money for up to 10 years topped 7.5 percent. This was the highest rate Italy had paid since the advent of the euro. This particular rate is considered a tipping point, since Greece, Ireland and Portugal all needed bailouts after their borrowing rates crossed that threshold and effectively crushed their ability to finance their debt. As a condition for the bailouts they received, these European

nations had their government budgets dictated to them by EU and international organizations. In effect, they ceded part of their sovereignty as a price for their years of fiscal mismanagement. Why does this matter for the U.S.? Well, in an ominous sign, this year the U.S. national debt topped 100 percent of our economy for the first time since the recordbreaking borrowing of World War II. Despite our high level of debt, many investors are willing to lend to the U.S. government at record low interest rates. For now, U.S. bonds are seen as a safe haven in the midst of international financial turmoil. But that will change if the federal government doesn’t get its finances in order. At the end of November one of the three major credit rating agencies, Fitch Ratings, lowered the U.S. credit outlook to negative. This signaled that, unless the federal government makes real changes to it’s budget, the U.S. credit rating will be downgraded, putting us on the road to higher interest rates and financial turmoil. The federal government’s 10-year borrowing rate has hovered around 2 percent for months. Even with these record low rates we still paid $454 billion in interest on the national debt in fiscal year 2011. What happens if creditors are no longer willing to lend to the U.S. at bargain basement rates? What if interest rates double to 4 percent or triple to 6 percent? If interest costs on the debt doubled or tripled (which would still be less

than Italy was forced to pay at the end of November), they would account for about a third of the total federal budget—about as much as Social Security and Medicare combined. There isn’t really an easy way out at this point. Basically, there are two paths forward: there’s a hard way and a really hard way. We can act now and make the difficult choices to reduce spending and our national debt. Or we can do nothing until we find ourselves at the mercy of our creditors and begging for a bailout like many of the nations of Europe.

passage, it did send a signal that many in Congress are serious about ending the era of overspending.

Earlier this year I voted for and House Republicans passed a budget that reduced spending by $6.2 trillion over 10 years. That’s five times the amount the super-committee failed to find in deficit reductions. As is often the case, this budget stalled in the Senate—which hasn’t passed a budget in about 950 days. Then in November I voted for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. While it failed to garner the necessary 2/3 supermajority for

Editor’s Note: U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx represents the Fifth Congressional District of North Carolina. She is chair of the House Higher Education subcommittee and also serves on the House Rules Committee. You may contact her office toll free at 1-866-677-8968 or e-mail her from her website, www. foxx.house.gov.

These are tough pills to swallow. But the alternative of waiting for a true crisis to force profoundly painful changes upon us is even worse. That’s why Congress needs to act decisively today to rein in spending before we find ourselves next in line for a fiscal reckoning of the sort that is currently socking the Europeans. After all, who would be able to bail us out?

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas. -- W. C. Jones

December 2011

Shopping online?

10 tips to avoid ID theft this holiday season The holidays are approaching and it’s time to start shopping for those special gifts. Last year, consumers spent a holiday-season record $32.6 billion online, according to comScore. Unfortunately, with so much personal financial information out there, instances of identity theft are on the rise. According to the Federal Trade Commission, as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.

ever, is still a good, safe way to make a payment.

3. Don’t share too much

No store needs your social security number or your birthday. In the hands of the wrong person, combined with your credit card number, serious damage can be done. Always give up the least amount of personal information possible.

While some victims of identity theft resolve their problems quickly, others spend thousands of dollars and months repairing the damage done to their credit. Some identity theft victims may even lose out on job opportunities or be denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit.

4. Check billing statements

“Anyone who shops online is vulnerable to having their identity compromised,” says Jamie Haenggi, chief marketing and customer experience officer at Protection 1, the nation’s second-largest security company. The company recently partnered with LifeLock to include identity theft protection in its offerings. “The proper precautions, combined with identity theft protection, are the strongest safeguards to protecting your credit and preventing the financial hardships that can be caused when an identity is stolen.”

5. Use stronger passwords

Haenggi offers the following tips to better protect your identity when shopping online this holiday season:

1. Shop trusted names

Stick with sites like Amazon.com, Target.com or other familiar retailers. Beware of misspellings or domain names using “.net” instead of “.com” as that is one of the most common ways scammers trick consumers.

2. Look for the lock

A secure website starts with “https://” instead of “http://.” Secure sites will also have a small lock icon in the lower-right corner of the screen. Never give anyone your credit card through email. PayPal, how-

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Check statements for credit and debit cards, and monitor checking accounts regularly. If you see any charges you don’t recognize, address the matter immediately. Don’t pay credit card bills until you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems. After that, you might be liable for the charges. With so many online accounts - banking, credit cards, email - it’s common practice to recycle simple passwords that can be easily recalled. Use uncrackable passwords, especially when banking and shopping. Your password is weak if: * It uses numbers or letters in the order they appear on the keyboard (“1234” or “qwerty”) * It’s the name of your kids, pet, favorite team, or city of birth * It’s your birthday, anniversary, date of graduation, or car license plate number * It’s “letmein,” or, especially, “password.”

7. Think mobile

The National Retail Federation predicts that 25 percent of adults will do online browsing with their smartphones to find gifts. Buck this trend and download store-specific apps like those for Amazon.com and make your purchase without going to their website.

8. Stay at home

Do all online shopping at home so you know you’re using a trusted, secure network.

9. Enroll in an identity theft protection service Having a service provider you trust is important. Advanced technology and helpful customer service

are “musts” for identifying and remedying any fraud issues. Protection 1 is now offering identity theft protection in every new HomeCore Solution home security package at www.Protection1.com.

theft, having insurance is vital to help recoup any lost money. Coverage typically costs from $20 to $100 a year as a rider to a basic homeowner’s policy or as a stand-alone purchase.

10. Use insurance

Follow these simple tips, and you can help to ensure your family - and your property - remain safe yearround.

Just in case you do become the victim of identity

2011 Silver Stocking Project “Our Elders are our greatest resource. They are the culture bearers of our community.” Many elders in assisted living, nursing, and retirement homes are often forgotten during the holidays. Imagine being alone and without a gift or visit during the holiday season? The Silver Stocking Project is a grassroots, community-based program that delivers gifts to our elders who are without friends and family. The Silver Stocking Project was started in 2005. With the help of volunteers, generous donors, and the Villager Voice Magazine, we have increased the number of residents and homes served every year. The number of elders served in Forsyth and Davie County increased from 138 the first year to over 600 in 2010. Volunteers included church groups, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, civic organizations, local businesses, and individuals who adopted elders, bought them gifts from their “Wish Lists,” and spent quality time with the residents when delivering the gifts.

HELP US MAKE CHRISTMAS BRIGHTER FOR OUR SPECIAL ELDERS WHO DO NOT HAVE FAMILY OR REGULAR VISITORS! MOST REQUESTED GIFTS Personal Care Items: Baby Powder, Lotion, Body Wash, Shampoo, Deodorant, Toothpaste, Kleenex, Razors, Shaving Cream, After Shave, etc. Clothing: Socks, T-Shirts, Slippers, Gloves, Ball Caps, Lap Throws, Knit Scarves, etc. Food: Candy (Regular & Diabetic), Fruit, Nutritional Drinks, Crackers

If you would like to help, please contact us: TELEPHONE: (336) 766-1211 email: silverstocking@triad.rr.com or editor@villagervoice.com web: honoringelders.wordpress.com and www.villagervoice.com (Click “Honoring Our Elders”)

December 2011

Zelda

Social Media Maven

Improve Customer Service With Social Media Twitter: Tweet to serve the customers. Tweet to solve an issue:-The much used phone conversations may help solve the problems but the wait time will not. A single tweet is enough to reach a lot of customers in just one click, which made twitter a fast-lightning platform. Build global image:- Better customer service gets talked about, which may lead to better brand image and more sales. Twitter is one of the social media ways that may turn a single happy customer story to international news. Reduction in cost:- Customers have better things to do than to be on call for hours because of a simple issue. With Twitter, the solution is quick, cheap and precise and it also reduces the call rates and time.

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Serve customers through blog posts: Blog is the finest way to create a social customer service strategy using social media style. The World Wide Web has taught us to demand and get everything immediately without wasting much time and effort and blogs do exactly the same. A blog post can solve customer query, market a product or service and advertise about the new improvements of the company. The regular and easy updates on the blogs keep the brand always in news. The comment section of the blog provides instant feedback about the product or service, which may turn the negatives into positives and develop brand image.

Communicate through social networking sites: Social networking sites have brought the world closer and made life easier and now its time for the organizations to use these channels as a means of providing better customer service. The sites like Facebook, and Orkut not only

enable a company to communicate with the customers on various levels but also help solicit feedback, send out the update bulletins about the product and service and manage the reputation and the image of the brand. These sites bring you closer to the customers, which enhance customer support. Build community, start an event or social networking forum, the ultimate result would be, better brand image through proper customer service!

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GOING GREEN Make Your Own Wrapping Paper Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, here’s a great chance to get creative! Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section ofa newspaper, or children’s artwork. Or use a scarf, attractive dish towel, bandana, or some other useful cloth item. If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

Buy Energy-Saving Holiday Lights Now you can decorate your house with LED lights that use 90 percent less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season! LED lights are available at many major retailers, including Target, Costco, and Ace Hardware.

Add Organic and Local Foods to Your Holiday Feast Support local family farmers who grow sustainable meat and produce. Not only does it taste

FOR CHRISTMAS

chocolate and you can eat your way to a better planet.

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

better, you’ll be doing your part for the planet too. Looking for an organic turkey or ham for Christmas dinner? Find out where to get local green products in your neighborhood.

Stocking Stuffers: Test Your Eco-Knowledge Do you have a family member who loves the outdoors? Stuff their stockings with Sierra Club Knowledge Cards, which come in a variety of outdoor themes ranging from survival skills to baby animals. Another great stocking stuffer is “guilt-free” chocolate! Give the gift of organic, fair-trade “Going Green” means to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations.

Ninety-eight percent of Christmas trees were grown on farms, not in forests, so at least it’s not as if you’re cutting down an ancient tree. Each year, 10 million Christmas trees end up in the landfill. While your tree won’t fit in the recycling bin with your newspapers and bottles, you can recycle your tree: many cities offer programs to turn your tree to mulch or wood chips. Call (800) CLEANUP or visit www. earth911.org to find the treerecycling program near you.

Donate Your Time or Money to an Environmental Group Get into the holiday spirit by volunteering! There are countless ways to help improve your community - and the planet from cleaning up a local river to helping inner city kids experience the outdoors for the first time. Contact your local Sierra Club to find out about volunteer opportunities near you. A donation in honor of a loved one can also be a special holiday gift. December 2011

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cookie exchange ‘Tis the season for delicious treats and festive gatherings. The fun of baking, sharing recipes and getting together for holiday parties, such as a cookie exchange, are what make the season extra special. Inspired by their more than 40 years of collective baking and entertaining experience, Hershey’s Kitchens Linda Stahl and Betty Crocker Kitchens Kristen Olson will share advice through a weekly blog on FavoriteCookies.com as well as provide recipes, cookie exchange tips and give holiday hosts the chance to share recipes and photos with each other. For those looking to create the ultimate cookie exchange, Stahl and Olson offer the following tips to turn any party into a sweet success: * Invite guests at least two weeks in advance and ask each guest to RSVP with the recipe they plan to make to avoid duplicates. * Ask each guest to bring at least a half dozen cookies for each person attending the party.

Can’t decide what holiday cookie you should make as the host? Try the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms. Peanut Butter Blossoms Makes about three dozen cookies

* Encourage participants to bring an empty, sealable container to take home goodies, along with copies of their recipe to share. Be sure to have extra bags or containers on hand for guests to transport cookies home. * Make it personal - showcase the cookies in a decorative arrangement and ask each participant to introduce themselves and explain why they chose their recipe and what ingredients they used. * Be sure to offer refreshments, such as seasonal beverages, but keep it simple so the cookies are the stars of the show. * Send guests home with a goodie bag filled with a homemade recipe booklet you’ve created to commemorate your party. Ask for participants’ recipes in advance so you can prepare.

Ingredients: 36 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates 1 pouch Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon water 1 egg Granulated sugar Directions: Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Stir cookie mix, oil, water, and egg in a medium bowl until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake eight to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. For more recipes, tips and ideas for hosting a cookie exchange, visit www.FavoriteCookies.com.

December 2011

Five ways to stay upbeat and energized during the holidays As Christmas carols hit the airwaves and the snow begins to fall, the joy of the holidays brings out the best in everyone - right? With a seemingly endless to-do list of shopping, cooking, entertaining and decorating, the holiday season can quickly become a recipe for anxiety. A recent study by the American Psychological Association shows that one-third of Americans are living with extreme stress.

“We heard stories of extended families living thousands of miles apart yet sharing the daily ritual of watching the day’s animation and then talking with or emailing each other about it,” says jacquielawson.com cofounder Mike Hughes-Chamberlain, speaking about the company’s first-ever Advent Calendar last year. “Many customers asked us to keep making new calendars each year so it could become a new family tradition.”

The true meaning of the holiday season can be overshadowed by the demands of preparations, but it shouldn’t be. By planning ahead, taking care of yourself and making sure to spend quality time connecting with loved ones, you can stay upbeat and energized during the holidays.

Take time for yourself. Escape the hustle and

Try these tips to make sure your mood is as bright as the lights on the Christmas tree.

Plan ahead: Instead of subjecting yourself to the last-minute trips to the mall, get shopping done earlier, and do what you can online. If you need to hit the mall, get there when it opens and develop a list beforehand so you can quickly check off what you need. Establish a schedule for the month of December and plan several days in advance for holiday meals and parties. Also, create a budget early in the season, and stick to it. Studies show that finances are often a major trigger of stress during the holidays. Make meaningful connections the entire season long. Making time to connect with close

family and friends - whether through a phone call, email or Skype - will help you remember the true meaning of the holiday season. You can also let your loved ones know you’re thinking of them throughout the season by surprising them with the jacquielawson.com Advent Calendar. The animated e-calendar includes 25 holiday animations that transport recipients to a magical version of London. It’s a meaningful and unique gift for friends and family, near and far - you’ll love sharing stories with loved ones from that day’s holiday animation.

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bustle of the mall by going to a movie with a friend, or curling up by the fire with a book. Taking a moment to breathe and focus on something unrelated to the holidays will give you a chance to regroup and more effectively tackle the next cookie recipe or holiday party on your schedule. Try spending a few quiet moments of alone time each morning to recharge for the day ahead. And, if you feel like splurging, enjoy a few hours at the spa while you’re picking up gift certificates for others on your list.

Avoid over-committing. With holiday parties to

attend and host, cookies to bake and deliver, and tackling an ever-increasing Christmas card list, the holidays can easily swirl out of control. Decline the office cookie exchange this year, and cut down your gift list. You’ll be better able to savor the most important things of the holiday season when you’re not frantically running from one commitment to another.

Exercise and eat right. In a season where schedules get busier as the holidays get closer, make one thing a standard in your daily routine. A trip to the gym or an exercise class helps you relax and unwind. If you can’t make it to the gym, incorporate more walking into your daily routine. Park a little farther from the store entrance, or take a walk to see the neighborhood Christmas displays. Try to focus on your nutrition and avoid overeating, a major cause of holiday and post-holiday anxiety. Make sure to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet, and avoid that extra cookie when you can. Usually, one is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Charitable Giving Helps Everyone To participate in the spirit of the holiday season, you may be thinking of making some charitable gifts. If so, you’ll no doubt enjoy helping a group that does valuable work. But to begin with, it’s important to understand just how necessary your gifts are to the country’s social fabric. Given the effects of the Great Recession and the slow recovery, it’s not surprising to learn that charitable giving fell a combined 13% in 2008 and 2009, after adjusting for inflation, according to The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. And although 2010 giving increased by 2.1%, again adjusted for inflation, many groups are seeing tough times as 2011 comes to a close. So your gift counts. And it can count for you, too. By contributing to a qualified tax-exempt organization [e.g., a charitable group that has received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS], you may earn valuable tax deductions. This is true whether you give cash or another type of asset, such as stocks or real estate. And you may be able to get further tax benefits if the non-cash asset you’ve donated has appreciated in value since you purchased it. Making charitable gifts now may help you reduce your taxable estate. As you may know, the estate tax exemption level has fluctuated in recent years, so it’s hard for any of us to say for sure that we won’t be subjecting our estates to these taxes. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps now to plan for possible future estate taxes. One such step might involve establishing a charitable remainder trust. Under this arrangement, you’d place

some assets, such as stocks or real estate, in a trust, which could then use the assets to pay you an income stream over a certain period of time. When you establish the trust, you may be able to receive tax benefits based on the amount the charity is likely to ultimately receive, the charitable group’s so-called “remainder interest.” Upon its termination, the trust would relinquish the remaining assets to the charitable organization you’ve named. Keep in mind, though, that this type of trust can be complex; to establish one, you’ll need to work with your qualified tax advisor and estate-planning attorney. Another popular contribution vehicle is the “donoradvised fund.” Here’s how it works: You give cash or appreciated securities to the donor-advised fund, with the expectation of receiving a tax deduction for the contribution in that same year. You recommend which charities are to benefit from the contributions to the fund, and the fund invests and manages your contribution, along with the other assets in the fund. Again, you’ll need to consult with your qualified tax advisor before establishing a donor-advised fund to help ensure you obtain any expected tax benefits. As we’ve seen, you can follow different charitable giving strategies. But however you choose to make charitable gifts, you can take satisfaction in helping worthy organizations while possibly improving your own tax picture. Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Campbell Thompson, your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax or legal professional regarding your particular situation.

December 2011

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I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.

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945-3944 or 784-6364 Dr. Bud Owen, Pastor

-- Harlan Miller

Happy Birthday!

May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.

Aunt Winnie

-- Mary Anne Radmacher

18 VILLAGER VOICE

Sunday School - 10 AM Preaching - 11 AM Children’s Churches - 11AM Sunday Evening - 6:30 Wednesday Evening - 7:00 Youth Meetings Wed. - 7:00

December 7

www.templebaptistchurch.info DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE AT TEMPLE!

Community Church Directory

Clemmons

Agape Faith Church 766-9188 Bible Baptist Church 778-8737 Boyers Chapel Church of Christ 766-6344 Capernaum Church of Christ 766-1516 Centenary United Methodist 766-5987 Center Grove Baptist Church 766-5727 Centerpoint ARP Church 624-9529 Church of Christ Warnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chapel 766-6078 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - 766-3607 Clemmons First Baptist Church 766-6486 Clemmons Moravian Church 766-6273 Clemmons Presbyterian Church 766-4631 Clemmons United Methodist Church 766-6375 Crossbound Community Church 336-776-7574 Fraternity Church of Brethren 765-0160 Friends Baptist Church 766-3533 New Hope Presbyterian Church 655-6711 First Christian Church of Clemmons 766-5449 Harmony Grove United Methodist Church - 712-0057 Hickory Grove AME Zion 766-5142 Holy Family Catholic Church 766-8133 Immanuel Baptist Church 766-0082 St Clemontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church 766-4323 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - 766-3608 River Oaks Community Church 766-0033 Total Victory Out Reach 712-0403 Union Hill Baptist Church 766-8317 Victory Baptist Church- 766-7071 West Haven Baptist -712-1661

Lewisville

Concord United Methodist Church 945-3134 Harmony Grove Methodist Church 712-0057 Family Tabernacle 946-0480 Grace Baptist Church 945-4219 Grapevine Baptist Church 945-6195 Lewisville United Methodist Church 945-3203 Lewisville Baptist Church 945-3706 Lewisville UMC 945-3203 New Hope AME Zion Church 945-9083 Shallowford Presbyterian Church 766-3178 Sharon UMC 945-5386 Shiloh Lutheran Church 945-5255 Sunrise UMC 712-8000 Temple Baptist Church 945-3944 Trinity Friends Church 945-2944 Union UMC 945-3134 Unity Moravian Church 945-3801

Other Calvary Baptist 765-5542 Pine Grove United Methodist Church 765-2569 West Side Baptist Church 768-4073

Advance/Mocksville

Advance First Baptist Church 998-6302 Advance United Methodist Church 998-7750 Bethlehem United Methodist Church 998-5083 Bixby Presbyterian Church - 998-6813 Blaise Baptist Church - 751-3639 Cooleemee First Baptist 284-2626 Cornatzer Baptist Church 998-8403 Cornatzer United Methodist Church 998-0687 Cornerstone Christian - 998-0600 Elbaville United Methodist Church 998-8117 Episcopal Church of the Ascension 998-0857 Eagle Heights Church 751-4442 Fork Baptist Church 998-8306 Freedom Baptist Church 998-5294 Green Meadows Baptist Church 998-3022 Hillsdale Baptist Church 940-6618 Hillsdale UMC 998-4020 Holy Cross Lutheran Church 751-5919 Hope Moravian Church 765-8017 Jerusalem Baptist Church 336-284-2328 Macedonia Moravian Church 998-4394 Mocks United Methodist 998-5518 Piney Grove UMC 998-7313 Redland Church of Christ 998-3918 Redland Holiness 998-4226 St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (336) 751-2973 Turrentine Baptist Church 998-2366 Yadkin Valley Baptist Church 998-4331

December 2011

The Very Best in Home Cooked Food!

Duke’s

Restaurant OPEN FOR BREAKFAST & LUNCH Monday-Saturday 6:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. CLOSED ON SUNDAYS 4875 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem ORDERS TO GO: 768-3108

A Nice Place to Eat

Omega House is open

Christmas Day!

Food Done

o’So good!

299 Jonestown Road Winston-Salem, NC 27104

(336) 293-6371 HOURS Mon-Thur: 11 am-9 pm Friday: 11 am-10 pm Saturday: 4 pm-10 pm

Southern

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SouthernFamily Restaurant 4689 Yadkinville Road Pfafftown, NC 27040

(336) 922-4784 (336) 724-5262

Family Restaurant

HOURS Mon - Fri: 11 AM - 9 PM 4689 Yadkinville Road Sat: 4 PM - 9 PM Pfafftown, NC 27040 Sun: 11 AM - 2:30 PM

1498 Peters Creek Parkway Winston-Salem

(336) 922-4784

Omega House Family Restaurant

HOURS Mon - Fri: 11 AM - 9 PM Sat: 4 PM - 9 PM Sun: 11 AM - 2:30 PM

Open

7 AM - 2 PM

Thanksgiving & Christmas

20 VILLAGER VOICE

2251 Cloverdale Avenue Winston-Salem, NC www.cloverdalekitchen.com

(336) 725-4701

Serving Our Community Since 1968!

Christmas Ideas Christmas Light Drive.

Make Homemade Hot Cocoa.

Pile everyone in the car and drive through your local neighborhoods admiring houses dressed in their Christmas finery.

To make 12 servings: Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix well.

If it’s cold out, bring blankets and pillows to make the car even cozier. Take votes and choose your favorite light show among them all. Make sure to check out DebraWood on Holder Road in Clemmons.

Warm 8 ounces of milk for each cup of hot cocoa. Add 2 Tablespoons of the mix into each cup of milk (3 Tablespoons if you like your cocoa extra chocolatey). Top with large marshmallows or whipped cream sprinkled with cocoa powder.

Make Christmas Trees for Birds. Feed the birds with these easy homemade bird feeders. Take pine cones and coat well in creamy peanut butter. Once each pine cone is covered, roll it in bird seed to thickly coat the peanut butter. Tie a brightly colored ribbon tightly around the top part of the cone, forming a loop. Hang the pine cone bird feeder from a tree and share your Christmas blessings with the birds, who can use extra help during the winter months.

PETE’S

Family Restaurant

2661 Lewisville-Clemmons Rd.

Clemmons, NC

Watch Classic Christmas Shows. Some Christmas specials have remained favorites year after year, with both adults and kids alike. Get a DVD with one or more of the classics - Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Popcorn, Christmas cookies and a toasty fire are bonuses.

Make Paper Snowflakes. We all may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but sometimes nature and geography don’t cooperate. Paper snowflakes can help add the white stuff to your holiday decor. You can dress your snowflakes up with glitter, sparkly jewels, or young artist’s creative embellishments. Create a snowstorm for a window or make just a few to add a homespun feel to your Christmas tree.

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Pete’s Now Serving Breakfast!

RESTAURANT GUIDE

Clemmons

Applebee’s - 712-1063 Bagels & Brew - 766-9688 Big Shotz - 712-1883 Biscuitville - 766-7768 Bojangles - 778-0414 Brick Oven - 766-4440 Burger King - 766-0205 Chang Thai - 778-0388 Cherries Café - 766-4088 CIMARRON - 712-4689 Clemmons Kitchen - 766-4671 Cozumel Mexican - 778-0300 Cracker Barrel - 712-9880 Dominos Pizza - 766-0566 Donatos Pizza - 712-3300 Full Moon Oyster Bar - 723-4224 Grecian House - 766-8444 I Bambini Italian - 778-1838 IHOP - 766-8650 Illianos Italian - 712-1059 Kentucky Fried Chicken - 766-8630 Kimono Japanese - 766-6261 Lees Chinese - 712-0002 Little Richard 's BBQ - 766-0401 Lotus Express - 712-2487 Mario 's Pizza - 778-2002 Mandarin Chinese - 712-1009 Mi Pueblo - 766-7612 McDonalds - 766-6509 Monte De Rey-766-5750 Mossy's Eats - 766-7045 Mountain Fried Chicken - 712-9311 o’So Eats - (336) 293-6371 Panera Bread - 766-3898 Pete 's Family Restaurant - 766-6793 Quizno's Subs - 766-0794 Ronni 's Restaurant - 766-5822 Ruby Tuesdays - 766-3463 Salem Glen CC - 712-0303 Sonic Drive-In - 712-9710 Subway - 766-3016 Time To Eat - 712-1050 Waffle House - 766-9691 Wendy 's - 766-8417 Zaxby’s - 766-6747

Winston-Salem

Lewisville

ALEX”s Grill & Ice Cream - 946-1712 Casanova's - 946-2407 China Wok - 945-6228 Ciccones - 945-46191 Liberty Restaurant - 945-4409 Pizza Hut - 778-2118 Subway - 945-6445 West Town Café - 945-3348

Advance/Mocksville

Ari’s - 751-5428 Captain’s Galley - 940-6868 Ciccones - 998-7731 Dominos (Kinderton) - 998-2000 Dominos (Mocksville) - 751-3232 Jimmy the Greek - 940-2010 La Carreta - 753-1224 Marco’s Pizza - 753-1113 Moe’s Burgers - 753-0333 Miller's Restaurant - 751-2621 Sagebrush - 936-0021 Snooks Bar-B-Que - 998-4305 Subway - Kinderton - 998-3221 Zeko’s Italian - 751-6161

Bernadin’s Fine Dining - 768-9365 Big Shotz Tavern - 727-4490 Bleu Restaurant & Bar - 760-2060 Carriage House - 765-8020 Cloverdale Kitchen - 725-4701 Diamondback Grill - 722-0006 Dukes Restaurant - 768-3108 El Dorado Mexican - 760-3936 Grill-Ville Family - 788-7282 Kimono Japanese - 774-9777 Kotta Japanese - 768-2333 Mario’s Pizza - 768-0057 (Hanes Mall Blvd) 602-1410 (Cloverdale) Olive Tree - 723- 4224 Olde Orchard Diner - 650-1612 Omega House (Peters Creek) - 724-5262 Paul’s Fine Italian Dining - 768-2645 Qdoba Mexican Grill - 724-9873 245-2900 Rotisserie Factory - 725-7071 Sakura - 777-SUSHI Southern Family - 922-4784 Stratford Station Grill - 659-1583 Sushi Thai - 765-7890 Tumeric Indian Restaurant - 794-8282 TJ 's Deli (Country Club)- 760-0488 The Cotton Mill - 725-1112 West End Café - 723-4774

Yadkin

Century Kitchen - 336-699-4455 The German Restaurant - 336-463-3330 Old Stage Grille - 463-5555 Yadkin Plaza Restaurant - 679-3388

Kimono Japanese Restaurant Clemmons 766-6261 Kernersville 996-8863 Winston-Salem774-9777 Welcome 731-7510

Grill-Ville Family Restaurant 902 E Sprague St

788-7282

“Home-Style Cooking”

December 2011

~ The Candle Tea ~ The Candle Tea, regarded by many as the opening event of the Christmas season in Winston-Salem, is held annually in the historic Single Brothers’ House on Salem Square, which was built in 1769. The Women’s Fellowship of Home Moravian Church coordinates this event. All profits from the Candle Tea are distributed to nonprofit agencies, locally and internationally. Guests are greeted by hosts in early Moravian dress and are guided through the Candle Tea. Guests are admitted to the Candle Tea in groups of 35 approximately every 15 minutes. Reservations are not available. • • • • • •

Share a meaningful event with family and friends. Sing Christmas carols, accompanied by our 1797 Tannenberg organ. See how we make the beeswax candles used in our Christmas Eve candlelight lovefeasts Enjoy the warmth of a cup of Moravian coffee and a piece of sugar cake Hear what life was like for those who founded and lived in Salem.View the putz (miniature replica) of early Salem. Listen to the Christmas story as you view the lighted Nativity putz.

Contact information: info@candletea.org or call 336-749-9463

SCHEDULE Thursday, December 1 1:00- 8:30 PM Friday, December 2 1:00 - 8:30 PM Saturday, December 3 11:30 AM - 8:30 PM Thursday, December 8 1:00 - 8:30 PM Friday, December 9 1:00 - 8:30 PM Saturday, December 10 11:30 AM - 8:30 PM

24 VILLAGER VOICE

The Putz at the Candle Tea The Putz (pronounced “puts”) is a German word meaning “to decorate” and is a miniature scene. In Salem, it was common for each family to have a putz in its home, which would always have included a Nativity scene, and sometimes a village or farm scene as well. Setting up the putz was an exciting family tradition that began with gathering greenery for the scene. After the scenes were assembled, families visited each other to see each putz. Our Salem putz is a scale model of what Salem looked like many years ago. You will see carefully constructed replicas of the earliest houses in Salem as well as many daily activities such as laundry being hung on clotheslines, firewood being chopped, even a few deer and cows in places you would not expect them. At our Nativity putz, you will watch the lighted scenes as you listen to the story of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

THE 12 DO’S AND DON’TS OF A LESS STRESSFUL HOLIDAY SEASON 1. DON’T set unrealistic expectations for the holidays. Trying to make this holiday season the best ever for your friends and family will only set you up for disappointment. Don’t spend all your time preparing for just one day, but rather enjoy the entire season. Having a goal of making this a memorable year for everyone else will only wear you out. 2. DO set realistic goals, prioritize them, and pace yourself. Start now; figure out what you can do given the amount of time you’ll have available between work, transportation and household duties (all these go on even through the holidays). Make a list of what you’d like to try to accomplish, prioritize your list, and then set out a timetable for completing the activities that are most important to you. If shopping is a stressful time due to crowds, plan shopping trips when crowds are less i.e. late at night or early in the morning. 3. DON’T try to make everything just like the “good ole days.” Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. Your life isn’t the same as it was 10, 15, or 30 years ago. You’ve changed as a person. Those around you have changed, not only in who’s participating in your holiday celebration, but also in what they like to do. Let go of the past! Every holiday season is different and can be enjoyed in its own right. Don’t set yourself up for sadness by believing that everything has to be just like the “good ole days.” 4. DO look toward the future. Life brings changes and opportunity. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Perhaps it’s a holiday tradition that one of your friends has enjoyed for a number of years and you think that your family might enjoy as well. Celebrate the holidays in a way that is meaningful to you in your life today--not necessarily how it was meaningful in years past. This could be deciding to discontinue a previous tradition and replacing it with a new one. Thinking about how your life will be in the future may give you some direction as to how you may choose to celebrate your holidays this year. 5. DON’T go overboard on spending--the anxiety and sacrifices caused by post holiday debt can ruin your new year. Set a manageable holiday budget. Create a list of people to whom you’d like to entertain.

Then plan your expenditures around the budget you’ve already designated for yourself. Most gifts or celebration activities are appreciated by the people receiving them. Most gift or celebration activities are appreciated by the people receiving the gift or the invitation. They simply like being remembered. They don’t necessarily require a great expenditure of dollars. It helps to remember what the season is meant to be about. It was never intended to cause financial woes. 6. DO enjoy holiday activities that are free. Drive around and look at holiday decorations. Go window shopping without buying anything. You may have a goal to finish your shopping early so you can visit more or just walk around to watch people in the holiday spirit. 7. DON’T drink too much alcohol. The holiday season, while a time of great joy for most people, can also be a time of self-evaluation, loneliness, and reflection. While alcohol can be plentiful during the holiday season, it can also aggravate sad feelings based on losses experienced during the year or not being with family. The physical effects of alcohol can also result in less enjoyment of the activities planned for the following day. Not to mention anguish which occurs from an alcoholrelated traffic accident or legal offense. 8. DO keep your diet, exercise, and sleep patterns as normal as possible. If you keep your body healthy through the holiday season, you will enjoy the activities even more. The temptations are great, but if you can enjoy the delicacies of the holiday season in moderation, you’ll feel better about yourself (and your weight). However, if you are going to have that sweet, enjoy it. It does no good to partake and not enjoy it. 9. DON’T spend all of your time trying to create the perfect holiday for your family. That’s not your job. All of us have different activities we enjoy during the holiday season and we can’t depend on others to provide them for us. We must make our own joy and fellowship. Trying to schedule your family’s time with a multitude of activities may simply make them resent your interference in what could be a relaxing time for them. 10. DO find time for yourself. You are an important person and when you take care of yourself you’ll be in

(cont. on page 35)

December 2011

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s Happening?

The Nutcracker 2011: Presented by the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. UNCSA's Stevens Center 405 West Fourth Street, Downtown WinstonSalem. Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11 at 2:00 p.m. Thursday & Friday, Dec. 15 - 16 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Through January 1, 2012, Tanglewood's rolling countryside will be transformed into a winter wonderland of giant snowflakes and whimsical scenes! Entering our 20th season, Tanglewood's Festival of Lights continues to be one of the largest and most spectacular light shows in the entire southeast.

If you would like to have your event listed, email us at editor@villagervoice.com. 26 VILLAGER VOICE

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s Happening?

Special Christmas Services Temple Baptist Church

Sunday, December 11 - Choir Christmas Cantata "HIS NAME IS JESUS" at 11 AM Wednesday, December 14 - Dr. Kenneth Ream (International Representative) with Beacon International Baptist Mission at 7 PM Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18 - Christmas Play "MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM HEAVEN" written by Rev. Craig Howard. "Produced by special arrangement with Eldridge Publishing Company" at 7 PM Sunday, December 18 - Children's Christmas Program and Annual Christmas Treats at 11 AM Sunday, December 25 - 11 AM Service Only! Temple Baptist Church Franklin Road â&#x20AC;˘ Lewisville, NC www.templebaptistchurch.info

Winston-Salem Symphony Presents 2011 Sealy/Fox 8 Holiday Pops Concert Holiday Concert to Benefit the Salvation Army The Winston-Salem Symphony will perform a concert of holiday favorites, including The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, a selection of songs from beloved holiday movies, selections from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, Sleigh Ride, a carol sing-along and much more. The event will be emceed by Fox8 news anchors Neill McNeill and Julie Luck and on-air personality Lora Songster from WMAG 99.5 FM and will feature sacred and secular holiday music. The concert will take place on Saturday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 2825 University Parkway in Winston-Salem and will be preceded by a holiday performance by the Winston-Salem Symphony Youth Philharmonic, under the direction of Margaret Rehder, at 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with first-come, first-served seating. Admission to the concert is free with a donation of canned food or non-perishable food items, which will be distributed to Salvation Army Food Banks throughout the Piedmont. Last year was an overwhelming success with over 730,000 cans of food donated for the Salvation Army in both Winston-Salem and Greensboro. Though all non-perishable donations are welcome, the following provides a general idea of some of the types of items the Salvation Army needs: rice, beans, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, bottled fruit juice, diapers, infant formula and canned food of any kind. The orchestra will be led by associate conductor Matthew Troy. Zach Elliot will be the tenor soloist and Greg Zink will be the bass soloist. Gymnasts from Salem Gymnastics also will perform. Sponsors of this special community event are Sealy, Fox 8 WGHP, with additional support from Old Dominion Freight Lines and WMAG. The Winston-Salem Symphony is in its 65th season as one of the Southeast's most highly regarded regional orchestras. Under the baton of Music Director Robert Moody, its performance season includes: a classics series, a casual Kicked-Back Classics series, a pops series, concerts for kids, annual performances of Handel's Messiah; a concert featuring Winston-Salem Symphony and Youth Symphony musicians; a Holiday Concert; three youth orchestra ensembles; and a multitude of educational and community engagement programs.

If you would like to have your event listed, email us at editor@villagervoice.com.

December 2011

Christmas Tree Tips For many people, decorating the Christmas tree is a favorite part of the holiday. The National Safety Council offers some safety tips to make sure a mishap doesn’t spoil your holiday season. Christmas Trees • Natural and artificial Christmas trees start an average of 250 home structure fires each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These fires cause approximately 14 deaths, 26 injuries and $13.8 million in property damage yearly. • Try to select a fresh tree by looking for one that is green. The needles of pines and spruces should bend and not break and should be hard to pull off the branches. On fir species, a needle pulled from a fresh tree will snap when bent, much like a fresh carrot. Also, look for a trunk sticky with sap. • Cut off about two inches of the trunk and put the tree in a sturdy, water-holding stand. Keep the stand filled with water so the tree does not dry out quickly. • Stand your tree away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Make sure the tree does not block foot traffic or doorways. • If you use an artificial tree, choose one that is tested and labeled as fire resistant.

28 VILLAGER VOICE

•

Artificial trees with built-in electrical systems should have the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) label. Line-voltage holiday or decorative lights start an average of 170 home structure fires each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These fires cause

approximately 7 deaths, 17 injuries and $7.9 million in property damage yearly. Tree lights • Only use indoor lights indoors (and outdoor lights only outdoors). Look for the UL label. Check lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Replace or repair any damaged light sets. • Also, use no more than three light sets on any one extension cord. Extension cords should be placed against the wall to avoid tripping hazards, but do not run cords under rugs. • Turn off all lights on trees and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house. Tree ornaments • Always use the proper step stool or ladder to reach high places. • Read labels before you use materials that come in jars, cans and spray cans. • Never place lighted candles on a tree or near any flammable materials. • Avoid placing breakable tree ornaments or ones with small, detachable parts on lower branches where small children or pets can reach them. • Do not hang popcorn chains and candy canes on the tree when small children are present. They may think that other tree ornaments are also edible.

Birdsalls’ Vision of Community Theatre Thrives in Clemmons By Lynn Hall

Starting any new business venture is always a “leap of faith,” but for Norm and Reba Birdsall, “faith” was the underlying motivation. “A number of years ago I found myself in a place where I literally rediscovered my faith,” Norm Birdsall explained. “It was a wonderful moment for me, and along with Reba, we began searching for a new church home. Together we visited a number of churches, and finally Reba asked me what it was I was looking for in a church home. I replied that I couldn’t define it, but that I would know it when I found it.” That day arrived after attending services at Vogler Funeral Home in Clemmons – at that time the home of a newly formed congregation called New Hope Presbyterian. “My son and his family attended there,” Reba Birdsall explained, “and they had invited us to join them one Sunday. We were living in High Point at the time, but made the trip over and we’ve been members ever since.” What attracted the couple was the church’s desire to be a resource for the community. “The church wanted to create a place that was open every day – not just Sundays,” Norm Birdsall explained. “And now almost seven years later, that is exactly what has happened. The building was constructed with a large gymnasium, along with meeting space and classrooms, so that it has been used by community groups for meetings, homeschoolers, Young Life groups and even local basketball and volleyball leagues.”

But there was another sort of outreach New Hope Presbyterian Church was interested in, and the Birdsalls were the ideal couple to head that effort. “A community theatre was another outreach envisioned,” Norm said, and today New Hope Presbyterian Church is the home for the Clemmons Community Theatre. With his extensive theatrical experience, Norm Birdsall was the perfect choice for this endeavor. He graduated from the Brigham Young University with a degree in theatre and speech and then worked in theatre in New York and all along the entire East Coast before settling in North Carolina. He has done theatre, film and commercials, as actor, director and even theatre manager. Today he’s very comfortable with the title of CCT artistic director. While Norm handles selecting shows, casting and directing for most of their productions, Reba, who serves as executive producer, is responsible for much of the business end of community theatre. She handles advertising and marketing, publicity and ticket sales, but when needed, is a wonderful seamstress, making costumes and oftentimes props for the shows. “I’ve also performed on stage in a number of shows and even a commercial or two,” Reba said. “We both love all aspects of community theatre and while this opportunity came about just as I was retiring, it’s been wonderful. It is a tremendous amount of work, but when you love something and (cont. on page 33)

December 2011

BLACK CHRISTMAS WHY It’s a Wonderful Life!

By Rev. Christopher E. Burcham Christmas is a colorful time— with certain colors enjoying a special association with the season—red and green in particular. Many of us, missing a particular loved one, have commiserated with Elvis over a BLUE Christmas; and while, in these parts, we nearly always have a GREEN Christmas, we still dream with Bing of a WHITE Christmas—and, last year, even got our wish! But one color that’s almost never associated with Christmas is BLACK! Halloween maybe—but not Christmas! No one dreams of a black Christmas! When it comes to

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Christmas, we want the images to be all sweetness and light—and don’t associate Christmas with anything dark or somber. Truth be told, however, there’s a lot of darkness associated with Christmas—both in our conflicted and complicated lives in the 21st century AND in the lives of those who populated that original Christmas—in the 1st century! The shock of an unplanned pregnancy; the shame, scandal and stigma of a frightened unwed teenager giving birth in the most wretched and unsanitary conditions imaginable on a dark night in a dirty, non‑descript village in the Middle East, far from home in a strange town . . .

The very need for Christmas has been born out of the ugly blackness of our rebellion and disobedience which has separated us from God— and compelled Him to do something drastic to restore even the possibility of our having a relationship with Him! So there’s a lot of blackness in Christmas . . . the blackness of the dark details of that first Christmas; the blackness of sin which Christ came to dispel; the blackness that permeates our lives still today! In truth, however, we can never know a truly black Christmas—because the Light of the World has come—and forever dispelled the darkness! It may seem dark at times—but His Light continues to shine! And nothing is

ever as dark, nowhere near as dark, as it would have been . . . had His Light not come; had He never penetrated the liquid blackness of sin and death and let His light shine! But have you ever stopped to think of how things would be different . . . IF He had not come . . . For many of us, our Christmas celebration invariably involves an annual viewing of Frank Capra’s 1946 holiday classic—It’s a Wonderful Life—which depicts a man given the rare opportunity to see how life would have been different had he never been born. Only then is he able to see how countless lives have been favorably impacted (and, in many cases, saved) because of his! It really IS a wonderful life— not because George Bailey was born in Bedford Falls—but only because Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem! But what IF He had not been born? How would life be different today? Obviously, our calendar would change—this would NOT be 2011—had there been no defining event about 2,011 years ago, significant enough to divide all of history in two! I’d be out of a job—since there’d be no church on Sunday; no reason to set aside Sunday for worship—since no long ago Sunday would have seen Christ’s resurrection, had He never been born in the first place! So I could just stay in bed on Sunday morning. Truth be told, IF Christ

had not been born, I might never want to get out of bed again! Had Christ never been born, the world might remain a primitive place where women are essentially slaves of men, children are routinely sacrificed to idols—and the idea of charity is a foreign concept! A world without Christ would likely have as many prisons as there are McDonald’s—for a world in which Jesus had never been born would be saturated with hatred and violence, with crime rates far in excess of anything we know today. In case of natural disaster, there would likely be little help or relief; no Salvation Army or Red Cross would be there to assist. Sickness and death would reign supreme— with hospitals on nearly every street—but only as a place to die— and not a source of healing . . . and with no hope at all of resurrection! Schools would likely be scarce—as the Enemy has always aimed to keep us in darkness—preferring that we not even READ—‘lest we learn of a God Who loves us and created us for something more. Any free society, such as the United States, would likely be no more than wishful thinking or an unrealized dream. It might still be December— but in a world in which, as C. S. Lewis so memorably described Narnia under the rule of the White Witch, it’s “always winter but never Christmas.” If the cradle in Bethlehem is empty, then an empty cradle can mean only

one thing . . . an empty cross. And, without the cross, there awaits no crown . . . for any of us. If Christ had never been born, there would be but one destination for our eternal souls: a dark place of everlasting torment and separation from the God Who made us. Thankfully, some 2000 years ago in a dark and dirty cave near Bethlehem, the cry of a baby started a shockwave of change that reverberates even more strongly today than it did then! But if Christ has not been born in your heart and life, if He has not entered your world, you may as well be dreaming of a black Christmas—because the future can only BE black apart from Him! It’s a wonderful life . . . only because Christ has been born—and lives just as surely today as He did 2000 years ago! But does He live in YOU?! You’ll have a black Christmas without Him! Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree really won’t mean a thing, dear one, if He’s not here with YOU! You’ll have a black, black Christmas! But He HAS been born . . . in Bethlehem! Let Him be born—and come to live and rule—in YOUR heart . . . and you can know and experience the truth that it really IS a wonderful life . . . with Him! Editor’s Note: Rev. Christopher Burcham is Senior Pastor of Union Hill Baptist Churchs. Visit unionhillbaptistchurch.org to learn more.

Many of us, missing a particular loved one, have commiserated with Elvis over a BLUE Christmas; and while, in these parts, we nearly always have a GREEN Christmas, we still dream with Bing of a WHITE Christmas— and, last year, even got our wish! December 2011

Beat The Dealer - How Not To Get Ripped Off When Buying A Used Car-Part 3 By Tracy E. Myers, CMD – The Nation’s Premier Automotive Solutions Provider Author’s Note: This is part 3 in the series warning consumers about the most common scams the “bad guys” like to pull so you can be on the look out when car shopping. Common Scam #1 is The Add-On Dance: Paint Sealant, Rust-Proofing, & Fabric Sealant. Common Scam #2 is The Bump & Grind. Now let’s continue with common scam #3.

Bad Credit Scam After you’ve found the car and the price has been negotiated, you’ll usually enter the credit approval phase. This is where you complete a loan application which is forwarded to the finance department for approval. These days, approval can be rapid. And smart, honest dealers develop strong, valuable relationships with lenders locally and nationally in order to provide their customers with the most elegant financing choices available. But the “dirty bird” dealers use the finance process as another way to squeeze more dollars out of your bank account. Here’s how it works: The salesperson returns with your application looking all disheveled and frustrated. She explains that your credit wasn’t exactly as good as they thought it would be – and that they weren’t able to obtain financing through their preferred source. Your heart sinks and face turns red. You’re embarrassed. And

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you’re worried that you may have wasted all of this time, and now you won’t be able to be approved. Perhaps the salesperson even tells you that she’s not sure they’ll be able to get you approved. This is a point of minor desperation for most people. Then you start to explain your virtues to the sales person. That you pay all your bills on time, how this must be some sort of a mix up or a mistake. She tells you she’s going to have one last conversation with the finance manager to see what can be done. She’s going to “go to bat for you.” Now back to the coffee or smoke break. In the meantime, you’re sweating bullets and wondering how you screwed up your credit. At this point you’re just hoping you can get approved. Ten more minutes and back she comes. This time with a smile on her face. “Great news!” she exclaims. “I pushed my finance manager and made him call in a favor with another bank and he’s able to get your loan approved!” Relief. What she didn’t tell you was that the interest rate is 2 points higher than it should be. In many cases, bad dealers will misrepresent your ability to be properly financed – for instance, if you have A credit, they’ll tell you that you have B credit, if you have B credit, they’ll tell you C.

They’ll use this as an excuse to mark up your interest rate to above competitive levels. But after the stunt, you feel lucky just to get approved at all – so you’ll take the loan no matter what. It’s all emotional. Then you pay the price over the life of the loan through a higher interest rate than you could have been approved for. Once again, car dealers deserve to make money for the service they provide. But you don’t deserve to pay an erroneously marked up interest rate. Here’s how you beat this scam: (1) Get a copy of your credit report before you begin shopping for a car. I recommend you get a copy from Equifax, Transunion, and Experian. (2) Have a solid understanding of your credit score and what it means so that you won’t have the wool pulled over your eyes. (3) Consider getting a rate quote from your bank or credit union to use as a comparison at the dealership. A savvy dealer can often beat the rate of your bank or credit union – but a dishonest dealer will convince you that you need to pay much more. Use a comparative rate as a benchmark. About The Author: Tracy Myers is a car dealership owner, author, speaker & entrepreneur. He has been featured on NBC, ABC & CBS affiliates across the country & recently released his #1 bestselling book titled “Uncle Frank Sez”, available at www.TracyMyers. com. Contact Tracy at Tracy@ TracyMyers.com

(cont. from page 29) see it grow, it’s very rewarding. The arts make a wonderful difference in a community, and that’s what we hope we are able to do.”

the church without charge,” Norm explained, “and several church members are on the CCT Board of Directors.”

One of the ways they are making a difference is by collecting can goods as admission for one of their shows and donating the food to the Clemmons Food Pantry. They also do a lot of their marketing to retirement communities and have received a grant that will allow them to stream shows live into these communities for those who aren’t able to attend in person.

“Like any community theatre, we are always looking for new sources of funding,” Norm said. “About 75 percent of the production costs come from the sponsorships and ad sales, while about 25 percent comes from ticket sales. We feel we do a very good job of controlling expenditures – thanks to the many great volunteers who work on our shows – but we are always looking for new sponsors and patrons. If you love the arts and believe that we can build community through the arts, we hope you will consider checking out the CCT.”

Since opening its doors, CCT has stages such successful productions as “The Cemetery Club,” “Steel Magnolias,” “The Fantasticks,” “Nunsense I and II” and most recently, “The Red Velvet Cake Wars.” Today, CCT operates as a separate nonprofit from the church, but in partnership. “We are allowed to use

Editor’s Note: New Hope Presbyterian is located at 2570 Harper Road in Clemmons. For more information about CCT, visit www. clemmonscommunitytheatre.com.

Rice Heat Therapy Bag The “Rice Bag” is a special bag that will keep your feet warm at night or relax your shoulder and neck muscles. And the best part is that they are really easy to make. Take a 10-inch square piece of cotton material (cotton only!), fold it in half (right sides together), and sew one short end and up the long side. Use a 1/2” seam allowance. Turn right side out. This makes a little sack to which you add twelve oz. (about 1 3/4 cups) uncooked long grain white rice. NO converted, brown, or “minute” rice! You can add essential oil if you like. Now turn in the seam allowance on the remaining open end and finish with sewing across it, locking your stitches so the rice can’t get out. Easy so far right? Take another cotton square cut a little bigger, say 10 1/2” X 11 1/2.” This is going to be

the pillowcase to put the rice bag in. I usually sew this with cotton flannel. Sew up this piece like you did the sack only finish off the open end like on a pillowcase on your bed. DON’T WASH THE RICE BAG only the case!! Now put your rice bag in the microwave oven, set on HIGH and time for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. You be the judge at how hot you want it to be. Trust me,anything over 2 minutes is way hot! Take it out of the microwave and you’ve got warm moist heat to soothe those achy muscles. On really cold nights I heat one up and toss it under my covers before I go to bed. When I climb in it’s nice and warm. There are many more uses for this lovely little bag including soothing sinus headaches. If you don’t sew or you simply don’t have the time to make one, you can purchase one at Red Door for $5. Call 766-0415 for more information. Just ask for the “Happy Sack!”

December 2011

SURVIVAL TIPS from the Carolina Survivalist COLD WEATHER SURVIVAL PRINCIPLES

C-O-L-D Remember these rules by the acronym “C-O-L-D”: Clean Overheating - Loose Layers - Dry Keep Clothing CLEAN. In the winter, clothing that is matted with dirt, grease and grime will lose much of their insulation value because the small air spaces in the material are clogged with dirt. It’s the air that provides the insulation, and when these spaces fill up, cold is transferred directly to the skin. Heat escapes from the body for the same reason. There are no tiny insulating air spaces left in the material you are wearing. Avoid OVERHEATING. This happens all too quickly in cold weather, particularly when you are working hard on a project or trekking in the woods. Your body’s sweat gets your inner garments wet and now you have a problem. The dampness acts just like the dirty clothing, transferring the cold directly to the skin, and allowing the body’s heat to escape directly to the outside air. The dampness decreases the insulating quality of all your other clothing. As sweat evaporates, it cools the body. In the summer, this evaporation maintains you body’s “cool”... In the winter it can kill you. Pay attention when working outdoors in cold weather. Adjust your outer clothing by opening up jackets and/or shirts, or even removing layers of clothing to prevent sweating. Change to a lighter headgear and remove gloves. The head and hands act as efficient heat radiators, cooling the blood that will

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the clothing layers. It is easy to remove one or two lightweight shirts to maintain a proper (dry) body temperature.

cool the entire body. Over time, readjust your clothing to maintain dry skin conditions. Under clothing that is TOO wet from sweat should be removed, dried, and put back on as soon as possible. Embarrassing, but necessary. Wear clothing LOOSE and in LAYERS. Tight clothing will restrict blood circulation necessary to maintain body temperature. Tight clothing will not have a correct volume of air trapped in the layers of clothing to provide significant insulation. It is much better to wear several layers of lightweight clothing rather than one extra-heavy garment that will not allow for temperature adjustments. The layered clothing has many levels of trapped air, both in the clothing itself, and between

Keep clothing DRY. This is extremely important. If you get your clothing soaked all the way to the skin, you are in REAL danger of frostbite or worse. Wet snow, rain, splashing from tires, or just falling down in slushy conditions can soak you to the bone. If there is dry clothing available, you must get out of the wet clothing as soon as possible. If no clothing is available, you need to stop and dry the clothing around a fire built around a makeshift shelter. Delaying this drying process will only lead to a gradual lowering of the body’s core temperature until it is too late to recover. You MUST stay warm while the clothing is being dried. Use blankets, sleeping bags, or shared body heat to keep warm. Stay out of the wind. Wind chill on exposed skin can be deadly. Use the sun (or what little there is of it) as much as possible. Leather shoes should be dried slowly to prevent damage to the leather. In extreme freezing conditions, the frozen water can actually be “knocked” out of the clothing, speeding up the drying process. Keep moving until you can get a dry layer of clothing on. If you are underneath an open shelter, hang the clothing as high up under the roof as possible. Heat rises and is trapped under the roof. www.carolinasurvivalist.com

December 23

Festivus is a secular holiday that was created by writer Dan O’Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a screenwriter for the TV show Seinfeld. From the “Airing of the Grievances” to the “Feats of Strength,” Festivus is certainly a unique (and occasionally comical) alternative holiday. In 2010, a CNN story detailed the increasing popularity of the holiday.

(cont. from page 25)

a better frame of mind and better physical condition to do things for other people. You’ll be happier and so will those people around you. 11. DON’T feel you must attend every holiday function to which you are invited--space out the revelry. We all receive invitations for holiday gatherings, some business-related and some personal. Put them on your calendar, and try to find time to attend those you can so as to share yourself and good wishes with friends and family. However, if you find yourself dreading attending a certain function, don’t go. You’ll be better off-and probably the other people at the party will have a better time too. There is something to be said for going to a Christmas party to perk yourself up and if that’s the case, by all means go. But don’t feel as if you’re getting brownie points for doing so. 12. DO something for someone else. It’s an old remedy, but can help with your stress and your holiday spirit. Try volunteering some time to help others. Make a donation to your favorite charity. Volunteer for the Salvation Army. Give blood. Do a deed without getting credit for it and enjoy your holidays. If you find yourself feeling down during the holidays

try these suggestions: * Acknowledge that there can be sad and lonely feelings during the holidays. Look to address them so you can move on. * Drink a cup of cocoa. * Contact an old friend with whom you’ve lost touch. * Get up early and listen to the quiet. * Go shopping and sit on Santa’s lap! * Find time to be around children to share the joy of the holidays. Commit to yourself to enjoy this special time of the year. Use your creativity and imagination to find whatever works for you and take advantage of it!

Happy Holidays!

December 2011

SENIOR

MUSINGS ON LASTING GIFTS

By Nancy M. Hall

Those of you who have been reading my musings for a number of years know that it is time for me to do my annual “tsk, tsk ing” about the frenzy some of us get into about holiday giving. Being a country girl, sometimes I think the best gift with the most benefit would be to subscribe to the “heifer project” for foreign countries. Again, after tearing up, listening to Sarah McLaughlin’s song and viewing the accompanying pictures of abused animals, I feel sure I will make a generous donation and call it Christmas! Gifts to causes are the easy ones; it is the “what in the world can I give-----(fill in the blank) this year” which drives us batty. Of course we know that gifts can be re-purposed if they are not just the right size, color, or if they don’t fit. Even so, that does not give us the desired feeling after gifting someone. Have you ever had anyone tell you outright they did not want the gift and to take it back? Ouch! That really hurts! Two things this month have

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led me into thinking about a different kind of gift, albeit intangible, for the most part. The Cornell Center on Aging has completed a study on over 1500 seniors on all types of subjects: marriage, children, work, happiness, death, aging, values, adversity, and so on. Subsequently, there is a book on the findings, 30 LESSONS FOR LIVING, out this month. There are some wonderful gems of wisdom. Listen to some by Sage (her real name), age 80. Here is part of how she answered the question on core values and principles by which she lived: “Love God, self and others. Then sin most outrageously often as you can. If you have your priorities straight, what kind of sinning can you do? You can’t. Once your priorities are straight then dare almost anything.”1 I like the idea of values as a gift and legacy. I be busy with my career and did not visit her as often

as she desired. I conceived the idea of making a tape wherein I would express appreciation for some value or trait which I admired in her. These would be illustrated in a vignette, and she was to play one each day. I think I made about 2-weeks worth; a good friend helped select and taped appropriate music for the experience. The same idea was written in an ode to her 95th birthday. So, can you make a list of things which you admire about someone-their wisdom, put them in a box with pretty wrapping? I suppose you could; there may be other ways to let people know how you treasure them. Recently, families are preserving not only pictures, but recipes for cookbooks and quotes. Sue Drummond who gave the Senior Citizens Report on WSJS for many years would always end her program with: “Mama Says.” There were some good quotes. The second thought on gift/legacy comes as a result of the imminent death of my sister. As I have read the cards of concern and well-wishing, one message was written as if she were already dead. It is something that could be said at her funeral; I

am glad it was expressed while she is still living. The writer wrote: “You gave us three fine citizens in the church and community. I call this a “gift of meaning.” It gets to the nature of the person, her priorities, her husband, children, community, and church. I hope I have given you something to think about while you are waiting in the cold darkness on early Black Friday morning, pushing and shoving in order to get this season’s desired item. This little musing is meant to get you to think of alternate ways of giving. My Monthly Musings with sources of information, books, ideas, and concepts are my gifts to you! I hope that they are acceptable and have some meaning for you. Remember there is a charity close to home, such as the Silver Stocking Project. I plan to support it because I know the needs of some of our neediest elders. Have a merry! I am nancappy@msn.com. Footnote is from the internet.

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December 2011

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