VIOLIN CAROLERS: Lee Anne Welch is a violin teacher who has been taking her students on the road at Christmastime to make the caroling rounds for the past 20 years, perhaps. The musicians play Christmas carols and schedule about three stops. This year it was the fire house and Our Lady of Fatima.
Their final performance was a concert at the Pecks, after which they were fed soup and cake by Betty Peck. Welch credits Betty with being the inspiration for the caroling, because she had organized caroling groups for years and Lee Anne remembered them from her own childhood.
After the violinists performed, Betty Peck fed them dinner. Mike Simpson joined the group on guitar and Angie Finfrock came home from college to participate. Welch is a member of the women's bluegrass group, Sidesaddle, which plays every first and third Wednesday at Sam's Barbecue on Bascom.
MINI MISSION: John and Dorothy Terrill spent two weeks in Cartagena, Colombia, this fall on a mini-mission with the Wicks—Dan, Berit, and Kristina—who are on a mission of several years' duration. Dorothy gave nutrition presentations to about 675 people at two refugee centers.
One of the centers was a home for abused girls. Dorothy also addressed 170 students and an English-speaking women's group at the Colegio Latinoamericano, the high school where Dan and Berit work. Meanwhile, husband John took photos and helped Dan with several projects.
The Terrills brought clothing contributions from Immanuel Lutheran Church and quilts made by the Immanuel Quilters, and the items were distributed at the refugee camps. Since the Terrills' last visit in 2003, buildings have been painted, and a girls' restroom, drinking fountains and more computers added.
The Wicks' hearts are definitely in their work, says Dorothy.
GREAT WALL, GREAT TREK: Rick Barringer went on a fundraising trek to the Great Wall of China sponsored by amfAR, the nonprofit devoted to AIDs prevention, research and programs. The group hiked for a week in a section of the Great Wall seldom visited by tourists called the Jin Shan Ling area.
It's a very rural area and "you can see for miles and miles. You can't believe how vast (the wall) is—like a dragon or snake weaving itself through the countryside," Barringer says. The Great Wall is one of the few manmade phenomena visible from outer space.
Seeing something that vast, that took two centuries to build—13681644—puts your own life in perspective, Barringer says, makes you take stock and rethink what direction you are taking. China is hard hit by AIDS, which is why it was this year's amfAR focus.
LIGHT FROM SANTA LUCIA: Even before the launch of her book, Martha Alderson viewed Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple as a ball of light going out to shine the way for writers. Now she—and we—know why. It's connected with the Swedish celebration of Santa Lucia Day.
In ancient days in Sweden, people feared the sun had lost its way when the shortest day of the year approached, and that they would forever live in darkness. But Santa Lucia, the Queen of Light, led the sun back to them, bringing with it the promise of longer days.
Thus, every Dec. 13, Alderson and her siblings celebrated Santa Lucia Day as their Swedish-born mother had. Well before light dawned, friends and family would gather as traditional Swedish music played. Painfully shy, Martha remembers entering the darkened living room wearing a white robe and a crown of candles.
"More concerned with keeping my neck straight and the melting wax from burning my scalp, I ignored my sniggering classmates and their cooing parents as I hurried, though carefully, through the ritual of serving them coffee and saffron colored rolls to symbolize the sun," she recalls.
"I hadn't before wondered why I thought of my book as a ball of light. Now I know."
RED CROSS & REALTORS TOY DRIVE: Area Realtors and the Red Cross are operating in league again this season to bring food, toys, gifts and clothing to those in need. Those in charge are Don Newhall of the Red Cross and Sharon Butler of SILVAR, the realty association.
A total of 165 children and 104 adults from 62 families will be recipients of local Realtor generosity. Some 20 seniors will be served, as well as 20 homeless people, identified by Jo Griner of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. In addition, 30 children from Eastfield Ming Quong will receive gifts. Saratoga Fire Station is the collection point.
TURDUCKEN?: When you sit down to a scrumptious Christmas meal this week, you can think, perhaps scornfully, of my table. It will be groaning under turducken. That's a turkey, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken, stuffed with sausage.
My son insisted this would be a fabulous culinary treat to mark the day. My daughter found it, in frozen state (no, not Montana), over the Internet. I don't know how all three birds can finish cooking at the same time, but I'll let you know.
Bon Appetit.
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By Mary Ann Cook