Creche exhibit at LDS Church History Museum reflects diverse cultures - Christmas Flowers Poland

SALT LAKE CITY — The Nativity scenes on display for the Church History Museum's annual christmas flowers poland exhibit come from places like Sweden, Poland, Zaire, Germany, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and India.

"Almost all of them are from the museum collection," said Ray Halls, the museum's education manager, "and many are by Latter-day Saints."

Halls enjoys seeing how the different cultures express themselves. "In these creche scenes, you can see goats, turkeys, a lion, a jaguar and even an ostrich participating in the event of the birth of Jesus," said Halls, the museum's education manager. He also pointed out the unique gifts given to the Savior, which include items like the bushel of corn and traditional blankets found in the Mayan tradition creche scene. The materials used to make the creche sets include fired terra cotta, carved olive wood, mazapan, metal and fabric, among others.

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Ravell Call, Deseret News

"Equadorian Creche from Quito" by Maria Sevilla is on display at The Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011.

"I love how each country takes the birth of the Savior and personalizes it into its own culture," Halls said.

Sculptures, paintings and a quilt complement the creche sets, which will be on display through Jan. 8.

"We have enhanced the exhibit with other works of art," Halls said. "Even our new MicroTiles screen is part of the display—we have people telling Christmas stories and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing to you as you enter the museum."

An Italian painting by an unknown artist is the oldest in the museum collection and depicts the baby Jesus with his mother, Mary. A striking Walter Rane painting shows the boy Jesus working with his carpenter father, Joseph.

"In this work of art," Halls said, "Jesus' expression seems to tell us that he understands more than his youthful age belies."

One special item loaned to the museum for the seasonal display is a quilt titled "Day of Joy and Mercy," designed by Sara Morgan, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The quilt was made in 2005 for the second annual St. Louis interfaith Creches and Carols exhibit and was on display there for three years. Afterward, it was shown in a christmas flowers poland blogs display at the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors' Center.

The museum display is free and open to the public. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year's Eve and Jan. 2 and will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Special gallery tours conducted by volunteer docents are available Monday through Saturday for church, school and private groups. Tours must be scheduled two weeks in advance. Call 801-240-4615 for reservations.

The Chron takes a closer look at the operation in place to deal with the Christmas post - Christmas Flowers Poland

“THIS is the christmas flowers poland Operations Room,” said Sarah Shaughnessy as she proudly opened the door to a zone full of busy people at the South Midlands Mail Centre in Northampton.

I thought she was joking at first, but no, there was the sign on the door indicating that the festive period means serious business for the Royal Mail-run site.

The Chron had been allowed into this huge new centre at Swan Valley to see how Royal Mail staff cope with the workload at what is always their busiest time of year.

Peering over a balcony, I watched as workers in the 10,000 square metre warehouse busily operated long machines and even hand-sorted certain mail to ensure that second and first class letters and parcels made it to their final destinations.

The mail going through this centre is all collected from Northampton, Coventry and Milton Keynes mail boxes before being sorted by the South Midlands staff and sent back out to delivery centres.

December is Royal Mail’s busiest time of year and, during this christmas flowers poland blogs period, it is expected that the Northampton centre alone will handle and sort 84.5 million items, helped by an extra intake of 750 staff.

The centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to cope with its massive workload throughout the year.

Sarah, the early shift manager, dazzled me with an impressive array of statistics.

Pointing to a sorting machine for large letters she told me that this machine alone dealt with 22,000 items an hour. A separate, smaller letter sorting machine could handle up to about 42,000 letters an hour and 1.55 million a day.

With the rise in internet shopping, packets are a big business for Royal Mail and each year sees an increase of about eight per cent in the parcels handled by the South Midlands Mail Centre.

Sarah said: “I think packet volumes are up year on year. A lot of companies are having sales online and if things are on sale people will order them.”

This year, the busiest day for posting is expected to be December 12 when the estimated number of Christmas cards to be posted and sorted in this area is predicted to be 1.5 million.

Sarah said; “This is a popular posting day because that is the last weekend before posting dates. People write their cards at the weekend, so that Monday becomes the busiest day.

“It is very hard but, to be perfectly honest, we are on track and are in a very good position to keep up with that. Last year we were hindered by the weather.

“It is also very important to keep morale up, we are very busy but it is good to keep the staff motivated through the busiest three or four weeks and we usually have a few events going on like fancy dress and charity collections.

“We are looking to collect for an elderly person’s group, bring them in and give them a day here and we want to get a school in to sing carols too. We are also collecting for an animal welfare charity.”

And, with a total of 902 staff working at the centre during the Christmas season, there are plenty of people to motivate.

Planning for staffing as well as possible bad weather during the festive season starts as early as July each year.

Due to the snowy pre-Christmas weather conditions last year, mail managers also had to play a hands-on role, delivering some of the post themselves.

Sarah said: “Last year the weather got so bad we had managers out on Christmas Eve delivering parcels. One manager said he went to the front door of one home and the whole family was in the house waiting for half their Christmas presents to arrive. That comes out in the Christmas planning meetings too, the contingency plans which have to be put in place.”

Due to the volume of work, the centre also helps with the 32-way hand-sorting of foreign mail to help streamline the work of the Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre.

Sarah explained: “They go to Poland, France, America and all over, we break it down for them because of the huge volumes.”

Although there was once a time when mail would simply have been sorted through the power of human sight, machines now contain automatic readers capable of identifying even very individual handwriting.

Automated machines have a rejection rate of about one per cent, which means letters will be “rejected” if they are inappropriately addressed, for example, they may not include a postcode.

Sarah said that sometimes Christmas cards end up in the mail simply addressed “Mum and Dad”, as these may have been accidentally posted.

All mail which is impossible to post then gets sent to a centre in Belfast where efforts are made to return the letters, parcels or cards back to their senders.

But staff will work hard to try to identify even obscure addresses so that cards and parcels can make it through to their intended destinations.

One popular address which can be hard for the machines to identify is Santa’s house, which receives about 75,000 letters just from Northampton, Coventry and Milton Keynes postcodes each year.

Sarah said: “They do go to Santa and, when posted with a first class stamp, they do get a response.”

The correct address for writing letters to Santa is: Santa, Reindeerland, SAN TA.

Local religion briefs - Christmas Flowers Poland

BENNINGTON -- St. Peter’s Episcopal annual church Christmas tea will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The cost will be $6. The Guild Room will be decorated with candles and greens. There will be cookies, tea sandwiches, coffee, tea and punch. Waitresses will be available to assist you.

The Christmas Shoppe will be open for small gifts such as jelly, jams and ornaments. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The church is located at 200 Pleasant St. Annual Santa Lucia Festival

ARLINGTON -- Once again, the Arlington Community and visitors are invited to share in the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights, to be held on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The day starts with holiday open houses at Arlington and Manchester inns and bed and breakfasts from noon to 4 p.m., followed by the christmas flowers poland tree and luminary lighting and community carol sing at 4 p.m. in front of the Arlington Community House. The Festival will conclude with the Santa Lucia Pageant at 5 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church. The pageant is an annual tradition set around the story of Santa Lucia and includes carol singing, readings and pageant participation by local youth and adults.

The inn tours are $15 with proceeds benefiting the Habitat for Humanity, all other events are free to the public with a free-will offering or donation to the Arlington Area Food Shelf requested.

Both the

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Arlington Community House and Saint James Church are located on Route 7A in the center of Arlington.

For more information about the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights, call Amie at 802-375-6516 or email amie@sover.net.

Sunday, Dec. 11

The Jubellaire Ringers provide Advent music

BENNINGTON -- Ring out the bells! The Jubellaire Ringers, along with trumpet and drum, will be providing music throughout the 10 a.m. celebration of the Third Sunday in Advent at Second Congregational Church on Hillside Street.

The church will light the Candle of Joy in the Advent wreath, and children are invited to place items in the "putz" or Moravian crèche. After this Time for the Children in All of Us, children up through grade 5 are dismissed for Godly Play, and the middle- and high-school class will meet. The Rev. Mary Lee-Clark’s sermon is entitled "Comfort and Joy?" based on the readings from Isaiah and Luke’s "Magnificat." Nursery care is provided throughout worship.

A time of fellowship and refreshment for the whole church family follows in Webster Hall, with alternative giving opportunities available through Heifer Project International. Gifts for the Giving Tree for Sunrise as well as Seafarer Ditty Bag items are due this Sunday and all other Gifts for the Giving Tree are due next Sunday.

Second Congregational Church is an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, and its wheelchair-accessible building is located on Hillside Street. For more information, call the church office at 442-2559 or visit www.bennscc.org.

Third Sunday of Advent at St. Peter’s

BENNINGTON -- All are welcome to the Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. (Rite 1, said) and 10 a.m. (Rite 2, with hymns) at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Worship is led by the Rev. L. Paul Gratz -- transition minister; Derek Stannard -- organist/choirmaster and the Chancel Choir.

Anyone interested in participating in the choir only needs to show up at 9:05 a.m. in the chancel area for rehearsal. All are welcome!

In John’s Gospel, John the baptizer tells the priest and Levites, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

St. Peter’s is an open and affirming church that respects religious inquiry and welcomes all people to the Good News of Christ’s presence and a place at His table. The church is located at 200 Pleasant St. and is wheelchair accessible.

For more information, call the parish office at 442-2911 or visit www.stpetersbenningtonvt.com.

First Baptist celebrates Third Sunday of Advent

BENNINGTON -- The First Baptist Church of Bennington welcomes the public to a celebratory day of Advent-related gatherings on Sunday.

During the 9:30 a.m. morning worship, the congregation gathers to light the third candle of Advent, which recalls the fullness of joy Christians find in this season nearing ever closer to christmas flowers poland blogs . The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, coordinating minister, will offer the sermon "Witnessing Advent," exploring a portion of the lyric prologue of the book of John, the Fourth Gospel of the New Testament.

Later at 6 p.m., the congregational children offer a program exploring the familiar Nativity story through brief vignettes and singing Christmas carols. Immediately after the program, the congregation will host a potluck and enjoy fellowship time. Both morning and evening events are open to the public.

The First Baptist Church of Bennington is "a place for healing, community involvement and spiritual grounding." Located at 601 Main St., downtown, the congregation is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches/USA. To learn more, visit www.fbcbennington.org or call 442-2105.

Third Sunday of Advent observed

NORTH BENNINGTON -- The North Bennington Congregational Church welcomes all to its 11 a.m. worship service on this third Sunday of Advent, led by the Rev. Penny Rich Smith. The sermon, "Dare to Rejoice!," will be based on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, Psalm 126 and John 1:6-8, 19-28. There will lighting of the third Advent candle and a children’s time, after which Sunday school classes will meet for pre-school through grade 8.

Following the service, everyone is invited to stay for coffee hour and a time of fellowship. The church is located at 8 Bank St. and is wheelchair accessible from the back door at the parsonage driveway. For more information, call the church office at 442-5161.

Sermon: ‘Jumping for Joy’

EAST ARLINGTON -- All are invited to the Federated Church of East Arlington on Ice Pond Road on this third Sunday of Advent as the congregation lights the pink Advent candle respresenting joy at the 10 a.m. service of worship.

Nursery care for children under 3 is available every Sunday from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. Children 3 through 10 are invited to attend the service through the Time for Children and then go to Bailey Hall with their teachers for the children’s Sunday program.

The day’s Scripture lessons include Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, John 1:6-8, 19-28 and Psalm 126. It is the Psalm with its balance between sorrow and joy that provides the food for thought for the Rev. Kathleen Clark’s sermon, titled, "Jumping for Joy." The church will also celebrate the sacrament of Baptism with a baby girl and her family during the service. The choir will be conducted and accompanied by Music Director Mary Andrews.

Following worship, all are invited to join us for coffee hour in Bailey Hall.

All those who took a red stocking are reminded that the gifts are to be returned today to the box in the sanctuary.

The public is invited to the Interfaith Service of Remembrance at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington at 2 p.m., when there will be a time to pause and remember with gratitude those who have died this past year.

Senior meals are served on Tuesday and Thursday at noon. To participate in the Ride-Share Program, call the church office at 375-2548; for more information, visit www.earlingtonfedchurch.org.

The Federated Church of East Arlington maintains denominational ties with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.

Community Service of Remembrance

BENNINGTON -- The twenty-third annual Community Service of Remembrance, sponsored by Hanson-Walbridge Funeral Home and VNA & Hospice of SVHC, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 11, beginning at 2 p.m., at Mount Anthony Union High School, 301 Park St.

The interfaith service honors the memory of loved ones in our community and includes candle lighting and placing of doves on the memory tree by friends and family members in attendance. In announcing this service, Mark and Lisa Shea, owners of Hanson-Walbridge, said, "We encourage anyone who has experienced the loss of someone special to attend the service and pay tribute to their memory."

Area clergy will be participating in the service and special music will be performed by local musicians.

There is no cost to attend the service or to have a dove placed on the tree in memory of a loved one. All attending are invited to join us immediately following the remembrance service for a time of fellowship and refreshment.

Support, ideas and suggestions will be provided, as well as laughter and refreshments.

For further information, call Shea Family Funeral Homes at 802-442- 4329 or VNA & Hospice at 802-442-5502.

Evensong with Advent Lessons and Carols

ARLINGTON -- At 4 p.m., there will be a special service of Evensong with Advent Lessons and Carols at St. James Episcopal Church. This is a quiet, reflective service of readings and traditional Advent carols.

The music and readings reflect the message of expectation and hope that characterize the season of Advent and anticipate the miracle of the birth of Christ. Following the service, there will be an informal talk to introduce the 2011 exhibition of "Los Nacimientos," a display of more than 50 nativity scenes reflecting the art and culture of Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Peru, Ecuador, Canada (Inuit and Anglo), England, Italy, China, Portugal, Germany, Poland, the United States and even the Vatican. The nativities are made from papier maché, ceramic, straw, bamboo, stained glass and many other interesting materials. All are welcome.

"Los Nacimientos" are available for public viewing each week throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons (Now until Jan, 6, 2012) as listed: Sundays - before and after the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. worship services; Monday through Thursday - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 10, before and after the St. Lucia Festival at 5 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 11, before and after the Advent Lessons and Carols Evensong at 4 p.m.; Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, before and after the 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. services; Christmas Day, Dec. 25, before and after the 10 a.m. service.

For more information about these events or any other services at St. James’ Episcopal Church, call 375-9952; send an e-mail to stjamesparishoffice@gmail.com; or visit the church website at www.stjamearlingtonvt.org.

Upcoming

Advent Lessons and Carols

BENNINGTON -- A Service of Lessons and Carols for the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be offered at Sacred Heart Saint Francis de Sales Church, 238 West Main St., on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m. Old Testament Scripture will be interspersed with music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Italian and English Renaissance composers Giovanni de Palestrina and Thomas Ravenscroft, respectively, and modern composers Alfred Burt and Thomas Savoy.

The service will begin in darkness with the chanting of Matins, the first prayer of the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, and end with the singing of the Rorate Caeli, which is a hymn used in the Mass and Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church on the last Sunday of Advent. Its text, "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One," is a plea from all who long for the coming of Christ. The public is welcome to attend. All facilities are accessible to those with disabilities, and convenient parking is available.

Worship and activities at Whiteside Church

CENTER CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. -- The choir at The Whiteside Church will present the cantata " Down From His Glory" on Sunday, Dec. 18, at the 11 a.m. worship service, under the direction of Fred Lucrezio. Pastor Cal Witham is bringing a series of messages on the names given to the Lord Jesus Christ and their meanings.

He invites those whose church does not have a Christmas eve service to the Whiteside Church Christmas eve, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. There will be lots of special music and congregational singing with Fred Lucrezio at the grand piano and Roselyn Litwin at the Hammond organ.

Each Lord’s Day there are Bible classes for all ages at 10 a m., with Lenny Proch teaching the book of Nehemiah to the adult class. Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. there is Bible study and prayer -- Thom Litwin is now giving an in-depth study on the book of Genesis.

The public is cordially invited to any and all services

s de S� o h �' �- West Main St., on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m. Old Testament Scripture will be interspersed with music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Italian and English Renaissance composers Giovanni de Palestrina and Thomas Ravenscroft, respectively, and modern composers Alfred Burt and Thomas Savoy.

The service will begin in darkness with the chanting of Matins, the first prayer of the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, and end with the singing of the Rorate Caeli, which is a hymn used in the Mass and Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church on the last Sunday of Advent. Its text, "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One," is a plea from all who long for the coming of Christ. The public is welcome to attend. All facilities are accessible to those with disabilities, and convenient parking is available.

Worship and activities at Whiteside Church

CENTER CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. -- The choir at The Whiteside Church will present the cantata " Down From His Glory" on Sunday, Dec. 18, at the 11 a.m. worship service, under the direction of Fred Lucrezio. Pastor Cal Witham is bringing a series of messages on the names given to the Lord Jesus Christ and their meanings.

He invites those whose church does not have a Christmas eve service to the Whiteside Church Christmas eve, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. There will be lots of special music and congregational singing with Fred Lucrezio at the grand piano and Roselyn Litwin at the Hammond organ.

Each Lord’s Day there are Bible classes for all ages at 10 a m., with Lenny Proch teaching the book of Nehemiah to the adult class. Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. there is Bible study and prayer -- Thom Litwin is now giving an in-depth study on the book of Genesis.

The public is cordially invited to any and all services

Citizens of the World - Christmas Flowers poland

Forgive me for not writing about something holiday related.  While I’m not a scrooge, the holiday season is far from my favorite.  The endless American Commercial Christmas that is shoved down our throats for so many weeks on end creates a longing in me for the New Year weeks before the holiday arrives.  One year, I would love to spend Christmas with my in-laws in Poland where the tree isn’t put up and decorated until christmas flowers poland  Eve and the focus is more on family, food and of course the spiritual meaning of the holiday.  How refreshing.

Something else I’m find refreshing and most inspiring are families who decide that they want more than this American life not only during the holidays but year round.  A lot of us think that by starting a family and having children, we can count on being chained to one place and kiss most international adventure goodbye.  The two do not exist harmoniously in the same breath.

I’ve recently become acquainted with several families for whom this thinking is not true.  They are proving that by having a family you are not chained to your home soil and are redefining how to educate and expose their children to the grand world in which we live.

One such family, are some friends of my sister’s.  They have twin 9-year-old daughters and moved to Singapore nearly a year ago.  They were enjoying a wonderful and established life in the Clyde Hill neighborhood of Bellevue when dad accepted a job with Microsoft in Singapore.  I know that for years they had been searching for an opportunity to live abroad as a family.  The girls were not initially happy about the move.  Shortly after their house was put on the market, they put a sign in their bedroom window saying “THIS HOUSE IS NOT FOR SALE”.  But, children have an amazing ability to adapt and these girls have completely amazing parents who took every measure to make the move smooth and their new life enjoyable and rich with experience.  From what I read on their blog, the girls seem quite adjusted, happy and enjoying some amazing adventures.  I wrote my friend with some questions about their experience and she was unable to respond immediately do to a busy schedule of hosting some friends from Seattle, then all jetting off to Vietnam together, returning for five days to prepare for christmas flowers poland blogs , then jetting off again to Taipei only to return on Christmas Eve.  How exciting!

But, living and/or extensive travel abroad with your children does not mean that you need a job with Microsoft and an expat package.  I’ve discovered a few other families who have taken great risks and leaps of faith by leaving secure jobs, and creating careers for themselves that allow for a more nomadic life.  Here are a few of them.

Vagabond Kids

Husband and wife Jeff and Kristy moved to Asia long before having children.  They boldly sold all of their possessions and carved out a life abroad for themselves.  Both of their children were born abroad and have never lived in the US.  In their words, “We believe that our children are better off for having been born overseas, learning and living in a second language environment in Taiwan, being able to go to school with kids from around the globe in Singapore and being well on their way to passports filled with adventures and memories.”  Check out their blog for some great posts and resources about travel with children.

Almost Fearless

“So what is this blog about?  It’s about travel.  It’s about creating a life that works for you.  It’s about the fact that life is indeed bloody short and no one is going to give you a gold star for playing it safe.  It’s about me, my husband and our adorable little bubba.  And some people tell me, if you’re in the right kind of mood (or perhaps looking for your own escape hatch), that it’s about you too.”  Christine also left a secure corporate job in the US in order to follow her heart and create a new career and life for herself at 31.  Despite having their first child in 2010, she and her husband continue to live and travel abroad.  Here is one post I find particularly inspiring.

Travels With A Nine Year Old

I find this woman especially inspiring.  She’s a single mom who decided to take her then, nine-year-old son on a yearlong adventure around the world.  That year has now turned into several and they continue to live abroad.  This very adventuresome duo push the boundaries of life and share, “What’s it like to dive an undersea volcano, hang out with hunter-gathering nomads or be surprised by an earthquake while using a squat toilet.”  I admire and am in awe of this mother.

Sometimes we need to take risks and make life happen for ourselves and for our families.  Raising a child doesn’t mean that you have to prescribe to one way of life.  You don’t have to be chained to paying a mortgage, saving for college and working for “the man”.  There is a world of opportunities to be had in this modern, technological world in which we live.  If you’re dreaming of living abroad with your children, or feel like you are out of breath from chasing the dream, spend some time with these families and be inspired to create a family life and experiences that speak to your unique interests.  The world’s the limit!

Lovell Town Column Ethel Hurst 207-925-3226 - Christmas Flowers poland

Just a reminder that today is the "date which will live in infamy” Dec. 7, the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I hope that teachers would remind the student what this day means to many older people still living that remember how that day changed the world. Bless to all those who made the supreme sacrifice and didn’t live to see Dec. 7, 2011, 70 years later.

On Sunday, Nov. 27, the Fryeburg/Lovell VFW Post No. 6783 held a thank you breakfast for those who volunteered to work in the VFW booth during the Fryeburg Fair. It was at the breakfast that post member Henry Middlemiss announced that Poland Springs had donated an AED Defibrillator made by Zol to be used in case of an emergency at the hall. Seeing a need for this type of equipment at the hall because of all the events like bingo, the adult exercise class the christmas flowers poland concert and other functions Henry set out to find a way to get the equipment donated to the VFW. He contacted Donna Woodward and Mark Dubois at Poland Spring in Fryeburg and made inquiries as to how you go about asking Poland Spring to make this type of donation. Poland Spring’s policy of making a donation each month was taken into consideration and the company agreed to put the VFW into the November slot. This type of portable equipment can be use by anyone; you just follow the verbal instructions. Fryeburg Rescue Chief Stephen Goldsmith was introduced and he showed how the defibrillator was used. At one time CPR would be used also but the EMS has changed the way CPR is done today with emphasis on the chest presses being uninterrupted but constant. To show the post’s appreciation, Post Commander Richard King gave Donna Woodward, representing Poland Springs, an official certificate of thanks for her part in the Post receiving this valuable piece of life saving equipment.

The tree lighting in the village was wonderful. Families, children, moms, dads and grandparents gather round the tree to sing Christmas carols before tuning on the tree. Not long after the tree was shining bright the sound of sirens excited the children who knew who was coming down the street thanks to the volunteer firemen. Santa and Mrs. Claus were followed into the Stephen and Tabitha King hall in the library so the children could tell their inner most wishes for Christmas. Refreshments were plenty and voices were gay a wonderful way to end a beautiful day.

I love Lovell and the people who live here and the people who thought enough of Paul McLaughlin to fill the fire station on Saturday night. I heard rumors that probably 500 attended the pasta dinner all to support a smiling guy with his wonderful wife and seven kids who happens to be going through a tough patch right now. Type 4 cancer is a challenge to both these guy and they’ll fight the good fight. To all those who helped out on the dinner and those who showed up to support the family a huge round of applause and a big Thank You.

The Fryeburg/Lovell VFW Post 6783 Christmas concert was marvelous. There is nothing better then an orchestra playing smooth music to entertain. The Christmas sing along was great putting everyone in the mood for the holidays. This tradition of Fan Fare is one that makes those who attend very happy. Thanks to Fan Fare and the VFW for bring a touch of Christmas to Lovell. By the way the special solo of the four flautist was wonderful.

On Sunday, Dec. 18, the Lovell Historical Society will have decorated the Kimball-Stanford House in the Christmas holiday spirit for the christmas flowers poland blogs Open House from 1 to 4 p.m. The bakeshop will be brimming with holiday goods to take home for later and the Hospitality Table will have free cookies punch tea or coffee. To remember this event the children will have a chance to do some cookies decorating themselves. There will be four raffle items, proceeds to go toward the continued work of the volunteers of the Society.

On Saturday, Dec. 10, there will be a Santa’s secret workshop at the New Suncook School for New Suncook students and local youngsters. The children will have the opportunity to either create a Christmas gift or shop in the Workshop for that special gift for a love one. Can’t decide what to buy? The workshop workers will be willing to give advice bring your list included in the newsletter. Sorry, parents aren’t allowed in the workshop but they can enjoy the book fair, maybe finding just the right book for their child. There also will be snacks and the parents can watch a basketball game while the kids are busy shopping. Santa will be at the workshop so don’t forget your free picture. If a parent or grandparent would like to volunteer to help that day you can contact Jean Andrews at (207) 925-1163.

Don’t forget the Lovell United Church of Christ online Holiday Auction. You have until 9 am Dec. 11 to try out your bidding skills on lots of items. Proceeds to go toward Operation Renovation so our church will stand for a century more. The Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library adult book discussion series continues on Monday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m. The December discussion will focus on "Fly Rod Crosby: The Woman who Marketed Maine" by Julia Hunter and Earle Shuttleworth.

The United Church of Christ Thrift Shop will hold a $1 a bag sale from Saturday Dec. 10 to Monday Dec. 19. All toys, books and puzzles are free. Come in and look around, you never know what treasure you’ll find.

Christmas Flowers Poland - Do You Want More Turkey For Your Pound?

Research by online currency providers FairFX.com shows if your off to Turkey this Christmas, the Pound will go over 20% further this year than it did last.

Turkey is already a popular holiday destination with the British and every year, Istanbul plays host to one of the biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world.

In the South West of Turkey, temperatures in December are between 10 and 23 degrees Celsius and easily warm enough to dine outside

christmas flowers poland might not be celebrated in Turkey but New Year certainly is.

So first off you have all the advantages of all amenities and tourist attractions being open with minimum queues. And then you have a fabulous celebratory atmosphere with the build up to New Year, including christmas flowers poland blogs trees and light decorations on the streets.

Each year, there are fantastic fireworks over the Bosphorus, the 20 mile straight that separates Europe and Asia, joining the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

It’s not just Turkey though, there are other great places where the Pound will stretch further. For example visit South Africa and you’ll get 15% more Rand this year; in India you will get 11% more rupees, in Poland the Zlotych will now go 10% further as will the Mexican Peso.

Stephen Heath, FairFX CEO says “This year has seen some major fluctuations in exchange rates and whilst some have levelled over the year, others have significantly weakened meaning the Pound Sterling goes a lot further in some Countries.

“If people are looking to get away then it is worth looking at which countries can offer you more for your money.”

MoneyHighStreet comments: “As with most purchases, personal finance or otherwise, it pays to do some research and shop around to get the best deal. It certainly sounds like Turkey has a lot to offer.

As well as picking the best destination, it’s essential that you also plan your overseas spending money. As part of this consider using a prepaid currency card or potentially enlist the help of a currency exchange broker.

Growing number of people are opting to use prepaid currency cards for their holiday money as they offer the security of Chip and PIN payment and cash withdrawal, meaning you no longer need to take large amounts of currency with you when you travel.

At the time of writing we checked a few providers and found exchanging £1 the rate quoted was

CaxtonFX – Euro 1.1657 and US$ 1.5722 (Real time rates)

My Travel Cash – Euro 1.1173 and US$ 1.5070 (Real time rates)

FairFX – Euro 1.1435 and US$ 1.5400 (not real time, as at 30 November)”

Polish Club celebrates traditional Polish holiday

Sometimes Agnieszka Marchel doesn’t understand her friends’ references to pop culture.

Growing up with parents who immigrated from Poland, the family community services senior might not understand certain aspects of American culture, but she did her best to show MSU what Andrzejki, a major part of Polish culture, is all about Wednesday night in Wells Hall.

“I know for a fact this type of event is a huge event in Poland among the youth,” she said. “It can be a really good way of showing our culture.”

The MSU Polish Club celebrated Andrzejki, a superstitious event for young people to predict through a series of games who and when they will marry. About a dozen students attended.

Ania Bieciuk, chair of the MSU Polish Club, said last year when they made predictions celebrating Andrzejki, the club coincidentally had accurate guesses.

Video: Polish Celebration ...

“It was predicted that three of the girls would get married,” the comparative cultures and politics senior said.

“By summer, they were all engaged.”

For the first game, each student took a burning candle and poured the wax into a bowl of water.

After the wax formed a shape in the bowl, the students took the wax creation and held it in front of a light projector.

“We guess as a group what the shadow might be,” Bieciuk said. “Last year I had a salsa dancer or a weird-looking bird. I prefer to think it was a salsa dancer.”

Depending on the shadow on the wall, the students determined the profession of their future spouse or another prediction about the future.

Along with the games and predictions, the club brought Polish treats to MSU students.

“Meijer has a really nice international selection, and I found these krówkis, which are Polish chocolate fudge,” she said.

Psychology sophomore Nicole Kuzmowicz attended the event because her Polish parents said it would be a good time.

“I thought it would be fun to see the silly superstitions,” she said. “It’s just a (cultural) tradition you want to carry on and do it at (MSU), then maybe do it when you grow up.”

Although Bieciuk brought pizza, the club discussed the culture’s traditional foods during the event, including Polish sausage kielbasa and pierogis, which are dumplings filled with cheese, potatoes or fruit.

Kuzmowicz said although she and her family enjoy pierogi on Christmas, she’s a regular fan of Polish sausage.

“It’s delicious,” she said. “It’s a staple in my diet.”

Another game involved having participants choose a cup with an item placed underneath to predict their future, such as a toy symbolizing the member will have a baby, an apron representing the member will be a housewife and money predicting the participant will be career driven.

Marchel said with a majority of the club’s 30 members coming from the Polish community outside of Detroit, celebrating Andrzejki was a way to keep the culture’s traditions on campus and connect to students unfamiliar with Polish customs.

“For the people from the Detroit area, it’s about keeping their culture alive,” she said.

“But we love having students from other backgrounds because we can share our background with them.”