Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008
BARROW JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
Christmas tradition
It’s Christmas Eve and the world
once again is almost giddy with
anticipation over what is to come
next. Children the world over
will go to bed tonight positively a
twitter as they dream of finding an
empty milk glass next to a plate of
cookie crumbs in the morning. Oh,
what wonders the Christmas tree
holds for those who believe!
In the Arnold family, Christmas
Eve was greeted with wide-eyed
excitement as three big brothers
kept their little sister busy while
our mother and grandmother baked
delicacies that would be devoured in about
one-tenth the time it took to create them. The
memory of my mother’s Japanese Fruit Cake
or my grandmother’s pound cake live on in the
Winder Woman’s Club cookbooks my mother
has on her shelf. She has offered those well-
worn treasures to my daughter who says four
years of culinary school still did not teach her
how to bake love into her creations.
The family traditions are the stuff of holi
days and are what help to make certain days
special. The aroma of fresh-baked bread, your
grandmother’s iced Christmas cookies or your
mother’s Red Velvet Cake flood your senses
with thoughts of Christmases past and the fun
you had with your relatives now gone. What
is it about those scents that unlock a cache of
memories of family, home and the traditions of
the Christmas holidays igniting both celebra
tion and melancholy within a millisecond?
The Christian faith as practiced in the
Methodist tradition has been a part of my
family for as far back as anyone knows. After
moving to Winder from the family home
stead in Statham, my grandparents joined the
Winder First Methodist Church with their two
young sons in 1922 - my father was two years
old - and Daddy has been a member there ever
since. The church has been the foundation of
our family and remains so today. So it is only
fitting that the Advent services at Winder First
United Methodist Church are such an integral
component of the season for us.
When I was growing up, Daddy owned City
Pharmacy in downtown Winder. Christmas
Eve at the drug store was a flurry of activity
and I remember him bringing home a big box
of film, flashbulbs, and other strategic supplies
that a customer may have forgotten to get in
time for recording their family’s Christmas
festivities. In fact, while not uncommon for
Daddy to receive a phone call on
Christmas Day to return to the drug
store to fill a prescription for a sick
patron, it was more often a distress
call for fdm or flashbulbs that caused
our phone to ring on this day of tradi
tion.
Our church has had Christmas Eve
Candlelight services for more years
than I can remember and though we
were busy little elves as we helped
last-minute shoppers, the drug store
always closed in time for us to get
to the church. Our Christmas was
incomplete without attending this ser
vice. Back in the days of my childhood and
young adult years, we closed the store at 5
o’clock just giving me time to robe up and
process with the Chancel Choir down the cen
ter aisle as the community came together to
celebrate Christmas in one of the more memo
rable services of the church year.
While I do not recall a time in my life when I
did not know that celebrating the birth of Jesus
Christ is the reason we have Christmas, much
less Christmas Eve, it was not until this past
weekend as I sang in our Christmas cantata
that the lyrics of Michael W. Smith’s Agnus
Dei truly touched my soul. There are some
certainties that cannot be denied. As our choir
sang “Alleluia! Alleluia! For the Lord God
Almighty reigns”, I felt myself at the foot of
the throne giving thanks that He loved us so
much that He gave of Himself to save me from
myself. And the tears flowed.
This is powerful stuff. The stuff of wars. The
stuff that fdls newspaper editor’s boxes with
mail questioning the wisdom of printing the
work of a columnist who unashamedly uses
newsprint and ink to speak of things spiritual.
The stuff that has spurred conversation and
controversies for centuries. And this is the
stuff on which the foundations of many fami
lies — not just the Arnolds — have been built
for generations.
Wishing you and yours the blessings of
Christmas and the knowledge that the birth of
the Christ Child is alive in the traditions you
love and celebrate today, tomorrow and for the
rest of your life. Merry Christmas!
Helen Person is a product of Winder hav
ing been born and raised here. She did a
21-year exile in Gwinnett County from which
she and her family returned in 2006. She
loves being back home and can be reached at
HelenPerson @ wind stream, net.
helen
person
letter to the editor
Leash laws not being followed
Dear Editor:
Although there are many
problems going on in the
world today, I cannot get past
the one I have to see everyday
in my own neighborhood.
There are at least 10 dogs
roaming free doing whate
ver they please, eating gar
bage, attacking walkers, bar
king all hours of the night
and pooping wherever they
please. I’ve called animal con
trol about a dozen times, sent
e-mails galore and all I get is
the same lame response, “I’ll
send an officer out to patrol
the area.”
This in turn does nothing at
all with my current situation
but frustrate me a little more
Letter policies
The Barrow Journal will
accept letters to the editor
where readers wish to dis
cuss current local, state or
national events. The deadline
for letters to the editor is 5
p.m. Monday for that week’s
publication.
Letters should be addressed
to the editor and not to third
parties. Letters should be
brief, less than 500 words.
All letters must have the
name of the person writing
it, their address and contact
information, such as a phone
number and email address.
That information will not be
published.
Crude or vulgar language
should not be used in a letter
to the editor. Writers should
also refrain from making
criminal accusations against
anyone unless that person has
been charged with a crime in
the courts.
All letters are subject to
editing for length and clarity.
Letters may be submitted
via mail or in person at 77
East May Street, Winder, via
fax at 678.425.1435, or via
email at editor @barrowjour-
nal.com.
every day. I’m a simple per
son. All I want is a little infor
mation passed along to all
the people living in The Oaks
at Bear Creek Neighborhood
in Statham. There is a leash
law! It may feel like a coun
try atmosphere, but you can
not just let your dog roam
wherever they please.
Somebody is going to get hurt
or worse if this problem is not
resolved.
I know it can be done. There
are plenty of good people in
this neighborhood who abide
by this law, but too many do
not. Why, you ask? Because
there is no punishment for
breaking this law. If only there
was a Dark Knight hero that
fought for animal control, or
masked avenger to save our
neighborhood before it turned
to the dark side. Hopefully
someone will read this and
agree and try to help out
because I’m at a loss with
what to do next that is legal.
Sincerely,
Anthony Paine
Statham
Factory Antiques
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Who do you see when you have
FOOT PAIN?
A PODIATRIST!
When you have a toothache
you see a Dentist. \f\A
If your child is sick, you see a Pediatrician
So why not see a Podiatrist
when you have foot pain?
Podiatrists are the only specialists exclusively trained to care
for foot & ankle problems. So call for an appointment today!
WF. SPECIALIZE IN THE CORRECTION OF THESE COMMON PROBLEMS:
• Bunions
• Corns and Calluses • Heel Pain
• Hammer toes
• Injuries to Foot & Ankle • Warts
• Ingrown Nails
• Flat Feet • Office & Hosp. Surgery
DR. DREW XENOS
Podiatric Surgeon
Diplomate, American Board of Podiatric Surgery. Board Certified in Foot and Ankle Surgery.
Winder, Across from Barrow Medical Center
770-867-4110
WHEN YOUR FEET HURT, YOU HURT ALL OVER.
Dr. Xenos has been serving Jackson and Barrow Counties for 31 years.
NEW BARROW COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Barrow County officials, staff and visitors got a look at the new Barrow County
Courthouse facility on Friday. A celebration luncheon was held at the new facility
and tours were conducted after lunch. The new facility is located outside Winder ofl
Highway 211. Photos by Blair Buffington
JUDGES TOUR THEIR NEW FACILITIES
Barrow County officials, staff and visitors got a look at the new Barrow County
Criminal Justice facility on Friday. Shown (L to R) touring the new courthouse are:
Retired Superior Court Judge Penn McWhorter, Barrow County Chief Administrator
Keith Lee, newly-elected Superior Court Judge Currie Mingledorf and Juvenile Court
Judge Kevin Guidry.
CHAIRMAN SPEAKS
AT LUNCHEON
Barrow County Board of Commission
Chairman Doug Garrison (R) welcomed
everyone to the celebration luncheon
at the new Barrow County Courthouse
on Friday. Looking on at left is Keith
Lee, Barrow County chief administra
tor. Garrison thanked Michael Fischer,
Barrow County deputy director of
operations, and Capt. Mike Katsegianes,
Barrow County Sheriff’s Office chief
jailer, for all of their work.
you can eai
THe HOLIDaYS!
Lei US SHOW YOU HOW!
it’s not what you eat - it’s HOW MUCH & WHEN
* Before a holiday event, eat a snack or light meal.
Foods high in protein,
like chicken or cottage cheese,
help you to eat less later
* Fasting before a big meal
or extra trips to the buffet
may lead you to overeat.
* Eat smaller portions of food. A buffet doesn’t
mean try everything! Choose the items you want
to try the most, and eat a small portion of each.
I # After a meal, go for a walk
I with your family to see
holiday displays
in your neighborhood.
I * Be realistic.
Don't try to diet during the holidays; just aim to
maintain your present weight.
I * Information courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services
316 N. Broad St Winder www.Darrowregional.com
HeaLTHY
DUflNG
BARROW
Regional Medical Center