About Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2023)
“And there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” - Luke 2:8-9 • Opinions • Community Views • Good Old Common Sense The Progress Editorial December 21,2023 Old Christmas decorations tell stories By Jennifer Paire Progress Contributor A few years ago my husband, Chris, brought home a Christmas heirloom that checked all the boxes: Pristine in condi tion and golden in luster, it really made my heart flutter. Seeing the beautiful 20.5 inch maca roni Christmas tree flooded my senses with memories of my 1970s childhood, when the popularity of handmade deco rations brought custom color and glitz to earth-toned interiors. This tree is likely the only remaining of many created by Chris’s maternal grandmother, Lucille, this particular one crafted for her in-laws. It is a tribute to her tradition of mass producing gifts - and doing it well - for children, grand children, cousins, aunts and uncles. “I don’t know where Lucille got some of that macaroni,” said Aunt June, who shared custody of the tree with Aunt Sally, the two agreeing to pass it on to Chris. “What’s so strange, I don’t know what kind of glue she used but it has stuck.” What struck me was the bigness of the pasta, each piece looking super-sized compared to what I find on grocery shelves. No elbows here. There are the rotini and farfalle we know best, as well as gemelli, mafalde and pipe-rigate. Campanelle, gigli, conchiglie and rotelle are other varieties I've studied online and identified in the mix. The gold spray paint gives this tree an element of elegance, an extra coat being all that’s needed if its sheen begins to fade, or if a random noodle goes AWOL and needs replacing. We are sentimental here, fans of his tory and old stuff. Since this tree became a regular in our home I’ve thought a lot about why something so simple, made of cardboard and pasta and mounted on a glass candy dish, means something to me and our guests who do a double-take and smile. Maybe it is the desire to reconnect with traditions, with those we love, with memories that stand the test of time - in real time. Old Christmas decorations have stories attached to people we have known or times in our lives we remember - good and bad. We are not the only ones who admire artsy pasta, although there are detractors and, truthfully, not all pasta displays are created equal. You can find macaroni Christmas trees on eBay from the 1960s and beyond starting at $1.99 for a green version. Instructions for modem versions are available on many DIY websites. What a delight to see interior designer Sarah Phillipps of SheHoldsDearly.com showcase the cream-sprayed pasta tree her mother made along with a tutorial creating a small forest of complimentary trees. Her take on Christmas decor trends for this year included bohemian style popularized in the 1970s - featuring warmer hues of pink, salmon, copper, pale aqua and brown; tassels, beaded and pom pom garlands. What iconic Christmas decorations do you enjoy bringing out every year? So many of the things I loved have not stood the test of time, understandably. One of the first Christmas ornaments I made, a blue dough star created with a cookie cut ter, crumbled many years ago. I lucked out recently when a friend invited several of us over for a celebration and we made clay ornaments attached to strings of wooden beads for easy hanging. You guessed it, I made another blue star, this one dusted with iridescent glitter. The desire for retro-themed Christmas is making it easier than ever to replace or include iconic decor without unleashing glue, paint and glitter at the kitchen table. For example: Ceramic trees with bulbs lighting up branches - the very ones your grand mother made at the local ceramics shop and most popular in the 1970s - can be found for resale in many places. Or, shoppers can grab a replica with LED lights in a variety colors at many major retailers. Glass Victorian-style tree ornaments have become common fare among the break-resistant plastic ball ornaments. Bubble lights, like those popular from the 1940s to the 1970s, are back and beauti ful. Better Homes & Gardens reports its own list of iconic decorations making a comeback this year in a blog at bhg.com: Shiny Brite ornaments, which were “in sanely popular” in the 1940s and 1950s; Christmas villages like those from the 1980s; vintage Santa face mugs; flocked Christmas trees that enhance the farm house look, pink Christmas decor like that of the 1950s, as well as tinsel trees; silvery mercury glass decorations dating as far back as the 1850s; nontraditional trees, made from string and hung from the ceiling or macrame versions dis played on a wall; handmade paper orna ments, an accessible option born of necessity during World War II. No matter what you have devoted to holiday decor this year, take time to re flect on what it means, and connect with others for their take, too. Tell us your thoughts with a letter to the editor. E-mail to news@picken- sprogress.com See letter submission guidelines on the Letters to the Editor page or call us 706-253-2457. (USPS 431-820) Published by Pickens County Progress, Inc. 94 North Main Street, Jasper, GA 30143 (706) 253-2457 www.pickensprogressonline.com DAN POOL Publisher/Editor Published each Thursday at Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia. Entered at the Post Office at Jasper, Georgia 30143 as Mail Matter of Second Class. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS, 94 N. Main St., Jasper, GA 30143. One Year Subscription: $41.17 for residents of Pickens County or the cities of Ball Ground, Fairmount, and Ranger; $52.30 for all other Georgia residents; $62.32 out of state residents. Local Matters Support Community Journalism Subscribe ai Pickensprogress.com dMbe School Other Voices How a gift of gloves showed Spirit of Christmas By Phil Stohr A few years ago I experi enced an act of Christmas in spired kindness that has stayed with me ever since, especially near Christmas season. For a number of years my wife and I have rented a condo in the Destin, FL area during January. We stay ac tive with golf, walking, and shopping, starting with after Christmas bargains. We like to poke around estate sales and thrift stores.The thrift store in Destin has an inter esting selection, and one day of the week seniors get a spe cial discount. Anyway, I was shopping by myself, found a few items, and got in the checkout line with my basket. By the checkout station I saw a small rack with some really nice new women’s work gloves. I examined a pair and asked if these gloves were in cluded in the senior discount for the day. The manager said no, so I put them back and turned to the young woman behind me in line waiting with her basket and a small child and jokingly [I thought] said “That’s a shame. I thought I could get more work out of my wife.” Now, during this vacation time, I usually dress very “causally”,and don’t shave for days. That was the case that day. My wife said I looked like a homeless per son when we left the condo that morning. So anyway, back at the thrift store I paid for my se lection, took my bag, and left the store. It was a cold windy day, and my wife, who was shopping elsewhere, was to pick me up out front at the curb by the road. I had gotten about one third of the way to the road when a young lady came running out of the store hollering “Stop, Stop. You forgot something.” My immediate reaction was surprise and wondering if I left my credit card, forgot to pay, etc. The young lady turned out to be the lady who had been behind me in line. She said, “You forgot your gloves. Here.” I said, “No, I didn’t pay for them.” She in sisted they were paid for, say ing “It was all taken care of.” Wondering what I should do, I instinctively reached out and took the gloves. I started to mutter there must be some mistake. But she turned quickly, and rushing back to the warm shop, over her shoulder she called out “Merry Christmas”, and then she was gone. Realization set in. Oh boy! So now what do I do? This young lady had per formed a very gracious good deed. If I go back to the stored return the gloves or in sist on paying for them, the young lady, instead of feeling good, will probably feel fool ish. Don’t want that. At any moment now, I’m expecting my wife to pick me up with our new SUV in full view of the young lady. Also not so good. So being the quick thinker I am, I rushed out to the road and basically hid from view behind a bush while I waited for my wife to pick me up. [I admit I did duck down in the car as we left.] At the same time, I de cided that the best course of action would be to go back to the store the next day, explain what happened, and give/do- nate to the store an amount of money slightly more than the cost of the gloves. That way I would not feel guilty, the young lady would still have her good deed, and the money would go to helping the needy. So, I don’t remember what the young lady looked like and wouldn’t know her if I met her today. But, I’ll al ways remember her act of kindness inspired by, what to me is, the true “Spirit of Christmas.” [Stohr is a Bent Tree resi dent. This is his first contri bution to the Other Voices column.] WEATHER By William Dilbeck HI LOW RAIN Dec. 12 54 26 .00 Dec. 13 57 34 .00 Dec. 14 56 31 .00 Dec. 15 56 36 .00 Dec. 16 53 45 .00 Dec. 17 53 37 .00 Dec. 18 51 24 .00 Counseling Individual, Couples and Family Therapy with Adults, Teens and Children Robin W. Dunn M.S. Licensed Professional Counselor Over 30 years experience helping people live better 770-548-1966 • 505 Cove Rd. • Suite 3 • Jasper www.robinwdunnlpc.com Good Samaritan HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER Restoring Health. Saving Lives. All kinds of care for all ages. All types of payments. All under one roof. Medical • Dental Behavorial Health • Pharmacy Open Monday - Friday. 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