It's Garbage Day.
32.5 degrees at 6:00 a.m.
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1918 - 2012
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1920 - 2012
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Sunday Scenery
Overnight, winter came and suddenly everything looked different.
It was just cold enough for a thin skin of ice to have formed on the pond next to Madison Street, leaving some Canada Geese pacing back and forth looking fairly confused.
A group of Mallard ducks found some open water on the pond at the foot of Grant Hill.
Mother Nature put her own decoration on fir trees .....
.... and villagers climbed ladders in a race to catch up.
Bill Getman was hanging wreaths at his office on East Main Street and this lady was making sure everything was just right at her home on Madison Street.
Joan Albert's home on East Bacon Street is always one of the first to be decorated ....
........ and I finally got a good, clear shot of the decorations at the New York Pizzeria on West Main Street.
There really was no more than a three inch accumulation of snow, but - on East Bacon Street - someone just couldn't wait to get their snowmobile out!
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SPECIAL EVENTS
At the Library this week
Knit2gether
Tuesday at 7:00
"Easy Sox" workshop at the library
beginning on 11/27.
Attendees
need to be able to knit and purl, and bring size 2 double point needles
and 100 grams of sock yarn. A pattern and instruction will be
available at the library at 7:00 PM.
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There is no Wednesday Movie Matinée this week
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Thursday
"Brave" crafts at 4:00
All ages can stop in anytime between 4-6pm to make a brave crown or a bear mask.
Stick around until 6pm and catch the showing of Brave on our big screen!
Family Night Movie at 6:00
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PLANNING AHEAD
The WCS Jr. High Winter Concert
will take place on Wednesday, December 5, at 7:00.
(Snow date: Monday Dec. 10 at 7:00.)
PRIZE SPEAKING - December 6th at 7:00 p.m.
PRIZE SPEAKING - December 6th at 7:00 p.m.
WCS HS Winter Concert - Thursday the 13th at 7:00.
Winter ART SHOW Reception at 6:30.
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Also on December 9th ....
Members of "Jubilation" that people in Waterville may know include Diane Bancroft, Barbara Bowen, Jeanne Kellogg, Linda Manchester, Gail Prentice,
Kristin Strohmeyer and Debbie White. (Barb and Debbie from Waterville School District
and Linda used to live in Waterville.)
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FOR THE RECORD
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Blog posts are apt to be sporadic for the next few days. I'm having a fine "fit" of painting - the watercolor sort - and like to work early in the morning.
But as soon as I hear of something that I think you want to know ...
I'll blog it!
Have a great day, everyone!
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FOR THE RECORD
**************
Blog posts are apt to be sporadic for the next few days. I'm having a fine "fit" of painting - the watercolor sort - and like to work early in the morning.
But as soon as I hear of something that I think you want to know ...
I'll blog it!
Have a great day, everyone!
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I was just about ready to hit "publish" when a simple little question came to mind: "When, and Why, did Christmas wreaths become such a widespread popular decoration?"
With the internet being what it is, Google found huge amounts of history for me to read.
Here - in case you've read this far and have another minute or two - is the most concise explanation. It was written by "Ezine" Article Expert Ellen Bell.
"Evergreen wreaths at Christmas time are a familiar sight on
doors, above fireplaces, and on homes. Wreaths have been in use for many
hundreds of years, even before the birth of Christ. Many historians
believe that the first wreaths date back to the Persian Empire, when
royalty and members of the upper class wore diadems, or fabric headbands
adorned with jewels. Other cultures would later become fascinated with
this tradition, picking it up and adapting it for themselves.
About
800 years before the birth of Christ, Greeks began to recognize the
winners of their Olympic games by crowning them with wreaths made of
laurel tree branches. Years later, when the games moved from city to
city, branches from local trees were used to make these victory wreaths
for the winners. During the Roman Empire, military and political leaders
wore crowns of leaves and greenery. For example, Julius Caesar was
crowned with a wreath made of fresh laurel branches and leaves. The
transition of the wreath from a head adornment to a wall decoration is
believed to have occurred when athletes (or perhaps victorious military
leaders) returned home, and they would hang their headbands on their
walls or doors, as a trophy of their victory.
The Egyptian,
Chinese, and Hebrew cultures were known to have used evergreen branches
as a symbol of eternal life, because the conifer trees stayed green
throughout the winter months. After the birth of Christ, the Christmas
wreath made of evergreen branches came to symbolize the triumph of life
over the long winter months.
The Advent wreath also became a
popular holiday tradition after the birth of Christ. This decoration was
usually placed flat on a table and was used to count down the four
weeks immediately preceding Christmas. Traditionally the wreath was
constructed with four candles in a circle and one candle in the middle.
The four outside candles were purple or violet, and the center candle
was white. Four weeks before Christmas, the first violet candle would be
lit. The following week, an additional candle would be lit, and so on,
until the white center candle is lit on Christmas Eve or day, signifying
the arrival of Christ. A brief prayer was said to accompany the
lighting of each candle. The reason for the final candle being located
in the center is to symbolize that we should keep Christ at the center
of our lives and the center of the Christmas celebration.
Based on
drawings and paintings, most historians believe that the use of
evergreen wreaths at Christmas time spread across Northern Europe,
Spain, and Italy during the early 19th century. The greenery was used as
a symbol of life persevering through the cold winter months, and the
holly berries that were often used as an adornment were a symbol of the
blood of Christ.
It is also believed that Europeans also used
wreaths on their doors to represent their family identity, much like a
family crest. These wreaths were made from products grown in their own
gardens, such as grapevines, fresh flowers, or other produce. The
crafting of these wreaths was a family ritual that followed the same
general pattern year after year.
Today, wreaths are still widely
used around the world. In the U.S., wreaths are a traditional decoration
for Christmas, as well as many other holidays throughout the year.
Wreaths now adorn doors for Halloween, Valentine's Day, the Fourth of
July, and Easter. Furthermore, wreaths are no longer limited to only
evergreen branches. Many craft stores, books, and television shows
feature unique wreaths made of a variety of unusual materials and
decorations for almost any occasion."
