“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth”…Psalm 100:1

Folks in eastern Colorado experienced pleasant and warm Christmas days until December 27 when the winds were wildly cold. Although we didn’t receive that big snow, we had a nice little rain Wednesday morning.

Christmas Eve afternoon, family and friends celebrated Eve Clark’s tenth birthday at her grandfather, Dwight Lessenden’s, home. Since her sister, Elkle Mila, will be one year old on January 3, we celebrated her day with her too. Their mother, Celena (Eli) is an excellent cake baker and decorator, we enjoyed two exquisite cakes. 

Some of us went to Haswell for the Christmas Eve service at the United Methodist Church which was packed with people from the surrounding community and visitors from many towns. Donald Oswald rang the bell several times in anticipation for the

Pastor, who rushed in attired in his alb. Pastor Spencer Black came from his church in Cheyenne Wells. After the lovely service he hurried back to Eads for their service. The people at Haswell were grateful to Nancy (McCracken) Walker, who came to play the Christmas carols since their regular pianist, Rosemary Stoker, is in Weisbrod Hospital recuperating from a fall.

I heard that the Eads First Christian Church has a packed sanctuary of people at 4:00 p.m. for their Christmas Eve service and then the United Methodist church family also had a service. 

Whit and Mary Eikner were really looking forward to having all their children home for Christmas in Eads this year. Karen, Wes, and Katie and their spouses all came, plus Karen’s daughter.

Jo Shoemaker was delighted to have her son, David, come from Canyon City after working all night in the prison system, and her daughter, Denise and Sam, with Hatch, Case, and Aspen. 

Verna Ebright, says she has been celebrating her birthday all month with friends. But he best days were in Aurora with her daughter, Karen, and Mike, and their sons, Michael and Shane and their wives, Deidra and Ashley. They are really enjoying the joy of having their first grandson.

Vinton and Mary Ellen Engelhardt went to Texas to visit their daughter and family near Amarillo. Earlier in the month they enjoyed having Christmas with Dave and Shelly Englehardt and their three sons and families. I have been savoring Mary’s marvelous pumpkin cream cheese cake roll. 

Opal Miner and Alice Glover were looking forward to having David and Patti Miner come from Texas to visit their daughter, Ashlynn, and to visit the two mothers-in-law.

Barb Seay and Mike Arth had two weeks to pack up or give away their house goods before they moved to north Colorado Springs December 27. Her sons, Steve and Matt, gave them a gift of a new home in the Springs. This will be nice for them to be closer to Steve’s family in Parker however we, their friends, here in Eads will certainly be missing them.

Phil and Madonna Pollreis went to Lakewood last week to visit their daughter, Dawn and Chuck, and daughter and granddaughters. Madonna has been using her sewing skills to create handbags out of jeans fabric and decorator printed fabrics. She was also made

jackets out of sweat shirts. Phil helped cut the sturdy seams for her.

Gary Augenbaugh headed up to Denver to visit his daughter and families. The senior citizens at the Center do to thank Gary for giving them a coffee pot and coffee mugs.

Bud and Dixie Bennett’s son came from near Grand Junction to take them to Denver to his daughter, Tammy’s home. Then Tammy planned to bring them back to Eads.

It will be good to have them return and set out those different six flags out on Maine by their home.

Rob Miller flew to Colorado from Pennsylvania especially to enjoy his nephew and two nieces in Denver and, of course, his parents, Frank and Marci Miller, and grandparents, Bob and Renee Woods, in Eads.

Alizabeth Hulteen returned from Alma, Missouri, where she lives part of the year. She brought her newly published book for me to see, which is absolutely too awesome for me to describe. This 104 page book includes her own paintings of 50 women of the Bible. The opposite page has the scripture(s) about the woman, the meaning of her name in Hebrew or Aramaic, and informative research about the lady. Each painting is reflective of the clothing and jewelry of the period of time when the lady lived in Bible days. 

Cardon and Joyce Berry had two Christmases. One with their son, Jim’s family from Wyoming, and with Mike and Cindy McLoud’s son’s and families, Billy, Cardon, and Remington Brandt.

Tim Sawyer is such a good “handyman.” When I had a bathroom fixture problem, he repaired it in a short time! A good thanks to the local NAPA Store also. I am so glad they are here in Eads!

This week, remember the SAGE meal is Wednesday the January 2, the brunch at the senior center the January 3, and Friday Kit Carson comes to play basketball.

Darryl Stolzenberger’s railroad job takes him to many parts of the country, but it was especially nice that he could be home at Christmas time also because his family and friends enjoy his cooking skills.

“Happy New Year” to you Dear Readers.