Happy Holidays 2017

• 2017 •

Your Guide to a Festive Holiday Season Produced by the BEACON’s advertising team

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The perfect gift for grandparents

By Kevin VanGundy

F

inding the right gift for Nana and Pawpaw can be challenging.

Chances are they already have it, or don’t want or need anything else.

Our readers have weighed in with their holiday wish lists over the years, and generally, topping the list is (drum roll, please)...you.

Life is busy, especially around the holidays. But time spent with loved ones is invaluable and tons more enjoyable than fighting crazy Black Friday shoppers.

Stop by Mom and Dad’s house and bring the kids. Let Nana show them how to make her scrumptious holiday cookies, and check out Pawpaw’s latest woodworking project.

Take a moment to listen to the stories and traditions from their childhoods. Speaking of traditions…

“The Night Before Christmas” game One of my family’s favorite holiday traditions started with my aunt and uncle, Shari and Bill Bird of Fruita. They would host a Christmas party every year, complete with twinkling lights, festive décor, hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats.

The highlight of the evening was the reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas") by Clement C. Moore.

It was more than just story time.

Everyone sat in a large circle and eagerly awaited the game that would follow. In her invitations, Aunt Shari instructed each guest to bring a wrapped, unmarked gift that cost $20 or less. Donning a Santa hat, Uncle Bill did the honors of distributing the gifts among the participants.

Aunt Shari read Moore’s famous poem aloud. When she read the word “and,” each guest passed their gift to the person on their left. Sounds simple, right? It rarely was—chatter and laughter supervened as guests debated whether or not Aunt Shari said “and” and which way was left. Shenanigans were afoot, as some didn’t want to part with what might be a treasure and went to creative lengths to keep it.

You’d be surprised at how many times the word “and” appears in that poem. The anticipation was exhilarating, as packages came in all shapes and sizes. Once the final line was read—“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night”—everyone took great joy in unwrapping the gifts and finding out what was in the more unusual packages.

Some traditional gifts were expected; others were delightful surprises. One year, a lucky player received a bottle of car wax, along with a note from the giver saying that it included labor.

If you decide to adopt this tradition in your own family, here are some tips: • The more the merrier. The game is perfect for a dozen or more people.

• Let the younger kids have their own circle and ask parents to bring age-appropriate gifts.

Start your gift shopping right In addition to clever gift ideas for grandkids and where to find them, this month’s special section is chock-full of holiday cheer. For the perfect gift for everyone on your list, read on and shop locally this holiday season. ■

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Gift outside the box: gift ideas for grandparenting long distance

By C.J. Payton

T

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oday’s technology certainly makes it easier to keep in touch with your grandkids from a distance. With Facebook, Nani and Pawpaw can enjoy daily videos and photos of the next branch on the family tree. FaceTime and Skype provide real-time, face-to-face opportunities for Abuela and Papi to see and talk to their little sweeties every day.

But how do grandparents stay connected with their beloved grandchildren during the holidays when they can’t be with them?

There are as many answers to that question as there are names for grandmother and grandfather.

Bedtime stories Do Grams and Gramps enjoy bedtime rituals when within hugging distance—bedtime stories, giggles and goodnight kisses? There is an abundance of recordable storybooks available for purchase online.

Record your voice reading the story as you turn the pages, then send the book off via snail mail. Your recorded voice is heard reading their bedtime story, even from miles away.

Titles such as “Under the Same Moon,” “My Wish for You,” “All the Ways I Love You” and “That’s What Grandmas Do” are available for purchase, along with several Christmas stories.

Be sure to give yourself ample time to order and receive the book, record the story, wrap it up and send it off before those sleigh bells ring. Colorado Babies, 560 Main St. in Grand Junction, is also planning to stock recordable books and stuffed animals for the upcoming holiday season.

Consider mutual interests After planting seeds and picking weeds with visiting grandchildren, Sheri Hickman wanted to encourage the relationship and cultivate a love of gardening. She sent her little horticulturists miniature flower pots, flower seeds, child-size garden trowels, watering cans and peat moss pellets.

“Keeping the package lightweight for shipping was a factor in sending these garden goodies,” Hickman said.

Are you a creative type of Oma, forever encouraging the little artists in your life? Gift them one of your creations, as well as paper, paints and various art supplies. Make it easy for parents by sending self-addressed, stamped manila envelopes so you can receive samples of

Grandkids will cherish the sound of your voice reading them a bedtime story from a recordable storybook.

2017

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You win, your loved ones win, the troops win Find the perfect gift for the trickier people on your list and support our troops at the same time.

Donate to Operation Interdependence in someone’s name this holiday season!

You’ll receive a unique card and envelope for your recipient.

Donate $25 or more before November 11 and receive a Defenders bracelet as a thank-you. www.oidelivers.org | carley@oidelivers.org | 970-523-4217

How are we doing?

Each Christmas, Patty Marquez gifts her grandkids handmade fleece blankets based on their current interests. the fledgling artist’s work throughout the year.

Puruse a variety of gifts for young learners at Fabula, 317 E. Main St., in Montrose. They have arts and crafts sets and science kits, plus educational books, games and puzzles for curious young minds.

Do you love to travel and learn about other cultures?

“We have a lot of toys and games that are European,” said Gail Kubik, who works at Fabula. “They’re not your run-of-the-mill gifts that you can find anywhere else.”

Maybe you share a love for hiking, fishing and camping with your young ones. Depending on the age of the kiddo, books about camping or local fishing spots, fishing supplies or a framed photo of your last trip together will keep those memories alive. Reinforcing their memories of your time together will keep them excited for their next outdoor adventure with Gram and Grandad.

Build a holiday tradition Maybe you want to start a holiday tradition from afar.

Each Christmas, Patty Marquez gifts each of her grandkids a handmade fleece blanket based on their current interests. One year, a grandson playing his first year of baseball

received a baseball-themed blanket.

His cousin, crazy for mermaids, got a mermaid blanket.

“Every year, it’s a new, soft, warm and cozy blankie to wrap up in, like a big hug from Grandma Patty,” Marquez said.

Think local Marquez works at Crafts & More Vendors Galore, 558 Main St. in Grand Junction, one of several local stores with great options for grandkids.

Ryan's Finishing Touch, 435 Main St. in Delta, is another great choice, stocking collectable stuffed animals and puzzles, as well as gifts for older grandchildren.

Stores with photo gift departments offer to print your favorite photo on everything from mugs to books, T-shirts to blankets, pillows, canvas prints and even musical snow globes. Remembering special moments is the key to growing that wonderful grandparent connection.

Anyone can give this holiday’s “must-have” gift, to be forgotten before Cupid’s arrow flies. Whatever your grandbabies call you, keeping connected is easy when you send gifts based on meaningful, special times shared with each other. ■

Send us your questions and suggestions.

We want to hear from you!

BEACON Senior Newspaper P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502 Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

Holiday Event Calendars 6

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MESA COUNTY

NOVEMBER 17 Grand Junction tree lighting Downtown Grand Junction officially kicks off the holiday season with its fun tree-lighting ceremony. Santa will make an appearance while Christmas favorites are performed live. This free event runs from 5-7 p.m. on Main Street.

NOVEMBER 23 Turkey Trot 5K This 5K run starts and ends at Two Rivers Convention Center at 9:30 a.m.

Early registration is $25; proceeds support the Grand Junction Fire Fighters Foundation. Visit www.gjfffoundation. com for more information.

NOVEMBER 25-26 Two Rivers' Holiday Craft Show Two Rivers Convention Center’s annual holiday craft show features more than 70 vendors to help you get a jump on holiday shopping. The event runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days. Admission is $5 at the door. Call 263-5700 for more information.

DECEMBER 1-2 Palisade Olde Fashioned Christmas Experience a traditional Christmas celebration on Friday evening and Saturday in downtown Palisade. The weekend is packed with parades, cookies, music, Santa, free photos, crafts and more!

For the full schedule of events, call 464-7458 or www.palisadecoc.com.

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

DECEMBER 2 Lavender Christmas craft fair Visit Redlands Middle School from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for a free craft fair featuring a variety of vendors selling handcrafted lavender items, plus other unique arts and crafts.

Grand Junction Parade of Lights The Parade of Lights features more than 100 floats that light up the night on seven blocks of Main Street. The parade starts at 5 p.m. Main Street from Seventh to Ninth Streets will be reserved for handicap parking only.

DECEMBER 4 Rocky Mountain Christmas John Denver's special Christmas music comes to life through Jim Curry at Grand Junction High School, thanks to Community Concerts of the Grand Valley. Admission is $25 per adult. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.

DECEMBER 5 CMU Holiday Choral Concert Join Colorado Mesa University for its annual holiday choral concert at Love Recital Hall on the CMU campus. Tickets are $10 for seniors and available at www.coloradomesa.edu/mosstickets.

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 7 Holiday Light Tour for 50+ Get in the holiday spirit and enjoy the hidden gems of Grand Junction's best light displays. Enjoy hot chocolate and goodies before you go. Meet at Lincoln Park Barn at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $7. Reg-

ister at www.gjparksandrec.org or call 254-3866. This event always fills early!

DECEMBER 9 Vocal holiday concert The vocal band Face comes to the Avalon Theatre to ring in the holiday season. Join a festive evening of your favorite holiday and rock 'n' roll tunes.

The show starts at 7 p.m.; tickets start at $13. Visit www.facevocalband.com to learn more.

Fruita Hometown Christmas and Parade of Lights Enjoy shopping and activities at an arts and crafts fair at the Fruita Community Center from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and stick around for the Parade of Lights at dusk.

Call 858-0360 for more information.

DECEMBER 9-10 Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra's “The Nutcracker” This Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra production at Grand Junction High School features dancers from Colorado Mesa University, local dance companies and two world-class dancers in the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier.

Performances are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

DECEMBER 11 Moscow Ballet presents “The Nutcracker” Celebrate Christmas at the 25th Anniversary Tour of Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker,” an over-the-top production with world class artists.

This performance comes to the Avalon

Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $28. To purchase, visit www.monumentalevents. com.

DECEMBER 16 Santa Cause 5K Come out to Las Colonias Park for a 5K run or walk in the spirit of the season.

Grand Junction Parks and Recreation is teaming up with Kiwanis to benefit Grand Valley kids. The first 300 registered participants will receive a Santa suit to wear during the race. Early registration cost is $30. Register online at www.gjparksand rec.org or call 254-3866. Race-day registration begins at 9 a.m. Cost is $40.

Christmas Jubilee At the Bar D Wranglers Christmas Jubilee, families can enjoy a wholesome evening of Old West Cowboy Christmas songs, jokes, stories and fun. Tickets are $19 for adults. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Two Rivers Convention Center.

DECEMBER 17 “The Nutcracker” in cinemas Direct from Moscow, “The Nutcracker” is performed by the Bolshoi Ballet at Regal Canyon View Theater at 12:55 p.m. Call 248-3558.

DECEMBER 31 Torchlight parade and fireworks Watch the New Year's Eve event of the year at Powderhorn Mountain Resort at 6 p.m. Skiers and riders head down the slope with lights and torches to illuminate the mountain. Plus, live music, fireworks and more! Call 268-5700 to learn more.

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DELTA & Montrose Counties NOVEMBER 17-18 HappyNewMerryThanksmas HappyNewMerryThanksmas will be held at Friendship Hall at the Montrose County Fairgrounds from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. This shopping extravaganza stars Santa Claus!

NOVEMBER 18 Ornament design class Learn about glass and create holiday ornaments at this class from 12:30-4 p.m. at Aspen Light Glass Studio, 21 N. Junction Ave. in Montrose. Cost is $60. Each student will create at least two ornaments in time for the holidays.

Class size is limited. Call 318-0150 to register.

NOVEMBER 23 Free Thanksgiving dinner Relax and enjoy a full-course Thanksgiving meal with your friends and neighbors at the Montrose County Fairgrounds’ Friendship Hall. There will be activities for children and entertainment from noon to 3 p.m. This celebration is presented by Montrose Community Dinners. If you or someone you know would like a meal delivered, call 318-6759. To volunteer, call 318-6742.

NOVEMBER 24 Montrose tree lighting Montrose County lights a festive tree in front of the courthouse at 5:30 p.m.

Enjoy a reading of “The Night Before Christmas,” carols, complimentary hot cocoa and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, who will take a short walk to open their cabin for the season. See www.visitmontrose.com or call 4978558 for details.

NOVEMBER 24-DECEMBER 20 Christmas trees at Covered Bridge Ranch Choose and cut your own Christmas tree, wander through festive barns

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and meet our family of farm animals.

Covered Bridge Ranch is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. It’s also open December 18-20.

For details, visit www.coveredbridge ranch.com.

NOVEMBER 25 Delta Parade of Lights Join Delta’s kickoff to Christmas! This wonderful occasion includes live music, a parade, a tree-lighting ceremony and, of course, Santa! Activities start in downtown Delta at 3 p.m. The parade starts around 5 p.m.

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DECEMBER 2 Gingerbread house workshops Reserve a gingerbread house in advance for $15 and arrive at Ridgway Elementary School to find a fully assembled house that just needs some decoration. The workshops run from 10 a.m. to noon and 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Registration will be accepted starting November 15. Call Weehawken Creative Arts at 318-0150.

Montrose Parade of Lights Montrose’s Parade of Lights illuminates Main Street at 5:30 p.m. led by the Montrose High School Marching Band.

This year’s theme is “Do You Hear What I Hear?” For more information, go to www.visitmontrose.com or call 497-8558 for details.

DECEMBER 17 Community Band Christmas concert The Montrose Community Band presents “Celebrating the Birth of Christ,” a free concert held at the Montrose Pavilion at 3 p.m.

DECEMBER 24 Telluride Torchlight Parade Watch the slopes light up as skiers glide gracefully down Telluride Resort’s mountain, torches in hand. After a long night of delivering presents,

Santa will stop by to take a little break. ■

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How to find gratitude in everything

By Elizabeth J. Wheeler

Y

ou’re probably tired of hearing about gratitude and how we should all take a moment to be thankful for our health, family and good fortune. But if you’re like me and you refuse to become a bitter old lady, I can’t think of a better antidote for this malaise than gratitude.

Someone wrote that gratitude is like yeast because it raises good in our life. I’m a fan of this philosophy, so every day I compile a list of things I’m grateful for. I’ve found it to be a potent potion for finding solutions to situations that really hurt or upset me.

For example, I recently signed up for a six-week class that showed you how to knit a sweater. I’ve knitted for several years now, mainly socks

and scarves, and a sweater seemed like the next logical thing to try. I also knew some of the ladies who were taking the class, and I was excited to get to know them better while we took on this challenge together.

Five weeks into the class, I was still knitting the bottom of the sweater while the other ladies were about two-thirds of the way finished. When I signed up, I didn’t realize the cost of materials would be $100 on top of the $100 fee for the class. I’ve never owned a $200 sweater!

I was red with anger and frustration. I blamed the instructor. I was mad at my friend who recommended the class. I was mad at myself for feeling inadequate, and I was upset that I spent so much money.

Why should I be grateful for this experience?

Despite my anger, I made a strong effort to list everything I liked about my sweater experience: the beautiful red yarn, being with my friends every week, and admiring our young instructor for her knowledge and patience. I eventually calmed down.

Then it occurred to me that I could get help with the sweater at the shop where I was taking the class. If it weren’t for this realization, I would’ve never gotten to know the young tattooed woman who works there and has kindly and patiently helped me many times.

Creating this gratitude list also helped me realize that when I’m frustrated, I often resort to blame and judgment, neither of which has ever helped me solve problems and usually results in alienating people.

Making a gratitude list also helped me with the decision not to host Thanksgiving this year—or any year for that matter.

You see, I’ve had it in my head since I was a little girl that when I was a grandma, I would cook the most fabulous Thanksgiving dinner for my family, who would sit around my large dining room table in my large bungalow and rave about my cooking, visiting joyfully and being ever so grateful for one another. The grandchildren would have perfect table manners and we’d all have a wonderful time

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2017

together.

That dream leads me to the pity pot every year.

Two years ago, my family came to my little cottage for Thanksgiving. The adults gathered around my small dining room table while the four grandchildren sat at an even smaller table in the kitchen. I heard more complaints than compliments about my food, and my large sonin-law almost took out a piece of furniture when he scooted his chair back. I was grateful that I wasn’t eating in the kitchen because of how perturbed I was at my grandkids, who were all old enough to know how to use silverware, but chose to eat with their hands instead.

I invited an elderly relative to join us, and she hogged the conversation like she has for the many Thanksgivings I have spent with her. I was exhausted the next day, but I still had a lot of cleaning to do.

At first, I wasn’t grateful for either of these situations, but they bothered me so much that I’ve decided—with gritted teeth—to be appreciative. Over the years, I’ve learned that being grateful for all things—good and bad—helps me avoid becoming a bitter old lady. I’d much rather be the positive, vital and wise woman I am today. ■

Monday-Friday 10-6 Saturday 9-5 Sunday 11-4

2017

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Feeding frenzy

By Dick Wolfsie

H

ow much food are you supposed to bring to a potluck or a Thanksgiving get-together? The calculus of this must have stumped even Albert Einstein, who came from a nice Jewish family where food, of course, played a very important role.

Some biographers think the equation E=mc² really meant the amount of food you can eat (that would be E) is equal to the size of the average mouth (that’s M) times the number of cousins (C) who were invited for a holiday dinner. Then Einstein’s mother just squared everything, which has since become a holiday tradition.

And that's why most people gain 11 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

Einstein has gotten a lot of credit for his theories on atomic energy, but little recognition has been given to his mother’s classic formula for how much potato salad to lug to the family reunion picnic.

This past Thanksgiving we were invited to my friends’ home. My wife insisted on bringing something so she could contribute to the sumptuous feast.

“Bringing something” was always a risky thing when I grew up in New York. Whenever my mother brought something to someone’s house, she would watch it like a hawk, concerned that her candied yams would go unacknowledged, requiring her to either chuck the remains at the end of the party or hide the half-filled casserole dish behind her back as she nervously slid out the door.

And there was a worse scenario.

Suppose the dish was completely consumed. Not a scrap left. Wiped clean. That would have meant that

my mother did not bring enough.

She believed this miscalculation would stain the reputation of the entire Wolfsie clan. That’s when my mother adopted Mama Einstein’s theory of quantum food.

This made a huge impression on me as a kid, so when my wife offered to contribute her sour cream mashed potatoes to the party, I tried to decide how much to bring in a scientific manner.

Our friends were having 25 people for dinner, so we needed to make enough mashed potatoes for 50 people (because if the spuds were that good, everyone was going to have seconds). But other people would also be bringing dishes. And these people, no doubt, were also familiar with this culinary formula. This meant that if all 25 people were bringing enough food for 50 people, there would be enough food on the table that night to feed about 5,000 people.

That would be plenty…even for really big eaters like Uncle Harold.

Dinner was wonderful, but getting all that food into the dining room was a problem. Guests were asked to leave their coats in the car so the king-size bed could be used as a buffet table for 475 fluffy dinner rolls, 28 pounds of stuffing and 16 bowls of cranberry relish.

Sadly, at the end of the evening many people felt the sting my mother used to experience when her string bean soufflé had been barely touched.

As for Mary Ellen’s sour cream mashed potatoes, I ate 12 portions.

I don’t like sour cream mashed potatoes, but the idea of my lovely wife coming home on Thanksgiving night clinging to the remains of an unappreciated dish would have been too much for either of us to bear. ■

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Holiday Recipes www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

2017

A few favorite holiday recipes from the Beacon staff.

Golden Butter Cut-Out Cookies

1 cup butter 1/4 tsp. salt 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. almond extract 2½ cups flour

Cream butter with salt until soft, blend in sugar 1/4 cup at a time until mixture is fluffy.

Beat in egg, vanilla, almond; stir in flour.

Refrigerate dough 30 minutes. Roll out to about 1/4 inch, then cut out your cookies.

Bake at 400° for 8 minutes, or just until the edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown.

Harvest Potatoes

32 oz. frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed 1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup 8 oz. of sour cream 8 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup of melted margarine 1½ tsp. salt 1 medium onion Topping 2 cups corn flakes, crushed 1/4 cup margarine, melted Combine all ingredients in a greased 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish. Top with corn flakes mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Serves 10.

2017

W HAPPY HOLIDAYS W

Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

11

4 cups chicken broth (you might not use it all) 1 cup wild rice, well-rinsed (a small box is about the right size) 1 ¾ cups rice pilaf 1 cup pecan halves 1 cup dried currants 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped Grated zest of 2 oranges 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. orange juice Freshly ground black pepper In separate pots, prepare the wild rice and pilaf according to the package directions, using as much of the chicken broth as needed. (The wild rice should take much longer than the pilaf.)

Drain the excess liquid from the rice. Let both cool, then mix in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, toss well, serve at room temperature. OPTIONAL: Add dried cranberries, golden raisins or dried cherries.

Bacon-wrapped Asparagus Bundles 1 lb. asparagus 10 slices of bacon 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 cup brown sugar

Take about 5 stalks of asparagus at a time and wrap them with bacon to form a bundle. Place the bundles in baking dish.

Pour melted butter over the bundles, then sprinkle with the garlic salt and brown sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender and bacon is crisp.

Kahlua Cake ®

1 package yellow cake mix 1 small box instant fudge pudding 4 eggs 1 cup water 1 cup oil 1/2 cup Kahlua ® or coffee-flavored liqueur Combine all ingredients and mix for 1 minute, scrape sides of bowl down, and mix for another minute.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 38 minutes, let stand 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack.

Peanut Butter Corn Flake Cookies

12 oz. of peanut butter 1 cup corn syrup 1 cup sugar 4 cups corn flakes

Bring syrup and sugar mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, add peanut butter, stir until smooth.

Add corn flakes. Mix until cereal is thoroughly coated.

Use spoon to drop cookies onto wax paper as soon as possible.

Let cool for 20-30 minutes before enjoying.

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2018 Share the LOVE!

Help the BEACON determine the best and most-loved hotspots for boomers and seniors in Mesa County. Nominate your favorite locales in the following categories and return this page to the BEACON by December 31 to be entered to win a prize (details to come next month).

The winners will be announced in a special insert in the February BEACON. Mail your ballot to: The BEACON, PO Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502 or drop off your ballot at: The BEACON, 524 30 Road, Suite 4, Grand Junction, CO 81504 CONTEST RULES:

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One entry per person. One vote per category.

Entries must be clearly printed.

Entries must include voter’s name, address and phone number.

Entries become property of the BEACON, which reserves the right to publish nominations in an upcoming issue.

• Entries must be received by December 31. Winners will be published in the February BEACON.

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