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e t a r b e l Ce CHRISTMAS D U O H T R E B N I

2015

Š Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

November 26, 2015

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015 Celebrating Christmas in Berthoud© 2015 is published in Berthoud, Colo., by the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor. The publishers reserve the right to edit, classify or reject any advertising or news copy. Liability for any newspaper error in an advertisement shall not exceed the cost of space occupied by error. The publishers assume no liability for any advertising which is not published for any cause. The publishers assume absolutely no obligation or responsibility for subject matter in copy placed by its advertisers or their agents.

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Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Index Santa goes online ........................................................ 3 The baby changed everything ................................... 4 2015 Christmas in Berthoud ...................................... 6 Religion, holidays and therapy - friends or foe? ........ 7 On stage for the holidays. ........................................... 8 Christmas memories ...........................................10&12 What’s on your list?.....................................................14 Traditions behind holiday gifts ..................................15 Christmas movie roundup ..........................................16

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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

Santa goes online

By Bob McDonnell The Surveyor

’Tis the season where all the good boys and girls write letters to Santa or Kris Kringle, Father Christmas or Pere Noel.

Some six decades ago, when I wrote my letter to Santa, we used what is now called “snail mail.” We perused the toy selection in the Sears Christmas catalog before scribbling out a list of things we just had to have.

My son did the same thing when he was growing up. A far as I know, my two young grandchildren labor over printing their selections on a piece of paper to be mailed to the North Pole.

It strikes me that, in our current technological age, some children must have found an easier, high-tech way to communicate with the jolly old man dressed in red.

A quick online search found this to be just the case. Here are some places children can communicate with Santa, electronically.

The first one is not a letter to Santa, but a prerequisite to the letter writing. It allows children to determine whether they are on the naughty or nice list. Children can visit emailsanta. com to see where they stand with the big guy. The site allows children to pick from a selection of choices to answer questions about room cleanliness, interactions with others, and telling the truth. Santa even provides an online certificate showing the naughty-or-nice rating for the person who answered the questions.

The site called emailsanta.com has a variety of activities.

The letter to Santa section provides space for the child’s name and hometown. As with some of the other sites, there are three

boxes for telling the jolly old man what you want. Fear not — there is space for additional comments where extra request might fit.

Taking the high tech Santa to another level, children have a chance to see Santa on web cam or view actual video cameras on various locations around the world.

Then there’s aletter4santa.com for an instant response from the North Pole. This site asks for first name, age, behavior — good or not — and list of three items. The child may add a personal note too, if so inclined. Immediately after hitting send, Santa replies online.

Santabot.com allows children to have a free online chat with Santa; however, calling it “chat” does not imply they talk to Santa. The kids just type in responses to questions asked by Santa.

Most of the sites mentioned don’t seem to allow for a long list of items, however, so make your request count.

The website saintnick.org bills itself as “The official website of Santa Claus.” Saintnick.org states it is non-commercial and celebrates the magic of the holiday season. This site, like those above, lets children send Santa a letter. During the month of December saintnick.org receives approximately one million hits a day.

Going a step beyond just writing to Santa, one site, Freepersonalizedvideogreetingfromsantaclaus.com, incorporates videos. As a bonus, the child’s name appears at the top of the screen.

The sites listed here appear to be available at no charge.

Many of them also contain games, songs and carols, coloring pages, trivia and recipes.

So, it looks like Santa Claus has joined the Internet age.

But, if you are still not ready for all this, you can still write and mail a letter the old way, or even go see Santa when he visits the local mall.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

The baby changed everything

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he story is told of a mining camp many years ago called Roaring Camp. The spot was well named because it had the worst reputation of all the lawless miners’ camps of those Wild West days. “To die a natural death at Roaring Camp was to die at pistol’s point,” is the way someone exGuest pressed it.

Columnist There was only one woman in the camp, Cherokee Sal. The less said about her the better. She was not exactly known as a virtuous woman.

Cherokee Sal became pregnant, but died during childbirth. One of the miners, Stumpy, did his best to save her. He had been a medical student during his earlier and better days, but Sal was beyond his skill. He did manage to save Pastor the baby, though. The baby at Clay Peck once became a mascot among that Grace Place rough and bearded group.

No special arrangements awaited that little one. A bundle of rags and a box in the corner was the crib. It wasn’t a soapbox either. Soap was one thing that was in scarce quantity at Roaring Camp.

Soon, however, that box seemed out of place. So one of their number was sent 80 miles on mule-back to Sacramento to get the best cradle possible. He was no sooner back than all felt they needed more than carved rosewood. They must have other things. So back went the purchaser to buy lace and frills. Nothing was too good for

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the little pink-cheeked baby. How wonderful it looked as they placed the cradle in the center of the room.

Then they noticed something else — the floor. It was filthy. Strange that until now no one noticed. But the fact is it had never been washed since the shed was built.

Soon those callused and rough hands began to scrub.

Next the walls were cleaned and the ceiling whitewashed. Even the windows were fixed and drapes hung.

More wonder still, the men themselves began to change. In Tuttle’s store, mirrors and other things were sold. It was not long before razors, soap, and even suits were finding their way into camp.

The whole place took a new look. Men whose only interest had been gold, whose selfishness was proverbial — hard men who had shed blood, began to laugh and coo as sparkling eyes turned their way. The baby had transformed everything.

That story serves as a fitting Christmas allegory. The world itself was “Roaring Camp” two thousand years ago. Into this sinful, violent, godless world God sent His Son — a helpless and dependent baby. But that Baby transformed everything. That Baby changed the world.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

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Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

Religion, holidays and therapy — friends or foe?

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s a therapist I often see an increase in my business following the holiday season. It seems many individuals and families have exhausted their emotional bank accounts to just get through Thanksgiving and Christmas only to find they are emotionally bankrupt in January, and sometimes financially as well.

Almost 2,000 years ago a man was born. He Guest was known as Jesus of Nazareth. According to bibColumnist lical history, many were amazed by his teachings and his ability to heal people. Some even believed he might be the literal son of God, the promised Mesiah that Israel had been waiting for. Though his actual birthday was probably sometime in April, once a year we celebrate the birth of this man on Dec. 25.

Often Jesus is associated with the qualities of love, peace, forgiveness, hope and a second chance. Yet the Christmas season seems to bring anything but these qualities into our lives. How James T. Skeen is it something that has the potential for so much MS, LPC good can cause so much disharmony? Can Jesus, the holidays, and good mental health actually go together?

For some, religion is seen as an institution that creates guilt, shame and selfloathing so it can control people’s actions and beliefs and also financially benefit from its congregation’s struggles. Mental health counseling has frequently been critical of religion for the burden it creates in people’s lives. Therapists will often encourage people to separate themselves from religion because it is seen as a crutch

or an inhibitor to personal growth. Certainly there are historical examples that support this view. At times religion has been guilty of using its positon of power to manipulate its followers for its own benefit.

So, what is a good definition of good religion? Maybe religion is at its very best when it helps people to liberate themselves from their weaknesses; when it allows people to see themselves as more than just the sum of their struggles and shame; when it encourages people to define themselves as sons and daughters of God and not just as human doings; when it liberates people from the lies they have been limiting themselves with and allows them to see beyond the pain.

In Bethlehem Christ was born as a hope for all mankind. He did not seek to take our very best from us but to take our very worst. He offered hope to all who would come to him and cast their burdens on him so we can have a second chance and a third chance and a fourth chance and so on. For many, Jesus is the symbol of hope; hope they can overcome the daily struggles of addiction, depression, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, sin, mistakes and tragedy and not be defined by these things but learn and grow from these moments and become a whole human being.

For me, it appears Jesus and mental health counseling want the same thing for us; to be the healthiest people we can be mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.

This holiday season, whether you are a Christian or not, consider the man named Jesus of Nazareth; how He was born and offered His life to bring love, hope, forgiveness and a second chance to mankind. And then consider giving more than just a gift this year; consider giving your love, hope, forgiveness and gentleness to another person this holiday season so peace on earth and good will to men may flourish.

James Skeen is a Berthoud Weekly Surveyor contributor. He can be reached at Communitycounselor@lpbroadband.net.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

On stage for the holidays

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atching a theatrical production during the holidays is a tradition for many families. Here’s what’s on stage in Northern Colorado and Boulder this holiday

season.

For multiple seasons, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown has brought “A Christmas Carol” to the main stage during the holidays. Based on the tale by Charles Dickens, the Candlelight production of this classic Surveyor is beautiful and heartfelt. From the Columnist songs to the set design, the entire story comes to life and will warm the hearts of everyone who sees it.

“A Christmas Carol” runs Nov. 27 through Dec. 31. Tickets can be purchased at www.ColoradoCandlelight. com or by calling 970-744-3747.

The Boulder Dinner Theatre stage (BDT) is going in a different direction this holiday season. Its production of “The ADDAMS Family” is on stage Nov. 21 through Feb. 27, Heidi 2016.

Kerr-Schlaefer While it’s not Christmassy, this show is family-friendly. With musical numbers like “Where Did We Go Wrong” and “Crazier Than Me,” audiences may even find they relate to this untraditional family.

For tickets go to www.BDTStage.com or call the box office at 303-449-6000, ext. 4.

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The Rialto Theater in Loveland has several shows lined up for the holiday season. A “‘Tis the Season Holiday SingAlong” is scheduled for Dec. 6, and on Saturday, Dec. 19, the Rialto welcomes Timothy P. and the Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers to the stage.

This group serves up an eclectic mix of singing, strumming and fiddling in what the Rialto website calls a “red-hot pickin’ holiday extravaganza.”

The following day, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m., some of Denver’s top jazz musicians will present a high-energy holiday concert that audiences won’t soon forget. This group of 19 artists will perform under the leadership of Grammy-nominated trombonist and composer, Steve Wiest.

To purchase tickets to any of these shows go to www.RialtoTheaterCenter.org or call 970-962-2120.

The Lincoln Center in Fort Collins draws world-class performers and productions. Its winter lineup is full of shows from “Santa Baby,” presented by Opera Fort Collins to “The Nutcracker,” presented by the Canyon Concert Ballet. For the extensive lineups of shows at the Lincoln Center go to www. lctix.com/shows.

The Longmont Theatre Company is getting into the holiday spirit with two shows this Christmas season. “Disney’s Sleeping Beauty,” will entertain both children and their parents. Princess Aurora is turning 16, but the evil sorceress Maleficent doesn’t want this princess to see 17, and Aurora must depend on her fairy friends to save her.

For the adults, the theatre company is producing “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” Five actors will perform dozens of characters in the radio play as well as sound effects.

Lovers of the original film will not want to miss it.

For more information go to www.LongmontTheatre.org or call 303-772-5200.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

Christmas memories

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ne of my earliest Christmas memories as a young child — I couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6 years old — is of my mother hanging the Advent calendar on the wall of the dining room. This was not a calendar in the sense Surveyor of what we think of Columnist a calendar, but rather it is a kind of special calendar to mark the days leading up to Christmas day.

The Advent calendars we had began on the first day of December, even though the Rudy religious obserHemmann vance of Advent did not always fall on Dec. 1 each year.

According to the International Business Times article “When Does Advent Begin?

5 facts to know about the Advent season,” the beginning of Advent changes from year to year.

The ibtimes.com article states, “Though

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many assume Dec. 1 is the start of the Advent season, this isn’t always the case since it begins on the Sunday that is closest to Nov. 30, according to Patch.com. This also affects the length of the season.”

According to the article, this year the four Sundays of Advent are Dec. 1 (first Sunday of Advent), Dec. 8 (second Sunday of Advent), Dec. 15 (third Sunday of Advent), and Dec. 22 (fourth Sunday of Advent).

Most Advent calendars were rather simple affairs made of two heavy sheets of paper glued together. (This best described my advent calendars, although some get quite elaborate.) The front sheet would have a scene on it, usually festooned with glitter, with 25 numbered windows which, when opened, revealed the picture of a small gift or other treat (a piece of candy, an apple or other fruit, a small quantity of nuts). The entire thing culminated in the 25th door, also the biggest door, which, when swung open revealed the Christ child lying in a manger.

On the morning of the first day of December my brother and I would wait, albeit impatiently, until after we had eaten breakfast before beginning to pester Mom to get down the calendars so we could open the first window and see what was behind it. My brother and I each had our own so we wouldn’t fight.

Another fond childhood Christmas memory is the large package of treats

MEMORIES cont. on page 12

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

MEMORIES cont. on page 10

from Germany that arrived the days prior.

Mom was a German war bride. Dad met her there in 1946.

He was part of the occupation forces stationed in Berlin, Germany, after World War II. Mom had a sister and two nieces, along with other friends and relatives scattered throughout West Germany.

Her sister always made certain a large package got sent our way during the holiday season. The packages always contained gifts for the entire family. But the gifts were not the highlight of the packages. The highlights were the fine chocolates, special holiday gingerbread cookies, different cheeses, and other edible treats which simply could not be found anywhere in central Nebraska.

It was the liquor-filled chocolates which were the most prized items she sent to us. This was really a “forbidden fruit,” because in the 1950s and 1960s one could not get those items in the good old U.S. of A. for any price. They were illegal contraband here. But, boy, were they ever good. Since they were not legal here, my brother and I were told not to tell our schoolmates we had them.

I remember Mom setting out all of the Christmas paraphernalia which she used to decorate our home. This was always done the weekend after Thanksgiving. As many may remember, there used to be an unwritten rule amongst retailers that the Christmas decorations and other holiday trappings were not put out until after we had our fill of Thanksgiving turkey.

Mom put quite an effort into decorating the inside of the

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house, and each year she would add one or two new items to the collection of holiday decorations. These newer items needed to find a spot to blend in, or, rather a place needed to be found for them to blend in, amongst all of the other items that already had a “home,” so to speak.

About two weeks before Christmas Dad would buy the tree.

He always paid the $5 for a tree. We could have cut our own, but for some reason he preferred buying our tree. He never brought a tree home any earlier than a couple of weeks before Christmas because Mom liked to keep the tree up until the first weekend of the New Year.

Dad was afraid the tree would dry out too much before being taken down, and Mom insisted the tree stay up until then to cover the Festival of the Magi or Wise Men. Once Dad brought the tree home it was up to Mom, my brother and me to decorate it. First, all of the lights went on. Then the ornaments and the tinsel. The last items to be unpacked and set up were the pieces that made up the Nativity Scene, the Crèche. These pieces had been carefully wrapped in tissue paper when packed away at the close of the previous Christmas season. They were to be treated with care and reverence as each piece of the scene was unwrapped and put in place.

The Crèche was always placed at the base of the tree just in front of the tree skirt, per Mom’s instructions. Any presents that went under the tree were stacked to the right or left of it.

These are some of my Christmas memories from growing up on our central Nebraska farm.

Our family at the Surveyor wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Jo Buckridge Jan Dowker Karen Fate Mark French John Gardner Angela Gattuso John Hall Becky Hemmann Rudy Hemmann Dan Karpiel Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer Alyssa Law-Gardner Kristine Leonard Bob McDonnell Paula Megenhardt Angie Purdy Aaron Reynolds May Soricelli Jill Strait Diane Wells Sylvanna Zurbrick

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

What’s on your list?

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very year about this time I compile a list of suggestions for unusual Christmas gifts. Well, this year is no exception. There is plenty of time to review this and still get the items purchased and wrapped.

Let’s start with everyone’s favorite — chocolate.

Mysterychocolatebox. com has made it Surveyor easy to satisfy the Columnist chocolate lover in your life. Each month the recipient receives three chocolate bars. Prices range from $17.95 for one month, $50.85 for three months and $191 for an annual subscription. The company’s tagline is “Happiness in a box.” Sounds about right, I think.

Jumping from chocolate lovers to technology geeks, the second item is high tech and trendy. Drones are in Bob the news currently, and I imagine McDonnell many people want one for Christmas.

These hovering, flying machines come in all sizes and shapes. What “Star Wars” geek in the family wouldn’t love to get a Millennium Falcon drone? This flying marvel contains LED lights and emits “authentic sounds,” according to the ad on Amazon.com.

This drone has a range of 200 feet and is billed as a gift for those 8 years old and older.

I think many users will be well past 8 years old. The cost is $106.99.

Maybe you’re looking for something more down to earth, well, this earth is in Ireland. Yes, you may own land in Ireland, according to buyireland.com.

The gift includes a certificate of ownership with a plot number, a deed of assurance, and two photographs of the parcel to frame for the wall in your office or home.

When reading the fine print, I discovered the land is one square foot in size; that’s just a bit larger than a piece of notebook paper. To be a landowner in Ireland will cost you $49.99 in U.S. money for each plot. Discounts are available when purchasing more than five plots in one order.

Ireland reminds me of beer — Guinness to be sure. But, since Northern Colorado seems to be a mecca for craft beer and breweries, this next item seems appropriate.

It’s a growler or container to tote the beer home. Most beer connoisseurs know a growler is about 64 ounces.

Although local breweries have their own growlers for sale, it’s possible to have one of your own. I found two types online. One is made of stoneware but contains a food-safe glaze that costs $69.

For a more modern looking growler, try stainless steel.

It’s lighter than the stoneware version and almost indestructible. This is a good trait for those carrying a vessel of beer, I think. And this one is only $29 and comes in a variety of colors.

Both beer jugs are available at uncommongoods.com

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If your significant other loses items in their purse or personal bag, this doodad is for them. Its name says it all — the automatic handbag illuminator. Check it out at uncommongoods.com.

This small, German-made, battery-operated light helps brighten the purse interior. The two AAA batteries last approximately 6,000 on/off cycles.

All this happens because special proximity sensors know when a hand is near the light. The hand motion triggers the illuminator to activate for about eight seconds.

Where would we be without technology?

This last item is for real, I assure you. It’s a sleeping bag that you wear. It’s a sleeping bag onesie, complete with arms and legs and made by SelkBag, and it’s a step up from the snuggie blanket with sleeves sold on television.

SelkBag calls the bag “the original sleeping bag with arms and legs.” They add that it’s “designed for maximum comfort, mobility and, above all, a good night´s sleep.”

To be able to be mobile in a sleeping bag will cost you $169 for the original versions. Bags for children are about half that amount. The bags come in a variety of colors. Order your bag at selkbagusa.com.

That’s it for this year. Happy shopping.

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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

Traditions behind holiday gifts

Special to the Surveyor

The holiday season is a time to celebrate with friends and family. Several holidays are celebrated in this relatively short time period, making this one of the most festive times of the year.

Many holiday celebrations focus on the exchange of presents, which may be exchanged with relatives, friends and even coworkers. But are you familiar with the origins of exchanging gifts?

Gift exchanges trace their origins to both religious and secular traditions, each of which has helped shape the holidays into what they are today.

Christmas People exchange gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day all over the world. For Christians, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe was a gift from the Creator.

From a religious standpoint, gifting others around Christmastime can be traced back to the stories of the Three Kings (also referred to as the “Three Wise Men” who visited Jesus after his birth. Frankincense, a fragrance involved in worship; gold; and myrrh, an incense associated with funerals, was presented.

These gifts symbolized worship in Christ, that He would be the King of Kings, and that suffering and death would come to Him. Another giver of gifts is part of many Christmas celebrations.

St. Nicholas, a fourth century saint, is a beloved figure across the globe who has a reputation for giving gifts in secret and helping the needy. The figure of “Santa Claus” is based on St. Nicholas, and the blending of the two has evolved as history has mixed

with folklore and personal traditions.

Hanukkah Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The word “hanukkah” actually means “dedication” in Hebrew.

The Jews, including Judah Maccabee, helped drive the Syrians out of Jerusalem. In one of Judaism’s most central texts, Maccabee and others witnessed a miracle at the temple. Even though there was only enough oil to keep a menorah’s candles burning for one day, the flames continued for eight nights.

Traditionally, gelt, or money, was given as a Hanukkah gift. Many Hanukkah gift givers aim to give gifts that are thoughtful and sweet.

Money is not exchanged as much today, with other gifts taking its place.

Kwanzaa Kwanzaa is an American holiday that pays homage to traditions and cultural influences from Africa. The holiday was developed in 1966 by Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga. The focus of Kwanzaa is on family and the harvest as well as certain principles, such as unity and faith.

Gifts make up one of the seven symbols of Kwanzaa celebrations. However, gift-sharing is not the central part of this special holiday. Gifts are symbolic of the labor and love of parents and the commitments made and kept by their children.

Gifts are exchanged in abundance this time of year. The traditions behind the giving of presents is far-reaching and based in religious, secular and cultural traditions.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2015

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Christmas movie roundup

By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer The Surveyor

Hollywood studio executives bank on folks hitting the theaters during the holidays, and they save some of their biggest releases for Christmas. This year is no exception. Some of the year’s biggest films are being released this season, along with dozens of other films Hollywood hopes will benefit from holiday movie goers.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” opens Dec. 16, and is easily the most anticipated movie of the year. Some movie websites are predicting this new “Star Wars” film will shatter all previously held box office records. Opening in 4,500 theaters, it’s a wider release than any movie before it, so the predictions will likely come true.

The key to this film is that much-loved characters are coming back, including Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, and Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Even the three actors who portrayed Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 return.

Forty-somethings everywhere are rapt with anticipation.

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II” is another much-anticipated film that is being released during the holiday season. It’s the wrap-up to the bestselling three-book series that was made into a four-part film series in order for Hollywood to cash in on its success. Despite the obvious greed involved in producing this last film, there’s little doubt that movie goers will lineup for this one.

If you prefer Christmas movies at Christmas time instead of science fiction, there are a few films out there that will tickle your tinsel this year.

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“Love the Coopers,” starring John Goodman, Ed Helms and Diane Keaton, is a typical everything-goes-wrong-at-theholidays-but-we-all-come-together-at-the-end type of movie romp. No doubt it will provide a few laughs and everyone will go home from the theater having been entertained.

“The Night Before” is not your grandma’s Christmas movie. The plot follows three lifelong friends who have a tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve together, but times have changed. They are now men with adult responsibilities during the holidays. The three decide to have one last epic Christmas Eve together and the results are more “The Hangover” than “A Miracle on 29th Street.”

“Krampus” is another nontraditional Christmas movie in theaters this season, based on a fictional character from European folklore that punishes children who misbehave during the holidays. The dysfunctional family in this horror movie attracts the unwanted attention of Krampus during its Christmas gettogether and chaos ensues.

While not specifically a Christmas-themed movie “The Peanuts Movie,” which has already earned nearly $100,000,000, according to IMDB, is a much more family-friendly movie than many others slated for the big screen this holiday season.

Another suitable kids’ movie in theaters now is “The Good Dinosaur.” This Pixar film asks the question, “What if dinosaurs had never gone extinct?” It follows the adventures of a boy and his dinosaur friend, Arlo.

If none of these films suit your fancy, you can always stay home and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life,” on television. It’s usually on nearly all the time from November through December.