CELEBRATE
HANUKKAH December 14-22
Wednesday • December 10, 2025
5 Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Holiday Hosting
(Family Features) Whether you’re planning a cozy dinner with friends or a full-blown holiday gathering, preparing your home for guests doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little organization and a few simple steps, you can create a space that feels warm and welcoming, allowing you to focus on what really matters: spending time together. Declutter and Deep Clean Start by refreshing high-traffic areas, including the living room, kitchen and bathrooms. Clear off counters
and coffee tables, dust surfaces, vacuum carpet, mop tile or hardwood and wipe down glass or mirrors. Tidy Up the Kitchen The kitchen is the heart of many gatherings, meaning it’s important to clear both refrigerator and counter space to make room for food, drinks and serving dishes. Before guests arrive, ensure your oven, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, coffee maker and other appliances are working properly. Don’t forget to stock essentials like paper plates, silverware, napkins, ice and paper towels so you’re not scrambling later. Refresh Guest Spaces If visitors will be staying overnight, prep sleeping areas by changing the sheets, fluffing the pillows and stocking extra blankets. Thoughtful touches like fresh towels, water bottles and a charging station can make guests feel at home. Create a Functional Flow Think about how guests will move through your home. Designate areas for food, drinks, games and mingling, arranging furniture to encourage conversation. If you’re expecting a large crowd, add extra seating options. Add Seasonal Touches For seasonal warmth, swap out throw pillows, add greenery and candles or hang a wreath or other decorations. Scattering cozy blankets and simmering a pot of cinnamon and citrus on the stove can also help create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Visit eLivingtoday.com for more tips and guidance to get your home ready to welcome guests.
Gary Food Council to Co-host Screening of Farming While Black In collaboration with the Miller Gardening Club, the Gary Food Council will host a film screening of Farming While Black. This family-friendly event will take place on January 18 2026 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Marshal J Gardener Center for the Arts. The award-winning film Farming While Black explores the experiences of Black farmers in the United States. It will offer attendees an opportunity to learn
and engage in meaningful dialogue about food justice. Community members of all ages are encouraged to attend. Admission is free, though donations are appreciated. No pre-registration is required. The Gary Food Council invites all to join in and enjoy an afternoon of cinema, community, and conversation. To learn more, contact organizers at gfcindiana@gmail.com
Real Estate Specialists
Real Estate Questions & Answers CATHY & JIM HIGGINS Question: We are considering moving to an adult community with an HOA. Are HOA’s a good thing or do they pose too many rules? Answer: HOA’s are set up to protect a subdivision. In principle they are a good thing. Would you want a neighbor to park a huge diesel truck or camper next to your property? Would you like a next-door neighbor who has foot high weeds all over his lawn? You get the message. HOA’s have the power to protect the integrity of the neighborhood. Here are a few bad examples that I’ve heard regarding HOA rules… You Can’t Have a Hose. One particular HOA is seriously trying to ban hoses. According to this resident, you can’t even have one in your backyard. We need a hose back there for several reasons, from cleaning up things to watering the backyard. Hoses are important to houses! One couple got fined for the vines growing up on the side of their house. The kicker is that the plant is their neighbor’s. It’s encroached on their property and begun growing on their wall, but they’re the ones that owe the HOA for the violation. Not sure why they wanted vines growing on their house. The HOA of this neighborhood will not
allow any holiday decorations up after the first week of January. I get that some people tend to procrastinate taking off their Christmas decorations and might leave them on for a full month after the holiday. The HOA cut their privacy bushes down by HALF without asking. The shrubs were well trimmed and provided privacy and shade to their home. This was rude and sounds like trespassing. Most of these are exceptions, not the rules. Talk to any prospective neighbors about the HOA. They will help you. Remember HOA violations mean warning letters and fines. But an HOA is only as good as the people running it. So, when you vote, make sure you know who you are voting for. Power does strange things to some people who crave it. HOA’s can get a bit too intrusive, but for the most part they help keep property values up. E-mail us your Real estate questions at: Cathyah@aol.com. Thinking of Selling? Call Cathy & Jim Higgins: Ind: 219-577-5905 Ill: 708828-3304. Licensed Broker/Realtors in Indiana & Illinois. McColly Real Estate. Website: www. Cathyhiggins.com. Personal Real estate Journal: www.Higginshousechat.blogspot.com
VERSE OF THE WEEK
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:18 Attend the church of your choice.
Heart Smart RICHARD ZEKVELD My family and I recently attended Moody Bible Institute’s Candlelight Carols performance. One highlight was the Moody Gospel Choir’s lively performance of the gospel song Jesus by Eddie James. It was an exuberant, joyous celebration of the name of Jesus, his Person and his work. “Jesus! In him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead, bodily. Jesus! He is the image of the invisible God. Jesus! Our Sabbath, our rest. Jesus! The word made flesh. Jesus! Prophet, priest and king. Jesus! Unto you we sing. Jesus! Teacher, Rabbi. With authority spake parables and enlightened our eyes. Jesus! Taught the pearl of great price.” “Jesus! He’s the Lion and the Lamb. Jesus! He’s the Great I Am. Jesus! From the dead he’s raised. Jesus! Exalted and praised! Jesus! He reigns forever. Jesus! There will never be another. Jesus! Yeshua Hamashiach. Jesus! The Way, Truth and Life.” The song celebrates the life and ministry of Jesus, before moving to his suffering and death. “Jesus! Betrayed with a kiss, sentenced to die, by Peter three times denied. Jesus! Beaten at the whipping post, hangs on a cross. The disciples scattered when he needed them the most. Jesus! Declares ‘It is finished! Into your hands, I commit my spirit’... Jesus! On the third day he got up with all power in his hands.” Jesus is all this and more! “You shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He came to save us from the guilt, power, and miseries of sin. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under haven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus! Receive him and rest on him for forgiveness, salvation and eternal life. Richard Zekveld, Pastor, Covenant Fellowship Church cfcsh.org