Pocono Living Magazine - Dec 23/Jan 24

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

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Pocono Living Magazine© & Pocono Family Magazine© 1929 North 5th Street Stroudsburg, PA 18360 570-424-1000 pmags@ptd.net www.poconomagazines.com PUBLISHER/EDITOR Larry R. Sebring larry@poconomagazines.com ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES larry@poconomagazines.com MAGAZINE DESIGN Smart Blonde Creative WEBSITE DESIGN Quantifi Media Food & Wine Editor Jamie Marra PHOTOGRAPHY & ART John Anzivino Gayle C. Brooke Ray Caswell Pat Coyle Randall FitzGerald Ashley Hall Maurice Harmon Susan Hartman Marlana Holsten Ann H. LeFevre

Barbara Lewis Marie Liu Harry Loud Regina Matarazzo Janet Mishkin John L. Moore Michael Murphy Justine Nearhood Roseanna Santaniello Tom Stone

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kimberly Blaker Roseanne Bottone Kathy Dubin-Uhler Sandra Gordon Rebecca Hasting Amanda Kuhn Amy Leiser Marie Liu

Jamie Marra Suzanne McCool Janet Mishkin John L. Moore Allison Mowatt Jim Werkheiser Kim Williams Marty Wilson

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Kristen Sebring Linda Spalluto

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Pocono Living Magazine and Pocono Family Magazine, two regional publications filled with articles, features and photography exploring and capturing the real Pocono Mountains living experience.

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The information published in this magazine is believed to be accurate, but in some instances, may represent opinion or judgment. The publication’s providers do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information and shall not be held liable for any loss or damage, directly or indirectly, by or from the information.© 2023 Pocono Magazines. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the expressed written permission of the publisher.

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“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” ― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

> P hoto by Marlana Holsten 4 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

What’s Inside December 2023/January 2024 FE ATURES 6

Christmas Traditions

20

C hristmas Celebrations Throughout American History

24

A Very Short Story for Christmas Eve

28 A Christmas Memory 32

M ake Merry Memories: 4 Tips for Successful Homemade Holidays

36

9 Tips to Save on Holiday Shopping

42

H ome Safety Measures to Keep Your Seasonal Celebrations Joyful

46

H ow Small Businesses Can Retain Customer Loyalty this Holiday Season

50

S kiing and Riding in the Poconos

54

5 Seasonal Safety Tips for Pet Owners

58

Y es, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

60

What Are We Leaving for the Children?

COVER “Smith Hill Barn”

by Ray Roper

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 Thomas Nast did many drawings of Santa Claus. This rooftop picture shows a child getting a glimpse of the obese elf about to descend a chimney.

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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

By John L. Moore

O

nce, when I was a small boy, I was surprised to find an orange in my Christmas stocking.

Puzzled, I asked my mother why Santa Claus had put an orange in my stocking.

“Oh, Johnny,” she said. “That orange is a symbol. It represents the gold that the Wise Men brought to Bethlehem as a gift for the baby Jesus.”

As a history-minded person, I’ve been curious about Christmasrelated matters ever since. That orange was just the first topic.

There’s a long list of others. It starts with Christmas trees and candy canes, the origins of Santa Claus and does Santa truly look the way that artists and Hollywood makeup people depict him? Also, have we always celebrated, or observed, Christmas the way we do today? Was Christmas always on December 25?

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Historians report that the Christmas tree arrived in North America during the American Revolutionary War. The wife of a Hessian general gave a Christmas Eve dinner party in Canada in 1781. To add a festive touch, she included a decorated pine tree, just as she would have done in Germany.

The woman was Baroness Frederika Charlotte Riedesel. Her husband was Baron Frederick-Adolphus Riedesel, commander of Hessian troops stationed in Quebec. His assignment was to defend against any attempted invasions by rebel forces from the United States.

As described by the Canadian Encyclopedia, “The Baroness Riedesel hosted a party of British and German officers. She served an English pudding, but the sensation of the evening was a fir tree in the corner of the dining room, its branches decorated with fruits and lit with candles.”

The tradition of bringing a fir tree indoors and decorating it for Christmas slowly moved south into the U.S. Sixty years passed before Christmas in 1842, when a professor at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, took a fir tree to the home of a friend and “set up our Christmas tree in the front sitting room,” an elderly woman named Martha Vandergrift recalled decades later.

“The wife of a Hessian general gave a Christmas Eve dinner party in Canada in 1781. To add a festive touch, she included a decorated pine tree, just as she would have done in Germany.”

The professor was Dr. Charles Minnigerode, a native of Germany. After placing the tree in the house, the professor “showed the young people how it should be dressed with gay colors and candles," Mrs. Vandergrift said.

Hessian soldiers became a part of Pennsylvania’s Revolutionary War history on the day after Christmas in 1776 when General Washington captured hundreds of them at the Battle of Trenton.

They spent their first day in captivity being transported across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.

Johannes Schwalm was one of the Hessians. When the war ended, Schwalm elected to remain in Pennsylvania rather than return to Germany.

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 Larry Snyder stands along a Christmas tree as he winds a section of cord used for binding harvested trees 8 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

 Larry and Joanne Snyder pose along a stand of Christmas trees. In 2019, they delivered a 23-foot tree to First Lady Melania Trump at the White House. It became the official White House tree and was displayed in the Blue Room. (Photo By John L. Moore)

Schwalm has many descendants living in Pennsylvania today, one of whom is Joanne Snyder. She and her husband Larry raise Christmas trees at Mahantongo Valley Farms in lower Northumberland County. By an interesting turn of events, a 23-foot-high Christmas tree grown on the Snyders’ farm became the official Christmas tree at the White House, in 2019.

Larry said he told Melania, “I’m so proud to have a Pennsylvania tree on Pennsylvania Avenue.”

“If the tradition of decorating evergreen trees at Christmas goes back to Germany, it’s said that a popular Christmas confection, the candy cane, also has German origins. Indeed, its use as a Christmas tree decoration goes back at least 175 years.”

“We have 23 different kinds,” Joanne Snyder says. “Nordmann is my favorite. It’s a deep green tree.”

The tree was displayed in the Blue Room. When the Snyders took their children and grandchildren to the White House to deliver the tree, First Lady Melania Trump greeted them.

“She was so nice,” Joanne said. “She really enjoyed our grandchildren.”

Growing Christmas trees is a major venture for the Snyders, whose Mahantongo Valley Farms have about 75 acres planted in Christmas trees, with 1,200 to 1,500 trees per acre. This works out to a total of between 90,000 and 112,500 trees.

It takes eight to 10 years for a tree to grow to a height of seven or eight feet. In the Christmas tree business, “if you want to keep on harvesting, you have to keep on planting,” Larry Snyder said.

The Snyders are located in a rural valley about 50 miles northeast of Harrisburg. Most of their trees go to wholesalers.

“Retail is real small because we’re out here in the middle of nowhere,” he said.

“The fact that a descendant of a Hessian soldier provided a tree for the First Lady is intriguing since the Hessians are … given credit for introducing it to America,” said Dan Schwalm of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association.

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 The Snyders have about 75 acres planted in Christmas trees at Mahantongo Valley Farms with 1,200 to 1,500 trees per acre. “We have 23 different kinds,” Joanne Snyder says. (Photo By John L. Moore) 10 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

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 Larry Snyder walks through a row of Christmas trees on a hillside at his Mahantongo Valley Farms in lower Northumberland County. (Photo By John L. Moore) 12 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

If the tradition of decorating evergreen trees at Christmas goes back to Germany, it’s said that a popular Christmas confection, the candy cane, also has German origins. Indeed, its use as a Christmas tree decoration goes back at least 175 years.

According to the Spangler Candy Co. of Bryan, Ohio, a man named August Imgard “decorated a small blue spruce with paper ornaments and candy canes” in 1847. Who was Imgard? A German-Swedish immigrant living in Wooster, Ohio.

“The notion of a pipe-smoking elf distributing gifts for children on Christmas Eve “spread very quickly among the middle classes and even those aspiring to join the middle classes.”

SANTA CLAUS

In 1823, a newspaper in Troy, N.Y., published an improbably fanciful poem about an obese and elderly elf who spent Christmas Eve visiting houses across the country and delivering toys for sleeping boys and girls to find on Christmas morning.

This elf was transported by a miniature sleigh that somehow hauled an inexhaustible supply of toys, enough for all the children in the world. It was powered not by an engine of some sort, but by tiny and magical reindeer that flew from house to house, landing on the rooftops.

Even more peculiar was the pipe-smoking driver who, “from his head to his foot,” wore a suit made of fur. With “a bundle of toys … on his back,” the elf spent the entire night traveling from roof to roof and going down–and then coming back up–chimneys that vented smoky, wood-burning fireplaces. As a result, his clothes were “all tarnished with ashes and soot.”

Once inside each house, the elf filled stockings with toys for the children who lived there.

As implausible as the story was, it was reprinted and quickly gained a wide readership. Although the poem was titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” people everywhere soon began referring to the “jolly old elf” as Santa Claus.

For more than a decade, its author remained anonymous. Then in 1837 a wealthy and scholarly New Yorker named Clement

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C. Moore stepped forward and acknowledged authorship. He had based the character of the elf largely on “Sinterklaas,” a mythological Dutch character who on the eve of the feast day of St. Nicholas would distribute presents to children. In turn, Sinterklaas had been inspired by legends that identified St. Nicholas as a fourth-century Christian bishop who had lived in Turkey and who was known for giving gifts in secret.

Moore’s poem “proved indelibly popular,” historian Stephen Nissenbaum said in a December 2022 radio interview. The notion of a pipe-smoking elf distributing gifts for children on Christmas Eve “spread very quickly among the middle classes and even those aspiring to join the middle classes. So celebrations of Santa rapidly permeated all of American society and transformed Christmas into a private celebration.”

In reality, there was little basis for “saying that Santa Claus was an old Dutch tradition, but he wasn’t part of New York history and really he was invented by Knickerbockers like Clement Clarke Moore,” Nissenbaum said.

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“Knickerbockers were people who traced their ancestry to the Dutch colonists who founded New York as New Amsterdam in the 1600s.”

Dutch colonists who founded New York as New Amsterdam in the 1600s.

Popular culture took Christmas trees and Santa Claus to heart.

In 1858, for instance, the Dec. 25 issue of Harper’s Weekly featured a Winslow Homer drawing of a roomful of Christmas celebrants–adults as well as children– with a tall and decorated fir tree towering over the room.

Five years later, with the Civil War under way, the magazine featured a Thomas Nast cover illustration of an adult-sized Santa Claus visiting an army camp and distributing Christmas gifts to Union soldiers. Two teenagers in the foreground were likely drummer boys, possibly spending their first Christmas away from home. Nast clearly intended the elf to serve as a symbol of

 This portrait of Merry Old Santa Claus is perhaps the most famous drawing Thomas Nast ever did of Santa.

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 Winslow Homer drew this scene of Christmas tree as part of a holiday celebration in 1858. It appeared in Harper’s Weekly in 1858.

America. This patriotic Santa wore striped trousers and a coat decorated with five-pointed stars.

Over the next decades, Nast drew many more pictures of Santa Claus. They included the “Jolly Old Elf,” the iconic portrait of a happy old Santa, clutching a doll and other toys under his left arm and holding a long-stemmed clay pipe in his right hand. A thin column of smoke rises from the pipe.

“And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow,” just as Clement Moore had said.

THE WINTER SOLSTICE

Is it a coincidence that Christmas is observed so close to the winter solstice, the 24-hour period that has both the shortest day and the longest night?

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“This year the Winter Solstice will occur on Dec. 21/22,” according to science writer Robert Lea. This will be the year’s longest night and shortest day.

Ever since the Summer Solstice last June, the days have been gradually growing shorter, but this trend slowly reverses in late December, and “the days become longer after the Winter Solstice,” said Lea, whose article appears on space.com, a website that provides news about space and astronomy.

21st century people know there are astronomical reasons for this phenomenon, but “for our ancestors, these days had almost supernatural significance, meaning not only were they marked by both festivals and celebrations, (but) they often birthed dark folkloric tales,” Lea said.

 Christmas candy has long delighted window shoppers, children in particular.

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 Harper’s Weekly published this Thomas Nast drawing of Santa Claus visiting Union soldiers in an army camp during the Civil War in 1863.

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It wasn’t lost on 17th century religious thinkers that the Christian church had positioned the observance of Christmas in late December in order to compete with pagan religions. This realization led some Christian groups, especially Protestants, to reject celebrations of the holiday.

In colonial Massachusetts, for example, “Puritans saw it as a false holiday with stronger ties to paganism than Christianity,” reported New England writer Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. Brooks contended that the Christian church didn’t officially decide to observe Dec. 25 as Christmas until four centuries after Christ.

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To support this notion, Brooks referred to historian Stephen Nissenbaum’s 1996 non-fiction book, “The Battle for Christmas.” According to Nissenbaum, “this date was chosen not for religious reasons but simply because it happened to mark the approximate arrival of the winter solstice, an event that was celebrated long before the advent of Christianity.” In short, “Christmas was nothing but a pagan festival covered with a Christian veneer.”

Celebrations of Christmas have continued to evolve since then.

As the holiday became increasingly commercialized during the 20th and early 21st centuries, its place on the modern calendar now seems secure at Dec. 25, at least for the foreseeable future.

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In Pennsylvania this year, the sun will rise at 7:28 a.m. on Dec. 21, the day of the Winter Solstice, and set nine hours and 14 minutes later at 4:42 p.m. Four days later, on Christmas Day, the sun will rise at 7:30 a.m. and set nine hours and 15 minutes later at 4:45 p.m.

In other words, the day will be one minute longer on Christmas than on the day of Winter Solstice.

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John L. Moore continues to pursue his lifelong interests in Pennsylvania’s colonial history and archaeology.

The Northumberland writer has published 11 non-fiction books about Pennsylvania’s 16th and 17th century. John’s latest book, 1780: Year of Revenge, is currently available in book stores or from the online bookstore Sunbury Press Inc. This book is the 3rd volume in his Revolutionary Pennsylvania Series and tells the story of Indian raids all across the Pennsylvania Frontier — including the Poconos and Minisinks — in the year following General Sullivan’s 1779 invasion of the Iroquios homeland.

Over the years John has participated in archaeological excavations of Native American sites along the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. A professional storyteller, he recently took part in the Heritage Festival at Frances Slocum State Park near Wilkes-Barre. He told the true story of Frances Slocum, a 5-year-old girl who lived as a Native American after being kidnapped by Indians during the American Revolution. The park was named for her.

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CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS THROUGHOUT AMERICAN HISTORY

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Photo courtesy of Pexels

By John L. Moore

“Late December 1783 was an especially happy time for Gen. George Washington. The American Revolutionary War had ended, and the United States of America had won its independence.”

1621. THE PILGRIMS

The Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass., didn’t observe Christmas in any way in December 1621. Early on the morning of Dec. 25, Gov. William Bradford went to the homes of colonists who weren’t Pilgrims–he referred to them as “new-comers”– and “called them all out to work … but the most of this new company excused themselves, and said it went against their consciences to work on that day.”

Leaving the non-Pilgrims in the town, Bradford and the other Puritans went out to the fields, “but when they came home at noon from their work he found the new-comers in the streets at play.”

Seeing these people indulging in sports disturbed Bradford.

“So he went to them and … told them that it was against his conscience that they should play and others work. If they made the keeping of it (Christmas) (a) matter of devotion, let them keep (to) their houses; but there should be no gaming or reveling in the streets.”

This information comes directly from Bradford himself. It’s contained in “Of Plymouth Plantation,” a history the governor wrote. If Bradford and the Pilgrims barely tolerated the observation of Christmas, Puritan leaders in neighboring Boston and the Massachusetts Bay Colony flatly outlawed it in 1659, according to New England writer Rebecca Beatrice Brooks.

Anyone caught and convicted of “the exchanging of gifts and greetings, dressing in fine clothing, feasting, and similar Satanical practices” would be fined five shillings.

1783. GEORGE AND MARTHA WASHINGTON

Late December 1783 was an especially happy time for Gen. George Washington. The American Revolutionary War had ended, and the United States of America had won its independence. George and Martha Washington were traveling to their home at Mount Vernon.

Dec. 23 found the Washingtons at Annapolis, Md. In late morning, Washington performed one of his last official acts as a general. He wrote a letter of farewell to the general who had drilled the Continental Army into a superb fighting force at Valley Forge–Baron von Steuben.

“This is the last letter I shall ever write while I continue in the service of my country,” Washington said. “The hour of my resignation is fixed at 12 this day, after which I shall become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac.”

Soon after, the Washingtons left Annapolis and traveled the 45 miles west to Mount Vernon, arriving there a day later. Olive Bailey, identified as a niece, was there when they arrived.

“The General and Madame (Martha) came home on Christmas Eve, and such a racket the servants made! They were glad of their coming,” Bailey wrote. “Three handsome young officers came with them.

“All Christmas afternoon people came to pay their respects … Among them were stately dames and gay young women.

The general seemed very happy, and Mistress Washington was from daybreak making everything (as) agreeable as possible for everybody."

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1805. LEWIS AND CLARK

Commanded by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the Corps of Discovery stopped for the winter of 1804-05 along the Missouri River in what has become North Dakota. For shelter, they built Fort Mandan.

Journal entries for Dec. 25 document how expedition members spent Christmas Day. “We enjoyed a merry Christmas during the day and evening until nine o’clock—all in peace and quietness,” reported Captain Clark.

The weather provided a light snowfall, which Captain Lewis described as “very inconsiderable.”

One of the men, Joseph Whitehouse, noted that the day began with celebratory gunfire.

“We ushered in the morning with a discharge of the swivel (gun), and one round of small arms of all the party. then another from the swivel. Then Captain Clark presented a glass of brandy 22 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

to each man of the party. We hoisted the American flag, and each man had another glass of brandy,” Whitehouse said.

Another member of the expedition, Patrick Gass, reported that “at 10 o’clock we had another glass of brandy, and at 1 a gun was fired as a signal for dinner.

“At half past 2, another gun was fired, as a notice to assemble at the dance, which was continued in a jovial manner till 8 at night.”

According to Whitehouse, the celebration took place indoors in one of the rooms of the fort. Expedition members played fiddle music, “we having with us two violins and plenty of musicians in our party,” Whitehouse said.

When spring came, Lewis and Clark resumed their exploratory trek to the west, reaching the Pacific Ocean in late 1805.

1863. THE CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

Harry Kieffer, a teenager from Mifflinburg, Pa., spent 1863 as a Civil War drummer boy for Company D, 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Late December found Kieffer and his comrades camped in a woods near Culpeper in northern Virginia.

“It was snowing fast and was bitterly cold. It was Christmas Eve, 1863, and here we were, with no protection but our little shelters, pitched on the hard, frozen ground,” Kieffer wrote in “The Recollections of a Drummer Boy,” a memoir was published long after the war.

The soldiers, living in snow-covered tents, created their own Christmas Eve festivities. They spent the evening around the campfire. They stayed up late and “it was full one o'clock on Christmas morning, and we began to drop off to sleep, some rolling themselves up in their blankets and overcoats, and lying down, Indian fashion, feet to the fire,” Kieffer said.

“Others,” he said, “crept off to their cold shelters under the snow-laden pine trees for what poor rest they could find, jocularly wishing one another a ‘Merry Christmas!’ ”

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A VERY SHORT STORY FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

By John L. Moore

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“S

ugar plums,” said the little girl happily. “That’s what I dreamed about, Mommy. Sugar plums.”

The child had long brown hair, dark eyes and rosy cheeks. Her name was Clementine – Clemmie, for short – and she and her mother sat at the kitchen table wrapping Christmas gifts.

Her mother was a plump woman whose hair had prematurely turned gray. She was having trouble tying a green ribbon around a long, thin box wrapped in bright red paper. There were snowmen on the paper, and the ribbon was giving her so much difficulty she didn’t hear everything her daughter had said.

“What were dancing, Clementine?”

“The sugar plums, Mommy. In the dream, you took them out of a large pot and put them in a china dish. When you set the dish on the table, some of the sugar plums jumped out and started dancing on the table. There were four or five of them.”

“I didn’t know that sugar plums had legs, dear.”

“Of course, they don’t, Mommy. But in my dream they did.

Arms, too. There were six or seven of them. I reached out to grab one. It was dancing on a dinner plate, but it slipped through my fingers, and I woke up. ” “That must have been some dream, Clementine. Now take these presents out to the barn and give them to Daddy. He’ll want to put them in the sleigh right away.”

The afternoon passed quickly, as it always did at the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Several hours later, when Clementine came into the barn to summon her father to supper, she found Rudolph pouting in his stall, stomping his right front hoof on the floor and angrily blinking his nose.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

But Rudolph wouldn’t answer. Instead, he walked to the far side of the stall and refused to even look at her.

“I down-sized him just before lunchtime,” Santa said when Clemmie pressed him for an explanation.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay

This really surprised Clemmie.

“But why, Daddy?”

Santa explained that global warming had brought about warmer temperatures, resulting in fewer foggy nights. So much glacial ice had melted in the Arctic in recent years that Santa rarely encountered the thick fog that had made Rudolph so invaluable on Christmas Eve 1947, the year before the famous song was written about him.

“I just don’t need Rudolph as much as I used to,” he said. “I bought a Global Positioning System last week. If I get lost, I’ll use my GPS.” At the supper table, Santa announced he had just made another big change.

Most children were asking for electronic toys, and a global trend toward miniaturization had toys getting smaller and smaller. His pack would contain just as many presents as last year, but the overall load would be much lighter. The old elf realized that he wouldn’t need as many reindeer to pull the sled. Six would do, 26 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

not nine. So, with Rudolph already furloughed, Santa pressured Dunder and Blitzen into early retirement, if only for this year.

As it did every year, a major cable news network had sent a camera crew to film Santa’s final preparations and takeoff. The videographer shot some B-roll footage of elves assembling last-minute action figures that Santa needed to substitute for a line of bobblehead dolls.

When the film crew ventured out to the barn to shoot additional B-roll, they failed to persuade a dour-looking Rudolph to give them a sound bite. Not only did he decline comment, but he also refused to make his nose glow for the camera crew.

By sunset, the warehouse elves were hurriedly packing the last of the toys, and then the elves who staffed the barn hitched Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid to the sled.

Just as Santa climbed aboard, a thick and freezing fog rolled in.

“Ha!” Santa exclaimed. “This is a good test for my GPS.” He spent several minutes fiddling with the device. When it failed

to activate, he whipped out his cell phone and dialed tech support, but all he got was a recording saying that the techs on the Help Desk had quit early for Christmas Eve. Dasher and Dancer were the lead reindeer. Within minutes the fog had become so thick Santa could barely see the tips of their antlers. He turned to Ralph, the chief elf.

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“Get Rudolph!” he exclaimed. “And hurry. You’d better bring Dunder and Blitzen, too.”

Within minutes, Santa had his customary complement of nine reindeer hitched and rearing to go.

“By sunset, the warehouse elves were hurriedly packing the last of the toys, and then the elves who staffed the barn hitched Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid to the sled.”

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Rudolph, as he did at this stage every Christmas Eve, did some practice flashes. The famous nose instantly turned a bright red.

Just then Clementine ran out to the sleigh. She wore a bright red coat and a fur cap with earmuffs. “Hey, Dad,” she said, nearly shouting. “Here’s a thermos filled with hot chocolate for you!”

The girl held out her hand, and Santa took the container from her. “Thank you, Sweetie,” he said as he stowed the thermos in a safe spot under his seat.

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The news crew attempted to film the takeoff, but the temperature had suddenly dropped to 35 below, and the camera froze with sleigh and reindeer still stationary on the ice.

Santa was already a little behind schedule. He couldn’t wait while the camera person ran for her backup camera. Suddenly, Santa shouted and whistled, and called each reindeer by name.

In a flash, the deer leapt into the air, followed by Santa and sled.

They were quickly shrouded by fog. All you could see was a rapidly moving red glow Just before they vanished, Clementine, the elves and TV crew, heard Santa shout: “The heck with global warming! Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Camping Bowhunting

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay

“Soon we saw what we were looking for — the most perfect Christmas tree on earth and just the right size for our living room, not too big or small — just right.”

Serving fine food & spirits in an elegant setting

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY

owtree Inn Will

(570) 476-0211 • www.thewillowtreeinn.net 601 Ann Street, Stroudsburg, PA

By Suzanne McCool

S RE

H N

AT U R A L

ME

Mark Citera

Owner 1411 Chipperfield Drive Stroudsburg, PA 18360

A

TS

I especially remember one crisp, clear winter’s day.

There had been a snowfall earlier that week. My sister, Paulette, and I headed out for a walk with our dad, John Fretz. Leafless snow-dusted branches made jagged silhouettes against the blue-gray winter sky. We took the sled, my dad with an ax, and headed into the snowy woods behind our house.

We were looking for a Christmas tree. I was probably ten and Paulette was eight years old at the time. Pulling the American Flyer, Daddy broke a trail through the snowy woods with Paulette and me trudging behind. We were probably less than half mile from the house but it seemed really far for our short little legs.

F

M

y memory of Monroe County (The Poconos) more than fifty years ago was of forests and farms and beautiful quiet country roads with very little traffic. Growing up in Paradise Township when my sisters and I were young, there were lots of woods filled with evergreens, birches and a variety of other trees, beautiful mountain laurel and lots of rhododendron. The kids in our neighborhood often played in the woods building forts, picking flowers or greens for wreaths, or just generally running around in them and often seeing deer or other wildlife.

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DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 29

In my mind’s eye I could already see it adorned and aglow with lights and tinsel and gaily colored balls and a shining star on top.

I recall that all was quiet and almost ethereal that day, the only sounds the plowing of the sled, branches snapping underfoot, and the occasional thump of snow falling from limbs and branches. A rabbit scurried past our track and up ahead in a small clearing stood a doe who somehow avoided the hunters’ guns that year. A ricocheting branch stung Paulette’s cheek and Daddy leaned down and kissed it to make it better.

Soon we saw what we were looking for — the most perfect Christmas tree on earth and just the right size for our living room, not too big or small — just right. In my mind’s eye I could already see it adorned and aglow with lights and tinsel and gaily colored balls and a shining star on top. We would put it in the front window, and it would sit in a big bucket of coal with my mother insisting it be secured with string because of the year our cats climbed the tree and knocked it over. That was when

30 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

we lived at Airport Inn, my parent’s hotel in Mount Pocono, before we moved to Paradise Township.

My dad quickly cut the tree and put it on the sled while Paulette and I held it on with our mittened hands. I was so excited because Christmas was my favorite time of the year, not just because of the magic of the season, but because December 25, is my birthday as well! Christmas carols from the record player and Mom greeted us as we dragged the tree up the steps, across the front porch and into the house. My mother had hot chocolate waiting for us and the smell of her freshly baked apple tart wafted though the air. Our cheeks were rosy from the cold as we headed to the fireplace where a cheerful fire was burning to warm our little hands and fingers.

Soon the tree trimming would begin!

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

I will always remember this one perfect day in my life because within a few years from this day, my father would die from complications from surgery, and my mother would struggle to hold on to our home and to raise my sisters and me. She never remarried, but her youngest sister, our Aunt Audrey, would always be there to help and would always make Christmas special in our lives.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Suzanne is a native of the Poconos and a former schoolteacher and former Monroe County Commissioner. She has recently published her own book, and lives with her husband Terry in Stroudsburg.

Today, Suzanne enjoys writing, traveling and visiting her grandchildren.

Fast, Reliable Service PLUMBING • HEATING • WATER CONDITIONING COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL •AVAILABLE 24/7

(570) 629-2833 • www.leonclapper.com 425 Neyhart Road, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 31

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MAKE MERRY MEMORIES! 4 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL HOMEMADE HOLIDAYS Courtesy of BPT

T

he holiday season is here, which means it's time to start planning gifts, dinners and more. If you're looking for a way to add more personal touches to your celebrations, embrace the spirit of homemade holidays.

Making personal dishes, gifts and mementos offers a unique opportunity to connect with friends and family. Mopria wants to help you win at homemade holidays this season by offering the following four tips.

Photo courtesy of BPT

1. GET ORGANIZED

Stress less and enjoy the holidays more by planning ahead. Stay organized by making lists so you can see everything you need to do and buy as the holiday celebrations approach. With your phone in hand and your printer nearby, you can easily make lists and print them off to keep a hard copy wherever you go.

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 33

Photo courtesy of Pexels

For example, if you're preparing a large meal or hosting many guests, print off the recipes you need - or scan them from books and family recipe cards - and make a master shopping list. This way, you can keep track of all the necessary ingredients, even if you have to go to multiple stores along the way.

The same idea applies to keeping track of all the gifts you intend to buy for friends and family!

2. PRESERVE SPECIAL MEMORIES

Honor and preserve cherished moments by creating scrapbooks. The great thing about scrapbooks is that they're infinitely customizable. Start by choosing a theme.

For example, you can create a scrapbook of someone's wedding and include photos, handwritten notes and quotes to mark the occasion. Or, if you have a traveler in your family, you can create a scrapbook of maps of the places they've visited to add more context to their trip photos.

There are plenty of scrapbook designs online and cutouts that you can print, cut and shape to decorate the borders of these special memories. Whether a beginner or a pro, there's no better way than a scrapbook to honor your memories and let your creativity flow.

You don't even have to go to your local print shop to get started. Simply download the Mopria Print Service app in Google Play for your Android Device, and don't forget Mopria Scan on Google Play so you can upload and print non-digitized photos.

3. CREATE HOLIDAY GIFT TAGS

Do you like to make homemade jams, bath salts, body scrubs, candles and cookies for friends and family? Personalize and elevate your homemade gifts by creating holiday gift tags.

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Gift tags can take a plain Mason jar and turn it into a specialty jam gift someone may find in a boutique shop.

Not only will they make your gifts look more professional, but they also add a touch of personality.

Create tags and labels with seasonal or meaningful designs.

You can even include a special note with well wishes and suggestions on how to use your homemade food or beauty care product. Add the recipient's name, date and even the ingredients, so you can track who the gift is for, when it was made and what it contains so you don't have to guess when handing out presents.

“Do you like to make homemade jams, bath salts, body scrubs, candles and cookies for friends and family? Personalize and elevate your homemade gifts by creating holiday gift tags.”

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4. GREETING CARDS

Whether it's your first year sending one out or an established holiday tradition, sending out holiday greeting cards is a great way to mark the season. Instead of using a printing service, you can design and print your own holiday greeting cards in the comfort of your own home.

By printing your own cards, you'll have more options for personalization. You can easily find free or affordable greeting card designs and templates online that you can customize to fit your style and message. Print and send the perfect card to your loved ones near and far to let them know you're thinking about them this holiday season.

Homemade holidays have never been easier. Using these four tips, your holiday shopping, gift-making and giftgiving will be a breeze, so you can spend more time with your loved ones this season.

The Mopria app allows you to print directly to any Mopria certified printer from your Android device. Check to see if your printer is Mopria certified at Mopria.org/CertifiedProducts. Happy crafting!

Stroud Television & Appliances 219 N. 9th Street Stroudsburg, PA

570-421-7700 www.StroudTVandAppliances.com DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 35

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9 TIPS TO SAVE ON HOLIDAY SHOPPING Courtesy of Family Features

B

etween navigating stores, searching for items at the top of wish lists and preparing for inevitable delays and lastminute requests, shopping for the holidays can make the most wonderful time of the year one of the most stressful times as well.

Even though the holidays seem to creep up faster and faster every year, and inflation adds an additional worry, there is still hope for your budget this season. To help reduce stress and avoid overspending on gifts, consider these moneysaving tips from Regina Conway, consumer expert for Slickdeals, a one-of-a-kind online community of shoppers working together to shop smarter and save more.

“While it’s possible categories with extra inventory may see deep discounts later in the holiday season, don’t expect every item you want to be available at the last minute.”

Avoid procrastinating. Due to shifting shopping habits, there may be excess inventory in certain categories such as home goods. While it’s possible categories with extra inventory may see deep discounts later in the holiday season, don’t expect every item you want to be available at the last minute.

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 37

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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Set your budget with hidden costs in mind. When setting budgets, many people stop at the number they think they’ll spend on gifts alone. Make sure to factor in additional costs such as child or pet care services, shipping fees and travel costs so there are no surprises.

Tap into technology. Whether shopping for toys and technology or travel and home goods, starting your search by visiting a site like Slickdeals can help you find the best deals this holiday season. Deals from top retailers are vetted and voted on by a community of 12 million shoppers working together to save to help ensure you’re getting the best products at the best prices. You can also set Deal Alerts to be notified when a deal matching your criteria gets posted.

Buy online, pick up in-store. Where available - including at many big box retailers - shopping online then picking up your purchases in-store (or curbside for even more convenience) can help you avoid paying shipping fees and confirm your items will arrive on time. Some retailers even offer exclusive discounts for curbside or in-store pickup.

“Set your budget with hidden costs in mind. When setting budgets, many people stop at the number t hey think they’ll spend on gifts alone.

Make sure to factor in additional costs such as child or pet care services, shipping fees and travel costs so there are no surprises.”

Take advantage of membership programs. If you haven’t been a member before, many retailers that offer memberships allow for free trials to test the perks, which often include free shipping. However, remember to cancel the trial before it auto-subscribes you for a full year. If you’ve previously done a trial, consider buying just a one-month membership to take advantage of the benefits during the holiday shopping season.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE

THE MOUNTAINS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Celebrate the holidays surrounded by great company and even better cuisine in the Pocono Mountains. From romantic dinners by candlelight to farm-to-table experiences, our local chefs are serving up something for every palate. Visit PoconoMountains.com to see all of our mouth-watering dining options and make your reservation.

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 39

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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Abandon your shopping cart. When shopping online, add items you’re interested in to your cart, go through the check out process to the point where the retailer has your email address then simply close the browser or tab.

Often, if you have not shopped from the site previously, the retailer will send you a discount code or coupon to incentivize your purchase decision.

Stock up on discounted gift cards. Taking advantage of discounted gift card sites is a simple way to save some cash on holiday purchases. Not only can you give a gift card you bought at a discount as a gift, you can also use it to shop. Just be sure not to overbuy or you may end up wasting unused cards.

Ask for a price match or adjustment. If you bought something and find a lower price within a week of that purchase, ask the retailer for a price adjustment. While this typically won’t work with special promotions, many stores, both online and brick and mortar, will price match during the holiday season. If you’re shopping in-store, take your smartphone with you and ask for the retailer to match online pricing, which can sometimes be a better deal. Asking for this match can save you time and money on shipping fees you might incur ordering online.

“Not only can you give a gift card you bought at a discount as a gift, you can also use it to shop.

Just be sure not to overbuy or you may end up wasting unused cards.”

Check return policies. Many retailers offer extended return windows during the holiday shopping season. Make sure you look at the details of retailers’ policies to ensure you understand how much time you have to make returns and don’t have to pay return shipping or other unexpected costs.

Find more tips to get the best deals on holiday gifts at Slickdeals.net.

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HOME SAFETY MEASURES TO KEEP YOUR SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS JOYFUL Courtesy of BPT The holiday season brings a sense of excitement and togetherness, but preparing for lively gatherings or traveling can present distinctive safety challenges.

"Anyone preparing for guests should be mindful of how they organize their celebrations and understand the coverage provided by their insurance policies," said Bonnie Lee, Vice President of Property Claims for Mercury Insurance. "Homeowners need to identify and address any areas needing extra attention for a safe and inviting environment."

To guarantee an enjoyable and festive get-together for you and your guests, take time to review some of the more commonly overlooked items in the home.

“Make sure any cords or lights you are using for outdoor displays are made for outdoor use and never overload extension cords or outlets.”

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 43

Photo courtesy of Pexels

KEEP HOLIDAY LIGHTS BRIGHT AND SAFE

thieves know many families might be distracted with the busyness of the season, or traveling and leaving their homes unattended. Homeowners can significantly reduce their risk by installing surveillance cameras, video doorbells, alarms, deadbolts and other types of home security. Some insurers may offer policies with a theft protective device discount.

Before stringing any lights, check lighting cords to make sure there aren't any tears or deformations. Looking for signs of excess wear on all indoor and outdoor lights, including fading, frayed wiring, or twisted and kinked cords. Replace any damaged bulbs and test each strand of lights by plugging them in before decorating to confirm they are operational and safe. Make sure any cords or lights you are using for outdoor displays are made for outdoor use and never overload extension cords or outlets.

"It's also important to note that if you recently received or purchased an expensive gift, make sure that your insurance policy extends to cover such presents," said Lee. "Homeowners policies often cover theft, so you'll be able to file a claim with your insurance company should something happen, but it's always a good idea to check your insurance policy to see how your personal property is covered, including high-end gifts."

INSTALL AND UPDATE SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR PEACE OF MIND

One of the enticing factors thieves consider when scouting for homes to target is whether a home is currently unoccupied.

By sharing holiday plans and locations in real time on social media, homeowners unwittingly publicize that their house is

The magic of the holidays often finds its sparkle in glimmering lights. Preserve their charm without risking safety and property.

While most lights, ornaments and other decorations are insured for damage from fire, vandalism or theft, they aren't insured against the wear and tear of normal use.

Holiday excitement can interfere with awareness of potential risks. Break-ins and thefts increase this time of year since 44 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

SHARE WITH CARE

Find us on:

Unique Gifts • Decor • Flags Ribbon • Crafts • Fabrics • Trophies

vacant. Even with privacy settings on, sharing extensively online still poses a risk due to extended friend networks and other potential breaches.

Consider waiting to share pictures, status updates and check-ins until you return home," said Lee. "By postponing these posts, homeowners reduce the risk of attracting unwanted attention to their empty property."

“Avoid leaving cooking areas unattended when the stove or oven is in use and make sure cooking areas are free of combustible materials like wooden utensils or dish towels.”

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OPEN FOR DINE IN OR TAKE OUT

KITCHEN SAFETY

Increased cooking times, a higher number of dishes being prepared and a flurry of guests can lead to forgotten stovetops and ovens, or grease fires due to spillover from pots and pans.

"Fire insurance is typically included in your policy and protects the contents and the surrounding property, helping with the cost of replacing or repairing your home in case of such an event," said Lee. "However, it's best to stay attentive. Avoid leaving cooking areas unattended when the stove or oven is in use and make sure cooking areas are free of combustible materials like wooden utensils or dish towels. It's also a good idea to keep a working fire extinguisher that is easily accessible in your kitchen."

As the holiday season progresses, remember to review your homeowners insurance policy to understand exactly what coverage it offers and that it has been updated to suit your family's needs, particularly if you've made any high-value renovations or purchases.

"The holiday times are for joy and celebrations, not for dealing with unanticipated losses or accidents. Following a few simple precautions will be the best gift you can give yourself for a peaceful and festive season," said Lee.

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Wednesday - Saturday • 11am-8pm | Sunday • 8am-8pm | Closed Monday & Tuesday

Footwear for: • HIKING • RUNNING • TRAIL RUNNING • WALKING • LIFESTYLE

431 Main Street Phone: 570-424-6431 Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Email: rsr1@ptd.net

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HOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN RETAIN CUSTOMER LOYALTY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Courtesy of StatePoint

S

mall business loyalty is on the rocks, according to a new study that finds that consumers are feeling more love for big retail brands this holiday season.

The study, from cloud-based accounting platform Xero, found that while 27% of consumers feel loyal to big retail brands, only 14% feel loyal to small businesses.

“For a small business owner who launched their business because of a passion, identifying ways to gain customer loyalty can be overwhelming. Fortunately, our data provides insights into tactics that small businesses can take to nurture ongoing relationships with customers,” says Ben Richmond, chartered accountant and U.S. country manager at Xero.

As the holiday season approaches, Xero is sharing these tips and survey insights to holiday-proof operations and keep customers satisfied: • Keep delivery affordable: According to the Xero survey, 25% of survey respondents believe that delivery should always be free, regardless of original purchase price.

“Free delivery is an effective way to build customer loyalty, so offer it if you can. Just be sure to utilize cash flow forecasting or work with your accountant to gauge how much it will cost you long-term,” says Richmond.

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 47

P&S GARAGE Servicing the Poconos since 1975

Scott Dreisbach owner

570-223-8874

9080 Franklin Hill Road East Stroudsburg, Pa www.psgaragepa.com

If free shipping isn’t viable for your business, keep this fee low — 30% said spending $21-$50 for delivery was agreeable. To bring down shipping costs, consider using shipping brokerages or building shipping into your pricing.

• Make delivery fast: At a point in the year when timing truly matters, it’s a good idea to offer express shipping. Thirty percent of consumers want their items faster, plus this allows you to charge for expedited shipping. On this front, customers appreciate communication. Encourage them to start seasonal shopping early and set their expectations with cut-off dates for when the last orders can be delivered in time for the holidays.

You may also want to consider diversifying your supply and distribution channels by looking to both local manufacturers and service providers, and also large delivery partners, so you have options to fall back on if links in the chain are disrupted.

• Make shopping convenient: Match big retailer convenience by accepting multiple payment options, including e-wallets and by offering your products online. According to the survey, 50% of consumers are buying more online now post-pandemic, so it’s a good idea to meet them where they are.

• Build your reputation: Show your passion and small biz credentials in your branding and packaging. Don’t be shy about 48 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SHOP NEW. SHOP VINTAGE .

SHOP LOCAL .

asking for reviews and referrals, as they’re key to building trust. And when you’re criticized online, always respond respectfully.

• Return-proof your products: Include detailed descriptions and pictures of your products to minimize returns. At the same time, consider offering more lenient policies for holiday-related returns. This both increases customer loyalty as well as extends the amount of time a return may impact your bottom line, as an extended period can allow for a slower trickle of negative growth.

• Use tech: Have a pulse-check on your cash flow by leaning into technology, like Xero’s cloud-based accounting platform, to automate tasks, manage inventory and track transactions in real-time. Technology investments can help ensure you’re constantly aware of how much return loss is acceptable per month as you plan inventory needs.

It’s not just a day of shopping here in the Pocono Mountains—it’s an experience.

Wander our historic streets. Explore our art galleries. Find unique local goods.

And stop for a bite at one of our top-rated neighborhood restaurants along the way.

Discover all of our shopping and sights now at PoconoMountains.com.

Check out the full study in Xero’s report into online shopping trends by visiting xero.com.

“With a game plan that combines strategic actions, responsive communication and adaptability, small businesses can compete with the big box stores, and win customer hearts and minds over the holidays,” says Richmond.

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 POCONO LIVING MAGAZINE© 49

SKIING AND RIDING IN THE POCONOS Courtesy Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau ~ 800POCONOS.COM

BIG BOULDER

8 LIFTS ~ 15 TRAILS ~ VERTICLE 475’

Winter fun for everyone offering 15 slopes, 7 terrain parks, 100% snowmaking and great grooming! Snowsport Learning Center for Kids! Night skiing and riding. Snow tubing with 12 chutes, 5 lifts including a conveyor lift.

P. O. Box 1539, Blakeslee, PA 18610 570-443-8425 (Snow Report and Phone Number) Web Site: jfbb.com ~ Email: info@jfbb.com

BLUE MOUNTAIN SKI AREA

12 LIFTS ~ 37 TRAILS ~ VERTICLE 1082’

Ski or Ride PA’s highest vertical with 37 trails (3 new for this year including Glade skiing and a children’s learning trail)!

Blue has the regions only BigAirBag (a huge air-filled pad cushions the landing for aerial maneuvers) and six and four passenger high speed lifts. Five awesome terrain parks for all abilities. 21 tubing slides. Groups welcome.

1660 Blue Mountain Dr., Palmerton, PA 18071 ~ 610-825-7700 Web Site: skibluemt.com ~ Email: information@skibluemt.com

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CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN RESORT 15 LIFTS ~ 34 TRAILS ~ VERTICLE 800’

Two high speed quads, only halfpipe in area; 100% snowmaking. 100% Night Skiing; two terrain parks. Groups welcome. Snow tubing with single and double tubes.

One Camelback Road, Tannersville, PA 18372 ~ 570-629-1661 Web Site: skicamelback.com Email: sales@camelback.com

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Classic American Fine Dining Wednesdays - Pasta Night $25 Thursdays Burgers at Bar - Live Music 6 - 9pm Fridays Cajun Shrimp - $10 Saturdays Prime Rib Feature

Gift Certificates available Tues. - Thurs. 5pm - 9pm at StoneBar.com Fri. & Sat. 5pm - 10pm • Sun. 4pm - 9pm

Business Rt. 209 • Snydersville, PA • (570) 992-6634 (Just 5 miles south of Stroudsburg)

stonebar.com

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JACK FROST

10 LIFTS ~ 30 TRAILS ~ VERTICLE 600’

Winter fun for everyone offering 30 slopes, 1 terrain park, 100% snowmaking, and great grooming! Snowsport Learning Center for Kids! One park terrain park and glade skiing and riding.

Snow tubing with 5 chutes and 2 lifts.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

P O Box 1539, Blakeslee, PA 18610 570-443-8425 (Snow Report and Phone Number) Web Site: jfbb.com ~ Email: info@jfbb.com

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Photo courtesy of Unsplash

SHAWNEE MOUNTAIN

11 LIFTS ~ 18 TRAILS ~ VERTICLE 700’

Family and Beginner Friendly. Shawnee is also the closet ski area to Metro NYC and New Jersey. With 23 trails, New High Speed Quad, Terrain Parks and Snow Tubing, Premier Learning Center and 100% Snowmaking. Shawnee is Winter Fun. Minutes Away.

1-80, Exit 309, Shawnee On Delaware, PA 18356 Snow Report: 800-223-4218 ~ Phone: 570-421-7231 Web Site: shawneemt.com Email: info@shawneemt.com

SKI BIG BEAR

6 LIFTS ~ 18 TRAILS ~ VERTICLE 650’ Make memories at Ski big Bear at Masthope Mountain.

Offering skiing, snowboarding and tubing. On-site rental shop and lessons available. Eighteen trails, six lifts, terrain park and 100% snowmaking makes sure there is something for the whole family to enjoy.

HC 1 – 1A353, 192 Karl Hope Blvd., Lackawaxen, PA 18435 570-685-1400 ~ (Snow Report and Phone Number) Web Site: ski-bigbear.com Email: bigbear@Ltis.net

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay

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RECOGNIZING HOLIDAY HAZARDS

5 SEASONAL SAFETY TIPS FOR PET OWNERS Courtesy of Family Features

T

he holiday season presents opportunities for celebrating with loved ones, and for many families, that includes their dogs and cats. However, holiday foods and decorations can pose health risks for pets and the hustle and bustle may be overwhelming.

To help keep your pet safe amid the jolly chaos, consider these potential hazards from the experts at VCA Animal Hospitals, which has more than 1,000 locations across North America that cared for more than 4.5 million pets last year.

DECORATIONS

Decorations are part of almost every holiday celebration but making some pet-proofed choices can make your home safe for four-legged guests as well. If you put up a tree (live or artificial), ensure it's set up securely and use shatter-proof ornaments, ideally hung above tail height and out of paws' reach. If you have kittens less than 1 year old in your home, they sometimes like to climb up the tree trunk to the top, so extra care may be needed. Hang smaller ornaments toward the top of the tree to reduce potential choking hazards and avoid salt dough ornaments, which may look like a snack to pets but can cause electrolyte problems, and tinsel as it can become lodged in a pet's gut and cause issues.

Additionally, consider battery-operated candles instead of real ones, which can be easily knocked over by curious pets and burn them or lead to more serious fire risks. Dangling cords from seasonal decor can also appeal to pets, and if chewed while

plugged in could result in electrical shock or burn to the tongue, so secure them out of sight and unplug when not in use.

FOOD

With the holidays comes a delicious variety of baked goods, chocolate confections and other rich foods. However, some of those seasonal goodies can present problems for pets. For example, chocolate and cocoa contain theobromine, a chemical similar to caffeine that's highly toxic to both dogs and cats.

Ingestion in small amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhea, but large amounts can cause seizures and heart arrhythmias.

“If you put up a tree (live or artificial), ensure it’s set up securely and use shatter-proof ornaments, ideally hung above tail height and out of paws’ reach.”

Other traditional holiday mainstays such as fruitcakes, breads and cookies that contain grapes, raisins or currants can cause kidney failure in dogs. Sugarless gums and candies may contain xylitol, a natural sweetener, which can cause serious conditions like dangerously low blood sugar and liver failure in dogs.

Leftover fatty meat scraps can produce severe inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), leading to abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

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Although live trees are non-toxic, their needles do not digest well, and their water may contain bacteria, mold or fertilizer that should not be ingested. Additionally, poinsettias, which often have a bad reputation among pet owners, can cause upset stomachs if the leaves are ingested though it's typically milder than the symptoms associated with holly, mistletoe and amaryllis. Daffodils, lilies and narcissi are also toxic to pets.

GUESTS

An increase in visitors, ringing of the doorbell and extra excitement of the holiday season can be stressful for pets. Try to keep your four-legged friend's feeding and exercise schedule as regular as possible, and make time for additional stress-relieving playtime and snuggles. To help avoid overstimulation, it may be best to keep your pets in their own crates or a quiet room with food, water and comfortable bedding while you have company.

If you need additional assistance, consult with your veterinarian.

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TRAVEL

Holiday travel with your four-legged family members requires some extra packing and precautions. If traveling by car, make sure your pet is safely restrained using a secure harness or carrier and placed away from any airbags. Make sure pets are microchipped and their registration is up to date in case you become separated. Never leave pets alone in a vehicle or transport them in the bed of a truck. Also be sure you have updated health certificates from your veterinarian, if required by any states you will visit or pass through, and pack copies of medical records, first aid supplies, food and medications, leashes, collars and favorite toys.

For more tips to make the holidays safe for pets, visit vcahospitals.com.

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He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

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YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS "Is There a Santa Claus?" reprinted from the September 21, 1897, number of The New York Sun.

I

n 1897, Dr. Philip O'Hanlon, a coroner's assistant on Manhattan's Upper West Side, was asked by his then eight-yearold daughter, Virginia O'Hanlon (1889–1971), whether Santa Claus really existed. O'Hanlon suggested she write to The Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper at the time, assuring her that "If you see it in The Sun, it's so."[3] In so doing, Dr. O'Hanlon had unwittingly given one of the paper's editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, an opportunity to rise above the simple question and address the philosophical issues behind it.

Church was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a time that saw great suffering and a corresponding lack of hope and faith in much of society. Although the paper ran the editorial in the seventh place on the page, below even one on the newly invented "chainless bicycle", it was both noticed and well received by readers. According to an anecdote on the radio program The Rest of the Story, Church was a hardened cynic and an atheist who had little patience for superstitious beliefs, did not want to write the editorial, and refused to allow his name to be attached to the piece.

[4] More than a century later it is the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language.[1][2]

Dear Editor— I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon 115 West Ninety Fifth Street Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or

children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly

as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.

There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.

We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight.

The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

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