Short Takes

There is not a long story in every special moment, but there are moments that are unforgettable, for whatever reason. Here are a few too good to go unnoticed.

As a part of Holden's Advent Week, the students of Holden School treated the Village to their caroling. The moon was full, the stars were out in full array, and the air was cold. A perfect night to step outside on the porch and hear young voices singing "Silent Night".

The large Advent wreath is ready to hang suspended above the circular fireplace in the winter worship space in Koinonia. Carole Young, Sarah Gustner, Angela Mietzke, Bill Somerville, and Dan Roberts prepare to raise it up to be attached to the ceiling.

Sometimes, what goes up comes down. When putting the large candles in the Advent wreath, the ceiling support gave way, and the wreath crashed to the center of the fireplace where it remains. The greenery was easily rearranged, and everyone agrees that its new resting place is just as satisfying to look at as having it hang above the fireplace.

An origami bird made out of a piece of sheet music became a decoration on the tree in Agape.

Carole Young knit a pair of leg warmers for Miss Scarlett, the Flamingo Extraordinaire which (who?) occupies a lookout spot on the front porch of Agape.

And with The Great Christmas snow beginning today (12/12/08), the leg warmers were on Miss Scarlett's skinny legs not a moment too soon. (The hat was a gift of Robert Monsen when he was here for Work Week earlier in the fall.)

The outdoor jacuzzi is officially closed for the winter as of today (12/12/08). Contrary to what you might be thinking, it did not close because of snow. It closed because of the need for dwindling electrical power in higher priority missions...cooking, laundry, heat...things like that. Jacuzzi buffs are greatly saddened.

Meanwhile, the work of the village goes on regardless of the weather. Strapped into her safety harness and working while the snow flies, Annelisa Steeber is atop the roof of the hotel making last minute repairs. We will not see that roof again until spring, Annelisa leaves in two weeks for Israel. When she returns, she will attend graduate school at Princeton.

Holden's Business Manager, Karen Haines and husband Paul have left the village to have a family Christmas with their children and their grandchildren. Karen and Paul made big batches of homemade marshmallows for gifts. (And yes, you can make marshmallows at home if you would like to do so. They are a lot of trouble but are really delicious...probably worth the effort.) Here Karen proudly displays a bag of these goodies. What follows is a close-up photo of the bag...close-up enough so that you can read the label.

No comment...except to say that these "mallows" are pale yellow in color.

Aneta Bunke holds the youngest member of the Holden Village community. At 3 months, Little Miss Aubrey Growing-Like-a-Weed Gustafson just this past Wednesday night began to participate in the regular staff meeting...spoke her mind, she did.

Work has begun to paint the doors to the food lockers. When a piece of paper that had long been affixed to the door of the locker we have always known as Curly was removed, lo and behold there upon the door was written "Moe!" No one can offer an explanation.