This is my contemplative time. I always take a wee time in the late evening just to sit and think on the day’s happenings and about life. Mind you, I’m going to have to cut short my musings tonight for soon we will have to get moving to follow the star to where we will find our "glad tidings" wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back track a bit and explain it all so that you will know just what I am gabbling about.

You see, being shepherds, we have a lot of time on our hands to be observant. Now I’m not saying that tending sheep is a highly paid job that requires little work input. Far from it. Let's reverse that and say that tending sheep takes a lot of time and pays very little! But then times are hard, businesses all over are depressed and with layoffs everywhere, you have to be glad of a job of any kind. Not a day goes by here that some young fella who has been laid off in the towns doesn’t call in, asking if we have yet another opening for a shepherd. We’ve taken pity on so many of them that it’s getting close to an even ratio of sheep to shepherds!

For example, take our nearby town of Bethlehem. The only people there who are doing a roaring business are the tax collectors, and well, they’re all foreigners or hired by them. And one dare not say a word against them. They don’t like that. But what do they expect if they’re an occupying force - laurels and roses thrown at their feet?

Well, as I was saying, the job situation in Bethlehem is not good. It’s especially hard on the middle-aged and the young. The former are too highly trained, too old and too set in their ways and the young are far too educated but without experience. But how do you get experience if no one will hire you? So I guess you’re okay if you’re between the ages of 30 and 35. That’s not entirely true, either, for a good friend of mine, Josech, who just turned 34, was fired just the other day. Ach, what does it matter how old you are if you’re out of work? But it’s big time depression when the big inn at Bethlehem starts laying off people. They used to have a staff of 33 but they laid off 10 the other day, but I did hear they will have to re-hire some of them back temporarily, just while the census is on, cause of the influx of travelers from all over Palestine.

My, I am rambling. What I started on earlier was my musings about sheep. You know, watching them, you can’t help but compare sheep to people – herded and huddled together and helpless without the strong voice of the master to lead them in the right direction out of harm’s way and the master’s strong hand to rescue them from pitfalls along the way. Come to think of it, my musings are not too original. Guess King David felt the same comparison was applicable. You know, you can’t chase sheep, but they can be led. That’s a good thing, because if you pursue the analogy to say that God is the shepherd, He doesn’t want anybody to be chased into His arms, He wants them to come willingly into them, just as our sheep are willing to follow us wherever we lead them. And sheep need good pastures and good water and we, as shepherds take them there. Just like God wanting to provide us with good food for our souls, which is His Word, and with springs of living water, which is also through His Word, for the edification of the soul-like. But I don’t need to report any further on this for all you have to do is to read the Twenty-third Psalm and that says it all.

Well, I’d best be moving on or I’ll miss our seeing that wee babe, the Saviour of mankind. And this is where the really exciting part begins. You see, we had all been watching this fantastic meteor that had appeared in the sky about a week ago and had gradually been coming closer. Bright! Almost as bright at night as it is during the day these last few nights.

Well, it was just after supper and we were all talking about it and wondering if it could get any brighter or any closer when the sky lit up even more. Kinda frightening. We left the dishes we were washing and huddled together – a bit like the sheep that needed safety in numbers. All of a sudden this bright, bright being appeared at a distance and sorta floated closer to us. As he got closer he got bigger. Good thing we weren’t still washing the dishes, for of one accord we all fell flat on our faces. The light was so brilliant we could not face it, but I don’t think it was the worry about our eyesight that felled us to the ground. We were all plumb petrified. I mean, I guess we’d all dreamed at one time or another about seeing an angel but when one did appear in from of our very eyes, we didn’t even have enough wits about us to have a good look at him.

His first words were, “Fear not,” and after a pause we carefully raised an eyebrow to take a closer squint at him, as he continued to talk and to bring us the good news. We slowly raised our heads and had a closer look at God’s messenger in all of his glory. Fair took one’s breath away.

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

We had just gotten our eyes accustomed to the glare of glory when the whole heaves lit up and it seemed to be full of angels praising God and singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests.” At that, we ducked for cover again and only dared to raise our heads as the glorious singing and light retreated.

To say we were all rather stunned when we looked at each other would have been the understatement of the year, but there was no question in any of our minds that we would hie us hither to see that baby as soon as we had collected our thoughts.

“What shall we bring Him?” we queried each other and it was only when Cosam suggested a lamb – all babies love lambs – did we know that it was quite the right thing to take Him.

Oh, oh, I hear a sudden bustling. They must be ready to leave and I don’t want to be left out on a chance of a lifetime on a night to remember. 

Photos Left: Ms Jones' grade 6/7 class of Hinchinbrooke PS enjoy the Festival of Trees at Oso Hall

It began over a decade ago as a millennium project in 2000 and as the sole fundraising event for Villages Beautiful, an organization whose goal is to beautify six area villages including Parham, Tichborne, Sharbot Lake, Arden, Crow Lake and Mountain Grove. The event has since grown into likely the best-attended holiday event of the season in the area. This year was no exception and Central Frontenac's Festival of Trees, which took place at Oso Hall from Dec. 9-11, was another overwhelming success. It attracted hundreds of visitors to Oso hall to view the entries, enjoy live entertainment, and participate in the raffling off of the entries, which took place at the close of the festival on Saturday.

Generous visitors also made cash and food donations to the Northern Frontenac Community Services food bank. Chair of Villages Beautiful, Pearl Robinson, was astounded by the number of donations and the creative entries, and was pleased with the turnout.

The festival invites local businesses, organizations and individuals to submit entries into a number of different categories. Awards are given and raffle tickets are sold to visitors who bid on the submissions. New entertainers this year included Adrian O’Connell, the Piccadilly Pickers, Shari Talon, and Ann Banks and Redneck Boulevard.

Students from six local area schools were also bused in to enjoy the event and this year all participated in a scavenger hunt, which kept students occupied and interested in all of the submissions.

The free event is enjoyed by the entire community and is made possible by the hard work of the Villages Beautiful Committee plus a committed group of volunteers who put in many hours of work and time in allowing the event to run smoothly.

Pearl Robinson wishes to thank the Villages Beautiful Committee, all the local businesses and individuals who submitted entries and all the volunteers.

Congratulations to all who contributed and following is a list of the winning entries who placed first second and third in the seven categories.

Who took those prizes home? Submitted by the festival committee

Large Trees – The Royal Bank won 1st prize for its tree entry, Christmas in Canada, and it went home with Cheryl Parks; 2nd prize entry by Lake District Realty, Joy to the World, to Cheryl Massey; 3rd donated by North Frontenac Telephone Company, The Jewels of India, to Nancy Gaylord. North Frontenac Little Theatre’s tree, the Japanese Peace & Hope Tree to Colby Eman, and Northern Frontenac Community Services’ tree, Christmas in China, to Tangie Howes.

Small Trees - First Prize winner, entered by the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, Christmas in Bethlehem, went to Ryleigh Rioux; 2nd prize entry by the Friday Night Ladies, Children Around the World, to Niki Putnam; 3rd prize entry by Stephen Duggan’s Law Office, A Scandinavian Christmas, to Peter Hallam; Sharbot Lake and District Lions’ Lions’ Gift of Sight Around the World, to Claire Macfarlane; the Arden Seniors’ Paradise Tree, (Holland), to Linda Wise; the Frontenac Masonic Lodge tree, Sharing the World at Christmas, to Keeley Cox; the Fit Plus tree, Wildlife Christmas, to Sarah Hale; and the Treasure Trunk’s Arctic Memories to Joyce VanAlstine.

Gingerbread Creations - First prize entry donated by Northern Connections Adult Learning Centre, Around the World in Eighty Sleighs, went home with Marshall Kiss. 2nd prize entry by The Rising Bun, Festival Wreath of Ginger, to Sue Leslie; 3rd prize by Ilona Cox, Christmas in Germany, to Abbie Kirkham; and Hilary Howes’ Jewelled Ginger Tree to S.Trower.

Wall Hangings - First prize entry, donated by Ann Howitt, Christmas in the Forest, went to Pearl Robinson; 2nd prize by Judy Versavel, The Arden Bakery, to Bill Bowick; 3rd prize by Arden Batik, Christmas Eve in Canada, to Brian West; and Sharbot Lake Country Inn donation, Water Painting – “Carousel”, to Chris Bertrim.

Wreaths - First prize entry by Clip-It Hair Salon, Peace on Earth, to Lisa Hanson; 2nd prize by Claire Macfarlane, Sew Happy to be Christmas, to Beth Munro; and 3rd by Arden TOPS, Birds of Paradise, to Pearl Killingbeck.

Anything Goes - First prize won by Central Frontenac Railway Heritage Society, The Christmas Train, went home with Britany Lewis; and 2nd prize by Parham General Store, Old Fashioned Xmas Kitchen, to Amanda Crawford.

Baskets - First prize entry by the Lakeside Readers, Reading Around the World, to Norm Landry; 2nd prize by Parham Happy Travellers, Happy Holidays, to Art Cowdy; 3rd prize by Starbucks, Christmas at Starbucks, to Angie Sergeant; Yuletide Cheer by the Royal Canadian Legion to Bill Guigue; Heavenly Chocolate by Scott’s Landscaping Supplies to Connie Coyle; and Just for Her by Jockey – Person to Person to Mary Lu Slavin.

The Christmas Dinner was won by Keith Steele. The People’s Choice Award, indicating the most popular entry, was The Christmas Train, donated by the Central Frontenac Railway Society.

Harrowsmith December 4th

Above left: The Island of Lost Toys by the 1st Harrowsmith sparks,. Above right: The Kingston Shriners ffloat.

Northbrook

Above left: Land O'Lakes Community Services at the North Pole. Above right: Santa arrives in Northbrook.Ompah - December 5

In Ompah parade-goers sat down to a lunch and treats courtesy of the Ompah community hall ladies, and elfin helpers assisted children with Christmas crafts while a chilly Santa, who lost his hat en route to the hall, handed out gifts to all the girls and boys.

The North Frontenac parade, once known as “the biggest little parade”, was started by Alice Davies. Though the route has since been shortened participants here are some of the toughest float goers you will meet and a brave crew sat and waved for close to an hour and a half as the parade wound its way along the wind-swept roads from the fire hall in Plevna to the Ompah Community Hall.

Parham-Tichborne - December 5

Above left: Shrek the Halls by Olden Rec Committee. Above right: Santa arrives in Northbrook.Sharbot Lake - December 4

Above Left: Sharbot Lake Pharmacy

Above right: Santa

Left: Maggie Sutcliffe of Tichborne led Rudolf the calf in the Sharbot Lake parade

Sydenham - November 27

Above Left: Kimaya and Madeline participated in the Sydenham parde by selling homemade cookies to raise money for the food bank.

Above right: Santa in Sydenham

Come with me by Jean Lewis

Parham/Tichborne Santa Claus Parade By Colleen Steele

The Christmas Stranger By Alanna Runnings

The Light of the world by Hope Attaway

What is a school bus driver? by Steve Dunham

Come with me by Jean Lewis

Come with me to another yearWhen we were free of cares.The only things that filled our headsWere toys and teddy bears.

We wrote our lists for Santa ClausIn hopes that he might findThat we’d been good through all the yearSo sweet and nice and kind.

We’d sit and dream beside the treeWith branches lush and green.The lights would glow and sparkle brightIt made a festive scene.

So come with me down memory laneLet’s throw the years aside.Let sugar plums and toys galoreWithin our hearts abide.

Parham/Tichborne Santa Claus ParadeBy Colleen Steele

Away down in Tichborne our parade starts to formWe bundled in layers to keep ourselves warm

The Spirit of the Season sure can be foundYou can see it on the faces when you look around

Norm starts driving Bill Lee's WagonWith Friends in the back and no fee we are dragging

All the fire trucks looked so shiny and newThe parameds were on hand ready to help you

With floats from the Grove and from Sharbot LakeOh what a joyous sight they did make

Kingston's Oddfellows and Rebekahs joined in the funWith Pat's "Rad" towing and their motto "to help everyone"

The Lions Club are truly another great bandThey're always ready and willing to lend you a hand

The "Strokes for Hope" is soon coming to an endWe thank you Edward and Andrew your friend

The float that Butch towed was such a sightWe hope that it did not give you a fright

The Rec's float held pretty girls and a bearWith Mike on his four wheeler, driving here and there

Joey's float was such a sight to beholdAnd the Lawn Care, Mallettes and Websters too braved the cold

Alissa and Katie rode on top of the horses’ backWith Pa Lee to lead them over the railway track

The firemen kept all the traffic rolling alongWhile passing they enjoyed a cheery Christmas song

The crowds they clapped and cheered as we passed on the streetThey gathered all the tossed candy canes and the sweets

When what to our wondering eye did appearBut Santa and Mrs Claus bringing up the rear

As we travelled up the road to the warm fire hallWe parked in the field where we used to play ball

We enjoyed drinks and chili that was very hotThe kids sat on Santa's knee, they liked that a lot.

We're proud of this Parade we hope you are tooCome join us next year for we'd love to have you!

**Note: I apologize if I missed your float.  It was not intentional and all entries in this great parade are appreciated and add so much to our little town and the spirit of the Season...Colleen

The Christmas Stranger By Alanna Runnings

Once there lived a grumpy old man who hated Christmas. Every night he would get up and take stuff off his neighbor's houses. When the families would wake up the next morning, they saw foot prints in the snow. They called the police but the police couldn't do anything about it.

So one night everyone stayed up and watched for him. Finally, they caught him. They phoned the police and the police came. Everyone had the same questions - why? Why would he do that? Why did he hate Christmas so much?

When he was little he didn't get anything for Christmas. His family never celebrated Christmas because they were poor. It always made him sad when he was a kid and saw Christmas trees and other kids getting presents. Now he had no family so he had nobody to celebrate with.

This made everyone sad. The neighbors felt so bad and said if he promised to not do that anymore they would love to celebrate with him.

This made the old man so happy that he promised to never spoil Christmas again.

The Light of the world by Hope Attaway

The star that shone brightly over the manger where the baby Jesus lay wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Jesus matured into a man and died to atone for the whole world’s sins.

He arose from death and sits at the right hand of His Father.

His mother Mary was a virgin

His father is God

The choir of angels that sang and announced his birth to shepherds

The wisemen that gave expensive gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh.

People from all walks of life worshipped Jesus and still do.

The Bible still sells two thousand years later.

What makes Christmas special?

Knowing there’s love, hope forgiveness and new beginnings -

If we believe these amazing truths in faith, then we become very special people who care about the world around us.

God bless you at this very special time of year.

Merry Christmas.

What is a school bus driver? by Steve Dunham

A school bus driver is a person who smiles in the morning and smiles in the evening and eats Rolaids in between.

Bus drivers get there when nobody else can; they find houses that don’t exist and children with no names.

They dry tears, dispel fears and find lost notebooks.

School bus drivers have eyes in the back of their heads and hear every word that is said, even in sign language.

They separate the meek from the mighty – the timid from the bold – and give reassuring nods to anxious mamas standing at the end of their lanes.

Bus drivers are the epitome of patience and perfection of skills; they also have a good understanding of human nature and Mother Nature.

Bus drivers have a grudging friendship with the glaring sun, the beating rain and driving snow. And they know all about dust and the geological formation of gravel.

They are immune to noise.

A bus driver’s favourite words, besides “Good Morning” and “Good Night” are “Sit Down!”

Their favourite colour is yellow.

A bus driver’s worst apprehension involves five-year-olds with motion sickness – especially in the winter when the windows are closed and the heaters are on.

A bus driver knows all the school songs and pep cheers. Her vocabulary is always up to date.

To be a bus driver a person must be able to memorize the number of the bus garage and the superintendent’s number.

They can read maps.

Sometimes a bus driver gets tired – but seldom gets mad; and always, most faithfully, he gets there.

Many people set their clocks by a bus driver’s schedule; many mothers set out for a second cup of coffee.

A bus driver sits at the helm of a costly six to seven ton machine loaded with 60 units of the most precious cargo on God’s earth – our children.

Photo Left: detail of the Presepio (the Nativity), at the Palace of Caserta in Napoloi.

Italian Christmas traditions are tied to the vibrant Italian culture, and to its central role in the development of the Catholic faith.

The language itself adds an extra dimension to some of the most basic of Christmas terms, from the baby Jesus, (Gesu Bambino) to Father Christmas (Babbo Natale).

La Befana is a figure that is unique to Italy. Historically, she was the one who brought Christmas presents to Italian children, on the Epiphany, January 6, which tradition says is the day the Magi brought their gifts to Gesu Bambino.

La Befana is a figure that seems more likely to be seen at Halloween than Christmas. She is an old woman, covered in soot, with a broom stick. But, historically, she was the Italian Santa Clause, filling stockings by the fireplace on the Epiphany.

There are a number of accounts about who La Befana is. The following two are told by Francesca di Megli, an American of Sicilian descent:

“Legend has it that she was an old Italian grandma-type happily cleaning her house, when three men showed up at her door. No fool, she was sceptical. She shooed them away when they said they were searching for Baby Jesus, the newborn king. After a little while, she had second thoughts. Perhaps, the men were honest and telling the truth. If so, she missed her chance to help them reach the king. She decided she should try to catch up with them. But they were long gone. So, she handed out gifts to all of the children in the neighbourhood in the hopes that one of them was Jesus. Every year she goes to look for the three wise men - and most importantly Baby Jesus. When she does, she leaves little surprises for the little Italian girls and boys.

Some say she didn't go with the wise men because she had chores to do. Others believe she promised to find them after she finished the housework. Still others have an entirely different version of the story.

I've also heard that La Befana was a mother to a son who lived in King Herod's day. Herod reportedly decreed that each male child born was to be killed because one of them could be the new king. La Befana was so traumatized when her son was murdered that she didn't believe he was really killed. She set out in search of him, carrying all of his belongings in a sack.

She quickly aged from worry - her face became wrinkled, her hair turned gray and she grew to look like an old, haggard lady. She finally found a male baby in a manger and she laid out her son's belongings at the baby's feet. The baby was Jesus Christ. And He blessed the lady as “Befana,” the giver of gifts. After that, every year on Jan. 5, the eve of the Epiphany, she would be mother to all of the world's children and would care for them by bringing them treats.”

The Presepio is the Italian representation of the Nativity scene, and it is similar to the crèche that is common elsewhere in Europe and in North America, however it is more elaborate, and includes a much larger number of figures.

Anthony Parente has written about the Presepio in Italiansrus.com.

“One thing we know for certain is that the popularity of the Nativity scene did not occur until after St. Francis re-enacted what many believe was the first living Nativity. St. Francis asked for and got permission from Pope Honorius III to hold a special celebration during Christmas. With the help of Giovanni Velita they prepared for this special celebration, which would take place on Christmas Eve in 1223 at the monastery at Greccio. On that night a child was placed in a crib as an ox and donkey stood nearby. Those who came to watch got to witness for themselves the miracle that occurred 1,223 years ago in the small town of Bethlehem.”

In the City of Napoli the tradition of the Presepio over the last few hundred years has become a regional art form and industry.

“The life-size figures in many of the churches and monasteries were made of wood and were beautifully crafted. In addition to wood, hemp wrapped in wire was used to create the body that would be covered in garments. The remaining parts of the body that were unclothed were made with terracotta. However they were made, they were done with exquisite craftsmanship and beauty. Some of the most impressive scenes can be seen inside the Royal Palace of Caserta and the Museo Nazionale di San Martino,” - Anthony Parente

Not to be outdone, there are parallel Presepio traditions in Sicily and Rome, which feature local materials and the local landscape.

Feasting on Fish

Italian cuisine has, if anything gained more attention in recent years as people start to think about local food and slow food. In Italy, as the result of the local culture, the soil, the sun and the sea, slow food is as normal as McDonalds is in North America.

Christmas time is no exception, of course.

Historically, Christmas Eve was a fast day in Italy, but the Italian definition of fasting seems to be different from that of other peoples.

As the food writer Mario Batali said of Christmas Eve dinner, which takes all evening to eat, leading up to midnight Mass: “It's what Italians do when they are fasting; they eat course after course of luxurious seafood dishes, often as many as 7, 10, or even 13. I'm not quite sure about the significance of the number. Some families do 7 for the sacraments. Some do 10 for the Stations of the Cross. And some even do 13 for the apostles plus Jesus.”

There are, of course, regional variations to the Feast of the 7 Fishes, but the format is more or less constant, an antipasto course, follow by a pasta course, then the secondi, normally the meat course, but in the Feast of the Fishes it would often include salt cod and baked eel. Meal is finished off with the only fish-free course, dolci or dessert.

I called Rosemarie Bowick, who happens to be our landlord here at the News. Rosemarie is a Canadian of Italian and Ukrainian descent. When she was growing up on Preston Street in Ottawa, Christmas Eve dinner was meatless. If there were visitors coming the meal started with a simple antipasto – melon, bread and olives and cheese. Afterwards the tradition was to have pasta with a tomato sauce and cod (or halibut if it was available), smelts with green beans and salad, rice and lentil soup, perhaps followed by a savoury Ricotta Pie. Dessert was deep-fried pastry and very thin anise flavoured biscuits. Another dessert option is spumoni ice cream topped with Spumante (sparkling wine). Unlike what I found in my research there is no seafood in Rosemarie Bowick’s traditions, but there is a reason for that - she is allergic to shellfish.

Rosemarie said that when she was a child Christmas Eve dinner was served early, at around 6 o’clock, and then the children were put to bed, only to be woken up at about 11:15 or 11:30 to get dressed and to church for midnight Mass. Afterwards they would start their Christmas partying by opening presents, and maybe having a little bite to eat before finally going to bed at 2:00 or 2:30 in the morning.

Recipes

We have included a couple of recipes that Rosemarie Bowick wouldn’t use, but are options for a feast of the seven fishes meal for seafoood lovers.

SEAFOOD ANTIPASTO 

There are as many recipes for this as there are kitchens. This dish can either be prepared in advance, in which case it is a marinated antipasto, or served fresh to the table.

Below is recipe for fresh antipasto, from Mario Batali, who has a pretty strong web presence.

Ingredients

6 medium shrimp, cleaned and peeled 6 small mussels, bearded and scrubbed 6 large clams, bearded and scrubbed 6 small razor clams, bearded and scrubbed 6 large mussels, bearded and scrubbed 6 small calamari, cleaned and gutted 1 small (1 pound) lobster 1 pound crab meat 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Juice and zest of 4 lemons 1 tablespoon hot chili flakes 2 bunches Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/2 cup

Directions:

Bring 6 quarts water to boil and set up an ice bath.

Cook shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes and plunge into ice bath. Cook calamari 1 minute and do the same. Cook lobster for 8 minutes and then cool in ice bath.

In a large saute pan, place mussels and clams with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and steam, removing each shellfish as it opens until they are all done. Discard those shellfish which do not open. Keeping each open shellfish separate, dress each individually with 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, a touch of lemon juice, a pinch of chilies and 1 to 2 tablespoons parsley. Do the same with the crab meat. Arrange all the seafood on a big platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

You can omit just about any of the ingredients in this dish and will still taste delicious (note the number of lemons that are required)

ZUPPA DI PESCE

I'm including a recipe for fish soup or stew, partly because I want to make it myself, but also because the instructions are simple and the ingredients variable. Literally, any fish will do. The recipe stresses fresh fish, but in our area that is not always possible, but there is frozen seafood in just about every store, and if using frozen, the key is to run it under cold water until it is fully defrosted

Cacciucco is a fish stew made in the Tuscan port of Livorno, from whatever the fishmonger has that's fresh and inexpensive. It should have a healthy jolt of red pepper, and will sell you on fish if you don't like fish already. To serve 4:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of mixed fish (see list below) A half a medium onion, minced 2 cloves garlic A bunch of parsley, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 pound sliced fresh or canned plum tomatoes (if they're fresh, blanch and peel them) 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar diluted in 3/4 cup of water Salt and crumbled or minced hot red pepper to taste Toasted Italian bread rubbed with garlic

Preparation:

The Fish:

Whatever is in season (it needn't be expensive), for example, sole, mullet, catfish, dogfish, goby, squid, octopus, fresh shellfish (see The Joy of Cooking for treatment instructions), and shrimp. Chop the large fish, but leave the small ones whole.

Procedure:

Sauté the onion, parsley, and garlic in the oil in a deep-bottomed pot. Once the onion has turned translucent, stir in the chopped tomatoes and season the mixture to taste. This is one of the few hot North Italian dishes, so don't feel you must be sparing with the red pepper. When the tomatoes are done, stir in the water and vinegar. Simmer them for a few more minutes and remove the garlic. Blend the sauce and return it to the fire with the fish, and, if you wish, sprinkle another tablespoon or two of olive oil into the pot. Simmer the cacciucco until the fish is done, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, toast several slices of bread and rub them with a crushed clove of garlic.

Once the fish is done, line the bottoms of your bowls with the toasted bread, ladle the cacciucco over them, and serve.

A final point about Italian Christmas. We don't have space to talk about desserts, but some Italian traditions included variations on quick fried sweet dough dipped in spiced sugar and nuts.

One Italian food that needs to be mentioned is Pannetone, which is to Italy what Stollen is to Germany or Fruitcake to the British Isles. The easiest way to make Pannetone is not to. In many grocery stores, including Canadian stores, piles of colourful boxes with string handles on top appear at this time of year, They contain Pannetone, a light, yeasted cake with nuts or dried fruits inside.

All you have to do is buy one of these, and eat it on Christmas morning with tea or coffee.

Pannetone is not that difficult to make either, no more so than bread, but is even easier to buy.

Final, final point: Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, is another Christmas Day tradition that is worth considering for a proper Christmas celebration.

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist

Ellie Lee was only three when she began to bake.

She washed her hands and stood on a chair to reach the kitchen counter. Ellie and her dad had already made homemade granola two days ago. Today, Ellie and her mom were going to make cookie mix. Ellie had a big bowl, measuring cups and spoons, and a big wooden spoon. Ellie’s mom had the recipe written down. She would tell Ellie the next ingredient and hand her the appropriate measuring utensil. Together they would count the correct number of scoops of flour and sugar, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips that Ellie needed to put into the bowl. Ellie’s job was to scoop, pour, count and stir. When the cookie mix was prepared, Ellie’s mom poured the mixture into a large glass jar while Ellie drew a picture of grandpa eating cookies on a sticky label she would attach to the outside of the jar.

Ellie is making Christmas gifts for her grandparents. Ellie is having fun and learning what it means to give something of herself to others.

What else is Ellie Lee, who is only three, learning? Math, reading and writing!

Learning to cook, bake or create things in the kitchen are fabulous opportunities for math concepts like numbers, measurement, fractions, order and sequence to become meaningful to children. When Ellie measures out 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of flour, she can see how numbers represent quantities. When her mom tells her to fill up the one cup measure to the top, or when they experiment to see if two ½ cup measures hold the same amount as a 1 cup measure, Ellie is gaining basic and concrete information about fractions.

Ellie’s mom reads the recipe. Together they discover new words like ‘oatmeal’ and ‘soda’. Ellie excitedly tests out the meaning of ‘vigorously’ when the recipe directs them to ‘stir vigorously’. They follow the directions by putting the ingredients into the mixing bowl in order. Ellie begins to understand words that convey sequence like ‘first’, ‘next’ and ‘last’.

The picture Ellie draws on the label will show her grandpa that the cookies are for him. The only letter in grandpa’s name Ellie knows yet is “G”. Ellie prints a large shaky “G” on her picture of delicious chocolate chip cookies. Ellie is starting to print a few letters. Ellie has also realized that she can show the ideas that are in her head by drawing, scribbling and printing on paper. Ellie is in the early stages of learning how to write.

Ellie and her parents have found a few websites with gift ideas they can make together this Christmas. Should they make bath salts for Aunt Kath and gingerbread tree ornaments for Aunt Jane?

Ellie Lee, who is three, can hardly wait to see.

Susan Ramsay is the Early Literacy Specialist for Hastings, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington. You can contact her at 613-354-6318 (ext 32)

Editorial by Jeff Green

As is our custom, we send out greetings to our readers on our Christmas issue, which is also our final issue of the year and the occasion for our annual two-week break.

As you flip though our Christmas issue, you’ll see messages from the group that has brought this newspaper to your mailbox each week for the past 39 years – namely, the local advertisers who pay the bills.

The format of the Frontenac News has changed over the years, as has the name (for almost 30 years we were the North Frontenac News, which is still what we are called by many of our readers).

The paper was also produced by Northern Frontenac Community Services for many years, before becoming a privately owned business 10 years ago.

But - we hope at least - the main function of the Frontenac News, which is to let people know what is happening in their community, their township and their county and to foster communication between people in the scattered villages of Frontenac County, Addington Highlands and the western edge of Lanark County, has not changed.

We are getting set to celebrate our 40th anniversary, which we will do in March of next year with a special issue. Thinking back to the way things were in this region back in 1971, it is clear that nothing has replaced the mining, logging and railroad industries that were so dominant in the past, and that although agriculture remains viable in the south and in pockets, it is not the kind of economic engine that it once was. We drive far away for work now, and while we are there we do a lot of our shopping, and the retail sector in our villages is not what it was even 20 years ago.

Still, we work together in small and larger groups to forge a new kind of rural identity, and if there is one thing that we have chronicled in these pages week after week, in about 1,600 issues (the paper was not a weekly for the first 15 years) it is the things people do each week to re-make their own world.

At Christmas time we see this in spades. People drag themselves out of the house on Saturday mornings after a week of school and work, to participate in a parade, sing in choir, go to a meeting, or run to the mall.

There are groups trying to figure out how we can use the land to feed ourselves in a different way. We need to figure out how we will care for and educate our children, how we will care for the poor, the sick, and the old, all without any magic economic bullet to bring money into the region.

Essentially, we are all struggling just to get by, but in doing so we are also building new communities in the shells of the communities that came before.

It's easy to look around and see the problems that we are facing, but at the same time we keep building houses - $40 million this year in mainland Frontenac County. Tay Valley is building a fire hall, and so will North Frontenac soon; and a new school is coming.

I had a quick look at the new Frontenac Maps website this week, and when you look at the region at a 10,000 to one magnification you can see fields, roads and lakes in the south, trees, roads and lakes to the north, and little dots where the villages are. As you zoom down to 1,000 to one you can see houses, buildings, ball fields, churches, etc. in between the vast expanses of landscape.

That's what we have followed for 39 years, the activities of the people in those scattered enclaves. The people are still here, and we are privileged to be here to chronicle some of the joy and pain of modern life in a rural context.

See you in two weeks, on January 6, 2011.

Photo Left: Ms Mayhew's grade 3 class at Harrowsmith PS with their “Tweet Tree”.

For the past four years students at Harrowsmith Public School have been participating in their annual Festival of Trees event, a holiday fundraiser aimed at raising money and food donations for the local community. For school principal Jim Horan, “It's a wonderful opportunity for our students to come together to help those who are less fortunate in South Frontenac.”

Revell Ford Lincoln of Verona sponsored the event and supplied the trees, which each class then decorated. The trees were raffled off on Dec. 10 and all proceeds will go to the local Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation’s food bank, and the local Free Methodist and United Churches.

Grade eight students play a big part in the fund raising and each year they canvas door-to-door in Harrowsmith for donations. According to Mr. Horan, “The response this year was truly overwhelming. This year we received more food than we have ever received before.”

On Dec. 8 the entire school was invited to the gym where student ambassadors Emily Kellett and Regina Austin emceed the inaugural first day of the event. They invited School Trustee Suzanne Ruttan to launch the three-day festival by lighting up the first tree. She was joined by OPP Staff Sgt. Gary Oullette, who thanked the students for their efforts.

Each class then had a chance to introduce their themed tree to the whole school and this year’s themes were both clever and imaginative. They included a Tweet Tree decorated with edible bird treats, the Adam and Eve tree decorated with real apples, and the Merry Mousemas tree decorated with candy cane-tailed felt mice.

The celebration included a performance by the school’s grade 1, 2 choir and a carol sing-a-long led by Queens University teacher candidates.

The event is not only a way to raise funds for those in need but also a way of bringing the entire school and local community together in a celebration of holiday giving and sharing.

Mr. Horan wishes to thank Revell Ford and the Revell family for their ongoing support as the event’s corporate partner and the OPP, who is the event’s community partner.

Christmas Delight By Jean Campbell

Cranberry Coleslaw By Marilyn Meeks

Dulce de Leche Bars by Jean Campbell

No Bake Christmas Fruit Cake By Debbie Deline

Scones courtesy of Jennifer Whitehead

Christmas Delight By Jean Campbell 1/2 cup butter1/2 cup brown sugar1-1/2 cups flour1 egg yoke1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and press lightly in a 7X11 pan. Sprinkle half a package of coconut over base; sprinkle 1 cup cut up dates; sprinkle one 16-oz package red and green candied cherries; sprinkle 1 cup pecans (not cut).

Cover with l/2 cup eagle brand milk. Bake until golden brown at 325° approximately 30 minutes. Watch closely after 20 minutes.

Cranberry Coleslaw By Marilyn Meeks 1 cup chopped cranberries¼ cup sugar3 cups finely shredded cabbage½ cup orange juice2 Tbsp. chopped celery2 Tbsp. chopped green peppers1 cup seeded, halved green grapes¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

Mix cranberries with sugar. Moisten cabbage with orange juice, add sugared cranberries, celery, green peppers and grapes. Toss lightly with mayonnaise or dressing. Chill ½ hour before serving

Dulce de Leche Barsby Jean Campbell

By request from the Bedford Open Mic, I took these squares called “Dulce de Leche” bars. Freezing is not recommended.

3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)1 tsp vanilla1 1/4 cups all purpose flour1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Filling:

1 can Eagle Brand milk or Low Fat Sweetened Condensed milk1 bag Skor chipits toffee bits

Topping:

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips2 oz white chocolate for decoration (optional)

Preheat oven to 350oF.

Line a square baking pan with parchment paper so it hangs over the edge for easy removal. Beat together butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour and crumbs. Press in pan. Bake 20 minutes until golden.

For the filling, pour the milk into a glass 8-cup measure and microwave on medium for 4 minutes, stirring after two minutes. Stir in toffee bits on medium-low or “Defrost” for eight minutes, stirring every two minutes or until thick. Pour over baked crust after crust has cooled.

For the topping, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread lightly over filling. Drizzle with white chocolate. 

No Bake Christmas Fruit Cake By Debbie Deline

I found this recipe for a Festive Refrigerator Fruit Cake 10 years ago. I’ve been making them ever since and everyone asks me for the recipe, so here it is.

3 cups miniature marshmallows2/3 cup evaporated milk½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed¼ cup chopped dates¾ cup raisins1 cup broken walnuts1 cup candied mixed fruits¼ cup candied red cherries4 cups graham cracker crumbs1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg½ teaspoon cloves

Slowly heat the marshmallows, evaporated milk and orange juice, stirring until marshmallows melt. Remove from heat and combine with the dates, raisins, walnuts, mixed fruits, cherries, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, mixing well. Press firmly into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan lined with waxed paper. Cover tightly and chill 2 days. Frost top of cake with vanilla cream cheese frosting. Garnish with maraschino cherries

Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting

2 oz. cream cheese1 teaspoon milk1 ¼ cups icing sugar few drops of vanilla

Combine the cream cheese and milk, blending until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla. Mix well

Scones Courtesy of Jennifer Whitehead from her limited edition cookbook titled “From my Heart to Your Stomach: 20 Simple Recipes to help you get through Life”, 2006.

*A note on pronunciation. Some people pronounce scone to rhyme with cone, or alone. This is not acceptable. If you are now or have ever been a Presbyterian, you should know better. Scone rhymes with dawn as in “The spawn of Satan ate a scone upon the lawn and thought deep thoughts in the cold grey dawn.”

The preparation of scones requires a light hand; the use of force, like the use of reason in theology, is best kept to an absolute minimum.

2 cups flour½ cup sugar3 tsp baking powder½ cup butter½ cup raisins and/or currants, dried apricots, walnuts, dried cranberries, blueberries, or nothing at all then (enjoy with) strawberries, raspberries, jam, whipped cream or clotted cream2 eggs¼ cup milksugar and maybe a little grated nutmeg if you choose the apricot or blueberry option

Measure the flour, sugar, and the baking powder into a bowl. Cut the butter in quickly until the mixture has the texture of breadcrumbs. It is important to move fast while making scones. The dough must be gently encouraged, not abused. Too much force will make your scones tough and difficult to deal with. Crack the eggs into a measuring cup, beat them, check how much liquid egg there is, and cleverly use math to add the right amount of milk. Chuck this into the flour/sugar/butter mixture along with whatever else you’re adding and gently pat the mixture into a large ball. Separate the ball into two or three evenly sized lumps, flatten slightly and place them on a buttered cookie sheet. Divide each lump into six or eight wedges. Sprinkle sugar on top or brush with beaten egg if the non-violence of scone preparation is too much for you. Bake at 350 F for fifteen minutes or longer if the scones refuse to cooperate. These are good hot but are perfectly acceptable cold the next day for breakfast. I never had scones long enough to see if they were still edible after twenty-four hours.

By Susan Irwin, Executive Director / Lawyer, Rural Legal Services

I am often of two minds about the upcoming Holiday Season.The non-lawyer par t of me enjoy Christmas and New Years and all that this special time of year entails, especially getting together with family and friends. The lawyer part of me however,wants to scream "Bah, humbug"!

Why the lawyer as Scrooge or Grinch? It's simple really: over the next couple of weeks, with the season as a reason, or at least an excuse, people will do regrettable things, ranging from the remarkably thoughtless to the malicious,and lawyers who deal with people and their problems will get the calls.

The over indulgence in seasonal "spirits" will likely be a recurring theme for many calls received by lawyers at Rural Legal Services early in the New Year' as people begin to realize just how much fun they had over the holiday period. Not that I am a member of the Temperance League, but after a few years one wonders what it will take for people to finally get the message that they should not drink and drive: drive anything, including the snowmobile or the ATV.

Many of our columns have been devoted to the issues around impaired driving and the continuing legal changes being made in Ontario to tackle the problem including automatic driver's licence suspensions for impaired driving charges, the imposition of lower acceptable blood alcohol levels for drivers over 21 years and zero alcohol levels for drivers 21 years and under. As of December 1st, 2010, the province has again amended the Highway Traffic Act-this time to allow the immediate impoundment of the vehicle being used by the impaired driver for seven days. It doesn't matter who owns the vehicle; unless you can convince the police that it was stolen, it's off the road for a week if the driver has a blood alcohol level of .08 or greater.

If you lend your car to a friend or relative, or have a designated driver who hasn't taken the role seriously, your wheels will be off the road for a while,a nd the owner, of course, will be responsible for all the towing and impound fees that have to be paid before the vehicle is released. It is also agood idea to make sure the person you've given the keys to holds a valid driver's licence that is not under suspension or subject to special conditions, or undersome circumstances that too will now lead to impoundment. You can check to see if a driver's licence is valid, for a fee of $2.50, by calling1-900-565-6555.

Losing a driver's licence, let alone a vehicle, has caused more than a few people to endu p unemployed. It's the kind of holiday hangover most people can do without,especially as w eare all under such tremendous pressure tobuy things, needed or not, at this time of year.A little consumer overindulgence is pretty common at this time of year, but it would be wise to remember that an awfull ot of the low interest rate offers on credit cards, or consumer items such as furniture, have a time limit to them, after which the rates can increase to atmosphericl evels making payments difficult for many families. Every year Rural Legal Services receives many calls for help with debt problems that have started with a little too much holiday exuberance.

And then there are the truly heart breaking calls received from separated parents who were expecting to have their young children either for Christmas or for some part of the holidays. For some reason, either the custodial parent has decided not to live up to a Court Order or agreement to deliver the children in time for Santa, or the non-custodial parent has decided not to return them on time from a visit. In either case, the parent who was expecting to spend a special time with his or her children has just received at ruly Grinch-like gift.

It would be wonderful if we could all exercise some moderation and civility in our holiday indulgences that after the holidays, there would be fewer problems! Rural Legal Services will be closed from December 24 that noon until Tuesday, January 4, 2011. Until then, Seasons Greetings, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our readers!

Legalese is a column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.