Rambling through central Illinois, wishing a ghost would take me back to witness Christmas past.• • •
Want to predict the worst weather day of the winter? Just circle whatever day is selected for our Native Seed Celebration, which we had to postpone last Saturday.
Trust me, for me to postpone an event takes some actual weather. Among my many frustrations is seeing things canceled a night in advance because of predicted bad weather … only to wake to sunny skies and dry roads.
Another pet peeve is how many people who act so worried about road conditions can be seen in their vehicles later that same day, driving to get milk or other cold beverages. Actually, the latter doesn’t bother me as much as it reminds me of 1985, when an impending storm prompted Buffalo Mayor Jimmy Griffin to advise citizens, “Stay inside. Grab a six-pack.”
Difference was, that storm piled up 36 inches of snow over three days. But I digress.
We are rescheduling the Native Seed Celebration for Saturday, Jan. 17. Barring snow and frigid cold, the event will be held at Salem Township Library from 10 a.m. to noon.
A savvy person might ask, why wait until winter to hold this event, since many seeds are already collected before the snow falls?
My answer, November is hunting season. Also, winter is a great time to broadcast native seeds onto snow or frozen ground, since cold stratification helps break down a seed’s outer coat and facilitate germination.
• • •
Among the things I enjoy most about Christmas are predictable pulls on the heartstrings. Seems every step of the season is met with memories, some even on TV.
Strings are pulled every time Charlotte the newscaster on “Elf” gets choked up to see Santa soaring over Central Park and then again when breathless Donna Reed rushes up the stairs to reunite with George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” telling him, “Come on George, they’re on their way … It’s a miracle.”
My best memories, though, perch on the Christmas tree. A favorite placed close to me is a crocheted snowflake made by Grandma Esther. She’s been gone since 2002, but when I see that snowflake, I hear her laugh.
Many memorable ornaments came from my late mother, who disliked spending money unless it was for Christmas decorations. For years, she bought two of any ornament she liked: one for me, one for my brother. When grandkids came, she upped the buying to such a level that four trees could not house all our Christmas chatzkies. Only the best earn a spot on the tree now, and admiring them brings me comfort because of how happy that display always made Mom. My hope is that similar joys brighten your holidays.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com.
