Predictions were for winter to arrive on Monday, Dec. 22. Well, if this is winter I certainly will not complain. Temperatures were mild and the snow was melting, making puddles in every little low spot. In fact, the mud puddles looked just like the ones we have in the spring. The forecast is for mild weather until after Christmas. With many families traveling to their relatives, it should make for a merry Christmas for everyone. Last week I was complaining about the snow blowing and wishing and wondering why there was no way to keep it from blowing. I think the weatherman heard my concerns about controlling the snow blowing as we had a small amount of rain which gradually froze, making a crust on the snow and keeping most of it from blowing. Now, how is that for a quick answer to a problem? The best part of it all is it doesn’t cost us any money.However, winter has arrived and we know, living in Minnesota, what to expect. I heard these words of wisdom on the radio this morning and I can’t remember who said them many years ago, but no truer words were ever spoken. "Winter is not a season — It is an occupation!. How well we know that!The Steen Opportunity Extension Club had their Christmas meeting Thursday noon at the Jane Bosch home in Steen where they enjoyed a soup and salad luncheon together. The afternoon was enjoyed playing bingo. Dries and Laura May Bosch visited Laura May’s sister, Margaret Lynch Schlimgen of Luverne, who is a patient at Luverne Hospital on Sunday. Our deepest sympathy goes out to the De Yager family on the death of Bill’s sister-in-law, Donna De Yager, in Artesia, Calif. Bill and Marlene DeYager attended funeral services for her in Artesia on Saturday, Dec. 20. Dries and Laura May Bosch attended the Sunday School program at Community Reformed Church in Sioux Falls, where their grandchildren attends, Sunday afternoon. Emma and Isabel Bosch, daughters of Tom and Amy Bosch, took part in the program. There will be a Christmas morning worship service at 9:30 a.m. Christmas morning at Steen Reformed Church. The Bosch families enjoyed dinner together at the Intermission in Rock Rapids on Wednesday noon. Those attending were Dries and Laura May Bosch, Gert and Dick Hup, Hills, Betty Boeve, Luverne, and Cornie and Darlene Bosch, to help Cornie celebrate his birthday. Henrietta Huenink attended her great-granddaughter, McKenzie Grems’ Christmas program. She is the daughter of Jessica Grems and granddaughter of Norma and Wayne VanWyhe, Lester, Iowa.Dries and Laura May Bosch enjoyed dinner with their daughter-in-law, Diane Bosch, Brandon, S.D., at Deanies in Sioux Falls. Thursday noon. Christmas will soon be here and we all celebrate it in our own special way which is meaningful to us. However, I am sure they are all different. I found this article whose author is unknown and would like to share it with you. It is entitled "Real American Christmas.""Is it in the cold and snow of the North, or in the sunshine of the Southwest? Is it in the soft light of a little church, or in the bright lights of a big store? Is it in the warm generosity of the grownup or in the eager hopes of a small child?The real American Christmas is not in any one place, or in any one thing. It is everywhere and in all things. The real American Christmas is a composite of all that is American. It is religion, commercial, charitable, festive, friendly and affectionate. The American Christmas is religious for millions to honor the birth of Christ as an essential part of Christmas. The American Christmas is commercial, for only through commerce can the goods and gifts which mean so much to so many be made available to all. The American Christmas is charitable for it is the one time of year when kindly deeds are done with warmth and cheerful enthusiasm. The American Christmas is festive for the beauty of holly, poinsettias and traditional symbolic decorations stir the hearts of all. The American Christmas is friendly for it is time for the exchange of heartwarming expressions of good will and best wishes. The American Christmas is affectionate for this is the time when families assemble around the hearthstone to renew the ties of home. The American Christmas is all of these."It is your Christmas and I wish you a Merry Christmas!
