Christmas is a time for giving

Tis the season for giving! It always warms my heart when organizations gather food, gifts and toys for needy families. It seems more organizations and families get together each year on projects such as these. I remember about 20-plus years ago when Ashleigh was a little girl in 4-H and her club united with the American Legion members in Anderson every year to collect food for families. Then on a Saturday close to Christmas they would gather at the Legion Hall and box up the food and head out to deliver the goods to needy families. It was an eye-opening experience for them and a feeling of accomplishment for the adults.

As I sit at my computer writing this week’s Anderson News, I hear car doors shut and a knock at my door. It was our neighbors Beau and Ashley Skinner and their boys Taos and Ty bearing gifts of homemade goodies. I love living in the country where neighbors look out for each other. Everyone’s one big happy family. I can’t imagine living in the big city where people hardly know their neighbors. We have new neighbors, Ray and Lovenieh Merola, who live in Houston but bought the Aikin (blue) house next door to us. Lovenieh found out that Don loved Thai food so Friday evening she cooked up a Thai supper for us.

Our families always get together many times throughout the year but especially for holidays. Last Sunday we had the “Hoffart Christmas” at my sister Debbie’s house in Montgomery. About midafternoon Santa arrived on a golf cart pulling a trailer loaded with hay. After Santa delivered gifts to the children, all the children and as many adults that could fit loaded on the trailer with Santa and drove through the subdivision singing Christmas carols. Later that evening our children and grandkids came to our place for our family gathering. As a tradition, I always cook a roast with carrots and potatoes and other sides for that occasion. After we all stuffed ourselves, the adults sat around and visited while the grandkids ran wildly throughout the house. When the adults had enough of that, we settled them down to open gifts. After we finished with the gifts, the children once again ran wildly throughout the house. At one point my son Clint asked me “Was I this bad when I was little?” and I said, “You were worse!” Oh, what a lovely time it was! On Saturday, we had the “Sowell Christmas” out at our place in Anderson. It was a beautiful day and all the children ran and played and played. All the children on that side of the family basically live in the city or near Houston so when they are here, they love to run wildly in and out of the house. Once again, that’s why I love living in the country where your spirit can run wild and free!

Don and I would like to wish everyone a safe, healthy and Happy New Year!

Happy birthday this week to Jan. 2- Tyler Wetuski, Jeremy Poret, Trish Fultz and Carlee Jo Kitkoski; Jan. 3- Taylor Ross, Colton Siracusa, Kyle Childress and Don Gaylor; Jan. 4- Joyce Sullivan and Kendal Kurten; Jan. 5- Debby Kimich, Mignon Slaton, Aleida Jarvis, Brylee Yargo and Nathan Schoessow; Jan. 6- Phyllis Brookshire, Shawn King, Sylvia Gurrola, Catherine Andrews, Marlee Moriarty and Kathy Becker, Jan. 7- Ryan Sechelski, Sam McClosky, James Grassl and Kim Burke; Jan. 8- Kimmie Devillier, Trey Harrison, Salina Lindley and Dorothy Carrell.

Happy Anniversary to Jan. 8- Max and Barbara Kapchinski, 55 years; and Keith and Karen Herzog, nine years.

If you have special news about what goes on in your family or life, let me know by calling 936-870-6842 or email me at gailmsowell@yahoo.com.