“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” – Charles M. Schulz “The true Christmas spirit is putting others’ happiness before our own, and finding you’ve never known such happiness.” – Toni Sorenson At 8:15 a.m. on a mid-December Saturday, I was in a drive-thru lane I’d never been in before. I was listening […]
By Cheryl Wormley The week between Christmas and the New Year is unlike any other. It’s the “Monopoly free-parking space” of my life – a pause between what’s happened and what’s to come. I enjoy the pace of the last week of the year. In the past when happenings were recorded on film and printed […]
By Cheryl Wormley Holidays are filled with tradition. For me, Christmas traditions top all others. In my heart and mind, Christmas starts after Thanksgiving – not before. But even as Jim and I are finishing the last of the leftover turkey, I’m ready to bring the Christmas boxes out of the garage. I’m almost childlike […]
By Jan Bosman Santa was in a hurry to get started Christmas Eve. The toys were stacked; the sleigh was packed; the reindeer hitched to leave. He should have checked the forecast, but time had ticked away, so off he flew to do his job across the USA. Somewhere above Midwest, a storm began to […]
In 1963, I was teaching business education for my fourth year. Married about 2½ years, I lived on Randolph Street in Walworth, Wis., in a one-bedroom house that my husband and I had bought for $6,300. I was earning about $3,000 that year, and my husband, a recent graduate from Whitewater State Teachers College, was […]
Just outside Woodstock, in rural Marengo, Chris Hanson and his team have created a unique holiday light show that is the talk of the town. “It’s been pretty exciting,” Hanson said of his massive Christmas undertaking. “And we just keep adding as we go.” The small-business owner put his technological and engineering skills together with […]
Back in September when I photographed the filming of Toyota’s holiday TV commercial in Woodstock, I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, but a tiny portion of the Square was mysteriously alight with wreaths, red bows, and snow. I could almost believe it was mid-December when the sun had set, the Square was engulfed in […]
Two years ago, this column gave readers something they could have fun with, especially for that time after the family has shared a Christmas meal together, opened any presents they’ve been fortunate enough to receive, and found themselves engaged in some potentially awkward conversation (e.g., “When are you going to find some nice person and […]
I hadn’t planned a series about Christmas Clearing House, but for the third consecutive week I’m sharing the wonders of an effort that brings the joy of Christmas to our neighbors who are experiencing hardships or loneliness. Two weeks ago, I encouraged donating and mentioned the need for drivers for delivery day, which is this […]
By Cheryl Wormley It’s switchover week. The annual Lighting of the Square Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Christmas parade Sunday left no doubt Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas is just ahead. Fall and Thanksgiving decorations are stored away, and winter and Christmas decorations are being hauled out and put about. Driving around town last […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
