Sue's Views: Traditions, timing and tutti fruitti

Posted @ Dec. 15 2000 08:15PM by Susan - viewpoints

By Sue Piper

It’s always tricky to plan the content for Columbia River Reader’s December issue. With our publication period running from the 15th of the month, Christmas and New Year’s fall right in the middle of the time span and includes two weeks after the holidays. We usually end up with something of a “fruit basket upset” issue.

Perhaps anticipating the winter doldrums many people feel after the holidays, Nancy Chennault offers a preview of new flowers in the pipeline (see page 12). It isn’t too soon to be planning ahead and imagining your summer’s garden.

You might also consider a couple of fun outings for January and February — a Robert Burns dinner (see page 17) and the Mummy Unwrapping Party (see page 18). And don’t forget the 4th Annual Haiku Contest (see details, page 9). This is the perfect time of year to look around and marvel at the stark beauty in a simple Winter scene and extract your 17 syllables from it.

But first, some delicious things lie immediately ahead
One is Evergreen Ballet’s “Nutcracker” at the Columbia Theatre on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16 and 17. One special young friend of mine, Alexandra Evans, daughter of Melanee and the Honorable Michael Evans, will dance the role of Clara and I can’t wait to see it.

The Nutcracker remains one of my favorite holiday traditions, ever since I landed the role of a toy soldier in my own youthful ballet days. My parents were disappointed and even went downtown to lobby Mrs. Tugaw to promote me to a part more like, say, the Sugar Plum Fairy. Theirs was a heroic, if futile, effort; their hearts were set on my wearing a fluffy tutu, not a taffeta pantsuit with epaulets! I didn’t care; I was thrilled just to be in the production. This was when I first realized parents’ issues are not always their kids’ issues.

It’s soon time for Christmas
I’m sure some of our friends wonder why, by Dec. 13, we still didn’t have a tree up and decorated, a wreath hung on the front door, or any Christmas lights on our house. I had not yet baked a single Christmas cookie. It’s not really because we are slow starters.

It’s because we follow the Anglican tradition, observing Advent until Christmas Eve, then celebrating Christmas for 12 days, and then Epiphany (from the Greek for “manifestation”) on January 5 which marks the arrival of the three wise men and symbolizes Christ being made known to the non-Jewish world (see story, page 15).

On the other hand, I have a jump on the New Year and am already announcing my 2012 resolution: To eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables and exercise 30 minutes, five days a week. I got the idea at a recent Chamber of Commerce program.

Longview’s Dr. Tom Hickey, who is Victoria Findlay’s brother-in-law and, therefore, Bob the Dog’s “uncle,” recommended things ordinary people can do to promote their health and control their individual health care costs (while we await major structural changes in the national health care financing system).

And here’s some news:
CRR’s “Man in the Kitchen,” Paul Thompson (RALong Class of ‘58 members, be forewarned!), is moving back to Longview. He intends to regularly ride his bike around Lake Sacajawea. And this is the same place I (and all the other New Year’s resolvers) will soon be circulating.

Join the fun! Don’t worry about the crowd; it usually subsides by March. Maybe I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one with the armload of fruit and I’m happy to share.

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!
Thank you for reading Columbia River Reader.

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Sue Piper is the Publisher/Editor of Columbia River Reader, which is distributed around the Lower Columbia region every month. "Sue's Views" appears regularly on page 3.