Merry Christmas to all ... may your week be not too hectic and may you enjoy the season. Remember that we celebrate the birth of the Christ child, and if you can't buy presents, don't. Give the gift of love instead ... you may be surprised at the benefits.
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Two anniversaries coming up: 55 years for Blanca and Ralph Sifuentes, and 25 years for Lorene and Mike Hautekeet (who are traveling to warmer climes for the holidays). Many good wishes to both couples. And happy birthday's to Charlie Johnston, Debe Linehan and Julie Romero, too.
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We now have some interesting facts about the Minnesota Vikings off the Internet: Who are the 47 millionaires sitting around TV watching the Super Bowl? Why, the Vikings, of course. What do the M.V. and a possum have in common? They both play dead at home, and get killed on the road. How do you keep the Vikings out of your back yard. Put up a goalpost, of course.
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The V&T Roundhouse bit the dust several years ago, now BLM wants to raze the American Flat Mill for safety reasons. They have a point, however, it's tough to see our historical buildings being leveled, because once they're gone, they're gone. T'would be nice if there was a way to shore it up and keep it. It has an "ambiance" out there in the middle of nowhere.
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Carson City WWII buffs have a great chance to meet a real spy from that era in the person of Max Ciampoli at Borders Books from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday. He and his wife, Linda, will be autographing "Churchill's Secret Agent," the fictionalized story of his life as a spy at that time. Borders has copies of it for $9.99 ... a real gift for those whose interests lie in wartime sagas. Would make a great autographed present for Christmas. Mr. Ciampoli originally wrote his memoirs for his own edification, but his wife urged him to publish them, and they turned them into a novel. For additional details, call Borders at 267-0755.
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Western Nevada College will be holding its annual Wildcats Athletic Banquet at the Peppermill in Reno on Saturday, Jan. 15, from 6-10 p.m. to benefit their athletic programs. The evening will feature Kevin Jepson, Los Angeles Angels pitcher, and will also honor Annette and Harvey Whittemore. There will be a three-course prime rib dinner with live and silent auctions and a raffle with always great prizes. Tickets are $75 each, $700 for a table of 10 (until Dec. 31), or $1,000 for 10 after Jan. 1. For reservations and details, call WNC at 445-3240, and have fun. Half of net ticket proceeds will benefit the Nevada high school baseball or softball team of your choice.
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"Someone" we know was 5 years old and wanted a pony for Christmas. She let it be known to her parents, and they said, "We'll see." Christmas morning arrived and the little girl bounced downstairs to see if Santa had left the pony for her. What she found was a couple of horse apples "left" by the pony. She asked her Daddy what had happened, and he had the nerve to say, "Santa left the pony, but apparently he's wandered off." They never did find him, and the 5-year-old was pretty miffed. This is the same family that always asked her to write down what she wanted for Christmas. She never got anything on the list. When she asked why that was, she was told that then there would be no surprise. She got smart fast, and started writing down what she didn't want and that way had a chance of getting something she did. No wonder she's warped.
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May your Christmas be wonderful ... family and friends, good food, beautiful lights, love ... and remember those who could use some help at this time. Peace.
• Carolyn Tate and Maizie Harris Jesse are longtime Carson City residents. They can be reached by e-mail at editor@nevadaappeal.com.