Art Contest

A Shepherd's Cogititations
by Antonia Chatson

Central Frontenac Festival of Trees

Christmas Parades

Christmas Poems & Stories

ChristmasTraditions in Italy

Early Literacy:
Kids in the Kitchen this Christmas

Editorial:
Happy Christmas from the North Frontenac

Festival of Trees lights up Harrowsmith PS

Legalese:
The Lawyer as Grinch!

Local Artisans Inspire Unique Gift Giving

Christmas Poems & Stories

Come with me by Jean Lewis

Parham/Tichborne Santa Claus Parade By Colleen Steele

The Christmas Stranger By Alanna Runnings

The Light of the world by Hope Attaway

What is a school bus driver? by Steve Dunham

Come with me

Come with me to another year
When we were free of cares.
The only things that filled our heads
Were toys and teddy bears.

We wrote our lists for Santa Claus
In hopes that he might find
That we’d been good through all the year
So sweet and nice and kind.

We’d sit and dream beside the tree
With branches lush and green.
The lights would glow and sparkle bright
It made a festive scene.

So come with me down memory lane
Let’s throw the years aside.
Let sugar plums and toys galore
Within our hearts abide.

Parham/Tichborne Santa Claus Parade

Away down in Tichborne our parade starts to form
We bundled in layers to keep ourselves warm

The Spirit of the Season sure can be found
You can see it on the faces when you look around

Norm starts driving Bill Lee's Wagon
With Friends in the back and no fee we are dragging

All the fire trucks looked so shiny and new
The parameds were on hand ready to help you

With floats from the Grove and from Sharbot Lake
Oh what a joyous sight they did make

Kingston's Oddfellows and Rebekahs joined in the fun
With Pat's "Rad" towing and their motto "to help everyone"

The Lions Club are truly another great band
They're always ready and willing to lend you a hand

The "Strokes for Hope" is soon coming to an end
We thank you Edward and Andrew your friend

The float that Butch towed was such a sight
We hope that it did not give you a fright

The Rec's float held pretty girls and a bear
With Mike on his four wheeler, driving here and there

Joey's float was such a sight to behold
And the Lawn Care, Mallettes and Websters too braved the cold

Alissa and Katie rode on top of the horses’ back
With Pa Lee to lead them over the railway track

The firemen kept all the traffic rolling along
While passing they enjoyed a cheery Christmas song

The crowds they clapped and cheered as we passed on the street
They gathered all the tossed candy canes and the sweets

When what to our wondering eye did appear
But Santa and Mrs Claus bringing up the rear

As we travelled up the road to the warm fire hall
We parked in the field where we used to play ball

We enjoyed drinks and chili that was very hot
The kids sat on Santa's knee, they liked that a lot.

We're proud of this Parade we hope you are too
Come join us next year for we'd love to have you!

**Note: I apologize if I missed your float.  It was not intentional and all entries in this great parade are appreciated and add so much to our little town and the spirit of the Season...Colleen

The Christmas Stranger

Once there lived a grumpy old man who hated Christmas. Every night he would get up and take stuff off his neighbor's houses. When the families would wake up the next morning, they saw foot prints in the snow. They called the police but the police couldn't do anything about it.

So one night everyone stayed up and watched for him. Finally, they caught him. They phoned the police and the police came. Everyone had the same questions - why? Why would he do that? Why did he hate Christmas so much?

When he was little he didn't get anything for Christmas. His family never celebrated Christmas because they were poor. It always made him sad when he was a kid and saw Christmas trees and other kids getting presents. Now he had no family so he had nobody to celebrate with.

This made everyone sad. The neighbors felt so bad and said if he promised to not do that anymore they would love to celebrate with him.

This made the old man so happy that he promised to never spoil Christmas again.

The Light of the world

The star that shone brightly over the manger where the baby Jesus lay wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Jesus matured into a man and died to atone for the whole world’s sins.

He arose from death and sits at the right hand of His Father.

His mother Mary was a virgin

His father is God

The choir of angels that sang and announced his birth to shepherds

The wisemen that gave expensive gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh.

People from all walks of life worshipped Jesus and still do.

The Bible still sells two thousand years later.

What makes Christmas special?

Knowing there’s love, hope forgiveness and new beginnings -

If we believe these amazing truths in faith, then we become very special people who care about the world around us.

God bless you at this very special time of year.

Merry Christmas.

What is a school bus driver?

A school bus driver is a person who smiles in the morning and smiles in the evening and eats Rolaids in between.

Bus drivers get there when nobody else can; they find houses that don’t exist and children with no names.

They dry tears, dispel fears and find lost notebooks.

School bus drivers have eyes in the back of their heads and hear every word that is said, even in sign language.

They separate the meek from the mighty – the timid from the bold – and give reassuring nods to anxious mamas standing at the end of their lanes.

Bus drivers are the epitome of patience and perfection of skills; they also have a good understanding of human nature and Mother Nature.

Bus drivers have a grudging friendship with the glaring sun, the beating rain and driving snow. And they know all about dust and the geological formation of gravel.

They are immune to noise.

A bus driver’s favourite words, besides “Good Morning” and “Good Night” are “Sit Down!”

Their favourite colour is yellow.

A bus driver’s worst apprehension involves five-year-olds with motion sickness – especially in the winter when the windows are closed and the heaters are on.

A bus driver knows all the school songs and pep cheers. Her vocabulary is always up to date.

To be a bus driver a person must be able to memorize the number of the bus garage and the superintendent’s number.

They can read maps.

Sometimes a bus driver gets tired – but seldom gets mad; and always, most faithfully, he gets there.

Many people set their clocks by a bus driver’s schedule; many mothers set out for a second cup of coffee.

A bus driver sits at the helm of a costly six to seven ton machine loaded with 60 units of the most precious cargo on God’s earth – our children.