Traditions (Truly Grateful Series)
One thing I really like about the town I live in is how the people here carry on traditions and pass them on from year to year. One tradition that this town holds dear is a parade around the courthouse square on the Friday evening after Thanksgiving Thursday. This parade heralds the arrival of Santa Claus to our town for the Christmas season. As Santa rides around the square in his horse-drawn wagon (Yes, I know it is supposed to be a reindeer-pulled sleigh--work with me here people!), the switch is flipped to turn on the Christmas lights around the square. The lights are strung from the very top of the courthouse down to points all around the square so that when you look up you will see a canopy of lights in a sort of pinwheel above you. It is really quite beautiful.
The library where I work has a tradition of its own for this parade. As our entry in the parade, we have people costumed as children's book characters walking alongside our library van. After the parade, kids are invited to come to the library to meet these characters and have their pictures taken with them if they wish. This past week, I was working on creating the banners and signs that will be put on the van for the parade. The banners are to remind everyone that the kids can meet the characters at the library after the parade.
The book characters that will be in this year's parade are Curious George, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Skippyjon Jones. I am very familiar with Curious George, the monkey who often found himself in trouble and who lived with the man with the yellow hat.
I grew up reading those stories as a child and then read them again to my own children.
I was also well-acquainted with the Very Hungry Caterpillar who eats his way through all sorts of things on his way to becoming a butterfly.
I had not heard of Skippyjon Jones, so I investigated and found out that he is a Siamese kitten who thinks he looks like a chihuahua because he has such big ears and a head too big for the rest of him. This is Skippyjon Jones.
I can't tell you how much fun I had designing the banners and signs necessary for the parade. I am very grateful for this job that I have. I am also grateful that my place of business takes part in the traditions of our town.
Traditions give us security and stability. Going through the same familiar rituals from one year to the next unites us as a community and builds camaraderie amongst us. It gives us a common ground where we can all come together for the same purpose.
In addition to the Santa Arrival Parade, my town also has other traditions. The local radio station holds a live on-air auction every January of donated goods, services, and gift certificates, the proceeds of which are given to a local charity or cause.
In March, a Business and Industry Show is held to showcase the area businesses.
The Easter Bunny hosts an Easter egg hunt in the city park every year.
Parades are held on Memorial Day and on the Fourth of July.
Wednesday nights in the summer, the city band plays in the gazebo on the square. Thursday nights, antique and custom car cruise-in rallies are held around the square, and Fridays in late summer and early fall, the area farmers bring their produce to offer for sale at the Farmer's Market.
In the fall, the town hosts a large crafts show at the Barnfest and holds a community Halloween party. It seems there is always some event going on here that brings the people who live here together, and I like that. It seems like a very good thing to me.
On a more personal note, our family has traditions too. One of these is a birthday tradition of going out to eat at a restaurant of the celebrant's choice in honor of his or her birthday. I'm sure many other families have this same tradition or something similar.
My mom turned 80 years old this past Friday, and following our tradition, we took her out to eat. She chose her favorite spot, a local Chinese/American buffet. Our family traditions, just like our community traditions, bring us closer together, and I like that.
This is a picture taken of me with my mother when we went out to dinner.
It is a bit on the fuzzy side, not in focus as it should be, so I decided to play with it a little. Using some photo editing software, I made it look as if it is an old photograph. That way the fuzziness seems to fit right in.
Lord, for community and family traditions and the way they bring us together and for another birthday for my Mom, please let me be truly grateful.
The library where I work has a tradition of its own for this parade. As our entry in the parade, we have people costumed as children's book characters walking alongside our library van. After the parade, kids are invited to come to the library to meet these characters and have their pictures taken with them if they wish. This past week, I was working on creating the banners and signs that will be put on the van for the parade. The banners are to remind everyone that the kids can meet the characters at the library after the parade.
The book characters that will be in this year's parade are Curious George, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Skippyjon Jones. I am very familiar with Curious George, the monkey who often found himself in trouble and who lived with the man with the yellow hat.
I grew up reading those stories as a child and then read them again to my own children.
I was also well-acquainted with the Very Hungry Caterpillar who eats his way through all sorts of things on his way to becoming a butterfly.
I had not heard of Skippyjon Jones, so I investigated and found out that he is a Siamese kitten who thinks he looks like a chihuahua because he has such big ears and a head too big for the rest of him. This is Skippyjon Jones.
I can't tell you how much fun I had designing the banners and signs necessary for the parade. I am very grateful for this job that I have. I am also grateful that my place of business takes part in the traditions of our town.
Traditions give us security and stability. Going through the same familiar rituals from one year to the next unites us as a community and builds camaraderie amongst us. It gives us a common ground where we can all come together for the same purpose.
In addition to the Santa Arrival Parade, my town also has other traditions. The local radio station holds a live on-air auction every January of donated goods, services, and gift certificates, the proceeds of which are given to a local charity or cause.
In March, a Business and Industry Show is held to showcase the area businesses.
The Easter Bunny hosts an Easter egg hunt in the city park every year.
Parades are held on Memorial Day and on the Fourth of July.
Wednesday nights in the summer, the city band plays in the gazebo on the square. Thursday nights, antique and custom car cruise-in rallies are held around the square, and Fridays in late summer and early fall, the area farmers bring their produce to offer for sale at the Farmer's Market.
In the fall, the town hosts a large crafts show at the Barnfest and holds a community Halloween party. It seems there is always some event going on here that brings the people who live here together, and I like that. It seems like a very good thing to me.
On a more personal note, our family has traditions too. One of these is a birthday tradition of going out to eat at a restaurant of the celebrant's choice in honor of his or her birthday. I'm sure many other families have this same tradition or something similar.
My mom turned 80 years old this past Friday, and following our tradition, we took her out to eat. She chose her favorite spot, a local Chinese/American buffet. Our family traditions, just like our community traditions, bring us closer together, and I like that.
This is a picture taken of me with my mother when we went out to dinner.
It is a bit on the fuzzy side, not in focus as it should be, so I decided to play with it a little. Using some photo editing software, I made it look as if it is an old photograph. That way the fuzziness seems to fit right in.
Lord, for community and family traditions and the way they bring us together and for another birthday for my Mom, please let me be truly grateful.
