The Alexandria Times-Tribune from Alexandria, Indiana • Page 5

Alexandria Tknea-Trtburw, Wednesday, December 20, 2000 PAGS Traditions BUI and Gloria Gartner Local musicians and songwl. Bin and Gloria Gaither have 5 Christmas traditions that they-? continued since their now children were quite young. "First. our Christmas start the family. We always put those on the tree.

We also have ornaments from Cyndee's deceased mother and a special set of ceramic sleigh bells that I have had since I was a child." Joe and Jan Lustlg With nine children, three grandchildren, and some of Joe's siblings in attendance, one would assume the Christmas celebration at Joe and Jan Lustig's house is a rather raucous event with a large grocery bin. Jan Lustkj doesnl disagree. "It's just a wonderful, normal, mass of humanity," she says. "We hide stockings aft over the house, in places like the showers, the dryers, and everyone has to find their own stockings. If they find someone else's they still canl tell where ft is.

And we always put shoes out for Si Nicholas Day." Unwrapping presents could potentially take a very long time. Each one of the children take turns opening one present at a time while everyone else watches. There's a quiche warming in the oven and we eat it for breakfast before going off to mass," Jan said. Jan and the two youngest children, John, 11 and Micah, 8, attend midnight mass, but the rest of the family attends mass Christmas morning. "Everyone is bedded down all over in any available space.

The younger kids are glad to have their older siblings home and everyone just scoots over and makes room for everyone else. We have some children playing basketball in the living room, some playing with 'Connects', some cooking, some eating, some chatting, reading stories to younger kids. There are cheerleaders and piano-playing, little Tykes basketball, drum rolls, pretend announcers, and visitors all over the stairways." since they were bom. We gave Traci her ornaments when she got married and got her own home. But we still hang others on the family tree In the front room.

We still buy the kids their ornaments and we hang them on the tree with really old icicle ornaments from Connie's mother's estate. Now after all these years, the family tree is really getting overloaded." We decorate the house extensively for the December open house. We have at least eight trees, many of them themed trees. But our family tree is always in the front room." Nadlne Wllholte The owner of The Sweet Shoppe does enjoy her own candy: 1 make about 300 to 400 pounds of candy for Christmas and since I close in January, whatever is leftover always goes home with me. My family has come to count on me bringing home the leftovers for their gifts.

Being in the candy business, I don't have a lot of spare time right before Christmas, so I have to Christmas shop on my days off or give everyone candy. I make turtles, caramels, cherry cordials, fudge, toffee, peanut butter varieties, and all kinds of cakes and cookies. Whatever is left, the family eats. I tease my daughters, Amber and Angle, that their husbands and fiancees stayed with them because I own a candy shop that's how much they both like my peanut butter candy. I don't have to cook on Christmas morning though.

My husband Bennie always makes omelettes for breakfast every Christmas morning. Then we clean up and unwrap our presents. We visit with our parents in Anderson where we have a pitch-in dinner and chill for awhile. That's about it. We have a normal family Christmas." Sara Cook The Executive Director of the New Horizon Maternity Home has to provide Christmas options for the girls and babies in her care, as well as plan her own holiday activities.

"We leave the option open for the girls to either stay here or go to other places. This year all of our girls are either going to stay with extended families somewhere or with local families that have arranged to take them for the week that we are closed. Some of the girls go home with grandparents, or aunts' and uncles, sometimes staffers take them home with them. This week off gives a little extra break to our office help. We only have one baby due anytime soon, Jan.

1 8, arid we hope he or she stays where they are. We don't want any early Christmas vacation deliveries." As for myself, I'll be with my family in Columbus, Ohio. My sister and I always have an Advent calendar and we mark each day Our family always celebrates Santa Lucia Day On the first Sunday in Advent, the oldest girl in the family dresses in white and wears a crown of candles on. her mas person. My sister comes into town from Charlotte, N.C., after Christmas, so we celebrate on the 26th when the whole family gets here.

On Christmas Day, my wife and I just exchange gifts we bought for each other." For someone who claims to be a Christmas Scrooge, Hensley has been known to don a Santa suit In the past and become a "Santa's Helper" going house to house and telling the children of other firemen that they have to wont hard in school and be good. "You should have seen their faces when I told them I had been talking to their teachers. Sometimes I just waved and ran past porches. They looked so astonished. But now my suit Is put away and I am a retired Santa." Trudy Umberger Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Director Trudy Umberger says her Christmas all revolves around family.

"I was raised by foster parents and so to me, my family means everything to me. Our actual Christmas celebration begins with Alexandria's Dickens Christmas. We always put our tree up right after that. Then the weekend before Christmas we have several family gatherings. On Christmas Eve, my husband David and I drive around looking at all the Christmas lights.

On Christmas Day our daughter Tricia comes home, we have a big breakfast and open presents. Our menu at home "that day is usually just pots of soup and various sandwiches because we have all had so many heavy meals over the holiday season. When the Umberger side gets together that afternoon" there is a big crowd and we have a carry-in dinner and open our presents with them. Afterwards David and I go home and sit in front of the fireplace, eating a little more, listening to Christmas music and looking at the tree. For us, the whole holiday is about family, being together, unconditional giving, and being in the spirit of Santa.

That's what the. holiday season is all about." Chip and Cyndee McFerran Alexandria School Board president Chip McFerran starts his Christmas by attending midnight mass with his family at St. Mary's Catholic Church. After mass the kids, Michelle and Michael, both 6, get bedded down, while Chip and his wife Cyndee finish putting up the last of the tree trimmings. "We get up bright and early, about 6 a.m.

At least it seems bright and early after getting home late from midnight mass," McFerran says. The kids open their gifts and we prepare to spend the rest of Christmas Day celebrating with Cyndee's family." "We've been married almost 18 years and each year we've gotten special ornaments from both sides of head in a wreath. She serves a breakfast of coffee cake to her parents. We do that every year. This year since I won't be home on that weekend, my sister will do the duties.

My dad is a pastor, so we canl go away from home on Christmas. We go to Christmas Eve service at his church, then on Christmas we always read the Christmas Story before we open presents. We also hide a bird somewhere in the Christmas tree and whoever finds gets a special present. My mom is all about tradition. She buys ornaments for each of us each year for our own trees.

And she makes tree trimming a special family event with hot chocolate and Christmas music." John and Beverly Cox The owner of Cox Supermarket may be one of the few people in town who doesn't have to worry about running out of a needed ingredient on Christmas day after the grocery stores are closed. "I go in and check the refrigeration units twice on Christmas Day. I usually have all the groceries home already long before Christmas. But I must confess, one year I was in checking refrigeration and I saw a can of cashews. I love cashews, really love them.

I looked at those and thought, 'I guess I can afford to take home that can of cashews this so I did. I had never splurged on cashews before but now I can and I did. The store is open on Christmas Eve until 6 p.m. and I usually get home around 7. Then our entire family gets together on Christmas Eve.

Our two children Lance Cox and Erika Brown, both come over, along with some nieces and nephews. On Christmas Day we all have a big dinner with our parents, all my brothers and the grandkids. We have about the same menu as Thanksgiving, but this year we are having ham loaf, since we all love ham loaf and we are having a ham on Christmas Eve. We exchange gifts and visit and I eat my cashews." Fire Chief Mike Hensley As some firefighters have to spend their Christmas on duty at the fire station, they try and make it seem as much like Christmas as possible. 7 "We put up a little tree at the station and for four people on the Christmas shift, it will just be like any other normal day.

Usually people bring food into thestation and they cook a ham or turkey and whatever goes with that. If they live in town, sometimes they will have their kids come to the station and spend some time during the day. People in town often bring in pies, yeast rolls, and fruit baskets and that makes Christmas special too." "Personally, our Christmas is really boring. We don't realty any-'thfrfg spectacular arid I'm really kind of a Scrooge. I'm not really a Christ- Thanksgiving afternoon.

dinner we start creating omarf for our outdoor tree," Gloria cently. "We make pine cones: ered in peanut butter and bird-' 1'-, oranges hollowed out and fillet. suet and birdseed, cranberrieV on string, peanuts tied thing the wildlife win eat. trays and trays of these ornaments and aB the kids join in. Then wgfeke them outside and decorate pine tree.

It has been a tradittcKfuy house as long as I can remerrjfrir.lV: teaches us to remember meaning of Christmas giving. T.f '-J the powerless. And no one sk j5 powerless than wildlife in the wo' "We also nave always hung-c died, jellied fruit slices in red, vt and orange on our indoor ChrlCn trees. These are the jellied, ttjrx! sour fruit slices vou see at stoffe Cracker Barrel. We them from hooks and then tflfctfcp get to eat them.

They add soma color to the tree and they really arerAbad for the kids to eat," yfct On Christmas morning 1 get up and make a huge poti jof chipped beef gravy and the bestjfcjs-quits you ever tasted for breakfast is the only time all year that chipped beef gravy. I really6wt know why, but I've been doing it forever. I guess I need to get out there and buy the chipped Sometimes ft is hard to find; everyone buys ft up for cheese-tit she laughs. Beyond that, Gloria says ily always reads the Christmav and her children have alwayvsletft around the Christmas tree injshdj-ing bags. They started that aswi-ren and now they are continuing (fife tradition with the next geneCWrC "We are fortunate to have families here in the local area" all get together with our tp" Bill's parents.

That is what If Christmas special. It is all Sling together, sharing and giHt Penny Stevens i As manager of Gaither Fanjojf $-sources, Penny Stevens tirkfkm weeks before Qhristmas verj'1. Christmas for the Stevens 'involves family celebrations awftfte reading of the Christmas Story. "We have a very traditional, peaceful Christmas," Stevens says. "W-etay home, open presents, always, epd Ire just 'a day to iniPdown Tromvall the hectic schedule around the holiday season." GED You can study for your.i learn to read, or work on matt'v with free classes through Hinds Career Center at area sites.

Classes meet a vat, Jf hours to match your scheduiltnj free child care is available morning classes. For more infoTt-tion call Polly or Nancy at 552-teJsj, ext. 1523. "I love to cook and we have a huge meal of turkey and all the trimmings, pumpkin pies for breakfast, raw apple cake, chocolate, always chocolate, and wine. It makes for a fun grocery bill when everyone is home.

I cook and everyone helps. Then everyone pitches in to help clean up." Shortly after Christmas the family- -joins Jan's family at a rented Legion hall in Southern Indiana where they re-celebrate Christmas with about 90 --relatives. There we all play football and basketball the rest of the day," Jan says. "It's really hard when all the older kids leave after the holidays. For the three left at home, all the excitement ends and there is nothing but silence.

I always miss all the chaos. It is always easier to welcome a new baby into the house than to say goodbye to the older kids when they leave. Hopefully, the circle of life will mak90r sure I never have to 'suffer Wm empty nest syndrome. By the time my youngest leave, our house should be filled with grandchildren." i conttinMd from p9 hristmas. Usually I make a pork roast with herbs.

All the kids, Brad, Jenny, Noah, Andy, Leeann, and Nick join us for dinner. I usually work Christmas Eve, but I get a reak this year because it's on Sunday. Still I cook every night and I do cook on Christmas, although if not always some big traditional dinner (hat we repeat the menu on each year. We have one Christmas tradition. We hide a tin pickle ornament somewhere on the Christmas tree and whoever finds ft gets a special present Other than that, we have a Eretty normal, ordinary Christmas ist like everyone else." Steve and Betty Teller The High School' Principal and his wife make Christmas a quiet, special time away from the bustle of high school life, "We have one Christmas tradition that really happens before Christmas Day.

We go to Indianapolis' and spend the night down there. We eat at St. Elmo's Steakhouse and go to the place where I proposed to Betty, on Monument Circle. We stay at nice hotel somewhere and just the peace and quiet. Where Christmas is concerned, 'we're real low-key about it.

It is a day 'for us to be peaceful and quiet The 'kids, Kyle Manship and Matt Telfer, come in and Betty loves giving away homemade candy. Betty's a great cook, so she always cooks at home for the holidays. Each year we get a tree at Ratliff's Farm in New Castle. We have collected ornaments as we've traveled, so we put them on the tree each year. We just spend Christmas as a quiet, peaceful, time to be at home together." Mike and Connie Thomas The Alexandria Director of Leisure Activities and Christmas decorator for the city, also spends a great deal of time readying his own house for the annual open house he and his Connie host for Alexandria.

"When we first got married, we spent the holiday time running all over between families. When our kids grew up we decided we wouldn't make them do than Our children, Traci and Dennis Lane and daughter Elizabeth, and son, Scott Thomas, both live in Alexandria. We get together for a meal and buy presents for the kids. Usually we fix ham or turkey and have Connie's sisters over. Our families are getting more and more spread out each year and it is getting harder and harder to get our siblings together.

Our tradition is one of collecting ornaments. We have been buying an ornament for each child each year Letters to In addition to providing the Times-Tribune with interviews, Santa and Mrs. Claus shared with us some of the letters they have received from local children. These are just a sample, as we do not begin to have enough space to print all the letters they have received from the local area. 'Santa: I want a red dalmation purse, "My Dream Baby" doll, N-Sync compact disk, compact disk bracelets and new colored pens.

Oliver would like a toy mouse. Or anything else you would like to give "me. Valarle and Oliver (Editor's Note: We suspect Oliver wrote this one.) Dear Santa, I've been practicing the piano very hard and we have new letter people at school. The kitten, Oliver, would like a toy mouse, and he wishes he had a Garfield pillow toy. I would like a Dalmation purse, purple Barbie with a baby, soft fluffy brown teddy bear to sleep with.

"My Dream Baby" baby, doll, Pokemon cards and any surprises. Me and Oliver love you Santal Love, Valarie Skaggs and Oliver Dear Santa, I have been a good boy most of the time. Here is my list this year TV, Leggos, VCR, games, videos, yellow firer trucks, cd player, cars, pants size 31-34 snap shirts side med. 15-15 underware colored size small, new pj, snow pants black, drawing paper, markers, new r'5iend to sleep wi89th, boats, boots, gloves, hat, markers, trinky, lots of surprises. Don't forget my dogs and cats.

Josh McCllsh Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth! B. Taylor 9 Shadow the tent, Fisher-Price, rooid hood, magic castle, vtech, jammin draw, fas lane. Unsigned Dear Santa, Here are some of the things I would like for Christmas: Lego train, wash Lego dina, re Gift Drivo The Family Christian Book Stores has generously agreed to help supply the residents of New Horizon Maternity Home with much-needed Christian materials like books, devotionals, and CDs. In order to do this, the store has offered to match the amount of any gift certificate purchased until Dec 22. To help, purchase a gift certificate at the store, let the cashier know that it is for New Horizon, and send the certificate to New Horizon.

This allows double the support for the project. For more information call Sara Cook at New Horizon, 724-3881. Santa search compound, stuffed misfit, squirt gun, hot wheels car wash, a wood kit, some surprises. Love Andy Brandi's X-mas list 1. hairbeeds.

2. Genarathion girl torie. 3. A Barbie. 4.

Backstreet poster. 5. CDs and CD player. 6. The Road to 1 doodo movie.

7. New shoes and some close. 8. CD Mod-ana Mcuisc. 9.

CD Black and Blue BSB. 10. CD sclub. Dear Santa, My name is Hayla Jordan. I'm 3 years old.

My Aunt Debbie is helping me write this. She showing me what letters to write. I have been a good girl. (Thats what Aunt Debbie says.) This is what I would like for Christmas: Barbie, make up, Santa hat, coloring book, washable markers, new moives, earrings, Christmas bear, stampers, lots of surprises. I will leave you some cookies and a coke.

Love your friend Hayla P.S. Don't forget my dog Taw and my cat Callie. And my mom, she needs something tool Wednesday 1 ribune 50' mm la The ALEXANDRIA imes is available at the following convenient NEWSSTAND LOCATIONS On Cabin Cuisine Soup Hitasiite by the cup or pot Walker's Shortbread jl Abbott's Caramels Lindt Chocolates jl Elmwood Inn Tea frr3n paper? ii DP Cabin Cuisine Hot Chocolate ALEXANDRIA The Office Restaurant General Store CVS Ricker's Hi-Way Cafe Strong's Market Tobacco Road Village Pantry Cox Supermarket The Alex Bakery Steve's Pizza Speedway Groovy Movies SUMMITVILLE Handy Andy ORESTES Sherry's Pantry i jl Retreat Aromatherapy Bath Items ijl hizzmos Monday thru Saturday, 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. 307 North Harrison Alexandria 724-9039 Shoplj'i:.