Today’s Read a New Book From Oakland Public Library

Today’s “Read a New Book” pick : “Five Days at Memorial”
Pulitzer Prize winner Sheri Fink’s landmark investigation of patient deaths at a New Orleans hospital ravaged by Hurricane Katrina – and her suspenseful portrayal of the quest for truth and justice.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17704902-five-days-at-memorial

Up on the House Top

“Up on the House Top” is a Christmas song written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864, but the Gene Autry version of it is the one I hear in my head when Christmas rolls around. Although it wasn’t the song I was hearing as I was literally up on the house top putting up Christmas lights this weekend…it was “helpful” comments from my earthbound husband.

To put this scene in perspective, I have always been the decorator…not a good one, but the decorator still the same. When your house is a quarter mile from the road you don’t really worry about the little details. In reality we maybe wouldn’t have ANY decorations on the house if a generous neighbor hadn’t moved to Texas and didn’t want to take all their Christmas decorations with them. We inherited a full house of icicle lights, lighted characters and much more.

These are the same lights I’m using now, only I’ve needed to replace a few strings as the years have gone by. This became problematic as well because the new icicle lights don’t match the old lights. It’s like looking at long straight hair versus a fresh permanent look. Being skeptical, I wondered if the designers and retailers have that in mind so you have to buy multiple, multiple strings of lights instead of one or two. No doubt!  Anyway, thanks to Roy and Donna we have had lights on the house for many years.

Back to the “helpful comments” from my husband sitting on the step stool because he has a bad knee. He said he really thought it might be best if he wasn’t in the house watching the Chiefs and the Broncos football game while I was outside falling off the roof. He did ask if I wanted him to catch me on the fly or on the first bounce. He even created a special verse of the song for me:

“Up on the housetop, Mary paused

I just hope she has good claws,

I told her that she shouldn’t go

‘Cause those lights don’t really show!”

 

Don’t you think this has to put him in the running for “Husband of the Year”?

However, Steve did surprise me one year and welded a 5 foot high Christmas Star for the house out of re-bar. After adding lights to it we hung it on the front porch…where it stayed year round for many years because it was so challenging to get down and move without breaking bulbs. Can you say “Red Neck”? Okay, that was me…only now for the first time the star was taken down last summer by our embarrassed son, only he’s not around to help put it back up!

Now I’m not complaining about Robby, because with his help we had the best house decorations one year.  Being tall, thin and athletic he was easily able to get up on the roof of the second story of the house where he and Katie helped secured two reindeer and a sleigh over the lightning rods making our house Santa’s landing zone. Unfortunately that only happened once, but it really was neat!

Katie has helped with the decorations outside too but lately she has become my Christmas tree and in-house decorator and that is just fine with me!

Obviously you won’t want to put our house on your list to drive by to see the Christmas lights, but I feel we at least made an effort to share the joy of the season as we celebrate the birth of the Light of the World, Jesus.

Besides, the Grandkids think it’s cool too!

 

Mary Loftis,

Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929

Fax: (402) 374-2930

Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu

Read a New Book Month at Oakland Public Library

Celebrating December as “Read A New Book” Month with today’s pick : “The First phone call from Heaven” by Mitch Albom.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17888952-the-first-phone-call-from-heaven?from_search=true

Bancroft Senior Center News

Bancroft Senior Center News

* The senior center provides Information and Assistance to any individual who is looking for services for themselves or another person 60 years and older, the center manager and/or center participant can provide information to individuals on services available within the community. We link individuals to the services and opportunities that are available within or beyond the community itself. We will then establish adequate follow-up procedures to see that their needs were met. For more information call 402-648-3387.

*If you are 60 years and older and need information on programs designed to help keep you in your home longer or if you need legal help, contact Connie at 402-648-3387 or in the evening at 402-648-7648.

* We have the following medical equipment to loan out on an as need basis, wheel chair, bath seats, toilet seat riser and portable toilet chair, crutches or walker. Call 402-648-3387 during office hours.

 

 

 

Weekly Activities:

Wed. Dec. 4: Melody chimes practice at 9:00.  Join us for coffee at 10:00. Come and play rummikub, dominoes or the card game 65 at 1:30.

Thurs. Dec. 5: Pool at 9:30. Join us for Tai Chi at 9:30 and walking exercises at 10:00. Sign up for the pitch tournament at 1:30.

Fri. 6: Pinochle tournament at 1:30. The lunch will be furnished by St. Joe’s Retirement Community.

Sat. Dec.7: We will be having a Cookie Walk and quilt raffle from 11:00 -1:00 at the Community Building. Come and enjoy the music at the evening music jam. Bring finger foods for lunch.

Mon. Dec. 9: Stop in for a cup of coffee. Pastor Emeritus and Mrs. Gary Fugman will   talk at 1:30 and show pictures of their mission trip to Cuba.

Tues. Dec 10: Pool at 9:30.  Tai Chi Class at 9:30 and walking ex. class is at 10:00. Sign up for the pitch tournament at 1:30.

Wed. Dec 11:  Melody chimes practice at 9:00.  Join us for coffee at 10:00. Come and do some Wii bowling at 1:00 and then play bingo at 2:00.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bancroft Senior Center News

* The senior center provides Information and Assistance to any individual who is looking for services for themselves or another person 60 years and older, the center manager and/or center participant can provide information to individuals on services available within the community. We link individuals to the services and opportunities that are available within or beyond the community itself. We will then establish adequate follow-up procedures to see that their needs were met. For more information call 402-648-3387.

*If you are 60 years and older and need information on programs designed to help keep you in your home longer or if you need legal help, contact Connie at 402-648-3387 or in the evening at 402-648-7648.

* We have the following medical equipment to loan out on an as need basis, wheel chair, bath seats, toilet seat riser and portable toilet chair, crutches or walker. Call 402-648-3387 during office hours.

 

Weekly Activities:

Wed. Dec. 4: Melody chimes practice at 9:00.  Join us for coffee at 10:00. Come and play rummikub, dominoes or the card game 65 at 1:30.

Thurs. Dec. 5: Pool at 9:30. Join us for Tai Chi at 9:30 and walking exercises at 10:00. Sign up for the pitch tournament at 1:30.

Fri. 6: Pinochle tournament at 1:30. The lunch will be furnished by St. Joe’s Retirement Community.

Sat. Dec.7: We will be having a Cookie Walk and quilt raffle from 11:00 -1:00 at the Community Building. Come and enjoy the music at the evening music jam. Bring finger foods for lunch.

Mon. Dec. 9: Stop in for a cup of coffee. Pastor Emeritus and Mrs. Gary Fugman will   talk at 1:30 and show pictures of their mission trip to Cuba.

Tues. Dec 10: Pool at 9:30.  Tai Chi Class at 9:30 and walking ex. class is at 10:00. Sign up for the pitch tournament at 1:30.

Wed. Dec 11:  Melody chimes practice at 9:00.  Join us for coffee at 10:00. Come and do some Wii bowling at 1:00 and then play bingo at 2:00.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read a New Book Month

Books have the ability to change your thoughts, perspective, and dreams. This December, find a new favorite book as we celebrate Read A New Book Month. What a better way to spend the holiday break than to curl up with a new story; a journey that will expand your imagination and knowledge. To help you make a new choice, we will be featuring a selection here each day!
Today’s pick is “White Fire”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159011-white-fire

So check out something new today, at the Oakland Public Library.

Starting a Business Takes Preparation

By Carroll Welte

Entrepreneurs say that starting a business can be exciting and daunting at the same time. Many admit having had second thoughts about their success in the early years.

 

Entrepreneurs will tell you the difference between success and failure amounts to how prepared one is from the very start.  Family demands, product feasibility, financial resources, advisors, location, etc. are important considerations. These and a host of other considerations have to be thought through and planned out.

 

UNL Extension will present its NUbizSTART: Are You Ready? program Thursday, December 5^th in Norfolk at the Lifelong Learning Center.  Extension specialists from Lincoln, as well as educators based throughout Nebraska will make presentations from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Northeast Research and Extension Center classroom just inside the west door. Participants will come out of the program with a better understanding of the strengths and talents they have for starting a new business.

 

Register online at http://go.unl.edu/nubizstart or contact Carroll Welte, at 402.374.292 or email cwelte1@unl.edu. To get in on the early bird registration fee of $35, register for the workshop before November 25th.  Those registering after November 25th will be charged $45. The registration deadline is noon on December 2nd.

 

If you are thinking about starting a new business in 2014 you won’t want to miss this important program. For more information about the program content, contact Marilyn Schlake at mschlake1@unl.edu, or call (402) 472-4138.

 

Source:  Carroll Welte, Extension Educator, UNL Extension NEREC/Burt County, 111 N 13^th St. Suite 6, Tekamah, NE  68061, (402) 374-2929, cwelte1@unl.edu.