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“You do your absolute best to find and hone and wield your divine gifts against the dark. You do your best to reach out tenderly to touch and elevate as many people as you can reach. You bring your naked love and defiant courage and salty grace to bear as much as you can, with all the attentiveness and humor you can muster. This life is after all a miracle and we ought to pay fierce attention every moment, as much as possible.” ~ Brian Doyle 

It feels as December should this week—a thin coat of ice on a puddle, chilly mornings huddling under blanketed winter skies. Dry leaves scrape along sidewalks as Christmas lights start to glow in neighborhood houses at night. Even I, a recalcitrant Christmas celebrant this year, feel their warm welcome twinkle. It’s enticing to drive by slowly while admiring and rubbernecking every detail, different colors, who did what, who has their tree where, or who outdid the outside lights. 

Of course, being a small town makes it even sweeter to know the homes and those within, the stories, those lights, and the gifts of that very thing. 

We have some pretty talented holiday decorators around Saluda. I spy large old-fashioned style lights on one porch along a street where everyone decided to get the decorating done by the time a Butterball turkey was riding in the shopping cart.  

Forest-green holly leaves glisten in afternoon light, then evening dark falls as stars spring up over night skies. It’s December. Soon, it’ll be Hometown Christmas and I’ll be scratching my head wondering where the year has gone so fast. Meanwhile, maybe, just maybe, we light some candles, lights, and create a glow for each other in whatever way we can. 

• Historic Saluda Committee meets on December 9 at 2 p.m. at Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks, 38 E. Main Street. The public is invited. For scheduled meetings, updates, or cancellations, visit HSC’s Facebook page.
• Community Table with live music is December 10 at Saluda Center from 5:30 to 7 p.m. To go green, bring your own tableware; donations are appreciated! 
• Saluda’s Hometown Christmas is December 13 from 6-8 p.m. Mountain Song Community Chorus will perform and from 8-8:45 p.m. at Saluda’s First Baptist Church for Saluda’s Ecumenical Carols and Candlelight Service, an interdenominational celebration of faith and endurance led by Saluda pastors.  
• Join in Saluda Open Stage on December 15, 6-8 p.m. at Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street. Sing, perform, dance, or tell a story to an appreciative audience! 
• Mark your calendar for a party with Saluda Living in Place (SLIP) at 10 a.m. at Saluda Center for everyone in our community: oldsters, youngsters and in-betweeners alike with songs of the season led by Hendersonville Ukelele Group, chat with friends and neighbors, give comfort to those still suffering from the effects of Helene, and share stories together plus food. For those who’d like to help our Pop-Up Pantry, bring baking supplies and cooking oils to the party which will be added to the Pantry shelves since these items are needed and not often donated.
• Saluda Sympathy goes to Sharon Wadsworth for the loss of her husband, Doug. Many of you will remember Doug’s bigger-than-life love of music, guitars, photography, books, inventing things, humor and big laugh. 

Happy December birthday to Judy Ward, Holly Wilkes, Theresa Wilkes, Perry Ellwood, Donnie Hunter, Jeff Bradley, Preston Mintz, Carolyn Morgan, Susan Casey, Nikki Ammerman, Cas Haskell, Mary O. Ratcliffe, Laura Fields, Lord Blanton, Beth Brand, Jim Carson, Susan Ansley, Tom DeKay, and Ana Lilburn. Add your birthday to the list! 

Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, (828) 817-6765, P.O. Box 331, Saluda, NC 28773, Facebook, or visit bonniebardos.com