Christmas Remembered Celebration.

Step back in time to the late Victorian era and celebrate Precious Moments Chapel’s "Christmas Remembered" festival during November and December, 2000. Beginning on Friday, November 10, the Precious Moment’s Victorian Wedding Island will be transformed to show all of the wonders of Christmas as it was in the early 1900’s.

"Christmas Remembered" will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for extended weekends (Friday-Monday), starting Friday, Nov. 10. The last day of the Celebration is Monday, Dec. 11. Live performances will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays of each weekend (Nov. 11 & 12; 18 & 19; 25 & 26; Dec. 2 & 3; 9 & 10).

"We’re very excited about this event," said Allan VanDenBerg, president and chief executive officer of Precious Moments Chapel Center. "It’s great to offer our guests an opportunity to enjoy the Victorian era not only here at Precious Moments, but throughout the Carthage community."

While visiting Precious Moments in Carthage, MO, guests will want to participate in the numerous other Victorian activities taking place in the community. Activities include the Gallery Exhibit, "Prelude to the New Century: Carthage in 1900", at Powers Museum from Nov. 11 through Dec. 23; Victorian Home Tours on Dec. 2; the Carthage Christmas Parade on Dec. 4; the performance of Charles Dickens’ "A Cricket on the Hearth", by Stone’s Throw Theatre set for Dec. 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17; Civil War Reenactments and special autograph sessions with local artist Andy Thomas and local authors Steve Cottrell and Marvin Van Gilder; Christmas Light Tours on Carthage’s Double Decker Bus on Dec. 8 and 15; and dinners at the Kendrick House with a Christmas Light Tour on the Double Decker Bus following on Dec. 9, 14, and 16. Other activities are also currently being planned.

The "Christmas Remembered" Celebration is sponsored by Beimdiek Insurance Agency, Carthage, and is in cooperation with the Joplin Museum Complex.

"Beimdiek Insurance is proud to sponsor an event that is a coordination of efforts through our Carthage community," said Steve Beimdiek, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Beimdiek Insurance Agency. "Working with organizations in our community is a commitment that our company has made."

"We look forward to the fun activities and events included in the Christmas Remembered Celebration, and invite everyone to come and enjoy the many festivities," said Beimdiek.

Participating organizations include: Precious Moments Chapel Center; Powers Museum; Victorian Carthage; Main Street Carthage; Stone’s Throw Theatre; Civil War Museum; artCentral; Jasper County; and Carthage Chamber of Commerce.

For more information and for a complete listing of activities, please call Precious Moments Chapel at 358-7599 or 1-800-543-7975.

Fall is typically when the "pile shift" takes place at my house. Movin’ the winter piles out and movin’ in the summer piles. This spring and fall ritual is always intended to be a cullin’ process. The struggle of gettin’ rid of those things ya really never use, just hate ta throw ‘em away.

My problem is it seems the piles never diminish much over the years. No matter how much I throw away each season, somehow I accumulate replacements each year. I keep thinkin’ someday I’ll open the barn door and see the entire floor with ever’thing that is occupyin’ space in its proper and useful place. Although it’s hard to judge with any accuracy, I do think there are fewer and smaller piles than before. Hopefully this fall I can muster the courage to uncover a few more square feet of floor space.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Workman's Loan

The Super Handyman

by Al Carrell and Kelly Carrell

We’ve got a fast and easy way to get your next outdoor grill fire off to a super start, and it comes in a can!

A 5-pound coffee can or any can about that size works well. Use a pointed can opener to make holes in the can’s side at the bottom, and then cut out both ends.

Poke two holes near the can’s other end and push wire through them to make a handle.

Set the can into your barbecue pit and fill it with charcoal briquettes. Light them through one of the holes that you made in the can’s bottom, and allow them to burn until they are ready to spread out.

When the briquettes are ready, the can’s handle will be hot, so lift it with gloves or use a large fork.

Now, isn’t that a great way to get briquettes started quickly? It’s a trick that comes in especially handy on a windy day.

Dear Al & Kelly: I usually try to do a thorough checkup on my lawn mower before the mowing season. I also do a mid-season checkup as well. One thing I think is very important to do is to check up under the mower deck itself for rust or heavy buildup of grass.

First thing you should always do before examining the deck is disconnect the sparkplugs so it won’t accidentally start. Remove all the buildup grass. I use a knife to cut it out.

You can prevent a lot of grass buildup if you spray some cooking spray on the surface after you clean it.