Last Saturday was a busy day for your writer. The Delta Kappa Gamma Christmas Brunch was help at Duck Pond Manor, Sparta at 10am in the morning. The White County, DeKalb-Warren County Chapters joined together for a wonderful meal and tour of this historical home. Those attending form the DeKalb-Warren County Chapter were the following: Kerry Mullican, Michelle Burklow, Susan Hinton, Donna Alexander, Shirley Douglas, Christy Farless, Mary Ann Carpenter, Linda Parris, Lisa Bell, Louise Frazier, and Lisa Cripps. We enjoyed visiting with several friends from the White County Chapter, and our lovely group.

In the afternoon my daughter, Lisa Cripps, and I parked to watch the Smithville Parade.

We really enjoyed seeing the band, queens, etc. It was an exciting event. After the parade Lisa bought a few things at the sale in the complex. We proceeded home to complete our home decorations with our outside planters being filled with cedar and red berry branches from off the yard bushes. We have two inside and one outside tree up with beautiful lights. The one outside is made from an idea we saw in a magazine some years ago. Lisa takes a large tomato basket, ties the ends together, and puts lights all around it. We mount it around a large round planter on the front porch and hook it up to an indoor light switch. This is one of the most enjoyable, easies decorations we do every year. Everything is complete with the exception of our formal table setting, which will come later. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

We look forward to family parties, laughter, and making sweet memories. The churches are preparing CHRISTmas events. We hope you find one to attend.

Our get well wishes go out to the neighbor and friend Georgie Hawker, educator Karen Jacobs, baby Lela Young, and the Gatlinburg families. Our community extends sympathy to the Spurlock family and the loved ones recently lost to the fire in Smithville.

Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helment. 1 Thessalonians 5:8