Wednesday, December 21, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Of a certain age…..
By Sue Stafford
Columnist
I’ve always loved snow
days. To a child out of
school due to snow, it meant
sledding on the hill in the
neighbor’s pasture on our
Flexible Flyer wooden sleds.
If we did have school, snow
meant the girls could wear
long pants, the only time we
were allowed to wear pants
to school.
My memories include
building snowmen taller
than me, constructing snow
forts from which we bom-
barded the other neighbor-
hood kids with snowballs,
and, of course, snow angels
all over the yard. When we
finally did come inside, tired
and wet, we would put our
frozen hands under cold
water and it felt warm. I had
the good fortune of being in
grade school in Portland in
the early 1950s, when we
had a number of winter days
that approached the recent
snowfall here in Sisters.
When my own children
were young, snow days
meant hours outside with
them, sledding and doing all
the same things I had done
when I was young. We even
had one of my old sleds,
with metal runners, which
we kept waxed for speed.
Sometimes while the
kids played, all the moms
would gather at one house
for coffee and cookies, and
share concerns of being
young mothers in subur-
ban Bellevue. When the
snow was particularly deep,
and our long driveway was
impassable, I would round
up my younger kids, pile
them on a sled, and I’d pull
them as I walked the mile
to our local grocery store.
The return trip found the
groceries on the sled, while
the offspring frolicked,
teased, and threw innumer-
able snowballs at each other
and me.
Those special days, when
the outside world slowed
down or stopped, are among
my favorite memories of my
own childhood and of being
a young mother. I’ve never
lost my excitement when
those first tentative flakes
start to fall, hoping that this
will be the big one. Well, I
certainly got my wish last
week. Between the two
snowstorms, my deck accu-
mulated about 20 inches of
snow.
Each morning, first thing,
I eagerly peek through the
bedroom curtain to see what
Mother Nature left during
the night. The temperatures
have stayed cold enough to
maintain the pristine white
of the winter world. The
last super moon of the year
reflected off the snow, turn-
ing night into almost-day.
The silence created by
a heavy blanket of snow
brings me peace and a snug
feeling of security inside
my warm home, with ample
groceries stored away in the
kitchen.
As this latest snowstorm
lingers, and overnight tem-
peratures plummet into the
subzero range, my thoughts
often turn to those within
our community who are sub-
sisting out in the elements,
simply trying to stay alive.
The efforts to establish a
cold-weather shelter, sched-
uled to open on January 1
at Westside Church, warm
my heart greatly. Close to
60 community members
attended a training meeting
last week, led by gentlemen
from the Shepherd’s House
shelter in Bend and the
Year-round
Are They Hard
To Buy For?
We’ll make their vehicle
like new again!
Detailing cars, trucks, farm
equipment, boats & RVs.
FIREWOOD
SALES
— Kindling —
Redmond shelter.
It takes great dedication
and energy to get a project
like the shelter up and run-
ning. It also takes many
willing hands, actually staff-
ing the shelter or provid-
ing food and other needed
materials.
While I can revel in won-
derful memories of fun in
the snow, for those who find
themselves without shelter,
snow and cold is the enemy.
We are only two weeks
away from the shelter open-
ing its doors, but that must
feel like an eternity to some-
one huddled in minus-zero
temperatures.
I never take for granted
my good fortune of having
a home, a car, a part-time
job as a writer, and basically
pretty decent health. That
good fortune also affords
me the opportunity to share
my time, talent and treasure
with those among us who
could use a little compassion
and support.
I will be doing my first
overnight shift at the Sisters
Cold Weather Shelter from
midnight to seven in the
morning during the first
week in January.
Rather than fussing over
one seven-hour shift that
will require me to remain
awake and functioning, I am
grateful to have the oppor-
tunity to reach out to my
fellow travelers, offering
warmth and safety.
I hope you will consider
joining me in the commu-
nity-wide effort to provide
shelter from the winter cold
right here in Sisters. There
are still plenty of slots on the
schedule left to fill.
We, like each crystalline
snow flake, have our own
unique design — our indi-
vidual gifts, abilities and
interests — and when we
gather them all together to
work on a collective goal,
there will be an aggregate
beauty like that of the blan-
ket of snow now covering
Sisters. Unlike the cold of
the snow blanket, however,
our blanket of love will pro-
vide warmth.
My very best wishes for
a blessed and magical holi-
day season! Let’s all work
together to make 2017 a very
special year in this charming
little town we call home.
Let there be peace on earth.
Let it begin with me.
Dr. Bonnie Malone, Chiropractic Physician / 541-549-7141
—
—
SISTERS
FOREST PRODUCTS
541-410-4509
SistersForestProducts.com
Gift
certifi cates
available.
Call 541-647-8794
102 W. Barclay Dr., Sisters
ARE YOU READY FOR EXTREME WINTER DRIVING?
Tire Chains
Unwrap
Christmas
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PASSENGER CHAIN
RETURN PROGRAM:
An economical choice!
Quick Fit™ Diamond
Th ey take the work and frustration out of
using tire chains. Th ey go on and off quickly
and fi t right to provide excellent traction
during tough winter driving conditions.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Begins at 6 p.m.
If you don’t use your passenger
car chains, return them for a
full refund aft er the last legal
date for studded tires.
(Does not apply to the
Quick Trak traction device.)
Join us at Sisters Church of the Nazarene for a wonderful
start to your Christmas celebration. Th e service is geared for
the whole family as we sing carols together, see the
Puppet Team perform, and enjoy the Christmas story.
More than
455 locations
throughout the West!
From Sisters, take Hwy. 20 toward Bend. Turn right on Gist Road
(past the rodeo grounds). Follow to Harrington Loop Road and turn
left. Th e church is on the left at 67130 Harrington Loop Rd.
LesSchwab.com
For more info go to www.sistersnaz.org or call 541-647-4838.
SISTERS LES SCHWAB
600 W. HOOD AVE. • 541-549-1560
REDMOND PRINEVILLE
845 NW 6th
1250 East 3rd
541-548-4011
541-447-5686
MADRAS
La PINE
541-475-3834
541-536-3009
BEND-SOUTH BEND-FRANKLIN BEND-NORTH
1412 SW Hwy. 97 52596 N. Hwy. 97 61085 S. Hwy. 97
541-385-4702
105 NE Franklin
63590 Hunnell Rd.
541-382-3551
541-318-0281