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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 2017)
Wednesday, November 29, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 21 THE MILL PARTY: Unwrapping a gift from childhood — Continued from page 20 — of an aristocracy in our county, no family who wasn’t touched directly or indirectly by the fortunes of the mill. We were all in it together, come what may, and we never went hungry. None of that has ever left me. If anything, those days are so deeply ingrained that I can’t smell fresh-sawn lumber without thinking of my step-dad’s work clothes hanging in the laundry room, see his battered blue hardhat sitting on the dryer next to his worn-out old gloves, or see in my mind’s eye the towering decks of timber sitting in the summer sunlight, watered by sprinklers, waiting to be fed into the sawmill. And there were good times, too. In this season of giving thanks, I am grate- ful for memories of the Mill Party, a Christmas bash for the sawmill men and their families when the lumber industry was humming, before it was sacrificed to know-it-alls in the special-interest and political cabals, then crated up and shipped off-shore to support other families, in some other country, some- where else in the world. For the Mill Party — which to a young boy was the biggest single event of the holiday season — families would gather at the fair- grounds, hundreds of people in their modest Sunday best, and each child was called up to the front of the room by a huge man dressed as Santa Claus to receive a present. Santa would draw your name out of a hat, or a box, or whatever it was, and you walked up there in front of everyone to embrace a gift that not only meant something about Christmas, but about what it meant to live in a community of people who knew what hard times really look like, knew how to spread the wealth when things were better, and worried fiercely about the future of an industry they had invested their lives and the fortunes of their families in seeing succeed. And I can remember those years, which was most of them, when I would ask my parents when the Mill Party was, and they didn’t have an answer. As an adult I can see that silence for what it really was, and I am grateful for the strength and the grace they had to shield their children from the worries they carried in their chests like a hot, heavy stone. The mill is gone now, mostly torn down to a rusty shell of its former self. It is the way of things. But I will never be able to pass that place between the train tracks and the Susan River without hearing the noon-whistle, or remembering that long walk down the aisle toward an exhausted lumberman dressed as Santa Claus, who handed me a present with a smile. And I know now that whatever it might have been when I was a small boy, a Tonka truck or a brace of silver six-shooters, I will be unwrapping that gift for the rest of my life. The Cott onwood Caf It’s the holiday season. Your house is full of guests and good cheer, but you don’t have time to cook for everyone all the time. Lighten your load and go where the locals go when they’re looking for a delightful breakfast or lunch in a cozy and welcoming setting: The Cottonwood Café. Enjoy the best local ingredients, art- fully prepared, with lots of seasonal spe- cials and vegetarian and gluten-free options. Gift the gift of this delightful experience with a gift certificate for The Cottonwood Café (fits nicely in a stocking). This festive, welcoming, magical cottage with the white picket fence is open for extended hours during the holidays: they’re closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — then open every day from December 26 through January 2, 2018. Breakfast starts at 8 a.m., is served all day; and lunch starts at 11 a.m. The Pony Express Even Santa Claus needs some help getting Christmas packages where they need to go. Good thing Sisters Country can turn to The Pony Express. The Pony Express has wonderful Christmas paper, holiday-themed packaging, Christmas cards in packs and as singles and all the accesso- ries you need to gussy up your gifts. Then they’ll get it off to its destination for you, making every- thing convenient for one-stop shipping. They can ship most anything, so if you’ve got something unusual to send off, ask how they can help. Be sure to check the adjacent ad for shipping deadlines, so your gifts get to their destina- tion on time. Come to The Pony Express for friendly, hometown service. Everyone from the North Pole to the Pacific Northwest appreciates it! For online shopping, giveaways, open-house dates and more visit facebook.com/lularoejenniferhaken Personal Shopping Appointments & Gift Certifi cates Available Jennifer Haken, 541-815-2763 DETOX PROGRAM JANUARY 11-23 SIG SIGN G UP WITH A FRIEND AN N YOU BOTH RECEIVE AND A 10% DISCOUNT! Mention this ad to receive discount S PA AT F I V E P I N E ShibuiSpa.com Shibui i Spa com | 720 Buckaroo B Trail, Sisters | 541-549-6164 For Individuals & Families Make your emotional wellness a priority this holiday season Counseling, medication management, and testing Audry Van Houweling PMHNP-BC Quick and Affordable Help 541-595-8337 • www.shesoarspsych.com 102 E. Main Ave., Downtown Sisters Celebrate the Season at Cottonwood Café full bar, gluten-free/vegetarian options always available Gift Certifi cates Available Extended Holiday hours: Th -Tues 8-3, plus open every day December 26 through January 2 403 E. Hood Ave. | 541.549.2699 BREWER SAYS... LAST DAY TO SHIP UPS... Ground: Wednesday 12/13 3-day: Tuesday 12/19 2-day: Wednesday 12/20 Overnight: Thursday 12/21 LAST DAY TO SHIP FEDEX... Ground: Wednesday 12/13 3-day: Monday 12/18 2-day: Wednesday 12/20 Overnight: Thursday 12/21 Mon.-Fri., 9-5, Sat., 9-1 • 160 S. Oak St., Sisters • 541-549-1538
