December 23, 2008 - Wednesday

From everyone in our house,.... to everyone in your house.
~ MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE ~
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The current temperature is -3 degrees
The "feels like" temperature is -18
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 11/-7
Normal H/L temp for this date is 17/-1
It was 43 degrees on this date in 1957
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"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
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L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.
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The date is December, 24th.
It is Christmas Eve Day and every year for more than fifty years on
this day I am reminded of one of the most important lessons my father
ever taught me. Over the years I have come to refer to that lesson as
"Dads Christmas lesson".
I first shared "Dad's Lessen" in the Gazette on Monday December 24,
2001 and since then it has become somewhat of a tradition,.... for me
>>>>
This is the morning when dad (Bill Moe) would start walking around
the
flower shop looking for three (3) of the best plants, vases, or what
ever else would make a nice Christmas gift. He would then put a "SOLD"
sign on them and put them in the back room. The flower shop was always
very busy the day before Christmas. 7 or 8 people working in the shop
and 2 or 3 in the greenhouse with the trees and roping and 3 or 4 cars
delivering both in town as well as all of the surrounding towns within
70+ miles of Grafton.
No matter how busy dad was, he never ever forgot to put away those
three (3) "gifts".
After the gifts were secure. He would sit down (dad was paralyzed)
and make two phone calls. One to the Catholic Priest (Father Garland)
and the other to the minister of the Grafton Lutheran Church. I
overheard one of his conversations. It went kind of like this. Yes
Reverend Megorden, this is Bill. What have you got for me? Then dad
would start writing and every couple seconds or so he would grunt-auh
ha. The total call was about three minutes long. Then, as I left to go
delivering he was dialing the Catholic Church number.
After dads calls whoever was delivering in town would have to
deliver an envelope to each of the two Churches. I had watched
this process go on for several years and finally one day I had to ask
dad. Why the heck (I may have used a stronger word) do you do this every
year.
I think that day was when I not only learned the real
meaning of Christmas. It was the day I "felt", in my heart, the real
meaning of Christmas.
Dad answered, "well you see son. There are a lot of folks in
town with much less than us. They try with everything they have to
celebrate Christmas. They worship the Lord, they are kind to their
neighbors, but they just can't quite come up with the money to buy their
children gifts and provide a good Christmas dinner." Soo, he continued,
"thats, what those envelopes are all about." The three (3) gifts
in the back room? Well dad said. "You see Gary, on the night before
Christmas, after all of the stores uptown have sold most of their good
presents and closed. We always have three (3) guys come in." Worrying
like the dickens and each one saying. What have you got for my wife
Bill? Dad always said those fellows had a little to much egg-nog. I can
tell you the honest fact was, they were drunk. ANYWAY, dad would go in
the back room and bring them out some of the nicest "presents" we had in
the shop.
When I asked dad why he would go through all that trouble for
three "drunks".
Dad simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "but their wives
aren't"......
THANKS DAD, for teaching me the REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS.
FROM PAT AND I, AND ALL OF OURS.
TOO ALL OF YOU AND ALL OF YOURS
M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S
and a Happy New Year.
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Speaking of caring and sharing, especially during this very special
season. I was asked if I might include the following message in the
Gazette. My answer of course was a resounding YES!
The message; >>>>
The Grafton High School Key Club and Student council are establishing a
Ronnie Fellman Memorial Scholarship. The goal is to raise a $5,000
perpetual scholarship and pay out the interest as a yearly scholarship.
If individuals or businesses are interested in donating to the fund
please contact Mr. Jack Maus, Mrs. Marilou Green or Mr. Darren Albrecht
at 701-352-1930.
Thank you. <<<<
Now then, that is the message from them. I would like to remind
everyone that 17 year old Ronnie Fellman left our school system, our
community and our world a significantly better place to live. Ronnie
showed everyone that ever met him, even those who had only heard of him,
the true meaning courage. Ronnie never asked for anything special in
life, except for the chance to participate in it.
Ronnie Fellman was a average 17 year old boy from a average small town
family yet his legacy leaves us with a wealth of courage and positive
attitude that no amount of money could buy.
If you can, please consider helping the Grafton High School Key Club
and Student council establish a Ronnie Fellman Memorial Scholarship.
Folks can bring, or, send donations to the High school. Please make
checks payable to the Ronnie Fellman Scholarship fund.
Wouldn't it be wonderful, and it certainly is a possible, if someone
would send in a check for the whole darn works?
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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"Be who you are and say what you feel.... Because those who mind don't
matter.... and those that matter don't mind."
Or so it seems to me.


Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they
are,..... before it's too late.