You are cordially invited to the annual Christmas candlelight Service at the United Baptist Church in South Jefferson on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. This early evening service promises to fill you and your family with the meaning and beauty of the Christmas season. Afterwards, we hope you will stay and enjoy some fellowship with your neighbors and friends at church.  Also, in keeping with our church tradition, the Christmas Cookie Swap takes place. Just bring a plate of Christmas cookies to share, and take home a delightful variety of sweets from the swap.

Ah! ’Tis the season of wonder and expectation. Yes, even at Hodgdon Green, the assisted-living home in Damariscotta. May all who read this column have a joy-filled and blessed Christmas.

Well, it is dog licensing time once again. If you wait until January, it will be late-charge time. The state says we have to charge it; if we don’t, the town gets in trouble.

In theory, lower taxes make it possible for corporations and investors to invest in businesses like manufacturing and thus create jobs. When energy is factored into the picture, however, questions arise.

As the holidays approach, it is that time again when we enjoy eating delicious foods. As we enjoy our food we may see our pets watching us longingly. Since it is a special occasion and we love to see our pets happy, we think, “a little won’t hurt.” Later, we are awakened in the middle of the night by a vomiting pet.

And so the seasons change. Wham! Not a gentle ease-you-into-it kind of thing either. It was warm one day with temps in the 60s, blue skies, leaves still hanging on nicely with some color yet to enjoy, and then it turned bitter with wind whipping, temps plummeting to single digits and teens, and now we have seen our first cat tracker of the 2017-2018 snow season.