NOVEMBER 8 – Now that the election is over, whether it went the way you wanted or not, it is time to set aside all of the negative atmosphere that has been swirling about us. Negativity breeds negativity and with the approaching holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas it is time to turn our thoughts to happier things.

SAIL ON, O SHIP OF STATE!

In 1849, the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a poem entitled “The Building of the Ship.” At a time of growing strife between North and South, it was intended as a plea for national unity. It might be appropriate today to remember some of these lines:

“Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State! Sail on, O UNION, strong and great! Humanity with all its fears, With all the hopes of future years, Is hanging breathless on thy fate! We know what Master laid thy keel, What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel, Who made each mast, and sail, and rope, What anvils rang, what hammers beat, In what a forge and what a heat, Were shaped the anchors of thy hope! Fear not each sudden sound and shock, 'Tis of the wave and not the rock; 'Tis but the flapping of the sail, And not a rent made by the gale!

In spite of rock and tempest's roar, In spite of false lights on the shore, Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea, Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee, Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears, Our faith triumphant o'er our fears,

Are all with thee — are all with thee!”

It has been said that Abraham Lincoln was moved to tears as he listened to this verse.

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS

A REMINDER: The Women of the United Methodist Church will hold their Annual Turkey Dinner on Saturday, November 10, at the Abilene Community Center. Take-out will be available from 4 to 5 p.m. Sit-down dinner will be served from 5 to 7 p.m. Everything is home-cooked and delicious – roast turkey and all the fixin's. Tickets are $8 for adults; $4 for children. Advance tickets are available from any of the Women of the Church and tickets will be available at the door. For more infor-mation or to purchase tickets, contact Betty Gryder at 223-8343.

The next meeting of the Abilene Homemakers Club will be at 1 p.m. on Monday, November 12, at the Abilene Community Center. We will be working on Christmas goodie bags for area nursing homes. We'd love to have you join us.

If any of you like to partake of the grape, The Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival at Poplar Forest is on Saturday, November 17, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Advance Tickets are $20; $25 on the day of the event. Tickets and more information are available online at www.thomasjeffersonwinefestival.com or call 434-534-8120. I hope to see you there!

Birthday wishes go out to Carl Crigger who will celebrate Nov. 10, Stephen Nelson Nov. 12, Ralph Neilson and Barbara Ac-ton who will celebrate on Nov. 16, Glenn Johnson Nov. 20, and Grant Cooper Nov. 23.

Anniversary wishes go out to David and Barbara Acton who will celebrate on Nov. 18.

If you have any announcements or news that you would like to share, please call me at 223-2271 or e-mail me at kz5ro@kinex.net.