December 2020 Volume 2, Issue 5
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
CONTENTS ~ Cover Story ~
Halloween at Sterling Lakes - Pages 4-7
Sterling Lakes in Iowa Colony hosted a drive-thru Halloween for the residents. While festive music played, the emcee greeted the passengers.
~ Local Business Directory ~ Pages 8
The Business Directory is great for connecting the community with local businesses.
~ Feature ~
Meridiana Fall Festival - Pages 9-10
Meridiana in Iowa Colony hosts festival fun for residents
~ Birthday Corner ~
Birthday Photo Submitted - Page 12 Submit your birthday photos for next edition
~ Guest Columns ~ Pages 13-14
Just Another Voice & The Postscript
Enjoy Writing? We’re looking for feature articles about your community. Contact Donna 281-331-4421 officemanager@alvinsun.net 2
DECEMBER 2020
2020
DECEMBER 2020
3
Sterling Lakes Community hosted a drive-thru to treat the younger residents and allow the adults to have fun, too.
4
DECEMBER 2020
LIFESTYLE
Two very happy
Sterling Lakes
residents received balloon animals, candy & cookie decorating kits
More photos on Page 6
DECEMBER 2020
5
Continued from Page 5
Left: Iowa Colony PD volunteered to hand out candy to youngsters Below: Sterling Lakes security officers joined in to help deliver cookie decorating kits to families as they came through the line
More photos on Page 7
6
DECEMBER 2020
See below an up close view of the Cookie Decorating Kit that was handed out to Sterling Lakes residents at the drive thru Halloween trail
Cookie Decorating Kit
DECEMBER 2020
7
Local Business DIRECTORY New to the area?
Need help around the house?
“It’s reassuring to know who to call.”
8
DECEMBER 2020
How to involve kids with holiday baking The holiday season is steeped in tradition. Many holiday traditions are centered around food, with much of the focus on all of the decadent treats and desserts taking center stage at many family gatherings. Many parents hope to involve their children in as many family holiday traditions as they can. Holiday baking is one kidfriendly tradition, and parents can make it even more so by taking a few simple steps before they get started. • Purchase kid-friendly baking equipment. Bakers rely on lots of tools to make cookies, cakes and other delicacies. That equipment is even available in kids’ sizes. Kids may be more excited about baking if they have their own equipment, and such gear also can make it easier for them to lend a hand. A spatula made for youngsters can make it easier for kids to move cookies from a baking sheet to a platter, while colorful measuring cups and their own whisk can excite youngsters about baking. • Plan ahead. Seasoned bakers know that it’s imperative to have the right supplies, including ingredients, on hand before beginning a baking session. That’s even more necessary when baking with kids, who might not be as patient as moms and dads hope if a baking session has to be paused to run to the store for a missing ingredient or to dig out some tools from the back of the pantry. Plan ahead by setting everything out and assembling all the necessary ingredients the night before you plan to bake. • Delegate wisely. Young kids may want to
do everything mom and dad do, but baking is a delicate science that requires careful attention to detail and a strict adherence to recipes. So it’s important that parents delegate wisely when involving children in holiday baking. Whisking, stirring and topping off cookies with frosting and sprinkles are fun, kidfriendly tasks. • Add some fun foods to the menu. If you plan to bake holiday cookies, purchase kidfriendly holiday cookie cutters before your baking session so youngsters have as much fun as possible. Kids may have more fun if they get to make Santa Claus, Frosty or Rudolph cookies. • Make a mess. Don’t be afraid to get a little messy when baking with children. Moms and dads may love a clean kitchen, but kids tend to have more fun in the kitchen when things get a little messy. Douse each other with a little flour and make a joke of things if some ingredients find their way onto the counter or the floor instead of into your mixing bowl. Parents can make the holiday baking that much more fun by letting their kids pitch in this year.
Fall Festival
Cake Walk at Meridiana
Cake Walk Winner
DECEMBER 2020
9
Fall Festival Booths Painting Pumpkins
Waiting In Line For Balloon Art Pretzel Desserts
Food Truck
Hair Accessories
Holiday Wreaths 10
DECEMBER 2020
Meridiana hosted a Santa Wreath Workshop in October led by Janet Cox of Janet’s Art Studio in Angleton
Janet Cox, above on the left, instructing residents in the art of wreath making
DECEMBER 2020
11
BIRTHDAYS A simple, tasty holiday treat
1
st
Birthday
Khyron Ka’Juan Brooks on December 3, 2020
from the Brooks Family Patrick, Kajuana and big brother, Braylon
Birthday Photos Email to: officemanager@alvinsun.net Deadline for Next Publication January 29, 2021
12
DECEMBER 2020
Coconut Macaroons with Dried Cherries Makes 25 to 30 small cookies
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut 8 egg whites Salt
1⁄4 cup dried cherries 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon honey, preferably orange blossom honey
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine the unsweetened and sweetened coconut on a baking sheet. Lightly toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep close watch so the mixture does not burn, though you do want a nice toasted golden brown color. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. (If using a convection oven, leave at 350 F.) Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until the whites stiffen into firm peaks. Fold the toasted coconut into the egg white mixture. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop tablespoon-size rounds, perhaps using a small ice cream scoop, of the coconut mixture onto the baking sheet. Press one or two dried cherries into the top of each macaroon. Melt the butter and honey together in a microwave on high for 20 seconds. Drizzle the mixture over the top of each macaroon. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt. Bake macaroons for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned (watch carefully to avoid burning), or for 8 to 10 minutes if using a convection oven. The macaroons should be dry to the touch. You may need to bake them longer if it is a humid day. If you live in a dry area, these will keep well for a week.
Eggnog for holidays
Quick Eggnog 1-1⁄4 ounces milk 1⁄2 ounce simple syrup
1 egg yolk Grated nutmeg or cinnamon for garnish
In a shaker, combine the milk, simple syrup, and egg yolk. Dry shake without ice. Fill shaker with ice, then shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to ensure the egg is well mixed. Strain into an old-fashioned glass. Add a dash of grated nutmeg or cinnamon as a garnish. Note: Only use a fresh egg. Test the egg’s freshness by placing it in a glass of water. If the egg floats, discard it, as this indicates the egg is too old. Only use eggs that rest on the bottom of the glass. This will ensure the most flavorful drink and helps to reduce the risk of salmonella.
COLUMNIST Just Another Voice By James Hopkins
Touch
James Hopkins
“He Touched Me” “Oh, He Touched Me” “And Oh, The Joy That Floods My Soul” “Something Happened, And Now I Know” “He Touched Me And Made Me Whole” A hymn by Bill Gaither
One morning I was reading in Luke where Jesus healed the high priest’s servant after Peter cut off his ear. Luke 22:50-51 “And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, ‘suffer ye thus far’, and he touched his ear, and healed him. I was led by Holy Spirit, as He so often does, to look up the word ‘Touched’. So, I went to the Blue Letter Bible website. The Greek word for Touch is (G680) ‘haptomai’; it means ‘to attach oneself to’.
If that doesn’t grip your heart then nothing will. This one word has given new meaning to this beautiful hymn. Here’s what makes it even more exciting, the same word is used when the woman with the issue of blood said, “If I could but only ‘Touch’ (or ‘attach myself to’) the hem of his garment, I will be made whole”. The same word is used in Luke 7:39 by the Pharisee when referring to the woman who was washing Jesus’ feet with her tears. “Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, this man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that ‘Toucheth’ (attacheth herself to) him: for she is a sinner”. Here are other instances where Jesus ‘Touched’: • In Matthew 8:15: He ‘attached himself’ to Peter’s mother-in-law’s hand and fever left her. • In Matthew 9:29: He ‘attached himself’ to the blind men’s eyes; their eyes were opened. • In Matthew 20:34: Once again he ‘attached himself to’ blind eyes and they were opened. • In Mark 1:41: He ‘attached himself to’ a leper and he was made clean. • In Luke 18:15: Children were brought to him that he might ‘attach himself to’ them.
• Etc., etc., etc. Here are instances where someone ‘Touched’ Jesus. • In Matthew 14:36: “They brought unto him all that were diseased; that they might ‘attach themselves to’ the hem of his garment: and as many as ‘attached themselves to’ the hem of his garment, were made perfectly whole”. • Multitudes sought to ‘attach themselves to’ Jesus in Luke 6:19 and we know from Acts 10:38, he healed them all.
Whether Jesus touches you or you touch Jesus, both you and your circumstances will change! Jesus Changes Not! By the way, when’s the last time that you touched Jesus or allowed him to touch you? Need a change in some area of your life? If he hasn’t touched you lately, maybe it’s your turn to touch him. After all, it’s a twoway relationship. If what I have discovered here is true, you can expect the same results either way.
DECEMBER 2020
13
COLUMNIST
The Postscript by Carrie Classon
Mouse Wars
Carrie Classon My husband Peter is now at war with the mice. The mice (possibly with the assistance of a rat or two) have eaten the electrical wiring in our car causing extensive damage. The coating on the wires is apparently tasty. I don’t know any automobile engineers personally but, if I did, I would suggest that constructing a car out of tasty materials is probably not a great idea because now we have a lot of small creatures trying to eat our car, one piece at a time. We are not alone. We’ve heard the neighbors complaining about the same problem and when we brought the car into the mechanic – every dashboard light flashing and any number of peculiar electrical malfunctions happening at once – the mechanic was not surprised. They had just towed in a city vehicle that was in worse shape yet. When they lifted the hood, half a dozen rodents jumped out and ran around the shop. “Those rats are making me rich!” the mechanic said, with a
14
DECEMBER 2020
little more pleasure than seemed appropriate. Peter is determined not to singlehandedly keep the mechanic in business and so he has been trying – with limited success – to keep the mice out of our car. The good news is, Peter is very resourceful. The bad news is that Peter has a soft heart and a weak stomach. He does not want to use mousetraps. He says they are gruesome and that there are too many mice nibbling on the wires to make a difference. He wants to discourage the mice with a little less blood and gore. That’s why he went with electrocution. The “Rat Zapper” lures a mouse in with a tasty treat and then a battery zaps it to death. It seems to work pretty well. Peter has been hauling out a lot of victims. But Peter is not crazy about execution in any form, so he’s been studying up on the alternatives. Just yesterday, he
invested in the “Under Hood Animal Repeller.” According to the literature, the “Under Hood Animal Repeller” emits very loud noises that mice supposedly do not like and people cannot hear. I used to have something like this in my attic years ago, but they have obviously improved. This one hooks up to the car battery and automatically turns off if the battery gets low or the car is started. In addition to the loud “variable ultrasonic pulses” this device emits, it also has flashing LED strobe lights, “to create a hostile environment for rodents to live and nest, forcing them to flee from the protected area,” according to the pamphlet. I’m going to tell you honestly, I have my doubts. To me, it sounds as if this device is going to just frighten off all the middle-aged mice, looking for a quiet retirement community. “Too loud! Too bright! Let’s get out of here,
Mother!” But it sounds like it is designed to appeal to young, hungry mice, looking for a fun night out. “Loud music! Flashing lights! Party!” Peter says he’s going to install at least two and I can easily imagine the mice clubhopping from one device to the other under the hood of our car. We shall see. Peter and I do our best to peacefully co-exist, but these rodents are posing a challenge. Meanwhile, Peter keeps a watchful eye and the electrocution device keeps zapping away. “I got another customer!” Peter announces cheerfully, at least once a day. I want to be supportive, but I’m not quite sure how to respond. So, I just say, “Congratulations, Honey!” Till next time, Carrie Carrie Classon’s memoir is called, “Blue Yarn.” Learn more at CarrieClasson.com.
DECEMBER 2020
15
16
DECEMBER 2020