CAPITOLETTER

December 22, 2024

A Visit from a Saint

‘Twas the night before Christmas on Tie Creek and Capitol.

The blizzard was blowing. It was thirty below.

Our cellars were filled with bountiful glass jars

of freeze dried and canned foods, and things from bazaars.

Our stockings were on in a layer or two,

In hopes that our toes didn’t all turn bright blue,

And Grandma had on her special lined pants

She won’t take off ‘till she sees new green plants.

While Grandpa sat huddled two feet from the heater,

Refusing to look at the temperature meter.

When what to their wondrous eyes should appear,

But the outline outside of a hazy, open John Deere.

With a huddled down driver frozen cold to the quick,

And they knew right away that he wasn’t St. Nick.

The deep freeze outside had not stopped the door bell.

Upon opening, they judged it slightly colder than hell.

They slammed the door tight against the cold wind.

Then began to unwrapped whoever came in.

They unwound a muffler about 10 feet long.

Somewhere inside came a voice and a song.

They sat this man down to remove his muck boots,

To make sure he wasn’t frozen, clear to the roots.

His feet were still there, and so was his nose,

So they moved up and down the ends of his toes.

His cheeks were like roses; his nose like a cherry.

Long icicles from mustache to chin that was hairy.

He pulled out a pack he had inside his clothes.

He opened it up, and then wiping his nose.

His eyes just twinkled when he finally could say,

“Mom was worried that you might be baking today,

And she wanted to make sure it was not too late,

So she sent me on down to return your pie plate.”

December 29, 2024

This has been a beautiful December week at Capitol and on Tie Creek. The weather has been mild with a tiny bit of moisture, and we are glad for every drop. The Christmas Eve Candle-Lighting service at the Methodist Church in Camp Crook brought hope, and a feeling of joy, to all who shared it. We thank Rock Tarter for being leading narrator, Mary Tarter presented the Scripture readings of the Christmas story, and the whole congregation joined in responses. Karen Odell played piano for the many and varied Christmas carols and songs. The singing voices joined in, making the music especially dramatic, exciting and beautiful, and in everyone we could see the feeling of love that Christmas has brought to us all.

Karen Odell got to visit with all her children and grandchildren on Christmas Day. She also got to visit with her brothers in Ohio, and cousins in Florida. On Friday, Karen got to see grandson, Carson Odell, in his middle school winter concert at Mitchell, because she could watch it on YouTube. She enjoyed Carson's voice as an announcer for the program, especially because he has a voice similar to his dad's, who did some radio announcing, and his great uncle, Ron Evans who announced Ohio Northern University football, basketball, and even tournament volleyball for about thirty years. Carson is very lucky, because Mitchell has an especially great music program for all ages, bringing out the creative abilities of so many students, and especially raising math scores through musical influence.

Karen Odell would like to thank everyone at Capitol and on Tie Creek, for sharing their lives and stories for you to read throughout this year. It is an especially wonderful gift to share our lives. It is a gift from the heart. People all the way across this country enjoy reading about our lives here. They don't read it just for entertainment. They don't read it because the stories are so beautiful. They don't even know many of the people. They don't read it because it is so captivating. They don't read it because they know us, or because we are special in any way. They read The Capitol News because it is a way of coming home.

Happy New Year to everyone,

and Welcome Home,

from Karen Odell