Boosters’ breakfast

Bonny Eagle Softball Boosters is hosting a pancake breakfast fundraiser at the Biddeford Applebee’s on Jan. 23 from 8-9:30 a.m. The proceeds will help pay for new uniforms and equipment. The cost is $6 per person and can be purchased by contacting mnlsomerset@yahoo.com or tgoodale@sad6.k12.me.us.

Get Educated

Enrollment is now open for winter classes at The Schoolhouse Performing Arts Center in Sebago Lake Village. Winter classes include Storybook Theater for ages 6-9, Improv. for ages 14 and up, Beginning Guitar for ages 7 & up, Intermediate Guitar for ages 10 & up, Voice for ages 7-14, Creative Movement for ages 3-4, Ballet for ages 4-6, Tap for ages 5-7, and Hip Hop for ages 7-14.

New to the winter program this year is a musical theater workshop for ages 8 to 14. This 14-week workshop will give students an opportunity to learn movement, voice, improvisation, and acting. The workshop will culminate in performances of “Seussical Junior,” to be held on April 16-18. Also new this session is an Overnight Theater Slam for ages 10-15. In this program students will rehearse and perform a completely student-designed production to be held at the end of the workshop.

All classes begin on Jan. 11. For more information, contact the Education Director at Schoolhouse Arts Center at 642-3743 or education@schoolhousearts.org.

Indoor Soccer

Standish Recreation is partnering with Narragansett United and Scot’s Soccer in order to offer after school soccer clinics. The program costs $30 per child, $20 for each additional sibling and will be held on Tuesdays from 3-4:30 p.m. The registration deadline for soccer is Dec. 30. Applications can be obtained at the Town Hall, or by visiting www.standish.org/Public_Documents/StandishME_Recreation/onlineforms/General. For more information on the fundamentals of this program contact Alan Curtis at 415-4775.

Dinner is Served

The Steep Falls Library is holding its first bean supper of the year on Saturday, Jan. 2, at 4:30 p.m. The menu for the fundraiser includes; beans, hot dogs, chop suey, macaroni and cheese, brown bread, rolls, salads and desserts. The food is prepared and donated by Steep Falls residents. The cost is $7 for adults and $3 for children. Kids 3 and under eat for free. All proceeds raised will go to the library for building improvements.

The Scene

Saturday

Farmers market in the Steep Falls Library on Route 113 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The market offers produce, baked goods, crafts, eggs, meat, fiber products and more.

Memory Lane Music Hall welcomes Tickle.

Heidi’s Take

Merry Christmas…I’ll take that

The holidays are a time when family comes together with love, great food, and theft?

I recently attended a family Christmas party (it was not my family) where the highlight, I was told in advance, was the Yankee swap. I dutifully brought my homemade gift; the presents for the swap must be “made”, and awaited the fun. For those of you not familiar with a yankee swap, here are the rules;

Each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order. The person who receives the number one picks a gift from the pile and must open it for all to see. The person who receives number two then chooses a gift and opens it, and then must decide whether to keep it or swap it for the first player’s gift. Each person in order then gets to select a present, open it and decide whether to keep it or swap it for any other gift someone has already opened. The person who picked first also gets to pick last.

“This can get pretty intense,” I was told by a partygoer. “People get cut throat.” Cut throat? For a yankee swap? I soon learned why. One of the family members is an amazing crafter. She makes and sells antique and country style crafts. These gifts are the ones most of the woman want and are willing to “swap”, i.e. steal, from their loved ones to get them. There is also a woodcrafter who makes a washer toss set, a pie and bread maker, and possibly the most highly coveted gift, a bag of concert tees from the graphic artist in the family that designs for the likes of Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and The Dropkick Murphys. You can believe that at this family gathering I was feeling pretty lame with my basket of home baked cookies. “The amount of talent in this family just isn’t right,” another outsider commented. I had to laugh, and agree. And although I did watch some hearts get broken and smiles of joy from the breakers who were walking away with the most wanted swag, I had to smile knowing it was all done in love. Love of the talent, love of the gifts, and love for each other. After the game ended, baked goods and t-shirts were shared, presents were traded, and promises were made to make someone a gift just like the one that was ripped from their fingers. It turned out to be everything that had been promised, fun, cut throat, intense, but completely full of love.

I hope your Holidays are the same. Merry Christmas!