With all of the holiday festivities underway and the eating that goes along with the celebrations, this may not be the best time to mention it, but Men’s Health this month lists online the 20 worst foods in America, so designated primarily for their high caloric impact. Shopping and writing cards is sure to take up a lot of the time this month that would be spent on preparing a healthy meal, so it will be easy to fall into the habit of ordering out or grabbing something on the go. But it turns out that even fast food that sounds healthy can pack on the pounds. In the top 20 are McDonald’s Chicken Select Premium Breast Strips with ranch dressing, fries, and a soda at 1,710 calories and Pepperidge Farms Roast Chicken Pot Pie with 1,020 calories. Burger lovers will be dismayed to see even turkey burgers on the list. But the worst offender according to Men’s Health? Outback Steakhouse’s Aussie Cheese Fries with ranch dressing, topping out at 2,900 calories. Even with my doggie pals here at The Bee helping me out, I think one order of those Down Under fries would far exceed my daily allotment of calories needed for napping.

Not everyone is sitting around waiting for the turkey dinner to settle on the hips. The Connecticut Senior Women’s Sports meets Saturday mornings for 3-on-3 half-court basketball. But in order to improve their dribbling and dunking, Janice Brown tells me that the organization is seeking a coach who is willing to assist these women over the age of 50 in learning the skills necessary to compete in the National Senior Games and other tournaments. Got Skills? Call 426-8693 or e-mail Janice at jbrown1225@sbcglobal.net.

If coaching isn’t up your alley, the Connecticut Audubon Society Eagle Festival Committee is  seeking volunteers for its 9th Annual Eagle Festival. The festival won’t be until February 16 and 17, but volunteers are being lined up now. Learn how you can be a part of the country’s largest Eagle Festival by calling Priscilla Wood at 860-767-0660 or send her an e-mail at PWood@CTAudubon.org.

Astute news readers may have picked up on an Associated Press story last Wednesday that featured Sandy Hook resident Sally MacDonald and her quest to carry her Thanksgiving pumpkin cheesecake aboard her flight from La Guardia Airport to the family gathering in Arkansas. With all the hullabaloo there has been about gelatinous substances and what is and isn’t allowed on board, Sally was a teensy bit nervous about bringing the dessert with her. “I have several sisters-in-laws in a little kitchen down there in Arkansas, though, so I just thought it would be easier to make the cake here at home without all the fuss,” said Sally. She was, however, prepared to sacrifice the cake at security if need be. “But I went to the Transportation Security Administration website and checked things out. It looked like as long as the cake was well-wrapped or in a container, I could take it through,” she said. Sure enough, her Tupperware got her through, she said. “They did X-ray the cake and a couple of security people did suggest I leave a piece for them, but it made it through beautifully,” Sally said. I guess you could say that getting through security with her dessert was “a piece of cake.”

I don’t think that there will be any cake, but I know that Newtown Rotary Club members will have piles of pancakes ready at the annual pancake feed Saturday morning, December 1, in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall. The pancake breakfast is served between 8 am and 1 pm, and I’m even going to forego my usual Saturday morning sleep-in to get a good seat. A bonus is that our Rotary is pairing up that morning with the Danbury Rotarians to provide the Amber Alert identification program for families in Newtown.

The Thanksgiving week editorial in The Bee about Dr Robert Emmons’ research on gratitude drew some interesting responses. Unbeknownst to our editor when he wrote the editorial, Dr Emmons is one of Newtown’s own. Dr Emmons’ sister, Michelle Mann, wrote to let us know that her brother is a Newtown native who graduated from NHS in 1976, and it is possible, said Michelle, that he was at one time employed by The Bee. He did, she is certain, work at the Yankee Drover on Main Street, though, before moving on to bigger and better things in life. The Bee also heard from Dr Emmons, too, and his letter can be read in this week’s Hive.

The Christmas spirit is already apparent all over town. Not only have workers in cherry pickers been busy stringing lights on the town trees in Sandy Hook Center and Ram Pasture, but on Tuesday, staffers at Edmond Town Hall carted out their many boxes of holiday decorations and were busy decking the halls of the main lobby for the Christmas season. When moviegoers and others arrive at the building, the small mechanical Santa Claus doll in the outer office is sure to put everybody in a holiday mood.

At the police station, a “Mitten Tree” has been set up in the lobby. The police are collecting donations of new hats, gloves, and scarves for local needy people. The new apparel will be distributed to the needy by the town social services department. Donations are being accepted around the clock, seven days a week.

I’ve decided to save myself the agony of shopping at the mall this holiday season because there are so many great local places popping up that offer terrific one-of-a kind gifts. From kids to Gramma, there is something for everyone within walking distance just in Sandy Hook Center alone this holiday season. And think of the gas I’ll save by not driving around and around and around the mall looking for a place to park.

Wherever you shop, wherever you volunteer, whatever you do to get ready for the holidays, I hope that next week you pause a moment to… Read me again.