Despite a misty, rainy, foggy night, Santa came to town as hoped on Saturday night, leaving lots of toys and goodies under the tree for us to open on Sunday morning. Beside all the gifts that we’ve had on our lists forever –– and we’re so happy he remembered –– there may have been a few ringers. Some of us are wracking our brains to find an appropriate use and place to store such unexpected items as the battery-operated, countertop plate warmer, the magnetic compass that attaches to the dashboard but doesn’t work when surrounded by metal (as inside a car body), or the squirrel-proof birdfeeder called “Squirrel-Around” where the perches spin Ferris wheel fashion when an animal heavier than a chickadee lands in search of sunflower seeds.

If you’ve gotten an unasked-for gift similar to the above and you’d like to keep on giving it to someone else, the Lutheran Adult Fellowship Society (LAFS) at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Mt Pleasant Road at Tory Lane has got the answer to your problem. “Recycle that less-than-wanted Christmas treasure and join us for an After-Christmas Potluck and (Unwanted) Gift Swap to be held on Saturday, January 7, at 6:30 pm,” says a LAFS spokesman in the church’s December newsletter. Potential participants are asked to watch for the sign-up sheet at church.

If you plan to sign up for the LAFS Gift Swap, you can use that “new” secret-decoder Boston Red Sox lighted pen to write your name. You know, the one with the decal of 2004 World Series Champion lead-off hitter and centerfielder Johnny Damon, who has just been traded to the Yankees. But don’t throw the pen into the recycle grab bag, since Mr Damon and his magnificent flowing mane are now consigned to Red Sox history and the pen is already a collector’s item.

Traffic has been mellow with all of the school buses slumbering this week and everyone in Newtown traveling at a slower pace. However, various news reports peg the week between Christmas and New Year’s as the peak time for road rage incidents, so maybe it is a good time to continue those vacation day catnaps and curl up at home.

Thank goodness the C.H. Booth Library doesn’t shut down for the entire school holiday break. A stack of good books is just the thing to have on hand with this on again-off again cold and rainy weather. Who wants to go outside?

Mentioning the joy of reading good books has reminded me of a New Year’s Wish that everyone at The Bee would like to extend to all our readers.

Old wood to burn

Old books to read

Old wine to drink

Old friends to keep.

And finally, speaking of longtime friends, we will all miss Bee Associate Editor Kaaren Valenta terribly, since she is retiring January 1 to move to Florida with her husband, Jerry. Kaaren’s warm smile and hearty laugh have brightened the newsroom for more than 20 years as for over two decades she has covered nearly every possible beat except sports, AND managed to keep all the office dogs happy with treats and kind words. Good luck, Kaaren, and don’t forget to come back north now and then to visit.

Now, this cat is going to hit the hay early and sleep right through the New Year festivities so as to wake up first thing on Sunday, January 1, at which point I plan to snack heartily upon party leftovers.

See you bright and early in 2006, when you can…

Read me again.