The United States Department of Agriculture has a lot of good tips for post-Thanksgiving Day feasting on those yummy slabs of leftover turkey. Any of the big bird that is left over should immediately be given to the cat. Oh, wait. That’s not what the USDA said….

What they do recommend is that any turkey that has been at room temperature over two hours should be given the heave-ho, and any refrigerated turkey should be devoured within 3 to 4 days. (That sounds easy enough.) If for some reason there actually is more than can be eaten in that time period, turkey can safely be frozen in small portions for two to six months.

If you prefer your second-day turkey sandwich hot, make sure the meat is heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, whether you are using the microwave, an oven, or the stove top. A little additional broth or water will keep it moist when reheating. It’s all good advice, and sure beats a case of food poisoning. But if it all seems a little complicated, you can always take my original advice: give all leftovers immediately to the cat.

The Newtown High School Boys’ Swim Team starts a new season after the Thanksgiving break, and for the boys who have taken part in the 6 am captain’s practices the past few weeks — and the parents who had to drop them off in the wee hours at the pool — those after school practices are going to look mighty good. Good luck, guys.

Carol and Wayne Smith will be represented in Washington Depot this weekend, with their hand carved and painted woodwork set up in Washington Art Association’s Annual Holiday Sale. Mr Smith may be better known by his nickname, “The Grizzly Woodsmith.” He carves animals and figures out of wood and then Carol adds more personality to each piece with her hand painting. The WAA event offers work by fine artists and creative craftspeople and will be open daily until December 24 at the WAA gallery, which is on Route 47 in Bryant Plaza. Shopping hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5 pm. The Newtown residents also have some of their creative work in Brookfield Craft Center’s 31st Annual Holiday Exhibition & Sale, which runs until December 31.

Newtown Congregational Church has been operating out of its renovated and expanded church for a little over a year now, but members continue to make improvements inside the West Street building. Recently the NCC Men’s Club decided to replace some of the folding chairs that have been used for years in the church’s lecture hall. A recent donation made that project a reality, but now the church has a number of chairs it no longer uses or needs. Men’s Club chairman Bob Shaw has decided to give the chairs away to anyone who wants them. They’re a little used and somewhat worn, but fellow club member Gordon Williams says a little elbow grease in the form of sanding and painting would bring those chairs right back to life. Mr Shaw can be reached by calling 426-6979.

If you recently wrote a check to Brian and Susan White, you may be in luck, thanks to their amiable bull mastiff, Lily. Apparently, Lily somewhere acquired a fondness for all things leather and will contentedly sit and chew on any old leather bit that comes her way. Somehow, last week, the bit of leather that came her way (no one knows how), was Susan’s wallet. By the time Lily’s prized acquisition was discovered, she had chewed one end off the wallet and was nibbling the signatures off two checks that had yet to be cashed. I think Lily should be the poster girl for Newtown Savings Bank’s direct deposit service.

Local volunteer firefighters turned out in numbers on November 18 at the Big Y supermarket in the borough and at the Super Stop & Shop supermarket in Botsford to collect food for the needy. Faith Food pantry holds the food collected by firefighters for distribution to those in need during the holidays.

When I walked in the Coldwell Banker Real Estate office on South Main Street on November 18, it was like walking into a busy train station. A project there to create AMBER Alert identification badges for children drew more than 200 takers. The effort was sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Danbury.

Just seven more days until the Christmas holiday season formally starts in Newtown. It was fun to watch last weekend as workers from the Newtown Tree Service prepared the Christmas tree at The Ram Pasture for the annual tree lighting ceremony on December 1. At 75 feet tall, the tree almost rivals the town’s 100-foot-tall flagpole as a landmark, especially when it is lit with thousands of bulbs.

Of course the Christmas shopping season has already begun, and if you want to shop locally, as I always do, be sure to check out the Christmas Shopping Guide in this week’s Bee to see what you can get right here in Newtown before you automatically head off to those distant malls. Why not stay right here in town and enjoy all the familiar faces — like mine. And if you don’t happen to see me, be sure to…

Read me again.