“Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree…” but no matter how much I sang, the weather prevented anyone from flipping that green and red switch at Ram Pasture last Friday evening.

Last weekend’s traditional tree lighting was postponed for a week, until December 8. Anyone interested in boosting their holiday spirit can see the boughs illuminated Friday evening.

I am glad to say that the reindeer and Santa’s elves did not abandon last week’s festivities completely since Sandy Hook Center filled with Auntie Claus and her helpers who turned this cat momentarily into one of Rudolph’s helpers with a set of jingling antlers. As the bells rang when I turned my head toward the many upturned faces and voices raised in a countdown, the tree beside The Little Green Barn magically lit up. I thought I heard Santa’s sleigh over the cheering crowd, but it could have been the bells pinned to my antlers.

If your reservoir of holiday spirit is still overflowing, I’d suggest a visit to the police station. When I stopped by this week, I was heartened to learn that police Officer Maryhelen McCarthy is again running the police department’s “mitten tree” project. The project seeks donations of new mittens, hats, and scarves, which will be turned over to the needy as Christmas gifts. Donors may leave the gifts at the police station lobby at 3 Main Street.

When I walk into the main lobby at Edmond Town Hall, it seems like I have stepped into a Victorian-era Christmas, considering the ample, traditional decorative items that are spread across the space, including evergreen garlands and a handsome Christmas tree.

On entering Town Clerk Cindy Simon’s adjacent office, I experienced yet more of the Christmas spirit, with yuletide displays aplenty.

All we need now to set the visual stage for Christmas is a coating of fresh snow, preferably about two to three inches of snow that falls on Christmas Eve.

At least two young men in town aren’t waiting for Mother Nature to provide the snow. Matt Taylor of Scudder Road and Ian McChord of Greenleaf Farms Road have taken advantage of the recent chilly weather to put their snow machines to work, laying down trails of snow and mini ski jumps in their yards. For them, snowboard season can never start too soon.

With memories of Thanksgiving still fresh in their minds, Joan Lucia’s family is eagerly anticipating the upcoming celebrations that will feature more of Joan’s much-talked-about stuffing. She says the recipe is a carefully guarded secret that only her deft talent can bring to life. The family doesn’t mind that it’s a secret so long as Joan keeps making it.

Town police will be collecting new, unwrapped toys in their annual Toys for Tots project in front of KB Toys in Sand Hill Plaza on Saturday, December 9, from 10 am to 2 pm. The US Marine Corps Reserve will distribute the toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the area.

I hear they found both mold and mushrooms growing in the portable classrooms at Newtown High School, and it wasn’t the culinary arts program working with blue cheese and soup. The classrooms will be out of service until they can cleaned up and repaired, which will probably take three or four months.

The 56 pounds of pop-tops collected by Janis Hubina at the middle school equals approximately 160,000 individual pop-tops. Fortunately, no one had to count them one by one. Guidance counselor Sue Connelly, employing the estimating skills learned in math and science class, came up with the number. Janis collected the pop-tops for the school’s Interact Club, which will donate the recyclable aluminum pop-tops to the Shriners Children’s Hospital for its continuing fundraiser.

Don’t forget that Newtown Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Breakfast With Santa is this Saturday from 9 to 10:30 am in the middle school cafeteria on Queen Street. Naughty and nice children alike will have an opportunity to speak with Santa before he returns to the North Pole for last minute additions to his list. Remember, no pouting or crying allowed.

The days are getting shorter and shorter as we approach the winter solstice on December 21. These are the longest nights of the year, but the sun never sets on my curiosity about what’s going on in Newtown, so be sure to…

Read me again.