Meeker, Opinion

Loose Ends: Gift wrapping time

More. More. More … It’s not money everyone finds themselves short of this holiday season, it’s time. Everyone seems to feel the same way and the holiday festivities only make things worse. There are people who seem to be especially good at managing time, but it often doesn’t include big blocks of time for family or friends. It gets filled up with busy-ness, the biggest time waster of all.
The constant activity of others is most noticeable when one is not able to get out and about like other folks. Whether one chooses to stay in, has to stay in, or finds the challenges of getting around outside the home insurmountable, it is hard to truly include someone who is a shut-in, especially during the holidays. The term shut-out seems more appropriate. Even when the decorations are up, music is playing and community groups visit, it is difficult to make those interminably long days alone go faster.
The gift of one’s time is one of the toughest to give during this season, but for those who remember holiday celebrations fondly, it is essential to try and and take some time during Christmas Day and New Year’s to just be with those community members who can’t get out and about with everyone else.
A long time ago a nursing home resident tried to explain what the holiday season was like for her.
“Oh, I don’t celebrate the holiday anymore, it just isn’t the same as it used to be.”
She found herself living in the Walbridge Wing after suffering a bad fall and her only living relatives only lived in town during the summer months. She found that if she treated it like any other day, it wasn’t so painful to sit and watch as other residents were picked up and taken to the homes of their family and friends.
There was a lull in the family Christmas celebration, so I went up to visit that morning and the two of us played cards, shared junk food and just chatted about inane things. It wasn’t much, but she told me that gift, 30 minutes of my time, meant so much.
It would be nice if we could wrap the gift of time and present it with a flourish under the tree. It is not one of the trendy presents sold in stores. It is still available and hopefully those of us who can give freely of this precious commodity will do so. It is the right thing to give to others. Merry Christmas!

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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