We have barely eaten the last of the leftover turkey, but workmen are busy hanging greens and stringing lights on our public buildings in Southport. Garden Club members have given the window boxes at the post office holiday cheer, and perhaps they or others have done the same to the tubs and the front windows at the school.

Be sure to come for fun, music and the lighting of the figures around the school pond on this Friday, Dec. 5, beginning at 4:30 p.m. following by pizza and a hot drink at the store. Parking is available at the school, post office, and the store parking lot.

Two days later on Sunday, Dec. 7 beginning at 5 p.m. at the Southport United Methodist Church we are invited to enjoy a soup, rolls, and dessert supper followed by a traditional Lessons and Carols service in the sanctuary.

A little further along in the month on Saturday, Dec. 20, the Southport Memorial Library will host an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. with refreshments and Donald Duncan reading a condensed version of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson.

If you have not been to one of Donald’s readings, you have a treat awaiting you. Various Christmas crafts are on sale at the library during their regular open hours and will be available during the open house for any last minute Christmas gift needs.

You need not leave the island to buy Christmas wreaths. Brenda’s Lobster Shop on Route 27 is a center of wreath making and sales.

The Southport school children continue their hard work to raise money for their end of the year outing. This year they have chosen to go white water rafting at Adventure Bound in Caratunk.

In addition to being available to help with outdoor chores, they will be selling the following homemade items, each at only $10: Chex Mix, banana bread, pumpkin bread, cupcakes, peanut butter fudge (1 pound), chocolate covered pretzels (1 pound), Rice Krispies Treats, chocolate chunk peppermint cookies, soup, Brownie mix, gingerbread men mix, each in a jar, and poinsettias. Call the school to order any of these items.

You can either pick them up there or the children will deliver them. The plants will be available from Dec. 8 through Dec. 19. The jars will be available Dec. 15-19. The other items will be available on Dec. 22.

In the Christmas spirit but available all year is the Southport Island Association’s Neighbors in Need program. The new contact person is Carole Zalucky. Her email is czalucky@gmail.com, address is P.O. Box 556, Southport, ME and phone is 207-633-0846. This program was established in order to provide a “helping hand” to our Southport Island neighbors and friends.

All requests and information is held totally confidential while being able to assist our neighbors for household, medical bills, or whenever an emergency occurs that requires any financial help.

Lots of comings and goings over the Thanksgiving holidays were complicated a bit by the power outage caused by the heavy snowfall beginning the day before Thanksgiving. Most of us had our power go out about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening and return about 2:30 a.m.

Thanksgiving morning, although a few people endured the cold and dark until Saturday. As this paper’s editor posted, many of us recognizing the power of prayer spent the early hours of Thanksgiving morning praying for power.

I like the spirit of the Bowman family who had just settled before the fire after Wednesday evening’s dinner for their traditional game of cards when the power failed. Undaunted, they lit their supply of kerosene lanterns and continued the evening in Victorian style.

We welcome to the island full time Doug and Betsy Jones with their dog, Duffy. The Jones’ house sold on Monday, Dec. 1, and they were on the road that day, headed toward Southport. Welcome to year-round living in our special place.

Joan and Nick Hurd are also on the island for the holiday season. Welcome.

Toni and Fred Helming returned to Southport for the weekend, staying at their son, Bill and his wife, Peg’s home rather than their Cozy Harbor cottage. Glad to see Fred up and about after a short hospital stay this fall.

Around the library table we all signed a get well card for Al Azzoni who is also in the hospital. We hope he too makes a speedy recovery.