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"Fifteen shillings a week, a wife and five children... and he still talks of a Merry Christmas!"

Bowdoinhammer - Week of December 25th to the 31st.

Author

Rodney Kloberdans
December 25, 2023

Merry Christmas, Bowdoinhammer!

I hope Santa was good to you this year.

It’s Christmas Eve as I write this, and Tessa is busy putting Christmas together as I lay in bed, riddled with Covid. Usually we write this thing together. She corrects all of my grammatical and spelling errors, making me sound the most smartest, but she’s busy being a magical unicorn. Even though I feel miserable, I can’t help but also feel lucky to be in her life.

Oh, I forgot to ask you last time… What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

Mine is the 1970 musical banger Scrooge starring Albert Finney and Sir Alec Guinness (not pictured).

All politics and capitalism critiques aside, I love this film for something quite simple: At a mere 33 years old, Albert Finney’s version of Scrooge is the most believable.

There’s this scene where the Ghost of Christmas Future is showing him the town’s reaction to his death. They break into verses of Thank You Very Much but he doesn’t know they’re celebrating his death. He thinks they love him. The duality of that scene is heartbreaking to me, and I think about it a lot.

So yeah. If you feel like it, reply with your favorite Christmas movie. I’m curious.

There’s a few things going on this week aside from the usual. We have a Select Board meeting, a Planning Board meeting, and might be the last Pop-up Cafe by the Bowdoinham Food Pantry. The Merrymeeting Arts Center is taking the week off (they deserve it).

I’ve highlighted (highlitten?) the fancy stuff for you.

Here’s what’s going on in our town this week…

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25TH, CHRISTMAS DAY

  • The Town Office will be closed.

  • MSAD 75 Winter Break.

  • Open Pottery Studio at the Merrymeeting Arts Center Studio (9 Main St.) 6pm to 8pm. Max capacity is 10 people and it is first come first served. $10 suggested donation. CLOSED for Christmas.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26TH, KWANZAA

  • MSAD 75 Winter Break.

  • Storytime for Preschoolers and their Grown-ups with Miss Kate at the Bowdoinham Public Library (13a School St.) 10am. Library CLOSED

  • Recycling Drop-off at the Public Works Facility (121 Pond Rd.) Noon to 6pm.

  • Merryreading Book Store OPEN at Merrymeeting Hall (Basement entrance around back, 27 Main St.) 1pm to 5pm. CLOSED

  • Merrymeeting Dance Alinement's weekly line dancing at Merrymeeting Hall (27 Main St.) 5:30pm to 7:30pm. FMI: call George Oliver (207) 666-3589. CANCELED

  • Select Board Meeting in the Kendall Room at the John C. Coombs Municipal Building (13 School St.) 6:30pm. Town Hall Streams link.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27TH, KWANZAA

  • MSAD 75 Winter Break.

  • Bridge players can enjoy weekly game play at the Bowdoinham Fire Station (57 Post Rd.) 9:30am to Noon. FMI: Judy Gray, 666-3025. The group welcomes all players. Current players range from high scoring duplicate players to seniors who played in college and newbies who have taken a class.

  • All are welcome at The Clothes Closet at the house behind Bowdoinham Nazarene Church (7 School St.) 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Taking donations of clean clothes in good condition.

  • In-person shopping for ALL Bowdoin and Bowdoinham residents at the Bowdoinham Food Pantry (9 Main St.) 4pm to 6pm.

  • Silver Striders Walking Club in the Bowdoinham Community School gymnasium (23 Cemetery Rd.) 4:30 to 7pm. Please be sure to bring clean shoes to wear when inside the school!

  • Pickleball in the Bowdoinham Community School gymnasium (23 Cemetery Rd.) 4:30 to 8pm. This is open to adults of any age and ability. The group has friendly games with mixed levels of competition. New to Pickleball and want to learn? Stop by and check it out!

  • Open Pottery Studio at the Merrymeeting Arts Center Studio (9 Main St.) 6pm to 8pm. Max capacity is 10 people and it is first come first served. $10 suggested donation. CLOSED

  • Mid-Week Bible Study and Prayer Gathering at the Second Baptist Church (1 Church St.) 6:30pm.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28TH, KWANZAA

  • MSAD 75 Winter Break.

  • Trash Pick-up Day. Pick-up times vary. Trash tags are $3 each and can be purchased at the Town Office and The Bowdoinham Country Store.

  • Intermediate Yoga Class with Ann Flannery at Merrymeeting Hall (27 Main St.) 8am to 9:30am. $15. FMI: [email protected].

  • Recycling Drop-off at the Public Works Facility (121 Pond Rd.) 8am to 4pm.

  • Cribbage hosted by Age Friendly Bowdoinham at the Bowdoinham Fire Station (57 Post Rd.) 9:30am to Noon.

  • Merryreading Book Store OPEN at Merrymeeting Hall (Basement entrance around back, 27 Main St.) 1pm to 5pm.

  • Planning Board Meeting in the Kendall Room of the John C. Coombs Municipal Building (13 School St.) 6pm.

  • Guilt-Free Book Group at the Bowdoinham Public Library (13a School St.) 7pm.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29TH, KWANZAA
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30TH, KWANZAA

  • The Bowdoinham FREE Gift Shop is open at the Bowdoinham Recycling Barn (243 Post Rd.) 8am to 4pm.

  • Recycling Drop-off at the Public Works Facility (121 Pond Rd.) 8am to 4pm.

  • Open Pottery Studio at the Merrymeeting Arts Center Studio (9 Main St.) 9am to 11am. Max capacity is 10 people and it is first come first served. $10 suggested donation. CLOSED

  • Merryreading Book Store OPEN at Merrymeeting Hall (Basement entrance around back, 27 Main St.) 9am to 4pm.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31ST, NEW YEAR'S EVE, KWANZAA

As of the publication of this email, these events are current. Some events may cancel or change without notice. Check out Bowdoinhammer.com for an up-to-date list of events.

Please email me at [email protected] if there’s something Bowdoinhammy that you think should be included in the next newsletter.

Love

Rodney (and Tessa)

❤️