By Jane Torres
Special to the Houlton Pioneer Times
As the final rush for the holidays is on, here are my last few “Hidden Treasures.”
Hidden Treasure No. 16 — Call me old fashioned but whatever happened to “Thank-you notes?” My mother used to buy us each a box of notes every Christmas that we were encouraged (no, forced) to send out within a week after the holiday (promptness was important and Grandma was waiting). If you call now, I bet our local print shops can help you with some pretty snappy designs! How impressed will your relatives be when they get a note from your child?
Hidden Treasure No. 17— As I was scrolling through Facebook today a beautiful stained glass star made by a local woman caught my eye. Kathleen Cassidy has been doing incredible things with stained glass from her studio in Presque Isle and it just so happens that Visions Art Gallery on Main Street in Houlton has a few of her things for sale, including that gorgeous star! Garden stepping stones, sun catchers, and lovely stained glass earrings are a few of the beautiful things that she produces. (If anyone in my family is looking for the perfect gift for me, that star would be just the thing for my office window! No pressure though…)
Hidden Treasure No. 18 — There appears to be an elf or two afoot in the town of Houlton. I always thought the wreath on the Gateway Bridge was placed there by the town, but, to my amazement there are two people who have been anonymous donors and every year, in the dead of night, a vehicle with a ladder and the wreath has snuck into the park and strategically placed the wreath over the sign (the one right on the arch of the bridge) without being caught. Now if that isn’t the true spirit of Christmas I don’t know what is!
Hidden Treasure No. 19 — Let’s jump ahead and talk about New Years. I have heard that there is actually a lot of fun going on that, apparently, I am missing. Maybe this is the year to actually get out of the house and join the fun at the new Downunder Sports Pub. So I say, if you are looking for a gift for adult friends or family you call the Shiretown Inn and buy advance tickets to their New Years Eve party and have some fun. You deserve it!
