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To the person driving westbound on I-70 toward the Ohio Valley Mall at around 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, who cared enough to stop and lend a hand, this is directed at you. For anyone else, keep this in mind if you ever find yourself asking, “What should I do?” Dear Stranger: Still a very inexperienced driver, my 17-year-old son was headed towards the mall to purchase a Christmas gift for his girlfriend when it happened.  His tire flattened. I am thankful that there was no precipitation on the road that could have caused him to spin out and that he made his way to the shoulder safely. I’m thankful you cam to his aid.Mothers never like releaseing their children into the world and I don’t imagine we ever quit worrying. You made a decision that day and I, as his mother, thank you. I am grateful that you took time out of your day and set aside any thoughts of inconvenience this may have caused.  You helped my son when I was not there. You changed that tire that he had never changed before. You sacrificed your time to help keep my boy safe and I want to tell the world what a wonderful deed you have done. What you may have thought of as simply the right thing to do at the time meant the world to me. This Christmas season, I am especially thankful for those special people out there that put others needs in front of their own.  I know how busy everyone’s lives are and the tight schedules we all must keep, but you were selfless and your good deed has not gone unnoticed. Perhaps this made you late for an appointment or delayed your arrival home for dinner at the table with your own family. Maybe you scraped your hand or tweaked your knee while helping my son. You did it anyway and I thank you. May you and your family have a Blessed Christmas! ~Mamma Dodd EndFragment

It’s funny how every family seems to have its own Christmas traditions. For as long as I can remember, we’ve always eaten potato soup and cornbread for supper on Christmas Eve.  The reason:  it was quick and easy!  This tradition actually began when I was just a kid and all of my grandparents would come to visit for the holiday.  But even today my wife, Brenda, follows our longstanding tradition by cooking up a big pot of soup and a pan full of golden brown cornbread.  I can feel my mouth watering just writing about it… Another tradition I remember from my childhood is driving through town on Christmas Eve to see all of the lights and decorations.  Here’s the funny thing.  When we’d get home, we’d always find that Santa had come early!  So instead of all of the gift-opening chaos happening on Christmas morn, at our house it usually happened on Christmas Eve.  I suspect this was done with my grandparents in mind.  But it really didn’t matter.  If Santa wanted to come to my house a little early, that was okay with me! By the time I was old enough to have a family of my own, my wife and I decided to open gifts on Christmas morn.  But we still liked the idea of doing something special on Christmas Eve.  We would give each of our girls a box to open.  It would always contain a new pair of pajamas and a toy to take to bed.  Sometimes we would get a Christmas-themed movie we could watch together.  Even when the girls were old enough to know exactly what to expect, they seemed to enjoy the ritual of opening their Christmas Eve gift. I'm not sure if this counts as a “tradition,” but it’s the way Christmas preparation always seemed to work at our house.  My wife and I would stay up late and wrap all of the gifts for our girls on Christmas Eve.  I remember one year staying up until 2 a.m. trying to put together a Little Tyke’s log cabin.  I was using soap.  I was beating it with a rubber mallet.  Believe me, I was totally exhausted by the time I finally got to bed.  The good news is that our girls were always late sleepers, even on Christmas.  We would already be up, showered, dressed, and eating breakfast before the girls even began to stir.  Since I was always sleep deprived from the night before, it was a blessing to have some extra time before the chaos began. Both of my girls are grown up and married.  But I’m thankful they live nearby and we can still share Christmas together.  Even better, I’m a grandpa now and I get to experience the joy and excitement of Christmas through the eyes of my two granddaughters.  I foresee lots of Christmas traditions in the years to come--some of them old, some of them new.  But the wonderful thing is they’ll be traditions that we all get to share together! How about you?  Do you have a Christmas tradition you’d like to share? EndFragment

For all of the young couples out there, I'm here to tell you that the business of being a parent is every bit as difficult, frustrating and exhausting as you may have heard. Doing it right, or at least trying to do it right, is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year job. Being a parent will be the greatest source of stress, worry and heartache you will ever experience. And despite all of that--despite all of the work, the worry, the terrible twos, the teen years and the "you're too old to understand what I'm going throughs"--I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Along with my wife, my daughters (Brittany and Caitlin) and my son (John III) have brought me more happiness, pride and joy than I could ever have imagined. My wife and I have been very fortunate in that all three of our children appear to be well on their way to leading happy and successful lives.  Our daughter, Brittany, was graduated in the top of her class from law school at the University of Texas, and is currently the Senior Law Clerk for United States District Court Judge Sam Sparks in Austin.  Our son, John III, will graduate from WVU later this month with a double major in psychology and philosophy, after which he intends to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical ethics.  Our daughter, Caitlin, graduated from WVU with a degree in psychology, and is currently a first-year medical student at the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine.  By all appearances, we must have done something right in the process of raising our children.  With that in mind, I have a few suggestions for the young parents out there.  I certainly don’t (and couldn’t) profess to be a perfect parent, but there are a few things I have learned are important. Understand that it is your job to be a parent, not a friend.  Your children will have plenty of friends, and you can’t always be one of them.  Sometimes, being a parent means you have to be the bad guy.  My mother always told me that a parent has to love his children enough to teach them right from wrong, even when doing so may hurt.  She proved her commitment to that principle when she turned me in to Assistant Principal Trembush when I skipped a day of school during my senior year at JM.  She cried when she did it, but she did it anyway.  It was the right thing to do. Allow your children to fail.  I have seen lots of situations where parents thought they were doing the right thing in “helping” a child to finish homework or complete a project.  It’s fine to guide your child toward finding the right answer or making the right revision on his own.  It’s another thing entirely to become so involved that the parent is essentially doing the work for the child.  Your children need to learn how to handle failure just as much as they need to learn how to achieve success. Teach your children to be kind—to everyone.  Few things can be as powerful as a simple random act of kindness.  We have all seen incidents of children being less than kind to one another.  Some parents write off such behavior as “kids being kids”.  I disagree.  Mean kids, more often than not, grow up to be mean adults.  I have yet to hear anyone suggest that we need more mean people in the world.  Kindness counts, and it’s important that our children see us setting an appropriate example. Encourage your children to reach for the stars.  Children need to have the confidence to push themselves beyond what they perceive to be their limits.  Kids who have no self-confidence will give up at the first sign of defeat.  Those who have the confidence to believe they can accomplish anything with perseverance and determination will push forward through the pain and frustration of loss.  I always told my children they could be anything they wanted to be in life; they simply had to set their mind and work.  Since they have grown, I came across a quote that perfectly sums up this thought:  “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.” Finally, and most importantly, understand that as wild and hectic as your time as the parent of a young child may be, in the end it will be over before you know it, so treasure every single moment.  My parents always said I would never understand how deeply a parent loves a child until I became a parent myself.  They were certainly right about that.  Now, let’s talk about grandchildren. . . . EndFragment

When’s the last time you really listened to the National Anthem?  When is the last time that you really thought about what it means and who it’s for?  I know we all hear that National Anthem before the game, but do we really listen? Please take a moment to watch the video of Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech’s men’s basketball coach, talking to his team about the National Anthem, its importance, and what he expects out of his team when the “Star Spangled Banner” plays before the game.  You can find that video link here. I’m going to take Coach Williams’ advice to heart, not only for myself but for the teams I coach.  I’ve always tried to stop what I’m doing when the National Anthem plays before the game, but I will make a point of taking that time to remember those who fought and died to make the game possible in the first place.  Great job by Coach Williams. EndFragment

Wow, the time is just flying.  It seems like it was not that long ago that once again it was time to get your kids ready for school and now it’s almost time for the holiday break. Even for college, there are many trips to the stores for the usual supplies.  The stores are always busy with back-to-school sales and a constant stream of kids and their parents or caregivers trudging along with questions like, “Do you really need that?” “ Are you allowed to have that?” Or, “I didn’t see that on the list (of suggested supplies).” Or even, “That’s for older kids in high school—you don’t need that.” With my own children, I found that the necessary school supplies for college are really not that much different than what was needed for high school.  The cart is loaded with mechanical pencils, highlighters, paper, spiral notebooks—all the usual—which will go along with having their backpack, iPhones, earphones, water bottle, etc.  However, they do not need Crayola crayons and Elmer’s school glue.  I tried to put these items in the cart and my son, Casey, kind of looked and gave me the evil eye.  I innocently said, “Are you sure you don’t need these?” I guess he doesn’t—he’s all grown up.   Now, though, it’s an iClicker - a device used by professors for students to do homework, take tests and answer questions in the classroom.  That’s kind of neat as long as it works, I suppose. All the stuff that came back from his first year of college went back to Morgantown along with all that is needed to actually cook meals, wash dishes and, yes, clean his apartment.  Last year in Casey’s dorm room, his bathroom was cleaned by a maid.  This year, he is the maid.  Or whatever the male equivalent of that is.  So, on the suggested list of things to bring is granite top cleaner.  Truthfully, I don’t have that in my house now, but he has that in his apartment.  He has a washer and dryer and will be doing his own laundry this year. Yay!!  I tried to assure him that this should be easier for him since he will not have to trudge home with his duffle bag full of clothes every weekend like he did last year.  He is a double major in engineering, mind you, and when I was showing him what buttons to press on the washer and dryer his eyes were crossing.  He actually asked me which one was which—not buttons—but which was the washer and which was the dryer.  His father laughed out loud— this is going to be good!! I should have taken him seriously when he said washing clothes was going to be his biggest challenge this year.  Oh my.  And I was sure it wasn’t going to be long before his t-shirts were looking pretty grungy because he washed them with his jeans. So, in two trips to Morgantown, I hauled carts of stuff and lined all the drawers, ran the new dishes through the dishwasher, finagled a regular-sized shower curtain to fit a much smaller opening for the shower stall, added cushions to a very austere/uncomfortable sofa and chair, and filled his cupboards and refrigerator with food.   And Casey still had stuff left at home to take down, but he assured me he would put away his clothes, get the printer hooked up, the coffee pot plugged in and use a Brita water pitcher instead of tap water to drink.  I haven’t been down to his apartment for quite a while but I am pretty sure it does not look the same as when I left it at the beginning of the semester. While we were shopping, I would ask him what he would like to have for his apartment, he would tell me yes to this or no to that, and, even though he said he did not want this when we were shopping, I left a glass candy jar filled with M&Ms on his kitchen counter and I frequently send M&Ms to refill the jar.  For him, a little touch of home. EndFragment

It was only a few years ago that I learned of the symbolism behind the candy cane. Like most of us, I simply thought of it as a seasonal peppermint candy and often used it to adorn the Christmas tree. For those of you who are not aware of its symbolism, let me share it with you. A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols from the birth, ministry and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.  The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. So, now every time you see a candy cane, recall the wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas, and that His Love remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today. May you all have a blessed Christmas! EndFragment

When the seasons change and the furnace successfully kicks on, a sigh of relief can usually be heard at my house.  Aside from the furnace, most of us are well aware of existing winter kinks that may need to be worked out.  After all, it’s been a while since these things were in use. I think we can all agree as we cross our fingers that whatever the hiccup, it’s quite common to hold your breath and hope it’s not overly expensive.  Christmas is around the corner and there is nothing inexpensive about that anymore, so any additional household costs can be quite the downer. My family recently had one of those snafus to work out.  Fortunately, it wasn’t one that cost us a dime and no, it wasn’t an unlit strand of Christmas lights.  But the snafu quickly turned into one of the funniest moments on one Saturday afternoon in the Dodd household. We have two fireplaces and we do not use them a lot.  Mostly it’s because we rarely have the time to just sit and enjoy them.  Nevertheless, I had them inspected in the spring and was told we were good to go for at least two years.  So, fire it up! It was a chilly Saturday and my 6-year-old was having a friend over to play.  I decided this was a good time for my husband to start a fire.  I could relax in the living room for a little while since the children were occupied. Here is the scene… I had on my warm sweat suit, a cup of tea, my heating blanket and pillow in hand.  I set up camp on my couch building myself a little nest and finding the best selection of holiday movies on the television.  What a great afternoon for me!  I could not wait!!! The fire was lit. I was taking in the crackling of the logs and the heat emerging from the flames.  It was so perfect that I actually texted a photo to my son who was spending time at his Grandmother’s.  I couldn’t wait for everyone to be home to appreciate and enjoy the same fire I admired and the peace it brought to my mind. Settled in, I found myself slowly dozing off, but then I thought it was getting a bit smoky in my house.  I yelled for my husband and he switched on the lights and was shocked at the thick fog of smoke. Apparently our chimney flue slipped shut.  My husband put on heavy gloves and hurried to re-open the flue.  We threw open the doors and the windows.  I watched this in awe realizing that my warm and cozy fire was now the culprit of opening up the house for chilly air to flow through.  My heart was racing preventing that relaxation time I longed for so much.  Just when I thought it would be a matter of minutes before I could re-enter my afternoon dream world, all the alarms in the house started to go off in a piercing shrill louder than I imagined and I am sure the entire neighborhood could hear them as well. Within moments, up from the basement came the little girls and I heard one shout, “What do we do?” The other answered, “Let’s stop, drop and roll!”  It was nice to know they have been listening in the first grade, but I had a hard time convincing them the house was not actually engulfed in flames and it was not necessary to roll themselves out the front door. As I reassured the children and aired out the house, it all soon came to an end.  Other than my home smelling like a cabin for a solid week, that afternoon was a wash and I never did get that relaxation time, but looking back, it was one of those memorable moments I am sure we will laugh about in the years to come. As you run into your wintertime snafus, as I am sure you probably will, take it all in stride.  Don’t look at what you’ve lost, but find a smile in what you’ve gained. EndFragment

Recently I had to renew my driver’s license so I went to the West Virginia DMV website to get the low-down before I ventured all the way down to the office in Moundsville.  The information is all there but you have to take time to read it all and so you’re scrolling and scrolling and wondering if it will ever end.  Then you go back and make a list of the documents needed to renew.  But first, you have to make a choice as far as renewing your license—the usual choices, of course, and now, getting a For Federal Use license is also a choice. A license that comes with a gold star. I know my kids have the For Federal Use license because I told them that it was probably the wave of the future and just to go ahead and get it since they would be traveling and may have need of it.  For me, I wasn’t sure if I would need that type of license so I went online to see if I could determine why I would want it. A little bit of background as to why we have this choice is because Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005.  West Virginia is one of the states that is in compliance and has been since about 2012. Several changes had to be made at the DMV to make this possible, along with providing additional documents to prove to them that you are who you say you are.  A temporary license is provided on the spot and you will then receive the finished product in the mail. Not all states are in compliance and/or have not filed for an extension in order to implement this.  Many states are in the process.  Here is the thing too. The Federal Government has not come out and said what the For Federal Use license will be used for in its entirety.  Right now it can get you into power plants and certain federal buildings, etc.  That’s kind of vague and I am not sure why I would need to get into a power plant.  But I understand there are phases established that such and such will happen by a certain date as far as how it can be used.  I asked at the DMV why I would want this license and got a couple interesting answers but nothing definitive.  I am speculating whether eventually everyone will need one just to fly commercially or even to get a job. Or, if, in fact, everyone will have to have a state-provided driver’s license (or general ID) governed by the Federal Government, therefore, eliminating your choice of For Federal or Not For Federal Use.  That remains to be seen. Either way, I went ahead and paid the extra money, provided all the necessary documents because I was told that it will make it easier to get into Federal buildings—possibly less waiting perhaps.  However, they did not tell me that I would not have to remove my shoes. So if you haven’t had to renew your license since 2012, you will have the option to get a “gold star” on your driver’s license if you live in West Virginia. I believe Ohio has implemented the REAL ID Act but Pennsylvania has not.  You can go to the Homeland Security website for more information about this and, of course, the DMV in those states. EndFragment

A group of us from Bordas & Bordas recently went to a Paint and Sip at Moon River Studio located at 203 South Front Street on Wheeling Island in a Victorian-style mansion.  Park in front of this stately house, walk through the gate, up onto the spacious front porch, through the door and you immediately enter 19th Century Wheeling!  That in itself creates a sensory overload!  Once inside, after a short meet and greet and refreshments, you move into the “painting room” where you put on a paint spattered apron, choose your painting easel and get down to the business of creating your own chef d'œuvre!  Some of our group had attended Paint and Sip before, but for others it was a first time experience.  We thought it would be fun to share with you each of our unique observations, reactions and thoughts about our evening at Moon River Studio. SUSAN WILSON I was very excited about doing this with the girls and creating a masterpiece.  My first impression was how wonderful this old house looked at night.  It was ablaze with light and was very welcoming.  The view of the Suspension Bridge at night was truly magnificent.  The studio has such an array of art pieces that can be created that anyone can find something that will interest them.  This was a lot of fun and the wine and food for our private party made it a wonderful evening.  I want to do this again very soon. DARCY SPRINGER While my ability to paint anything other than a wall is disappointing, to say the least, when I have a great instructor and lots of friends around to support me, I don’t do half bad!  My snowman painting will be hung on my door in place of a wreath all winter!  That’s what I like about snowmen, they encompass more than just the Christmas season! LAURA POLLARD After seeing many friends’ creations at various Paint and Sips over the past few years, I had definitely been wanting to try one out myself. I hadn’t painted since high school, so I wasn’t sure how my painting would turn out, but by watching the instructor and everyone around me, I was able to put something together that looked halfway decent! Everyone else’s paintings looked great as well, and we had a great time. And as a bonus I now have a fun, unique gift to give my mom for Christmas. JEANNE DEDO I enjoy spending time with the girls after our work day is done.  No matter what we do or how many of us get to go we always have “FUN.”  We laugh with each other and tell stories from years gone by, even as we are making new memories.  I’m so very blessed to work with a group of girls (all ages) that can get along in and outside the office.  Our Paint and Sip was just one of our awesome adventures.  Thanks for making some more great memories.  On to the next adventure!!! ELEANOR WALLACE I admit when Jeanne Dedo invited me to join her and some friends for a private session at Moon River Studio, I had my doubts that I would come away from the experience with anything more than a stupid little stick figure painting and flecks of paint in my hair and clothes.  Which is the reason I began calling the evening adventure “Sip and Drip.”  My only hope for an enjoyable evening was that we did get to “sip” wine while we painted!   I was wrong.  It was fun!  And I only ended up with a little paint on my fingers!  Our instructor showed us step by step how to add color and which brush to use.  I didn’t leave with just a holiday painting I created myself, but I left with a bit of wisdom shared by our instructor that I am sure will stay with me forever:  paint what you see; not what you think.  An evening definitely worth repeating! ALENA McALLISTER Moon River Studio is located in a beautiful house on Wheeling Island. Getting to see the house alone was worth the trip, but having the opportunity to paint with a group of friends really made the evening something special. It was so much fun to watch everyone’s paintings slowly develop over the course of the night, and to see how all of our personalities were truly apparent in our finished projects. I can’t wait to visit Moon River Studio again. JENNA HEASTON While I’m proud to be a part of a growing firm, I find it heartening that Bordas & Bordas has not outgrown its “home away from home” atmosphere. It’s no secret that healthy relationships in the workplace foster happiness there, and I’m thankful to work with attorneys and staff who are able to enjoy one another’s company in and out of the office. If you’ve never attended a Paint and Sip event, I say you should! Moon River Studio is a great place to engage your creative side, enjoy good company, and find your Christmas spirit. ASHLEY WHARTON This was my second Paint and Sip at Moon River Studio, and it did not disappoint! I had a great time with co-workers and walked away with a cute painting of a snowman I can put on display during the holiday season.  Even if you are not the most artistic, the staff at Moon River Studio makes painting beautiful pictures a breeze! MARILYN BELL I had the pleasure of participating in a “Paint and Sip” outing with some of my Bordas & Bordas “work family” at Moon River Studio on Wheeling Island.  The beauty and warmth of the studio was the perfect place to spend a winter evening painting, laughing and sharing with other would-be Picassos, van Goghs and Norman Rockwells!  We each had our own “station” equipped with a chair, easel, canvas and paint. With a little (ok, maybe a lot) of coaching and personal instruction, I created a snowman!  At first, I wasn’t too impressed with my talents, but oddly enough, after taking my canvas home, it became more and more awesome looking!  I’ve already made plans with my neighbor, Sheila, to return and create another masterpiece. Thank you Jeanne Dedo! EndFragment

Last night as my daughter and I were dancing around the living room with garland draped around our shoulders to Christmas music in our attempt to decorate the tree I did not think twice about the sink full of dishes and the laundry that needed washed.  I knew that they would still be there, but this moment with my daughter would only be here once and I needed to enjoy this time with her.  It is for sure a memory I will cherish forever.  The smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes let me know how much she appreciated it as well. The holiday season is upon us and so many of us get caught up in the holiday to dos in addition to all of life’s daily events.  Many of us work full time and are racing against the clock to get the kids from school, stop by the grocery store to pick up dinner, rush home get dinner started, maybe throw in that load of laundry.  Whatever your daily lives entail, sometimes it feels almost impossible to get it all done and most evenings you are left exhausted from the daily hustle and bustle.  As we are getting ready for the holidays, here are some helpful hints that might make things a little easier and a little less chaotic for you so you have time to enjoy this holiday season. Plan out your meals: Sit down the night before you plan on going to the grocery store and plan out what you are going to make for the coming up week.  Get your calendar out see what you have going on in the upcoming week and plan meals accordingly.  If you know little Susie has a Christmas concert Monday evening, plan a crockpot meal so all you have to do is come home and eat.  Make your grocery list at the same time so you know exactly what you are going to get at the store which can also save money and time. Christmas shopping list: Make a list of all of the individuals you shop for at Christmas time.  Next to each person’s name write down your gift ideas and as you shop cross off those folks who you have finished buying for.  It’s a great way to ensure you do not forget anyone. Weekly schedule: I have found that during the month of December things get pretty busy between Christmas programs at school for the kiddos and Christmas parties, it’s so hard to keep track of it all.  Write down the dates week by week and fill in the events.  This ensures you do not miss out on any of the fun holiday events. It can be so overwhelming to try and remember everything that needs to get done between the Christmas shopping, the holiday baking and the day to day events you have on your plate.  With a little bit of pre-planning and organization it can ease some of the pressure that most of us experience during the holiday season. EndFragment

Santa Claus is a well-known and loved holiday tradition. Also known as Kris Kringle and Old Saint Nick, Santa Claus is a jolly old fellow who lives at the North Pole with a team of reindeer and elves, who spend the year making toys for all the world’s children, then delivering them through chimneys on Christmas Eve. Everyone knows that Santa is especially famous for making his list and checking it twice, to determine which children have been naughty and which have been nice, and distributing presents accordingly. Everyone knows that the naughty children receive lumps of coal in their stockings, rather than candy and toys. But what you may not know is that this has not always been the case. A lump of coal would be a welcome gift compared to what a bad child would have received back in the day. If you were a misbehaving child living in Germany and the surrounding areas up until the early 20 th Century, you could expect a visit from the Krampus. The Krampus, a name that you may recognize from the recently released comedic horror film of the same name, is a long-standing figure in Alpine folklore. Though it is unclear where exactly the creature got its origins, he seems to be a mix of Greek, Germanic and Norse mythological creatures, and was later incorporated into the Christian tradition of Saint Nicholas. Legend has it that the Krampus is a large, furry creature with goat-like horns, one human foot and one hoof. He has been compared to other creatures of lore, such as satyrs, fauns and chimera. While Saint Nicholas would reward good children with candy and treats, the Krampus would swat bad children with a switch or a rod, or snatch them up to take back to his lair. Some versions of the legend are much darker than others, but the common theme is that the Krampus served as the counterpart to good Saint Nick, and a cautionary tale to would-be misbehaving children everywhere. Although the Krampus has been largely eliminated from modern day Christmas celebrations in American, one tradition which many Americans do celebrate has its origins in Krampus-lore, though they may not know it. On Dec. 6, often known as “Saint Nicholas Day,” children leave out a shoe for Saint Nicholas and generally awake to find a little gift or treat from the jolly old elf. However, the night before Saint Nicholas Day is known as “Krampusnacht,” or Krampus Night. On that night, the Krampus would seek out the bad children, leaving only the good ones to receive their gifts from Saint Nicholas. Krampusnacht is still celebrated in many parts of Europe, particularly Austria and Germany, generally by a raucous nighttime parade where men will dress up as the Krampus and cavort through the town. Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Christmas, the Krampus shows that there is always something more to learn. So, be good on Krampusnacht, and if you get a lump of coal on Christmas Day, just be thankful that it wasn’t a visit from the Krampus. EndFragment

As I go forward with my campaign, I find that more often than not, people want to find out how I am likely to handle certain issues that will come before me as a Circuit Court Judge.  Rather than trying to discuss a long list of specific issues, I will often tell folks that I am best described as “old school”.  Although most people understand what I mean in using that term, some have asked me for a more detailed description.  “Old School” is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as referring to “someone that is old fashioned or traditional”.  While that certainly is an accurate description of my views on a lot of different issues, I think some specific examples might be appropriate.  Accordingly, I offer the following examples of Old School characteristics. Old School understands that parenting is the most difficult and the most important job that any of us will ever have.  He appreciates that it is his responsibility to raise his children to be polite, respectful and considerate of others.  He knows that it is his obligation to teach his children right from wrong, even where the best lesson involves showing them where he himself has failed. Old School has a deep and abiding appreciation for the dedication and sacrifices of our nation’s veterans, and he believes it to be a national embarrassment that we still have veterans who are homeless or in need of medical care they are unable to afford.  He believes that if we can afford to send our men and women to war, we can certainly afford to take care of them when they return. Old School still opens doors for ladies.  When walking with a lady he never walks ahead of her, and he always walks on the curb side of the sidewalk.  In a restaurant, he understands that the lady orders first, and he never starts his meal until she has hers.  He helps her on with her coat, he gives her his seat, and he defends her honor when necessary.  He doesn’t do these things because he sees her as weak; he does them as a way of showing his respect and appreciation for her. Old School listens to The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Van Morrison.  While he prefers classic rock, he appreciates and respects artists from an earlier time, such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett.  He thinks that when they decided to call modern music “rap”, they forgot to include the “c”. Old School appreciates that the best movies ever made came from a time when we didn’t have to see nudity and sex in every third scene.  When John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara went into the bedroom and closed the door, we all knew what was happening next; it wasn’t necessary to show it to the world.  Sex is private, and seeing it splashed across a movie screen makes the old school man feel like a peeping tom. Whenever a friend needs help, Old School is there to give it.  It doesn’t matter when or where.  His friend is his brother, and when his brother is in need, he goes.  No exceptions, even if he has to help carry a sleeper sofa down three flights of stairs.  (In the case of the sleeper sofa, however, the friend receiving the help should show his appreciation with tickets to a Steeler game or an expensive bottle of bourbon, or both.  Sleeper sofas weigh a ton.) Old School respects and appreciates teachers and law enforcement officers.  He understands the critical importance of their jobs in modern society.  If one of Old School’s children is disrespectful or disobedient to a teacher or police officer, that child is in for big problems when he gets home.  Old School saw the business end of a paddle more than once as he grew up, and it didn’t hurt him a bit. Honor, respect, compassion, humility and work ethic are the character traits most important to Old School, and he strives to live his life with those traits foremost in his mind.  He is ashamed of the times when he has failed to live up to those qualities, but he admits his failures, learns from them and moves forward with a renewed and deeper commitment. I’m old school, and proud of it. EndFragment