As the Christmas season approaches I am thinking about the people who are ill with cancer or any disease, accident victims, the homeless, the jobless, troubled, anyone without a family, the victims of Hurricane Katrina or any catastrophe, the leaders of this country or any organization, the young men and women who are serving our country, the churches, the elderly, the hungry, the hurting, the sad, the lonely and the lost souls. May God be with you and bless you everyone. Sardis Baptist Church will have its children’s Christmas program Sunday evening and will have refreshments in the annex afterwards, with Santa coming for a visit. Everyone is invited. Beaverdam Baptist Church will have its Christmas dinner Sunday. Sunday School starts at 10:15 a.m. with worship service at 11 a.m. The dinner will be immediately afterwards. Everyone is invited. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Corbett have had these visitors over the past week: Bonnie Boatwright, Frances Bridges and Ronnie Bridges, Nina Boatwright, Gail Stewart, Danny and Beverly Corbett, Esther Dawson, Mildred Hackney, Raleigh Long, Barry and Dana Echols, Peggy Callaway, Johnny Shedd, and Ruth Flynt. They appreciate every prayer and kind thought. Mrs. Martha Hall is still in Wills Memorial Hospital. She is doing well, but still has a long way to go in her recovery. Her sisters, Rubye Armour and Joan Echols, have been staying with her at the hospital. Our prayers are with her. Shirley Chafin attended a wonderful retirement party for Hilda Palmer at Pentecost Chapel near Lexington recently. Hilda retired after many years of working in the lunchroom at the Primary School in Washington. Good luck to her as she enjoys her retirement. I am sorry to learn that Okee Palmer of Lexington fell and broke his hip. He is in his 90s and his son, Marvin Palmer, and his family live with him. He is also the father of Charles Palmer and father-in-law of Hilda Palmer. A lot of people in Wilkes County know them. Our prayers are with them. David Owen, Grant and Macey, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., joined other family members for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with his grandmother, Mrs. Ruby Arnold. He left there to go be with his wife’s family where she had already gone. Joyce Blackburn carried her mother, Marian Poss, to the doctor in Augusta last Wednesday. Mason Armour of Lexington spent a while Monday with his great-grandmother, Mrs. Rubye Armour. Cameron Bowen visited with Rubye Friday evening while his mother was Christmas shopping. Mrs. Ann Williamson, Mrs. Sudie Kennedy, Mrs. Ruth Flynt, and Mrs. Shirley Chafin went to Thomson to the Senior Center where they do ceramics Thursday to their annual Christmas social. They exchanged gifts and had some delicious finger foods and a good fellowship. Mrs. Margaret Conner and Mrs. Peggy Echols went to Athens Thursday and visited Van Allen Bufford who is a patient in Athens Regional Medical Center and with Sue who was there with her husband. Malcolm and Jean McDonald of Rome spent Monday through Wednesday of last week with Mrs. Annie Blanche Vaughn. Penny Vaughn of Martinez spent the day Saturday with her mother. Tucker Vaughn of Martinez came Sunday and attended church with Miss Annie Blanche. Tim and Gail Stewart and Alyssa, and Paul and Hannah Wright attended the Christmas parade in Washington Sunday afternoon. Alyssa participated in the parade with the Tiger Band. Mrs. Kay Berry, Brooke Berry, Kaitlyn and Bryson, went to the Christmas parade in Washington Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Ruby Arnold, Kim Berry, and Aalyia enjoyed going to the Christmas parade in Washington Sunday afternoon. Rev. and Mrs. John Mark Carpenter enjoyed eating Sunday dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Armour, Justin, Ethan, and Jackson. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Smith’s visitors over the week were Mrs. Sandra Arnold of Winterville; Jimmy Arnold of Lexington; and Charlie Arnold of Athens. Jimmy did some work around the house while he was here. Jean Harper also visited one day. Tom Hardy had surgery last Thursday and is doing well. He is in our thoughts and prayers. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family of Jack Tanner whose graveside funeral was held Friday at Resthaven. He was a friend of everyone who knew him and will be greatly missed. Mrs. Ruby Arnold visited Mr. and Mrs. Lamar Berry and Trey, and Brooke Berry, Kaitlyn and Bryson Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Bonnie Boatwright went over to Bogart Thursday and spent the day with her sister, Mrs. Martha Jones. They went to the Cracker Barrel where they met their sisterin law, Mrs. Sharon Smith of Stephens, and their sister, Mrs. Frankie Jones of Athens, for a wonderful time, eating and looking around in the little gift shop. Sharon brought them delicious cake she had made which they enjoyed very much. It was a dreary day weatherwise so Bonnie and Martha went back to Martha’s house where they talked and talked and talked and had refreshments. Mrs. Ruby Arnold, Mrs. Dorothy Callaway, Mrs. Martha Williford and Rhonda Lance went to Augusta to visit Martha’s son in the hospital one day. J.W. and Bonnie Boatwright went to Lexington Friday to pick up a part that J.W. was having rebuilt at a little shop and yes, we stopped at the Chicken Express and ate. Mrs. Bonnie Boatwright enjoyed visiting Mrs. Ruth Flynt Friday afternoon. Ruth is a very interesting person with her crafts and cooking. Avery Hall spent Saturday with Mr. and Mrs. Neil Frankel, Zachery and Kyle, in Crawford. Mrs. Sandy Whittington and Mrs. Kim Frankel, Zachery and Kyle, enjoyed the Christmas dinner and fellowship at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Washington Sunday. Mrs. Laura Hester of Wilkes Health Care Center spent Thanksgiving Day with Mr. and Mrs. George Wideman and family. William Hester spent from Thursday through Saturday with them. Mrs. Ann Wideman and William Hester visited Mrs. Laura Hester at Wilkes Health Care in Washington. Other visitors of the Widemans have been Gene Winfrey, Tom Hardy, Larry Maxwell, and James, David, and Mathew Wideman. I have been writing the news of Rayle for several years now and have really enjoyed doing it very much. From time to time I make silly little mistakes, but I am not perfect. When I hurriedly write it down in a tiny little space I may overlook it or sometimes I may hear your news wrong over the phone. Some will understand and say, “Oh, I didn’t think anything about it.” Yet others will tell me in a tone as if I meant to do it. I do not mean to do anything like that because the more news I have the better I like and goodness knows, I want it right. Sometimes I leave out some of my own news, too. On the other hand, I love it when people brag on what a good job I am doing. I have received many phone calls, even from people in other towns. I have gotten letters and every time I go somewhere, someone will tell me how much they enjoy my news. Please remember, I want your news and I hope you will think about it and help me out. Have a good and safe week. Remember, Christmas is Jesus’ birthday and that is the reason for the season.