“Fireworks!” 12-year-old Bright Kabura says as he describes a holiday celebration. He’s not describing the 4th of July or New Year’s Eve – he’s describing Christmas in Zambia, where he and his family lived before coming to Abilene as refugees in December of 2016. Like many refugee families in America, the Kabura family has adopted some American traditions for the holidays … [Read more...]
Christmas Comes Early for Matt Robinson
The Christmas season starts in September when you’re in the holiday lighting business, but electrician and business owner Matt Robinson said Christmas came early for him in a different way last year. The Friday after Thanksgiving, Robinson was reaching the end of a major undertaking – spreading festive holiday lighting throughout downtown Abilene – and he and his crew were … [Read more...]
Christmas Collections: Janet Bailey’s Santas
Janet Bailey’s collection of Santas is diverse, unique and rich in culture, representing the 20+ nations from which they originated. Bailey, technical services manager at the Abilene Public Library, might not have foreseen that when she received a Santa figurine as a Secret Santa gift during her freshman year at Pepperdine University in 1984. But just a year later, while … [Read more...]
Christmas Collections: Jan Woodward’s Christmas Mice
Jan Woodward, former Abilene Reporter-News columnist, said she has always had a penchant for little creatures, especially dressed up in tiny clothes. “I’ve just always thought they were cute,” Woodward said. On a visit to see her grandmother in West Virginia, Woodward and her mother met one of her grandmother’s neighbors who made crafty Christmas ornaments, one of which … [Read more...]
Wrapped With Love: Expert tips for creative holiday gift wrapping
By Wendy Kilmer Photography by Beth Dukes Rebecca Bridges learned to sew when she was four years old and recalls summers filled with art projects rather than television. Her birthday cakes were scratch-baked, and her hair bows were hand made with care. Bridges mom, Nancy, an elementary school teacher, intentionally passed down her love of arts, crafts and making … [Read more...]