Be mindful of bellringers and their cause

We can put this down in medical journals as a new ailment.

I will call it “bell ringer elbow.”

After three long stints of bell-ringing for the Salvation Army, I developed a mild case of tendinitis in my right elbow. My wife asked me why I didn't switch to my left hand. With no logical answer, I did what I always do when my wife asks me a tough question: I changed the subject. That comes more naturally to me than changing hands while bell ringing.

I don't bring this up to garner sympathy for my elbow, which tends to flare up over far less strenuous things anyway. I do it to remind you that Salvation Army bell ringers are taking on a tough task. Most of them are in the cold (I am wise enough to ring indoors) and, yes, it does take some wrist and elbow strength to complete that repetitive motion for two or more hours.

The holiday message? Continue to be generous to your bell ringers on these final three days of the ringing season. Your generosity has been incredible so far, and packing my elbow in ice is a small price to pay.

Mostly, have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Judging book's cover:

St. Charles author Jay Payleitner's book cover catches your eye.

So much so that the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association recently honored the cover of “52 Things Kids Need from a Dad” with its 2010 Book Cover Award for mid-sized publishers.

The award honors book covers that display “outstanding design and graphic elements that best appeal to the book's target consumer.”

The cover of Payleitner's book shows a father and his two children resting outdoors with the sun shining brightly on them, and the daughter smiling in a way that conveys comfort and love.

Pushing for turf:

The push has been on full steam in Geneva to get involved in another online voting contest – this time to secure funds for installing artificial turf at the high school's Burgess Field.

The field got a bit of a break this past football and soccer season because there wasn't much rain. That's a blessing in disguise, but it does allow the supporters of the “Rebuild Burgess Field” project with more time to get the estimated $1 million needed.

The artificial turf campaign has been part of the Pepsi Refresh Project this month, and voting continues to Dec. 31.

It's a good time to give this a plug and encourage people to get online and cast a vote at refresheverything.com.

Those interested in learning more about the project, or donating to the cause, can contact Tom Finnberg at rebuildburgessfield@gmail.com.

Embracing traditions:

The holiday lore from the Rev. William Beckman in last Sunday's column always results in nice comments from readers.

I would be remiss to not share Beckman's thoughts on what all of the holiday tradition truly means:

“There probably isn't a home that doesn't treasure Christmas traditions from around the world — all serving to keep us mindful of humankind's search for peace on earth and good will toward all.”

dheun@sbcglobal.net