I have a confession: Christmas music annoys me.

It all started 10 years ago when a local station played Christmas music from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Although I am still recovering from “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells” overload, Christmas lights are never old. We have the Saluda Shoals Park’s Holiday Lights on the River, Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo, and drive-thru lights at the S.C. State Fairgrounds. Take a night or two and visit the twinkling holiday night lights.

Congratulations to the Chapin Cheerleaders. They are the 2021 South Carolina High School League 5A State Champions.

On Saturday, November 20, the Irmo High School Air Force JROTC unit assisted Hearts That Care by donating more than 5,000 personal hygiene items and handing out holiday meals to more than 100 local citizens. Thanks to them for being the hands and feet to those in need.

Do you know who the Dreher Shoals Dam is named after? Captain Godfrey Dreher Jr., a Revolutionary War soldier. He lived on the Saluda River, behind the current dam. There was a minor skirmish at his house in July 1781. If you are interested in Revolutionary War history, the 2021 American Revolution Symposium is for you. It will be held at the S.C. Department of Archives on Dec. 4 and is an all-day event. The cost is $75. For more information, go to scarchivesandhistoryfoundation. org.

The ornament of the week is easy and is packed with sentimental memories. Go to a craft store and purchase a box of clear ornaments. Write on small pieces of paper favorite memories of the year, scraps of a favorite shirt, or any small item of sentimental value that fit through the opening. If the family makes one every year, there will be a large collection of genuinely memorable ornaments hanging on the tree for years to come.