AROUND LEXINGTON COUNTY

How was your Christmas? Ours was a bit different this year. All the holiday celebrations this year extended into the weekend with a family wedding.

We decide to forego the traditional Christmas menu and china and have easier finger foods on disposable paper products.

Our granddaughter, Caroline Plowden, and Joe Ellis were married Dec. 28 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Columbia.

Much of the family and many firends were invited to share this happy occasion. All of the attendents were to have their hair styled by Heather Snelgrove Gilbert of Lexington. This wedding took months of planning.

The happy couple will make their home in New York City where the bride is with Price-Waterhouse Accountants and the groom with the Pareteu Company.

Did you know that the day after Christmas, Dec. 26, is known as Boxing Day in England? Scott Adams reports that our British cousins continue their holiday festivities with gift giving. And Bruce Manning, who moved her from England some years ago report that Boxing Day is now mainly a sporting day when many people are able to relax agter the “stress” of Christmas.

The origins of the name date back several hundred years when churches opened alms boxes and distributed the contents to the poor.

Bruce Lindler, whose mother came from England says “Boxing Day is traditionally a day off for servants and the day they recieved a Christmas box from their masters. Now it is a day to exchange gifts for family and friends and to provides gifts, money or food for the poor.”

Last Thursday, George Rentz, first president and CEO of Lexington Medical Center, was presented the Order of the Palmetto by Gov. Henry McMaster.

Rentz started in 1968, three years before LMC opened. As the first adminstrator of LMC, he laid the foundation for delivering the best health care to the people of Lexington County and the Midlands, said Tod Augsberger, the current president and CEO. Among the many attedning the presentation were Dr. Neyle Bennett, Dr. and Mrs. Erwin Shaw, Dr. Tripp Jones, volunteer Alice Wyatt, Dr. and Mrs. Frank Young, and Marie Bridges.

Anne Bull reports that Sen. Katrina Shealy and her husband Jimmy spent Christmas Day serving meals to the incarcerated youth at the Department of Juvenile Justice. That was also Katrina’s birthday. Hope you had a happy one, Katrina.

Lexington County Public Library is hosting a hands-on workshop on how to create an effective resumé. The workshop will be Jam. 4, Feb. 1, March 7, April 4 and May 2.

The library is also offering personal assistance with your computer, tablet or smart phone. You must register for the 30-minute sessions. Classes are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays at 2 pm beginning Jan. 6.

The Lexington Recreation and Aging Commission will offer its next session of classes Jan. 6 through Feb. 14. Call 356-5111 for information.

As the year 2019 closed and the ball droped in Times Square, year 2020 rings in with cheers and anticipation. Toast your friends with Auld Lang Syne.

It’s the New Year, so keep eating the collards and peas for health and wealth! Happy New Year!

Happy birthday to Marshall Carroll, Catherine Compton, Faye Hightower, Drew Welch, Elaine Mayfield, Chase Rabern, Dylan Roberts, Samuel Taylor, Frank Troglauer Sr., Warner Ettenger, Donna Jackson, Dawn Corley, Laura Cox, Taylor Keel, Tyler Keel, Katy Clark Lever, Tommy Mathias, Jan Smith, Virginia Gates, Weston Shealy, Charlotte Compton, Wanda Ebert, Katelin Gordon, John Nichols, Ron Slice, Carolyn Smith, Kyle Snelgrove, Wendy Homeyer, Kristin De-Troyer, Chuck McCurry and John Larrabee.