What the Holidays Are All About
Frances Neagly

It’s the new year in the neighborhood; but before I start thinking about that, I really want to spend a little more time enjoying the memories of the holiday season.

The Hayes Valley Merchants’ block party on Friday, December 5th was one of the best ever. There were people everywhere, from all over the neighborhood and the City. HVNA had its usual tables in Patricia’s Green where we served hot cocoa and cider and cookies. Everyone was in a holiday spirit and even I did not let critiques of the cocoa, from our local 10-yearold connoisseurs, dampen my mood.

On Saturday, December 6th, the wonderful Alice Cravens from Modern Tea had a jam making morning at her store and I got to sample the strawberry jam later in the day. The big event that day for me was the annual wreath making and card making, which was held again in the Community Room at Hayes Valley South.

Nora and Enokin from Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group, along with Richard Johnson from Community Partners United, led the wreath making and provided wonderful refreshments. They made wreaths for every housing development in the neighborhood and one for everyone else in the room. Bridget and Jessie from Trash Mash-Up helped the kids make shiny ornaments out of old CD’s and other recycled things. Once again, I tried to oversee the card making. We needed to make 255 cards for the food baskets that CPU gives out just before Christmas, along with allowing everyone to make cards for themselves. Tamara, from Jack and Jill, came with her daughter and another student from their high school and they were real troupers. At the end of the afternoon, we had 270 cards and I was just amazed and impressed.

Photo: Barbara Wenger

I was able to be on hand with Richard and his CPU volunteers to prepare and deliver the food boxes on December 18th and 19th. Each year at this time, I get to meet and spend time with more of my neighbors. Besides putting food into the bags, Evernease, one of our partners from the Neighborhood Baptist Church, and I were put to work filling out the letters that would be attached to the bags. While we were working on our calligraphy, we had wonderful little conversations and of course, found solutions to most of the world’s problems.

Then on Saturday, December 20th, HVNA joined with CPU to host the annual holiday luncheon. Alice loaned the use of Modern Tea for the event. It was a wonderfully intimate and inviting setting. The food was delicious and it was great to see the diversity of people sitting down, eating and chatting.

The gist of all this was that I certainly felt very much in the neighborhood and holiday spirit all through the month and am really looking forward to the new year here, too.