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| Evangela Lisa Jackson |
As friends, neighbors, members of the choir and regiment, and
TLC staff gathered around the bonfire last night at Stateline Woods Preserve,
we certainly had a lot to celebrate. Not only were we celebrating the Winter
Solstice, which marks the time of year when our days start getting longer and
our nights shorter, but we were also celebrating the 150th
anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. The rain had held off for the
evening, and everybody was excited for the night to begin.
We started with an amazing solo singer, Evangela Lisa Jackson,
whose voice reverberated through the fields. After this beautiful start to the
evening, The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War regiment discussed the
impacts of the Civil War and gave a tribute, which included a small artillery
cannon being fired three times to honor the war dead. Eugene Hough, from
Heritage Guild Works, spoke a few words about the restoration work we are doing
at the Bucktoe
Cemetery, and read the powerful poem “Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow.
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| The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War |
It was now time to light the evergreen tree atop Crossfield
Hill! All the kids helped us string the lights and hang our natural ornaments
we had made during the Black Friday Celebration. While we decorated the tree,
the choir from the Gailee Church in Avondale, led by Reverend Sonni Taylor, led
us all in some familiar Christmas carols. Soon everyone had joined in and many
were making requests for the next carols to sing! We all had a great time
celebrating the Winter Solstice and the end of the Civil War, and hope you can
join us next year to celebrate!
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| Lighting and Decorating the Evergreen Tree |
Thank you to everybody who participated in the Winter
Solstice Celebration, and a special thanks to Crystal Crampton, Eugene Hough,
Evangela Lisa Jackson, The Choir, and The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil
War!
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