Two Very Different Towns

     When I was little, we used to go to a live nativity scene every year around Christmas. It was originally right outside of Broadwood Towers. It has now moved to the Presbyterian Church parking lot. At the nativity there were animals, shepherds, wise men, Mary, Joseph, and of course a baby Jesus. There was even the wooden stable and hay on the ground. I loved looking at the nativity and watching the people and animals interact. We always went at night, so that made it feel even more realistic.
     I remember asking once if that was the exact spot where Jesus was born. I thought New Bethlehem was the Bethlehem of Israel. I thought it was so cool that out of all of the towns in the world my town was where Jesus was born. I, of course, realized later that the real Bethlehem was actually very far away from my town. That made more sense because in all of the picture I'd seen there was no grass, and it seemed bigger than my town.
     This post has reminded me of a song I sing around Christmas every year at my church. The song is called "Not that Far from Bethlehem." I think one of the phrases fits this post perfectly.
"We're nor that far from Bethlehem where all our hope and joy began. For when our hearts still cherish Him, we're not that far from Bethlehem."

Hunting Season

       It's here. The most awaited "holiday" in New Bethlehem and other local towns. People have been gearing up for this event for weeks. Preparations included spotting at all hours of the night to find that perfect hunting spot and shooting guns in. Over the weekend, traffic was steady as people traveled through town to get to their camps. Evermoore's restaurant, which opens early to accomodate hunters, was completely parked full this morning. Our schools have two days added to their Thanksgiving break to allow for hunting. Facebook has exploded with pictures of the big bucks shot. All day I could hear shots ringing out around my house.
       There's three main types of hunters. First, there is the one day hunter. This hunter hopes to get a deer on the first or second day of the season so they don't have to go out in the woods the rest of the season. Usually they will shoot one of the first few deer they see. There's the waiter. This hunter will wait all season for that perfect deer. In the end, they usually pass up all of the good ones and end up shooting a less desirable deer. Then, there is the hoarder. The hoarder is usually the farmer that is allowed to hunt on their own land. They will kill around 15 deer in the season. I personally do not hunt, and I have no desire to go out and sit in the cold waiting for an animal to walk by. I'd much rather sit on my couch and watch them come to my yard to eat the feed we put out.

My Future Town

          In 100 years from now, New Bethlehem will be a thriving town. Old businesses will be flourishing, and new businesses will be able to open up. The Smucker's Peanutbutter Factory will be even larger and able to produce more products. Of course by then my ski resort idea will have been approved. The ski resort will be located on the mountains just outside of town. It will bring in customers from all over the nation and be making millions of dollars in profit.
          Overall, New Bethlehem will look pretty much the same other than the addition of the ski resort. It will always have the small town feel to it. But I really hope we get more food places. I personally would like a Taco Bell, Arby's, Panera, and iHop to be added. As far as I'm concerned, anything can replace the Burger King we have now. Perhaps by then  the road will be built that bypasses New Bethlehem for the people traveling from Brookville to Kitanning. Or maybe by then we won't even need cars. We will fly every where in mini jets. Basically, I can't imagine New Bethlehem not being here.

Winter

        This colder weather has me anticipating the snowfall that is soon to come. Before we know it, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years will be upon us. I know none of these holidays seem complete unless there is a bit of snow on the ground. Even though I love the beauty of waking up to a fresh coat of snow, living in a small town has its disadvantages when it comes to clearing the snow.
        I remember last Winter a snow storm was blowing in one Sunday night. I was at my boyfriend's house which is in Armstrong County. He lives about four miles back a country road. I left his house that night amid the storm. The roads were completely clear. That all changed when I got into New Bethlehem which is Clarion County. I had to lock my car into four wheel drive just to get up one of the hills in town. Come on Clarion County... Armstrong keeps their back country roads in better shape than you keep your town streets.