Columns

By LEE HAMILTON
Center for Congress

Recent economic news has been broadly reassuring. Retail sales are strong, November saw the best job gains in three years, the federal deficit is shrinking, the stock market is robust, and the Fed is expressing enough faith in the economy that an interest rate bump next year is considered a certainty.

Yet the public remains unconvinced. This is partly because perceptions haven’t caught up to reality. For many middle- and lower-class families, economic circumstances have not changed very much.

By Travis Weber
guest columnist

Around this time of the year, the “War on Christmas” and the “War on the War on Christmas” once again enter the public discourse, with each side claiming support from assorted statistics and anecdotes.

Though there are certainly some who inexcusably exaggerate threats to public religious expression and others who claim there is no hostility to Christianity, we must ask the obvious: If there is no hostility to public religious expression, what has prompted fears that Christmas is being stamped out?

Jeneen Wiche
Weekend Gardener

I don’t mind a gloomy day here or there. I actually find them somewhat restorative. Too many in a row, though, can be sort of depressing. So, when the winter sky moves in, I search out the plants in the landscape that have color.

We all say we want winter interest but sometimes we forget about it once spring rolls around and we get excited about a new season.

Have you selected things that will capture your eye in January?

By VINCE LUECKE

Once upon a time I used to devise all sorts of ways to count down the days until Christmas. I was that eager to wrap up a semester of school and welcome Santa and his presents under the tree.

The real longing began in church, usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, with the lighting of the first Advent candle at church.

An evergreen wreath with four candles was placed in the front of the congregation and each week, another candle was lit, leading up to the weekend before Christmas.