Dr. Michael and Amy Penney are welcomed to the Danville community as owners of County Line Veterinary Services, LLC, located at 5667 Ala. Hwy 36. The clinic is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, you are asked to call ahead before coming in because Dr. Penney does on-location treatment of horses, cows and goats with his Vet Box, which he keeps on his truck. The phone number is 256-773-8191.

Kay Bryant Farrer is sharing some of her memories of Christmas while attending Massey School in the 1940s in this week’s column:

“Everyone enjoyed the fragrances of cedar, pine, spices, cookies and a lot of paste and glue during Christmas time at Massey School. The children enjoyed decorating the big windows with cotton snow and cutouts of stars, bells, angels, manger scenes, Santas, sleighs and other Christmas images. The blackboards and the doorway had to be decorated and each classroom had a small cedar tree. A larger cedar tree was provided for first through sixth grades;

“There was a wooden stage that was built in sections and used in the 5th and 6th grade classroom, and when not in use it was stored under the building. Each grade had songs to sing, skits to perform and poems to recite. And, of course, Santa came in and handed out gifts. Following this, refreshments were served, but sugar was rationed and there were not many sweets for the parties (Each person was allotted one-half pound of sugar each week and stamps were issued for the sugar).

“The Christmas tree was decorated with candy canes made from paper and attached to the tree with red string or thread. Strings of popcorn, red berries and rings of red and green paper were also used to decorate the tree.

“We had a very gifted music teacher, Gladys Howse. She was very creative, playing Christmas songs and teaching us the words to the songs.

“The children enjoyed making gifts for their parents. They used cigar boxes and covered those for men with tan or white wrapping paper and those for women with floral or solid colored paper. Popsicle sticks were colored or varnished and used as decorations for the men’s gifts and beads were glued to women’s gift boxes.

The classrooms were decorated with old calendars, used Christmas cards; pictures from magazines and drawings made by students.

“The children drew names and inexpensive gifts were exchanged. The teacher usually received a gift of lotion or cologne from her students.”

Special belated happy birthday wishes go out to the following Danville-Neel staff members who had birthdays in December: Holly Powell on Dec. 13 and Tracey Luker and Teresa Walker, both on Dec.14. Happy birthday to Cindy Compton on Dec. 16.

Special belated happy birthday wishes go out to Diann Alexander and Jeremy Lacy, both on Dec. 1, Greg Roden and Selma McCaghren, both on Dec. 2, Sandra Roden on Dec. 4, Karen Callahan on Dec. 5, Betty Boyd on Dec, 6, Heather Roden and Rachel Terry, both on Dec. 7, Virgil Vest on Dec. 8, Pat Franklin on Dec. 10, Waymon Alexander and Sadie Long, both on Dec. 11, Edith Parker and Gary Vest, both on Dec. 12, Peggy Holloway on Dec. 13 and Joe Logan on Dec. 14.

Happy birthday wishes go out to Don Clark and Johnny Vest, both on Dec. 17 and Shane Parker on Dec. 18.

Belated wedding anniversary wishes go out to De and Lori McGuire who celebrated their 21st anniversary on Dec. 11.

Happy wedding anniversary wishes go out to Jeremy and Angie Johnson on Dec. 18.

Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Makenna Lewis on Dec. 15, Jon Durand and Reece Jones, both on Dec. 16, Cindy Thomas on Dec. 17 and Mitchell Bryant Owens Jr. on Dec. 18.