Weekend Pick: Ice, Snow, and Meteors

No matter what else you do this weekend, by Sunday afternoon please make sure you have the snow, ice, and other obstacles cleaned off your sidewalks. If you have a corner property, please take a few extra minutes to ensure there is a clear path from the sidewalk to the street. Piles of snow are also created when alleys are plowed so double check for those obstacles, too. Thank you.

If you are tired of watching ice and snow fall from the sky, the Geminid meteors shower will be at its peak on Thursday and Friday. Of course, if the skies are clear enough to see the shooting stars, it means clouds are not keeping warmth in the air at night. The Geminids are so named because they appear to come from the constellation Gemini near the star Castor.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, the Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or merely the change from 2007 to 2008, the last Holiday Market will be held at Capital Square and Nollen Plaza on Saturday, December 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will be wonderful food to buy and an assortment of gifts from local shops and artisans to purchase.

The best part of this weekend’s planning is that there is only a slight chance for precipitation in the forecast. It will be a good weekend to run errands, to check on the status of your outdoor decorations, and to do any shopping you need to do. Next weekend is very close to Christmas so if you are a person who does not like crowded roads and malls, you are probably not going to want to be in the midst of the last-minute holiday rush. When you’re out shopping, set your budget and then pull out $1, $5, $10 or more to use for charity. If you are driving to a store that’s 10 miles away, consider a closer store. That gallon of gas you save could give you more than $2 to use in helping feed a struggling family.

If you find yourself at Merle Hay Mall (3800 Merle Hay Road) in the late afternoon on Saturday, Sara Butcher will be working on a painting outside of David’s Briar Shoppe from 3:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Butcher does fantasy paintings. If you are in the East Village and looking for a fantasy art item, The Atlantean (412 East 5th Street) is a good place to stop. Colores, next door to The Atlantean, is also worth a visit. The speciality of Colores is tie-dye clothing.

Some authors are stopping at the Central Library (1000 Grand) on their book tours. Paul Krugman will be there at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday to promote The Conscience of a Liberal. Poet John Thompson will discuss On Holiday on Monday at 6:30 p.m.

For something different, I think my pick this weekend will be bowling. It offers exercise, good social networking, and plenty of opportunities to join leagues in the New Year. It’s also an indoor activity.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.