The following article was written by Barbara Bundy-Jost, the President of Manitowoc Aluminum Kitsch-Mas Inc.
The holidays are upon us and this year, with a late Thanksgiving, Christmas is hot on its heals. For most people, holiday time can be stressful. It’s no surprise we encounter stress with all the running around we do to make things just right. BUT, I offer this alternative thought, which could be a big stress reliever.
REUNIONS = Social events that bring a cluster of people together to reminisce about time periods they shared and to catch up on current life events. We cook, we clean, we gather and reconnect to share the warmth of times gone-by. Brains going back in time SPARK stories long forgotten that can cause eyerolls to the back of your head . . . but . . . most often, these stories warm your heart and make you marvel. It’s true! Something that seemingly happened yesterday was actually decades ago! You laugh, you cry, you appreciate, you LOVE. I refer to this as, SEASONAL SPARKLE SYNDROME.
SPARKLE = shine with a bright, glistening, shimmering light. Sparkle can also refer to joy or merriment. When you’re having a really good time, your face will sparkle. As a verb, sparkle means to be lively and excited, or to be so brilliant at something that you shine above the rest. We’ve all witnessed an exquisite shift in a person when their brain connects and the sheer joy of that connection lights up their face with a smile so bright the moon looks dull!
Manitowoc’s Public Library is holding a reunion of sorts twice this December. As a matter of fact, MPL offers TWO opportunities to travel back in time, combat stress, enrich your life, and build some precious memories for your case of SEASONAL SPARKLE SYNDROME!
On Thursday, December 5, from 6-7:45 PM, Jordan Kabat and I will take you on an in-person stroll through the Enchanted Evergleam Forest on the main floor of the library. We’ll introduce you to Frankie’s Forest and tell you all about the daughter of Joseph and Pauline Pfeffer and her passion for collecting Aluminum Specialty trees. We’ll share stories behind this Manitowoc company’s Atomic Age innovation and design. Insights, rarities, and interesting trivia on the glitzy wonder will be shared at every turn!
Then, on Thursday, December 19, at 6 PM, we’ll be having a virtual presentation, LIVESTREAMING on MPL’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/manitowoclibrary)! We’ll get close to the past with a grand team of former Aluminum Specialty alumni! Stories will be told and a window to a bustling 1960s world in the fine city of Manitowoc will be open to you. They’ll reminisce and give us the inside scoop on the Evergleam Aluminum Tree heyday. These people were there, living Evergleam history! People will laugh, tell stories and marvel at some truly magical facts that seemed to happen yesterday . . . but we all know it was well over 60 years ago! Our reunion attendees’ faces will sparkle as bright as the trees they had a hand in building! They’ll reminisce and you’ll get to witness their brains making connections that light up their faces with SEASONAL SPARKLE SYNDROME!
Mark your calendar! These historical presentations will share stories of creative brains, innovative designs, and people having tons of fun while they made a living. These shared moments will happily impart the joy of times gone by. However . . . are they gone if they make us smile so brightly now? It’ll warm your heart when you will feel the SPARKLE of joy and merriment spread across your face giving you a healthy dose of SEASONAL SPARKLE SYNDROME! To that I say, “Gleam On!”