Gifts for the Holiday

I had lunch today with a few friends. It is a weekand two days before Christmas. Our talk turned to gifts for friends, business associates, family, and business prospects.

At our table was a perfect mix for the discussion. One person was an old friend, an insurance salesman. I had sung with him in the Harmonizers. One was a chiropractor and minister. I just like to talk to him about fishing (of which he is an expert and I know little, although I have done some fishing).

Three were people in business. One a builder I had just met. One a real estate broker, a man into statistics and information who runs a radio show. And one a mortgage loan officer who I met through a client.

We had at our table, I think, a person who observed Hanukkah, and the rest Christmas. I love to celebrate every body's holidays. I enjoy the music that goes with every holiday. I enjoy the food, especially Christmas cookies. I remember baking them with my daughter while my son decorated the Christmas tree with my wife. I enjoy the family atmosphere when we get together.

My contribution to the discussion was books. I think books are a great gift.

Never that expensive. But alway a challenge to choose requiring you to know something of the recipient’s interest. Usually available at the last minute, especially with Amazon available for next day delivery for most books. That is a great resource. But I do prefer to buy local if I can. I find I can call a local store and order if they have it, so I do not waste a trip to see if a particular book is in stock.

One book I own and have read is Frenchtown by my friend Rick Epstein, former Hunterdon County Democrat reporter.

Rich now gives tours of his town as well as write this book about it. I learned a few things by reading the book. I have been going to Frenchtoen since I was a little kid with my parents when Milford did not have what they wanted. Frenchtown was a step up from Milford and a more conviennt but a step down in terms of what could be found in Easton Pensyvania or Flemington New Jersey. Do you know the man who once owned 1 Main Street in Flemington? It is a mansion house. It was on five acres with a cow in the back yard that I walked past on my way to Flemington High School's football field in 1955. He lived in Frenchtow and started a hospital there. You will be surprised by the stories about people and events in Frenchtown that Rich writes about.

You can find the book here:

https://hunterdonhistory.org/store-2/frenchtown/

https://frenchtownbookshop.com/item/8NKfrwCAsIPqlvWj-_goRQ/lists/Ldw3khX7NbTk/

I will tell you about three or four other books I have read that are written by Hunterdon authors in my one of my next posts.