Happy 2004! Here we are, surrounded by frozen tundra of ice and snow with sub-zero temperatures and blustery winds. If we all get together and pray for warmer weather perhaps it will get here a bit sooner than the weatherman is predicting.

Some of us have managed to find an alternate route to warmer climates - John Watson, for instance. He'll be taking off on February 16 for a six-week tour of Buenos Aires, Miami, around Cape Horn (the long way) and up the West Coast. This time he'll be traveling through the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic - all on the Norwegian Crown. And when he's not actually shipboard, John now has a birds eye view of the harbor from his new apartment on Richmond Terrace. Jealous, anyone?

Glenda Mitchell and Gail Bernardez also found a way to beat the winter doldrums by taking a trip together to South Africa. I promise to have all the details in next month's "Around the Parish" column.

Since the December edition of The Tower Chimes was published well in advance of the Christmas holiday there was really no opportunity to say "thank you" to so many people for their hard work in December and since there's no time like the present, here goes! After months of planning, our December 6 St. Nick's Fair went into the "deep freeze" and had to be canceled because of a wicked snowfall. Not one to be left out in the cold, chairperson Nick Lettiere, along with Janet Schneider and Margaret Harris sold Christmas wreaths, baked goods and NFL clothing items during the Sunday morning coffee hours. Although we didn't bring in quite as much as usual, Nick and his "elves" did manage to salvage a good deal of the Christmas spirit!

Thanks to the hard work of our Sunday School staff - Sheila Hewitt, Christine Szczepanik, Connie Black and Melodi Coleman - and of course, our students, this year's Advent Play was especially moving.

The 2003 Holly Ball was one of the best we've seen in years thanks to the efforts of chairpersons Beth McLean and Trevor Mills and the other members of the committee. The beautiful Rose Window invitation was the brain child of the creative team of Susan Fowler and Victor Stanwick ; and thanks to the many innovative and creative decorating ideas of Pat DiMarco, the Guild Room, Vestry Room and auditorium were reminiscent of a Victorian Christmas card. And special thanks to everyone who came out that evening to show their support to make this event so much fun and such a success!

The church was resplendent on Christmas Eve thanks to the hard work of so many people: David and Dan Wood for the exquisite floral decorations; Shirley Elfers and the members of the Altar Guild, and Tom Sarff and the members of the choir. Special thanks to Jim Angone and his assistant, Aaron Heighton, for installing the new lighting that illuminated and enhanced our sacred space.

Congratulations to Father Michael as he takes on the important role of president of the Staten Island Council of Churches. The "official" passing of the baton from the outgoing president, The Reverend Lee McCallum, took place on Wednesday, February 4. And kudos to Valerie Quinlan and Joyce Chung, whose collaborative efforts in a January recital at the Donnell Library brought the house down! Joyce is the mother of Thomas Liu, the talented young gentleman who is the accompanist for the Sunday morning Family Services.

Martha Keucher has really had a busy couple of months. This past Thanksgiving she had the opportunity to attend the Macy's parade in Manhattan. What made it even more special was the pride she felt when her grandson, Mike, and members of the Bloomington ( Indiana ) North High School Band marched by her in full regalia. Two weeks later, Martha and the members of her knitting club, who work out of the Noble Museum at Snug Harbor, were featured in a special article in the Sunday edition of The New York Times.

"Get well soon" wishes go out to Mae Seeley and Jay Spadaro ; and our thoughts and prayers are with Channing Lefebvre, the son of Judy and the late Rev. Fred Lefebvre, as he takes on the mantle of responsibility in his current military assignment in Iraq.

Our thoughts are with Ginny Peel in the wake of a rather unfortunate mishap that occurred last month. Her car caught fire in the garage and burned up completely, as did her entire garage, subsequently causing smoke damage in her apartment. Thankfully, Ginny is O.K. and slowly but surely working to get things back in shape.

In November we lost one of oldest members with the passing of Edith Armstrong at the remarkable age of 96. Edith was housebound and never had the opportunity to attend services at Christ Church, but she was a faithful patron of Christ Church and a lovely lady. Many of you may remember her husband, Leonard, who was a leader in our parish and was deeply involved with the work of the Buildings and Grounds committee; in fact, a memorial plaque stands by the entrance to the church in his honor. And this month we lost another friend of Christ Church, Jean Pratt, who faithfully attended the Wednesday evening programs and other special events with her good friend, Margaret Harris. Jean shared generously of her time and talents while she was with us, and often volunteered to work at our fundraisers and fairs. Those of us who had the pleasure of knowing her will miss her quiet and lovely presence.

We've got some wonderful fund raising events scheduled for February and March - please join us on Tuesday, February 24 (Shrove Tuesday) for the Pancake Supper, and on Friday, March 19 for the Serendipity Pasta Supper. And don't forget to mark your calendars for Diversity Sunday on February 22.