#50 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Christmas morning has come and we are happily enjoying the day. Maryann and I are alone this year. We do miss the kids and their spouses. However, we did have a great time in Hawaii with them over Thanksgiving. And that was our Christmas gift to them and to us.

We did most of our shopping via catalogues this year. So as they "gifts" came in we put them into one of the Christmas bags designated for each of us. It did save time on wrapping, unwrapping and cleaning up. tee hee, giggle, snerx.

We did surprise each other with a special gift that the other did not know of or suspect. On the right hand side of the photo is the coral necklace I bought for Maryann while in Hawaii. She admired it and told our daughter, Shannon, about it. I managed to purchase it and hide it for the trip back.

On the left had side, to the left of the red and white bag is a mug from Rothenburg, Germany. I got a great laugh from that. A number of years ago, while taking a bus tour along the Romantic Road, we stopped in Rothenburg. Maryann wanted to leave the bus and tour the town more than we had time to do on the bus tour. I stubbornly refused, much to my insecurity. I did promise that we could spend more time there the next time we get to Europe.

Our Christmas could only be made better if the propensity of some folks to use terrorism and warfare to get their point across would knock that stuff off. There has got to be a better way. Let's all work together to find that way.

Serve others, care about those you serve and share the love in your heart.

As for the Happy New Year, these are our wishes to you all. (Thanks, Nancy.)

#50