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  And so, the minutes and seconds tick inexorably towards midnight, and the start of the New Year, 2011. Can any of us say that we are sad to see 2010 go? The economy continued to stumble on, not really moving in any direction except forward. If it were a patient in a hospital, it would have been declared brain dead, because it has flat lined. Unemployment hovers near double digits. In May, we had the start of the worst environmental disaster to hit the Gulf in memory.  New Orleans was written off again, as were other cities and towns on along the gulf; but, somehow, they persevered.  It is hard to destroy these people, who have seen so much disaster in the past decade. We had the tragedy of Haiti to contend with, which we are STILL contending with, despite the public's short memory. We had the earthquake in Chile in February, more tragedy in a world that has seen more than it's share in the past year. We pull together to help and give aid and comfort to these areas ...

 As I prepared myself today for Christmas, it  suddenly came to me how Mr. Dickens could be inspired to write 'A Christmas Carol'.  As I listend to some of the old Christmas Carols, memories of all of my Christmases came flooding back to me. My Mother, Father, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles all came marching back, like the ghosts in Mr. Dickens classic tale. I could see them all,  just as they were when I was a child; they all loved Christmas so much. Everyone of them dressed in their best clothes and made 'The Rounds', visiting each others homes for some good cheer and Christmas Spirits. Later on, we would all gather at my Grandmothers house for a huge Christmas festa of several courses. We would start with antipasto, then have chicken, then Macaroni and meat. Then, we would all rest a bit and then have the main course, a turkey with everything that went along with it. Then, the salad. Later on, we would have desserts and nuts. We ate like kings and queens on the ho...

The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day has been, for me and many of the  people that I know, The Christmas Season. This is the way that it has been for as long as I can remember, and that’s a very long time. Christmas has become a secular holiday for all to celebrate, no matter what you call it. It is a time for reflection of the past year, a time to show good will and love to your fellow citizens, and most of all, a time for children to wait in anticipation of the DAY. It is the time of selflessness and giving. There has always been a special feeling in the air, no matter what you believe. There are gatherings and parties all over the world in celebration. You don’t have to be a Christian to enjoy the warm feelings associated with the holiday. I see a lot posts on the internet and signs on the street that say ‘Let’s Keep Christ In Christmas’. This is fine for those who worship Jesus Christ and all that his birth signifies; but we should not exclude those in the world wh...