Silent Night (with lyrics)

Jessica's arrival means the season has begun

Jessica arrives tonight; her plane is scheduled to land about 9:30.  She completed her finals, which for some classes was to submit a paper.  It is hard to realize  that she has now completed half of the three years required to complete her religious studies.

I am taking it easy this season.  I've already skipped two events at the church and Wednesday night all members of the family except me attended "Songs of the Season,: a Christmas music presentation. I had looked forward to attending but was glad I skipped it because it required four hours.  I did attend Jen's office party Thursday, but that only involved having dinner. The firm now has 54 people.  The first year it totaled four, including the owners.

Josh added to his Christmas lights  at his home in Logansport.  I forgot that I am scheduled to be on hand at his open house Saturday night. The lights timed with music were outstanding and very much enjoyed by people driving by last year.  Many parked to listen to the music and view the lights.

About Christmas cards

I'm having a difficult time getting around to addressing Christmas cards.  I've had cards for weeks but I just can't sign, address and mail them.  What can   I  blame it on?  Laziness,  problem using my hand?  Or is it  I just can't get the Christmas spirit.

Jen spent two days, from early morning to late at night, shopping.  She acquired a wagon load of gifts, some of which were to children of people in prison, others to orphans, to Scouts, etc., but a huge pile surrounds the Christmas tree, ready for  family to open them Christmas day. The exchange of gifts never excites me. I only enjoy giving gifts if they are to people in need and who cannot answer in kind.

Now, let me get to addressing cards.

Global warming? Coldest temperature ever recorded

Is it cold enough for Gore, Obama and the EPA?

Billions have been spent and more billions wasted because some government officials   have insisted that we must change our lives to avoid "man made global warming," despite evidence to the contrary.  The truth is that man is a minor player in influencing the weather.

The lowest temperature ever recorded, 135.8,  was reached in August 2010 in East Antiartica. A temperature of 135.3 was recorded in July last year.

"Man-made warming" has been discredited, but at Obama's direction the EPA has unlawfully made regulations that have handicapped industry and cost not only money but millions of jobs.  It appears that the administration wants to destroy jobs.  When Congress refused to adopt harmful regulations, Obama directed the EPA to push them anyway.

"a day that will live in infamy"

I was in the backyard starting my evening chores when we heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  At school the next day, we listened on the radio as President Roosevelt addressed a joint Congress which declared war on Japan.  I was 15 and a junior in school on December 7, 1941.  How many of you have a memory of that day?

The first sentence of Roosevelt's speech was as follows:

"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 --a date that will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."

Later in his address he said -- "With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help me God."

Minutes later Congress declared war with only one dissenting vote.

When to send Christmas cards

We received our first Christmas cards of this year a few days ago.  Some people send cards early and enjoy the feeling of  "at least one job is done."  Others wait and wait and then hope the cards they mailed will get to their destinations by Christmas Eve. 

I began to consider if there was a proper time to send cards; I looked and found there is such a thing as "Christmas card ethics."  According to this, cards should not be mailed earlier than Thanksgiving; earliest is one week after Thanksgiving.

If you are sending cards to co-workers, send the card to their home address.  Always put your own address on the envelope of all cards you send.  That helps the person who has misplaced her card list.

I found several more items of advice.  One that surprised me was that we should send the card that meets with the attitude of the recipient.  Some people send and prefer true Christmas cards, with words and pictures of a religious nature.  Others may not like religious cards, preferring cards with a winter holiday theme.

I bet you are like me; you didn't know there was ethics for sending Christmas cards.

Obamacare looks worse than eveer

"All hell will break loose when employers dump their hospital plans," one panelist said Sunday as we learned more and more of the dangers Obamacare will do to our medical care. "If you like your health plan you can keep it," a vicious lie but worst things could await us.

"If you like your doctor, you can keep him," may be more hurtful than the increased cost under Obamacare.
It seems that many more people will be dumped into plans similar to medicare and medicaid.  Doctors will be paid less, which will be  almost certain to force some doctors to limit the number of patients in those plans.  At present it is often difficult to find a doctor who will accept medicare. It happened to me several years ago.  Now part of Obamacare is based on saving money by paying doctors less for medicare patients.

How tough it is going to be to pay double for your health plan and be unable to find a doctor who will accept it.  We've seen nothing yet; wait until employers decide it's better to pay a fine than Obamacare.