There are 4 days left.

Each year, about this time, I think back on the year that was.

I remember watching our new President looking, fondly, at his youngest son at his Inauguration.

Mary Jane and I were invited to Florida by Ron and Ira Kaye and it was so unexpected and such a nice surprise.  Mary Jane drank, my favorite drink, a Dirty Martini…and enjoyed it.

We had a lovely trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee at the end of March and the first of April…and the wonder and beauty and gift…of our new family…warmed my heart…and I want to repeat the experience.

I was afraid that I might be very ill… and found out that I was not…and wondered again…and appreciated the gift of life that God has given me.

Massive budget reductions at my great University, SIU, made me aware of discussion of privatization of services…such as the department that I worked my career in…Building Services.  This worst fear…did not happen…and I am grateful to the President and Chancellor, at that time, for their consideration and wisdom.

I have been inspired to write in a manner that I have not experienced before.  Others may not care for the prose…but it has been the counterpoint or lodestone of my life in 2017.

My dear brother, Brock, and my sweet sister-in-law, Marcy, and my precious niece, Jaime, visited in July…and we missed my handsome nephew, Jeb.

Again, at our kind buddies invitation, we spent a week in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We attended the Opera.

We had the great opportunity to visit, again, with Brock and Marcy in October.  I would like to see them everyday!

And, so, the Holidays are here.  We had a Happy Christmas and look forward with prayer and kind thoughts toward a New Year of Peace and Inclusiveness and Understanding and Communication.

We end the year with a new Tax Plan for our Country.

We are getting a tax reduction as is our son.

AT&T, upon the Tax Plan being voted into law, gave many of their employees a $1000 Christmas Bonus.

AT&T announced that they are laying off 2000 people.

A number of AT&T Staff who received the ‘capital freeing $1000 Bonus’, are on the chopping block.

‘Donald Trump ‘will take care of it’ after North Korea fires ballistic missile ‘capable of striking anywhere in US.’    The Telegraph

My friend, Peter, sang this James Taylor song at our Christmas Eve Service:

‘Some children see Him lily white,

The baby Jesus born this night.

Some children see Him lily white,

With tresses soft and fair.

Some children see Him bronzed and brown,

The Lord of Heav’n to earth come down.

Some children see Him bronzed and brown,

With dark and heavy hair.

Some children see Him almond-eyed,

This Savior whom we kneel beside.

Some children see Him almond-eyed,

With skin of yellow hue.

Some children see Him dark as they,

Sweet Mary’s Son to who we pray.

Some children see him dark as they,

And, ah!  they love Him, too!

The children in each different place

Will see the baby Jesus’ face

Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace,

And filled with holy light.

O lay aside each earthly thing

And with thy heart as offering,

Come worship now the infant King.

Tis love that’s born tonight!’

Songwriters: A. Burt/W. Hutson