"Pennies from Heaven"

 I'm pretty bummed out thinking about the discontinuation of the minting of U.S. Pennies. Oh yeah, of course I have looked up the cost of minting and distributing one penny. It costs almost 4 times more to make a penny, than what it is actually worth. I don't care. I am not a "penny pincher".

Honestly, (get the hidden reference here?)  I've saved pennies, my whole life. After all,"a penny saved is a penny earned", Abe. 

Can't you just see the price hike coming already.? Nothing will cost xxx.99 or .09 anything, any more. Just go ahead and round it up. And, I think it's a plot to simplify change making.........as if any one under the age of 40, could actually make change. 

I can also sense a penny shortage. Folks are going to start hoarding them. Every time there is a real or perceived shortage of anything, in this country, people began to hoard whatever the item is!!! Gasoline, toilet paper, eggs.....and now pennies! 

So, "a penny for your thoughts"? Who cares if the US. Treasury lost about 87 million dollars minting pennies last year? The national debt is over 34 trillion dollars. The numbers here are so enormous, that no one can even imagine them! I'm tired of these "petty ante games." I  hereby state, that I am for carrying them, spending them, tossing them, singing about them, etc., etc, etc.

 I will "keep turning up like a bad penny" and continue to use "common cents." 

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Lord: Change is hard for some many of us. Especially as we get older. Be with us as we navigate change. It is inevitable and challenging. We pray for guidance.

  

"Light the torch, Jeannette, Isabella"

 I'm a sucker for Christmas Lights. I have always been. Contrary to public belief, I am not old enough to remember candles burning in Christmas Trees (and starting fires.) My earliest Christmas memories are of watching my dad string electric lights, on the spindly trees that we bought every year from the same building where we purchased fresh watermelons, in the summer. The bulbs were multicolored and stuck up above their screw in sockets, about one inch. We used the same ones, every year, until I left home. They were always put away, along with each individual string of tinsel (actually tin, I think), to be reused the next year.

Light displays on houses, were a novelty, back in the 1950's and 60's. One of the newer (post war) subdivisions, had a few decorated houses. And, in our neighborhood, one particular family had an illuminated Nativity Scene and house lights! I believe their name was Lensky. 

Broadway, our main street, had strings of lights, tinsel garlands and lighted bells bells, strung across about five linear blocks of our downtown. Everyone had to go see those lights. It was the biggest thing that happened during the Holiday Season.

Kansas City is, in fact, famous for it's Plaza Lights. The Country Club Plaza sports 15 blocks of mainly white lights, outlining several hundred buildings. It's stunning. They have had this displays, like this,  since 1925. Today, people lament the elimination of the 9 Giant Holiday Crowns, that were hung over major intersections in Downtown KC, for years. They were kind of a nod to Hallmark Cards and their headquarters, in the downtown area. I think one remains, hanging in a bank lobby, somewhere.

Lights are a tradition of the Holiday Season. I prefer them, over the currently popular inflatable Santas, Rudolphs and snowmen. I really don't like how the deflated decorations create flat plastic puddles, in folks' yards, during the daylight hours.

'Tis the season. Get out there and enjoy the light displays, in neighborhoods, around your home. Let the Light of Christ shine. 

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 Pittsburg, Kansas, USA...........

"Just Whistle a Happy Tune"

 I will be the first to admit, that I spend a lot of time on the Internet. But, don't you agree, that there is so much to see?

For instance this morning, I watched a short video of a talking cat. Well, the cat did have on a cute hand-made elf hat (I'm thinking about making one for Apollo, our resident feline). Any way, the mewls from the feline sounded sort of like a whining human voice. It made me laugh. It probably was fake, but I enjoyed it, immensely.

Then, I watched a male comedian, whose face and name were unknown to me, tell his version of how the 50 states received their Postal Abbreviations. It was interesting and extremely funny. I mean, who hasn't puzzled over which two letter abbreviations are for Alaska and Alabama? Or for Missouri, Mississippi, Minnesota and Michigan? I have to look it up every time, I need to use one. There's no rhyme or reason to those abbreviations. Who was in charge of that?

Okay, did I hear you say? "Get a Hobby". Well, I do have one, and I can do it while I watch videos....and, it's not snacking!! Folks, I can crochet whilst I'm doing almost anything. Crocheting in front of a screen, is easy. Need a blanket, scarf, hat or sweater? Let me know. I'll have it done for you, ASAP....depending on what I find to view of the Web.

I like to keep occupied, i.e. doing something. I have a hard time just sitting still. My son says it's adult ADHD. Maybe so. But, I'm never bored. I don't think, I have ever been bored. I always have something to do, and it's usually a couple of things, at one time.

That's why my Blog Posts number 847. Got to keep busy!!!!!!!

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 Lord, I appreciate the gifts of others. We are all special in Your Kingdom. We thank You for our many blessings and we praise Your infinite wisdom.

 

"Any Day Now"

I'm sure you've heard, by now. Big news in Kansas City. It appears (my source is my Internet server), and you know what they say about the Internet? "Everything you read is true." Right?

The timing is perfect. We have waited long enough. The date has finally been set. I'm going to start checking my snail mail, because my "Save the Date" card, should make it's appearance "Any Day Now", There will be a lot of lucky Kansas City Folks, on the invite list. Surely, I'll be one of them.

Unfortunately, the venue isn't going to be, The Paris of the Plains. No Cowtown Party Place is going to be grand enough, for this event. And, it's probably a good thing. That very same weekend, the World Cup Fan Fest (25,000 fans expected) and the first of six major league soccer games, scheduled for Kansas City, are already on the calendar.

The date has been leaked, and it's common knowledge, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, have picked the day for their upcoming wedding. It's June 13, 2026. I'm going to start perusing Amazon, Costco and Walmart, to make sure I have an appropriate outfit ready, when I get my invitation. If it includes a plus one, I'll ask Rick to come along. If not, he'll just have to stay home.

Honestly, I actually haven't met, either the Bride or the Groom-to-be. However, the wedding day is about 6 months in the future, and who knows how close we could become in that amount of time. After all, they have a house, not far from here. We might strike up a conversation at Costco. Plans must be made. I won't be caught off-guard. I wonder if they have a Target Gift Registry?

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 Good God, Hope is a good thing. It is one of three, Theological Virtues. Hope often keeps us going when other thoughts have failed us. Keep us forever hopeful.

 

 

"Here Comes Suzy Snowflake"

 Our Christmas Tree, this year, will contain only 2 types of decorations....unusual "place" themed ornaments, collected and purchased in exotic worldly destinations and hand-crocheted snowflakes.

I've been crocheting snowflakes for years and I was excited to find another dozen more, stuffed in the bottom of an ornament box. Voila. A theme for the tree!

So, what do you know about snowflakes.  Being from the mid-west, I do not remember the first time I saw snow. Snowfalls occur every winter. But, I do remember attempting to cut my first paper snowflakes, in  Kindergarten, with round-tipped scissors. It's all in the fold, you know, and I wasn't very good at it. 

Mrs. Smith told us that each snowflake was unique (science isn't so sure about that particular fact, anymore) and most snowflakes have six sides or points. That same winter, I remember stepping outside holding "frozen" black construction paper to catch the image of quickly melting snowflake designs. I imagine that this very thoughtful teacher imagined that her students were absorbing the lessons of uniqueness and growing emotionally from the experience.

And, we were unique. Marilyn, blond little angel, Sandy always able to pay attention, Becky with the perfect "banana curls", and Nancy struggling to follow directions. Tall Robert, always on the back row, and serious Richard and Dennis. Ricky, always busy and Bobby, slightly goofy. A typical, yet unique blend of 24 personalities.

Kids love snow. They like to watch it fall and they love to build snowmen and sled. Grown-ups, not so much. We have to worry about travel, roads, and shoveling. But, whatever weather the holidays may bring, our home will be enjoying one unique and slightly quirky "snow flake" Christmas Tree.

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We thank you for long ago memories. We thank you for years of long-time friendships. Life is a journey. and it continues.