We don't have snow here in the Northwest but we have rain and it is drizzling lightly against
our windows. Our living room is filled with holiday decorations. The multi-colored lights on the
Christmas tree are reflecting on our large bay window, causing the ripples of water that are
flowing down on the outside to produce colorful, illuminating patterns on the glass. It is
delightful to watch this living, moving work of art with the patterns changing every second.

 The holiday season is a wonderful time for reflection and quiet. I know how busy we all are
but if you'll take yourself into a favorite place in your home, turn on some soft music, fix a pot of
tea or cocoa and just be still for a while I think you'll find yourself becoming refreshed and
peaceful. There is so much to be grateful for. Quiet moments allow us to turn off the busyness
of our minds, relax and live in the moment. It also allows us to reflect, think without stress and
distractions.

 This process came in very handy for me after some experiences I had last week. Our internet
system was down for a number of days and patience was definitely needed through that period
of frustration. Then I visited a nursing home facility. It was my first real exposure to that
environment. While there I became an observer in a way I had never experienced before. I saw
a staff that was working hard to care for many people with their various needs. Patients who
needed special care and attention; some who didn't know where they were, living in a confined
space because they could no longer take care of themselves. During my visits to this nursing
home I realized that there were many unrecognized, caring people who did their jobs the best
they could in their limited surroundings and conditions. One woman's office was a tiny closet,
stuffed with shelves to hold supplies and various items.

 It takes a lot of people doing many different things to make this world of ours a rich and
productive place to live in. We all have different talents/skills and we need each other to make
life worthwhile. When life becomes weary with toil and trouble, a kind word or gesture from
another person can turn things around. Sometimes it just takes a smile and a kind word.

 This holiday season take time to show appreciation to those who take care of what we take
for granted. Nurses, doctors, grocery clerks, police and firefighters, sales people, mail carriers
and postal staffs, gardeners, the list goes on and on. Take time to say 'thank you', 'I appreciate
you and your efforts'; send a card, perhaps even give a gift. It really makes a difference and it is
a wonderful habit to develop and use throughout the year.

 You have made a difference in my life and I appreciate your support of this newsletter. Thank
you for being the person you are.

During a big ice storm in New Hampshire, two women stopped by storm-downed trees that
blocked Route 9 came up with a King Solomon-like solution: They switched sides and drove off
in each other's cars. Jean McLean was driving home to Stoddard, N.H., as the storm
intensified. Coming the other way was Heidi Brooks, also of Stoddard. She was going to her
job in Hillsborough when both women were halted by trees that had fallen across the road.
About ten minutes after the car swap, they were both safely at their destinations. They traded
back the next day, when Brooks's work shift ended.

The story of Rudolph, the reindeer whose shiny nose lights Santa Claus's way "one foggy
Christmas eve," is as well know to American children as the story of Santa himself.
JamesBarnett, a sociologist once said, "Rudolph is the only original addition to the folklore of
Santa Claus in the 20th Century". The 'lesson' of the Rudolph tale is a necessary and
comforting one. Whoever you are, you are special.

 Rudolph was created in 1939 by a Montgomery Ward adman named Robert May, known
throughout the firm for his light verse. Seeking something that their store Santas could hand
out to children, company managers asked May for a poem. With the editorial advice of his
four-year-old daughter, he came up with Rudolph and his nose. That first year, 2.4 million
copies, illustrated by May's friend Denver Gillen, were distributed in Montgomery Ward store.
World War II stopped Rudolph's rounds, but they picked up again in 1946, and a year later the
poem appeared in book form. In 1949 the red-nosed charmer's career really took off, when
singing cowboy star Gene Autry recorded Johnny Marks's musical version and propelled it to
the top of the hit Parade. Soon Rudolph was appearing on television and was on his way to
becoming an institution.
Tad Tuleja, 'Curious Customs'