The Alphabet Ends with "Y"

As a huge fan of mystery books, I am deeply saddened by the passing of Sue Grafton, who has delighted me for years with her "Alphabet" series, starting with "A" Is For Alibi, written in 1982.

Kinsey Millhone was the star and detective in 25 books, with the latest being "Y" Is For Yesterday. We waited with anticipation for the last book, "Z" Is For Zero, which sadly will never be written. Sue's daughter Jamie, posted on her Facebook today with the sad news of Sue's passing. She mentions how adamant Sue was, that "her books never be turned into movies or TV shows, and that in that same vein, she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of all of those things, and out of a deep and abiding love and respect for our dear sweet Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends in Y"

The Forgotten Carols

Starting in 1991, each year at Christmastime, Michael McClean presents "The Forgotten Carols" It is a stage performance which tells the story of Connie Lou, a nurse whose empty life is changed when Uncle John, a new patient she is attending, recounts the story of Christ's birth as told by little known characters in the nativity story. The accounts from the Innkeeper, the Shepherd, and others help the nurse discover what the world has forgotten about Christmas, ultimately encouraging her to open her heart to the joy of this special season.   

During our first Christmas together, I read the story of the Forgotten Carols to Samantha, and played the songs, hoping one day I would get the chance to share the show with her live. This dream came true Monday night, and we even got to meet Michael McClean and his wife afterwards.  If you have not yer had the opportunity for the "Forgotten Carols" to bless your life, then head on over to The Forgotten Carols and buy your tickets now! Even if you have seen this show before, it is still timeless and yet refreshingnly new. And I do, along with Connie Lou, cry when I take the Christmas Tree down!

Mystery Oreos

I don't think the real mystery here is what flavor these Oreos are...

Obviously they are an orange creme, which  combined with the chocolate cookie, tastes pretty much like the Chocolate Oranges.

To me though, the mystery is why I feel compelled to purchase every variety of Oreo I see???

I Got A Rock

Ever since "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was released in 1966, haven't we all felt at least a bit of sympathy for this poor, bullied young man? If it wasn't embarrassing enough to have Lucy pull the football away when he tried to kick it, and making way too many holes in his ghost costume, at every stop the Peanuts gang made for "tricks or treats", instead of candy or something sweet, Charlie Brown got a rock. Can't this kid catch a break???

Interesting though, that trick-or-treaters in 2017 are actually excited about rocks! Raise your hand if you are guilty of handing out painted rocks this year!

I was first introduced to this whole "rock" thing several months ago, as I noticed my son and daughter-in-law posting Facebook pictures of rocks they had painted, and then hid around the Idaho town they were living in. The finders of these rocks would then post pictures and re-hide them. I had no idea at that time how widespread this phenomenon was!  The idea behind this is actually quite sincere and thoughtful - hiding a bit of sunshine that might brighten someone's day when they find it. After all, those among us who are always looking down are the ones who need a lift, and as the ones always looking down, are the ones most likely to find a hidden rock!

I was with my son when he hid a rock outside a business, and we were still shopping when a customer came in stating "I love that rock you have out there by the door!" The cashier obviously had no idea what he was talking about, but that rock with "Joy" painted on it made at least one person's day, and it's purpose was well served.

Kids, of course, love this whole rock painting/rock finding thing. Adults as well, and just in the few short months I've known about it, I've seen posts from some who are more than addicted. The "801 Rocks" Facebook group in Utah has over 26,000 members, and that is a lot of people either hiding rocks, finding rocks, or both!

I personally have found 6 rocks, and wasn't even looking! I found the first one at the Idaho State Capital in September.

My wife and I have hidden a few around town, including ones that we found. We have never heard whether any of them were located, but we hope that they brightened someone's day just as much as the ones we found brightened ours! Keep your eyes open, and you just might be joining Charlie Brown in exclaiming, with much more enthusiasm, "I Got A Rock!"

Signs Of The Times

I may be getting old, but it doesn't seem like that long ago, when K-Mart was the place to shop.

I remember everything being reasonably priced. My first suit came from K-Mart. I got my film developed at K-Mart. Slurpees, popcorn, and cotton candy at the snack bar up front next to the jewelry counter. Dinner at the restaurant in back... I put toys for my kids on layaway at K-Mart. OK, yeah, I am old...   Still, today's K-Mart is certainly not your Mother's K-Mart. In fact, in Utah, K-Mart has ceased to exist. There were more cars parked at K-Mart during the last 4 weeks of store closing sales than in the last 2 years combined. Everyone likes a bargain, but looking at the discounted prices reveals part of why they went out of business. Everything was way overpriced - or at least available much cheaper elsewhere.

Macy's. I remember Macy's being a high class store. Too expensive for me to shop at, yet they were a powerful company who kept buying out struggling retailers. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.They too are closing stores left and right. 75% off at our location and still nothing I think is worth the cost.

Hopefully your local mall doesn't have a Sears, JC Penney, and Macy's or you might as well call in the wrecking balls and bulldozers now.

Is there anyone my age who didn't look through the Sears 'wish Book" before Christmas and dream of all the fun toys they could have? Where has our childhood gone?

Is Walmart to blame? Amazon? Corporate greed? All of the above? No matter what the cause, these once iconic shopping meccas will soon be just a memory...

Halls of Fame

Last month, as the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were announced, I recalled meeting two of them, and getting their autographs - Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez. I'll admit that other than closely following the Phillies from 2008-2010, I haven't watched much baseball, but with these latest hall-of-famers, there probably aren't more than a handful of those playing now that I could name. I used to know every player and their stats. I was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge when it came to baseball. I'd been a serious baseball card collector from the age of 10. When I tuned in to the 2016 World Series games 6 and 7, it was exciting, from a historical stance, because the Cubs and the Indians had such a history of futility (which as a Phillies fan I could relate to). But I didn't know a single player from either team. I felt lost. I realized that a significant part of my life had been devoted to this game, but that I'd moved on. Even football doesn't hold the appeal it once did. With Peyton Manning retiring, I have no one left to root for there either. The sun is setting on the careers of Dirk Nowitski and Paul Pierce, my last remaining basketball favorites. Neither even played in the 2 games I attended this year.

Cheating is now glorified. Many a cheater has been denied entrance to the Hall of Fame. Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire... all hold records that may never be touched. But not Hall of Fame material because of cheating. So yeah, I do get irked when Tom Brady can be called the greatest quarterback ever. A known, convicted cheater. 

So maybe it's time to stop looking to sports for our heroes. And let Hollywood give each other their own awards (provided they can keep the envelopes straight) . Maybe we should make our own personal "Halls Of Fame." Lets include there people whose lives are worthy of emulation. Those we can look up to, who are free from scandal, who are humble, who go through life day to day without fame or recognition, but who in every respect should be called heroes. Of course, you may find these attributes in some famous people, who haven't let that fame make them a different person. Michael J. Fox comes immediately to mind. 

There are so many who have influence in our lives to choose from. Parents, siblings, teachers, friends, co-workers... Who would make your Hall of Fame? 

Oreos

It is certainly no secret that I love Oreos.

Even when I was on a strict diet, I still allowed myself 2 Oreos as a treat. But how did I get hooked on "Milk's Favorite Cookie"?  Well, it's certainly possible that I'd have fallen in love with them anyway, but it was my grandfather who introduced me to Oreos. He was a delivery driver for Nabisco, and stocked shelves all over Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey with these yummy cookies, along with Fig Newtons, Triscuits, Chips Ahoy, and Ritz and Saltine crackers. Whenever a package was damaged, he was allowed to bring them home.

The first Oreos were produced in 1912, and are now available in various flavors, as well as limited edition flavors - some of which were quite tasty, others, I wasn't as impressed with. I believe my favorite may have been the Blueberry Pie cookies.

I totally missed out on the Caramel Apple and Root Beer float versions - which I will for sure try if they ever come back. Some I outright passed on, like Toasted Coconut....  Just yesterday, I found yet another crazy concoction, probably released just in time for Easter...

But no matter what flavor or how you eat them, dunked in milk, twisting and licking the creme, or just taking a bite, there's no denying that they are America's best selling cookie.

Lady Gaga

Can't say I was ever Gaga about Lady Gaga. I never really paid much attention to her, I just knew she sang and was known for extravagant outfits. My wife told me Lady Gaga was like the modern day Cher. OK, well that explains it, 'cuz I was never Gaga about Cher either!

But then she sang the Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl 50. Holy crap! This lady can sing!

I'll admit when she was announced to sing at halftime for Super Bowl LI, I still wasn't sure if I'd like it. Adding to that hesitation were stories that she'd make this into some sort of political statement. 

But, again, all I can say is Wow! This lady can sing! 

Even after all that, we still have people saying she did make a political statement by singing "This Land Is Your Land". They say the 4th and 6th verses were a direct attack on Donald Trump. OK, well, even if they were, I don't think he knows about those verses. The 6th verse was never included on any recording of the song. 

None of that changes my opinion. Lady Gaga can SING!

The verses in question:

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me.

The sign was painted, said ‘Private Property.’

But on the backside, it didn’t say nothing. 

This land was made for you and me.

One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple,

by the relief office I saw my people.

As they stood hungry,

I stood there wondering if God blessed America for me.

Super Disappointed

Now that I am over the shock of a 25 point comeback by the Patriots to beat the Falcons in overtime... I can state my feelings without as much anger as I was feeling last night. I can't say I ever really liked the Patriots. I know for a fact I disliked them when they beat my Eagles in the Super Bowl, a game that Philadelphia by all means should have won. I disliked them more when I found out about "Spygate". 

 And that dislike grew after "Deflategate". 

So why was I so mad last night? No, I'm not a Falcons fan. It is more to not being able to agree with Tom Brady being called the best quarterback ever. Not even close - and the reason it makes me so sick, is how much it tarnishes the legacy of Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw - 2 quarterbacks who won 4 Super Bowls each - WITHOUT CHEATING. 

How Old Am I?

I guess I'm not too old, because there are a lot of things I remember. I haven't gotten to that stage where I am forgetting things, at least not most of the time :-)

However, I am old enough to remember - Walking across the living room to turn up the volume on the TV or to change the channel... Only being able to move several feet from the rotary telephone because of the short cord... Using a telephone booth... Woolworth's.... Richard Nixon resigning on live TV... The day Elvis died... Fisher Price toys were made of wood... When Donny & Marie were teenagers... When Bruce Jenner was a guy... When baseball cards came with bubble gum... When the Brady Bunch wasn't in re-runs... When Gordon on Sesame Street had hair...

When William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys didn't have a beard...

When Oscar The Grouch was orange...

So yeah, I'm old. I still own vinyl record albums and 8-track tapes!

Punxatwany Phil

So on Wednesday night, my son Phil predicted that he would see his shadow and we'd have 6 more weeks of winter. This has been a running joke with us ever since he learned that he shared a name with that famous, weather-predicting groundhog from Pennsylvania.

But I sure wish he didn't see his shadow. I've had enough of the snow and freezing temperatures. I'm ready for some Spring already!

Fry Sauce

If you are from Utah, or have spent any amount of time in Utah, you know what fry sauce is. And from my perspective, it seems like Utahn's eat fry sauce by the gallon! Just walk into anyplace that serves french fries in Utah, and watch the reaction on the customers face when told they don't have fry sauce. Why, you'd think they were told their best friend got run over by a Mack Truck. The shock, the utter disbelief, the anger, and then the sadness... 

So for those of you outside Utah - what is fry sauce, and why is it so popular?

Fry sauce is much more than just a condiment to the people who consider it a beloved staple of Western American comfort food, says Kasey Christensen, the chief operating officer for Arctic Circle Restaurants — the fast food chain where it was invented.

The most basic recipe is mixing ketchup with mayonnaise, but after that, interpretations vary.  There are obviously seasonings involved, but Arctic Circle, the fast food chain where fry sauce was invented in the 1940's, is tight-lipped about what they put in their version - preferring it to remain unique, even though most restaurant chains in Utah do offer their own version just to stay in competition. 

"Some other chains and restaurateurs also claim as well that they created fry sauce, but we’re confident in our history and knowledge here that Arctic Circle was the birthplace of fry sauce before it ever became popular anywhere else." he says the restaurant chain goes through nearly 50,000 gallons of the sauce annually in the chain’s dining rooms, where self-service pumps are going through two gallons a day on average.  "That’s not even considering the drive-thru!" 

Birthday Ponderings...

Aren't birthdays fun? When you are 4, you can't wait to be 5. When you are 5, you can't wait to be 6. Then there are the milestone birthdays everyone is excited for - the entire Hispanic community waiting for a young lady's Quinceanera... 

Turning 16 and getting a drivers license...

Turning 18 and being able to vote, turning 21 and drinking yourself int oblivion...

There are presents, cake, making a wish and blowing out candles, maybe even a surprise party. Everyone is excited to celebrate with you, and you enjoy all the fuss. As Buddy The Elf might say, it's like having your very own Christmas! Parties were the best. I remember being out with my Nana & Pop-Pop one night close to my birthday, and when they brought me home, my entire family was there with a cake. And having my entire 4th grade class come to a party at McDonald's. They all had on blue paper McDonald's hats, and kept calling me "manager". I had no idea that my hat was different, but indeed, it was orange, and said manager. 

I also had no idea how prophetic that would be! I later filled that job not only at McDonald's, but Wendy's and Burger King as well!

But then you get older, and birthdays take on a different feel. Like turning 25, and you realize, I'm a quarter century old! Then the numbers keep adding up, and it's fun to track your age in Roman Numerals, like the Super Bowl. Instead of 38, I was XXVIII. But when they got to 50, it was just Super Bowl 50, not Super Bowl L. How boring! (except that Peyton Manning made being old look cool). Surrounding yourself with friends, because most of your family is either gone or too far away... laughing at your parents when they send a card that says "We're too young to have a son as old as you!" Not because it's funny, so much as them doing it 2 years in a row. 

Then there is Facebook. Isn't Facebook wonderful? Even as little as 10 years ago, I could count on a birthday card from my parents, maybe a few others, but as for anyone else even knowing it was my birthday? Only if I told them. So as I said, Facebook is wonderful. Where else can I get 62 birthday greetings before 11 AM? Yes, today is my birthday. Yes, I qualify for membership in AARP. Yes, we will probably go out to eat, and (insert Buddy The Elf joke) I might be able to say "I'm in a restaurant and they're singing!" No, there will not be a forest fire on top of my cake. We quit doing that about 20 years ago! 

Fake News

Fake news is all the rage these days. PolitiFact described fake news as fabricated content designed to fool readers and subsequently made viral through the Internet to crowds that increase its dissemination. Subsequent to the 2016 election, the issue of fake news turned into a political weapon, with supporters of left-wing politics saying those on the opposite side of the spectrum spread falsehoods, and supporters of right-wing politics contending such accusations were merely a way to censor conservative views.

Where do you get your news from?

 Is it a trusted source? Is it reliable? Do you research all sides of an issue before deciding where you stand? Depending on your answers to these questions, you yourself could be part of the problem.  Don't fall into the trap of saying "It must be true, I read it on the Internet!"

Courage...

Who Can Turn The World On With Her Smile?

“Who can turn the world on with her smile? Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?”  Every time my wife's cell phone rings, this song plays, and brings memories of the Mary Tyler Moore show. But today it's ringing brings sadness, as we learn of Mary Tyler Moore's passing at age 80. 

None of the celebrity passings in 2016 (and there were many) affected me as much as this one. I grew up watching the Mary Tyler Moore show with my grandparents, and later, thanks to Nick At Nite, fell in love with Mary all over again in black and white, as I watched her beside Dick Van Dyke playing his on-screen wife, Laura Petrie.

To call her timeless would be an understatement. She was known as America's Sweetheart, and even that may not be a big enough term to define exactly what Mary Tyler Moore meant to us. 

Who can turn the world on with her smile? Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? Well it's you girl, and you should know it. With each glance and every little movement you show it! Love is all around, no need to waste it. You can have a town, why don't you take it? You're gonna make it after all! 

Moving Pictures

Making the rounds on Facebook lately has been a post where you list your Top Ten albums from when you were a teenager, those you could listen to over and over and never get tired of... For me, my list would be as follows, in no particular order, except for #1, which will always be #1. Note not all of them were released when I was a teen, but these were the most influential to me. 

10 - Back In Black AC/DC
  9 - Led Zeppelin IV
  8 - Love Gun - Kiss
  7 - Have Arrived - The Oak Ridge Boys
  6 - At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash
  5 - Greatest Hits, Volume One - Johnny Cash
  4 - Country Road - Blue Ridge Quartet
  3 - Energy - Blue Ridge Quartet
  2 - Chronicle, Volume 1 - Creedence Clearwater Revival
  1 - Moving Pictures - Rush

Rush's album, "Moving Pictures", 36 years after it's release, is still my all-time favorite. Flashback 1981: It was after midnight, and I was listening to my clock radio when I heard "Tom Sawyer" for the first time. Even playing on that tiny mono speaker, I heard the power of those drums and the intensity of the band, Rush. Things would never be the same for me. By the age of 4, my son Phil was able to answer 2 questions - "Who's the lead singer for Rush?", and "Who's the best drummer in the world?" Of course, his answers were Geddy Lee, and Neal Peart.

Working On A Building

You know those trials and struggles you are going through? The pain you sometimes feel? When bad things happen to good people? You ask God for help, but he doesn't seem to listen? Well, here is an interesting perspective from C.S. Lewis... 

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

Not My Super Bowl

This is hilarious!  Stealing a theme from the 2016 Presidential election, we now have people saying this isn't their Super Bowl. If it's true that Bernie Sanders could've beat Trump, and in the minds of some, that makes him President... then hey, why not the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl, after all, they could've beat the Falcons. But folks, the problem is - it just doesn't work that way!

Just like Bernie lost in the Primaries, the Cowboys lost to the Packers, ending their season. And just like Hillary didn't get to move into the White House, the Steelers, Packers, and Cowboys will all be watching from home.

God Bless America, Again

It is sad, that the people who needed to hear this speech the most, are the ones who refused to tune in because he's "not their President."  We don't live in the DSA (Divided States of America), but it sure feels like it. May God bless us, and President Trump, to make us United again! 

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.
We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done. Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.

Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.

For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.
Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.
The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you! It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.
 The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.
These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops RIGHT HERE and stops RIGHT NOW. We are one nation – and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;
Subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; We've defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own;
And spent trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.
One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.
But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.
From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this moment on, it’s going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

I will fight for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down.
America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.
We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.
We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.
When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”
We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected.

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.
We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.

Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again. We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions. It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, We Will Make America Strong Again. We Will Make America Wealthy Again.
We Will Make America Proud Again.
We Will Make America Safe Again....

and Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.

Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States

Epiphany

Epiphany is January 6th - the celebration of the three wise men's arrival. In many Hispanic communities, a "Rosca de reyes" (King's cake) is served. In the cake, a plastic figure of the baby Jesus is hidden, representing the flight of Jesus, fleeing from King Herod's evil plan to kill all babies that could be the prophesied messiah. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church on February 2, and In the Mexican culture, this person also has to throw a party and provide tamales.