A CHRISTMAS HYMN *

* "Once in Royal David's City," Sts. 1 & 4, LW #58

"Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed; Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

"Not in that poor lowly stable With the oxen standing by Shall we see Him, but in heaven, Set at God's right hand on high. Then like stars His children, crowned, All in white, His praise will sound!"

2020 RESOLUTIONS REVIEW

I know you've been anxiously awaiting the results of my 2020 resolutions. Here they are.

> Write a 365-day devotion book. Accomplished.

> Average one road trip per month. Accomplished.

> Add to our National Park & bucket list. We failed. If we had been able to do our Alaskan trip, we would have added at least 2 National Parks to our list.

> Lose at least 10 lbs. I lost 22 lbs.

> Work out at least 3X per week. Accomplished only occasionally.

> No politics in my Mental Health MON blog. Accomplished, except for one early slip-up.

> Receive a DNA report from Ancestry.com. I failed.

> Cut back on coffee.  Accomplished.

2021 RESOLUTIONS

I know you've been anxiously awaiting, at least since yesterday. my list of 2021 resolutions.

* Go on at least 8 road trips. We'll get a good head start, God willing, with trips planned to Texas & Minnesota in January, a trip to Florida in February, & a trip to California in March.We've also scheduled our family reunion with kids & grand-kids for June. Hopefully, we'll be able to go on our postponed Alaska trip.

* Give up French fries. Pray for me.

* Receive a DNA report from Ancestry. com. I've made & failed this resolution for the last 2 years, so I don't know why I should even attempt it this year.

* Do my physical therapy exercises for my neck at least 3X per week.

* Avoid useless arguments on Facebook, although it will be hard for me to avoiding commenting on pro-abortion posts. No guarantees on that one.

* Add to our National Park & bucket list. If things go as planned, we'll visit the Everglades when we're in Florida, & we'll visit Yosemite when we're in California. If we can go on our Alaska trip, we'll add Denali & Glacier Bay.

* Lose at least 10 lbs.

TRENDING *

* Compliments of the Babylon Bee

" In major deal, the Babylon Bee purchases competing satire site CNN."

" Liberals confused by man giving money without government forcing him to."

SNOW STORM

"A mid-holiday week storm shattered a snowfall record & brought much-needed moisture to the Norfolk area . . . Snowfall began before 4 a.m. TUE . . . Snow continued throughout the morning & midday TUE . . . TUE's system brought a total of .43 inches of precipitation, leaving 7.5" of snow on the ground & shattering the previous snowfall record of 1.8" for De. 29, which was recorded in 1979."  Norfolk Daily News, 12/30

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Snake & eggs anyone? For some in FL maybe. Donna Kalil estimates she's eaten a dozen pythons in the last 3 years or so. That's not including the python jerky, says Kalil, a python hunter for South FL Water Management District. 'I eat that several times a week because I take it out with me on python hunts & I eat it out there.' State officials would like to see more people like Kalil putting pythons on the menu--not because of their nutritional value but as another way to to encourage hunting to control their population . . . Python is good in chili--or so Kalil says. She also likes it in stir fry. But her favorite way to eat python is to pressure cook it for 10 or 5 minutes, saute' it with onions & garlic, & add it to pasta & sauce." Omaha World Herald, 1/1/21

"Pandemic feeds demand for backyard chickens. The coronavirus pandemic is coming home to roost in America's backyards. Forced to hunker down at home, more people are setting up coops & raising their own chickens, which provide an earthy hobby, animal companionship & a steady supply of eggs." NDN, 12/31