Rocking chairs belong in baby nurseries. I hadn't given this much thought until last weekend when we were baby-sitting for our grandson Jackson and he needed to take a nap. It wouldn't have happened without the rocking chair in his room. As I sat holding Jackson and rocked, I was soothed with memories of rocking my children in the rocking chairs in their bedrooms so many years ago.

It is something I've never experienced before.  I am a problem solver.  When something bothers me, I obsess on it.  I devour it like a starved lion until it is resolved.  But I have never experienced grieving before.

Every year, at the end of the year, most magazines and newspapers start publishing lists. These lists have included the top earners for the year, the most googled people for the year, top news stories of the year, best movies of the year, etc.

I have always enjoyed games that challenge the mind.  Like chess.  And then comes along Candy Crush and it ruins everything and I have become addicted to it.  

A name you probably never heard of but I'm betting you will during next years basketball season. No this is not another sports blog but one of inspiration. To really understand what I'm writing about, please watch this video first...it's amazing. (it's only 1 minute)   Zach Hodskins  

I'm sure you know O'Henry's story of The gift of the Magi wherein a husband-and-wife sacrifice for each other to buy then unusable holiday presents for each other. The closest that I have come to such a scenario occurred when i was very young on a long ago Christmas Day. As I remember it these many years later, on Christmas morning Santa brought me a beautiful top which generated electronic sparkles when spun. I was so enthralled by it!  I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

Unless it touches us directly, we are generally immune to crime. It is something that happens "out there" and “to someone else”. From that perspective, we follow the news and accept crime as part of the landscape.