I know that are many (MANY??) of you who don’t like Mondays. So I thought I’d share a few thoughts to see if I could cheer you up. And (don’t hit mee!)… Have a WONDERFUL MONDAY!!! Love, MEE
Yep… it’s “BLACK FRIDAY.”
I’ve always wondered why they chose black (rather than yellow, green, red, purple, apricot, or ash grey…) And why not turkey-brown Thursday, plaid Wednesday, fuchsia Tuesday… (I’m getting carried away… I can tell, and YOU can tell too). Anyway, this is black Friday, and many stores resemble ant hills.
Is it REALLY like this??? (I’ve never done it, and I think I never will).
And I always thought it was mostly women….??
I hope everyone survives!
It’s also that time of year when a zillion catalogues suddenly appear in your mail box, right? Stores and places you’ve never heard of (at least not since last year at this time). Uncle Pete’s Spoon and Fork Store. Madame Meloni’s Lotion Gallery. Fred’s Fish and Fry Factory. Berniece’s Pillow and Plate Palace. Grinch Gulch. A Million Medicines and More – One for every ailment you’ve never heard of. OK, OK… Let’s move on. BLACK FRIDAY! Oh boy! Oh Boy!
But WAIT! You have not yet heard about most wonderful over-priced (as in OVER THE TOP) gifts. One of these could change everything (like how much you owe on your credit card bill)! Knowing you probably won’t choose it, I’ve even left the expensive wine in the list. You may know someone who’d really love it! Maybe next I’ll see if I can find a list of the Top 10 cheapest gifts. Stay tuned. Oh boy! Oh boy! …. Alrightie… we’re going to start at # 10 and work our way to # 1….
For something that’s billed as “the world’s most expensive perfume” it’s disappointing that this is almost affordable. A 50ml bottle in Fortnum & Mason will set you back just $750 – for some people, that’s the cost of one meal! Granted it’s not a huge bottle, but you expect to pay more for even a drop of the world’s most expensive perfume. Even more disappointingly, there’s currently a bottle on ebay that’s starting at $9.99. That doesn’t really reflect all the “rare and precious ingredients” that go into it now, does it? Still, the shiny gold bottle will totally impress the woman in your life and make her think you spent a year’s salary on it.
Another venerable British department store provides the next item, and that’s the Gina court shoes, available at Selfridges for just $2100. Like the perfume, they are gold, to show off just how expensive they are, and they are tastefully decorated from wedge-heel to peeptoe in hundreds of Swarovski crystals in red, green and gold. They would make an excellent Christmas present because, let’s face it, when else in the calendar can you get away with wearing gold, red and green together? Especially in an unyielding wall of bling? Selfridges says they are a “walking style-statement”. I say for that kind of money you’d expect a more comfortable looking insole and a less plastic-y heel tip. But maybe that’s just me…
And it’s on to Harrods for our third ridiculously bling-y item. You might think that $6,750 is fairly modest for a high-end luxury handbag, but for that much money, wouldn’t you want something you might want to be seen leaving the house with? Not an over-the-top embellished child’s toy? Pity that whichever buyer signed off the Globe Clutch didn’t feel the same way. It’s impressive, in a “that’s a lot of gems” kind of way, but it’s also hideous. This is what happens when the worlds of luxury and novelty collide and it’s not pretty. The only person I can imagine wanting this is a 10-year-old boy who’s really interested in countries of the world. And even he might wish it was a bit less sparkly so he could actually focus a bit more. And it doesn’t even have the country boundaries in the right place (why is California a different color than the rest of the country?) Sheer madness….
Of course, if you want to impress someone but you’re not sure of their personal tastes, shoes and handbags are a risky choice. Far safer to go with some lovely champagne, and with a covering handcrafted by master goldsmiths, the Cristal Louis Roederer Champagne Jeroboam 2012 is sure to impress. The champagne comes wrapped in ribbon that has been dipped in 24-carat gold, and there are only 400 bottles made, so you can be fairly confident that no-one else will get the same thing. It’s said to have an intense taste with “hints of white flowers, citrus and fruits, followed by warm notes of toast and wood”. You might think there are far cheaper ways of tasting toast and wood, such as making a piece of toast and nibbling on a table, but this is the most impressive way. Oh, and it’ll cost you $26, 000.
We’re back to Harrods for another tasteful bag, this one in unambiguous gold – the color of “look how much money I have”. Priced at a hefty $28,000 it is made of alligator skin and named after Ralph Lauren’s wife. According to the product description, it is also “extremely practical”, thanks to its multiple strap configurations and roomy inside pockets. Practical, that is, as long as you’re happy carrying around something that costs the same as a small car. Further proof that Harrods customers probably don’t inhabit the same world as the rest of us do – theirs is probably a world where the sea sparkles and California is picked out with orange gemstones…
Don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s only high-end retailers that stock hugely overpriced gifts. The next three are from Amazon, that most universal of retailers. Whether it’s due to Amazon’s strange auto-pricing system that pushes the price up if stock is low, or whether you could genuinely spend the price of a house on a website best known for books and CDs is unclear, but should you want to do the latter, why not start with the Millage Flying Tourbillon watch – currently priced at $99,000 (you read it right). It comes in several colors, has a watch made from alligator leather (what did these alligators do to the makers of luxury goods?) and a 7-year guarantee. The reviews may be somewhat cynical and possibly not entirely true but don’t let that put you off if you’re looking for something very, very expensive to put on your wrist.
So, where to put your very expensive watch? Why, a very expensive watch box of course! It holds 20 watches and is retailing on amazon.com right now for $99,999.00, just a thousand dollars more than the watch it’s designed to hold. Sadly, a peek on Steinhausen’s own website reveals that the box is actually worth more like $250, which puts it into the luxury range but not the “need a mortgage” range. So, it looks like it might be a victim of a rogue Amazon pricing algorithm but still, if you wanted to buy it today there is the option of spending $100,000 on it (and still getting a dollar in change!) (“Oh Amazon, Oh Amazon, we bid thee farewell…”)
For our last Amazon item – nothing quite says “I love you” like a speaker cable, does it? And if you want to really spoil the audio-lover in your life, there’s a piece of cable on the UK Amazon site right now for $175,000 as shown in the screen shot above. The reviews say it’s a very good cable and definitely worth paying the extra money for but again, we’re getting into house-buying territory here. You may admire its “SOLID 100% PERFECT-SURFACE SILVER CONDUCTORS” (sic) and “MULTI-LAYER CARBON-BASED NOISE-DISSIPATION” (sic) but you may want to invest your money slightly more wisely. (Only slightly??)
There are no mistakes on this next item, by luxury jewelers Tiffany. The price isn’t even on their website, presumably going by the mantra “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it”. But a little digging reveals that this rather bling-tastic bracelet is a cool $1.3 million. It has 59 yellow diamonds, and the rest of the platinum bracelet is filled in with boring old white diamonds, bringing the total carat count to over 100. It’s also, as you might be able to see, a bit ugly. It’s garish and heavy-looking and breaks the cardinal rule that gold and silver shouldn’t be seen together. But still, if you really want to impress someone just buy this and show them the receipt. They’ll have to love it, even if they don’t like it. (They didn’t say how much it weighs)
AND NOW FOR # 1 !! (DRUMS, TRUMPETS, TUBAS and HARMONICAS in the background!)
But if you’re going to splash out in true billionaire style, there’s nothing quite like buying someone their own private island. When you look at the islands available, you might be surprised to see that they were less than a modest-sized London property – in fact, they start around $27,500 which wouldn’t buy you a garage in London. Mind you, they are the kind of windswept rocks off the coast of Canada that no-one really wants to live on. For real style, you need something like Rangyai Island, Thailand which is currently on sale for $160,000,000. It’s said to be a holiday paradise, with “beautiful white sand beaches and lush tropical forests” and comes with its own electricity generator and fresh water supply. It’s even close to Phuket Airport, for jetting in between meetings. The drawback is that foreigners aren’t really supposed to buy Thai islands, and there are a few loopholes you might have to get through before being able to set up your summer house. Marrying a Thai national might do the trick but that might upset whoever you bought the island for. It might be best to stick to that handbag after all…
And that’s it! WHEW!
I THINK I WANT TO GO BACK TO THANKSGIVING, GRATITUDE, CONTENTMENT, AND ALL THAT BRINGS PEACE TO THE SOUL!… BUT IT WAS FUN TO CHECK IN ON “BLACK FRIDAY” WITH ALL Y’ALL (I’m still in the South).
I’M SO GLAD MY FRIEND ANN SENT THIS POEM TO ME. ENJOY!!
WE PLOW THE FIELDS
We plow the fields, and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God’s almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft, refreshing rain.
He only is the Master
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey him,
By him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, his children,
He gives our daily bread.
We thank thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed-time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all thy love imparts,
And, what thou most desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.
–Matthias Claudius (1740-1815)
translated by Jane M. Campbell
HERE’S THE WHOLE POEM, WITHOUT “INTERRUPTION”
WE PLOW THE FIELDS
We plow the fields, and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God’s almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft, refreshing rain.
He only is the Master
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey him,
By him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, his children,
He gives our daily bread.
We thank thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed-time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all thy love imparts,
And, what thou most desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.
–Matthias Claudius (1740-1815)
translated by Jane M. Campbell
ON THANKSGIVING EVE . . . I’ve been thinking about all that I have for which I’m very, very thankful. The list is long, and the more I think, the longer it gets.
I’m pretty sure you know what I mean. When I offer prayers with only gratitude in them, things come up which I haven’t expressed thanks for in way too long.
I want to share some thoughts about this idea of THANKSgiving – of giving thanks – of being grateful. I hope something that is shared will be meaningful to you at this time of year.
Gratitude has been called “the Mother of all virtues.” Some have called gratitude the “wonder drug,” probably because people who are genuinely grateful tend to be a lot healthier.
Many studies and lots of observation have shown that maintaining an attitude of gratitude can improve psychological, emotional and physical well-being.
Gratitude leads to the wonderful feelings of happiness and contentment, and to peace of soul.
Here’s a little story that caught my attention: A man owned a restaurant that was open six days a week for lunch. The food was great and fairly priced and his restaurant became very popular. The owner was able to work during the day and be home with his family on Sundays and all evenings. A wealthy business consultant ate there one day. He asked to speak to the owner and told him that his restaurant could be a gold mine. He suggested that by staying open for dinners, he could triple his profits and become very wealthy. The restaurant owner said, “I don’t need more profit. I have enough.” The man was astounded by his answer and replied, “You don’t understand how wealthy you could be?!” The owner replied, “You don’t seem to understand that I have enough.”
From the Wall Street Journal: “Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, according to studies conducted over the past decade. They’re also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections.”
One of the best cures for materialism is to help someone be grateful for what they have.
Counting our blessings can actually make us feel better, especially if we “name them one-by-one.”
There’s a hymn which we usually only sing once a year – at Thanksgiving time. Think about the words. NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD (Hymn #95)
Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done, In whom his earth rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms, Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.
Oh, may our bounteous God Through all our life be near us,
With ever-joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us.
And keep us in his love, And guide us day and night,
And free us from all ills, Protect us by his might.
Psalm 92:1 – It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.
I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. – Ezra Taft Benson
It is perfectly evident from this scripture (D&C 59:7) that to thank the Lord in all things is not merely a courtesy. It is a commandment as binding upon us as any other commandment. – Marion G. Romney
PRESIDENT DAVID O. MCKAY said that: The secret of happiness consists not of having but of being; not of possessing but of enjoying. It is a warm glow of the heart that is at peace with itself. (The Instructor, Nov 60)
One of the evils of our time is taking for granted so many of the things we enjoy. Ingratitude is self‑centeredness and is a form of pride. YOU CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF WHAT YOU DON’T NEED, BECAUSE WHAT YOU DON’T NEED NEVER SATISFIES.
WANTING LESS is likely a BETTER BLESSING than HAVING MORE
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ‑ Melody Beattie
There is enough for every man’s need, but not for every man’s greed. – Gandhi
“I believe there is a definite link between gratitude and spirituality. Those who are unaware of their blessings miss the opportunity of rejoicing in the goodness of God, [and] the richness of life. I believe that personal peace and increased humility often follow our expressions and feelings of gratitude.” – Elaine L. Jack
One thing you could do with your family is to play “ALPHABET GRATITUDE.” Start with the letter “A” and see if everyone in the family can think of something for which they’re grateful. Then go to “B” and so on. Help those who can’t think of something (but give them time to really search). EXAMPLES:
A: abundance, air, ancestors, angels, animals, answers, autumn, awe / B: babies, balance, beauty, birds, breath, brothers, butterflies / C: care, calling, challenge, change, children, clarity, comfort, compassion / D: day, delight, details, determination, devotion, dew, dignity, divinity (You might decide to skip Q and X… although….)
LIVE SIMPLY SO THAT OTHERS MAY SIMPLY LIVE
APPRECIATE MORE THAN YOU EXPECT
Hymn # 241 – Verse 3: When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold. Count your many blessings; money cannot buy Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.
What are you thankful for RIGHT NOW?
Here’s an interesting “homework assignment” (but if you decide not to do it, your grade won’t be affected). Find time (maybe when you’re walking, folding laundry, driving back from dropping the kids off, while your little one is taking a nap, early in the morning before anyone else is up yet) to offer a prayer of thanks – thanking Heavenly Father for everything you can think of. (You might have to do it in “sections” – you may not be able to do this in just one prayer). After that, think of things you may have forgotten, and ask yourself what your life would be like if you didn’t have those things. (And then include them the next time you’re counting your blessings and thanking Heavenly Father).
Here’s a “new word” we can practice together in this month of giving thanks. It’s THANKSgiving (rather than thanksGIVING). It feels a little strange at first, but the more you practice, the more it will seem like the right way to say it. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
I ran across a story several years ago which got me thinking about how much I’m missing as I got through too many of my days as if plowing through the middle of important experiences and opportunities and beautiful reminders of a loving Heavenly Father and a Beautiful Savior. Perhaps this story will be a reminder for you, too.
On a cold January morning in 2007 at the Washington DC Metro Station, a man posing as a “street musician” gave an incognito performance to morning commuters. It was actually Joshua Bell, a virtuoso violinist who is recognized as one of the greatest violinists of our time. He’s received Grammy awards. He performed beautiful, complex music on an instrument he had purchased a few years earlier, worth $3.5 million (handcrafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1713), and he opened his violin case for tips.
He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 4 mins later, the violinist received his first dollar – a woman threw the money in the case and, without stopping, continued to walk. 6 minutes later, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At about 10 minutes, a 3 year-old boy stopped as if wanting to stay and listen, but his mother tugged at him. He still listened and watched. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on. For 45 minutes he continued to play. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew that they had walked by one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a Stradivarius violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
From a newspaper article: “No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities — as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend? Journalist Gene Weingarten was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for his outstanding and thought provoking analysis of the experiment. Weingarten discussed the ramifications of Bell’s subway experience. What role does context play in our artistic perceptions? To what degree is our perception of beauty influenced by our mindset at the particular time we perceive it? In a common-place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments …. HOW MANY OTHER THINGS ARE WE MISSING? It’s a great question, and I’ve thought a lot about it since reading about this experiment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM21gPmkDpI
Joshua David Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, on 09 December, 1967, the son of a psychologist and a therapist. He began taking violin lessons at the age of four after his mother discovered her son had taken rubber bands from around the house and stretched them across the handles of his dresser drawer to pluck out music he had heard her play on the piano. His parents got a scaled‑to‑size violin for their then five‑year‑old son and started giving him lessons. A bright student, Bell took to the instrument but lived an otherwise normal midwest Indiana life playing video games and excelling at sports (tennis and bowling), even placing in a national tennis tournament at the age of ten. Bell studied as a boy first under Mimi Zweig, then switched to the renowned violinist and pedagogue Josef Gingold after Bell’s parents assured Gingold that they were not interested in pushing their son in the study of the violin but simply wanted him to have the best teacher for his abilities. Satisfied that the boy was living a normal life, Gingold took Bell on as his student. By 12 Bell was serious about the instrument, thanks in large part to Gingold’s inspiration. At the age of fourteen, he appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti. He studied the violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, while managing to graduate from Bloomington High School North in 1984 – two years ahead of schedule. In 1989, Bell received an Artist Diploma in Violin Performance from Indiana University. His alma mater also honored him with a Distinguished Alumni Service Award only two years after his graduation. He has been named an “Indiana Living Legend” and received the Indiana Governor’s Arts Award.
He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1985 (at 18) with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. He has since performed with almost all of the world’s major orchestras and conductors. As well as the standard concerto repertoire, Bell has performed new works — Nicholas Maw’s violin concerto is dedicated to him, the recording of which won Bell a Grammy and gave the world premiere of the work in 1993. He performed the solo part on John Corigliano’s Oscar‑winning soundtrack for the film “The Red Violin.” He also made an appearance in the movie “Music of the Heart,” a story about the power of music, with other notable violinists, and he collaborated with film composer Hans Zimmer by providing violin solos for the soundtrack for the 2009 film, “Angels and Demons,” based on Dan Brown’s 2000 novel.
Bell’s instrument was made in 1713 during what is known as Antonio Stradivari’s “Golden Era.” Bell had seen the violin and came across it again, only to discover that it was about to be sold to a German industrialist to become part of a collection. Bell was reportedly “practically in tears.” He sold his current Stradivarius for a little more than two million dollars and made the purchase of the more valuable violin. His first recording made with the Gibson ex Huberman was Romance of the Violin in 2003. It sold more than 5,000,000 copies and remained at the top of classical music charts for 54 weeks. Bell was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize on April 10, 2007, at Lincoln Center in New York City. The prize is given once every few years to classical instrumentalists for outstanding achievement. He has a son, Josef Matricardi Bell, born 31 July, 2007.
Joshua Bell performed in Union Station in Washington, D.C. on September 30, 2014, over 7 years after he posed as a street performer in the Metro, and nobody noticed him. On this day in 2014, he made sure everyone did. At first glance, his performance bore no resemblance no resemblance to his famous subway performance seven years earlier. Hundreds of spectators packed into the main hall of Union Station, sitting on the hard floor, trying to squeeze close to the front along the edges of the room, and some even climbing on construction scaffolding to see over the mass of people. He played with nine students from the National Young Arts Foundation. It was said that “this is a lot better than the first time. A lot better, trust me.” Better, that is, because people were actually paying attention. This performance was “a do-over for the people in Washington, not a do-over for Bell.” The one greeting everyone said “We accept your apology.” After the 2007 performance, there were a few moments which Bell found particularly painful to relive: “The awkward times,” he calls them. It’s what happens right after each piece ends: nothing. The music stops, and the same people who hadn’t noticed him playing don’t notice that he has finished. No applause, no acknowledgment.
But this time, after first movement, the station echoed with booming applause, whoops and cheers. Bell beamed as he said, “This is more like it!” Then, looking out at the impressive crowd, he says, “The only thing I regret is we don’t have an open violin case for tips this time.”
He didn’t consider this performance “redo;” it was a reimagining. Bell didn’t like the answer he found last time, so today he created a different one. He wanted to prove that art could transcend, if only you give people a little nudge. “I think the whole idea is that if you give people a chance to listen to music and let them concentrate, then it means something,” Bell told TIME afterwards. “And this shows even in a train station that people can be totally focused.” Finally, almost a decade later, Bell got the answer he was looking for when he first donned his baseball cap and descended into the Metro. “I thought of it as closure,” he says. “It was a perfect end.” Then he laughed: “I don’t see myself ever doing this again.” Following the performance, Bell said, he would hop on a train.
The TOFW today and last evening: INCREDIBLE! Thanks to EVERYONE who helped it happen! I had a fantastic time! I feel like if I start thanking individuals I’ll never be able to stop. How about Jenny and her 4 children… Sheri’s interview of Natalie and Mallory (and some fantastic Studio C clips)… and Mary. How about Gentri, Lisa, Tim, Hank, and Emily … and the local team … and the extraordinary TOFW HQ team … and the AV folks … and the AWESOME women and girls who came. WOWEEEE!!! How about our wonderful drive Deborah/Debbie (my favorite FriesIen specialist!… hope I spelled FreisIen right). So many friends and dear ones — California buddies, missionaries I had the privilege of teaching in the MTC, nurses I taught at BYU (I always apologize… I knew so little)… Other presenters who came to support us (THANK YOU!!!) People I haven’t seen in a coon’s age (and I understand coons live a long time!) I loved having so many family members there — it’s the most I’ve had come to an event since I started doing TOFW almost 13 years ago! I think the final count was 9 or 10 (including 2 in TOFG!); we tried to gather everyone for a picture but ended up with those in the attached photo. It was fun “picking on” Marie, for whom my sister Charlotte and I are visiting teachers — she found me after that and said she was at the back of the room waving her arms (maybe some of you saw her, ha ha); she’s great, and a good sport. So THANK YOU, SALT LAKE! I wish I could have visited with every single one of you, but I think I’d have turned 80 by the time I finished asking lots of questions and doing lots of listening. And to those of you who got a magnet: remember to keep it away from hearing aides and other stuff!!!. HA HA HA HA HA HA … MUCH LOVE to ALL OF YOU!!! I’m exhausted… I’m going to bed! I apologize for anyone I left out or anything I meant to share and didn’t, or spelling errors, etc. etc. etc. OH! But before I ride off into the sunset, I want to thank ALL OF THE ABOVE and THOUSANDS OF OTHERS for a FANTASTIC YEAR OF TOFW and TOFG!!! LOTS of miracles, LOTS of love, and LOTS of LIVING PROOF that we are BELIEVERS and FOLLOWERS. Let’s keep believing and following, and let’s look forward to next year with ONE HEART, ONE FAITH. Hope to see MANY of you in 2016!!! And now I really really really mean it. I’m outta here……….