 all in a warm and generous way. She even set aside two bowls of food for Rabbit and his new friend. Red bows were tied around their necks and Rabbit was as calm as I ever saw him.
As the day drew to a close, I realized that I, too, had experienced a Taste of Christmas. The Old Man had made the deal of his life, and an improbable group of reprobates, drunks and misfits had managed to keep the spirit of Christmas alive, when there appeared to be no hope.
Each of us has a value, however small, that is capable of rendering great and wondrous things to each and all. Let us not judge who among us is best, for in the end that is not the test. The contest belongs to those whose hearts are large, not small. It is for them that the spirit of Christmas calls....
locomotive breath
i'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done
by
russ carr
topic:
general
published: 7.26.04
you can't buy a baby on rodeo drive
do celebrity adoptions go too far?
by
russ carr
topic:
general
published: 6.28.06
tracey kelley
12.23.09 @ 9:48a
*meep* *sniff*
juli mccarthy
12.24.09 @ 4:49p
What a marvelous story. Merry Christmas, Russ.
sandra thompson
12.25.09 @ 10:28a
Reminds me of a very rich man in my town in the late thirties and early forties who used to buy new shoes and coats every Christmas for all the poor kids in town, which at that time was nearly all of us. This man was a regular micro-financier the rest of the year when people were really hard up. He'd lend a five or a ten and most of the time he got paid back, but he just counted the rest of it as his contribution to "society." He was one of those rich men who could prolly get through the eye of that proverbial needle since he hired ex-cons and other people who were down on their luck for his business, paid better than average wages and then gave away a lot of his money to just about any good cause. But the new shoes and coats at Christmastime was one of the best things he ever did.
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DashThose on our popular Year 10 BTEC Motor Mechanics course had a special visit this week.
The team are doing the next part of their module on car valeting by cleaning cars, as instructed by a professional car valet, Mr Miles.
This was arranged by Mr Burbidge, our Motor Mechanics teacher.Police have arrested a trans woman over an arson attack on the country’s primary gender clinic.
Jayne Ellen Heideck was arrested on May 30 in British Columbia and is due to be sent back to Montreal.
Believed to be a former patient, she is to face charges over a fire that took place in early May at the Centre Métropolitain de Chirurgie.
Police had originally believed it could have been a hate crime, but have now said they no longer considered that to be the case.
The Centre Métropolitain de Chirurgie is the only specialist clinic in Canada providing gender services for trans people and provides some of the most complex forms of gender reassignment surgery.
It also houses the only surgeon in Canada who performs gender confirmation surgery, Dr Pierre Brassard.
The clinic was put out of action for some time when the break-in and attempted arson attack took place.
Though the fire was eventually put out, the clinic sustained more than $700,000 damage due to smoke, as well as water damage to equipment caused by the sprinkler system.
The Montreal Journal suggests that Heideck had undergone treatment at the clinic previously, but was upset with staff.
All staff members and patients in the building at the time were all unharmed.
Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau recently announced a raft of new trans rights protections.
“We must continue to demand true equality.
With thanks to guest blogger Janelle Boynton of Feathertop Family Adventures.
There’s no hiding it – a social child is a confident child.
Think back to your time as a kid on holidays and it’s likely fond memories of meeting new friends will come flooding back. From riding bikes for hours, playing Frisbee until you could no longer see it, or simply laughing and telling jokes, these activities are likely to be at the heart of some of the happiest times of your childhood.
The ability to meet new friends with such ease is one of the greatest things about visiting a holiday park. The many shared areas of a BIG4 park – such as splash parks, play areas, and camp kitchens – make it easy to strike up a conversation and connect with fellow travellers.
For children, it is important and rewarding for them to socialise and meet new people. It provides them with confidence and a new perspective. Just as important, it greatly enhances the fun of their holiday.
Children tend to have a habit of breaking the ice quite easily, but I thought I’d share my thoughts about what I do as a parent – and used to do as a child – to ensure my children easily make friends when at holiday parks.
Some of the happiest childhood memories are made at BIG4 parks.
As a kid, I remember arriving at the park and immediately taking the 'caravan park self-guided tour'. The aim of this was to see who was around and who could become my new bestie. In my day, it was all about dragster bikes, elastics, and hopscotch. Nowadays, it is scooters, down ball, and jumping pillows, but the principles are the same.
When we arrive at a BIG4 park, while we are checking in, we encourage our kids to jump out, stretch their legs, do a lap of the park, and see what they can find. Previously, we found if we didn’t send the kids out on arrival it was easy for them to settle in to grabbing a device or turning on the TV. Sometimes we asked the kids to help set up, but we believe it’s critical for the kids to meet friends on the first day or night.
I have many fond memories of this time as a child, and it has been beautiful to watch our own children playing British bulldog, poison ball, and after-dark touch tiggy, checking in at the van every half-hour as they run past with sweat running down their red faces.
If you stay in a motel or an apartment, this type of interaction just does not happen. I find myself reluctant to let my kids roam free when at a motel, as there are lots of buildings and unknown areas.
In a caravan park it is all very open, and you can hear your kids and they can hear you. In a nutshell, BIG4 Holiday Parks remind me of the rural streets I grew up with – open and fun and where you can share bikes, balls, and treats, and meet everyone’s parents.
Sharing bikes and other leisure equipment is often an enduring childhood memory.
Yep, every time it happens you feel bad, as you think your children will never find a group of kids like this one again. But guess what? They do! And you will hear the same line again at the next park.
Children don't like to leave their newfound friends, but there's always a new set of friends to make at the next park.
When making new friends throughout your travels, it’s nice to stay in touch. I remember travelling at the same age as my children, and the relationships you make carry on far beyond the park stay. But things have come a long way from the little address book I used to carry with me 30 years ago.
Now, I watch the kids transfer email addresses and social media handles. When we left our home our children didn't have any social media use, but I have to say we allowed them to join Instagram. To my delight, the kids have really enjoyed saying in touch with their new friends and sharing travel stories (even one of me snoring in the caravan!).
With a little effort, lifelong friendships can be formed while on holidays. Start making your own holiday memories today with BIG4.One of the companies he was talking about was an ice company I own shares in. Yes, the company was carrying debt. Why? Because they just acquired a competitor.
Having spent most of my working life in new business development, I’ve looked at quite a few acquisitions. When companies acquire other companies, they have two choices for financing, they can borrow or they can issue equity.
The former is the preferred choice. It’s easier. It doesn’t dilute ownership (affecting management stock options). It’s short term. If the acquisition is expected to cover its costs in one or two years, debt is used (if available).
The type of debt also matters. The more conservative the lender, the more likely the acquisition is sound (companies often have to sell lenders on why they need the money).
If the major purchase is new equipment and the lender is the equipment supplier, this usually means that either the supplier has little doubts about repayment or they feel that the asset is worth at least the debt offered (this doesn’t always hold true if the purchaser is a dominant player).
If the lender is a high brow, conservative bank, then again