One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean up too quickly!
-Andy Rooney |
PRIVEX KP200
Digital Deadbolt
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Greetings!
The week before Thanksgiving, I was invited to play in the Golf Channel Invitation for the First Tee Golf Tournament held at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, FL. This invitational supports the First Tee Chapters nationwide and chapters in five countries around the world. What impresses me most is not the golf lessons that this organization teaches, but it is the life lessons. More to follow.
December always causes me to reflect on the events that happened during the year, being thankful for the good and moving forward from the not so good. The Christmas Season has always been my special time with my family, friends, feasting and most importantly, my faith. One of my dear friends sent me the following Christmas greeting that I am passing along to all of you:
May you always have love to share, health to spare, friends that care and may you always believe in the magic of Christmas.
Michael O'Bryan
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What's The North Pole Really Like?
Toys and elves, reindeer and caribou, penguins and polar bears...What is the North Pole really like? Location, Location, Location. The North Pole, not to be confused with the Magnetic North Pole, lies in the middle of the Artic Ocean. It's an ice-covered ocean surrounded by continents. It receives six months of darkness or light at a time,  therefore experiences two six- month seasons per year: summer and winter. During the winter, the only light that occurs at the Pole comes from the stars, the moon, and the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. It's Snow Joke, if you were standing on the sea the only thing you would see for miles is snow-covered ice and most of the snow does not melt because of the cold temperatures. Under international law, no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it. The geographic North Pole is described as being the location of the workshop and residence of Santa Claus and the Canadian Post has assigned postal code H0H0H0 to the North Pole. |
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Santa School?
Located in Midland, Michigan, The Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, is a non-profit organization, established in 1937. It is the longest continuously running Santa Claus School in the world. Over three days, students learn how to dress properly, train for live  interviews, the Santa Sign language, reindeer habits, and even take Santa flight lessons. It's the oldest and most celebrated Santa School in the U.S., and is now having to move with the times.
Santa's are learning to swiftly size up families' financial circumstances, gently scale back children's Christmas gift requests and even how to answer the wish some say they have been hearing with more frequency- "Can you bring my parent a job?"
Santas are taught to be sure never to promise anything. Some have even devised their own tales about a wayward elf and slowed toy production at the North Pole for children who are requesting a gift clearly beyond their family's price range.
This year's school has the largest graduating class in history...115 Santa's. |
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Winter-A Time to Celebrate
Around the globe people mark holidays with special traditions, festivities, and services. While each celebration has its own unique meaning, the one common thread is celebrating with family. Enjoy this quick tour of Winter Holidays celebrated around the globe, and regardless of what your holiday traditions are, we hope that you enjoy this holiday season with those you love.
Hanukkah For eight days each November or December, people of Jewish faith light a special candleholder called a menorah. They do it to remember an ancient miracle in which one day's worth of oil burned for eight days in their temple. On Hanukkah, many Jews also eat special potato pancakes called latkes, sing songs, and spin a top called a dreidel to win chocolate coins, nuts, or raisins.
St. Lucia Day To honor this third-century saint on December 13, many girls in Sweden dress up as "Lucia brides" in long white gowns with red sashes, and a wreath of burning candles on their heads. They wake up their families by singing songs and bringing them coffee and twisted saffron buns called "Lucia cats."
Christmas People celebrate this Christian holiday by going to church, giving gifts, and sharing the day with their families. In some parts of Europe, "star singers" go caroling - singing special Christmas songs - as they walk behind a huge star on a pole.
Kwanzaa Kwanzaa, which means "First Fruits," is based on ancient African harvest festivals and celebrates ideals such as family life and unity. During this spiritual holiday, celebrated from December 26 to January 1, millions of African Americans dress in special clothes, decorate their homes with fruits and vegetables, and light a candleholder called a kinara.
New Year In Ecuador, families dress a straw man in old clothes on December 31. The straw man represents the old year. The family members make a will for the straw man that lists all of their faults. At midnight, they burn the straw man, in hopes that their faults will disappear with him.
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Christmas Island
It's not covered in snow and fir trees, but quite the opposite. Christmas Island, named in 1643 for the day of its discovery maintains an average of 83 degrees year round. It's a non-self governing territory of Australia and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. Christmas Island is one of the world's significant seabird islands and with so many endemic species is often referred to as the  Galapagos of the Indian Ocean. With spectacular diving, deserted beaches, rare birds, the annual red crab migration, and the year round temperatures in the eighties its no wonder refugees seek asylum on Christmas Island. |
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DELANEY Sponsors Parapan American Athlete This Christmas
We have many Christmas Traditions here at Delaney but one of our favorites is adopting a deserving family-in-need during the holidays and helping make their Christmas brighter. Last year we had the privilege of adopting Melissa Middleton and her mother Angela. Melissa is an intellectually challenged young woman and her mother has struggled with multiple battles of cancer while trying to provide the best life possible for Melissa. We are proud to be sponsoring this sweet family again this year, but even more proud to say that Melissa has since advanced to become a 2011 Parapan American Athelete, representing the USA in Table Tennis at the 2011 games in Guadalajara, Mexico last month. We are so proud of you, Melissa!!! To read more about Melissa's story, click here. |
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The First Tee
Our Mission: To impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill  life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. The First Tee has established nine core values that that represents some of the many inherently positive values connected to the game of golf. The nine core values that guide all First Tee participants are: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgement. Since 1997, The First Tee has helped shape the lives of five million people from all walks of life. Please visit www.thefirsttee.org to find out more information on chapters in your area. |
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