This is such a wonderful swap! Wonderful cards with warm holiday greetings and seeds for the new year! I can't believe it, but I received even more cards! You are all sooooo generous! From Margirta10 came a lovely snowman card with a snowman angel and "BELIEVE" on the front. Wonderful sentiment for this time of year! Inside were packets of Giant California mixed zinnias, white phlox, Pastel Carpet mixed alyssum and Tall Deluxe mixed snapdragons. Thanks so much - I love them all! A Happy Holiday stocking card came from Melinda/ilovefarac with one of my all time favorites --Hyacinth beans. woohoo! Thanks, Melinda! Karendee sent a hilarious card. Santa is standing with a shopping cart full of flowers and long shopping list. On the front it reads, "Seeds 'n Greetings!" Inside were another one of my favorites - mixed larkspur! Thanks, Karen! Funny larkspur story -- maybe some of you have had this happen to you... The first time the larkspur reseeded, it went outside the flower beds and into the yard a few feet from the original beds. Some of them were in such numbers that I went out and surrounded it with bricks so my DH wouldn't mow it down. I told him I was going to expand the flower beds - and that's what I did. Couldn't have had a better reason to expand the flower beds! Thanks so much for all the seeds and warm wishes! ~Kathy

Well, you certainly have to mention the great grandfather's history in scouting and how proud he would be of your nephew. I would mention that this is an award the carries with it such significance that it is worthy of mention in future job applications as I know of men who consider that such an indicator of hard work, dedication and character that they seek out such employees. Mention that it is a step into manhood, teaching a boy the value of planning, coordinating, giving, responsibility, etc. through his executing and experiencing it all. Then share from the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling: [IF] If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream--and not make dreams your master, If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son! --Rudyard Kipling

I haven't made any effort to keep up with anyone from high school. I don't do Facebook, but my older brother does and his circle of friends in high school overlapped with mine. A couple of years ago he told me that, Matt, my best friend though many years of elementary school and high school had abruptly passed away. I also recall that he told me of another mutual friend from high school who had announced that he was diagnosed with colon cancer, I don't recall hearing any more about him. A third person lived two houses up the street from us from even before we started school, and during the trip to Cincinnati when my father was ill, my brother arranged for us to meet up with that person who coincidentally lived in the very house we used to live in. We visited briefly with her and her mother (who still lived in the same house, two houses away), and her brother. It was interesting to see our old house, and I was surprised how little it had changed. After that I made no effort to maintain any contact with her, but did hear an odd story through my sister about the brother passing away, and our friend having trouble notifying her mother about the death because her mother had filed some sort of restraining order against her.

I had something delivered to me from Spiegel back in the 80's. It was a country style sofa table, painted turned legs and a pine top. I did not order it, I called them and they just told me to keep it. Shipping costs were more than it was worth. I used it in a spare bedroom as a vanity with a mirror over it. We have a long, narrow property -an acre but only 88 feet wide. Around the holidays UPS hires extra drivers. My husband has a workshop in the back of the property abutting a private road. We were getting notices that packages were delivered to our "front porch" turns out their GPS identifies his workshop as our home, It does have a porch. We finally figured out where our See's candies and Claxton fruit cakes were!!