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Willow and Perry From Tree Family Party Pigs came for another fun visit in December.  Willow is the cutie in her Christmas dress. Here are some facts about Willow and Perry: WILLOW Female American Mini Pig Birthday: 3/29/2020 Physical markings: mostly black, white hair behind right ear, white legs and belly Personality: confident, quick learner, social butterfly Favorites: sun bathing, eating clover, cuddling, training Endearing flaw: peeing in her piggy pool PERRY Male American Mini Pig Birthday: 3/29/2020 Physical markings: black with right white shoulder, legs, and belly, half pink half black snout Personality: gentle lover, cautious, curious, boss pig between him and Willow Favorites: ear scratches, bananas, exploring in the woods, giving kisses Endearing flaw: loud water slurper

Leap year only comes around every four years. Without leap years, every four years, the calendar wouldn’t run as well as it should. Without leap years, we would lose 6 hours every year, and after 100 years, our calendar would be 24 days off. The ancient Egyptians started toying with leap days; Julius Caesar officially started leap years, with the first being in 46 B.C. Leap years are not the same around the globe. The Chinese calendar adds an entire leap month every three years. In Ethiopia, they add the leap day to the last month of the year every 4 years. People born on a leap day are called “leaplings or leapers” and can celebrate their birthdays on non-leap years, either March 1 or February 28. Summer Olympics happen during leap years. There are about 4 million people around the world who are leaplings. The current Guinness World Record for generations born on a leap day is 3. One family has three generations of births on leap days. Leap Day was the original Sadie Hawkins Day or a day when it was deemed socially appropriate for women to propose to men.

What is your passion?  What makes you so excited and filled with joy and life that you can hardy keep your feet on the ground?  Remember the passionate interests that you had when you were young?  Find time to pursue those passions once again or develop your natural inclinations, the things that fill you with a sense of peace and satisfaction every time you put them to work.  Do you love to draw? Draw with everything you have.  Do you love to manipulate numbers? Calculate with enthusiasm.  Above all else, instill excitement into what you do. Jim

Dec 9 was Gingerbread House Day. Dottie and Thelma showing off their Gingerbread “bird house” We had a big group on the 14 th to help Deena and Brittany make Cinnamon and Applesauce Ornaments.   We hung them up in the country kitchen on a small resident tree. It was so much fun, and the country kitchen smells so good.

It is an annual tradition that the residents and their families decorate their doors for Christmas. They start on Dec 1, and every year, the creativity flows.

Taking Control Many of us seek out the opportunity to step in and take control of a particular situation or event.  Whether it is leading a sports team to the World Series, running a fast-food restaurant, or even caring for an elder family member, when things are going smoothly, it’s easy to feel as if you’re in charge.  The more you perceive yourself as your own master, and the more comfortable you become in this role, the harder you will fall as it is said that storms will come, and uncertainties will loom on the horizon.  If you cling to control and feel entitled to having things go your way, you are likely to sink when difficulties surface.  I believe that we are encouraged to enjoy times of smooth sailing and to be thankful for them, but we need to be equally warned not to become addicted to this sense of mastery over your life as we are being trained to always trust in Him – for He is your Refuge.  He uses adversity to set you free from the illusion of being in control.  When your circumstances and your future are full of uncertainties, look to Him.  Therefore, we are encouraged to find your security in knowing Him, the Master who is sovereign over the storms of your life – over everything.

1 st place Jen Flemion- Cinderella Coach 2 nd place  Christina Bernal- Sugar Skull 3 rd place   Leanne Reed- Baby in the Pumpkin

Do you know why we celebrate Flag Day and how it came about? After the flag's creation, several people in the late 19th century had a helping hand in creating the holiday—but it's unclear who officially suggested its' creation first. One key person was B.J. Cigrand, a Wisconsin-born schoolteacher, who continuously proposed an annual observance of the flag in magazine and newspaper articles. He even arranged for his pupils to celebrate a day recognizing what he called the flag's " birthday " on June 14. Another person involved was George Morris, a Hartford, Connecticut resident who instituted a formal observance of the day in his hometown. There was also George Bolch, a New York kindergarten teacher who planned Flag Day ceremonies for the kids at his school. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Duane Gillespie—a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin—pushed for a similar observance in Pennsylvania in 1893. But it wasn't until May 7, 1937, that Pennsylvania became the first state to establish Flag Day on June 14 as a legal holiday, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. It took three presidents to get Flag Day on the government's radar—President Woodrow Wilson issued a formal proclamation for Flag Day in 1916, and President Calvin Coolidge did the same in 1927. But in 1949, Congress finally approved, and President Harry Truman signed the national observance of Flag Day on June 14 into law. "It is our custom to observe June 14 each year with ceremonies designed not only to commemorate the birth of our flag but also to rededicate ourselves to the ideals for which it stands," Truman said in his proclamation. "This beloved emblem, which flies above all our people of whatever creed or race, signalizes our respect for human rights and the protection such rights are afforded under our form of government." So what is Flag Day to President Truman? It's more than a day to celebrate the physical flag.

Father's Day was invented by American Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father. He was a veteran who had raised his six children as a single parent. The first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910. The first American president to support the concept of Father's Day was President Calvin Coolidge, who did so in 1924… but it wasn't until in the year 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation that resulted in the declaration of the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. According to greetings card makers Hallmark, Father's Day is the fifth-largest card-sending holiday. Going for a floral gift? Traditionally fathers should be given the gift of white or red roses. The rose is the official flower for Father's Day. A red rose signifies a living father, while a white one represents a deceased father. Surprisingly, the trusty slipper gift isn't the most popular Father's Day present – it's actually a tie.

Poet: Kate Summers ©2016 What does love mean on this Valentines day Love is doing more for another than for self Love is encouraging and supportive Love is patient Love is kindness for one another Love is helping and laughter too Love is appreciating all you do Love is sharing interests Love is a comfort Love is always there Love is meant to be shared Love is beauty in the eyes of the beholder Love is showing that you care. Love is you and all you do Happy Valentines Day to YOU!

It is believed that limericks date back to the 14th century and originated in the Irish town of Limerick. The limerick is a humorous five-line poem with two rhymes: one shared by the first, second, and fifth lines and the other shared by the shorter third and fourth lines. There was a young fellow from Crete Who was exceedingly neat When he got out of bed He stood on his head To make sure of not soiling his feet

LAST LETTER OF YOUR FIRST NAME: A=Sprinkles          J=Clumsy             S=Goldie B=Daffodil            K=Thunderous   T=Peevish C=Fightin              L=Tater                U=Fearsome D=bunyon             M=Bleary            V=Potsy E=Warty               N=Greenie           W=Dizzy F=Toadstool        O=Rusty                X=Patty G=Wooly             P=Lucky                 Y=Stumpy H=Clover              Q=Fortune            Z=Whispers I=Blarney              R=Shillelagh FIRST LETTER OF YOUR LAST NAME: A=O’Blaze           J=McWhisky            S=McWoovy B=McTavern       K=McTurnips           T=O’Shivers C=O’Rainbow      L=O’Bourbon          U=McCharmless D=McMuffin       M=McSmelly           V=O’Wickless E=O’Wobbles      N=McCoppertop    W=McSpud F=McFearsome   O=O’Gingerly         X=McOutrage G=O’Knuckles      P=McFeverish        Y=O’Lyn H=McDoodles     Q=O’Cranky            Z=McSullied I=O’Looney           R=McKnob