Dear Is Mise,

Thank You for your Good Wishes.
The same to you and yours.

Dear Joe,

I'm sitting home alone at present - my husband has taken my
mother to our son's place for Christmas lunch this year.
Due to my inability to move very well I've opted not to be
a nuisance to anyone and have decided to stay at home.

Thank You for again sharing your thoughts and feelings and
part of the traumas you've suffered. I'm glad that you've survived.
You have much to teach younger generations. What you know and
have learned needs to be passed on. And you are a perfect
person to do just that.

Dearest Foxy,

Well, that brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, dear. You won't be alone today, we're all with you in spirit.

Much love,

Joe

Hi there FOXY...

Thank you so much for your very kind words concerning my first wife. I'll never come to terms with what's happened, and that's that.

Concerning Vietnam ? There's probably never a day go's by, when some particular event doesn't come to mind ? Especially Christmas. On that day it's usual for the Officers to serve the OR's (if not on picket or outside the wire)for what passed as a traditional Christmas Lunch, and that's precisely what they did ! I remember vividly several pieces of lettuce and tomato were already on the plate, preparatory to being served with some ham and chicken.

Being very very hot and muggy, the lettuce on my plate, appeared as being completely dead, devoid of any ordinary feature or characteristic a normal piece of lettuce usually possessed ! So much so the Officer serving me laughed and remarked amusingly '...sorry lad I know it looks awful, looks like it's been shot...' ? To this day, I never forgot those two pieces of lettuce, that I took as an omen or harbinger, indicating my impending death in South Vietnam ?

Believe it or not, my long career in the cops was probably what saved both my sanity, and ultimately, my life ?

On an entirely different note, something that POIROT said which I do thoroughly support. Some mechanism that, whilst still preserving complete anonymity, can establish the welfare and whereabouts of some of our long-term, well known contributors ? Like the unexplained absence of our beloved FOXY, a patient in hospital as an example ?

And to you BELLY my friend, if you happen to be reading this, please return to this Forum of ours, you are missed, believe me. In any event, I hope you have a very happy and joyous Christmas ol' man, OK ?

To...

SONOFGLOIN; HASBEEN; LOUDMOUTH; RUNNER; WM TREVOR; IS MISE; and...to our three gentlewomen; FOXY; SUSEONLINE & POIROT...

I'd like to wish you all, both individually and collectively, a very happy and joyous Christmas and a healthy and 'Safe', two thousand and sixteen.

With our sincerest best wishes...O SUNG WU and his long suffering Wife.

Dear O Sung Wu,

Thank You for your heartfelt words. They put a lump in
my throat and quite a few tears to my eyes. As did the
previous comments from Joe (Loudmouth) and others.

I'd like to dedicate the following to you all:

"As beautiful as the most awesome of sunsets,
As vast as a clear, cloudless sky,
As bright as the first twinkling star of the evening
As rare as a jewelled butterfly
As wondrous as blossoms unfolding their splendour
As wise as the tallest trees
As grand as the mountains that reach to the heavens
As free as a lighthearted breeze
You're the best of God's gifts
His most precious creation
A one-of-a-kind, perfect you!
And this Christmas is a time to give Thanks and remember
That you are a miracle, too."

Hi O Sung Wu,

Right back at you, brother.

Joe