Dear Joe,

Thank You for your Christmas Blessings.

I am always grateful for prayers and blessings.

Dear Josephus,

Our Prime Minister had a wonderful message in his
Christmas card. I'll share just a bit with everyone
right now as I think it's worth repeating:

"At Christmas we celebrate family, community and love.
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus and His message
of unconditional love and sacrifice. Whether we are
of any faith or none, it is love, forgiving, generous,
and unconditional, that brings us closest to the
very best we can be. It is important to remember those
whose Christmas is not as happy as our own, including
the lonely, the poor and the sick and those who are
away from family. Reach out to them where you can.
There are many charities that can help you brighten
the lives of others with your generosity and love.

Merry Christmas, a relaxing and safe holiday, and a
2017 filled with peace, happiness and love."

(Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull).

//The first Christmas was a family gathering as Mary and Joseph and Joseph's three sons from his first wife, return to his parents home for a Census imposed by the Romans, probably about 4BC, the gift the virgin Mary received was a healthy son//

Nah, Christmas traditions go way back before that, to pagan mid-winter celebrations and Roman holidays like Saturnalia. The Christians just jumped on the bandwagon to help popularise their religion. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Happy Hogswatch, everybody.

Hi there IS MISE...

My answer to you my friend - I hope you IS MISE, and your entire family have a very happy and joyous 'CHRIST'-mas and a healthy, peaceful 2017. I might just appraise all those who frequent this Site, this is the annual Christian festival upon which I was raised, as was our children and grandchildren!

Moreover, this is still Australia when last I looked, and we still celebrate and observe such important Christian festivities, like Easter and 'CHRIST'-mas time. Those who don't like it, well let peace descend quietly upon their houses, in Bankstown, Punchbowl and their immediate environs ?

And to all you other good folk, who see fit to regularly append their own thoughts and opinions to this perceptively august Site, the brilliant creation of Graham YOUNG'S and ors...

I'd like to wish everyone, including our many absent friends, a very happy, enjoyable and carefree 'CHRISTmas' together with a peaceful, and healthy 2017!

Merry Christmas everyone.
It is our background, our history even if we are not religious it forms
our mindset, our practises, even our laws, our ways of government.

It has over the centuries been moulded into a whole culture with
which we feel comfortable.
That is why we all celebrate Christmas.
It is an annual recognition of our life for this year and the next.

Happy New Year !

Hi there FOXY...

A mass of Christmas wishes to you too FOXY, as you wile away the hours, helping to decorate your dear Mum's Dementia ward. I'm sure both she, and the other patients are aware in part, what it is you and others are trying to do for them, in an attempt to brighten up their day for them. Still you don't know really, do you? In any event our very best wishes go to you, and your dear husband as well.

Dear O Sung Wu.,

We're treated like family members in mum's
Dementia Wing - not only by the residents
but by their families as well. We all look out for
each other. I get reports about mum from the family
members there. They keep me up to date with what's
happening when I'm not there - for which I am very
grateful. I do the same for them.
The vibe there is a very positive one.
For example, I was told that just recently
Melbourne's Lithuanian Choir visited the Nursing
Home and sang Christmas Carols for Mum and the other
residents. I would not have known this except that
another resident's family member told me. Apparently
the residents enjoyed the experience very much.
The Choir was dressed in their beautiful National
Costumes, which are very colourful -
And mum (who used to belong to the choir) hummed the
tunes, and mouthed the words, which she remembered.

Wishing you and your family - a Merry Christmas,
and a Healthy, Safe, and Happy New Year.

All The Best,