Operation Santa Claus @ MindSay 
santa claus
"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.
When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.
Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night.... a ll is calm, all is bright." The family joined in , still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all& ; ;nbs p; When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.
Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quicklyand rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
"This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.
"Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"
--and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope.
Well I am working on a Sunday. I was thinking about pulling out the "I can't work on the Sabbath" card, but I had 4 classes to do and I don't trust the teachers I teach with to teach the lesson plan I wrote by themselves!
It was snowing again today!
I just went to ask my boss if I could head home now, since I really have nothing (I want) to do and it is a Sunday after all... but she said that if I went home now I would be lonely when I came to make up the time on Wednesday (I didn't say ANYTHING about making the time up again.... I just said "can I go home early" so I really don't know what she was going on about). But I do know it means I have to sit here for another hour and a half twiddling my thumbs!
The worst thing is as it is Sunday for everyone else, there is no one to write emails to me!
I have some essays by the second years to mark. They are really sweet... the second year students are 16 or 17, and their English is quite good! They have to write an essay about winter. Here is one that made me smile:
"A letter from Santa Claus"
"When I was about 10 years old, some of my friends thought Santa Clause didn't exist. But I had believed the existence of him. So I wrote a letter to him in Xmas Eve. I put it at my bedside, and I slept, expecting that Santa Claus would come.
The next morning, I woke up early. I was happy to see a present at bedside. A letter was attached to the present. The letter was written in English, which made me more happy. I thought "Oh that's great! This is ceratinly the letter written by Santa Claus! Just as I expected, he exists!" But when I took a vacant glance at a trash box, there was a paper, and English sentences were written on it. I closely looked at the paper, and I noticed that the sentences were the same as the letter from Santa. I suspected, so I asked my mother about it. As a result, I saw that my father practiced the letter on it. That is why I found Santa Claus was really my father."
heheh
And my favourite one (so far) (written as the student has written it):
"Skiing Camp"
"I had a skiing camp when I was fourteen years old. We went to Mt Hachibuse. I had a very good time! but, not only interesting. Before I went to a skiing camp, I was attached by disease. It got germ in my big toe. I saw the doctor and he said surprising words. He said, "If you go to a skiing camp, you may die of disease by blood poisoning." I fell victim to a serious disease. But I wanted to go a skiing camp to make memories and to eat camonabe. So I went there. Moreover, I ski. Because my teacher said, "You will not die as much!" And I said "If I dead, will you take the responsibility?" and he said "ok! ok!" So I could enjoy skiing! And I could eat Camonabe! It was very delicious! I could make precious memories. And I came back to Takasago. As soon as I came home, I went to hospital with my mother. And I was cut my big toes half nail by the doctor. My face was lined with pain. My foot pains very much. It was acute pain! So I slept very little by the acute pain. And I commuted to the hosiptal for a long time. But, they are very fragrant memories. Because it was very interesting that commuting to the hospital, too."
What a champion!
The gifts have been opened. Leftovers chill in the fridge. Before you start focusing on the new year, try these tips to organize next Christmas.
1. Make a list of people who sent you Christmas cards. Add anyone else you'll send cards to next year. Input the list into your computer. Shop for cards at after Christmas sales.
2. Check your inventory of wrapping supplies. Buy them now at 70% off in most stores.
3. Make sure you have enough storage containers for all your decorations. Storage supplies go on sale every January.
4. Open your planner. Start a shopping list for next Christmas. List names. Shop or at least note gift ideas throughout the year.
5. Establish a budget for next Christmas. Include gifts, cards, postage, shipping costs, gift wrap, special meals, holiday clothing and baking supplies. Set up a savings account and arrange for monthly direct deposit.
6. Ask family members what were their favorite and least favorite activities this season. Make a note to focus on preferences and eliminate the least-liked next year.
7. Write Christmas goals in your 2006 planner. For example, July 15th, complete gift list; October 15th, address cards; November 15th, finish shopping; December 8th, reward self with spa day.
Free "50 Ways to Manage Your Time" tips booklet. Visit http://www.ineedmoretime.com
Copyright 2002-06 Barbara Collins-Myers
Operation Letters To Santa
www.operationlettertosanta.com
12/22/2005 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) -- The North American Aerospace Defense Command is observing its 50th anniversary of tracking Santa Claus on his annual rounds, NORAD officials here said.
The tradition of tracking Santa began in 1955, when a local Sears, Roebuck and Co. store ran a newspaper ad urging children to make a phone call on Christmas Eve and talk to Santa Claus. As fate would have it, the phone number was misprinted and, instead of reaching Santa, youngsters found themselves talking with Air Force Col. Harry Shoup of the Continental Air Defense Command at Cheyenne Mountain.
Rather than hanging up, Colonel Shoup and his troops answered every child's call that night with a report of Santa's location. CONAD personnel kept up the practice until 1958, when NORAD was formed and took over Santa-tracking duties. NORAD has continued the Santa tracking tradition for several reasons, according to Master Sgt. John Tomassi, co-director of Santa-tracking operations.
"I think in the initial stages, back in the '50s and '60s, it was just a novelty kind of thing," he said. "A lot of people -- children and their families -- do this tracking Santa as a tradition in their family. We've recognized now that people have taken this program as a tradition, and what we can do is educate them.
"We do track Santa," he continued. "However, we do provide for the defense of the North American aerospace also. We use the satellites to track Santa, we use the radar, we use jet fighters, but all of those exact same things are what we use to monitor the aerospace of North America."
While youngsters are tracking Santa's flight, they may also learn a thing or two about the world around them, Sergeant Tomassi said.
"We think of it as a geography lesson," he said. "Because, the different places that Santa visits or sightings that we have, a lot of people haven't heard of. If we can get some children to go and look at a map to find out where Timbuktu is, or where India is, or Pakistan, or wherever, then we feel all the better for that."
Last Christmas Eve, volunteers at Cheyenne Mountain answered nearly 55,000 phone calls and 35,000 e-mails from children worldwide. During December 2004, the NORAD Tracks Santa Web site had 912 million hits from 181 countries. This year, about 500 volunteers -- most of them U.S. and Canadian military personnel and their families -- will report for telephone-answering duty on Christmas Eve. But already, youngsters are sending messages to Santa via the NORAD Tracks Santa Web site.
"E-mails are arriving from India and Ireland and all over the world already from children with their wish lists who want to talk to Santa," Tomassi said. "We receive, on average, 200 e-mails a day."
NORAD Tracks Santa volunteers will answer calls from 2 a.m. MST Dec. 24 to 2 a.m. MST Dec. 25 at (877) HiNORAD -- (877) 446-6723 -- toll-free in the United States or at (719) 474-2111.
To track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, 2006 follow this link: http://www.operationlettertosanta.com/Kid%20Zone/childrens%20activities/track_santa.htm
Operation Letters To Santa
www.operationlettertosanta.com
You know, the holidays have snuck up on my so fast this year, I didn't even have time to do my usual protest! It may be a little late in the year right now for it to make any difference, but as an Elf Rights Activist I feel it is my duty to inform the world about the truth of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.
Santa Claus is a communist.
That's right, you heard correctly. He's a communist.
How do I know this? Well, thanks to being as short as an elf, I was able to sneak in his workshop last year. Gelatin ears aren't that hard to make, you know.
Communism is (as described here) the control of goods and services (commodities) through a government that produces only to serve the people. It is total equality. Communism is abolition of private property, meaning that resources (minerals, coal, oil, ect.) and production (factories, plants, refineries, ect.) are owned in common by the people. There are generally no taxes except on a few extremely wealthy individuals. That leads to the next point. It is a government mainly for the working class and the common people. Against those like Bill Gates who do not work but thrive off the labor power (work) of others. The government controls commodities unlike corporations who may do as they please in Capitalism, and who usually squander these resources for their own benifit and greed. The media also has true freedom and is not controlled by the government. Housing is also generally free along with health care. Eventually wages and pay from working are eliminated and people are taught to work for the common good. There is also no rascism or discrimination in a communist government. Since everything is equal it makes since.
Factories and such are all owned by Santa (the government) to make toys. Of course the media is free, how do you think so many "Rudolph" movies got out? Speaking of which, only in Rudolph movies will you find any discrmination in the North Pole. And they can't be racist because they're all.
All in all, Communism is a pretty good philsophy and looks good on paper. But when you try to use it in the real world, it never works out because there is always a dictator who eventually becomes a totlitarian. Santa has become one such tyrant. Besides that, he wears red. We must make it our duty to free the elves from this totlitarian society.
It's really a shame communism doesn't work out.
....For this I took Global 9?
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