day 350 - 19 years

 Today is the 7th day of the 50th week, the 16th day of the 12th month, the 350th day of 2023, and:

• Barbie and Barney Backlash Day
• Boston Tea Party Day
• Day of Reconciliation
• Independence Day - Bahrain from the UK in 1971 and Kazakhstan from the Soviet Union in 1991
• National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
• National Wreaths Across America Day
• Posadas - the beginning of the nine-day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24, celebrating the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born
• Pinot Meunier Day
• Stupid Toy Day
• Zionism Day
• and Voyager 1 is 22h 33m 41s of light travel time from Earth, or 24,349,000,000 km / 15,130,000,000 miles / 162.77 AU

Quote of the day:

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."

~  Roy L Smith, American clergyman and syndicated columnist 

At Security Mall in Woodlawn, starting in 2004 and lasting for several years afterwards, there used to be a lone tree decorated in silver and blue standing sentinel at one of the entrances.  It was called "Frank's Tree" and was put there in memory of my husband who worked security part-time there for 20 years.  That was where I met Frank back in 1985 - and that is where he died at 9:35 AM on Thursday, December 16th, 2004 of a 'cardiac incident'.  

I didn't learn of his death until four hours later - I had changed jobs and Frank had never updated my contact information with the office.  Fortunately, his supervisor thought to break into his locker and check Frank's cell phone, and finally found my work and cell phone numbers.  But for four whole hours I was totally oblivious to the fact my life had irrevocably been changed....

Please make sure your emergency contacts are up to date where you work and live!  It's easy to forget to do that, but someday someone really will need to reach you quickly.