Happy Holidays to Everyone!

Followers of this blog come from all around the world.  Different topics attract readers from different countries, but every week I have many foreign visitors.  In December, I have had followers from Italy, Viet Nam, Ukraine, Spain, China, Brazil, Egypt, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France.  Readers from Germany, India, Australia. Canada, Ireland, and other nations are frequent visitors in significant numbers.

The internet links all of us around the globe, and I am delighted that my posts about history and an ordinary man who dreamed of creating a farm on the prairie in the late 1800s resonates not only with Americans but also with people everywhere.

Last week, my blog about Pratt, Kansas, and my hours in a family owned jewelry store drawing a picture of Santa Claus was read by 114 people in Italy and 98 people in Viet Nam, among the many others who visited the blog.  I'm glad it was a blog about an American small town, so that those readers can see a part of our country that may not always make the news.

So to all of you who read my blog, however you celebrate the holiday season, I send my holiday greetings with these special quotes I have selected for the season.

Christmas gift Suggestions:  To your enemy, forgiveness.  To your opponent, tolerance.  To a friend, your heart.  To a customer, service.  To all, charity.  To every child, a good example.  To yourself, respect.  Oren Arnold  (1903-1997; U.S. Representative and U.S. District Judge)

Christmas is a necessity.  There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we are here for something else besides ourselves.  (Eric Sevareid; American author and news journalist)

Fear less, hope more.
Whine less, breathe more.
Talk less, say more.
Hate less, love more.
And all good things are yours.
Swedish Proverb