For so many people, the holidays mean a break from routine—and while many look forward to this time of year, it can also be stressful, especially for people living with dementia or a developmental disability, such as Down syndrome or autism. Those moments of anxiety or commotion can result in them wandering away from safety.

The most famous editorial in American journalism was published 119 years ago in the New York Sun, as a reply to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanion.
The editorial was titled “Is there a Santa Claus?” and its most memorable passage was this reassuring declaration: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

There is probably no other holiday that conjures up more memories than Christmas. But it isn’t just the day, it is the anticipation that accompanies it. In Advent we celebrate the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Stores start putting out Christmas displays even before Thanksgiving and keep reminding us how many shopping days we have left.

I’m old, but it wasn’t age that caused my problem, it was the headlights

It seems the state of Minnesota has some extra money. A lot of extra money.
The November Budget and Economic Forecast issued last week by Minnesota Management and Budget shows that the General Fund is projected to have a surplus of $17.6 billion for the 2024-2025 biennium.
So now the suggestions begin, what can the state do with the surplus.

During our lifetime we tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. When my wife and I were first married we started out with almost nothing for our first apartment. We got a bedroom set as a wedding gift from one set of parents and a dining room set from the other. We bought a couch, but the rest of the furnishings were either hand me downs or mismatched garage sale items.