LilBitakaTreceyImMyOwnPriority's blog: "A FEw Things To Remember"

great story! Santa and Sarah > > > > Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa At the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child climbed up on his lap,holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. > > "Your friend? Your sister?'" "Yes, Santa,' he replied. "My sister,Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly. > > Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. > "She misses you," he added softly. > > Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. > 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. > > > "What is it?" Santa asked warmly. > > > "Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. > "The girl in the photograph... my granddaughter well, you see ...she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. > > "Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa." > > > Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. > > He knew what he had to do. > "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "This is the least I can do." > > > When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that > evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's Hospital. > > > "Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face. > > > Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day. "C'mon.....I'll take you there." Rick said softly. > Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. > They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall. > > Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed. > > > The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. > A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed,gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. > > > And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with a weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah. > > > Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!" "Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes intact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. > A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. > > > Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears. > > > Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room. > > > As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "Thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. > > Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. > > > As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands. > > Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels. "Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed.. > > > "Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you." he said. 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.... all 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. > > > When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own. "Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively,"you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you > > to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!" > > > He knew it was risky proclaiming that to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE. > > "Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. > > > 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 quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him. > > > "My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. > "This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him. > > > One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. > > "Hi, Santa! Remember me?!" "Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only"child in the world at that moment. > > > "You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped. > Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. > > He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes. > > > That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. > > > He had witnessed --and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope. This precious little child was healed.. > Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father. 'Tis a ery, Merry Christmas!" > > If you believe in miracles you will pass this on...I did! > > > > God will never bring you to a place he cannot bring you through > > > > Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply. > Speak Kindly and Leave the Rest to God

Psalm 55:22 --- you really need to read this. 'Friends are God's way of taking care of us.' This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician: I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the 'quickie mart ' building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. < BR> When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel. At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying 'don't want my kids to see me crying,' so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, 'And you were praying?' That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, 'He heard you, and He sent me.' I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little. She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City . Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there. So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Chris tmas, but not that they were going to live there. I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, 'So, are you like an angel or something?' This definitely made me cry. I said, 'Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people.' It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong. Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings... Psalms 55:22 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.' When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, 'Jesus, could You please get that for me .'

Little Johnnie's neighbour had a baby. Unfortunately, the baby was born without ears. When mother and new baby came home from the hospital, Johnnie's family was invited over to see the baby. Before they left their house, Little Johnnie's dad had a talk with him and explained that the baby had no ears. His dad also told him that if he so much mentioned anything about the baby's missing ears or even said the word ears, he would get the smacking of his life when they came back home. Little Johnnie told his dad he understood completely. When Johnnie looked in the crib he said, 'What a beautiful baby.' The mother said, 'Why, thank you, Little Johnnie. Johnnie said, 'He has beautiful little feet and beautiful little hands, a cute little nose and really beautiful eyes. Can he see?' 'Yes', the mother replied, 'we are so thankful; the Doctor said he will have 20/20 vision.' 'That's great', said Little Johnnie,'coz he'd be fucked if he needed glasses'.

This was beautiful: Eugene Allen, 89, a retired White House butler, tries on his old tuxedo for a photo. Allen, who served eight presidents during a period when America 's racial history was being rewritten, is marveling at the election of Barack Obama. Now retired, he started when blacks were in the kitchen. By Wil Haygood November 7, 2008 Reporting from Washington -- For more than three decades, Eugene Allen worked in the White House, a black man unknown to the headlines. During some of those years, harsh segregation laws lay upon the land. He trekked home every night to his wife, Helene, who kept him out of her kitchen. At the White House, he worked closer to the dirty dishes than to the Oval Office. Helene didn't care; she just beamed with pride. President Truman called him Gene. President Ford liked to talk golf with him. He saw eight presidential administrations come and go, often working six days a week. "I never missed a day of work," Allen said. He was there while racial history was made: Brown vs. Board of Education, the Little Rock school crisis, the 1963 March on Washington , the cities burning, the civil rights bills, the assassinations. When he started at the White House in 1952, he couldn't even use the public restrooms when he ventured back to his native Virginia . "We had never had anything," Allen, 89, recalled of black America at the time. "I was always hoping things would get better." In its long history, the White House -- note the name -- has had a complex and vexing relationship with black Americans. "The history is not so uneven at the lower level, in the kitchen," said Ted Sorensen, who served as counselor to President Kennedy. "In the kitchen, the folks have always been black. Even the folks at the door -- black." Before Gene Allen landed his White House job, he worked as a waiter at a resort in Hot Springs , Va. , and then at a country club in Washington . He and wife Helene, 86, were sitting in the living room of their Washington home. Her voice was musical, in a Lena Horne kind of way. She called him "Honey." They met at a birthday party in 1942. He was too shy to ask for her number, so she tracked his down. They married a year later. In 1952, a lady told him of a job opening in the White House. "I wasn't even looking for a job," he said. "I was happy where I was working, but she told me to go on over there and meet with a guy by the name of Alonzo Fields." Fields was a maitre d', and he immediately liked Allen. Allen was offered a job as a "pantry man." He washed dishes, stocked cabinets and shined silverware. He started at $2,400 a year. There was, in time, a promotion to butler. "Shook the hand of all the presidents I ever worked for," he said. "I was there, honey," Helene said. "In the back maybe. But I shook their hands too." She was referring to White House holiday parties, Easter egg hunts. They have one son, Charles, who works as an investigator with the State Department.. "President Ford's birthday and my birthday were on the same day," he said. "He'd have a birthday party at the White House. Everybody would be there. And Mrs. Ford would say, 'It's Gene's birthday too!' " And so they'd sing a little ditty to the butler. And the butler, who wore a tuxedo to work every day, would blush. "Jack Kennedy was very nice," he went on. "And so was Mrs. Kennedy." He was in the White House kitchen the day Kennedy was slain. He got an invitation to the funeral. But he volunteered for other duty: "Somebody had to be at the White House to serve everyone after they came from the funeral." The whole family of President Carter made Helene chuckle: "They were country. And I'm talking Lillian and Rosalynn both." It came out as the highest compliment. First Lady Nancy Reagan came looking for him in the kitchen one day. She wanted to remind him about the upcoming state dinner for German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. She told him he would not be working that night. "She said, 'You and Helene are coming to the state dinner as guests of President Reagan and myself.' I'm telling you! I believe I'm the only butler to get invited to a state dinner." Husbands and wives don't sit together at these events, and Helene was nervous about trying to make small talk with world leaders. "And my son said, 'Momma, just talk about your high school. They won't know the difference.' "The senators were all talking about the colleges and universities that they went to," she said. "I was doing as much talking as they were. "Had champagne that night," she said, looking over at her husband. He just grinned: He was the man who stacked the champagne at the White House. Colin L. Powell would become the highest ranking black of any White House to that point when he was named Reagan's national security advisor in 1987. Condoleezza Rice would have that position under President George W. Bush. Gene Allen was promoted to maitre d' in 1980. He left the White House in 1986, after 34 years. President Reagan wrote him a sweet note. Nancy Reagan hugged him tight. Interviewed at their home last week, Gene and Helene speculated about what it would mean if a black man were elected president. "Just imagine," she said. "It'd be really something," he said. "We're pretty much past the going-out stage," she said. "But you never know. If he gets in there, it'd sure be nice to go over there again." They talked about praying to help Barack Obama get to the White House. They'd go vote together. She'd lean on her cane with one hand, and him with the other, while walking down to the precinct. And she'd get supper going afterward. They went over their election day plans more than once. "Imagine," she said. "That's right," he said. On Monday, Helene had a doctor's appointment. Gene woke and nudged her once, then again.. He shuffled around to her side of the bed. He nudged Helene again. He was all alone. "I woke up and my wife didn't," he said later. Some friends and family members rushed over. He wanted to make coffee. They had to shoo the butler out of the kitchen. The lady he married 65 years ago will be buried today. The butler cast his vote for Obama on Tuesday. He so missed telling his Helene about the black man bound for the Oval Office. Haygood writes for the Washington Post.

I found this on Yahoo I thought this might interest some.... Remember those economic-stimulus checks the government was handing out this year? Many taxpayers didn't qualify for the full amount -- or for any payment at all -- because their 2007 income exceeded a certain threshold. But many people who lost their jobs this year, or whose incomes fell for some other reason, will get a second chance next year, thanks to a little-noticed tax-law twist. More from WSJ.com: • Banks Boost Customer Fees to Record Highs • A Little-Known Tax Break for Bruised 529s • Bailout Bill Provided Tech Workers With Tax Relief Like many other people, Colleen Kilbreath of Westminster, Colo., thought eligibility for the program was based solely on what she had reported on her tax return for 2007 -- and assumed she wouldn't get anything because her income for that year was too high. Ms. Kilbreath, a construction-project manager, was laid off in June "and could really use the assistance," she wrote in a recent email. For 2008, she says, her adjusted gross income will be about $50,000, well below the law's threshold, which means she should qualify for a recovery rebate credit when she files her 2008 return next year. "I did not know" that the law worked that way, she says. "I'm sure there are a ton of us out there that are in the dark." Under the economic-stimulus law, which was enacted in February, eligibility for this tax break is based on your income and other factors, such as family size, as reported on your federal income-tax return for either 2007 or 2008, says Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst at CCH, a Wolters Kluwers business. Thus, if you weren't eligible based on your 2007 return or received less than the maximum amount, you still might qualify for a "recovery rebate credit" on your 2008 return, to be filed in 2009, Internal Revenue Service officials say. Other people, such as a family with a child born in 2008, may also be eligible for a credit on their 2008 return, Mr. Luscombe says. Huge amounts of money are involved. About $10 billion will be distributed next year in rebate credits, says Treasury Department spokesman Andrew DeSouza. The Treasury won't send out separate economic-stimulus payments, as it did this year. Instead, those eligible will claim the rebate credit on their 2008 returns. That will affect how much of a refund they'll get or how much they'll owe Uncle Sam. With the economic slump deepening, the extra help will come in handy in many households. According to the latest government figures, employment has dropped by about 1.2 million in the first 10 months of this year -- with over half the decrease coming in the past three months. The Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate rose to 6.5% in October from 6.1% the previous month, and many forecasters expect it to climb above 8% by the end of next year. Pressure is growing in Congress for additional economic-stimulus measures, either this year during a lame-duck session or next year after Barack Obama is sworn in as president, or both. Under the law enacted in February, most people who paid federal income taxes were eligible to receive as much as $600 for an individual, or as much as $1,200 for a married couple filing a joint return, with an additional $300 for each eligible child. The amounts phase out for individuals whose incomes exceed $75,000, or joint filers with income above $150,000. Under the formula, you lose 5% of the dollar amount above the applicable threshold -- such as $50 for each $1,000 above the cap. (Separately, many low-income people who paid little or no federal income tax were entitled to some payment, too.) Through last month, the Treasury had distributed about 117.4 million economic-stimulus payments totaling more than $95 billion. During October alone, the government distributed about 1.4 million payments totaling about $976.6 million. The IRS will post tools on its Web site to help people figure the recovery rebate credit, says Eric Smith, an IRS spokesman. There will also be a worksheet to help figure out the amount in the 2008 tax packages, he says. A draft has been posted on the IRS site. For those do-it-yourselfers who don't want to risk losing their sanity doing the number-crunching, consider buying tax-preparation software. Intuit Inc.'s TurboTax, the top-selling consumer software, will automatically notify customers about this issue when they're working on their 2008 tax returns next year, and will also calculate any additional rebate amount, says Julie Miller, an Intuit spokeswoman. Some people who were eligible for a payment this year haven't received it yet because of a wrong address. The IRS said recently that it's searching for people who are missing more than 279,000 economic stimulus checks totaling about $163 million -- and more than 104,000 regular refund checks totaling about $103 million -- that were returned by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors. "All a taxpayer has to do is update his or her address once," the IRS said. The government "will then send out all checks due." If you're worried about a missing stimulus check and want it this year, don't procrastinate. "It is crucial that taxpayers who may be due a stimulus check update their addresses with the IRS by Nov. 28," the IRS said. The reason: By law, those stimulus checks must be sent out by Dec. 31 this year, the IRS said. To check the status of a stimulus check and get instructions on how to update an address, go to the IRS Web site and click on "Where's My Stimulus Payment?" or call 866-234-2942. The IRS said the regular refund checks that were returned averaged $988 apiece. These checks will be re-sent as soon as taxpayers update their addresses. You can do that with the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS Web site, or call 800-829-1954. More from Yahoo! Finance: • How Obama's Tax Plan Could Affect You • How the Rich Cheat On Their Taxes • The Ranks of the Ultrawealthy Grow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit the Tax Center * * * Estate-tax returns fell in 2007. Only about 38,000 federal estate-tax returns were filed in 2007, down from 49,050 in 2006, according to the IRS. Of those 38,000 returns, about 17,400 were taxable, down from nearly 23,000 taxable returns in 2006. Among the 2007 taxable returns, there were 2,860 estates valued between $3.5 million and less than $5 million, the IRS said. There were 2,906 estates valued between $5 million and less than $10 million, 1,104 estates valued between $10 million and less than $20 million -- and only 654 estates valued at $20 million or more. Further declines in the number of filings are likely again next year, when the basic federal estate-tax exclusion, now $2 million, is set to increase to $3.5 million. The top federal estate-tax rate, now 45%, is set to remain unchanged in 2009. * * * Voters deliver a mixed verdict on state-tax proposals. Massachusetts voters turned down the proposed elimination of the state's income tax over two years. Critics such as the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation had said approval of the measure would have led to drastic spending cuts in almost all state programs. In another closely-watched contest, Oregon voters rejected a proposal to allow taxpayers to deduct unlimited amounts of their federal income taxes on their state returns. North Dakotans said no to a proposal to cut personal income-tax rates by 50%. But voters "were also hesitant to raise taxes in a difficult economy," said Jennie Drage Bowser of the National Conference of State Legislatures. For example, Colorado voters rejected a sales-tax increase and also said no to major changes to the state's strict Taxpayer Bill of Rights law. Maine voted to roll back new taxes on beer, wine and soft drinks. Minnesota, however, approved a sales-tax increase to protect the environment and benefit the arts. Email: taxreport@wsj.com

I met this guy who has a motto he lives by everyday. He said ' listen carefully and live by these 4 rules: Drink, Steal, Swear, & Lie.' I was shaking my head 'NO.....', but he then told me to listen while he explained his four rules. So here they are: 1..'Drink' from the 'everlasting cup' every day. 2.'Steal' a moment to help someone that is in worse shape than you are. 3.'Swear' that you will be a better person today than yesterday. 4. and last, but not least, when you 'lie' down at night thank God you live in a country where you have religious freedom. I am not as good as I should be, I am not as good as I could be but THANK GOD I am better than I used to be! Have A Blessed Day!

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.' One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.' This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Life Is a Gift Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat Before 0A you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion. Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. =0 A And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job. AND WHEN depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

Today's Groaner An Indian walks into a cafe with a shotgun in one hand pulling a male buffalo with the other. He says to the waiter: "Want coffee." The waiter says, "Sure, Chief. Coming right up." He gets the Indian a tall mug of coffee. The Indian drinks the coffee down in one gulp, turns and blasts the buffalo with the shotgun, causing parts of the animal to splatter everywhere and then just walks out. The next morning the Indian returns. He has his shotgun in one hand, pulling another male buffalo with the other. He walks up to the counter and says to the waiter "Want coffee." The waiter says "Whoa, Tonto! We're still cleaning up your mess from yesterday. What was all that about, anyway?" The Indian smiles and proudly says ... "Training for position in United States Congress: Come in, drink coffee, shoot the bull, leave mess for others to clean up, disappear for rest of day.

> Change the answers or copy and paste. Have fun and be truthful! > > > > 1. What is your occupation right now? background external verifier/work from home > >> 2. What color are your socks right now? white > 3. What are you listening to right now? TV > 4. What was the last thing that you ate? >oatmeal & bacon > 5. Can you drive a stick shift? >> no 6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? > my friend > 7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? >> Absolutely >> 8. How old are you today? > 42 0> 9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? > basketball and football > 10. What is your favorite drink? >> don't have a favorite > 11. Have you ever dyed your hair? >> yes > 12. Favorite food? >> chinese, and burgers and fries > 13. What is the last movie you watched? >> >First Sunday 14. Favorite day of the year? >> my birthday > 15. How do you vent anger? > cry, and talk about it > 16. What was your favorite toy as a child? > >MY dolls and dishes 17. What is your favorite season? > summer > 18. Cherries or Blueberries? cherries > > > > 19.Living arrangements? > In a house with my family > 20. When was the last time you cried? >> >A FEW DAY'S AGO > 21. What is on the floor of your closet? >> my shoes > 22. What did you do last night? >> >SLEEP 23. What are you most afraid of? >> going to hell > 24. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? >> CHEESE > 25. Favorite dog breed? SMALL DOGS >> > 26. Favorite day of the week? >>Friday> >27. How many states have you lived in? >> one > 28. Diamonds or pearls? > Diamonds > > 29. What is your favorite flower? > >Roses

Little Leroy came into the kitchen where his mother was making Dinner. His birthday was coming up and he thought this was a Good time to tell his mother what he wanted. "Mom, I want a Bike for my birthday." Little Leroy was a bit of a troublemaker. He had gotten into Trouble at school and at home. Leroy's mother asked him if he Thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday. Little Leroy, of course, thought he did. Leroy's mother, being a Christian woman, wanted Leroy to reflect on his behavior over The last year. "Go to your room, Leroy, and think about how you have behaved This year. Then write a letter to God and tell him why you Deserve a bike for your birthday." Little Leroy stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to Write God a letter. Letter 1 Dear God: I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike For my birthday. I want a red one. Your friend, Leroy Leroy knew that this wasn't true. He had not been a very good Boy this year, so he tore up the letter and started over. Letter 2 Dear God: This is your friend, Leroy. I have been a pretty good boy this Year and I would like a red bike for my birthday. Thank you. Your friend, Leroy Leroy knew that this wasn't true, either. So, he tore up the Letter and started again. Letter 3 Dear God: I have been an "OK" boy this year. I still would really like a Red bike for my birthday. Leroy Leroy knew he could not send this letter to God either. So, Leroy wrote another letter. Letter 4 Dear God: I know I haven't been a good boy this year. I am very sorry. I will be a good boy if you just send me a red bike for my Birthday. Please! Thank you, Leroy Leroy knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going To get him a bike. By now, Leroy was very upset. He went Downstairs and told his mom that he wanted to go to church. Leroy's mother thought her plan had worked as Leroy looked Very sad. "Just be home in time for dinner," Leroy's mother told him. Leroy walked down the street to the church on the corner. Little Leroy, went into the church and up to the altar. He looked around to see if anyone was there. Leroy bent Down and picked up a statue of the Virgin Mary. He slipped It under his shirt and ran out of the church, down the Street, into the house, and up to his room. He shut the door to his room and sat down with a piece of Paper and a pen. Leroy began to write his letter to God. Letter 5 Dear God: I'VE GOT YOUR MAMA. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE BIKE.