Holiday Sampler (A Legal Re-gifting)

As PinF prepares to celebrate another Christmas in Florida it seemed appropriate to offer a Holiday Sampler (a re-gift) of sorts, of the past 9 months of postings. Often times my postings are not what you would either characterize as brief, light, or even happy fare. Such is the life of PinF this past year, full of tumult, sadness, and political outrage over the seemingly senseless dying of Americans home and abroad, not to mention my on-going postings of tough times with regard to my father's health and its effects on me and my brothers.

Still I would be remiss not to mention the many personal notes I often receive by email with regard to certain postings; many times what people won't post in public, they convey in private through a heartfelt email. Often times my subject matter has made others recall certain painful or difficult times in their own lives. Most times I'm able to jar a happy memory and in the process illicit a few chuckles along the way. PinF appreciates all the encouragement, kindnesses, and well wishes he's received over the past 9 months from many friends, family, and indeed the new foreign friends I've met through this site. To that ends, PinF is assembling a mini-montage of sorts from the last 9 months. I've picked one post from each month since April until now December, a Holiday Sampler for the readers of PinF, so that you don't have to skip back, scroll down, and seek past postings.

Thank you all, and Happy Holidays. ----------PinF

April 2005: First post, really just an online copy of my remarks when asked to speak at my mother's Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls.

May 2005: PinF's remarks over yet another somber Memorial Day as Americans continue to sacrifice for what I believe to be a mis-guided appropriation of our greatest resource: our young, brave soldiers.

June 2005: This was one of my daughter Sophia's several postings, her summer movie reviews. Of course PinF is able to discuss any number of G rated movies released this year if anyone wants to that is.

July 2005: A classic tale of Sophia's reluctant tooth migration.

August 2005: Sophia's heading off to school and the many undertones to the lessons we all learn by breaking away.

September 2005: This post dealt with all the finger pointing and senseless blame after the heartbreak and destruction of Katrina, and the few who were in direct contact with God.

October 2005: Kind of heartbreaking, and I know we all see at least one of these that gets to us. This is a post about the first woman from my area killed in action in Iraq.

November 2005: Reminiscing days of Thanksgiving long since past, and the many unsucessful cakes in PinF's life.

December 2005: PinF's most recent installment of how much things change over time, both on a personal level as well as physical, with regard to relationships and loved ones.