SALUTATION

Since I always buy a gazillion cards because someone always sends me a card after those on my list have already gotten theirs, I thought I'd "send" ours out to everyone here for whom I have no land address. I like to get my cards from Current as they always have such lovely choices. It's probably too late to get anything personalized in time for Christmas, but shipping options make delivery possible even when buying right up to 12/19/08 midnight. If you need something after that you'll have to brave the mall, or like Erma Bombeck, hit the hardware store.

All the big items have been bought and most of them shipped. I always liked each child to get a book, a toy, a piece of clothing and something to eat. For years, I gave my son socks and underwear in his Christmas stocking. He finally complained that he had more than enough socks. Nowadays he probably could have resold them on E-bay. Anyway, the next year, instead of the six-pack, I got him one pair of argyle socks. Every year since then I have bought him some outrageously patterned socks. (Except I don't remember sending him any this year. I'll have to wait until after Christmas to be certain.) One year, he put them on as soon as they were unwrapped. He ended up with tye-dye legs because the color bled onto his skin.

The word for the day December 17, 2008 is "salutation" — Pronunciation: \,sal-yə-'tā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 a: an expression of greeting, goodwill, or courtesy by word, gesture, or ceremony. b plural : regards. 2: the word or phrase of greeting (as Gentlemen or Dear Sir or Madam) that conventionally comes immediately before the body of a letter.

Our quote for the day is from Author unknown. From the Sanskrit, “The Salutation of the Dawn.”—Masterpieces of Religious Verse, ed. James Dalton Morrison, p. 301 (1948). Attributed in some sources to Klidsa, Hindu dramatist and lyric poet of the fifth century, A.D:

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence;
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision:
But To-day well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every To-morrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

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