"Inspirations" and "Quotable Quotes" Saturday Night

Inspirations:

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.

The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.”

All you can change is yourself, but sometimes that changes everything

If someone tells you, “You can’t” they really mean, “I can’t

The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative

We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future

The next time you feel slightly uncomfortable with the pressure in your life, remember no pressure, no diamonds. Pressure is a part of success

With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place

Lastly remember that everything happens for reason and there are no coincidences! Your time has been well spent and you have learned much.

************

Quotable Quotes:

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress. Will Rogers

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible George Burns

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year. Victor Borge

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. Socrates

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury. Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe. Jimmy Durante

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying. Rodney Dangerfield

Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you. Winston Churchill

Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty. But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out. Phyllis Diller

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine

Value

A father said to his daughter “You have graduated with honors, here is a car I bought many years ago. It is a bit older now but before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them you want to sell it and see how much they offer you for it.”

The daughter went to the used car lot, returned to her father and said, “They offered me $1,000 because they said it looks pretty worn out.”

The father said, now “Take it to the pawn shop.” The daughter went to the pawn shop, returned to her father and said, “The pawn shop offered only $100 because it is an old car.”

 The father asked his daughter to go to a car club now and show them the car. The daughter then took the car to the club, returned and told her father, “Some people in the club offered $100,000 for it because it’s a Holden Torana A9X and it's an iconic car and sought by many collectors.”

Now the father said this to his daughter, “The right place values you the right way,” If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means you are in the wrong place.

 Those who know your value are those who appreciate you.

 Never stay in a place where no one sees your value.    Never!

*************

DON’T QUIT

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest, if you must, but don’t quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man:
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned to late when the night came down
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar:
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Edgar A. Guest

Mapped: Corruption in Countries Around the World

Mapped: Corruption in Countries Around the World 

By Omri Wallach

How bad is public sector corruption around the world, and how do different countries compare?

No matter your system of government, the public sector plays a vital role in establishing your economic mobility and political freedoms. Measuring corruption—the abuse of power for private gain—reveals how equal a system truly is.

For more than a decade, the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International has been the world’s most widely-used metric for scoring corruption. This infographic uses the 2021 CPI to visualize corruption in countries around the world, and the biggest 10-year changes.

For more detail, view the full-sized version of this infographic

Which Countries are Most (and Least) Corrupt?

How do you measure corruption, which includes behind-the-scenes deals, nepotism, corrupt prosecution, and bribery?

Over the last few decades, the CPI has found success doing so indirectly through perceptions.

By aggregating multiple analyses from country and business experts, the index assigns each country a score on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

Here are the results of the 2021 CPI, with the least corrupt countries at the top:

Search:

Corruption Perception by Country          Score (2021)

Denmark                                                     88

Finland                                                        88

New Zealand                                              88

Norway                                                        85

Singapore                                                  85

Sweden                                                     85

Switzerland                                              84

Netherlands                                             82

Luxembourg                                             81

Germany                                                   80

Showing 1 to 10 of 180 entries   Previous   Next

Ranking at the top of the index with scores of 88 are Nordic countries Denmark and Finland, as well as New Zealand.

They’ve consistently topped the CPI over the last decade, and Europe in general had 14 of the top 20 least corrupt countries. Asia also had many notable entrants, including Singapore (tied for #4), Hong Kong (#12), and Japan (tied for #18).

Comparatively, the Americas only had two countries score in the top 20 least corrupt: Canada (tied for #13) and Uruguay (tied for #18). With a score of 67, the U.S. scored at #28 just behind Bhutan, the UAE, and France.

Scoring towards the bottom of the index were many countries currently and historically going through conflict, primarily located in the Middle East and Africa. They include Afghanistan, Venezuela, Somalia, and South Sudan. The latter country finishes at the very bottom of the list, with a score of just 11.

How Corruption in Countries Has Changed (2012–2021)

Corruption is a constant and moving global problem, so it’s also important to measure which countries have had their images improved (or worsened).

By using CPI scores dating back to 2012, we can examine how country scores have changed over the last decade:

 Change in Corruption by Country            10-Year Trend (2012-2021)

Seychelles                                                       +18

Armenia                                                          +15

Italy                                                                  +14

Greece                                                            +13

Myanmar                                                        +13

Guyana                                                            +11

Uzbekistan                                                     +11

Estonia                                                            +10

Latvia                                                               +10

Belarus                                                            +10

Showing 1 to 10 of 180 entries    Previous    Next

The biggest climber with +18 was Seychelles, Africa’s smallest country and also its least corrupt with a score of 70. Other notable improvements include neighboring countries Estonia, Latvia, and Belarus, with Estonia rising into the top 15 least corrupt countries.

On the opposite side, both Australia (-12) and Canada (-10) have actually fallen out of the top 10 least corrupt countries over the last decade. They’re joined by decreases in Hungary (-12) and Syria (-13), which is now ranked as the world’s second-most corrupt country.

Which countries will rise and fall in corruption perceptions over the next 10 years, and how do your perceptions compare with this list?

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-corruption-in-countries-around-the-world/

6 Famous Discontinued and Uncommon U.S. Currency Denominations

6 Famous Discontinued and Uncommon U.S. Currency Denominations

By JAMES CHEN (In Honor of Presidents Day)

 Updated February 19, 2022  Reviewed By Samantha Silberstein  Fact Checked By Timothy Li

A completely cashless society sounds appealing to some, and although we've made strides to making it possible, it is not yet a reality. Despite the magic of PayPal, Square, credit cards, and mobile wallets, some of us need to carry around cash.  While we can choose from a rich array of singles, fins, sawbucks, Jacksons, $50s, and Benjamins, there are several other denominations that the U.S. Treasury has discontinued—or that are just plain rare. Here are the most notable ones.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

There are still 1.2 billion $2 notes in circulation.  A $500 or $1,000 bill may be worth more than its face value.

Recalled in 1969, there are fewer than 400 $5,000 bills in existence.  The $10,000 bill was the largest denomination ever to be printed for public consumption.   Collectors cannot legally hold a $100,000 bill. 

$2 bill   Public Domain

The first $2 bills were printed in 1862. They originally featured a portrait of Alexander Hamilton but were later redesigned to portray Thomas Jefferson. Aesthetically, the $2 bill is something to behold. The reverse side features a reproduction of one of the most famous paintings in American history—"Declaration of Independence" by John Trumbull. 1

Excluding the decade from 1966 to 1976, $2 bills were printed uninterruptedly since the Civil War. 2 Yet the average American who doesn't handle cash for a living can go years without seeing one. While the $2 note is still in circulation and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing recognizes it as legal tender—it is considered to be the rarest currency denomination in the U.S. 1 There were still 1.3 billion notes in circulation in 2019. 3

$500 Bill   Public Domain

The Treasury minted several versions of the $500 bill, featuring a portrait of President William McKinley on the front. The last $500 bill rolled off the presses in 1945, and it was formally discontinued 24 years later in 1969. 4

Like all the bills featured here, the $500 bill remains legal tender. Most $500 notes in circulation today are in the hands of dealers and collectors. That being said, should you come into possession of a $500 bill, you'd find that its market value far exceeds its face value, with even worn specimens commanding upward of a 40% premium on the open market.    Although no longer in circulation, the $500 bill remains legal tender.

$1,000 Bill   Public Domain

The original $1,000 bill featured Alexander Hamilton on the front. When someone presumably realized that it might be confusing to have the same former Secretary of the Treasury on multiple denominations, Hamilton was replaced with that of another president—the 22nd and the 24th, Grover Cleveland. Like its smaller cousin, the $500 bill, the $1,000 bill was discontinued in 1969. 4 And like the $500 bill, the $1,000 bill would seem to have a lot more use now than it did then.

Why? Inflation, of course. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at an estimated 36.8 back in 1969. As of December 2019, U.S. CPI sat at over 256, meaning a $1,000 bill today would be the equivalent of a relatively modest $153 bill during the Summer of Love. 5 Does it make any sense that we've lost larger denominations as the value of a dollar has gotten progressively smaller? The Treasury argues that keeping the denominations inconveniently small minimizes the possibility of money laundering.

That being said, hold onto a $1,000 bill that finds its way into your palm even more tightly than you would a $500 bill. There are only 165,372 of these bills bearing Cleveland's visage still in existence.

Martha Washington is the first and only woman to appear as the primary portrait on U.S. paper currency. Her image appeared on the $1 Silver Certificate starting in 1886. It was discontinued in 1957 and was the second-longest issued paper money. 6

$5,000 Bill   Public Domain

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.investopedia.com/6-famous-discontinued-and-uncommon-u-s-currency-denominations-4773302?utm_campaign=quote-yahoo&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral

The Powerful Lesson I Learned the Day Our Dog Went Missing.......

TNT:

Mot: The Powerful Lesson I Learned the Day Our Dog Went Missing ...

Janene Dutt:  · February 18, 2022 ·

I will never forget the day our sweet, beloved Labrador Charlie went missing. It was totally my fault. It was me who let him out. Me, who got distracted by the million things moms get distracted with, me who just plain forgot about him.

With the chaos of my kids and their friends coming and going on a Saturday, it was hours before anyone realized he was gone. And then I saw it. Charlie’s collar, lying on the table, which I had foolishly taken off of him the night before.

I panicked almost immediately. We live in an area surrounded by dense woods, where packs of coyotes roam regularly. Not only did he have an hours long head start, if someone did find him, they would have no idea how to contact us.

My husband, kids, and myself took off in three different directions, by foot and by car. We combed the roads and trails, calling for him, to no avail.

I texted a neighbor to be on the lookout for him, and within minutes, she had posted Charlie’s photo on a local Facebook page, alerting people he was missing.

I called my friend, who before I could even finish my sentence, said “We’re on our way.” She, her husband, and three kids descended upon our neighborhood in a matter of minutes.

Driving along a road, I saw two boys, classmates of my daughter, heading down their driveway on bicycles. I was about to ask if they had seen a roaming dog, when they saw me and said, “We just heard. We’re going out to look for Charlie.”

Word spread quickly, and at one point, I ended up on the same road as my husband. I saw a young guy on a motorcycle pull up, speak with my husband, and speed off.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“No idea,” he said. “But he’s looking for Charlie.”

I felt my eyes well up with tears. A few tears of worry perhaps, but mostly, at that moment, they were tears of pure gratitude.

I was overwhelmed with emotion that we are lucky enough to live in a community where people truly care, where neighbors help neighbors, where people are generous with the most valuable gift there is – the gift of their time.

And thanks to these wonderful people, Charlie was found before dark that day, tired from his big adventure, but none the worse for wear. How I wished that dogs could talk, I’m sure he’d love to tell us all about his brief life on the run.

A kind woman had seen my overly friendly boy wandering around her yard and seeing he had no collar, brought him into her home to keep him safe until she found where he belonged.

As I thanked everyone later that night, one of my neighbors said something that really struck a chord with me: “We will always rally for you.”

A simple, yet powerful statement. We should all have someone that will rally for us in a time of need. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to have many.

When we moved to this little island in the rural Pacific Northwest from suburban California a few years ago, we didn’t know a single soul. We left behind close family and longtime friends. I honestly didn’t know if I could ever call a place with no family around, “home”.

I remember fighting back tears in the school office the day I registered my kids, because I literally didn’t know anyone I could put down under “Emergency Contact”. I had never felt so far from home.

But I realized something the day Charlie went missing.

Home can be many things…it can be where you grew up, and it can be where your family is.

And sometimes, home is simply the place where people have your back.

The place where people will rally for you.

History of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and U.S. Currency

History of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and U.S. Currency

The BEP had its foundations in 1862 with workers signing, separating, and trimming sheets of United States Notes in the Treasury building. Gradually, more and more work, including engraving and printing, was entrusted to the organization.

Within a few years, the BEP was producing Fractional Currency, revenue stamps, government obligations, and other security documents for many federal agencies. In 1877, the BEP became the sole producer of all United States currency. The addition of postage stamp production to its workload in 1894 established the BEP as the nation's security printer, responding to the needs of the U.S. government in both times of peace and war.

Today, the BEP no longer produces government obligations or postage stamps, but it still holds the honor of being the largest producer of government security documents with production facilities in Washington, DC, and in Fort Worth, Texas.

The centrality of the BEP to the financial, monetary, postal, and printing developments of the United States since the Civil War has made it a repository of numerous invaluable historic items. At the same time, the BEP's history reflects and provides a unique perspective on the development of modern America.

These facts have long been recognized by the BEP, which is devoted to the preservation and exploration of its own past. Some of the work of the curatorial, archival, and historical efforts of the BEP and its Historical Resource Center (HRC) is presented on this website.

Colonial Notes  1690

The Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the 13 original colonies, issues the first paper money to cover costs of military expeditions. The practice of issuing paper notes spread to the other colonies.

 Franklin's Unique Counterfeit Deterrent  1739

Benjamin Franklin's printing firm in Philadelphia prints colonial notes with nature prints--unique raised impressions of patterns cast from actual leaves. This process added an innovative and effective counterfeit deterrent to notes, not completely understood until centuries later.

 Continental Currency  1775

The Continental Congress issues paper currency to finance the Revolutionary War. Continental currency was denominated in Spanish milled dollars. Without solid backing and easily counterfeited, the notes quickly lost their value, giving rise to the phrase "not worth a Continental."

 Monetary System  1792

The Coinage Act of 1792 creates the U.S. Mint and establishes a federal monetary system, sets denominations for coins, and specifies the value of each coin in gold, silver, or copper.

 Greenbacks  1861

The first general circulation of paper money by the federal government occurs. Pressed to finance the Civil War, Congress authorizes the U.S. Treasury to issue non-interest-bearing Demand Notes. All U.S. currency issued since 1861 remains valid and redeemable at full face value.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrency/history.html

How To Avoid Being Scammed This Valentine’s Day

How To Avoid Being Scammed This Valentine’s Day

Posted: February 7, 2022 by Jovi Umawing

With Valentine’s Day approaching, you can be sure that the scammers will want to take advantage of lovebirds everywhere. From romance scams and sextortion, to fake dating sites and phishing campaigns, here’s how to avoid a sting in the tail this Valentine’s Day.

Romance scams

Stories of online romance scams are abundant on the internet. And with COVID-19 having forced everyone to stay home much more and not meet in real life, it’s no wonder that reports of these sorts of scams have significantly increased since the start of the pandemic.  LINK

So whether you meet someone on a dating site or social media, here are some common red flags to look out for:

• Their profile and picture seem too good to be true.

• They profess their love very quickly.

• They share a lot about themselves—often personal stuff—in the first meeting.

• They claim to be overseas and cannot stay in one place for long.

• They try to lure you from whatever platform you are on to talk to you via email or video chat.

• They claim to need money for something, such as to help their friends or family, repatriation, or something else entirely.

How to avoid romance scams:

• Don’t give scammers the information they need. Scammers rely on what you volunteer about yourself online to tweak their script and lure you in.

• Do an image search of the photo and the name of the person you’re in touch with. Scammers often steal someone else’s image to use as bait.

• Go slow. Scammers tend to rush, building rapport with their victims as quickly as possible to fleece them of their money as equally quickly.

• If they encourage you to invest in something—be suspicious. Start digging around online about the company that, they say, is worth investing in. Never send them money.

• Follow your gut instinct. If something feels off, cut off contact immediately and report your experience to the police, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and the dating or social media site where you met the scammer.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here: LINK

"Bits and Pieces" Posted by Mot at TNT ~ Enjoy

TNT:

Mot:  Do you remember the movie, Forrest Gump? I can still remember seeing it at the movie theaters and marveling over how smart he was, even though he considered himself to be ‘stupid’.

He certainly did capture the hearts of many people and most of us still enjoy watching that movie, even down till this day. We can often associate ourselves with Forest in some way or another, which is why this little joke is so hilarious. It shows what happens when our beloved Forest goes to heaven and is faced with answering 3 questions. What would he say? Read the joke to find out:

Forest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter himself. The gates are closed, however, and Forest approaches the gatekeeper.

Saint Peter says, “Well, Forest, it’s certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must inform you that the place is filling up fast, and we’ve been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The tests are fairly short, but you need to pass before you can get into Heaven.”

Forest responds, “It shore is good to be here Saint Peter. I was looking forward to this. Nobody ever told me about any entrance exams. Shore hope the test ain’t too hard; life was a big enough test as it was.”

Saint Peter goes on, “Yes, I know Forest. But, the test I have for you is only three questions.

First: What days of the week begin with the letter ‘T’?

Second, how many seconds are there in a year?

Third, what is God’s first name?”

Forest goes away to think the questions over.

He returns the next day and goes up to Saint Peter to try to answer the exam questions. Saint Peter waves him up and asks, “Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers.”

Forest says, “Well, the first one, – how many days of the week begin with the letter ‘T’? Shucks, that one’s easy; that’d be Today and Tomorrow !”

The saint’s eyes open wide and he exclaims, “Forest! That’s not what I was thinking, but … you do have a point though, and I guess I didn’t specify, so I give you credit for that answer.”

“How about the next one,” says Saint Peter, “how many seconds in a year?”

“Now that one’s harder,” says Forest. “But, I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve.”

Astounded, Saint Peter says, “Twelve! Twelve! Forest, how in Heaven’s name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?”

Forest says, “Shucks, there gotta be twelve: January second, February second, March second…..”

“Hold it,” interrupts Saint Peter. “I see where you’re going with it. And I guess I see your point, though that wasn’t quite what I had in mind. I’ll give you credit for that one too.”

“Let’s go on with the next and final question,” says Saint Peter, “Can you tell me God’s first name?”

Forest says, “Well shore, I know God’s first name. Everbody probably knows it. It’s Andy.”

“Andy?!” exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St. Peter. “Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?”

“Shucks, that was the easiest one of all,” Forrest replied.
“I learnt it from the song. . . . “ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN. . . .”

St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates and said: “Run Forrest, run.”

************

Mot:  My dad has bees. Today I went to his house and he showed me all of the honey he had gotten from the hives. He took the lid off of a 5 gallon bucket full of honey and on top of the honey there were 3 little bees, struggling. They were covered in sticky honey and drowning. I asked him if we could help them and he said he was sure they wouldn't survive. Casualties of honey collection I suppose.

I asked him again if we could at least get them out and kill them quickly, after all he was the one who taught me to put a suffering animal (or bug) out of its misery. He finally conceded and scooped the bees out of the bucket. He put them in an empty Chobani yogurt container and put the plastic container outside.

Because he had disrupted the hive with the earlier honey collection, there were bees flying all over outside.

We put the 3 little bees in the container on a bench and left them to their fate. My dad called me out a little while later to show me what was happening. These three little bees were surrounded by all of their sisters (all of the bees are females) and they were cleaning the sticky nearly dead bees, helping them to get all of the honey off of their bodies. We came back a short time later and there was only one little bee left in the container. She was still being tended to by her sisters.

When it was time for me to leave we checked one last time and all three of the bees had been cleaned off enough to fly away and the container was empty.

Those three little bees lived because they were surrounded by family and friends who would not give up on them, family and friends who refused to let them drown in their own stickiness and resolved to help until the last little bee could be set free.

Bee Sisters. Bee Peers. Bee Teammates.

We could all learn a thing or two from these bees.

Bee kind always.

Mot: Awareness Tips when Raising the ""Wee Folks"" ~~ from Mot of Course! ~~~ 

Mot: -- Uh Oh!! ~~ Here We Go Again! ~~

Mot: Additonal Insight on When You Become Even More Seasoned! ~~~home

Note from Dinar Recaps

Note From Dinar Recaps

Well, It has really been a long road for many of us and we want to thank all of our readers for sticking with us through thick and thin.  We really hope we are almost there, but no one knows the exact timing…certainly not us at DR.

Many of you have emailed us asking us what they could expect to see on our site by way of an RV/GCR announcement once everything happens.

Several Intel Providers have referred their listener’s to our site to receive 800 numbers or secure links in order to make our exchange appointments. We would like to thank these Intel Providers for the confidence they place in us.

A few intel Providers have been told by bankers that they will be sending Dinar Recaps and other Dinar Websites this information to publish (or possibly email out). We hope this is true, but have not been told directly by any bank.

A reminder, EVERYTHING posted on the Dinar Recaps website, emails, or other related social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) are what OTHERS are saying. NOTHING is from Dinar Recaps.

As of right now, we plan on posting exchange information and protocol’s that we are allowed to post by groups and banking institutions.  This will include exchange numbers and links that we are allowed to post for all of our readers when it is “time”.

We could also be posting the exchange tips and other pertinent info from others that could prove helpful and valuable to our readers….if allowed to.

Warning or advise to all…it is very important that EVERYONE does their own research and consult professionals to find out what is best for THEIR own circumstance or situation. Just because something is posted at Dinar Recaps does not mean it is the best option for YOU.

---

At this time we have not been informed of any details or information of what we will or will not be allowed to post.

We think we will get that information as soon as the event happens.

We at Dinar Recaps are currency holders like yourselves. So, IF we all have to sign NDA’s at our exchange appointments it is unclear what we will be allowed to post (if anything) after we conclude our appointments (or even if the website should be kept open.)

Online now, on our website we have our ADVICE and POST RV categories with helpful posts.

Again, we want to thank you all for your readership throughout the years of bringing you the latest in News, Rumors and Opinions from “Dinarland”. We have always posted what we have been reading from all the others in “Dinarland”.

Thank you again to all of the Intel Providers and News Hounds for all their time and research over the years.

As for a RV Announcement post- we do plan to have our website top picture being fireworks. As well as emailing all the people who are on our daily newsletter EMAIL LIST.

The  Dinar Recaps Team  

Dinar Recaps has NO further information about exchanging now, or in the future. DO NOT email Recaps with any exchange questions. EVERYTHING we have now is posted on the website, and/or posted on our POST RV Page online

Happy New Year from Dinar Recaps 2022

All of us at Dinar Recaps wish all of our readers a 

Happy and Healthy New Year.

May all your dreams and wishes come true in the New Year.

Due to the holiday, we plan to have new posts off and on Friday and Saturday. Please check our  BLOG PAGE  for any new posts. 

On New Years Eve we plan to have 10am and 6pm (ET) email Newsletters.

On Saturday New Years Day, we plan to have a 11am (ET) and 6pm email Newsletter.

Please scroll down for new posts.

Picture from https://www.happynewyearall.com/

Merry Christmas from The Dinar Recaps Team

Please scroll down for new posts.

All of us at Dinar Recaps would like to wish all our Readers a Very Merry Christmas. 

We wish that all your dreams and wishes come true this coming year. 

Due to the holiday, we plan to have new posts off and on Friday and Saturday. Please check our  BLOG PAGE  for all new posts. 

On Christmas Day we plan to have 11am and 6pm (ET) email Newsletters. 

Have a happy and safe holiday.  The Dinar Recaps Team

Picture from Viktor Hanacek at Picjumbo.com

The Little White Envelope

TNT:

Mot:  THE LITTLE WHITE ENVELOPE:

"It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – overspending and the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma – the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was on the wrestling team at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids – all kids. He so enjoyed coaching little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.

That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes, and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed a small, white envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done, and that this was his gift from me.

Mike's smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. And that same bright smile lit up succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition – one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The white envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children – ignoring their new toys – would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the small, white envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree. And the next morning, I found it was magically joined by three more. Unbeknownst to the others, each of our three children had for the first time placed a white envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down that special envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us."

For the Man Who Hated Christmas

(A true Christmas Story by Nancy W. Gavin, December 2015)