I hurried into the shop to grab some last minute Christmas gifts.  I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself.  I would be in here forever.  I hurried to the toy department and wondered if anyone's kids and grandkids would even play with any of these gifts that were being bought for them.

My eye caught a little boy holding a doll.  He dept touching her hair and he held her so gently.  I watched him turn and ask, 'Aunty Jane, are you sure I don't have enough money?'  Gently, the woman replied, 'Emily doesn't need a doll David.'

The woman went to another aisle.  The boy continued to hold the doll.  David looked so sad that I couldn't resist asking who the doll was for.  'My sister wanted it so badly for Christmas.'  I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring to it.  He said, 'No Santa can't go where my sister is ... I have to give the doll to Mummy to take to her.'  I asked him were his sister was.  He looked at me with tear-filled eyes, 'She has gone to be with Jesus.  Daddy says that Mummy is going to have to go to be with both of them soon too.'  My heart nearly stopped beating.

David went on, 'I told Daddy to make sure Mummy goes nowhere until I got back from the store.  I want Mum to take this doll to Emily.'

While he wasn't looking I reached into my purse and pulled out some cash.  'David, how about we count that money again?'  He grew excited, 'I asked Jesus to give me enough money.  I just know I have enough.'  I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it.  He looked up from the count and exclaimed, 'Jesus has given me enough money for Emily's doll.'

In a few minutes his aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away.  I cound not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started.

On my way home I remembered a story in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and that the mother was left on life-support ... ... ...

... ... ...Two days before Christmas I read in the paper where the family had turned the machine off.  The day before Christmas there was a funeral notice saying that a Requiem Mass would be celebreate on St Stephen's Day for Julie Norris and her daughter Emily.  Michael was their husband and father, and their son and brother was David.

From the Director

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... As we gather with our families and friends during this Christmas Season in front of plentiful and festive food and drink, and holding our many and beautiful gifts, let us not forget the gift of each other.:-

• firstly, our clients and their families, and
• secondly, my staff - our carers and support workers, my managers and resource workers, and office support staff.  I want you all to know that I greatly appreciate the respect, kindness, concern, attention and professionalism you have for our clients and each other.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Joyous and Happy New Year.  I value you all.

Stewart Thompson

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

_________________________________

You're all familiar with the Christmas song, The Twelve Days of Christmas I think.  To most, it's a delightful nonsense thyme set to music.  But it had a quite serious prupose when it was written.

It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts.

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public.  It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

The Twelve Days of Christmas was written in England as one of the 'catechism songs' to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith - a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in 'writing' indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned - it could get you hanged:  or shortened by a head:  or hanged, drawn and quartered - a rather peculiar and ghastly punishment I'm not aware was ever practiced anywhere else.  (Hanging, drawing and quartering involved hanging a person by the neck until they had almost, but not quite, suffocated to death;  then they were taken down from the gollows and disembowelled while still alive;  and while the entrails were still lying on the street, where the executioners stomped all over them, the victim was tied to four large farm horses, and literally torn into five parts - one to each limbe and the remaining torso.)  I'm sure that you all wanted to know all of that!!!!!!!!

Now, after that bit of trivia I'll get back to my original story - The song's gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith.  The 'true love' mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God himself.  The 'me' who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.  The 'partridge in a pear tree' is Jesus Christ, the Sone of God.  In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem:  'Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!  How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so ...'

The other symbols mean as follow:-

• 2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
• 3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, The Theological Virtues
• 4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
• 5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the 'Pentateuch' which gives the history of man's fall from grace
• 6 Geese-a-laying = The six days of creation
• 7 Swans-a-swimming = The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Seven Sacraments
• 8 Maids-a-milking = The eight beatitudes
• 9 Ladies Dancing = The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
• 10 Lords-a-leaping = The Ten Commandments
• 11 Pipers Piping = The eleven faithful apostles
• 12 Drummers Drumming - The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.

Researched by Carmela Knauth 

The recent announcement that Donner & Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement plan package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced, and about other restructuring decisions at the North Pole.  Streamlining was no longer appropriate in view of the reality that the North Pole no longer dominates the season's gift distribution business.  Home shopping channels and mail-order catalogues have diminished Santa's market share and he could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of the profit picture.

The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip.  Improved productivity from Dasher & Dancer, who summered at Harvard Business School, is anticipated and should take up the slack with no discernable loss of service.  Reduction in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emissions for which the North Pole has been cited and received unfavourable press.

I am pleased to inform you and yours that Rudolphy's role will not be disturbed.  Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole.  Management denies, in the strongest possible language, the earlier leak that Rudolph's nose got that way from substance abuse.  Calling Rudolph 'a lush who was into the sauce and never did pull his share of the load' was an unfortunate comment, made by one of Santa's helpers and taken out of context at a time when he is known to be under executive stress.

As a further restructuring, today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps.  Effective immediately, the following economy measurers are to take place in the Twelve Days of Christmas:-

• The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted.  It will be replaced by a plastic hanging pland, providing considerable savings in maintenance.
• The three French Hens will remain intact.  After all, everybody loves the French.
• The four Calling Birds were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call waiting option.  An investigation is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often, and how long they talked.
• The five Golden Rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors.  Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors.  Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order.
• The six Geese-a-laying constitute a luxury which can no longer be afforded.  it has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity.  Three geese will be 'let go', and an upgrading in the selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it gets will be a good one.
• The seven Swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times.  Their function is primarily decorative.  Mechanical swans are on order.  The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes and, therefore, enhance their outplacement.
• As you know, the eitht Maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC.  A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought.  The more militant maids consider this a dead-end job with no upward mobility.  Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring, or a-mulching.
• Nine Ladies Dancing has always been an odd number.  This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.
• Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill.  The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work politicians.  While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant because we expect an oversupply of unemployed politicians this year.
• Eleven Pipers Piping and Twelve Drummers Drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big.  A substitution with a string quartet, a cutback on new music and no uniforms will produce savings which will drop right down to the bottom line.

We can expect a substantion reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expensed.  Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over 12 days is inefficient.  If we can drop-ship in one day, service levels will be improved.

p.s.  Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession (Thirteen Lawyers-a-Suing) action is pending.

Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive.  Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White division to see if Seven Dwarfs is the right number.

Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Employees of Centacare Disability Services shall hold a minimum of an Emergency First Aid Certificate during their employment. Employees shall obtain and renew these requirements at their own expense and in their own time. (This includes annual review of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation).You can contact the following first aid training providers for dates and costs of training:-

St John Ambulance
Phone: 1300 367 455 or
PO Box 1645 Fortitude Valley, Qld or
Fax: 07 3253 0599 or
Email: enquiries@stjohnqld.asn.au

Australian Red Cross
Phone: 1300 367 428 or
Fax: 07 3832 2196 or  Email:  firstaid@qld.redcross.org.au

Queensland Ambulance Service
Phone: 1300 650 377 or
Fax: 07 3364 1354 or PO Box 883 Spring Hill Qld 4004