If you and your significant other have decided to have dinner in a restaurant on Valentine’s Day, the time to make a reservation is now. Restaurants receive a lot of reservations for this day, so you had better call early to secure a table. Here are steps to guide you:

1. Determine the type of cuisine you would like for that day. Would you go for the typical American dishes, or would you rather have Thai, Persian, or French?

2. Determine the time convenient for you. If you can have dinner before 8pm or after 10pm, the better. An 8-10pm booking is difficult to make.

3. Call several restaurants to get the best reservation. The best reservation gives you the best time and the best view, if there is any. Also, ask if the restaurant strictly honors reservations (reliability factor). You can ask for an email confirmation and terms on reservations, so that if ever something goes wrong in the process or the reservation is not honored you will have a basis for a just complaint.

4. Call a few days before your reserved schedule to secure your slot. Call also a few hours before the date.

Making an early restaurant reservation and making sure it is honored takes time and effort but this will give you a nice payoff—a well-planned and smooth Valentine’s Day dinner date that you and your special someone will enjoy.

Christmas is not yet over
as far as I know
for in my family of four
it lasts the whole year through

For our son, it's about family and friends
Our daughter sees it as a time for wonderful things
For me it's about get-togethers and celebration
And my wife highlights the sharing and giving

All throughout the year we have wonderful things
to thank for, give away, or share
We make time for get-togethers
with family, loved ones, and friends

Everyday can be Christmas
For families everywhere
Here's my family wishing you
a year-round Christmas bliss!

- Townsend Family, Georgia

I first heard the story of the first Christmas in Sunday School. I was around five, and our teacher told us the story with her flannel board and felt-paper characters.

I remember taking pity on Mary and Joseph as they were sent to the stable. And I can remember my delight over the birth of the baby Jesus. The angels appearing in the sky singing Halleluiah gave me the goosebumps. I think it was cool and awesome.

My husband never got the chance to attend Sunday School, but he heard the story from his grandma.

Now I see little kids participating in our church's play production. The really little ones dress up as lambs or sheep, and they never fail to endear the audience. When it's a musical, the score can be very good and moving.

The story of Christmas might be told in many different ways, but the appeal of Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus, the sheep, shepherds, and angels is always there for kids and adults alike.

It's funny (or not so funny) to realize that my Christmas celebration was just a short burst of fun. The month-long preparation of gifts, decorations, and even food all got reduced to a few hours of merrymaking.

Now I'm faced with the leftovers. With everything around that reminds me of the celebration, it's hard not to ponder on the meaning of it all.

I have gifts and wrappers lying all around. They represent the time and thoughts of those who gave them. I think about the gifts I gave and the cards I sent. I wonder if they are appreciated as I hope they would be?

Pause.

Come to think of it, I am the gift. I gave of myself--my time, resources, emotions, thoughts.

I am the gift that I need to celebrate, give thank for, care for.

Til next Christmas.

Who could have thought I would have a job in the middle of my winter break, Christmas day in particular?

Our next-door neighbors Bert and Frannie decided to hire a "lively elf" for the children's party they organized in the neighborhood, and too many of the ladies mentioned my name. Perhaps they've seen me skip and hop and run around too much, I'd make for the perfect lively elf they were looking for.

My job was simple. I had to wear a green and red elf costume and distribute goodies to the children. It was such fun I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or me. I had to dance, too, but that has never been a problem for me, fortunately.

From that experience I have seriously considered donning up as Eric Elf each Christmas. This might just turn out to be my calling, or a lucrative side job, at the least.