What's The Big Deal?

I'm not one to celebrate the changing of the calendar.

I mean, it's just a construct of some human's mind. Whether the calendar says December 31 or January 1 really makes no difference. The weather varies little from one day to the next. The sun rises and sets at roughly the same time from day to day. So what, really, is the big deal about adding another digit to the end of the date?

I don't celebrate on New Year's Eve. I don't make resolutions, although once in a great while I will set a couple of goals (that I seldom achieve). So what's the big deal?

I do wonder, however, what the year 2024 will bring to this weary, war-torn, divided and hate-filled world. Will Ukraine win the fight to maintain its freedom? Will Israel succeed in wiping the terrorist group Hamas from the face of the earth? Will humans finally wake up and start taking steps to save our planet? Will this country come together to elect a president committed to saving our democracy, preserving our constitution and working to bring the divided nation together? Or will we elect someone who seeks revenge on those whom he believes have wronged him?

So changing the month from December to January or the year from 2023 to 2024 won't make one bit of difference. We will be bombarded once more with the weight loss and 'get in shape for the new year' commercials. And that's it. How many people actually see their resolutions come true? I'd guess the percentage is extremely low. 

I remember when I was still working. Every year in early January the locker room where I changed into running clothes for my mid-day run would be packed with people. There wasn't even room to sit on the bench to put my running shoes on. I had to wait to use one of the shower stalls. But as the month wore on, the crowds diminished until soon the only women using the locker room were the same ones who had used it the year before. So much for resolutions.

It doesn't matter to me whether others make resolutions or whether they are successful in achieving them. Like so much else in this country, it's just another marketing ploy. I don't need to join a gym or sign up for a fitness program to make the effort to get into shape or drop a few pounds.

The Year In Review

This year, as are most nowadays, was a mixed bag of good and not-so-good.

I made another photography trip to Tanzania and got to share the trip with three friends I met on a previous trip. Despite the terrible drought, Tanzania did  not disappoint. We had lots of wonderful elephant sightings, and we even got to spend some time photographing my favorite big cat, the elusive leopard. This was a great trip that provided fun, lots of amazing wildlife and endless opportunities to improve my photography.

We saw so many elephants during this trip, including a lot of cute baby elephants. This bodes well for the survival of this threatened species.

I returned to Alaska on a photography trip, where we were blessed with clear weather on three successive days over Denali, the tallest mountain in North America at 20,310 feet. There was no wildlife to be seen during this trip aside from one moose along the side of a road. Well, the only wildlife found in abundance were mosquitoes -- lots and lots of mosquitoes.

I spent some time on another photography trip, to Iceland, a country I have wanted to visit for several years. Most of the time was spent photographing landscapes and many, many waterfalls. But getting to photograph some of the beautiful Icelandic horses was a real treat.

My travels were limited to only three trips this year, after the outrageous cost of airfare prompted me to cancel my Christmas-in-Rome trip. Maybe next year.

The bad thing that happened, the worst thing possible, was having to say goodbye to my beloved dog Benny. He was my heart dog, a wonderful, sweet, loving, golden retriever/corgi. He suffered from an ailment that our veterinarian could not diagnose, despite repeated x-rays and blood tests.

After Benny died, I started the search for an adoptable adult male golden. Unfortunately, adoptable goldens are almost impossible to find in my state. But a dear friend in North Carolina lived near a 16-month-old male golden in need of a better home. He was driven to me in early August. His name is Jett, and although he is no Benny, my other dog loves him. They play, chase and wrestle constantly. His leash manners need work, but we are working with a trainer on that. And he is a very sweet dog.

My daughter and grandson came to visit for Thanksgiving, and she even did all the cooking and clean-up. My dogs were not thrilled to have a very active toddler in the house.

All in all, 2023 wasn't a bad year. I remained healthy, I got to travel, and I am looking forward to a good 2024.

Elderly But Not Old

I saw a comment by someone recently that said while she is elderly, she is not old 

One term, I believe, refers to chronological age, while the second seems to apply to psychological age. So while I may be considered elderly in chronological age, I certainly do not consider myself to be old.

Physically, I am not as strong as I used to be. I gave up running, something I enjoyed for more than 30 years, a dozen or so years ago because I simply no longer had the energy to run. But I still walk 4 miles every day. I have arthritis in my hands and one elbow, but aside from vision problems unrelated to age, I am pretty healthy.

Unlike my parents and grandparents, I don't spend my days sitting on the porch or in a chair inside, doing nothing. I am a voracious reader. My Kindle is loaded with some 300 e-books. I write. I stay up to date on current events around the world, as distressing as that often is. I love to travel and I am passionate about photography. So I am not mentally old.

In the meantime, I will try to avoid the curse of dementia. I know how terrible it was to know someone who suffered from dementia. My grandmother didn't recognize her own son (my father). I refused to visit her in the facility where she lived at the end of her life. I knew she wouldn't know who I was, and seeing her in that condition would have been very painful for me. So I chose to remember her as she was in better days.

My mother died before reaching that stage of dementia, but she would 'see' my uncle when he wasn't there, and even have one-sided conversations with him.

With a history of Alzheimer's disease and dementia on both sides of my family, I am doing everything I can to stave off this horrible disease. Do I forget certain words sometimes? I admit that I do. And it worries me. But occasional forgetfulness is a common sign of aging, so I am not panicking.

Will I be successful in holding off this terrible disease? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I will keep do everything I can to keep it away.

What I Should Do

Do you know what I'm tired of?

I am tired of should and need to. I should take the dogs for a walk. I need to pick up a prescription. I need to fix my vacuum cleaner.

I have been retired for a bit more than 13 years. I no longer have to go to work, and I can avoid most appointments. But there still are far too many shoulds and need tos.

I suppose it's inevitable that as long as I live in a house and as long as I am responsible for two dogs, there will be a lot of things that I should and need to do.

This does not, however, mean that I don't dread these things. I love looking at my calendar and seeing nothing but empty spaces for each day of the week or month. 

It seems that there is always a medical appointment on my calendar. But what I should do is to look at those appointment reminders with gratitude. I am fortunate that I have affordable access to a slate of physicians skilled in the treatment of the medical issues that crop up with increasing frequency as I age. That is what I should do.

I should be more grateful for my house that protects me from summer heat and winter cold, rather than focusing on the ever-present need to repair or replace something.

I should appreciate the fact that I have ar pantry filled with food, rather than moaning about how much everything costs.

I should focus on the love my dogs bring me, on their unbridled joy whenever I return home whether I was gone for 20 minutes or 3 hours, rather than on the need to refill the water bowl or pick up their poop in the yard.

Although I don't make resolutions for the new year, I will strive to remember the good things rather on the things I should or need to do.

A Visit To Iceland

Iceland is a beautiful yet challenging country.

Wind-swept. Rocky. Often very windy.  Very often cold and blustery. Midges (small biting flies) that are particularly fond of noses, mouths, eyes and ears.  

But Iceland is beautiful. Towering waterfalls. Icebergs floating in deep glacial lakes. Turquoise water at the bottom of waterfalls. Compact, sturdy, and also tough, Icelandic horses. And sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. I guess if I lived in Iceland, I would wear a lot of wool clothing. And it appears the Icelandic people eat a lot of mutton and lamb. Hence the large number of sheep.

Iceland is a very environmentally green country, getting the majority of its energy from hydroelectric and geothermal power. It's also a very clean country. I saw almost no trash and very little graffiti, unlike most American countries.

The Icelandic language is a one-of-a-kind language. I could understand or read nothing. I did, however, recognize four words on buildings. Those words were the same as the words in Russian, but written in the Latin, not Cyrillic, alphabet.

I spent about a week visiting this far northern island earlier this year. It's a country I have wanted to visit for quite some time. But I could not wait for this trip to be over. 

I’m always looking forward to returning home and to my dogs and to my own bed at the end of a trip, I felt the call of home even more strongly this trip. I was exhausted, from getting up before sunrise to photograph sunrises, being on the go and walking over some very challenging terrain, at least for me, and then going out to shoot the sunset. I went out one night with great anticipation to seeing and learning how to photograph the northern lights. It was cold, but mercifully, not too windy. Sadly, the northern lights did not appear that night. The group went out again a few nights later. I was tired and didn’t go. And guess what? The northern lights appeared rather early, about 10:45 PM, and stayed around for about an hour. The group was back in their beds in the hotel by midnight.

On the next to last day of the trip, I got to photograph some Icelandic horses, those rather small, compact, sturdy and very hearty northern horses, the only horse breed allowed in the country of Iceland.

Despite my fatigue and disappointment, I did learn something from this trip. I learned something about photography, of course, but just as importantly, I learned that I much prefer photographing animals to photographing landscapes. 

Yes, landscapes can be beautiful. And it seems that most people would rather look at a lovely landscape than, say, a portrait of a beautiful leopard. And that's OK. I enjoy both types of photography, but my heart is really with wildlife photography.

One afternoon as we were photographing some of these horses, I stood outside, freezing in a cold wind, wearing a somewhat heavy winter coat, with a raincoat over it, and a winter hat on my head. It's difficult to operate my camera while wearing a glove on my right hand, so usually I just put a glove on my left hand and let the right hand get really cold. I was so excited to photographs these horses up close that I didn't put gloves on at all. I was cold, yes, but I will endure the cold in order to photograph a beautiful animal. I do the same thing when I go to Yellowstone National Park in the depth of winter. . 

  

I don’t make a connection with a waterfall or a beautiful scene or a canyon. I do connect on some level with the animals I photograph. Sometimes I look at these gorgeous animals, animals that many people may not consider to be gorgeous, and they just take my breath away. Sometimes I feel that way about landscapes, but the feeling is a lot more likely when I’m dealing with wildlife.

So basically what I learned is that while I am a serious photographer, sometimes even a passionate photographer, I am not a hard-core photographer as were the majority of people in my group visiting Iceland.

Part of the issue is that I am older and sometimes struggle with balance issues, which came to the fore when I was walking on steep and rocky paths to get to a waterfall. Fortunately, one of the other photographers was a true gentleman and helped me many times navigate my way down slippery slopes while carrying a heavy backpack so I didn’t fall. One of the trip leaders also did the same for me. And while I appreciated their assistance, and always thanked  them profusely, I felt bad that I needed this assistance and I felt that I was keeping them from doing what they came to Iceland to do – – take photographs.

So I have vowed to focus more on photographing animals -- mostly wildlife but also interesting domesticated animals -- and to choose my trips more carefully. 

Learning to listen to, and follow, my heart is the greatest lesson from this trip.

And So This Is Christmas

 And so this is Christmas.

Apologies to John Lennon for borrowing this line. The inspiration for this post came to me early one cold and dark morning recently as I was dropping some recyclables into the outdoor bin.

We've all heard the refrain about how Christmas is the season of love and goodwill toward others. Well, it seems the spirit of the season is sorely lacking in much of the world.

At home, a woman pregnant with a non-viable fetus was forced to flee her home state of Texas to obtain an abortion after the state supreme court forbid her from getting an abortion. Her need for an abortion was just that -- a medical need to abort a fetus that will not survive after birth and that threatens her ability to have a child in the future. I guess women aren't worthy of making their own medical decisions in the eyes of the far right wing republicans. Merry Christmas, women of America!

On the other side of the planet, Israel and Hamas are going after each other, with innocent civilians on both side paying the greatest price. Neither Jews nor Muslims celebrate Christmas, but the spirit of the season is sorely lacking in that part of the world, regardless of one's religious affiliation.

All of the traditional Christmas activities in Bethlehem have been canceled by Christian leaders in solidarity with the people of Gaza. I have visited Bethlehem. Unlike the village of some 2,000 people at the time of Christ, it is now a city with more than 28,000 residents. It is filled with shops that cater to the tourists that visit the city's Church of the Nativity. The photo shows a metal star placed above the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

In New Mexico, two teenage boys were playing with guns one night at the high school they both attended. One boy was shot and killed; his friend has been charged with manslaughter. Why teenagers were out of the house, and more importantly, why they had guns, has not yet been explained. But two families will remember this Christmas, and not in a good way, for the remainder of their lives.

The people of Ukraine continue their fight for freedom as they battle the invading forces of Russia and face the real possibility of running out of ammunition because the republicans in Congress refuse to authorize the expenditure of more funds.

In Africa, where hunger is a persistent problem, years of climate change- related drought have left tens of millions facing starvation. I witnessed the drought in February during a trip to Tanzania. Fields that should have been filled with crops were nothing but blowing dust.

I know there are good people and organizations doing good things to help, but this year, perhaps more than others, I have no Christmas spirit. My Christmas CDs remain tucked away. Christmas decorations and lights remain stored in the garage. There is no holiday baking to fill the house with wonderful smells. 

I will do nothing except make donations to 10 or so of my favorite charities and hope that things will get better. Doing something for others reminds me of the good being done to bring a bit of hope to this sad, war-torn world.

Why So Much Hate?

Why?

Why is the United States so filled with hate on university campuses? Three Palestinian students were shot recently while walking down the street and wearing traditional scarves. There have been attacks against Muslims, but the vast majority of hatred is being directed toward Jewish students. The hatred and antisemitism have increased dramatically since October 7, the day the Palestinian terror group Hamas slaughtered more than 1,200 innocent Israelis.

But it isn't the Jews who are slaughtering and kidnapping people. It isn't the Jewish people who are advocating genocide of another ethnic or religious group. The Jewish people, once again, are the victims, not the perpetrators. So why the hatred toward the Jews?

Sadly, even the presidents of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania -- prestigious universities all -- were unable or unwilling to unequivocally condemn antisemitism on their campuses.

I am not Jewish, so I am not directly impacted by this hatred. But I have Jewish friends. And as a person with compassion, I am disgusted by these attacks on people who have absolutely nothing to do with Israel's battle with Hamas. The Israeli restaurant owner in New York City is not participating in the attacks on Gaza. The three Palestinian students shot in Detroit are not taking part in the war on Israel.

I remember that when I was in elementary school, there were two Jewish kids in my class. Miriam and Harry were like any other kids in that grade, except that they didn't take part in our classroom's annual Christmas party. I took piano lessons from Miriam's mother, Mrs. Bloom, for several years. She was a nice lady. What I remember about Mrs. Bloom was that she was always running late when it was her turn to drive Miriam, me and another girl to high school. That's it.

She was just like any other mother. And this is the point: she was just like any other mother. Miriam and her sister Debbie -- who became a talented professional violinist with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra -- were just like any other kids of our age. Why would I hate them? 

So what happened in the years since I was friends with a couple of Jewish girls, and today? I know the antisemitism was always there, bubbling mostly quietly under the surface. But now it is out in the open.

Some believe that the antisemitism on campuses across this country has arisen from the mistaken belief that freedom of speech -- one of our country's cornerstones -- means that every thought, every belief, must be spread far and wide. This seems to be the position of the three university presidents who recently testified before a congressional committee. To them, freedom of speech appears to mean that the university is forbidden from speaking out against hate speech.

A study by the Anti-Defamation League suggests there are three primary factors contributing to the increase in antisemitic action in recent years: intensified social and cultural tensions, the rise of radicalism on both the left and right (but I see much more radicalism among the far right), and the increase of 'echo chambers' on social media. 

The ADL study also points to the normalization of antisemitic conspiracies as another factor to the rise of antisemitic propaganda by white supremacists, which more than doubled from 2021 to 2022.

I would add that the hate-filled speech by the former US president and his support of white supremacy also have contributed to the increase. These white supremacists and so-called white nationalists and evangelicals believe that if you're not white, Protestant (and male), you are definitely 'less than' those who are.

It isn't just the United States that is being confronted by antisemitism. A far- right politician in Poland recently used a fire extinguisher to put our the flames on Menorah candles at an event attended by members of the Jewish community, claiming that Jews practice a satanic religion.

The similarities in phrasing and actions to pre-World War II Germany are striking. Remember the former president's comment about there being "very fine people on both sides" of violent protests that included antisemitic chants in in Virginia in 2017? 

I'm not a scholar or an academic. I'm simply a retiree who is embarrassed by what I see happening in my country.

Reminders

When we lose someone, whether a friend or a family member, we find reminders of that person everywhere.

My mother collected brightly painted ceramic roosters. After her death, it seemed that everywhere I went, I would see ceramic roosters. I even found some for sale during a visit to Turkey. At first, I wanted to buy a rooster for Mom. But gradually I realized that there was no need to buy a rooster for her. I simply smiled at the memory of her and her rooster collection.

Even now, whenever I use one of my mother's mismatched assortment of green mixing bowls, I think of her. I have a US Navy coffee cup that belonged to my dad. He served in the Navy during World War II.

A woman I know through Facebook posted something recently about the loss of our mutual friend. That made me realize just how many reminders of him I see every day.

Let me tell you about our friend Pete. I never met him. I never spoke to him on the phone. But he was still my friend. We shared a love of photography, animals, nature and the outdoors. He loved coffee, so when my travels took me to a country that produces coffee, I would pick up a bag of coffee beans for him. He enjoyed trying coffee from other countries. 

Pete would always donate to my online fundraisers to help African elephants. But he donated to other friends' fundraisers as well. Horses and cats were other animals Pete loved. Every year I make and sell photo wall calendars featuring photographs I have taken during my travels. Pete would always order six calendars and mail them to friends for Christmas. 

Pete has been gone nearly 3 months, but I see memories of him every day. He was usually the first to comment on or ask a question about the photos I posted. When I announced my calendar offering this autumn, I had to remind myself that Pete would no longer be ordering calendars. Another friend of Pete's stepped in and ordered six calendars as gifts. The reminder was there.

Pete was beloved by so many people, both his real-life friends and his online friends. He was upbeat, witty, kind and generous. So when we learned that he had taken his life, we were stunned and taken totally by surprise.

I miss Pete, but I am so fortunate to have known him for the brief few years we shared on this planet.  Not only do I have online reminders of my friend, but he also left much of his photography equipment to me. That really surprised me, but I am grateful and humbled that he trusted me with his lenses. A mutual friend was given his huge 150-600mm lens. 

These things -- a camera lens, a coffee cup, a ceramic rooster -- are gentle reminders of the people I have lost. While realizing that the former owners are no longer with me, I value these tangible remembrances of those whose presence I miss.

Dear CNN: I Don't Care

Dear CNN: Here is some breaking news for you.

I do not care what Oprah's favorite things are. I do not care that Taylor Swift was named Time Magazine's person of the year. I do not care that Hunter Biden is facing legal charges.

You see, I could care less what millionaires and billionaires like or recommend. I don't care that Cher has a new perfume arriving just in time for Christmas. I like Cher's music and I have seen her in concert a couple of times. But I'm not going to rush out and buy her perfume simply because it has her name on it. CNN.com has a list of the "68 best celebrity-loved products that make great Christmas gifts." And I should care exactly why?

I am happy that Hunter Biden is facing criminal charges, just as I am happy that TFG is facing 91 felony charges. Anyone who breaks the law, or who is accused or breaking the law, should be held accountable. And that includes sons of presidents as well as former presidents.

I want people, regardless of who they are or how immensely wealthy they are, to be treated the same as I would be treated under the same circumstances. I used to, many years ago, hold a very high level security clearance. I worked with very classified documents. And I know for a fact that had I, or any of my colleagues, stolen even one classified document, as evidence proves TFG did, I would have been sentenced to years in prison.

I know, I know. This isn't the way the American system of justice works. But that is how it is supposed to work. You know, that whole thing about all people being created equal and all that.

If Hunter Biden is guilty, he should face an appropriate punishment. If TFG is guilty, he should face an appropriate punishment for each crime of which he is convicted. He should not get off just because he is a former president. He should not get away with claiming executive privilege. He should not get off because he is running for office again simply to avoid punishment.

The US justice system used to be something to which the world looked up. Sadly, that is no longer true, especially when Supreme Court justices have been bought and paid for by the very wealthy. And judges at all levels are supposed to make decision based on the law, not on the political leanings of the person who appointed them. That is another practice that has fallen by the wayside.

What I do care about is people, wealthy or not, doing something to help others. I do care about people using their time, talents and money to make this world we all share a better place.

I just finished reading a 700-page biography of primatologist and environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall, whose entire life has been spent advocating for the protection of chimpanzees. She is considered to be the world's leading expert on chimpanzees. She is best known for her decades-long study of wild chimpanzees, which she began while still a secretary in Tanzania in 1960. She went on to earn her PhD from the University of Cambridge, England.

Goodall also founded the Jane Goodall Institute, a worldwide conservation organization, and she is a United Nations Messenger of Peace. She is the author of numerous scientific papers, books and children's books. She is a

a fierce advocate for the proper and humane treatment of chimpanzees in research laboratories and in zoos. As she approaches the age of 90, she continues to spend some 300 days of every year traveling the world, spreading her message and supporting the Roots and Shoots youth programs she founded years ago.

If I am to take advice or guidance from anyone, it will be someone like Jane Goodall, not Oprah. But Goodall doesn't waste her time endorsing products for "the perfect gift." She lives a life of calm and compassion rather than seeking ever more money and fame.

Why do CNN and other media outlets reports on what she and others like her are doing to improve life on planet Earth? Why the constant fascination with so-called celebrities whose only claim to fame is that they are famous?

Bring us news about people -- celebrities as well as ordinary people -- who are devoting themselves to improving lives. Maybe such stories will inspire others to follow their lead.

Let's Start A New Holiday Tradition

I'd like to challenge my readers to perform a random act of kindness (or several) during the holiday season.

There are several holidays this time of year, including Christmas and Hanukkah, so let's work to make this world a better place by doing something nice for someone else. It can be anything: donating money. Checking on a neighbor. Volunteering. Driving an elderly neighbor to the grocery store. Dropping off cookies to someone. Petting a dog. Feeding the birds. Picking up a piece of trash in the neighborhood.

There are many things you can do that don't cost anything. A smile costs nothing. Holding a door open for someone is free. Giving someone a sincere complement can brighten someone's day.

You don't have to say what it is, but I would love to know that people are doing something nice for others during this season of giving. What do you all think?

Creating a Kinder Christmas

Nine years ago, I turned against Christmas as it is celebrated in the United States. 

I don't deny the real reason for Christmas, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (although some scholars believe the birth actually happened in April, not December). But even prior to 2014, I was fed up with the constant media hype about 'the perfect gift' and commercials depicting a loving man buying his beautiful family a $70,000 Lexus for Christmas. I am fed up with seeing Christmas decorations in some stores in August. I am fed up with being bombarded by demands for money from various non-profit organizations.

I don't mail Christmas cards. I don't decorate the house.

I understand that not everybody celebrates the religious aspects of Christmas, and I have no quarrel with that. I once had a Jewish colleague at work who celebrates Christmas in its non-religious aspects. But for many people, Christmas is nothing more than an adventure in spending. And stores and online sellers would like to keep it that way. The traditional Black Friday mayhem has diminished this year, as the so-called Black Friday sales began well before the day after Thanksgiving. 

My mailbox, my e-mail, and my Facebook feed are swamped with appeals for money. Yes, I know that times are tough and the need is great, but enough is enough! I cannot donate to every worthwhile charity; I cannot save every animal in need. I cannot help fund research into every worthwhile medical issue or help feed every hungry person. I do what I can, but it seems that never is enough. The more I donate, the more frequent the appeals for still more money.

I don't want to hear radio stations playing nothing but Christmas music on November 1. I want to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving without it being just a bump in the road on the way to the over-hyped Christmas season.

I am disgusted by the whole business. I continue my tradition of not mailing Christmas cards to anybody. This year's shopping, which is very limited, was done entirely online. My daughter needed a new suitcase, so I had her pick out one online. I ordered it and it was delivered to her. I ordered toys and a dinosaur sweater for my grandson. 

I probably will shop at the Southwest Indian Foundation, which works throughout the year to provide food, shelter and heat to impoverished residents of the Navajo Nation. I will make some almond shortbread.

I love Christmas music, and I have more than 40 CDs of Christmas tunes by a wide variety of artists. I didn't listen to any of the music last year. I might put a few CDs in my car to listen to as I drive this year. 

What I really want to do is to find ways to celebrate the true meaning of this special holiday, and that does not include fighting throngs of shoppers at the mall and driving myself into a frenzy in an ill-fated attempt to find 'the perfect gift.' I will not run up massive debt buying things for people who don't need or want anything. 

This season really is about giving back to our communities, helping those not as fortunate as we are, fighting for what we are most passionate about (whether that is an endangered animal species, preservation of wilderness, fighting an injustice or feeding the hungry), and—as old-fashioned as it might appear—doing what is right. The season is about love in all its manifestations. 

Please join me in creating a new, less stressful, kinder and more meaningful version of the Christmas holiday.

A Fee For My Donation

Thank you for your $100 donation. The total amount due is $103.

It seems that these days when I make an online donation to a charity, I am asked to cover the cost of the transaction fee.

Often the fee is added to the amount of my donation automatically and I have to search for, and uncheck, the box agreeing to the fee.

I rarely agree to this additional fee. It seems to me that the charity is charging me for the privilege of giving a donation. It rubs me the wrong way.

I understand that there is a credit card fee and fees charged by third party payment processing companies, of anywhere from 3 percent to in the most recent case I encountered, nearly 5 percent. And I understand that paying these fees takes away from the amount of money that can be used to support the charity's good works.

But still, I feel as if the charity is saying "Thank you for your donation. That will cost you an additional 3 percent for the privilege of donating to us."

This just seems wrong to me, especially when the fee is automatically calculated and added to the amount of my donation. Should donors be charged an additional fee to cover the cost of the organization's computer system? Should there be a fee to cover the cost of electricity to run the computers and pay for software? How about a fee to help pay employee salaries?

In my mind, if a non-profit accepts online donations via credit cards (a few do not), then fees for accepting these donations are simply a cost of doing business. It's like paying for electricity or heat or water at the group's headquarters.

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't believe that donors should be charged a fee for their charitable donations.

A Gratitude List

Many years ago, I made a list of 100 things for which I was grateful.

As we are now coming up on Christmas, I thought I would revisit this old list and update it.

Making the original list was pretty easy at the beginning, but as the list grew longer I really had to think to come up with more things and people to add. I finally did complete the list of 100 items, and it was a good experience that forced me to really think about all the blessings in my life. 

Some people may not like the word 'blessings' due to its religious connotation, but I have yet to come up with another word that denotes the same thing.

I think doing a gratitude list of any number of items is a good exercise from time to time. It doesn't matter whether the list is five, 10, 50 or 100 items long. I believe it is the exercise itself that is of greatest importance.

My updated list is below.

Things For Which I Am Grateful (in no special order)

1. my dogs Jenny and Jett
2. close friends
3. my blue eyes
4. my photographer’s eye
5. classical music
6. smooth jazz
7. leopards
8. mountains
9. New Mexico
10. the beauty of nature
11. reading
12. my writing talent
13. fresh peaches from my yard
14. fresh strawberries
15. grilled salmon
16. books
17. time
18. golden retrievers
19. terriers
20. mutts
21. blue skies
22. Arizona’s red rocks
23. continuing to grow
24. my wonderful bed
25. abundant sunshine
26. our amazing planet
27. travel
28. the smell of a pine forest
29. air conditioning
30. fireplaces
31. fresh, crisp mountain air
32. abundance
33. freedom
34. sunflowers
35. carnations
36. low humidity
37. the high desert
38. elephants
39. wolves
40. my fruit trees
41. rediscovering myself
42.my Kindle
43. time to read

44. sunsets

45. Native American jewelry
46. this blog
47. good knees after more than 30 years of running
48. hot showers
49. my sense of humor
50. my warm house
53. being able to speak Russian
55. chocolate
56. black walnuts
57. salted cashews
58. warm chocolate chip cookies
59. my NASA career
60. outdoor showers while visiting Africa
61. warm, sunny days
62. warm clothing
63. living in Moscow for 3-1/2 months
64. soft, warm sweatshirts
65. fresh-squeezed orange juice
66. family
67. friends
68. education
69. solitude
70. abundance
71. my independent spirit
72. flannel pajamas
73. Coke Zero in a can
74. beautiful sunrises
75. making friends in other countries
77. vacations
78. my healthcare team
79. being retired
80. daisies along the highway
81. a good night’s sleep
82. waking up every morning
83. a reliable car
84. faith
85. resilience
86. healthy mind
87. healthy body
88. opportunities to develop new facets of myself
89. inner strength
90. willingness to take risks
91. hope
92. optimism
94. life’s lessons learned
95. being in control of how I feel
96. love
97. serenity
98. rainbows
99. animal rescue groups
100. forgiveness

The world is currently filled with hatred and evil that often seem to have taken over everything. Wars. Conflicts. Gun violence. Poverty. Hunger. Suffering. Crime of all sorts. Hatred.

There are many times when all the hurt and hatred in the world are overwhelming. I get so many appeals to donate to this cause or that. I cannot give to all of them, and I am unable to give enough to really make a difference. Sometimes it seems hopeless.

But I give what I can to my top 12 organizations working to make the world, or some small corner of it. a better place.

That's all I can do. And I guess that is enough.