AD 1996 - The 'STONE OF SCONE' was returned to Scotland seven hundred years after it had been taken as war booty by the forces of KING EDWARD I of England in 1296.

The stone was three hundred and thirty six pounds of limestone and, according to legend, was the pillow of Jacob son of Abraham in the Holy Land.

The stone was encased in the Scottish 'ROYAL CORONATION CHAIR' upon which Scottish kings were crowned.

Edward had the stone removed from Scotland and sent to WESTMINSTER ABBEY where it was placed under the English 'CORONATION CHAIR' to be a symbol that kings of England would be crowned as kings of Scotland also.

On Christmas morning 1950 it was stolen by Scottish nationalists who returned it to Scotland where it was recovered after four months and returned to Westminster.

William Wallace's Scottish revolt was, in part, due to the seizure of the Stone of Scone.

AD 1979 - The album 'THE WALL' by British psychedelic rock band PINK FLOYD debuts. To date it has sold in excess of 23,000,000 copies worldwide.

AD 1872 - In the first international soccer game, SCOTLAND and ENGLAND play to a zero-zero draw.

T’was a month before Christmas,
And all through the town,
People wore masks,
That covered their frown.
The frown had begun
Way back in the Spring,
When a global pandemic
Changed everything.
They called it Corona,
But unlike the beer,
It didn’t bring good times,
It didn’t bring cheer.
Contagious and deadly,
This virus spread fast,
Like a wildfire that starts
When fueled by gas.
Airplanes were grounded,
Travel was banned.
Borders were closed
Across air, sea and land.
As the world entered lockdown
To flatten the curve,
The economy halted,
And folks lost their verve.
From March to July
We rode the first wave,
People stayed home,
They tried to behave.
When summer emerged
The lockdown was lifted.
But away from caution,
Many folks drifted.
Now it’s November
And cases are spiking,
Wave two has arrived,
Much to our disliking.
Frontline workers,
Doctors and nurses,
Try to save people,
From riding in hearses.
This virus is awful,
This COVID-19.
There isn’t a cure.
Nor yet a vaccine.
It’s true that this year
Has had sadness a plenty,
We’ll never forget
The year 2020.
And just ‘round the corner -
The holiday season,
But why be merry?
Is there even one reason?
To decorate the house
And put up the tree,
When no one will see it,
No-one but me.
But outside my window
The snow gently falls,
And I think to myself,
Let’s deck the halls
So, I gather the ribbon,
The garland and bows,
As I play those old carols,
My happiness grows.
Christmas ain’t cancelled
And neither is hope.
If we lean on each other
I know we can cope.



By: S. Hickling, Calgary, Alberta, Canada


November 19, 2020

You people are the best for advice ! 16 year old granddaughter has Canon EOS T6 i and Canon EF zoom EF 70- 300MM with image stabilizer. She is a photographer for a summer semi-pro baseball team & also likes taking ocean scenery,sunsets etc. She started photography about 4 years ago. She isn't asking, but we grandparents are. We suggest online courses,upgrade camera etc. Few relatives would split cost so not big deal.
I realize its person behind camera but would like your opinions. Thank you kindly.

AD 1973 - Leslie Lynch King Junior AKA Gerald Rudolph Ford Junior AKA President Ford was voted to serve as VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. He succeeded Spiro Theodore Agnew, who had resigned following a plea of nolo contendere for a single count of felony tax evasion.

AD 1895 - The will and estate of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish chemist, engineer, industrialist and inventor of 'NOBEL'S SAFETY POWDER' AKA dynamite was signed ... and established the NOBEL PRIZES.

IN 1888 Alfred's brother Ludvig died on a trip to France. A French newspaper mistakenly reported it as Alfred's death and wrote a scathing peace condemning him for his development of military explosives stating 'THE MERCHANT OF DEATH IS DEAD' ... horrified by this, Nobel set up the prizes as penance.

Nobel was also charged with high treason against France for selling military explosives to Italy in 1891. Nobel died in 1896 and the first of the prizes bearing his name were awarded in 1901.

AD 1879 - The NEW YORK TIMES declares baseball to be the national game.