December 31, 2018 Monday#Always our God#Not a Ninja#Key West#NYE in Arezzo!

Get Faith
Revelation 1:8  "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."  Our years come and go, some good, some bad all with memories of what happened that year.  This year is no different.  Our God has been here for all of the years, for all time and will be from here and forever.  While we humans judge whether or not our year was good, the Lord watches and waits for us.  He hopes we stay connected to Him so that our futures can include eternity with Him.  Make next year a year with God - pray praise and worship Him everyday, remember who gave you life and watches you daily - and loves you.

Get Fit
I haven't worked out in a week, and, as little that I do, I notice the difference.  I will get back to it, not tomorrow, probably but the 2nd, because I am a habitual person.  If you are making that resolution - make a plan you will stick with, not something that you will tire of or get too busy for.  Be realistic as to what will work in your life.  Hey! if you are that person that joins a gym and turns into a Ninja! I applaud you!

On this day
1996  A day I would like to repeat today.  Nicole and I were in Key West with Aunt Margaret, Kathy, Peggy, Scott and Christina.  We were jammed into the midsize sedan for the long drive down the day before.  We toured the city on this day - the Trolley tour, shopping and the Shipwreck Museum.  We went to Hard Rock, bought T shirts , stopped at Isle Marada, got a picture of Nicole by a big fish at a fishing boat, and drove back up to Jupiter and had pizza at a restaurant.  We dropped everyone off and Nicole and I drove back to Stuart and celebrated New Year with Grandma and Grandpa.  I was younger then.

1996 - NCR Corp. became an independent company. 

The NCR Corporation (originally National Cash Register) is an American company that makes self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, automated teller machines, check processing systems, barcode scanners, and business consumables
I thought cash registers - ha!

From Zurich to Arezzo Italy

We travel today from Switzerland to Italy.  Not a very long trip so we should be there in plenty of time to enjoy New Years Eve!

  There is the country of Italy and Arezzo is located in the upper half.  Enjoy the trip!

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday to Kathy G! and Happy New Year!

December 30, 2018 Sunday#New Year New you#Snowmobiling#Gadsden Purchase#Nightlife!

Get Faith
Romans 12:1-2  "I plead with you to give your bodies to God.  Let them be a living sacrifice....Be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think.  Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you."  I guess for those who are truly happy with who they are and what they have, this is not enticing to you.  Maybe you are happy because you have already dedicated your life to Christ.  I live a  relatively normal life, different from the one I led when I was younger, because now, I am dedicated to Christ.  Do I find my friends avoiding me?  No, the opposite, I am always busy with social events and invitations.  I am satisfied with myself because I know that I belong to a God that loves and forgives me.  There is great satisfaction in that.

On this Day
1995  Nicole and I had gone up north after Christmas.  We were in St Helen on this day, where there was a foot of snow and we rode snowmobiles all day.  It was so much fun that I left Nicole up there with Andy and Alice and I came home alone because I had a date with Tom for New Years Eve.  I should have stayed up north. 

1853 - The United States bought about 45,000 square miles of land from Mexico in a deal known as the Gadsden Purchase. Maybe we could use this for the refuges,  Is it New Mexico?    It was part of New Mexico and Arizona.

Zurich Switzerland

Nightlife and clubbing[edit]

Zürich at night

Zürich offers a great deal of variety when it comes to night-time leisure. It is the host city of the world-famous Street Parade, which takes place in August every year.

The most famous districts for Nightlife are the Niederdorf in the old town with bars, restaurants, lounges, hotels, clubs, etc. and a lot of fashion shops for a young and stylish public and the Langstrasse in the districts 4 and 5 of the city. There are authentic amusements: bars, punk clubs, Hip hop stages, caribbean restaurants, arthouse cinemas, Turkish kebabs and Italian espresso-bars, but also sex shops or the famous red-light district of Zürich.

In the past ten years new parts of the city have risen into the spotlight. Notably, the area known as Zürich West in district 5, near the Escher-Wyss square and the S-Bahn Station of Zürich Hardbrücke.  Well our last night here so lets hit the town!

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Marion!

December 29, 2018 Saturday#The Spirit#Diet - sometime#Frankenmuth#SWX

Get Faith
John 14: 15-17  "If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and He will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth."  I think the Holy Spirit is largely ignored.  We have a gift here  that Jesus our Savior asked God to send us and we too often forget his presence in our life.  Pray the Spirit fills you with peace, comfort and joy, and ask the Spirit to stay with you in your life.  Our God is an awesome God!

Get Fit
I am heavy with cookies and doing little to stop it.  I did buy a magazine today with a diet that said it would heal my gut and lose 4" off of my belly.  I am going to start it the minute all those Christmas cookies and candies are gone!

On this day
1994  Mom, Nicole and I took the day and drove to Frankenmuth.  I think this was more for Mom than for Nicole or I.  Nicole would have been 9 and it is a long ride, but Grandma had  all those funny Christmas tapes in her car and we probably sang all the way up there, or did Mad Gabs.  I am not a fan of their chicken dinners and I'm sure I was tired of shopping but, we walked around the town and had dinner and probably sang all the way home, or Nicole fell asleep in the back seat.  I am glad to find these random memories of time spent with Mom.

1170 - St. Thomas à Becket, the 40th archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered in his own cathedral by four knights acting on Henry II's orders. Notice he was sainted later.

Zurich Switzerland

The Swiss stock exchange[edit]

The Swiss stock Exchange on Selnaustrasse

The Swiss stock exchange is called SIX Swiss Exchange, formerly known as SWX. The SIX Swiss Exchange is the head group of several different worldwide operative financial systems: Eurex, Eurex US, EXFEED, STOXX, and virt-x. The exchange turnover generated at the SWX was in 2007 of 1,780,499.5 million CHF; the number of transactions arrived in the same period at 35,339,296 and the Swiss Performance Index (SPI) arrived at a total market capitalization of 1,359,976.2 million CHF.^[78][79]

The SIX Swiss Exchange goes back more than 150 years. In 1996, fully electronic trading replaced the traditional floor trading system at the stock exchanges of Geneva (founded in 1850), Zürich (1873) and Basel (1876).

Since 2008, the SIX Swiss Exchange has been part of the SIX Group, as SWX Group, SIS Group and Telekurs Group merged.  Want to visit your money?

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Tia!  

December 28, 2018 Friday#Love and punishment#Where you are#Low key!

Get Faith
2 Kings chapter 5 tells us about a servant girl who tells the King that Elisha can heal his leading commander Naaman from leprosy.  So he sent Naaman to the king of Israel to find this man and the King got word from Elisha to tell the man to bath 7 times in the Jordan river, they were dismayed.  They were looking for something more entertaining or fantastical to achieve this great healing or even more convenient.  But, he finally did and was cured.  Later one of Elisha's servants, unknown to Elisha accepted payment for what Elisha had done for Naaman, in secret, but Elisha knew and Naaman's curse was visited on the servant and his family.  I took this from the 2 stories.  Trust in God when He says He will do something - He will.  And too, don't cross Him, don't think you can fool Him - He knows and sees all.  God is loving, kind and forgiving of His people when they turn to Him but has been known to bring locusts too.

On this day
1990  This was our first day in Florida.  We had drove down to the Condo to see Grandma and Grandpa in two days.  This day was perfect 80 degrees and sunny.  It was worth the two day trip in the car.  Mark walked to the boat store while I took the kids to the pool.  Everyone was happy.  I have friends on a cruise and many others that are in warmer climates right now.  Enjoy, we have 50 degrees here today - not bad.  How about you?  Enjoying the weather where you are?

1065 - Westminster Abbey was consecrated under Edward the Confessor. In case you wanted to know!  Think Jeopardy!

Zurich Switzerland

Architecture[edit]

The 88-metre^[69] Sunrise Tower (2005) was the first approved high-rise building in twenty years.

Compared to other cities, there are few tall buildings in Zürich. The municipal building regulations (Article 9)^[70] limit the construction of high-rise buildings to areas in the west and north of the city. In the industrial district, in Altstetten and Oerlikon, buildings up to 80 meters (260 ft) in height are allowed (high-rise area I). In the adjacent high-rise areas II and III the height is limited to 40 meters (130 ft). Around the year 2000, regulations became more flexible and high-rise buildings were again planned and built. The people's initiative "40 metres (130 feet) is enough," which would have reduced both the maximum height and the high-rise buildings area, was clearly rejected on 29 November 2009.^[71] At this time in Zürich about a dozen high-rise buildings were under construction or in planning, including the Prime Tower as the tallest skyscraper in Switzerland.                               

Panoramic view of Münsterhof square with some of the Guild houses

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Brandon!!

December 26, 2018 Wednesday#Can't wrap Love#Tomorrow#Day after#Zoo and gardens!

Get Faith
Psalm 103:17  But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children."  This is my favorite psalm - it speaks to me and this verse more as I get older.  I am blessed to have a daughter and soon a daughter in law working for the Lord.  They left today to serve Him by bringing teenagers to the love of Christ.  As they left I prayed that their 4 day event would bring all of the teens to Christ and that they would stay in the house of God forever.  It is a blessing to me at Christmas that goes beyond wrapping. 

Get Fit
You want to know what I got for Christmas?  Fat, I got fat.  So, now - well not today, I'm too tired but maybe tomorrow I will get back on the treadmill to better health.  Happy Holidays!

On this day
1987  The day after Christmas is coming back to normal for most of us.  I was not working in 87 so it was nice to just let Nicole, who was two, play with her new toys.  I noted that we both took a long lap in the afternoon.  Huh!, I'm doing the same thing today!  Hope you had a wonderful holiday and that you are enjoying the afterglow.

1776 - The British suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War.  The day after Christmas and still at war in a fight for our freedom.

Zurich Switzerland

Parks and nature[edit]

• Zoological Garden – The zoological garden holds about 260 species of animals and houses about 2200 animals. One can come across separate enclosures of snow leopards, India lions, clouded leopards, Amur leopards, otters and pandas in the zoo.^[67]
• Botanical Garden – The Botanical Garden houses about 15,000 species of plants and trees and contains as many as three million plants. In the garden, many rare plant species from south western part of Africa, as well as from New Caledonia can be found. The University of Zürich holds the ownership of the Botanical Garden.
• Chinese Garden – The Chinese Garden is a gift by Zürich's Chinese partner town Kunming, as remiscence for Zürich's technical and scientific assistance in the development of the Kunming city drinking water supply and drainage. The garden is an expression of one of the main themes of Chinese culture, the «Three Friends of Winter» – three plants that together brave the cold season – pine, bamboo, and plum.
• Uetliberg – Located to the west of the city at an altitude of 813 meters (2,667 ft) above sea level, the Uetliberg is the highest hill and offers views over the city. The summit is easily accessible by train from Zürich main station.^[68]
• So much to see and do here!!

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  

December 24, 2018 Monday# Saved#Friends and family#Museums!!!

Get Faith
I read two passages this morning, one from 2 Kings about Elijah being taken to heaven in the presence of  Elisha, who's vision was blocked by a flaming chariot and horses.  Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind.  Elisha, none the less was overcome with grief.  He picked up Elijah's garment and took over his work as a prophet.  The second reading was from Luke about Joseph being told by an angel to quickly take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to keep them from Herod who was killing all the two and under baby boys. Both stories told me about God saving His people, giving them direction and saving them from eternal destruction.   Ponder that today as we wait the birth.  Merry Christmas.

On this day
1986  Busy days!  Pam, Pat and the boys, Jon and Sean stopped by to share some Christmas with us.  Then I took Aaron and Nicole to Quality for their Christmas party, I stopped at Xana and Kostere's for a little Christmas with them.  Home to pack up and over to Andy and Alice's to exchange gifts and have dinner with Marty, Dan and all the kids - Merri and Lindsey, Aaron and Nicole.  We stopped at home to pick up more gifts and went to the McCarthy's for Christmas Eve with them.  Mark gave me a video camera so all the rest of our Christmas's were caught on film.  Every year brings change.

1851 - A fire devastated the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, destroying about 35,000 volumes.  Now I wonder what we don't know.

Zurich Switzerland

Museums[edit]

• Zürich Museum of Art – The Museum of Art, also known as Kunsthaus Zürich, is one of the significant art museums of Europe. It holds one of the largest collections in Classic Modern art in the world (Munch, Picasso, Braque, Giacometti, etc.). The museum also features a large library collection of photographs.^[63]
• Swiss National Museum – The National Museum (German: Landesmuseum) displays many objects that illustrate the cultural and historical background of Switzerland. It also contains many ancient artifacts, including stained glass, costumes, painted furniture and weapons. The museum is located in the Platzspitz park opposite to the Hauptbahnhof.^[64]
• Centre Le Corbusier – Located on the shore of the Lake Zürich nearby Zürichhorn, the Centre Le Corbusier (also named: Heidi Weber Museum), is an art museum dedicated to the work of the Swiss architect Le Corbusier, inside the last house he designed.
• Rietberg Museum – The Rietberg Museum, situated in Gablerstrasse, is one of the great repositories of art and culture in Zürich. The museum also displays exhibits gathered from various corners of the world: bronze artifacts from Tibet, ceramics and jade, Indian sculpture, Chinese grave decorations, masks by African tribes etc.
• Museum of Design – The Museum of Design is a museum for industrial design, visual communication, architecture and craft. It is part of the Department of Cultural Analysis of the Zürich University of the Arts.^[65]
• Haus Konstruktiv – The Haus Konstruktiv is a museum with Swiss-wide and international recognition. The museum is about constructive, concrete and conceptual art and design. It testimonies to Zürich's industrial architecture in the immediate vicinity of the Main Station.^[66]
• Uhrenmuseum Beyer – The Uhrenmuseum is located in the heart of the city. Documenting the history of timekeeping and timekeepers, the museum is home to a large collection of mechanical timepieces as well as a collection of primitive time keeping devices such as water clocks, sundials and hourglasses
• No Show Museum – the No Show Museum is the first museum dedicated to nothing and its various manifestations throughout the history of art.
• Guild houses – The Guild houses (German: Zunfthaus) are located along the Limmat (downstream from the Grossmünster): Meisen (also a porcelain and fayence museum), Rüden, Haue, Saffran, Schneidern, Schmiden, Zimmerleuten, and some more.
• Tram Museum – The Tram Museum is located at Burgwies in Zürich's eastern suburbs, and chronicles the history of Zürich's iconic tram system with exhibits varying in date from 1897 to the present day.
• North America Native Museum – The North American Native Museum specializes in the conservation, documentation and presentation of ethnographic objects and art of Native American, First Nation and Inuit cultures.

Check out this list of museums!!

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  

December 23, 2018 Sunday#The Star#Christmas party#Early Zurich Churches

Get Faith
Matthew 2:9  "(The Magi) departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was."  What a coincidence!  If you believe any part of the story, you must believe it all.  God created the heavens and the earth.  He can make fire rain down from the sky, calm the stormy sea and set a star in the sky over His Son's birthplace in Bethlehem.  We now have that Son that guides us in our lives.  He has set our path in motion to follow Him home to eternal life with Him.  Our God is an awesome God! 

On this day
1985  Nicole was only 7 months old, but I took her to the Christmas party at Quality where I had worked for 19 years.  They were like family to me and deserved to see the newest member of the group.  Babies change everything, plus they make you so super busy it is hard to have a life outside the house.  I took the "bring them into your life plan" and it worked for me.  Nicole went everywhere with me......and still does pretty much.  I am thankful. (It will change this year when she gets married in September). 

1852 - The Theatre of Celestial John opened on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, CA. It was the first Chinese theatre in the U.S. 

Zurich Switzerland

Churches[edit]

• Grossmünster (Great Minster) According to legend, Charlemagne discovered the graves of the city's martyrs Felix and Regula and had built the first church as a monastery; start of current building around 1100; in the first half of the 16th century, the Great Minster was the starting point of the Swiss-German Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger; declared by Charlemagne imperial church; romanesque crypt, romanesque capitals in the church and cloister; choir windows by Augusto Giacometti (1932) and Sigmar Polke (2009), bronze doors by Otto Münch (1935 and 1950).^[60]
• Fraumünster (Women's Minster) Church of a former abbey for aristocratical women from southern Germany which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard; first church built before 874; the romanesque choir dates from 1250–70; the church enjoyed the patronage of kings and had the right of coinage from Zürich to the 13th century; after the Reformation, church and convent passed into the possession of the city; the most important jewelry – in addition to the largest organ in the canton with its 5,793 pipes and 92 stops – are color windows: the window in the north transept of Augusto Giacometti (1945), the five-part cycle in the choir (1970) and the rosette in the southern transept (1978) are by Marc Chagall; also the church of Zürich's largest choir with 100 and more singers.^[61]
• St. Peter romanesque-gothic-baroque church built on remains of former churches from before the 9th century; with the largest church clock face in Europe built 1538; baptismal font of 1598, baroque stucco; individual stalls from the 15th century from city repealed monasteries with rich carvings and armrests; Kanzellettner (increased barrier between the nave and choir with built-pulpit) of 1705 pulpit sounding board about 1790; rich Akanthus embellishment with Bible verse above the pulpit; 1971 new crystal chandelier modeled according 1710 design; organ in 1974 with 53 stops; Bells: five from 1880, the largest, A minor, without clapper weighs about 6,000 kg (13,228 lb); fire guard in the tower to the Middle Ages to 1911.^[62]
• Predigerkirche is one of the four main churches of the old town, first built in 1231 AD as a Romanesque church of the then Dominican Predigerkloster nearby the Neumarkt. It was converted in the first half of the 14th century, and the choir rebuilt between 1308 and 1350. Due to its construction and for that time unusual high bell tower, it was regarded as most high Gothic edifice in Zürich.^{[citation needed]}

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!!  Happy Birthday Scott V.

December 22, 2018 Saturday#Love life#Prep#Noel#Injustice?#Doing it right.

Get Faith
John 13:34  "Love one another, As I have loved you, so you must love one another."  Tis the season of love.  Too often we  (I) get caught up in the hectic holidays and I forget that Love was born into this world on Christmas.  The Love that brought us hope, life and forgiveness.  As you (I) go through the next days, try to keep that thought in your head when life gets to be too much - think of how short it is and enjoy it.

Get Fit
Before I hit the grocery store, hopefully for the last time, I warmed up, stretched and strengthened all those muscles that I think I will need today.  The Daily Dozen covers it all.  Now if I can just exercise the muscle between my ears I'll be ok, thank heavens for lists!!  Enjoy your preparation!

On this day
1984  I was pregnant so not doing any drinking and I had quit smoking as well - so I made up for it by eating - everything.  This day was a Saturday and after shopping, wrapping and cleaning all day, Mark and I went to a birthday party for Noel.  Noel and Bob were friends of Marks that I inherited.  She was a great gal, worked for her husband, had 6 kids, handled registration at the boat races and played a mean game of horse collar.  She taught me how to play, but not how to win - and they always played for money.  She came to an untimely death a few years ago in a boating accident.  It make sense but it was too soon.  RIP Noel.  Funny her name was that born close to Christmas.

1984 - New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shot four black youths on a Manhattan subway. Goetz claimed they were about to rob him.  I remember this, it was questionable.   the outcome --

He ended up serving eight months for criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
AND THEN:
Their gambit worked as well. Goetz lost, and was ordered to pay Cabey a total of $43 million for the shooting — $18 million would be for pain and suffering, $25 million would be for punitive damages. To date, Goetz maintains he hasn’t paid “a single penny”to Cabey.
 Cabey survived and rolled on his friends, said they were going to rob Goetz.

Zurich Switzerland

Social[edit]

The level of unemployment in Zürich was 3.2%^[57] in July 2012. In 2008, the average monthly income was about CHF 7000 before any deductions for social insurances and taxes.^[58] In 2010, there were 12,994 cases (on average per month) of direct or indirect welfare payments from the state.^[59]  

^Wow.

^{Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Mark P, Chris and Ron}

December 21, 2018 Friday #Our Father#Don't fall#Don't Drink and Drive#Lots of people!

Get Faith
Luke 2:49  "Why were you searching for me?: he asked.  "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father house?"  This was 12 year old Jesus questioning his parents Mary and Joseph.  They had started home, thinking he was following a long behind.  They discovered him missing and had to go back and find him.  Has this happened to you?  As parents we often think our children are complying only to find, well they were not, exactly.  Jesus had stayed in the temple and was speaking to the teachers and they were amazed at what he knew.  You can never know too much about your Fathers teachings.
I'm talking about God.

Get Fit
Worked out with those bands they give you to work out with when you are in therapy after a surgery or illness.  So, if the medical field think this is a valuable method of healing, why don't you?  Don't wait till you are in rehab after a fall, etc.  Get strong a head of the game!

On this day
1983  I had just met my future husband Mark a few months ago.  I knew very little about him, only what people told me, which was all very good.  There was some information missing, which when he was put into jail, in work release I found out. I didn't worry about it.  A lot of our friends should have been in jail for drinking and driving.  Heck, myself included.  So the entire month of December was about the guy from the family business picking him up in Oakland County and bringing him to work.  I would stop and see him on the way home before he had to report back at night.  I picked him up on the weekends and on this day and took him back myself.  Surprisingly they let him come out for Christmas.  This is a lesson to all of us.  Don't be that person!

1849 - The first ice-skating club in America was formed in Philadelphia, PA. Thats cool!  I still have my ice skates!  I could go to Campus Martius!!

Zurich Switzerland

Population[edit]

Augustinergasse in the old town

There are 409,241 people living in Zürich (as of 31 December 2017),^[2] making it Switzerland's largest city. Of registered inhabitants (in 2016), 32% (133,473) do not hold Swiss citizenship.^[51] Of these, German citizens make up the largest group with 8% (33,548), followed by Italians 3.5% (14,543).^[51]The population of the city including suburbs totals 1.19 million people.^[6] The entire metropolitan area (including the cities of Winterthur, Baden, Brugg, Schaffhausen, Frauenfeld, Uster/Wetzikon, Rapperswil-Jona and Zug) has a population of around 1.83 million people.^[6]

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Christy R!!

December 20, 2018 Thursday#SING#and squat#Christmas past#Bicycle!

Get Faith
Psalm 5:11 "But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy."  Singing makes us happy, well unless it is a sad song, but usually we sing because we are happy.  The other night quite a few people from different churches around the area met at a brewery and sang Christmas songs.  If you know any Lutheran's they do love to sing - we take after Martin Luther (of A mighty Fortress fame)  who loved to sing, and drink beer.  It was a great coming together of different people that had the same desire.  To sing (loud) those songs that remind us of a great God who deserves our praise!  Loosen up!  Enjoy our faith with fellow believers!  Praise be to God!

Get Fit
Squats, lunges and jumping jacks - while singing Christmas songs and you are good for the day!

On this day
1982 - I had been working at Quality for 16 years, we were very much like family, some you got along with - others not so much.  At Christmas we had a party, in the shop, I think Chris and I made much of the food.  On this day I made spaghetti, probably a casserole type thing, which I was big on in those days.  We had drinks and lots of food and sat for hours enjoying each others company.  I think for many of them it was the biggest celebration they had for the holidays.  The older craftsman - like Steve L, had no family and probably few friends, that I remember, so it was a good thing to do.  Chris and I keep in touch but many of the rest of them are gone.  It is good to remember those we have shared life with during Christmas.

1606 - The "Susan Constant," "Godspeed" and "Discovery" set sail from London. Their landing at Jamestown, VA, was the start of the first permanent English settlement in America. I never remember hearing of this before, what about you??

Zurich Switzerland

Bicycle transport[edit]

In 2012, the city council launched a program to improve the city's attractiveness for bicycle traffic. The so-called "Masterplan Velo"^[45] is part of the superordinate framework Stadtverkehr 2025which shapes the future of the different means of transport. Research revealed that infrastructure and the social environment are essential factors in improving a city's appeal to bicycle traffic.^[46]Three main goals are specified: First, the modal share of bicycle traffic should be enhanced to twice the value of 2011 by 2015. Second, cyclists' safety should be improved to lower the overall accident risk. Third, cycling should be established as an everyday means of transport with a special focus on children and young people.

In terms of infrastructure, the city aims to build up a network of distinctive bicycle routes in order to achieve these objectives. At a final stage, the network will consist of main routes (Hauptrouten) for everyday use and comfort routes (Komfortrouten), with the latter focussing on leisure cycling. Additional measures such as special Velostationen providing bike related services are expected to help to further improve the quality. One of the key projects of the system is a tunnel beneath the tracks of the main railway station planned to combine a main connection with staffed possibilities where commuters can leave their bikes throughout the day.^[47] Apart from infrastructural measures, further approaches are planned in the fields of communication, education and administration.

However, these efforts cause critique, mainly due to postponing. The institution of the bike tunnel at the main railway station, originally planned for 2016, is currently (2016) delayed to at least 2019.^[48] Pro Velo, a nationwide interest group, has publicly questioned whether the masterplan already failed.^[49] The critique aims at badly governed traffic management at construction sites, missing possibilities to park bikes in the city as well as rather diffident ambitions. In response, the responsible city department points to the big investments made every year and mentions ongoing discussions that would finally lead to even better results.^{[50]  As with everything it has its pros and cons.  We have started a lot of this in the} 

^{United States as well.  Great idea - just from a health viewpoint!}

^{Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!}  

December 19, 2018 Wednesday #Saved by God#Move#Holiday illness#Hauptbahnhof!

Get Faith
John 1:14  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father."  As John tells us in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  At Christmas we understand the Triune God - One God, who sent His Son to dwell with us.  A Son that was always with God and will always be and a Spirit that lives with us yet.  On this Christmas remember that God has always been present, but at this time we celebrate that he came to us in human form so we could know Him and be saved by His death and resurrection.  Merry Christmas!

Get Fit
I did Pilates this morning, it can be relaxing in the feeling you get of strengthening your core so that you feel more together, balanced, I think.  When you feel the most tired, frustrated, and depressed - get moving.  Get the blood circulating and the oxygen moving through your system for an instant uplift.  This time of year is rough.

On this day
1980  This was a year that was in change.  Andy had Merri and Lindsey, 3 and 1 year old, but my house was empty with just me and my brother Mark, occasionally.  I was wrapping presents and cleaned house but I made note that my allergies were real bad.  So bad, that I couldn't drive because I couldn't see, I remember it turned out I had bad eye infections that took weeks to heal.  This is a tough time of year if you have health issues and not much else going on in your life.  You start feeling sorry for yourself, not only for being sick but for missing the festivities.  If you are this person call out for help, if you know someone - check in on them.

1654 - A meteorological office established in Tuscany began recording daily temperature readings. 
Ah, weather reports!

Zurich Switzerland

The busy Hauptbahnhof main hall

Zürich is a mixed hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB) is the largest and busiest station in Switzerland and is an important railway hub in Europe. There are between 350,000 and 500,000 commuters daily making use of this central network node – a significant figure in comparison to Zürich's population. With regard to the number of trains daily entering and leaving a single railway station, Zürich HB is the world's most frequently served railway station, with 2915 trains every day.^{[citation needed]} Among the 16 railway stations (and 10 additional train stops) within Zürich's city borders, there are five other major passenger railway stations. Three of them belong to the ten most frequented railway stations in Switzerland: Stadelhofen, Oerlikon, Altstetten, Hardbrücke, and Enge. The railway network is mainly operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), but Zürich is also served by major EuroCity trains from the neighbouring countries and is a destination for both French/Swiss (TGV Lyria) and German (ICE) high-speed trains, as well as by Austrian RailJet.

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  

December 18, 20018 Tuesday #God's path#God and yoga#intruder#public transport

Get Faith
Proverbs 5:21  "For the ways of men are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths."  Does this refer to the many different paths that we have taken since God put us here?  Does God have a favorite?  I know what I know and have learned since a child.  Since then I have learned to question so that I can  better understand the scripture and have come to realize that only God knows the truth.  We try to learn and understand, but the best thing to do is trust in the Lord, pray to our Jesus for intervention and be the best people we can be.  Amen?

Get Fit
And what about Yoga?  Is this wrong because it is not mentioned in the Bible and is taught by a people who share a different faith?  Can I still get up in the morning and enjoy the benefits of a stretch and balance to make myself feel better and sometime - meditate - but to my God?  Check with God yourself and see.

On this day
1978  Pete and I had broke up - again, so I was home alone.  I had been busy all day, wrapping presents, talking on the phone to prospective dates, my ex mother in law (that I loved, Ann)  wrote a poem to my dad (don't know which one) and went to bed.  In the middle of the night my little dog Ziggy started barking and so I got up,  in the dark and was sneaking around and called 911.  The operator said she was sending a car but in the mean time TURN ON THE LIGHTS AND MAKE A LOT OF NOISE!!!  Ok, I did  and then the 2 officers came to the door and asked if the HUGE German Shepherd next door had barked.  No. They said then it was nothing more than a cat, etc that dog scared the crap out of them!  Good ole Ziggy!  But I remembered the advice!

1865 - U.S. Secretary of State William Seward issued a statement verifying the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment abolished slavery with the declaration: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."  And yet it goes on - sex slaves, drug slaves and how about the oriental person that does your nails?  Be aware people!

Zurich Switzerland

Public transport[edit]

A paddle steamer on Lake Zürich

Public transport is extremely popular in Zürich, and its inhabitants use public transport in large numbers. About 70% of the visitors to the city use the tram or bus, and about half of the journeys within the municipality take place on public transport.^[44] Within Zürich and throughout the canton of Zürich, the ZVV network of public transport has traffic density ratings among the highest worldwide. When adding frequency, which in Zürich can be as often as seven minutes, it does become the densest across all dimensions.^{[citation needed]}Three means of mass-transit exist: the S-Bahn (local trains), trams, and buses (both diesel and electric, also called trolley buses). In addition, the public transport network includes boats on the lake and river, funicular railways and even the Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg (LAF), a cable car between Adliswil and Felsenegg. Tickets purchased for a trip are valid on all means of public transportation (train, tram, bus, boat). The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (commonly abbreviated to ZSG) operates passenger vessels on the Limmat and the Lake Zürich, connecting surrounding towns between Zürich and Rapperswil.

Not sure we are using all of our resources - how about a water bus on the river?

Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Happy Birthday Dean and Dan!!