"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and loudly pray in their churches and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have already received their reward.
But when you pray, go to a quiet room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees all things will repay you."
Matt 6:5-8
And so today is already Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.
And that means tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40 days of the Lenten vigil.
The queen and I attended a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans one year in the 1990's. I forget exactly when. It was for a corporate event at the Fairmont Hotel, right next to the route of the parade. I think I still have some plastic coins stashed in my desk somewhere as a memento.
And it is also St. Valentine's Day. So don't forget that one guys. I sent roses to some of the ladies who were of special help and comfort while the queen was having in-home hospice last year, a dark and concerning period of life. They were like angels, and their unselfish kindness made a deep impression. Some of them bordered on what I like to call heroic virtue.
It only takes a moment to say thank you to someone who deserves it. We are so often quick to criticize and find fault, but so ungrateful for the many, many little things that others do for us. And when we thank them we start to note the little good things, instead of swelling on a bunch of silly inconveniences.
No matter how difficult life may seem, God's angels are always about to help, as well as His tender mercies and consolations, if we are open to seeing them. God is always there, always listening. And when one door closes, another door opens.
The Dollar continued to go lower today, down to 89.60.
This had a positive effect on gold and silver.
Stocks had an upwards bias, but cautiously.
Tomorrow we will be getting the latest Consumer Price Index data. This is important because markets are concerned about the pace of interest rate increases by the easy money Fed, which is at the root of this latest financial asset bubble.
There will also be the Producer Price Index and the Em-Im prices data later this week.
And so we wait, with bated breath.
Just like we are still waiting for any genuine, significant evidence of 'Russian meddling' in the US elections, despite the continuous hysteria from the media.
Have a pleasant evening.
