* Fundraising has definitely slowed to a crawl. This always happens, but I’m still going to remind you at least once every weekday. So, click here if you haven’t yet contributed to our effort to buy Christmas presents for foster kids or if you think you can give just a little bit more. We’ve now gathered enough money to buy presents for 2,053 foster children. But Lutheran Social Services of Illinois serves 2,530 kids. Thanks!
* Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Sen. Scott Bennett’s unexpected death. Treasurer Michael Frerichs was a longtime friend and he posted his thoughts about the anniversary on Facebook. Excerpt…
It’s been a year, and I still can’t believe Scott is gone. He was one of my closest friends, and he’s so greatly missed.
Scott was such a good husband to Stacy and father to their young twins, Sam and Emma. I recently became a father of twins myself, and I wish that Scott could have met Theo and Max. I admire Stacy’s strength during the past year and know the cherished memories she and Scott made as a family have helped sustain her. […]
In the State Treasurer’s Office, we honor part of Scott’s legacy by promoting and continuing to grow the IL ABLE program that he sponsored to allow people with disabilities and their family to save money without losing federal benefits. That program now bears his name, as does a portion of Interstate 74 that he frequently traveled in East Central Illinois.
In the year I’ve had to mourn Scott’s unexpected passing, I’ve only become more thankful that I’m able to call Scott my friend.
Denny Laine had a career that most musicians would envy. He was a co-founder of two of the most prominent bands in rock and roll history—Wings and The Moody Blues—earning him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of The Moody Blues. Though the lineup changed several times, McCartney and Laine remained steadfast throughout Wings’ decade-long history.
While McCartney’s wife Linda was his main songwriting collaborator in Wings, Laine also frequently wrote with McCartney, the two producing some of Wings’ most famous songs. Laine passed away in December 2023 at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy of timeless music. […]
Arguably the most famous song McCartney and Laine wrote together for Wings is “Mull of Kintyre.” … Though not technically a Christmas song, it was deemed the No. 1 Christmas song in the U.K. in 1977 when it reached the top of the Singles chart the week of Christmas Day.
It’s December, and that means we end each week with a holiday song. This one is close enough…
Far have I traveled and much have I seen
Dark distant mountains with valleys of green
Past painted deserts, the sunset’s on fire
As he carries me home to the Mull of Kintyre
