I have heard rumblings of many of you in Readerland about recent spike in gasoline prices. In fact it's all I seem to hear about lately. But at least it keeps you from rumbling about infrequency of my columns and articles. Nonetheless, I have decided to try to help you get through this crisis by generously providing: 3 Ways to Combat Rising Gas Prices!

1. Don't Drive Your Car

This is, of course, most obvious solution. If you never take old Plymouth out driveway, then it won't matter that at current gas prices it takes $125 to fill up 30 gallon gas tank, or that you only get about 2.51 miles to gallon. If you never drive, you could care less.

Of course, I know what you're going to say. "But Tim, I have places I need to go-like work. And kids have school and soccer practice. And then there's grocery shopping and yoga lesssons and dinner at Richardsons and blah blah blah and...." Ok, I get point. Not everyone can sit around house writing not-so-funny articles and searching Internet for Drew Barrymore photos like me. I fully understand that some of you have a life. But just because you don't drive your own car doesn't mean you can't get around. The answer?

2. Carpool

It's seems so simple now doesn't it. Instead of using your gas-Use Someone Elses! Have someone else pay $5.50 a gallon for gas to take your kids to school. Make someone else dip into their retirement fund just so they can cover gas bill needed to get you to office and back everyday. Make someone else get a second job so that they can have a full tank of gas in their SUV when your daughter needs to cruise mall. It's so simple.

Christmas is one time of year when it is okay to be traditional. That may be reason why so many people look forward to Christmas holidays.

The rest of year most people are under pressure to be "non-traditional," whatever that may mean. Today it is not politically correct to be traditional and if you are, you run risk of being out of favor with rest of society.

Christmas, however, is a different time altogether for everyone. July may be a good month to be non-traditional, but not December. There is a time to be non-traditional and then there is a time to regain your senses and enjoy amenities of good, old-fashioned, traditionalism.

No matter how far away young folks wander, Christmas draws them back to traditionalism like a magnet. (It might have something to do with pumpkin pie.)

One of wonderful things about this time of year is many family traditions enjoyed and endured by families all around world. In parsonage, we have honored some great traditions through years.

Each year, while gracious Mistress of Parsonage and our little brood decorated Christmas tree, I busied myself in kitchen making my special eggnog.

What was so special, was that each year it was different. I could not remember from one year to other just how I made it. Usually it turned out all right, except for year I forgot to put in eggs.

Another tradition in parsonage was Christmas wish list for good ole Santy.

One of practical reasons for this was to prevent my children from getting me a fluorescent orange necktie with a pink hoola-dancer on it. As a minister, there are precious few places to wear such neckwear.

The children of parsonage are grown, with children of their own now, and "wish list" has gone way of all good things.

It is one tradition I miss,and I wish it could be revived. If I could revive "wish list," there is one thing that would lead my list. All I want from dear ole Santy this year is my sanity.

The fact that I have lost my sanity, or at least, misplaced it, is quite curious. The curious thing about it is that I do not remember just when it was that I lost it.

Have you ever looked for something only to discover that you could not find it and could not remember just when you saw it last? If I could only remember when I last used my sanity, it might serve as a clue as to where it is right now.

It is not that it has been a major lost in my life, but there have been a few times when I could have used it.