"X" = Kiss

I guess everyone knows that an "X" indicates a kiss. In America, at least, it has been our custom of putting X's at the conclusion of letters and notes to symbolize kisses. I also guess that not everyone knows where the "x" originated. This practice grew out of medieval legal practices. In order to indicate good faith and honesty in those bygone days, the sign of St. Andrew -- the cross -- was placed after the signature on all important documents. Thereafter, contracts and agreements were not considered binding until each signer added St. Andrew's cross after his name. Then he was required to kiss the document to further guarantee faithful performance of his obligations. The cross was drawn hurriedly, and often it was tilted and looked much like the letter "X". Over the centuries, the origin of the ceremony was forgotten. Yet, people still associated the "X" with the kiss instead of the pledge of good faith, and the custom has continued into modern times. (Thanks for the help from Reminisce, Collector's Edition, for most of the above information. Since I believe that all good-hearted people use the "X" in their personal-to-personal communiques, I thought you'd also like to know about this.) Thanks for visiting. -- Bob

A Unique Safety Tip

Safety is a real concern. Try this when you retire for the night. Put your car keys beside your bed. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery gives out (read: dies). This tip originally came from a Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. You can share it too. Remember: The next time you come home for the night and you begin to put your keys away, stop, think of this. It's a security alarm system you probably already have and requires no monthly fees or installation costs. Good day (or night)! Thanks for visiting. -- Bob P.S. I've been away from this Blog because of some sort of virus infecting my system. Even with full virus protection from a well-known security company. You never know who or when you'll get zapped. But I have a way of restoring my system myself without the bug. As a relative novice with these computer things, that's a statement I can take credit for myself. By the way, it also infected my other blog that's also been cleaned up. That one is at: http://fourwinds.blogster.com "Cheers!"