I received the following email this morning, and as a public service, I am sharing it with all of you. I think the creator of this letter has hit the nail on the head with the problem in Washington and it could not have been said in a better way. Please feel free to forward this to all of your friends.
Subject: Congressional Reform Act of 2010
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!
A friend sent this along to me. I can't think of a reason to disagree.
I am sending this to virtually everybody on my e-mail list and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends. My friend and neighbor wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2009". It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Friends, please send me your recommendations on how this bill can be improved.
I know many of you will say, "this is impossible". Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans will join together to reform Congress - the entity that represents us.
We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House. These people will become American hero's.. Please send any ideas on how to get this done.
Thanks,
A Fellow American
***********************************
Congressional Reform Act of 2010
1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
2. No Tenure / No Pension:
A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A Rather Delicate Subject
Warning: The following contains graphic, adult material that may not be suitable for young children. Parents should use caution when viewing this site.
Alright, you've been warned, and all of you curious little deviants that are still with me, I wonder about you, but here we go. I am about to tackle a rather delicate subject, but one which I have been pondering for quite some time, one regarding a certain behavior that has me confounded and scratching my head in utter confusion, muttering to myself "Why, oh, why?"
Let me begin by confessing that I am, by nature, a voyeur, a people-watcher. I love to observe people engaged in everyday life and try to figure out what motivates them to behave the way they do. I think this tendancy was embedded in me by my mother. She has this uncanny ability to be able to see a total stranger and give you their entire life history. It's truly an amazing gift.
For example, we are sitting in a parking lot in the car, getting ready to go into a store, when a man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase strolls by.
"Look at that man," she'll say. "He works for the FBI. He's looking for drug dealers that hang out in the parking lot. He looks depressed. I bet he just arrested some young boy who had a tragic home life and got into drugs. It's just a shame what happens to young people these days. It was probably because his parents didn't care about him. He must have come home to an empty house every day, and those gangster boys that roam around the neighborhood just pulled him into the drug life. And now that FBI agent had to arrest him and he's all depressed about it and...." You get the picture.
As I said, I come by it naturally, or perhaps genetically, but I do love to watch people:
...the woman that comes to the grocery store in curlers and a house dress (yes, people in the rural south still do that).....does she believe opposites attract? Does she hope that some high-level executive in a Brooks Brothers suit will find her irresistible, that he'll be drawn to her hot-pink foam curlers and fuzzy slippers? Why bother curling your hair if you are willing to go out in public looking like a mess?
...the man with green hair and a mohawk and body piercings in places I didn't know could be pierced....who grows green hair? Who grows green hair that sticks straight up from the middle of your head? Is he going for a moldy-native look or just working the shock factor? Did it hurt to have his eyebrow and chin pierced? What about the one in his cheek?
...the kids that drive around town with music playing so loud it vibrates the frame of your car and you can hear it in China....is it a control thing, a power play, an attitude of "this is my car and you can't tell me what to do?" or is the poor thing actually hearing impaired?
But the one that has me stumped, the one I just can't figure out, the one that I have been pondering and pondering, is the one that has to do with young men, pick-up trucks, and trailer hitch ornaments. I'm referring to the young men that drive around town with a pair of bull testicles dangling from the trailer hitch of their truck, a phenomenom I have observed not only in South Carolina, but North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia as well. I am afraid it probably happens all around the country.
First of all, where exactly does one go to buy animal genitalia ornamentation for one's car? I'm quite sure one does not stroll into Target and ask the red-smocked customer service rep," Could you point me to the animal genitalia department? I need a new set of bull testicles for my truck."
Secondly, why,oh,why does one even want animal genitalia dangling from one's car? What message are they trying to send? A bull is a rather curious specimen. Uncle Henry raises cows, and I've observed plenty of his bulls. They don't produce milk, butter, or cheese, their meat is usually tough and not sold to market, they are loners except when interested in mating, they stand around eating all day, they stink and they have flies buzzing all around them. So are the young men trying to send the message that they are unproductive, smelly, dirty, hungry, and only interested in sex? That's a real chick magnet.
What parent in their right mind would allow their young daughter to get into the truck of a boy that has a pair of animal testicles dangling from his hitch? I can assure you that if he arrived in my driveway, he'd be met at the front door by a parent wielding a set of garden clippers prepared to remove more than one set of balls.
I do understand the motivation to personalize one's car and to proclaim one's identity. I am the queen of car ornamentation. I have stickers that promote my children's schools, the colleges my husband and I graduated from, my political orientation, my beloved poodles, my hobbies, even a little fish that proclaims my faith. I have a Chick-fil-a cow dangling from my antennae, a trailer hitch in the shape of the state of South Carolina, a magnetic pink bow to support breast cancer survivors, a magnetic yellow bow in support of our troops. At Christmas, I add a wreath to the front grill and a candy cane to the antennae, and have been known to hook up lights that blink as I'm driving down the road (this may not be exactly legal...). So as you can see, I am not a car ornamentation snob. I simply do not understand the animal genitalia thing.
I will continue to observe this behavior, I will analyze the young men I see driving around town with this bizarre ornamentation, I will ponder and wonder and ponder some more, but I can assure you, I will never, ever, ever be able to figure this one out.
Therefore, I am forced to start a "Save the Bulls" campaign. To order your bumper sticker, please call PETA.
Alright, you've been warned, and all of you curious little deviants that are still with me, I wonder about you, but here we go. I am about to tackle a rather delicate subject, but one which I have been pondering for quite some time, one regarding a certain behavior that has me confounded and scratching my head in utter confusion, muttering to myself "Why, oh, why?"
Let me begin by confessing that I am, by nature, a voyeur, a people-watcher. I love to observe people engaged in everyday life and try to figure out what motivates them to behave the way they do. I think this tendancy was embedded in me by my mother. She has this uncanny ability to be able to see a total stranger and give you their entire life history. It's truly an amazing gift.
For example, we are sitting in a parking lot in the car, getting ready to go into a store, when a man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase strolls by.
"Look at that man," she'll say. "He works for the FBI. He's looking for drug dealers that hang out in the parking lot. He looks depressed. I bet he just arrested some young boy who had a tragic home life and got into drugs. It's just a shame what happens to young people these days. It was probably because his parents didn't care about him. He must have come home to an empty house every day, and those gangster boys that roam around the neighborhood just pulled him into the drug life. And now that FBI agent had to arrest him and he's all depressed about it and...." You get the picture.
As I said, I come by it naturally, or perhaps genetically, but I do love to watch people:
...the woman that comes to the grocery store in curlers and a house dress (yes, people in the rural south still do that).....does she believe opposites attract? Does she hope that some high-level executive in a Brooks Brothers suit will find her irresistible, that he'll be drawn to her hot-pink foam curlers and fuzzy slippers? Why bother curling your hair if you are willing to go out in public looking like a mess?
...the man with green hair and a mohawk and body piercings in places I didn't know could be pierced....who grows green hair? Who grows green hair that sticks straight up from the middle of your head? Is he going for a moldy-native look or just working the shock factor? Did it hurt to have his eyebrow and chin pierced? What about the one in his cheek?
...the kids that drive around town with music playing so loud it vibrates the frame of your car and you can hear it in China....is it a control thing, a power play, an attitude of "this is my car and you can't tell me what to do?" or is the poor thing actually hearing impaired?
But the one that has me stumped, the one I just can't figure out, the one that I have been pondering and pondering, is the one that has to do with young men, pick-up trucks, and trailer hitch ornaments. I'm referring to the young men that drive around town with a pair of bull testicles dangling from the trailer hitch of their truck, a phenomenom I have observed not only in South Carolina, but North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia as well. I am afraid it probably happens all around the country.
First of all, where exactly does one go to buy animal genitalia ornamentation for one's car? I'm quite sure one does not stroll into Target and ask the red-smocked customer service rep," Could you point me to the animal genitalia department? I need a new set of bull testicles for my truck."
Secondly, why,oh,why does one even want animal genitalia dangling from one's car? What message are they trying to send? A bull is a rather curious specimen. Uncle Henry raises cows, and I've observed plenty of his bulls. They don't produce milk, butter, or cheese, their meat is usually tough and not sold to market, they are loners except when interested in mating, they stand around eating all day, they stink and they have flies buzzing all around them. So are the young men trying to send the message that they are unproductive, smelly, dirty, hungry, and only interested in sex? That's a real chick magnet.
What parent in their right mind would allow their young daughter to get into the truck of a boy that has a pair of animal testicles dangling from his hitch? I can assure you that if he arrived in my driveway, he'd be met at the front door by a parent wielding a set of garden clippers prepared to remove more than one set of balls.
I do understand the motivation to personalize one's car and to proclaim one's identity. I am the queen of car ornamentation. I have stickers that promote my children's schools, the colleges my husband and I graduated from, my political orientation, my beloved poodles, my hobbies, even a little fish that proclaims my faith. I have a Chick-fil-a cow dangling from my antennae, a trailer hitch in the shape of the state of South Carolina, a magnetic pink bow to support breast cancer survivors, a magnetic yellow bow in support of our troops. At Christmas, I add a wreath to the front grill and a candy cane to the antennae, and have been known to hook up lights that blink as I'm driving down the road (this may not be exactly legal...). So as you can see, I am not a car ornamentation snob. I simply do not understand the animal genitalia thing.
I will continue to observe this behavior, I will analyze the young men I see driving around town with this bizarre ornamentation, I will ponder and wonder and ponder some more, but I can assure you, I will never, ever, ever be able to figure this one out.
Therefore, I am forced to start a "Save the Bulls" campaign. To order your bumper sticker, please call PETA.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas Future
Only 364 shopping days left until Christmas....hurry, hurry, hurry or you'll never be ready. The malls are beckoning, the ads are overwhelming, the media is frantic in its efforts to lure us back into mass consumerism. Sales! deals! unbeliveable prices! are beckoning, seducing, luring us to leave our homes and families and battle the post-Christmas crowd to participate in a shopping mecca, a journey all in preparation for a holiday that is politically incorrect in our culture. Don't dare mention the birth of Christ, a Savior, a gift of salvation or redemption. Just hand over your credit card or cash and claim a stake in Santa and have a merry holiday or whatever.
The Christmas Day so highly anticipated, so furiously prepared for, so eagerly awaited, has only just come and gone, is only an infantile "Christmas Past." Can we possibly be turning our attention already to Christmas Future? Have we even paused to remember what the anticipation, the excitement, the joy are for, or do we simply switch gears and begin planning for the commercial side of Christmas future?
Today is a day for reflection--to smile on the memories of children wild with visions of Saint Nicholas, of families gathered together in laughter and joy, of carols and candlelight and "Silent Night" and most importantly, of the gift of salvation bestowed on an undeserving world by an amazing Savior.
Tummies are still full from yesterday's feasting, presents have been sorted and stacked into various piles, leftovers are disappearing at a rapid clip, ribbons and boxes and bows have been hauled to the trash, and those family members remaining in town are either napping, fiddling with new gadgets and gizmos, or watching bowl games on TV. The post-Christmas lull has settled in; a quietness had replaced the joyous noise of the previous morn. I have succumbed to "post-holiday rest syndrome" and retired to a spot on the couch, from which I will only budge to sneak a sinful bite of Gypsy Cake or perhaps one last sausage ball.
I revel in the change of pace, the slowness of the day. Today is the day to enjoy all that has occurred in preparation for the celebration of Christ's birth. We bring Him gifts of family, gifts of sharing, gifts of joy, gifts of love...all because of His birth, which we have celebrated in the past, celebrated in the present, and will continue to celebrate in the future. Even in a world that denies His diety and tries to camoflage His birth with secular joviality, we will celebrate the reason for the season, the CHRIST of CHRISTmas. Merry CHRISTmas yesterday, today and in the CHRISTmases of your future!
The Christmas Day so highly anticipated, so furiously prepared for, so eagerly awaited, has only just come and gone, is only an infantile "Christmas Past." Can we possibly be turning our attention already to Christmas Future? Have we even paused to remember what the anticipation, the excitement, the joy are for, or do we simply switch gears and begin planning for the commercial side of Christmas future?
Today is a day for reflection--to smile on the memories of children wild with visions of Saint Nicholas, of families gathered together in laughter and joy, of carols and candlelight and "Silent Night" and most importantly, of the gift of salvation bestowed on an undeserving world by an amazing Savior.
Tummies are still full from yesterday's feasting, presents have been sorted and stacked into various piles, leftovers are disappearing at a rapid clip, ribbons and boxes and bows have been hauled to the trash, and those family members remaining in town are either napping, fiddling with new gadgets and gizmos, or watching bowl games on TV. The post-Christmas lull has settled in; a quietness had replaced the joyous noise of the previous morn. I have succumbed to "post-holiday rest syndrome" and retired to a spot on the couch, from which I will only budge to sneak a sinful bite of Gypsy Cake or perhaps one last sausage ball.
I revel in the change of pace, the slowness of the day. Today is the day to enjoy all that has occurred in preparation for the celebration of Christ's birth. We bring Him gifts of family, gifts of sharing, gifts of joy, gifts of love...all because of His birth, which we have celebrated in the past, celebrated in the present, and will continue to celebrate in the future. Even in a world that denies His diety and tries to camoflage His birth with secular joviality, we will celebrate the reason for the season, the CHRIST of CHRISTmas. Merry CHRISTmas yesterday, today and in the CHRISTmases of your future!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Christmas Present
On this snowy weekend, as one of the greatest blizzards to hit the East coast roared through town and blanketed the city in a foot of snow, there were still dozens of things left to do to prepare for the Christmas Holiday.
Yet Twelve inches of snow brought Richmond to a standstill
While Eleven loaves of bread were cooling on my window sill.
Ten pans of cookies waiting for me to bake them
Nine gift baskets--but I hadn't time to make them.
Eight bags of presents unwrapped on the den floor,
Seven to deliver waiting by the front door.
Six piles of laundry growing by a foot more...
FIVE GOLDEN FRUITCAKES!
Four shopping days left,
Three snow-caked poodles,
Two college kids,
and a pair of parents in a tizzy.
So much to do, so little time, fa-la-la-la-la and fiddle-dee-dee.
But it was snowing outside, and it was cold inside, and there was a marathon of holiday movies on the television. You would think with all that was left to do I would be in a panic to jump up off the couch, turn off the TV and start tackling another holiday project; Bah-humbug....
It was a little Christmas present to myself, a day of rest, of peace, of quiet, of joy. It was a gift that happened because of a blizzard, when God sent a blanket of snow to calm the world down-- God's gifts, always in our best interest, waiting for us to receive them.
Yet Twelve inches of snow brought Richmond to a standstill
While Eleven loaves of bread were cooling on my window sill.
Ten pans of cookies waiting for me to bake them
Nine gift baskets--but I hadn't time to make them.
Eight bags of presents unwrapped on the den floor,
Seven to deliver waiting by the front door.
Six piles of laundry growing by a foot more...
FIVE GOLDEN FRUITCAKES!
Four shopping days left,
Three snow-caked poodles,
Two college kids,
and a pair of parents in a tizzy.
So much to do, so little time, fa-la-la-la-la and fiddle-dee-dee.
But it was snowing outside, and it was cold inside, and there was a marathon of holiday movies on the television. You would think with all that was left to do I would be in a panic to jump up off the couch, turn off the TV and start tackling another holiday project; Bah-humbug....
But ahhh...the tree was twinkling so merrily, the snow was glistening so brightly, the fire was roaring so warmly, and the couch was calling me home. I turned up the volume on "Doctor Zhivago" and tuned out everything else. I took the day off, tucked in beside the tree, curled up in a blanket, and enjoyed the snow and movies and the holiday glow. I gazed at the tree and the lights and the ornaments as I watched Ebenezeer Scrooge battle the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future. I listened to Charleton Heston in "Ben-Hur" capture the story of the life of Christ; I saw stories of Santa in the North Pole working with elves that didn't want to be elves, stories of neighbors battling over Christmas lights and decorations, and stories of families reunited for the holidays. I confess that I napped during some of them, clicked back and forth between a few, but I didn't move all day. Everything came to a standstill in our hectic, holiday house. I didn't even feel guilty.
It was a little Christmas present to myself, a day of rest, of peace, of quiet, of joy. It was a gift that happened because of a blizzard, when God sent a blanket of snow to calm the world down-- God's gifts, always in our best interest, waiting for us to receive them. I received this Christmas present, this day of rest, with a thankful heart. Merry Christmas to all as we celebrate God's greatest gift , the birth of His Son.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Twas the week before Christmas....
'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house...
not a creature was stirring but Mom and her mouse.
She shopped on the internet faster than lightening
Ordered waders for hunting and
teeth strips for whitening.
The fruitcakes were baking
The cookies were done
The mistletoe beckoned
The stockings were hung...
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
She sprang from her chair to see what was the matter--
A blizzard was coming
The wind was a-howling
Mom wasn't prepared
and she started a-scowling
"I've shopping to do
I've errands to run!
Christmas is coming
and I am not done!
With the hustle and bustle and all's left to do
Now a blizzard is coming
and I am not through!"
Then laying a finger aside of her brow
She said," I'll make Christmas still happen somehow!"
She opened her pantry,
whipped up some batter
bundled up cookies and cakes on a platter
Tied them with ribbons and holly and bows
And said, "Merry Christmas!" in spite of the snows
that were whirling and swirling and blocking the street
as a hush and a brightness settled so sweet
over all of the city, all of the town
as the cold winter storm settled around.
In the midst of the snow, in the midst of the quiet
She noticed a star in the heavens so bright
It was casting a light all over the snow
that told of an evening so long, long ago
when a baby was born in a manger so bare--
a child in a world that did not seem to care
that this infant so tiny, so helpless and small
was a King come from heaven to save one and all.
And Mom said to herself as she walked through the night
through the snow and the cold in the star's magic light,
"I don't need the mall or the holiday traffic
Christmas will come in a blizzard like magic.
It comes without Santa, it comes without shopping
It comes in the storm that there's no way of stopping."
For Christmas is here in our heart all year long
It's in every carol and each Christmas song,
in every kind word, in each loving deed
in helping the lonely, those lost and in need.
If the deep love of Christ in our hearts we will share
then the great Christmas story will be everywhere.
And I heard her exclaim as she walked through the snow
with the world all awash in the heavenly glow
"Merry Christmas to all, remember the birth
of the Saviour who brought peace and joy to the earth!"
not a creature was stirring but Mom and her mouse.
She shopped on the internet faster than lightening
Ordered waders for hunting and
teeth strips for whitening.
The fruitcakes were baking
The cookies were done
The mistletoe beckoned
The stockings were hung...
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
She sprang from her chair to see what was the matter--
A blizzard was coming
The wind was a-howling
Mom wasn't prepared
and she started a-scowling
"I've shopping to do
I've errands to run!
Christmas is coming
and I am not done!
With the hustle and bustle and all's left to do
Now a blizzard is coming
and I am not through!"
Then laying a finger aside of her brow
She said," I'll make Christmas still happen somehow!"
She opened her pantry,
whipped up some batter
bundled up cookies and cakes on a platter
Tied them with ribbons and holly and bows
And said, "Merry Christmas!" in spite of the snows
that were whirling and swirling and blocking the street
as a hush and a brightness settled so sweet
over all of the city, all of the town
as the cold winter storm settled around.
In the midst of the snow, in the midst of the quiet
She noticed a star in the heavens so bright
It was casting a light all over the snow
that told of an evening so long, long ago
when a baby was born in a manger so bare--
a child in a world that did not seem to care
that this infant so tiny, so helpless and small
was a King come from heaven to save one and all.
And Mom said to herself as she walked through the night
through the snow and the cold in the star's magic light,
"I don't need the mall or the holiday traffic
Christmas will come in a blizzard like magic.
It comes without Santa, it comes without shopping
It comes in the storm that there's no way of stopping."
For Christmas is here in our heart all year long
It's in every carol and each Christmas song,
in every kind word, in each loving deed
in helping the lonely, those lost and in need.
If the deep love of Christ in our hearts we will share
then the great Christmas story will be everywhere.
And I heard her exclaim as she walked through the snow
with the world all awash in the heavenly glow
"Merry Christmas to all, remember the birth
of the Saviour who brought peace and joy to the earth!"
Friday, December 18, 2009
BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Christmas Past
We arrived back in Richmond last night in time to hop into the frantic pace of holiday festivities...there was shopping to be done, parties to attend, presents to wrap, lights and garlands to hang, the tree to be selected and decorated, fruitcake and cookies to be baked....an endless list of preparations and tasks that must be completed in the fifteen short days that were left. It seemed a bit overwhelming as I ticked through my list, trying to figure what to do when, how to get it all done, and if there would be time to just enjoy the season without being completely exhausted.
I thought of the piles of boxes that needed to be hauled down from the attic and remembered last January when I had hauled them all back into storage. As I shoved over 27 containers full of nutcrackers, tinsel trees, nativity scenes, glass balls and garlands, I told my husband, "I don't think this was what Christ had in mind for the celebration of His birth. Next year, I'm going to hang one wreath, display one nativity scene, put out one candle, and that is going to be it for the decorations. This has gotten to be ridiculous." I had spent enough money on decorations to buy a heiffer for every starving family in Africa, and I knew all the garlands and bows in the world wouldn't really tell the true story of Christmas. I had been sucked into the mass consumerism that had overtaken the holiday. I thought of the stories my grandmother had told of her childhood holidays, and the stark contradiction between the obscene commercialism of our Christmas today and the profound simplicity of her Christmas past caused me to experience a moment of shame. The simplistic celebrations of yore may pale in comparison to the consumer-driven, commercialized, mega-hpyed secular version our children experience today, but I would trade all the glitter and glitz of present for one chance to experience those simple but holy Christmases of her youth.
The holiday was as it should be....a holy-day, with church and worship of the Saviour's birth the main focus. This was long before Santa had replaced the babe in the manger, before shopping malls replaced sanctuaries, before "Holiday Trees" and "Holiday Greetings" crowded out "Christmas trees" and proclamations of "Merry Christmas", and when the birth of Christ was still the focus of the season.There were no mounds of presents under the tree, no dancing reindeer lighting up the lawn or a million lights twinkling from the eaves of the house. Santa came, but he came quietly and without the abundance of gifts expected today. There were no arguments about nativity scenes on courthouse lawns or bans on singing carols in the schools. We were still "One Nation Under God" and not ashamed to admit it, and the reason for the season had not been obscured by marketing executives determined to cash in on every belief system on the planet in order to turn December 25 into nothing more than a shopping extravaganza. The greatest gift was the time spent with family celebrating the birth of the Saviour.
Christmas Eve was spent in church, with carols and candles heralding the birthday of the Christ-child. Lights in the windows signified the coming of the light of the world, and Santa was still a Saint who gave gifts from the heart, gifts of love that were reminiscent of the gifts of frankencense, gold and myrhh laid at the manger by three wise men. There were no IPODS, four wheel drive vehicles, designer clothes, computers, bicycles, or other extravagent gifts waiting under the tree. Santa was practical, bringing sweet treats that were a holdiay delicacy and perhaps a few necessities such as socks and underwear, perhaps a woolen scarf or pair of kid gloves.
Christmas Eve was spent in church, with carols and candles heralding the birthday of the Christ-child. Lights in the windows signified the coming of the light of the world, and Santa was still a Saint who gave gifts from the heart, gifts of love that were reminiscent of the gifts of frankencense, gold and myrhh laid at the manger by three wise men. There were no IPODS, four wheel drive vehicles, designer clothes, computers, bicycles, or other extravagent gifts waiting under the tree. Santa was practical, bringing sweet treats that were a holdiay delicacy and perhaps a few necessities such as socks and underwear, perhaps a woolen scarf or pair of kid gloves.
As a child, my grandmother and her brothers would eagerly await Christmas with dreams of carols, family gatherings, and a grand Christmas dinner. On those long-ago Christmas mornings, Grandfather would awaken everyone with an explosive greeting as he marched up and down the hallway igniting firecrackers to proclaim Santa's arrival. Everyday stockings had been nailed to the mantle, and the excited children would soon pull them down and search for treats that Santa had tucked inside. Before pulling down the stockings, Uncle Benny would run to the fireplace, stick his nose up the chimney, sniff and exclaim "I smell bananas!" In the early 1900's, it was an exotic treat to get a banana from Santa in your stocking; an even greater treat was to receive a bunch of dried grapes which were still attached to the vine, the forerunner of today's raisins. Nuts and candies filled out the rest of the space, with an orange in the toe of the stocking capping off a perfect Christmas morning.
As soon as the morning fires were lit, individuals who worked for the family would begin the southern tradition of knocking on the back door in anticipation of a holiday treat. Jeff Wright, a carpenter, would always be the first to bang at the back door, hands extended, a grin lighting up his dark face as he shouted "Christmas gift! Christmas gift!" Other workers would follow, each eagerly awaiting gifts of money, a new sweater, and a hot Christmas breakfast of hominy, sausage, biscuits, and eggs. After church services, the entire extended family would gather around the dining room table for the Christmas meal of turkey and ham, dressing, candied sweet potatoes, asparagus, scalloped oysters, rice and gravy, cranberries and pickled peaches, relishes and aspics, biscuits and fresh butter. Fruitcake and cookies lined the sideboard, but the grand finale was always Gypsy Cake. This once-a-year holiday treat, still a family favorite, was dreamed of 364 days of the year in anticipation of that Christmas day delight. Layers of sponge cake, made only according to the recipe in the Old Red Cookbook, were sprinkled with pecans and raisins, with each of those layers topped with a layer of creamy boiled custard, layer after layer, until the bowl overflowed. The trifle dish, piled high and deep, awaited its presentation on the back porch if the day were cold enough or else in the icebox. For the more adventuresome holiday guest, a dash of spirits was added to each layer, turning the dessert into the self-explanatory "Tipsey Cake". A dollop of freshly whipped cream completed the presentation. Groans and sighs of contentment inevitably topped off the day. A walk through town to wish neighbors and friends a "Merry Christmas" would be just enough to waken the senses and work up an appetite to gather round the table for a final holiday evening meal before bidding relatives goodnight and goodbye.
And that was it. A simple but profound day spent with family and loved ones in celebration of the birth of Christ, yet a day memorable enough that my grandmother lovingly recalled each memory and morsel of it more than eighty years later. She is long gone now, as are the Christmases she once knew, but the memories are enough to make me smile as I prepare for this holy season , knowing she is with the One whose birth we still celebrate.
This year, I wish for a simple Christmas, a holy Christmas, a Merry Christmas, one that will be full of memories that will bind families together and make future generations smile in recollection. And to each of you, I wish the same. Have a very, very Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Going Home Again
Whoever said you can't go home again probably didn't realize you actually can....as long as it's not forever and there's an open door policy on both ends of the deal. The transition back home to live with my parents while Sissey attends college has been much smoothier and much easier than I ever imagined, plus it's been a whole lot of fun! I don't know if it's the fact that we all realize how quickly this experience will go by, or if it's because everyone is cheering and rooting for Sissey to get her college degree, or if it's just because I have been blessed with an incredibly understanding and supportive family (on both ends of the deal), but this unusual journey is turning out to be a pretty good trip!
If the next couple of years go by as quickly as this first semester, I have a feeling Sissey will be working on her PhD before we know it. But for now, we are both ready to head home again for the holidays and are just hoping Christmas break does not go by as quickly as the last sixteen weeks!
All I really want for Christmas this year is to spend some quality time with my family....Bro will be arriving home from UVA in a couple of weeks and I plan to feed that hard-working college boy some home-cooked meals and take really good care of him while he's home...some quality TLC Mom-style! He's been so proud of his sister and so understanding of the different path her college career must take. From the moment he started submitting his college applications in his junior year of high school, he started pushing his sister to do the same. Even when she chose to take a year off and work, he didn't let up, constantly talking to her about going on to college, working towards a degree, completing her education. Even though he is not a Carolina fan and will certainly never pull for the Gamecocks, he is still proud of her decision and will always support the "home team."
My husband and parents have been unbelievably flexible and patient as Sissey and I have disrupted all their lives with our comings and goings. I am keenly aware of the necessary adaptations in lifestyles that everyone has had to make in order for this journey to become a reality, and I do not take if for granted or assume that we were entitled to this opportunity. It has been an abundant gift...the chance to spend precious time with my parents, the chance for Sissey to bloom into the confident young woman she is destined to become, the chance for everyone to sacrifice something for a greater cause...those are truly gifts from the heart.
So we'll pack up in a few days and head for home, going to the northern end of the southern states, going home again to Virginia, and in a few weeks, returning home again to South Carolina. And so it will go for the next four years, until the journey is complete, diploma in hand, tassels turned, and we can all say, "She did it!"
If the next couple of years go by as quickly as this first semester, I have a feeling Sissey will be working on her PhD before we know it. But for now, we are both ready to head home again for the holidays and are just hoping Christmas break does not go by as quickly as the last sixteen weeks!
All I really want for Christmas this year is to spend some quality time with my family....Bro will be arriving home from UVA in a couple of weeks and I plan to feed that hard-working college boy some home-cooked meals and take really good care of him while he's home...some quality TLC Mom-style! He's been so proud of his sister and so understanding of the different path her college career must take. From the moment he started submitting his college applications in his junior year of high school, he started pushing his sister to do the same. Even when she chose to take a year off and work, he didn't let up, constantly talking to her about going on to college, working towards a degree, completing her education. Even though he is not a Carolina fan and will certainly never pull for the Gamecocks, he is still proud of her decision and will always support the "home team."
My husband and parents have been unbelievably flexible and patient as Sissey and I have disrupted all their lives with our comings and goings. I am keenly aware of the necessary adaptations in lifestyles that everyone has had to make in order for this journey to become a reality, and I do not take if for granted or assume that we were entitled to this opportunity. It has been an abundant gift...the chance to spend precious time with my parents, the chance for Sissey to bloom into the confident young woman she is destined to become, the chance for everyone to sacrifice something for a greater cause...those are truly gifts from the heart.
So we'll pack up in a few days and head for home, going to the northern end of the southern states, going home again to Virginia, and in a few weeks, returning home again to South Carolina. And so it will go for the next four years, until the journey is complete, diploma in hand, tassels turned, and we can all say, "She did it!"
THE END
(OF THE FIRST SEMESTER!)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Last Day of Classes
Classes are complete, coursework is done, campus is quiet, Christmas is coming....we did it! The first semester is over and we haven't missed a single class--not even the eight o'clock one (although it was a struggle on some mornings to get up, get dressed, and hit Highway Nine to Lancaster in time to beat the school buses)! All coursework has been turned in, the books for next semester have been purchased, and we still haven't gotten the swine flu. So far, so good.
Sissey is going into finals with an A average in every class. Unless she decides not to show up for exams, the forecast is looking pretty good for a spot on the Dean's List! Today, she submitted her application to serve as an advisor in the P.A.L. program (Peer Advisors at Lancaster) and has an interview with the selection panel scheduled for next week. If selected, she will attend the Southern Region Orientation Workshop (a leadership training conference), assist in new student orientation and registration, help with various campus events, take a three credit leadership class during the spring semester, and will also receive a stipend. She has also agreed to serve on the Accessibility Review Committee at USC in Columbia. There, she will join a panel of professors, students, and engineers that meet monthly to discuss accessibility issues arising during renovation or new construction projects on either the main campus or any regional campus.
Last week, she was one of two students chosen to speak at the annual Scholarship Luncheon- a beautiful event to thank the donors, recognize the recipients, and feed the faculty. Prior to starting classes in the fall, Sissey had received the Dr. Edward William and Mary Sue Catalano Scholarship, named in honor of the parents of the current Dean of USC-L, Dr. John Catalano. In his opening remarks, Dean Catalano spoke of his trip to Columbia the day before to visit his 93 year old father who was unable to attend the luncheon. Dr. Catalano remarked that he was one of 12 children, there were 35 grandchildren in his family, and 11 great-grandchildren, but that when he arrived at his father's house, there was only ONE picture on his refrigerator--and it was none other than Mary Lapsley Daly! His father had lost a leg during the war and understood the struggles of living life with a disability. It was a bittersweet irony for my physically challenged daughter to have received an academic scholarship from a physically-challenged veteran philanthropist. There were many layers of meaning in that message--a reward for hard work and dedication, a challenge to try your hardest and to never give up, a call to give back to the world no matter what circumstances you faced in life.
As I watched her give her speech that morning, standing behind the lecturn in a poised and confident manner, addressing a crowd of over 500 attendees, I couldn't help but think "Is this the same nervous Nelly I drove down to South Carolina back in the fall?"
I think not!
I vividly remember the night we arrived--moving in under the cover of darkness, loaded with boxes and bags, struggling with suitcases, carrying an even heavier load of apprehension and nervousness. We had no idea what to expect when we arrived on campus the following morning. Coming from a small school of no more than one hundred students, would she be overwhelmed by a campus of several thousand? She had no more than five students per class at Northstar; would large classes and even larger lectures be more than she could handle? She knew not a single soul in the entire county, would she feel isolated and lonely?
I think not!
I'll be heading home for the holidays with a more confident, more mature, and more educated young lady than the frightened little girl that made the 350 mile drive down in August. We still have a long way to go and the journey will get harder each semester, but no matter what happens from this point on, no one will ever be able to take away the fact that Sissey did it-- she took that huge leap of faith after high school, jumped out into the big, unknown world, took her chance when she got it, and went off to college. Not only did she go, she went with bells a-ringing and angels a-singing!
And as we drive back to Richmond, I will be singing "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and this year he's bringing a whole sack of happiness and confidence, love and joy!"
Plus, I think Mom and Dad are going to be pretty happy when the grades come in!
Sissey is going into finals with an A average in every class. Unless she decides not to show up for exams, the forecast is looking pretty good for a spot on the Dean's List! Today, she submitted her application to serve as an advisor in the P.A.L. program (Peer Advisors at Lancaster) and has an interview with the selection panel scheduled for next week. If selected, she will attend the Southern Region Orientation Workshop (a leadership training conference), assist in new student orientation and registration, help with various campus events, take a three credit leadership class during the spring semester, and will also receive a stipend. She has also agreed to serve on the Accessibility Review Committee at USC in Columbia. There, she will join a panel of professors, students, and engineers that meet monthly to discuss accessibility issues arising during renovation or new construction projects on either the main campus or any regional campus.
Last week, she was one of two students chosen to speak at the annual Scholarship Luncheon- a beautiful event to thank the donors, recognize the recipients, and feed the faculty. Prior to starting classes in the fall, Sissey had received the Dr. Edward William and Mary Sue Catalano Scholarship, named in honor of the parents of the current Dean of USC-L, Dr. John Catalano. In his opening remarks, Dean Catalano spoke of his trip to Columbia the day before to visit his 93 year old father who was unable to attend the luncheon. Dr. Catalano remarked that he was one of 12 children, there were 35 grandchildren in his family, and 11 great-grandchildren, but that when he arrived at his father's house, there was only ONE picture on his refrigerator--and it was none other than Mary Lapsley Daly! His father had lost a leg during the war and understood the struggles of living life with a disability. It was a bittersweet irony for my physically challenged daughter to have received an academic scholarship from a physically-challenged veteran philanthropist. There were many layers of meaning in that message--a reward for hard work and dedication, a challenge to try your hardest and to never give up, a call to give back to the world no matter what circumstances you faced in life.
As I watched her give her speech that morning, standing behind the lecturn in a poised and confident manner, addressing a crowd of over 500 attendees, I couldn't help but think "Is this the same nervous Nelly I drove down to South Carolina back in the fall?"
I think not!
I vividly remember the night we arrived--moving in under the cover of darkness, loaded with boxes and bags, struggling with suitcases, carrying an even heavier load of apprehension and nervousness. We had no idea what to expect when we arrived on campus the following morning. Coming from a small school of no more than one hundred students, would she be overwhelmed by a campus of several thousand? She had no more than five students per class at Northstar; would large classes and even larger lectures be more than she could handle? She knew not a single soul in the entire county, would she feel isolated and lonely?
I think not!
I'll be heading home for the holidays with a more confident, more mature, and more educated young lady than the frightened little girl that made the 350 mile drive down in August. We still have a long way to go and the journey will get harder each semester, but no matter what happens from this point on, no one will ever be able to take away the fact that Sissey did it-- she took that huge leap of faith after high school, jumped out into the big, unknown world, took her chance when she got it, and went off to college. Not only did she go, she went with bells a-ringing and angels a-singing!
And as we drive back to Richmond, I will be singing "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and this year he's bringing a whole sack of happiness and confidence, love and joy!"
Plus, I think Mom and Dad are going to be pretty happy when the grades come in!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Final Stretch
This begins the last week of the first semester of the next four years of college life...it all seemed to go by in about 30 seconds, much like watching my children grow up over the last nineteen years. Exams begin next week, all papers and projects and power-point presentations are due this week, and there are only twenty five shopping days left until Christmas. Things may be a little slow right now in the communication department, but we are entering the final stretch in full force.
It has been an amazing four months and I'm not sure who has gained the most out of this experience. I have watched Sissey gain confidence and wisdom in leaps and bounds. I have had the luxury of returning to my childhood home to relive old memories and create new ones. My son and husband have graciously and patiently adapted to this new and unusual living arrangement. My parents have gone to extraordinary lengths to welcome us home. They have allowed us to completely disrupt life as they knew it and have accomodated any and all of our special needs-- installing automatic stair-lifts, ramps, railings and walkways where needed. Even the dogs have played their part and adjusted to the ever-changing schedule of "family here/family gone."
My heart is full and grateful this Christmas season.
I look forward to finishing up this semester, resting over a nice long break, then starting back in January with fresh energy, a new schedule of classes, and the anticipation of enjoying a mild South Carolina winter.
One week to go and counting.....the final stretch begins.
It has been an amazing four months and I'm not sure who has gained the most out of this experience. I have watched Sissey gain confidence and wisdom in leaps and bounds. I have had the luxury of returning to my childhood home to relive old memories and create new ones. My son and husband have graciously and patiently adapted to this new and unusual living arrangement. My parents have gone to extraordinary lengths to welcome us home. They have allowed us to completely disrupt life as they knew it and have accomodated any and all of our special needs-- installing automatic stair-lifts, ramps, railings and walkways where needed. Even the dogs have played their part and adjusted to the ever-changing schedule of "family here/family gone."
My heart is full and grateful this Christmas season.
I look forward to finishing up this semester, resting over a nice long break, then starting back in January with fresh energy, a new schedule of classes, and the anticipation of enjoying a mild South Carolina winter.
One week to go and counting.....the final stretch begins.
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