Comments by Cathy

NATIVITY PLAYS PROMINENT ROLE IN FAMILY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-22T11:20:00.000-05:00

As I take each piece from the worn,cardboard storage box, I marvel that it they have lasted so well for almost 40years. This will be the 38^th Christmas that I have set up my specialNativity scene. It’s very traditional with special touches added from mychildhood and throughout our married life.

The first piece is the stable,looking a little worn; some of the thatch is coming off the top, probably a lotlike the first stable in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph are then placed in thestable along with a cow and a donkey. I also place two special white lambs thatI have had since I was a young girl with my first Nativity scene. The Innkeeperstands outside with his lantern, making sure they are settled comfortably. It’sa humble setting for a couple awaiting the birth of such a special child.

Next, I place the Shepherds andsheep into the field, off stage from the stable. I imagine the surprise ofthose long ago herders who were suddenly given amazing news by the Angels. Thegood news of the Holy birth came first to humble men in the fields, rather thanto the Royalty of the land. They didn’t question the Angels, but left theirflocks and went in search of the Baby Jesus.

From my storage box I take out theAngels, an eclectic assortment collected overthe years. I place them near the Shepherds and their sheep. None of the Angelscame with my original Nativity set, but have been gifts or former Christmastree ornaments. They are now a special part of my Christmas tradition. Hark,the Herald Angels sing; glory to the new born King!

When we bought the Nativity in oneof our first years of marriage, it came with only two wise men. A few years agoAllan surprised me with the third Wise Man as well as an Inn Keeper to upgrademy set. The Wise Men, who didn’t come to the Holy family until some time afterthe birth, are placed further from the stable, making their way, following theStar. I don’t have a Star in my collection; but it is always there in my mind.

I think it is interesting that theWise men are not mentioned in the Luke 2 story of the first Christmas but arein the Matthew Gospel. Likewise, the Shepherds are not mentioned in Matthew butare in Luke’s story. Together, the two Gospels tell the story of the birth ofChrist.

On Christmas Day the baby Jesus isadded to the Nativity. Okay, so many years I don’t wait and have the completedNativity throughout the Advent Season. But some years, I move the Shepherds andWise Men closer throughout Advent and on Christmas, the birth of the ChristChild is represented by placing the manger and baby in the Nativity.

We have many traditions and holidaysymbols of the season. But to me the Nativity is the most moving, the mostrepresentative of what Christmas is all about.

THANKSGIVING: FOOD, FAMILY, FOOTBALL

2011-11-09T10:19:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is one of thosememory holidays. Whether good ones or bad ones, it’s one of those days youremember and reflect upon. When I was growing up, for example, my mother didn’treally care for turkey. Our traditional Thanksgiving dinner included dressing and mashed potatoes andother good things, but no turkey. We always had a baked hen. Hen’s can betricky birds and one year that old hen just wouldn’t get done. Hence, one toughold hen created a Thanksgiving memory.

Inaddition to giving thanks for our blessings, food, family, andfootball seem to be the theme of this specialAmerican holiday. I’m not a football fan, but I do like preparing the meal andhaving my family and friends around me. Additionally, for many in ourcommunity, feeding thehungry is also a part of their Thanksgiving tradition.

Thisyear, more than ever, many people have a new personal theme to this day; thatof hunger. The groups in our communitywho help those in need are seeing an increase in the number of folks coming tothem for help. Many have never asked for help before, but loss of jobs, homesand income have brought them to the doorstep of the non-profit organizations. Thereis a new dilemma this year, however. Theneeds have increased but the numbers of people who are able to give havedecreased.

Intoo many homes throughout our county Thanksgiving will be just another day oftoo little food and too much hunger. With the donations of generous folksthroughout Cobb, however, there will be food baskets filling empty pantries. Inmentioning some of the groups offering help, I’m sure I will offend others whoare not mentioned; just know that it is not intentional if a group is omitted.There is an abundance of generous people in our county and so many groups willingto lend their expertise and time to coordinating the donation efforts.

Onewell known group that has been filling Thanksgiving baskets here for 25 yearsis the Center for Family Resources (formerly known as Cobb Family Resources.) Ifyou would like to make a contribution to them or find out how to receive help,call them at 770-428-2601 orwww.TheCFR.org.

Another group of individuals who areoften forgotten are those with mental health disabilities. The Cobb CommunityServices Board is furnishing baskets for several hundred individuals andfamilies for Thanksgiving. To make a contribution for yourself or a group, callMary Robeck at 770-819-9229, ext. 226. She will even come and collect yourcanned goods or grocery store gift cards for meats. She is also looking for folks to provide special activities and/orChristmas gifts for individuals or families or groups served by Cobb/DouglasCommunity Services Board.

C.A.M.P. in Austell is seekingdonations rather than actual food. A contribution of $10 will go a long waystoward feeding a family at the holiday or throughout the year. Theirclothes closet provides approximately 12,000 gently-used clothing and householditems, as well as essential items such as diapers, feminine hygiene products andschool supplies. Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 802, Austell30168 or online at www.svcamp.org. They are located at 6289Veterans Memorial Highway Building 12, Austell or call them at 770-819-0662.

Last year our son and his wife, Peter and Ann-Bailey, camefrom Virginia to Marietta on Wednesday so they can run in the Thanksgiving DayGobble Jog. This is a fund-raising event for MUST Ministries. They are well-knownin our community for the help they provide, including food at Thanksgiving andthroughout the year. For information about MUST Ministries in Smyrna call themat 770-436-9514 or check their web site at MUSTMinistries.org or for theGobble Jog: www.gobblejog.org , or call theGobble Jog hotline: 678-218-4521.

On November 24 we will gather together, thankful to Godfor our family, our home, food to eat and fellowship with those we love. For usand for many families throughout our county and country, it has been a year ofbelt-tightening and budgeting, but on Thanksgiving Day we will be grateful for allof our many blessing.

WELCOMING LILLIAN BELL LIPSETT

2011-10-07T11:54:00.001-04:00

She is tiny, beautiful, an adorable baby. Lillian BellLipsett was born on September 3 at 10:28 on a Saturday evening and captivated us from the moment we met her.She is our second granddaughter but I can tell already that she will certainlynot be second best to anyone. Just as each child is special, each grandchildhas her own unique hold on our hearts.

Lilly has a determined spirit that has already manifesteditself. She is the first child of two first children. I expect she will bestrong-willed and assertive in the kind and gentle manner of a Southern lady.

We met her when she was one week old and home with herparents in Arlington, Virginia. It was a hot September day and her parents andgrandparents thought it would be nice to take try out the new pram and Lillyfor a short walk. Lilly, at her early age, knew it was too hot for an outing.She protested for all of the Fairlington community to hear. It was a very short walkwith a happy baby quickly back inside. Her mother captured the moment perfectly forall of us when she told Lilly: “You must forgive us; we’re first time parentsand we make mistakes.”

They may be first time parents but they are doing anexcellent job already. Lilly's parents, our son Peter and our daughter-in-law,Ann-Bailey Lynn Lipsett, are remarkable parents already, meeting her demandswith a calmness and patience that even many experienced parents lack.

Lilly is surrounded by love from her parents and her twosets of grandparents. Her maternal grandparents, Beth and Jon Lynn, ofWarrenton, VA, live closer to her Arlington home than we do and are a wonderfulsupport for her and her parents. As for us, her Lipsett grandparents, I see in our future many more trips toArlington with a stop in Charlotte to visit her cousin Addie

FALLING IN LOVE WITH ADDIE

2011-09-18T19:17:00.000-04:00

FALLING IN LOVE WITH ADDIE

All it tookwas meeting her, holding her in our arms and our first granddaughter capturedour hearts. She is not only a beautiful baby; she is a good baby, allowingherself to be passed from loving arms to loving arms without a cry orcomplaint.

AddileeRuth Long was born on August 6 at 10:15 on a beautiful Saturday morning. Wealmost made it in time for her birth, arriving at Presbyterian Hospital inCharlotte at 2 in the afternoon. We walked into the room and our daughter,Katie, asked if we would like to hold our granddaughter. As she placed Addileein my arms, it was love at first sight; at first holding. Addie, as she will becalled, snuggled into my arms, bonding quickly with her grandma.

She was bornon a day when the headlines screamed of historic economic decline in America.Enough doom and gloom to make us wonder what kind of world this precious childhad entered and what kind of future she will have. But she was also born into afamily with love for her and for each other; with parents to protect her andteach her and guide her. She comes into an extended family with a long historyof strong spiritual roots and faith that will be a part of her upbringing andsupport.

Addie wascalm on the day of her birth, not troubled by the headlines. She seemed to feelthe love that surrounded her. What will the future hold for Addilee? We can’tpretend to know. But I do know that her mother and father and her grandparentswill always love her and protect her. No matter what the financial chaos of theworld, she will be rich in the things that matter; the things that money cannot buy.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:40:00.013-04:00

Motherhood is one of those things we can define both by our actions and our emotions.

Motherhood: It’s about pacing the floor at 2 a.m. with a crying child, trying to soothe both of you. It’s about pacing the floor just before midnight when your child is out on his first solo date – and driving. It’s about pacing the floor while your child is in surgery, because you need something to do and can’t sit still and time is moving so slowly.

Motherhood: It’s about praying when your child is crying and you don’t know why and nothing you do seems to offer comfort. It’s about praying when your child is away from home that he will return safely. It’s about praying when your child is in surgery that she will be healed.

Motherhood: it’s about praising your child for sleeping through the night. It’s about praising your child for acting responsibly when she’s driving. It’s about praising your child for being brave when facing sickness or adversity.

Motherhood is one of life’s greatest blessings and one of its greatest challenges. It’s the one full-time job we accept having no real training. We are able to learn some of the basic life skills, like cooking and diaper changing and chauffeuring. But most of the special things mothers do come through on the job training. You learn to accept sticky hugs without a wash cloth, lopsided clay vases without art criticism, and words spoken in anger without retaliation. You learn the value of each precious minute of time spent with a child, teaching them, playing with them, and most of all loving them.

I am thankful that I had a wonderful mother to teach me that motherhood is one of life's greatest privileges and joys. I am so very thankful that I have been blessed with the wonder of being a mother; that I have been able to watch our two children grow from tiny babies into fabulous, self-sufficient, intelligent adults.

My message to the two in our family who are about to be mothers: I wish you much joy and happiness and wonder as you spend the rest of your life pacing, praying and praising as part of the glory of motherhood.

REMEMBERING A FAMILY WWII VETERAN

2010-11-11T16:23:00.005-05:00

Several years ago the Marietta Daily Journal ran a story about the Sons of the Confederacy wanting to honor a Confederate Soldier who had saved the lives of his fellow soldiers during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. The event happened near what is today the intersection of Burnt Hickory Road and Old Mountain Road. When I read the story, I realized that the hero was my great-great grandfather, Isaac Petersen Collier. He was a part of the regiment from his home county of Upson, down in middle Georgia.

I had heard versions of this story during my childhood. But it was the work of my uncle, Joel Shattles, who brought the story to life for the family. This was not the only story that he brought to life and shared with our family members.

My Uncle Joel died recently at the age of 86. He was an amazing person. After his wife of 55 years died, he found a way to work through his grief, filling his days with writing stories for his grandchildren and great grand children. He also discovered a talent and passion for family history. After moving in with his son and his family the two of them teamed up to research our family tree.

At an age when many would not want to learn something new, he went online, connecting with relatives throughout the country. Through emails and phone calls he began connecting our various family lines. As my cousin Dick wrote in Uncle Joel’s obituary, “for 12 years he worked tirelessly trying to discover Shattles family members around the country, increasing the known family count from 75 to over 4000.”

Military service is a proud tradition in our family, going back in this country to the Revolutionary War. On Monday, November 8, my Uncle Joel was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, an honor he well deserves. During WWII, he was a part of the 15th Cavalry Division and earned the Purple Heart and many other medals. Joel Richard Shattles was the ninth of 13 children, 12 of whom grew to adulthood. Of the six adult sons, including my father, five served in the military during WWII, representing all the major branches of the armed services. The youngest son, not of age for WWII, served during the Korean War. Thankfully, all returned safely.

We are all missing Uncle Joel; but his legacy will be a vital part of our family for generations to come.

2010-06-19T21:45:00.010-04:00

HE WAS A GENTLE SPIRIT

My father had a gentle spirit. Does that sound like a trite phrase? In today’s world I don’t think we have enough masculine gentle spirits for the phrase to be trite. Father’s Day, and any day, is a good time for me to remember my own dad and his kind and gentle spirit.

(My grandmother with my Dad, right, and his twin brother, Dan)

He was loving and kind, protective and encouraging, the perfect father to me and my sister. My father, David Collier Shattles, had Parkinson’s disease from the time I was in elementary school until his death in 1986, yet, as long as possible, he continued to work and to play golf. He didn’t complain about the Parkinson’s. I never heard him use it as an excuse for not doing the things he needed to do.

He was never rich, nor famous, yet he was an inspiration to all who knew him. He worked for Eastern Air Lines for over 25 years. The employee passes allowed him to take his golf clubs for impromptu visits to his brother, Joel, in Jacksonville or other family members elsewhere and I was often his traveling buddy. My mother and sister didn’t like to fly, so, despite the passes, we never traveled to exotic beaches or the renowned golf courses. He played on the courses in the Atlanta area, enjoying the pleasures of a sport at which he excelled.

If marriage, fatherhood, golf and his work defined his later life, his early adult years were defined by his service in the Army Air Corps. He was a hero honored with many medals and knew many close brushes with death. He was a part of the crew of the Vagabond King in 1943 as part of the raid on the Ploesti Oil Fields. Later in 1943, stationed in England with the 8th Air Force, the Vagabond King was set for another mission, when my dad developed tonsillitis. It was an ill-fated mission, with my father, the only crew survivor, having been left behind in a base hospital in England to have his tonsils removed. His faith and that of his parents was very strong, and I know that their prayers were constant for the safe return of my father, his four brothers and his brothers-in-law serving our country during World War II.

His was a kind and gentle spirit, full of love for God, family, and country. I have been blessed that the men in my life, my father, my husband, and my son, all been endowed with this spirit of love toward others.

HONORING THE JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD

2010-05-09T10:53:00.002-04:00

Our daughter called recently - called just to share some news and chat while she was out walking her dog. We talked, laughed, caught up on things going on, and then each went back to our day. But it was a brighter day because of her call.

The night before her call, a similar one from her brother brightened my evening. They are both grown-up now, living their own married lives, but we are connected by that mother-child bond that links us to one another for life. Each contact with them, every memory, reminds me of how much I love being a mother – of being their mother.

As a child, growing up in the South, Mother’s Day was always a very special holiday. One special memory is of the Mother’s Day flower, usually a rose, although a carnation would also be acceptable. In our family, we always wore a rose on Mother’s Day. The tradition is that you wore a white rose if your mother was no longer living and a red rose if she was. I can remember my mother stopping at the florist across the street from our church to pick up flowers for us. Most years, however, we found a rose bush with blooms that we could pick from. My grandmother, who went to church with us, always wore a white rose, sometimes in a corsage. It was from her that I learned what the white rose symbolized. I don’t know when the tradition faded away, but I know I seldom see anyone wearing a rose for mother’s day.

Since 1981, I have been blessed with the joy of motherhood for myself. I wish my own mother had been with us longer to enjoy more time to with her grandchildren. She would have been impressed with the individuals they have become. Each year since 1987, I have missed by own mother on Mother’s Day. I miss the conversations; the sharing of traditions; just knowing she was there.

I have to admit, when Peter was first placed in my arms, I was overjoyed but also frightened. Would I be able to keep him safe, healthy, help him grow into his potential. Having a strong help-mate in their father made it less frightening; but still, I have to admit to being an overly cautious mother. When Katie was born two years later, I was still the cautious mother. With the second child, I have heard, mothers are supposed to be far less worried about germs and bumps and bruises. But, truth be told, I still worry about them, just not as much.

Being further away from our children’s day-to-day lives, and knowing they are responsible adults, I don’t stress like I did when they were young. I still tell them to drive carefully, however, when they are going on a car trip and other such motherly advice. They are polite and take my advice in stride. We’ve also reached the point where they tell us to have a safe trip, and other such cautions. It’s nice that they are concerned about us as we are about them.

Mother’s Day has a proud history as a holiday set aside to honor each individual mother. Personally, it is not only a day for remembering my own mother, it is a day for honoring the joys that motherhood has brought to me.

THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS AND CHRISTMAS EVE

2009-12-17T19:18:00.004-05:00

We sit in our pews, carefully holding our candles and singing Silent Night. Emotions of the evening are private as each of us brings our own thoughts of Christmas pasts prayerfully into the present. After the prayer the choir begins the Hallelujah Chorus, joined by those in the congregation who wish to do so. Everyone else stands in silent celebration as the sanctuary is overwhelmed with the joy of the birth of the new born king.

It’s the night before Christmas and all through Cobb County, as it is at the First Presbyterian Church Marietta service described above, there are voices joined in resounding joy. The secular traditions of the holiday, the frazzled days of shopping and decorating, are secondary to those of the religious celebration.

One of my Face Book friends recently asked folks to tell her about their Christmas traditions that they shared with their children. Along with several others, I began by talking about our tradition of going to the Christmas Eve service at our church. I have an idea that Christmas, more than most holidays, is one in which the traditions of our childhoods play a major role in how we celebrate as adults.

I grew up as a member of a small Southern Baptist church that didn’t have a Christmas Eve service. After I married a Presbyterian, the Eve service became a part of our own family tradition. Before children and when they were very young, we were members of the First Presbyterian Church in St. Marys, Georgia, a small historic church near the intercoastal waterway. The first Christmas after our daughter Katie was born, we set out for the church in freezing cold weather. Looking back, I am amazed that, the overprotective mother that I was, I agreed to take our little baby and her toddler-aged brother out in record setting cold – minus three or so. But it was a beautiful service and the tradition has continued no matter what the weather.

Now we are members of First Presbyterian Marietta, a much larger historic church near the Square. But the size of the church doesn’t determine the experience of the Christmas Eve service. It is the worship experience; the celebration of the birth of Christ that repeats the message of the season.

This year, making the service extra special, I will be joined in the congregation by our son, Peter, and his wife Ann-Bailey and our daughter, Katie, and her husband Drew. Allan will be in the tenor section of the choir. We will join folks all over the world participating in the celebration of Christmas, our one truly international holiday.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

2009-07-04T12:06:00.002-04:00

LET US CELEBRATE OUR FREEDOMS ON JULY 4TH

July 4th! Independence Day! This is our uniquely American holiday when we honor our freedom and American heritage. We hold parades, display fireworks and wave flags. We celebrate the 4th as a day to let the world know we continue to stand for freedom for all of our citizens.

I’m proud to be an American, not only when a particular party in is power in Washington, but all of the time. I’m proud of the citizens of our country, that we can elect our leaders without bloodshed or riot. I’m proud of my ancestors who fought valiantly to preserve the freedoms that we have today. I’m proud of every American who continues to fight for our country today to ensure that our freedoms continue.

Rather than July 4th, we could be celebrating on the 2nd. The second day of July in 1776 was the legal separation of the colonies from Great Britain. It was on that day that the Second Continental Congress approved a resolution of independence. The final approval, however, took place on July 4, 1776. It was not until August 2 of that year that the first signature was placed on the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams, who later became our second President, wrote to his wife Abigail: “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

We continue to fulfill Adams’ prophecy, although not on the exact day he suggested. But how blessed we are to live in a country which for more than 200 years has continued a celebration of freedom; a country whose citizens have continually cherished the ideals of our founding fathers.

America is a youngster compared to many countries of the world. I pray that we will be a civilization that will endure, aging gracefully, growing in wisdom, and forever protecting the ideals of our founding fathers. The freedoms that we enjoy are not to be taken for granted. It behooves all of us to continue to study our history, to read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; to elect leaders who are proud of our country; and to be proud ourselves that we are an independent nation of free people.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Take a few minutes this July 4, or perhaps July 2, to re-read the Declaration of Independence. Think about the tyrannies of oppression from which our founding fathers were separating. Let us vow not to become a nation that forces that same type of oppression upon her citizens.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND THE SWINE FLU

2009-04-27T10:27:00.004-04:00

I have been watching the updates on the concern over the Swine Flu. Will it be an epidemic? Will it become a pandemic? It's too early to tell, but it is time to continue the practical steps that we should be taking anyway: washing hands often, keeping hands away from the face, and staying home when sick.

At the same time that the national health care professionals and the news media are encouraging folks to stay home when sick, many of our schools are still in the mandatory testing that is a part of No Child Left Behind. One component of this national rating of our schools is attendance. I know we must encourage attendance for our school children. As a school board member years ago, I remember being shocked at the large number of absences of some of our students. However, the No Child Left Behind rating will score a school as not meeting progress if even one sub-group fails to meet the attendance requirement on the day of testing - not all year; but just on that testing day.

With this pressure to succeed, teachers push parents to send their child to school for testing despite illness, fever, flu. There are no excuses for not taking the tests. Will we be helping to spread the flu to entire schools so that sick students can help make an arbitrary goal set by politicians?

I think we need more realistic ways to rate our schools. Yes, many of our schools need improving, but many more are doing an excellent job of educating students from diverse backgrounds and ability levels. We need to have schools that students come to with eager enthusiasm, ready to learn, well disciplined, to be taught by teachers who are well prepared and also enthusiastic. We need a way to evaluate schools by total performance in a realistic way. We are not giving teachers, students, parents or the community a realistic picture of their educational system when, as part of the evaluation for an entire school and district, we rate a school as failing because that school has one too many sick children in a sub-group during testing.

THE DAY THE DOLLAR FLOATED BY

2009-04-11T19:21:00.003-04:00

The other day I saw a dollar bill blowing in the wind as I was driving near home. I stopped the car and watched it for a minute. In a bold move for me, I pulled into the near-by parking lot, went up the hill to the road and there was the dollar, just waiting for me. It was an exciting adventure for the day.

I have decided to take this incident as an indicator that better days are ahead for our entire economy. Never mind that this was such an extremely windy day that the dollar could easily have escaped from someone who didn’t want to lose it and that it could have traveled for miles along the gusty current before settling near me.
Many years ago my mother told me that when the economy is good, there will be more change, especially pennies, to be found on the ground. Folks aren’t as fast to pick them up when money is flowing. Well, not only have I recently found the dollar bill, but I have found a good many pennies on the ground.

My friend, Kathy, in Kentucky, on hearing my dollar story, said she still stoops over to pick up pennies. “That’s 100 stoops,” she said. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who will bend over for a penny. I like to think of them as good luck coins.

Not that long ago, I would look at the stock market report in the newspaper or at the end of the evening news, not really bothered by the ups and downs that were a normal part of the market flow. Lately, however, like many others, I have become obsessed with keeping up with the daily Dow. Okay, perhaps obsessed is too strong a term, but I do keep up with it on a daily basis.

The stock market fluctuates, gross retail sales are unpredictable, unemployment numbers continue to rise, and the television pundits and government economist seem equally lacking in understanding. With all that uncertainty in mind, why shouldn’t my penny theory be just as credible as any other?

With dollar bills flying through the air and pennies littering the ground, I will stay optimistic that there is hope for an economic recovery. Now, if only the government officials would stop saying we want to help the middle class and small businesses and actually find a way to do it.

THE ECONOMIC APRIL FOOL'S JOKE

2009-03-31T21:57:00.004-04:00

I can't help thinking the solutions our national leaders have offered for our economic crisis are an elaborate April Fool's Joke. In that vain, I am hopeful that, once the first of April has passed, we will regain our economic sanity and be offered a truthful, workable solution. How wonderful if we can wake up on April 2 and find that market based economics are once again in place; and that a government take-over of our economy has been merely a terrifying bad dream. We will find on that beautiful morning that there is no move to socialized medicine; that the banks and major industries have not been nationalized; and that the tax rates are not being used to penalize the productive. Let's hope that the reality of the past few months is merely a myth and that the true reality is a sound economy, a healthy stock market, and citizens free from the tyranny of big government.

Trying to understand the stimulus

2009-02-14T22:32:00.005-05:00

So much about this stimulus bill makes no sense. But tonight I heard the most puzzling information of all. Our President said we must get the federal deficit under control - at the same time he is saying that he will be signing this un-stimulating stimulus bill. How can a bill that will cost taxpayers almost a trillion dollars help to get the federal deficit under control. How can legislation that causes the USA to borrow billions of dollars be good for us? How can legislation that bloats the size of the federal government be good for us? How can legislation that takes away freedoms be good for us? Does anyone even know what is actually in the bill and what affect it will have on our country? Does it make sense to add massive debt and then insist that we must get the deficit under control? Is this leadership or politics? Is it change we can believe in or change we should fear?

Political Overload

2009-01-29T18:15:00.003-05:00

I need an intervention to counter my addiction to news coverage. Between watching the stock market bounce up and down and keeping up with the action on the over-spending bill, I am saturated with news. Yesterday, I even tuned in to C-Span while the super bill was being debated. It was like watching a sports event where the teams are totally unmatched; you know who is going to win; but you keep hoping you are wrong. My team lost yesterday - and so did our country. Hopefully, some sanity will prevail when the bill goes to the Senate. The more details I hear about the specific spending detains in the House bill, the angrier I become. The only people for whom this is a stimulus bill are those in the special interests groups who are being paid back. I will keep watching Fox News and C-Span as the bill goes to the Senate. Let's all hope that the final version is a Stimulus Bill rather than a Spending Bill.

A DAY WITH NO CELL PHONE

2009-01-27T11:23:00.001-05:00

I thought my handbag felt lighter as I went into our Smyrna office today. I think it was a psychological lightness, an omen of something missing. Alas, I had left my cell phone at home. Not being as technologically adept as I need to be, I also don't know how to access my cell voice mail remotely. Of course some days I have no calls at all on it. But not today. Fortunately, one person trying to call had also e-mailed to ask if I could introduce the speaker at today's Rotary meeting. Not only did I not have my cell, the phone in my office is working only for outgoing calls. The office suites manager is calling our phone company on that one. It is amazing how quickly we can feel out of touch without our simple luxuries. Looking back, I marvel that we could publish a weekly newspaper for so many years with no cell phone, no fax machine, no personal computers, no digital cameras, no e-mail and no internet. Put into that perspective, I can work today with no in-coming calls and no cell phone. Perhaps that's how I have time to update my blog.

A DAY AFTER INAUGURATION

2009-01-21T16:27:00.006-05:00

It's the day after inauguration and the country still functions. The sun is shining and the stock market, after a terrible day yesterday, is once again rallying. Yesterday was a day of pomp and circumstance; a day when masses of people stood in the bitter cold to see a new president sworn in. Although not my choice, he will be my President. And now I, like many others wait to see if he will choose to be our President. Will he be the leader of all, or only for those of color? Will he be the President for all, or only for those who are on the lower rungs of society (and those who are Hollywood celebrities)? Will he support small business owners, or will he, as he did with Joe the Plumber, belittle those who try to succeed as entrepreneurs? Will he increase employment through more government or through private enterprise? Will he realize that lower taxes for all (not just for those who pay no taxes) can bring in more long-term revenue or will he be the stereotype tax and spend liberal? Since it's only been a day, I'll wait optimistically to discover how the new President will lead.

2009-01-14T20:25:00.005-05:00

I've found that starting a blog is much easier than actually continually updating a blog. Since my original post was written last year, I knew it was time to add a something new. I have made many changes to my blog since its inception, changing the template about a dozen times. This is the latest, although perhaps not the last, template change. But now, in addition to template change, I have actually written something new.

I discovered that I can add a photo, which presents a whole new set of changes yet to come. If you're reading this soon after it's posted and before I make future changes, you are seeing a photo I took at Hilton Head Island on our last whole family vacation the summer of 2004. At the end of our time on the island, Katie headed back to Davidson to begin her senior year and Peter went along with Allan and me to Savannah, where we were making a presentation on working with the news media to the Georgia Association of Community Services Board Association. Peter had just finished working with Dylan Glenn's congressional campaign, one that ended in a disappointing loss. Soon after the Hilton Head trip, however, Peter was still headed to D.C. where he would soon began his career with Koch Industries. Those few days at the beach were a relaxing time of being together as a family before we once again went off to different cities.

Merry Christmas to all

2008-12-14T14:07:00.000-05:00

It's the third Sunday in Advent 2009 and I have chosen this day to begin my adventures in blogging. To those who may read this, I wish you a very merry Christmas!

Below is my Bright Side Newspaper column for December 2009.

CHRISTMAS IS NOT A MODERN AMERICAN INVENTION

To hear some of the discussions on how we should limit the exposure of Christmas in our modern American world, one could almost think that the holiday is one that we invented and can now totally shape or ignore as we choose. Schools declare the official time as a winter holiday, yet build the calendar around December 25 as the focus of the holiday.

Yet, no matter how some try to limit the holiday, Christmas is one that is not just an American invention, but a world-wide celebration. One estimate is that Christmas is honored by some 400 million belivers world-wide. The traditions are deep, having developed over centuries, transformed or refined, but always centered on the birth of Christ.

Before the holy birth, ancient civilizations celebrated the winter solstice. December 25, the date the ancient Romans celebrated the winter solstice, may not be the actual date of the birth of Christ, but it has evolved to a universal day of celebration. Our entire calendar of BC and anno Domini is based on the birth of Christ.

In our 21^st century world, where news is constant around the clock it’s hard to imagine that the news of the birth of Christ could spread from a stable in Bethlehem to Shepherds, to wise-men, to the king in a short time. From Angels to Shepherds to ordinary people, the word has continued to spread throughout all the land, generation to generation, nation to nation.

There was no “good news” newspaper like The Bright Side back in the early days. Word was spread one on one, yet here we are, more than 2,000 years later, with the story of the Christ child still powerfully with us. There was an early version of news back in Jesus’ day, a daily sheet first published in 59 BC in Rome called Acta Diurna, or Daily Events, which Julius Caesar had posted throughout the city. Newspapers depend on literacy, however, and in civilizations where many could not read, early newspapers had limited readership.

Today, the story would be on Fox News and CNN with helicopters hovering overhead and reporters out interviewing the Shepherds. The interview might go something like this: REPORTER: “So, here in this field full of sheep, you claim to have seen Angels. Tell me Shepherd boy, do you have a history of hallucinations or drug use?” SHEPHERD: No, and I wasn’t dreaming. There was one Angel with the message of the baby’s birth and then a whole host of Angels. It was an awesome sight.” REPORTER: “Well, there you have it, a claim of Angels out here in the middle of nowhere. We’ll be checking the satellite images to see if they show any unusual activity, however we think it is a hoax. Just in case, however, we have reporters on their way to find the stable and we’ll bring you updates as we have them. Now back to you in the studio.”

Of course, in our modern world Mary and Joseph would not have had to travel to Bethlehem to pay their taxes; they could have stayed home and paid them online. We have computers and instant news coverage and people ready to file lawsuits over nativity scenes and songs of school children. Yet, despite our 21^st century restrictions, the ancient story of the Christmas miracle is, for Christians around the world, as fresh and awesome as when it was first revealed to the Shepherds.