Covid, Take Two

Yep. Mr Covid got 'aholt' of me again.

It has seemed a bit worse case this time. I really feel all of seventy-five years old right now.

But the disease has followed a similar pattern:

• a day or so of misery (fever/congestion/cough) till I got the Paxlovid
• the meds knocked the fever out immediately
• the other symptoms gradually got better. 
• an extremely bitter yucky taste for the duration of the meds. 

I was apparently Covid-free for 36 days after testing negative on a home test after the first bout on July 22 and again on July 24. When Sheila developed a cold we both got tested at the public testing site at the Fairgrounds on August 18 and were both negative. 

I felt sure I was coming down with the same cold a few days later. I took a home test again on August 27. I was so unconcerned about it being Covid that I didn't think to look at the strip till Sheila walked Ito the room and noticed the positive result!

Ugh!

And on a weekend again. Unlike the first time, this time it took the doctor's answering service hours to get through to the doctor on call; my wonderful doctor was not available this time. But a doctor did finally call and prescribed the meds. It was way past our pharmacy's closing hour when that happened. We had to drive through the 24 hour CVS out on Martha Berry Blvd near the by-pass to pick up the meds at about midnight. I was concerned that I felt worse, I thought, and had more congestion and a deeper cough and had run a fever for about 24 hours.  But when I woke up the next morning the fever was gone and the symptoms were less dramatic.

At this point I have one more day of Paxlovid. I will be very glad to rid myself of this disgusting taste, but I am so glad that, if I had to have the disease twice, both cases were when Paxlovid was available. The concoction is evidently made of equal parts battery acid and porcine excrement. It works but it ain't tasty.

I don't know whether this case is a "rebound" or a new infection. Sheila has managed to avoid it still and continues to spoil me rotten while enforcing my quarantine strictly.  When I suggested I do a little light yard work and get some sun and exercise, she put her foot down and insisted I stay in the AC and rest. 

So, we lost a week of our CA trip but managed to persuade Delta to postpone one week. We will --- knock on wood --- fly out Tuesday the sixth, stay in Vista a few days then attend a music festival in Bishop CA with all the Carlins, then fly back to GA with Brannon & the girls for a week, then John will join us for a few days in Mexica Beach before they fly home. So we septuagenarians will have a very busy four weeks.

Since our grandkids have a "countdown chain" that gets shorter each day till we arrive, we decided we needed to have one too:

 

Rules to Teach Your... Students

Facebook reminded me this morning of one of the great blessings of my life. I was  assigned to Mrs. Howell's English class at West Rome High School in the fall of 1963. (Yes, I was on the way to her class when I first got word of the news of the day/decade/half-century) on November 22, 1963.)  

I was not overflowing with self-confidence at the time, and this remarkable woman took an interest in me. She seemed to think me capable of more than I thought myself, and she helped me imagine loftier academic goals. 

Her photo from the faculty section of that same 1965 yearbook.

I suspect she wrote the same message or similar ones in many yearbooks,
and in each case it was sincere on her part and believed fully by the book's owner.

Her teacher's heart influenced my own approach in my teaching career. It became my goal to make each of my students understand that I truly cared about him/her and was confident that each had aptitudes and talents of value. [Here is a post that touches on how I tried to do that.]

Monte Howell Fricks in 2022.

Today is Monte Howell Fricks' ninety-second birthday. In her honor I share this from her Facebook page. The author is unknown, but the sentiments fit well with what I know of Mrs. Howell. In my opinion most of this advice would be valuable to anyone of either sex.

RULES TO TEACH YOUR DAUGHTER

1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down.

2. Learn how to cook a signature dish.

3. Spend 30 min a day reading up on current events.

4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.

5. Request the late check-out.

6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.

7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.

8. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.

9. Play with passion or don’t play at all…

10. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.

11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be

12. Who ever you choose to marry...., you marry his/her family / children

13. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.

14. Experience the serenity of traveling alone.

15. Never be afraid to talk to the best looking person in the room.

16. Never turn down a breath mint.

17. A classic outfit is worth 1000 words.

18. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.

19. Thank a veteran.

20. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.

21. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.

22. Manners make the woman.

23. Give credit. Take the blame.

24. Stand up to Bullies. Protect those bullied.

25. Write down your dreams.

26. Add value everywhere you go.

27. Be confident and humble at the same time.

28. If ever in doubt, REMEMBER WHOSE DAUGHTER YOU ARE and REFUSE to just be ordinary!

29. Change the world, don't let it change you.

30. Always be you! Hold your head up high, Be confident whenever you walk into a room and stay strong.

31. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel like you are less of a person. They have the problem, not you.

32. As your mother, I will ALWAYS have your back.

 

Adding rings to the countdown chain

Clemmie and Ruth (on behalf of themselves and Suzie) had to add seven rings to their countdown chain. 

I've got to wait an extra week to see Clementine, Ruth, Susannah and their parents: I tested positive for Covid, again! Ugh!

Clemmie, y'all better be ready; we're gonna have to pack a lot of playing into fewer days! 

Dealing with "Difference"

I Am a United Methodist

I am a double United Methodist "Preacher's Kid". I sat with my sisters and listened to my Mother read us Bible stories throughout my childhood. I loved to look through and then read the stories from that beloved blue-backed Bible story book myself. 

I grew up in the church.  

A wonderful little white haired lady sat with six-year old me at Antioch Methodist in the early fifties and pointed to the words as we sang "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder". Miss Helen Spangler at little Sunnyside Methodist Church's Vacation Bible School about 1957 or so helped me and my fellow little Methodists memorize the names of 66 books of the Bible. I sang as a little boy on the radio program my Daddy sometimes hosted in Griffin, Georgia. Most summers I attended more than one Vacation Bible School -- Midway, Sunnyside, Milstead, Mackville, Antioch, etc. I attended Sunday School and Sunday morning worship with very few exceptions every Sunday for the first 20 years of my life. During much of my growing-up years we had Sunday evening services and Wednesday night services too. 

I loved Camp Glisson, our North Georgia Conference camp ministry of the Methodist Church. I attended Glisson every summer I was eligible and twice one summer. I think I never felt closer to God than at Glisson. It was/is Holy Dirt! Much of my first serious thought about theology was spurred by Rev. Bill Landis, and other leaders at Glisson.

At Asbury College I attended three chapel services every week of school for four years. I managed to pass New Testament Survey, Basic Christian Beliefs, and The Teachings of Jesus classes. 

After Sheila and I married and moved to Rome we joined Trinity. But when we moved to the country it was a long drive to town on a Sunday morning. During my twenties and early thirties I became very lax about church attendance. When we moved back to town, and encouraged by Rev. James Sanders, Sheila and I got more involved again in the early eighties. We joined the choir and have missed very few Sundays since. 

Under Rachel Jones' music ministry I became a frequent soloist and even helped her coach the children's choir for several years. Our daughters were active in the Cherub, Children's, and Youth Choirs as they grew up. They were baptized and eventually confirmed as United Methodist Christians.

Reading (and Listening to) the Whole Thing

During those years I several times started reading the Bible with the intent of reading it from Genesis straight through Revelations. I never got very far.  I soon got bogged down in the repetition and dreary counting of Numbers and the other early books. Despite a lifetime in the church, hundreds of sermons, and a pretty good familiarity with the Bible, I managed to live nearly three-quarters of a century without having read the Book all the way through.

Then a couple of years ago Rev. Joe Palmer challenged our members to read the whole thing. As it turned out I was not able to keep up with Joe's schedule, but using the Bible app on my phone and the very understandable text of the Message version, I stuck with it this time. I even enjoyed it, though all those numbers and begats and stuff like that were still tedious. I actually listened to most of it rather than reading it, and often had to replay a chapter when my mind wandered.

Below, I am going to write about how that experience affected me, but I want first of all to admit that, intellectually, I already knew much that I re-learned from the experience. It's just that actually reading it straight through made my previous learning much more real to me.

Here is the simple but overwhelming lesson I learned more profoundly:

The New Testament is a NEW Testament! Wow!

When you have spent a whole lot of time wading through the law and history of the Old Testament you have been inundated in some awfully vile, despicable, horrible, nightmarish material. By the time you have finished that Old Testament you are wondering whether you really want anything to do with the vengeful, arbitrary, bloodthirstiness you've just read about. Then you turn past Malachi into Matthew and meet Jesus. 

Wow. 

Yes, I've known intellectually that He leads a revolution, but I can fairly taste and feel and hear and smell and see a whole new creation. The Word is made flesh. 

God is Love. 

It says so right there. 

Love God. Love each other.

He commands it. 

Here is a Lord I can admire.

-------------

The Wesley Quadrilateral

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, is interpreted to have taught a "quadrilateral" on which Christian faith rests: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. Scripture is primary but is interpreted in light of the other three. 

My reading of scripture is informed by the traditions of the church I grew up in and my experiences with the Christians in my life. Even in talking about God's laws, my Christian examples talked of God's love and his laws as guides for a happier more loving life. I think of the open and loving saints that I learned under: Charles Shaw, Ruth Shaw, Y.A. Bailey, Ieula Baird, Both Grady Shaws, Miss Helen Spangler, Lavay McCullough, Mavis Matthews, Brady Drummond, Miss Lottie Duncan, James Sanders, Miss Annie Beth Terrell, Martha King, Burnita Burton, Leonard Hancock, --- I could go on. Or my grandfather, whom I never met but whose beliefs influenced me through his wife and children. He famously advised a cousin who was entering the ministry, "Don't try to scare folks into the Kingdom; you've got to love 'em into it."

And my reason tells me: folks are folks. We have our varying faults and foibles, talents and troubles, one and all. 

Different

And through my entire life experience I have been aware of some folks who were "different". As long as those "different" folks weren't too outspoken or flamboyant they were an accepted and even beloved part of the community: the women's shop owner who could tell Daddy which dress to buy for Mother -- the exact size, color and style that would compliment her and that she would love. The teenager who grew up in the church and became a wonderful organist, serving his church faithfully year after year, and folks just didn't talk about his "friend". The unmarried ladies who were roommates all those years. That sweet effeminate first cousin that everyone loves but whom we knew would never marry. Every one of us can quickly reel off a dozen names of beloved folks who are "different". 

In the 53 years since I began my teaching career, I have known scores of boys and girls, men and women,  who were "different". Those "different" kids and teachers were the same mixture of good and bad, high achieving and (well), principled and not so much,  etc. etc. etc.  --- as their "normal" counterparts. I love and admire them none the less. I believe Jesus would/will accept them just as they are.

So I no longer much care how another human finds happiness as long as they are loving and no one is hurt.

But in 2022, attitudes toward that issue are at the center of a great controversy in my denomination.

And I am no prophet, but I strongly suspect that, in just a few years, regardless of how the current divisions in my denomination play out, almost all denominations will soften their stances on this issue. Society has moved on. The church will too. As surely as preachers today eat "abominable" shrimp;  as surely as stoning is no longer accepted as a form of child discipline; as surely as textiles are mixed willy-nilly to no one's consternation; as surely as our wives, mothers, and daughters are no longer shunned as "unclean" once a month; as surely as it is perfectly OK for a guy's very private parts to be intact; we'll quit making such a big deal out of sexual orientation.

Will My Congregation Disband?

So here I am. I have found myself on my local congregation's Church Council. A few days ago I was copied on an e-mail from a fellow council member who proposed to begin the procedures that could force a congregational vote to decide whether a portion of our congregation will leave the United Methodist Church, take over our buildings and grounds, and leave those of us who remain United Methodists to find a new church home. Less than a week later that vote was taken. I wrote an open letter to my fellow council members opposing the proposal, but, alas, we lost that vote 9-5. The effort to disband my local United Methodist Church continues.

There is NO question of where I stand on this issue. I vehemently oppose splitting the United Methodist Church. I will not be a part of such a split. If the issue comes to such a vote a super majority of two/thirds of the membership present at the resulting meeting would be required for us to lose our church building and grounds to a new congregation made up of those who wish to split. And I'll say it again, those of us who wish to remain United Methodists would be forced to find a new church home. 

Here is Where I Stand:

I made a pledge to support the United Methodist Church with my prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. I have renewed that pledge many times as other persons have made it in my presence. I believe at least a third and possibly a majority of the current membership of our congregation would join me to keep the pledge and oppose a split. On the other hand, I know from long experience that when controversy arises the "angry-antis" are much more likely to show up to meetings that those who are not "het up". So I do not know how the vote would turn out. However I believe the fact of a proposed vote will harden positions on both sides. The vote itself will cause great discord and division that will cripple our ministry however the vote goes. I will do all I can ethically to keep Trinity United Methodist Church on the block where it has been since 1875. If the congregation is disbanded I and any other United Methodists will in effect be excommunicated by the dissidents and be forced to find another congregation of the United Methodist Church. It is heart-breaking.

So I Beg My Trinity Friends

Let's not split the church. Let's live and let live. The folks on the other side of the issue are my friends. They are people I admire. They are people I worship with every week. They are people I sing with in the choir, that I stand with in the nativity scene at Christmastime, that have comforted me in the loss of my parents and a sibling, who have chaperoned youth trips, served on committees, unloaded pumpkins, knelt at the altar with me. Let's not divide our efforts. We agree on so much. Let's not cripple our mission. We can agree to disagree on some issues and keep working together obeying the Great Commandment and pursuing the Great Commission.   Let's just keep working together toward our vision to be... a diverse fellowship striving to welcome, love, and serve all others, following the example of Jesus Christ.

 Here's a sermon that addresses the issues
 dividing us:

Click this picture to hear John Robbin's sermon concerning current divisions
within the United Methodist Church.

Grady Columbus Shaw

 

My Daddy, Charles Columbus Shaw, took this picture in Grady's Barber Shop  in Milstead, Georgia shortly after my grandfather Grady Columbus Shaw died. I carried the Polaroid shot around in my billfold for several years as a reminder of this treasured site of my childhood.

Open Letter to Our Church Council

Open Letter to the 

Trinity United Methodist Church Council

Dear Trinity United Methodist Friends,

I have been a part of our denomination since infancy. Both of my parents were ordained and served as pastors in the United Methodist Church. 

Our congregation has been my church home since 1962. Both my father and my mother, a sister, and a brother-in-law have served on the staff at TUMC. My daughters were baptized and eventually confirmed into the United Methodist Church at Trinity. Most Christmases since 1962 I have stood in our Nativity Scene. I have presided over MYF sub-district meetings, attended one sister’s wedding, pitched pumpkins, sung solos, knelt at the altar, given reports, mourned at my Mother’s funeral and my sister’s and at funerals of many friends. 

It is my plan to remain a member of Trinity United Methodist Church the remainder of my life and to someday be remembered in a memorial service in our beautiful sanctuary. 

There is but one way that I can imagine that I will not be a member of Trinity United Methodist Church on the day that I die. That would be if Trinity United Methodist Church ceases to exist.

We have a proposal on the agenda today to begin a process called “disaffiliation”. That is a misnomer, in my opinion. If that effort were to succeed, our congregation would cease to exist and our buildings and grounds would be transferred to a new independent congregation. That group could then choose to become a part of some other denomination or just become another independent church. The United Methodist Cross and Flame would be removed from the current Trinity campus and those of us who remain United Methodists would literally be without a church home. In that case one could not, by definition, be a United Methodist and a member of whatever church would be established on this corner.

I cannot and will not support with my one vote on our church council any effort to do that. Let me try to explain why.

1. Calling a vote would be a mistake in itself.

Passing this proposal is an effort to force a vote intended to disband Trinity United Methodist Church and establish an independent church on these grounds for a subset of our current members. Calling for such a vote is intended to divide us between United Methodists and those who no longer want to be United Methodists. It would be divisive if successful, by definition, of course. But it would be almost equally divisive if unsuccessful. 

Passing this proposal would immediately divide us into two camps, the United Methodists and the anti-United Methodists, and a third group of undecideds/apathetics/quiet folk. There would be concerted efforts to recruit folks from the third group to the other sides. It would go on for several months at least and the final vote would be a contentious and painful exercise.

Now, I hope and believe a vote to disband would fail. There may be a large group that could be brought out  —anyone who has any experience with human nature knows that those who are “het up” show up — but I do not believe that two-thirds of our members want this.

However, if the “antis” were to “win” and constitute a new congregation, the Trinity United Methodist congregation would cease to exist and the former members who remain United Methodists would not be a part of that new church.

In both scenarios, the church that exists at 606 Turner McCall Boulevard in Rome Georgia would be drastically smaller than the one we have known. Not only would future ministries be set back dramatically, but we would have spent months in controversy and discord and our Trinity United Methodist ministries, during the time of debate, would be severely curtailed.

If we as a church council decide not to consider such a disastrous path we will still lose some folks to other denominations. Maybe lots of them. That also breaks my heart. But many of those folks have already left or all-but-left. But those who remain can continue Trinity’s ministry. It may be a smaller ministry. We will be very sad to lose those we lose. But they can go ahead and get involved in their new churches’ ministries right away. And right away Trinity’s ministries can go on. And many who have not been so immersed in the controversy will continue to worship here with their friends of many years, still agreeing on some things and still disagreeing on others, but working together for Christ’s kingdom on earth.

2. I love our connectional church organization.

A non-United Methodist congregation on these grounds would not have the strength, coordination of efforts, missionary structure, wealth of published materials, pastoral resources of the worldwide 12-million member United Methodist Church. When disaster strikes we know that our donations to the UMCOR will be on hand putting that money to work to ease suffering. We know the overhead is paid by our regular church apportionments and that our special donations will go directly into rescue and relief efforts.

We know that we will always have a qualified pastor. While we  through our staff-parish relations committee have a lot of say-so in pastoral appointments, the bishop and cabinet also balance other information to make yearly appointments throughout the North Georgia conference. And Methodist pastors know that the conference has a secure job for them as long as they are faithful. Our pastors have pension, retirement, and insurance benefits. 

Our UMC children’s homes, colleges and universities, mission programs, publishing house… beautiful Camp Glisson where generations have grown closer to God… and much more.

A new congregation would have to operate as an independent church with no connectional assistance or resources, or else join a fledgling new denomination, or one of the other small Methodist denominations. Either way their structure and ministries would be more limited.

John Wesley started Methodist “societies” NOT as democracies. Local churches have discretion in many matters, and through representatives, have influence at other levels. But churches are not and never have been wholly owned by local congregations. 

I joined a church not a pastor. Our pastors serve usually three to eight years then move on to another appointment. I have sometimes had pastors whose sermons did not inspire me. I have known that our church’s ministries would go on and that, probably pretty soon, we’d have a different pastor. That encourages strong lay leadership and a team approach to ministry. If a different denomination or independent church sets up shop on this corner, I do not believe it can produce as strong a program of ministry as we are used to at Trinity United Methodist.

3. The future of the United Methodist Church

The last General Conference voted to maintain a strong prohibition against LBGTQ pastors. It was a close vote, though, and the folk who want to dismantle the United Methodist Church are afraid that our Discipline will soon be changed to allow a more permissive attitude regarding sexual orientation. They may be correct, especially since some of the folks on the winning side of that debate have left United Methodism.

Some are convinced that a practicing homosexual, even one in a committed relationship, should be barred from ordination in our church. Society at large has largely moved beyond that issue. Same-sex marriage is legal and common. Within our church nearly every family includes  at least one person whose sexual orientation is publicly known to be something other than heterosexual. Every person on our church council can likely name a dozen or more LGBTQ men, women, or youth who are associated with our church. For many in our congregation, and our denomination at large, this is no longer an important issue. 

I have always been aware of folks who were "different". If they weren't too outspoken or flamboyant they might be an accepted or even beloved part of the community: the women's shop owner who could tell Daddy which dress to buy for Mother -- the exact size, color and style that would compliment her. The tenor who sang beside me in the choir for years and died of AIDS. My young cousin who grew up in the church and became a wonderful organist, serving his Methodist church faithfully year after year, and folks just didn't talk about his “friend" — now his husband. The unmarried ladies who were ‘roommates’ all those years. That other sweet effeminate cousin that everyone loves but whom we knew would never marry. And some who in the last few years have “come out”. Can’t we all reel off similar stories?

In the 53 years since I began my teaching career, I have known scores of boys and girls, men and women,  who were "different". Those "different" kids and teachers and friends and fellow church members were the same mixture of good and bad, high achieving or lazy, principled and not so much,  etc. etc. etc.  --- as their "normal" counterparts. I love and admire them none the less. I believe Jesus would/will accept them just as they are. So I no longer much care how another human finds happiness as long as they are loving and no one is hurt.

Regardless of how the current divisions in our denomination play out, I believe almost all denominations will eventually soften their stances on this issue. Society, especially young folks, have moved on. The church will too. As surely as preachers today eat "abominable" shrimp;  as surely as stoning is no longer accepted as a form of child discipline; as surely as textiles are mixed willy-nilly to no one's consternation; as surely as our wives, mothers, and daughters are no longer shunned as "unclean" once a month; as surely as it is perfectly OK for a guy's very private parts to be intact; we'll quit making such a big deal out of sexual orientation.

So I ask…

So I ask you my fellow council members: Let’s not split our church over this issue. Let's live and let live. The folks on the other side of the issue are my friends. They are people I admire. They are people I worship with every week. They are people I sing with in the choir, that I stand with in the nativity scene at Christmastime, that have comforted me in the loss of my parents and a sibling, who have chaperoned youth trips, served on committees, unloaded pumpkins, knelt at the altar with me. Let's not divide our efforts. We agree on so much. Let's not cripple our mission. Let's just agree to disagree on this one issue and keep working together for the good that we do agree on. Let's not call forth a literally and purposefully divisive church-wide vote. Let's just keep working together toward our vision to be... a diverse fellowship striving to welcome, love, and serve all others, following the example of Jesus Christ.

-Terrell Shaw 

----------------------

Painful note: We lost the vote 5-9 with one council member absent. So we are in for several more months of  discord and controversy and then a vote to decide the very existence my home church. Positions will harden. I dread the discord. 

Second painful note: Please don't bother to point out that our church, like every other human institution, is embroiled in politics sometimes. We are humans. We are sinners on both sides. All we can do is try to live up to our principles and work hard for the right as we see it. We will make mistakes. Churches are, by definition, for very fallible humans.

Old Leaves: Seven Siblings

Next Friday will be the birthday of Mary Carol Shaw (Johnston) my next younger sister. Here is an old "Sunday Seven" from her birthday in 2007. I and my seven siblings have been thrown together more than usual for more than a year now as we have worked through laughs and tears to distribute my Mother's belongings of 98 years. Often a book or paper or doll or dish has brought a beloved memory to share and compare. It has been a sentimental and sometimes overwhelming job.

If anything I love these six humans more than ever.

Some of the facts in this post from fifteen years ago are a bit out-of-date, of course, but the sentiments still apply; so here's a "rerun"...

LATER NOTE: I scheduled this post quite a while ago and had forgotten it was about to be posted. As many of my friends know we lost my youngest sister Beth on August 5, 2022. So this post from way back in 2007 is even more precious to me now.

___________________

Sunday Seven: Seven Siblings

Today is the birthday of my sister, Carol. I thought it would be a good Sunday to finish this little tribute to the Seven Siblings that I got a start on a while back. I wish I had a larger selection of digital pics handy to choose from, but these are pretty illustrative ---

David the long-expected

  

(Above left, the little rascal turns to watch his older sister enter on our father's arm. And at the right he stands as my Best Man.)
He is the youngest of us. When Mama was expecting the seventh, Daddy and I hauled all the baby furniture out into the yard and painted it baby blue. I was thrilled as an 11-year-old to announce his birth. I read him Huck Finn when he was about four. I wonder if he got anything out of it. He brought Vicki into the fold and they presented us with Jessica, Katie, and Haley - the blessings keep flowing! And his barbecue is smoked to perfection!

Beth the adventurous



(Above left she is a wistful attendant to Joan the bride. And at the right Toddler Beth enjoys a holiday meal at Mama Shaw's)
I often misspeak and say "Beth!" when I call "Brannon". Maybe my slip has something to do with their shared derring-do. Brannon, my daughter, spent three months in Europe with a backpack, completely on her own with no set itinerary. As an adolescent, Beth took off on her own to visit our eldest sibling in Taiwan, then jogged over a few hundred air miles to visit Thailand while she was at it. Never mind there was a war on. And Beth is responsible for two wonderful additions to our family - "Amandarooni" and "Joshaway". Even her "beloved curmudgeon" adds a lot of smarts and bold dash of spice to the mix!

Debi the reader



(Little girls dressed up: "I feel pretty, oh so pretty!" at Joan's wedding.)
We nearly lost her before we knew her to pneumonia, so we've spoiled her rotten. I suspect that when we left her at the filling station that time, she had her head stuck in a book and didn't notice her family pulling away. When she finished the last book in the world she married an author and even decided she'd have to write a few herself. She and Gregg have also been most prolific in new family editions - Andrew, Matthew, Lisette, Benjamin, and Jonathan! Those five are more like siblings than cousins to my two!

Carol the rival



(Don't tell me you can't see the mischief in those eyes. Left and right at Joan's wedding, and center at Mama Shaw's table.)
She is closest to me in age and we FOUGHT in childhood. I remember, at about 9 or 10, threatening to kill her! As teens, college kids, and then young adults, we grew close. I'm not sure how I would have survived my last two years of college without her sympathetic ear... and her typing skills! And today is her birthday! Happy Birthady, Sis! And thanks for the two extra blessings you and RT presented us, "Stinkeroo" and "Skalawag"! "Stinkeroo" has added two more beautiful blessings, "Sweetstuff" and "Sunshine"!

Me the little big bro



(At left I am the somber alternative to the gleeful Carol. On the right the proud groomsman at Joan's wedding.)
As the first grandson on Daddy's side, they spoiled me rotten. As the little brother of two, they spoiled me rotten. As the big brother of four, I assumed the lead. And now as the sole Democrat, I take the heat. I may or may not be a blessing, but I surely am a blessee! And for all my faults, I gave my siblings a new sister, Sheila, a two fantastic neices: "Brannyroo" and "Lillyloo".

Joan the intellect



(Above right Joan enjoys her nutty uncles. And, of course, the beautiful bride.)
I worshiped at her feet. I bragged when her picture appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as the gorgeous and stylish Georgia Peach of the Week. She is the calm, brilliant center and the peacemaker. She and Jim, obviously mentally challenged, even loaned me their car for dates! And she and Jim gave us our first wonderful niece blessing, Lyn, and a fine nephew, Steve. And these two have presented us with six additional wonders - two rough and tumble guys (a middle-schooler and one who thinks he's a middleschooler) and four brilliant, determined sweethearts (a set of near-triplets and a gorgeous teen).

Jan the leader



(Big sister at grandmother's, as bride, and as Matron of Honor for Joan.)
Eldest and born to lead, she marshaled us to any task that was at hand. Though ready always to list all the pros and cons of every way to proceed, proceed she did and does. When I was a bewildered youth, she and Gil counseled me and even loaned me money and taught me to ski! She and Gil gave us Charmaine and Gil in quick succession -- what a blessing they have been! And now those two have done their part -- four rambunctious boys and 3, uh, (yep) rambunctious girls! We need to see them more often, Jan!

This post is so inadequate to express my love and admiration for my six siblings. They collectively make up one of the greatest blessings of my life. As anyone who reads our blogs knows, we have significant differences on many issues. But we share a wonderful heritage and a deep love. I am truly thankful this Sunday for these blessings.

Note: Jimmy Carter

I have been a "fan" since he vetoed the West Georgia Parkway that would have gone through my bedroom... selfish, I know. Campaigned actively for him in '76 and '80. Sheila and I and the kids attended his SS class several years ago and really enjoyed it. 

He has always been a very willful, assertive man, whom I have admired. He is decent, but no wallflower. Never was. 

His Presidency has fared better with historians than predicted after his BIG defeat in '80. No scandals. None. Camp David Accords. Resolution of the Panama Canal issues. Reagan gets credited with our military build-up of the eighties and the fall of communism, but cruise missiles and stealth bombers and Pershing missiles etc. came from the Carter Administration -- and helped to turn the liberal wing of the Democratic Party against him, and thus give the Presidency to that actor from California.

He was probably too hands-on, but he did not throw us into terrible debt, like Reagan & the Bushes, or into unnecessary wars. And w/o that stubborn hands-on approach there would have been no Camp David accords.

And his rescue attempt in Iran was brave and the right thing to do. But for that blasted sandstorm, along with some other incredibly bad luck, it just might have worked and history would be different. 

I have read and enjoyed all his books, except the novel (Hornet's Nest) -- I just couldn't get into that. Sorry Mr. President, I don't think fiction is your thing. And you would have never been a convincing actor.

Bridging Troubled Waters

When Sheila and I merged our record collections (AKA got married) 51 years ago we found lots of duplicates. That confirmed in my mind that we are kindred spirits. Simon & Garfunkel's  Bridge Over Troubled Water album was one of those duplicates. I wanted us to bridge what ever waters we encountered in life together. And we have for more than half a century now. 

So, it was only natural that that song be sung at our wedding. My sister Beth, a wonderful singer, sang BOTW and two other songs beautifully at Tallahassee Heights United Methodist Church that August day in 1971. 

Then just one week ago today, our daughter Lillian, another gifted singer, sang this wonderful song for Beth’s funeral at our Trinity United Methodist Church. Click the photo below to watch the service. Lillian sings this song at 40:30. (Unfortunately the accompaniment was not amplified with the voice.)

Here’s an interesting 11 minute video about the song’s creation.

How I treasure the memories of my little sister, of her part in our wedding, of our times with her and her children and with our own. And how I love my daughter even more for her part in honoring Beth during one of our most troubled times.

Profile in Courage: Liz Cheney

There is little that Liz Cheney and I agree on in terms of political policies. 

Who would have thought even two years ago that I would ever write a post praising Dick Cheney's daughter?

I believe to my core that maximum liberty resides near the middle of the capitalism/socialism scale. I believe strongly in using government to level the playing field so that capitalism can work for society at large. I am convinced that an unfettered, unregulated capitalism is inherently tyrannical as surely as socialism and communism are tyrannical. 

Rep. Cheney would probably label me a "socialist" (I am not.) In her book capitalism should be, from my point of view, hardly regulated at all. I have voted opposite to her in every presidential election since she reached 18 years of age.

But we both believe in republicanism. We believe in the peaceful transfer of power when the people so vote.

She knew the stakes when she voted with the bi-partisan majority of the House to impeach Donald John Trump for his treachery. She did the right thing even though it meant she would lose her leadership position in the (so-called) Republican Party. She did the right thing even though as the lone Wyoming representative she knew her chances for re-election would fall drastically from the 70%+ that she won by in 2020. Actually her margin of loss in 2022 nearly matched her margin of victory in 2020! She knew that, by far, most of her friends in Wyoming were Trumpists -- she herself had supported his legislative policies by over 90%. It must have been a painful decision for her.

I, in my way, have had to stand against folks that are important to me, too. A majority of people in my community, my family, and my church vote differently from me. My beliefs cause friction sometimes. That friction strains relationships that I treasure. But I cannot be quiet when it comes to beliefs so basic as my belief in the principles stated so eloquently in the opening words of the Declaration and in the Preamble to the Constitution.

So I feel I understand Liz Cheney. And, however much I disagree with her about policy, I respect and admire her courage in putting country above party, above her own electoral viability. If I lived in Wyoming, I believe I would have changed my registration and voted for her despite our differences. The republic is on the line in America. We must have a coalition of small-r republicans. 

I will keep speaking out about the environment, about universal healthcare, about "well-regulated" firearms, about drastic wealth concentration, and more. But when push comes to shove; when we are down to a binary choice, I will join forces with anyone and everyone who supports our republican form of government over authoritarianism. 

Liz Cheney is an unapologetic Republican. I am proudly a supporter of the Democratic Party. 

But Liz Cheney and I are both, first, Americans.

Song: Mi Mancherai

Back when I was taking voice lessons from Angela Flanagan she taught me this Italian song. I first heard it sung by Josh Groban. 

Here is my recording of it.

Here are the lyrics and translation taken from another website.

Mi Mancherai

Mi mancherai se te ne vai
Mi mancherà la tua serenità
Le tue parole come canzoni al vento
E l'amore che ora porti via
Mi mancherai se te ne vai
Ora per sempre non so come vivere
E l'allegria, amica mia, va via con te

Mi mancherai, mi mancherai, perchè vai via
Perchè l'amore in te si è spento
Perchè, perchè...
Non cambierà niente lo so
E dentro sento te

Mi mancherai, mi mancherai, perchè vai via
Perchè l'amore in te si è spento
Perchè, perchè...
Non cambierà niente lo so
E dentro sento te

Mi mancherà l'immensità
Dei nostri giorni e notti insieme noi
I tuoi sorrisi quando si fa buio
La tua ingenuità da bambina, tu...

Mi mancherai amore mio
Mi guardo e trovo un vuoto dentro me
E l'allegria, amica mia, va via con te

Translation

I'll Miss You (Mi Mancherai)
I’ll miss you, if you go away
I’ll miss your serenity
Your words like songs in the wind
And Love, that you take away.

I’ll miss you, if you go away
Now and forever I don’know how to live
And joy, my friend, goes away with you

I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you, because you go away
Because the love in you is dead
Because, because...
Nothing it’s gonna change, I know
And inside of me I feel you

I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you, because you go away
Because the love in you is dead
Because, because...
Nothing it’s gonna change, I know
And inside of me I feel you

I’ll miss the immensity
Of our days and nights,us together
Your smiles when it’s getting dark
Your being naive like a little girl

I’ll miss you, my love
I look at myself and I find emptiness inside of me
And joy, my friend, goes away with you

What We Asked For, We've Gotten.

President Biden is doing what we American people elected him to do. What a blessing it would be to give him a little more support in Congress, but no president has negotiated more successfully with such a tiny majority in the House and a tie in the Senate. I cannot imagine that there is another eligible person in the country who could have accomplished what he has. Thank you Mr. President.

(The following is mostly taken (with some editing) from markcz.com with links to documentation)

2020: Elected President, saving America from the most criminal president in US History (He won the Electoral College 306 to 232, with a popular vote margin of more than 7 million votes.)

2021: Rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement.

2021: Stopped the Keystone XL pipeline.

2021: Repealed Trump’s travel bans.

2021: Repealed Trump’s transgender military ban.

2021: Ordered an additional 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

2021: Pledged $4 billion to COVAX global vaccine alliance.

2021: Signed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law. It includes:

• Small business support.
• $1,400 per person checks.
• Increases to the Child Tax Credit, Earned-Income Tax Credit, and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credits.
• $300 extended unemployment insurance.
• Lower health insurance premiums for lower- and middle-income families enrolled in health insurance marketplaces.

2021: Canceled $1.5 billion in student debt for victims of for-profit school fraud.

2021: Ended the War in Afghanistan after 20 years.

2021: Negotiated and signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. It includes:

• $110 billion for roads, bridges, major projects
• $73 billion for power infrastructure
• $66 billion for passenger and freight rail
• $65 billion for broadband
• $55 billion for clean drinking water
• $50 billion for water resilience and Western water storage
• $39 billion for public transit
• $25 billion for airports
• $21 billion for removal of pollution from water and soil
• $17 billion for port infrastructure
• $7.5 billion for electric vehicles
• $7.5 billion for zero/low emission busses and ferries
• $1 billion for the revitalization of communities

2021: U.S. gross domestic product grew at 5.7 percent for the year, the strongest economic growth in 37 years.

2021: Favorability of the United States improved sharply around the world.

2022: Approved a U.S. special forces mission that killed ISIS leader Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.

2022: Nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the first Black woman in history to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States.

2022: Signed the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

2022: Led a massive international response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

2022: Signed the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in nearly 30 years.

2022: Ordered the drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and the world’s most wanted terrorist.

2022: Unemployment falls to 3.5 percent, matching lowest rate in 50 years.

2022: Signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, providing $52.7 billion for chip manufacturing and research and $170 billion for scientific research, innovation, and space exploration.

2022: Signed ratification documents approving NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, strengthening the NATO alliance and reinforcing democracy in the face of Russian brutality against Ukraine.

2022: Signed PACT Act strengthening health care and benefits for America’s veterans and their survivors.

AND tomorrow: the Inflation Reduction bill will be signed. It is the biggest effort to address climate change in history.