The Seven

Today my sister Joan shared this  picture of "The Seven" -- me and my six siblings. This was taken outside Trinity Un ind Methodist Church on the day of my Mother's funeral on August 6, 2021. Our Beth, the youngest of the girls, died one day less than a year later on August 5, 2022. So sadly, this was the last photo ever taken of "The Seven". 

My Mother used t enjoy bragging that seven is the number of completion and perfection. 

Joan's children presented Joan with a framed copy of this picture for her birthday yesterday, as you see with the background obscured to emphasize just us. I thought I'd preserve a copy of it here. Each of these six siblings of mine have had an important influence on my life and I cherish them all. How we miss Beth.

Left to right: Sharlyn Beth Shaw Roszel, Charles Terrell Shaw, Deborah Ruth Shaw Lewis, Janice Dianne Shaw Crouse, Lynda Joan Shaw Turrentine, David Baird Shaw, Mary Carol Shaw Johnston.
I find it interesting that many people make a big deal out of which is the first name. That has never been true in our family. Three (Debi, Jan, & David) go by their first names while four (Beth, Joan, Carol, and myself) go by our middle names. My mother (Sarah RUTH Baird Shaw) and grandfather (Benjamin WILSON "Wilse" Baird went by their middle names, as did my uncles (Wilson GRICE Baird , John THOMAS "Tom" Baird, and James LEON Baird), and aunt Esther LOUISE "Sis" Baird

Thanksgiving With the Friedmans

 Sheila and I were invited to share Thanksgiving with Jordan's family and what a feast and what fun we had. We met at Dan and Rosie's new house in Dunwoody; They've only been there about a month.

Rosie and Dan had a huge turkey in the oven, and it took a good bit longer to cook than anticipated so we divided our feasting into an afternoon salad session, then a musical interlude, and finally a coma inducing indulgence.

A Friedman family tradition is musical sessions at their get-togethers. Jordan and Dan both play assorted instruments and sing. Lou was also in a band in his younger days. And now they have added Lillian to the mix. What fun! Lillian and Jordan sang "Ruby" (Dave Rollins Machine), Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More", "After Hours" (The Velvet Underground). Dan sang some Byrds songs. We also watched an old video that Martin Scorsese directed  "The Last Waltz"  of the Band and assorted artists including Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.

Once it was time for the real Thanksgiving meal we had an unbelievable spread. Besides the huge turkey there was: marinated veggies, cranberry/orange relish, whole cranberry sauce (Sheila), wonderful mac & cheese, green-bean amandine, (Lil & Jordan)  twice baked mashed potatoes, a delicious salsa verde, stuffing and stuffing dressing, gravy, (Rosie & Dan) sweet-potatoes, a wonderful green salad (Leslie and Lou).

For dessert we had Leslie's chocolate cake with chocolate morsel embedded (a Vogelman/Schnieder family recipe), Lillian's apple-caramel pie, and Sheila's cranberry ginger cake.

Here is photographic evidence that a good time was had by all.

2023

This was not Lillian's first Thanksgiving Apple Pie!

2008

2009

2020 Her Mom can also make a mean apple pie.

It took a while to get the huge turkey to the required internal temp, but it was well worth the wait.

Rosie checking the bird's temp again.

Elwood the eight year old lovable rescue named for Harvey's friend Elwood P. Dowd. Rosie and Dan should print up some business cards fr the pup.

Finally time to carve the bird; Dan accomplished the job well while his efforts were recorded from all sides

The plate at the bottom left is mine and this us before I got to the turkey!

This may be the best mac and cheese ever made.

This is not my plate.

The Friedman family includes Lillian now. L-R: Jordan, Dan, Lil, Graham, Rosie, Leslie, Adam, Lou.

Friedmans and Shaws: Jordan, Lou, Lil, Leslie, Graham, Adam, Sheila, Terrell

Dan with Elwood

 

PTSW - My Own: Bipartisanship

 Doggeral built on the play on words that ends this bit have been in use since at least 1952. This is my version.

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The Elections Are Over

The elections are over:

It’s time to be friends.

Let bygones go by!

Let’s make our amends

   The battle was tough.

   Fiery words did we say!

   Now it’s over and done.

   Turn-about is fair play.

Let those in the red states

And those in the blue

Stand in unison vigor,

Our friendships renew.

   With bipartisan spirit,

   Letting vitriol pass,

   I’ll hug your danged elephant

   If you’ll kiss my …

- Terrell Shaw

Last of the Old Time Storytellers

Ray Hicks (with his wife Rosa) is a legend among the folks in traditional storytelling. I ran across this 1999 documentary video on YouTube today and enjoyed what I saw of it. I'll save it here for a leisurely viewing later.

Mixed Election Results

It has been a very disappointing night in local politics. 

And a very encouraging night nationwide.

Here in Rome, two fine folks whom I am privileged to call friends, Bonny Askew and Sundai Stevenson have lost re-election. I am happy that two other incumbents that I support have been re-elected. I am very happy that we will have Mark Cochran and Bill Collins still on the commission to be voices for our children and grandchildren and a greater, greener, healthier, safer, friendlier Rome of the future. I had also supported one challenger, Charles Love. Charles has been an outstanding leader for north Rome for several years now. I got to know him through our One Community United group.

Across the United States it was a very good night for small-r republicanism. 

• voted down the MAGA crowd by putting a guarantee of abortion rights into the Ohio constitution.
• Voters in bright red Kentucky voted down the MAGA candidate and sent Andy Beshear back to Frankfurt for another term as Governor
• Voters in Virginia turned against their MAGA governor and gave Democrats control of both houses of the state legislature.
• Even in Mississippi the MAGA governor is in a close race with his democratic challenger

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Now, about the so-called "Better Rome" slate of candidates here in Rome who...

• were supported by the extremist national embarrassment that is Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene
• ran as a lily-white-one-race slate in a very diverse city
• accepted huge donations of money and political aid from a statewide real-estate political group

These four white men now have a big job to do. If they are to really be commissioners for ALL of Rome they need to show that they are not MAGA extremists like their Congressional benefactor and not pawns for a statewide political machine that put iunprec dented amounts of money into their city commission races. One is a real estate man, one a developer, one a real-estate appraiser — they need to make SURE and PLAIN to citizens that our city’s future is put above their own business interests?

I taught the son of one of these fellows and have always had a positive view if him; I worked to get one of them elected eight years ago and like him personally; I know one is very interested in trails and the environment as I am. So I have hope and I wish them all well. BUT — they ran a sadly divisive campaign. To urge folks to vote ONLY for their WHITE MALE ticket in our diverse city?!! That is just so divisive and on the surface at least looks racist and misogynous, especially with its MAGA supporters!  They all four have some major fences to mend. 

The people have spoken either by their votes or by staying at home, so these our OUR commissioners. I will support them when I can and I will do my best to hold their feet to the fire when that is what is needed.

Charles Graves

Charles Graves is a good guy and has had a really interesting career.

Early in our marriage Sheila was hired, as she says, as the "girl reporter" at the Rome News-Tribune. Her boss was the city editor there, Charles Graves. I always liked Charles, he seemed like a genuine fellow. He had already served as an aide to Congressman John Davis (and would again) and had served a term as state representative from Rome. He had attended little McHenry High School at one time where I now taught, though is was an elementary school now. He grew up very near the house in East Rome where Sheila and I lived from 1976 to 1999.

During more than a half century I have enjoyed watching his career and my occasional visits with Charles. He was executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party as I was beginning to be involved in the Floyd County party and through my union in some Seventh District and statewide politics. 

In recent years he has had me tell stories at his church and at a civic club. And we have both gained a bit of an elder status among local Democrats. 

As many of my tens of readers may know I collect political items and I have several nice ones thanks to my acquaintance with Charles.

Today, through a lucky series of computer clicks I happened upon this interview from eight years ago. I enjoyed Charles stories especially those about some people and places and times that I also remember. I thought I'd like to store the link here.  Click the picture to watch the interview from the archives of the University of Georgia.

Click the picture to watch a 2015 interview with Charles Graves.