New Years Day 2023

Every News Day since 1984 I am gobsmacked by the science fiction feel of the new number I need to write or type. We are 39 years past Orwell's dystopian vision and even 22 years past terror of Kubricks soft-spoken HAL.

The year started with a missed field goal in the Peach Bowl. Georgia's football team is far from my favorite team, but when it gets down to a team from our state against one from Ohio, well I gotta cheer for the home folks. I doubt if I slept till two or later.

If the choir had sung at today's service, I'm not sure I would have made it in time. As it was, we could slip in just before eleven and no one knows how recently we were abed. I'm glad we made it. It was a beautiful service of new beginnings. The congregation, as one might expect, was small, and there were no musicians except our pastor (who has a beautiful voice). She led us in singing the first hymn a cappella, interspersing each verse with her quiet prayer. Her elegant pastoral prayer included a beautiful poem. I consulted Mr. Google when I got home and found the poem attributed to in one place to Michael Dougherty and in another to Howard Thurman:

When the carols have been stilled, 
When the star-topped tree is taken down, 
When family and friends are gone home, 
When we are back to our schedules 
THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS BEGINS 
To welcome the refugee, 
To heal a broken planet, 
To feed the hungry, 
To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear, 
To share our gifts, 
To seek justice and peace for all people, 
To bring Christ’s light to the world.

Her sermon is one that I wish more could have heard.

After church we drove through McDonald's for our first meal of the day, Egg McMuffins, and ate them as we drove toward the Lock and Dam Park for the annual First Day Hike. The McMuffins made us late so we had our own own walk along the river to the upstream nature preserve. It was a beautiful day and as always I enjoyed this winter hike --- despite the lack of wildflowers and greenery --- for the clear view of the lay of the land.

We started the path behind campsite 9.

The trail follows the river upstream.

I remember this huge multiple trunked Tulip Poplar from previous walks here. Alas it is much smaller since two of its trunks have fallen.

The trail ends at this wetland.

A observation shelter at the wetland.

Despite the recent wet weather the mass of Resurrection Fern on this tree is already mostly brown.

Not a lot left of the dam.

The mighty Coosa below the dam flows on toward Alabama.

I was pleased that the fencing around the lock is pretty sturdy. I think we could safely bring the grandgirls here next time they come.

At home again it was time soon for the annual New Year meal of Hopping John and such. It was absolutely delicious!

Left: Hopping John (black-eyed peas, tomatoes, rice, turkey sausage) with a splash of hot sauce and a dollop of plain greek yogurt. Right: A couple of cornbread sticks (made in cast iron inherited from my Mother) and some mixed stir fried veggies. The greens and the black-eyed peas are required for good fortune in the coming year. 

Now we are off one one more walk before the sun goes down. 

The skyline of our downtown from beneath the Turner-McCall bridge.

Another skyline from the levee.

Another skyline from the levee.

The Oostanaula in sunset from the Fifth Avenue
 bridge.

The Oostanaula in sunset from the Fifth Avenue bridge.

The City Clock through the branches of a tree at the old courthouse.

Two great Rome landmarks: the City Clock and Schroeder's New Deli.

I this was the first season for the green and red decorations... the one in blue has been around only a little longer.

A window at Schroeders.

Busy Repaving My Road Today

 

Old Leaves: 2014 Resolutions

Time again to examine my sorry self and mend the breaks and chips and polish the smudged spots. Here's the post I wrote way back when 2014 was drawing to a close.

______________

Resolved....

It's the final day of 2014. We are thirty years past 1984. We are living in science fiction times. 

I have a great part of the knowledge of the ages available to me in my pocket, and redundantly, on my lap at this moment. The majority of the great books, whole encyclopedias, almanacs, star-charts, and more are at my fingertips. I have a magic wand within reach with which to command 47 inch visions on my wall, if I like, of rescuers in the Indian Ocean, performances at Carnegie and Albert halls, up-to-the-minute stock prices on Wall Street, the songs of long-dead singers, the speeches of our president as he speaks them, endless gossip at any hour from mindless talking heads, or even half- (or fully!) nekkid folk cavorting lasciviously at any hour. And any and all of those magical choices I make will be recorded and reported to an esoteric intelligence that will then make, based on my choices, suggestions to me for the rest of the day and, I suppose, the rest of my life.

I wonder how many times today my image will be recorded as I drive or shop. 

We are living in science fiction times. 
___

Mike Bock has caught up with me again, as he does annually on the closing day of the year. Happy Birthday, Mike! I hope we see lots of you in 2015. Come south young man.

This day brings to mind Sheila's wonderful grandmother, Annie Belle Brannon Snell, the smart AND wise (not an automatic combination), kind, practical, industrious, and loving woman who was born on this date in 1884 and blessed our marriage with her wisdom and love for its first ten years. She died in 1981.

And forty --- FORTY! --- years ago on this date we got the call that my sister Carol had given us a new niece. We pulled into our little log cabin out in Chubbtown, from our Christmas trip to Tallahassee and turned right around and headed down to Atlanta to meet Larisa Carron Johnston, one of the great bonus tax deductions of all time. What a little bundle of joy she was and is! Happy Birthday, Larisa! We love you and your own additions to our family.

____

“Good habits make all the difference.” —Aristotle

And today is the traditional day to take stock and renew determination to more fully live, to grab this remarkable, magical, mysterious consciousness and make the most of it. 

I am living into extra innings, in a way. My father and his father, my beloved Daddy and Daddy Shaw, never reached their 68th birthdays. I've passed them (chronologically) already and will, I am hopeful, reach that milestone in March. Having outlived both those good men I try to remind myself each morning of the great privilege the current day is. One wonderful aspect of that privilege is this opportunity to voice my beliefs and dreams for the future of my children and (from the internet to God's ears) grandchildren and fellow Americans and Earthlings.

So I'll resolve,

_________

TRAVEL ADVISORY: 
Due to a flurry of New Year's resolutions, the Road to Hell is currently closed for repaving. 
Please take an alternate route. 

_________

call & see my mother more often, 
call/write/see/really-visit Brannon & Lillian more often (Things also work the other direction, I'm told?), 
have friends over more often, (How about the Dictionary game or Categories?)
visit Mildred and record her songs,
organize a Hoot,
organize and downsize my stuff, 
tell more stories, sing more songs, do some theater, write more often, 
record some of my stories,
finish what I start (and what I have started)*, 
(and what I have started)*
(and what I have started)*
(and what I have started)*
get the new and improved Big Fibbers™off to a great start, 
get ready for the Fourth early, 
travel more, 
spend more time in the woods, 
spend more time on the rivers,
take some good pictures,
more exercise and fewer calories,
engage in some practical politics,
engage in some practical charity,
be a better husband, father, son, brother, and friend.
stay cheerful,
dream big, 
do now.

*I'm unwilling to make some of these things public, but Sheila knows them, and I'd love to surprise her a little this year!

Of course I could do pretty well with Woody Guthrie's 1941 resolutions:

NEW YEAR'S RULIN'S

1. WORK MORE AND BETTER
2. WORK BY A SCHEDULE
3. WASH TEETH IF ANY
4. SHAVE
5. TAKE BATH
6. EAT GOOD - FRUIT - VEGETABLES - MILK
7. DRINK VERY SCANT IF ANY
8. WRITE A SONG A DAY
9. WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES - LOOK GOOD
10. SHINE SHOES
11. CHANGE SOCKS
12. CHANGE BED CLOTHES OFTEN
13. READ LOTS GOOD BOOKS
14. LISTEN TO RADIO A LOT
15. LEARN PEOPLE BETTER
16. KEEP RANCHO CLEAN
17. DON’T GET LONESOME
18. STAY GLAD
19. KEEP HOPING MACHINE RUNNING
20. DREAM GOOD
21. BANK ALL EXTRA MONEY
22. SAVE DOUGH
23. HAVE COMPANY BUT DON’T WASTE TIME
24. SEND MARY AND KIDS MONEY
25. PLAY AND SING GOOD
26. DANCE BETTER
27. HELP WIN WAR - BEAT FASCISM
28. LOVE MAMA
29. LOVE PAPA
30. LOVE PETE
31. LOVE EVERYBODY
32. MAKE UP YOUR MIND
33. WAKE UP AND FIGHT

It's the final day of 2014. We are thirty years past 1984. We are living in science fiction times. 

I have a great part of the knowledge of the ages available to me in my pocket, and redundantly, on my lap at this moment. The majority of the great books, whole encyclopedias, almanacs, star-charts, and more are at my fingertips. I have a magic wand within reach with which to command 47 inch visions on my wall, if I like, of rescuers in the Indian Ocean, performances at Carnegie and Albert halls, up-to-the-minute stock prices on Wall Street, the songs of long-dead singers, the speeches of our president as he speaks them, endless gossip at any hour from mindless talking heads, or even half- (or fully!) nekkid folk cavorting lasciviously at any hour. And any and all of those magical choices I make will be recorded and reported to an esoteric intelligence that will then make, based on my choices, suggestions to me for the rest of the day and, I suppose, the rest of my life.

I wonder how many times today my image will be recorded as I drive or shop. 

We are living in science fiction times. 
___

Mike Bock has caught up with me again, as he does annually on the closing day of the year. Happy Birthday, Mike! I hope we see lots of you in 2015. Come south young man.

This day brings to mind Sheila's wonderful grandmother, Annie Belle Brannon Snell, the smart AND wise (not an automatic combination), kind, practical, industrious, and loving woman who was born on this date in 1884 and blessed our marriage with her wisdom and love for its first ten years. She died in 1981.

And forty --- FORTY! --- years ago on this date we got the call that my sister Carol had given us a new niece. We pulled into our little log cabin out in Chubbtown, from our Christmas trip to Tallahassee and turned right around and headed down to Atlanta to meet Larisa Carron Johnston, one of the great bonus tax deductions of all time. What a little bundle of joy she was and is! Happy Birthday, Larisa! We love you and your own additions to our family.

____

“Good habits make all the difference.” —Aristotle

And today is the traditional day to take stock and renew determination to more fully live, to grab this remarkable, magical, mysterious consciousness and make the most of it. 

I am living into extra innings, in a way. My father and his father, my beloved Daddy and Daddy Shaw, never reached their 68th birthdays. I've passed them (chronologically) already and will, I am hopeful, reach that milestone in March. Having outlived both those good men I try to remind myself each morning of the great privilege the current day is. One wonderful aspect of that privilege is this opportunity to voice my beliefs and dreams for the future of my children and (from the internet to God's ears) grandchildren and fellow Americans and Earthlings.

So I'll resolve,

_________

TRAVEL ADVISORY: 
Due to a flurry of New Year's resolutions, the Road to Hell is currently closed for repaving. 
Please take an alternate route. 

_________

call & see my mother more often, 
call/write/see/really-visit Brannon & Lillian more often (Things also work the other direction, I'm told?), 
have friends over more often, (How about the Dictionary game or Categories?)
visit Mildred and record her songs,
organize a Hoot,
organize and downsize my stuff, 
tell more stories, sing more songs, do some theater, write more often, 
record some of my stories,
finish what I start (and what I have started)*, 
(and what I have started)*
(and what I have started)*
(and what I have started)*
get the new and improved Big Fibbers™off to a great start, 
get ready for the Fourth early, 
travel more, 
spend more time in the woods, 
spend more time on the rivers,
take some good pictures,
more exercise and fewer calories,
engage in some practical politics,
engage in some practical charity,
be a better husband, father, son, brother, and friend.
stay cheerful,
dream big, 
do now.

*I'm unwilling to make some of these things public, but Sheila knows them, and I'd love to surprise her a little this year!

Of course I could do pretty well with Woody Guthrie's 1941 resolutions:

NEW YEAR'S RULIN'S

1. WORK MORE AND BETTER
2. WORK BY A SCHEDULE
3. WASH TEETH IF ANY
4. SHAVE
5. TAKE BATH
6. EAT GOOD - FRUIT - VEGETABLES - MILK
7. DRINK VERY SCANT IF ANY
8. WRITE A SONG A DAY
9. WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES - LOOK GOOD
10. SHINE SHOES
11. CHANGE SOCKS
12. CHANGE BED CLOTHES OFTEN
13. READ LOTS GOOD BOOKS
14. LISTEN TO RADIO A LOT
15. LEARN PEOPLE BETTER
16. KEEP RANCHO CLEAN
17. DON’T GET LONESOME
18. STAY GLAD
19. KEEP HOPING MACHINE RUNNING
20. DREAM GOOD
21. BANK ALL EXTRA MONEY
22. SAVE DOUGH
23. HAVE COMPANY BUT DON’T WASTE TIME
24. SEND MARY AND KIDS MONEY
25. PLAY AND SING GOOD
26. DANCE BETTER
27. HELP WIN WAR - BEAT FASCISM
28. LOVE MAMA
29. LOVE PAPA
30. LOVE PETE
31. LOVE EVERYBODY
32. MAKE UP YOUR MIND
33. WAKE UP AND FIGHT

"Eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year"

There was nothing poor about this meal!

I, of course, am an educated man. I have degrees from accredited and respected institutes of learning. I am a science teacher. I am not superstitious.

But why tempt fate?

Above you will find photographic evidence of my wonderful New Year's Day lunch, prepared expertly by my beautiful and brilliant bride.


My storytelling friend, Tersi Bendiberg, has reminded me via Facebook, of some of the delicious traditions for the first day of the year in several posts including a link to the (gasp) New York Times -- I guess Damn Yankees also have some concern about fate. Tersi also reminded us of wonderful storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham, who left us during the past year. Tersi tried to excuse her superstitious cooking as a tribute to Kathryn, but we're not fooled, Tersi.

Well here's our menu --

• Cornbread muffins. Cornbread is a mandatory accompaniment to the other dishes. It would be the height of folly to face the New Year without this quintessential American bread. Sheila used very little oil substituting apple sauce for some of it. They were great. No apple taste though. (The girl is trying to spare my ticker.)
• Turnip greens with carmelized onions. The greens represent the folding money you can expect for the next 365.25 days. Ours was crisp and fresh when it was chopped, and, I believe, in high denominations. What a great way to enjoy fresh greens. Just a little olive oil to grease up the onions. And of course I added a bit of hot sauce at the table.
• Hoppin' John with turkey sausage served over brown rice. The black-eyed peas represent the coinage available for the coming year. I choose to believe the rice kernels represent correctly cast votes this election year. (You know I couldn't avoid that!)
• Plain cold water to drink. The water represents our wonderful planet and reninds us of our need to be good stewards.

 I led a grace and we sat at the table, for a change. We are bad about gathering around the evening news to eat, which cannot be good for digestion. We all enjoyed it, though Lil is not fond of the slightly sweet aspect given to the greens by the onions. I loved the bitter/sweet combo of greens and onions.

An absolutely delicious meal. I had extra helpings of everything, just to be safe. I'm expecting those riches this year, but even if it doesn't work in that fashion, it was a yummy All-American way to get 2012 underway.

 "Eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year?" Nope. I ate rich today.

New Year's Menus & Memories

What y'all cooking for New Year's?

Here's some recipes & menus
- from The Median Sib
- from Georgia On My Mind


Here's to a couple of special babies:


Larisa is number 5 on the list below. This is how she is s'posed to look. Instead she is a grown-up chasing these (below) around.



And this new graduate:


Sam should be about three or four. The world has gone mad.
_______________

Heritage Re-Post from January 1, 2006
_______________


Counting down my favorite New Year memories

10. Guy Lombardo, Dick Clark, Ball Drops, the TV thing.

9. Illegal fireworks when I was a kid

8. Waking little girls to see in the new year

7. Watch night services when I was a kid

6. 1970-71 (Central Time) “All night singing” at Blountstown FL.

5. 1974-75 Seeing one-day old baby Larisa

4. (many times) Watching the new year in with my in-laws in Tallahassee

3. (several times) Watching the New Year in with our friends the Craws on their farm

2. New Year outdoor family reunions for (Annie Brannon Snell) Grannie’s Dec. 31 birthdays.

1. 1970-71 Kissing a certain girl and telling her, for the first time, that I loved her. I still do by the way. I have been with her to see in that new year and 34 more so far!

_______________

2008 update

• We saw 2007 in with a great group of friends and a fun celebration that would have to be included in this list.

• Now we can add two joint New Year's Eves to the total above.

• This is our second "empty nest" new year.