Gleaning Facebook: Christmas 2011

 From Brannon's Facebook...

Snow on the magnolia.

White Christmas!

Christmas Eve.

Through the Skype we all will be together.

Home. Stockings.

Space heater. Not warm enough.

Gleaning Facebook: Nativity 2011

James Schroeder and Brannon Shaw as Joseph and Mary

 

Gleaning Facebook: A Non-Commercial Christmas

I apologize to my fellow Americans for failing to do my part for the economic recovery this Christmas. Maybe we can help a little during the after-Christmas sales.

This is our least commercial Christmas in our lives, I s'pose. Events intervened to prevent a lot of Christmas shopping, and we don't want our Christmas celebration time taken up with frantic last-minute gift-related activities. So we four will do things instead of buy things. We will give time, fellowship, love, donations, and good wishes instead of presents.

Sooooooo... I wish all of my Facebook family and friends a joyous, stress-free, reflective, "doing" Christmas and a wonderfully productive, meaningful, and happy 2012.

Boy! It's good to be back in good ol' Rome, Georgia! And in time for a few minutes of reflection in the Nativity Scene at Trinity on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Comments

Sarah L. Flannigan My kind of Christmas...and welcome home.
Jenifer Beaver I am seeing posts like this from a number of friends on facebook. It is so nice. I can't afford decorations, food for the season/entertaining and then buy more gifts on top of that. I choose decorating and cooking. Merry Christmas! I might see you tonight.

Barbara J. Gale The most wonderful gift is having my family around me...
Duane Parsons I am sure y’all did your part during the trip at gas stations and restaurants. <grin> With a consumption economy, now that gas attendant, waitress, etc. will be able to spread the wealth in their community.
Terrell Shaw True, Duane! And in NJ real old-fashioned gas pump attendants.

Joan Shaw Turrentine So glad you are home safe and sound!

Lynne Crothers Williams Hope you didn't come home to any storm damage.

Ann Gore Merry Christmas to all the Shaws! Love your post, true meaning of Christmas. Love, the Gores.
Betty Smith Franklin Merry Christmas to All! Have had many good memories of Rome this season....

leaning Facebook: Home from NYC

 Home, sweet home. Home at last!

Jim Ellington
Welcome, home, ya'll!!!

Lyn Davis
Glad you are home safely! Can't wait to see you!

Tersi Bendiburg
So thankful you are back home happy and safely.

Barbara J. Gale
Welcome home. I know everyone is glad you are home at last.

Gleaning Facebook: Perkins

Having dinner w my youngest at Perkins in Bristol VA. ... Five more hours maybe? It's a long way from NYC to Georgia's Rome.

Comments

Jann Heaton Skeen
did you miss our f-2 tornado??!

Jim Ellington
Eat a bread bowl for me, Terrell!!! LOL!

Terrell Shaw
Jim, spinach &. tomato omlette with (i hate to admit) pancakes. Yum. Jann, I had to experience the F2 vicariously thru Facebook. 

Jann Heaton Skeen
LOL!!!! Have a safe trip and Merry Christmas to you and yours. 

Monica Sheppard
That is near my parents and we just drove home from there today! It is about 5 hours. Safe travels!

Paula Graves
We just drove by there around noon. 

Jagdeep Singh
Remember we do it twice every year ... good news - soon u will be off the never ending I-81 

Tersi Bendiburg
Safe travels.

Sarah L. Flannigan
I miss Perkins...

Martin Penland Teem
Careful Dad. It isn't the years it's the miles.

Ann Gore
Be careful coming home!

Gleaning Facebook: One More Night in NYC

Headed South about midday tomorrow. Lil and Peter brot me some great Mexican take-out tonight. As usual I've enjoyed eating here.

Ruth Pinson
Have a safe trip back south...ya'll...ya hear? Merry Christmas my friend!

Terrell Shaw
Thanks, Ruth. And a Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Jennifer Peppers
Have a safe trip there and back. And Merry Christmas to you and your family. 

Sherry Jean Sims
Be safe. Merry Christmas to you & yours

Kathy Wilson
Be safe.Merry Chritmas to you and your girls.!

Gleaning Facebook: From Gwen Perkins

Your big midsummer get together reminded me of my family reunions. My mother was one of 15 children; my father, of 7, and as a result i had 56 first cousins. I feel so at home in crowds. Happy Holidays.

Gwen

Rest in peace, Harry Morgan

Seventy Years Ago

(December 8, 1941)

To the Congress of the United States:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Gleaning Facebook: A Good Place For All

“Inequality gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder.”

- President Barack Obama

"This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in"

- President Theodore Roosevelt

Two strong, thoughtful, brilliant men. Both wonderful writers long before they became presidents. Both strong supporters of enterprise and a strenuous life. Both cognizant of the dangers to liberty from unfettered greed and money in politics.

Comments

Roger Wade

yeah teddy......

Brian Barcomb
Noticed your first quote. The problem he fails to mention unions. Unions play a very large role in our country's political landscape by forcing membership and then using dues to promote politic figures and ideology that maybe contrary to members beliefs. Also the President continuously mis-speaks when he says "democracy". The United States is a Republic. TDR was more of a Progressive than Conservative. IMHO, the single best thing he did was to lead the battle to set aside land as National Parks

Brian Barcomb
Ironic.... a friend of mine made this post tonight and you commented on Mr. Obama and TDR. " Have you noticed that the 20th century presidents most trupted when you were in school were the liberal/statist. Teddy Roosevelt, imperialistic statist. Woodrow Wilson, anti-semite statist. FDR, war-time statist. LBJ, mega-statist. Only Kennedy was not particularly statist. By comparison, we were taught next to nothing about conservatives like Coolidge."

Terrell Shaw
Good Lord, Brian. Are you going back to the old John Birch fight. Of course we are a republic which is a representative form of democracy. I know of noone who advocates a "pure" democracy. Let's not get all twisted up in semantics.

Terrell Shaw
Your "statist" language is quaint.
Our history is replete with examples of the tension between the "common welfare" goal of the Constitution and the "blessings of Liberty" goal. Teddy Roosevelt and Barack Obama are excellent examples of men who adamantly demanded we balance the two.

Brian Barcomb
Free enterprise, free markets, and competition without government interference..... Less government involvement in individual freedoms and less entitlement programs

Terrell Shaw
I suppose you've heard my "moderation" sermon, but I can't help but preach it one more time. I am a firm believer in the notion that evil lurks in the political extremes. Unfettered capitalism (pure greed) is evil. Unfettered socialism (statism) is evil. Most of us agree on that. We have a devil of a time agreeing on where to place the fulcrum to achieve a balance. In my opinion the fulcrum was moved too far right about thirty years ago, causing an extreme redistribution of wealth toward the 1%. That's an imbalance that will wreck the republic, IMO.

Tersi Bendiburg
Agree with you, Terrell in the "evil lurks in the political extremes..."

Brian Barcomb
According to the IRS, the top 1% of income earners Pay more than 38% Of all Federal Income Taxes while earning 20% of All income. The bottom 50% of all income earners (less than $33k) Earned 13% of All income And paid less than 3% Of federal income taxes. The whole "fairness" doctrine has to be thrown out the window when debating taxes and redistribution of wealth. Telling the top 1% that they must pay more taxes (when they already pay the lion's share) so the bottom % can pay less is a flawed argument. Redistributing wealth from the top 1% will only harm the economy even more. It will force American made $ in tax sheltered accounts in foreign countries vs investing in the US economy and it will also shift jobs out of the US.

Terrell Shaw
If your argument were true the economy would have tanked in the fifties, sixties, and seventies when the top rates were much higher, or even in the nineties when they were considerably higher than now. The fact: highly progressive tax rates have not hurt the economy in the past. The Bush tax cuts on the other hand nearly wrecked us.
Progressive tax rates do not stifle entrepreneurs. Tax cuts to the wealthy do not "trickle down.
Those who gain the most from the blessings of this wonderful country should shoulder a much higher percentage of the financial load.

Terrell Shaw
BTW the tax cuts that do help the economy are those given to the middle class such as the one the GOP is fighting right now. Middle and lower classes actually spend their small "windfalls" and thereby goose the economy.

Thanks for the debate, Brian. Gotta sleep so I can teach tomorrow -- provided I don't get fired for arguing with one of the guys that hires me.

Brian Barcomb
no...no...no... Primary difference in political opinions and beliefs..... A personal who prospers from sweat, blood, and hard work should not have to pay a higher percentage than an individual that *choses* to live off entitlement programs. A person that works hard and sacrifices for the American dream should not be penalized. The person that lacks the desire to further their lives and choses to live off gov't $ should not be rewarded. "trickle down" is a matter of economics. If you tax the 1% we are speaking of even more, the less money you will have in the economy. That money will not be reinvested in the economy. Less money in the economy will equal an increase in Consumer prices and inflation.

Brian Barcomb
Haha... Always love a good political debate. Have a great day tomorrow!

Terrell Shaw
Again, a main difference is your seeming belief that people profit only from "sweat, blood, and hard work". That is part of it and should be rewarded, but is only part. The highway system, justice system, postal system, sewage system, education system, military system, trash disposal system, etc., etc. and many more etc.s are also involved. The rich owe a much larger debt to society... and will still be hugely richer than many equally sweating, bleeding, hard-working folks of lesser means. I don't want communism, that doesn't work. But I do support what I consider a moderate progressive tax. That is what truly raises all ships as it did in my youth. A strong middle class makes America strong. G'nite.

Tersi Bendiburg
@Terrell. No. No communism, please, that's why our family left Cuba. Very, very scary.

Terrell Shaw
That's something Brian and I can agree on, Tersi. 

Duane Parsons
Brian, et al: It looks like your IRS numbers may be correct, yet many of us (me especially) have no clue about percentages, so I looked up the dollar value. Taxpayers with an AGI (adjustable gross income) of $159,643 or more in 2009 constituted the nation's top 5 % of income earners. To break into the top 1 %, a tax return had to have an AGI of $343,947 or more, which was 10 % lower than the 2008 threshold of $380,354. The income threshold to break into the top 0.1 percent also fell dramatically from 2008 to 2009, from about $1.8 million in 2008 to $1.4 million in 2009.

“In 2009, the top 1 percent of tax returns paid 36.7 percent of all federal individual income taxes and earned 16.9 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI), compared to 2008 when those figures were 38.0 percent and 20.0 percent, respectively.”

“…as in 2008, the top 1 percent no longer pays a larger percentage of total income tax than the bottom 95 percent. …. During 2009, the bottom 95 percent (AGI under $154,643) paid 41.3 percent of the total collected, a larger share than the 36.7 percent paid by the top 1 percent (AGI over $343,947).”

Some are still trying to dismiss concerns about rising inequality as somehow foolish. But the truth is that the whole nature of our society is at stake. I am sure the tax fairness debate will go on, but I still find it difficult to understand why so many 99 % conservatives are fighting the battle for people making over $343,947 a year when some undoubtedly must be liberals. http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html

Thank you Mr. President

I continue to be very proud of my vote in 2008. Thank you Mr. President for your efforts to unite us, despite the stonewalling of the opposition party and the name-calling and pettiness that you have encountered day-after-day. Thank you for living up to the overwhelming majority of your promises despite the stubborn recession that turned out to be even worse than any of us realized in 2008. After a fight of 100 years beginning with Teddy Roosevelt, you have helped us achieve, as you promised you would, a universal healthcare program. It is among the most conservative programs of its type in the world, but it is a vast improvement over the system it replaced.

Here is an Op-ed from the LA Times:
In Praise of "Obamacare"

You Done Lost Yo' Apples

Yesterday a Facebook friend admitted to falling through her ceiling. I had to tell her this story, famous among the Shaws.

My Uncle Bill was an electrician. This day his baby brother Jack was his assistant. When they arrived at the house their knock was answered by a prim older lady who sweetly and with great condescension explained that, "If you boys do a good job and don't leave a mess..." (in her upscale spotless Atlanta home) "...I'll give y'all a big bag of apples to take with you."

Later while Bill worked on the outlet in the bedroom below and Jack snaked a new wire across the attic, Jack lost his balance. Suddenly Bill was covered with dust and and debris and, looking up, saw Jack's legs dangling from a tangle of insulation, sheetrock, and wiring. Without a pause he looked into Jack's frightened eyes peering down through the dust cloud, shook his head sadly, and chuckled these immortal words, "You done lost yo' apples."

In the forty-five or so years since then, every mess-up in our family has elicited that retort: "You done lost yo' apples."

Gleaning Facebook: A Long Island Thanksgiving

 Instead of fighting traffic and crowds to view Macy's parade, we decided to go out Long Island along highway 25A. We stopped at Cold Spring Harbor State Park and walked a section of the Nassau/Sulfolk Trail then took a walk along the Long Island Sound at Sunken Meadows State Park.

Gulls at at Cold Spring Harbor.

The boat ramp and "park" (grassy area) across Hwy 25A from the trailhead is named Billy Joel Park. This is taken from the boat ramp.

Billy Joel's first solo album was Cold Spring Harbor (1971) thus this monument. 

Girls at at Cold Spring Harbor.

"The LONG ISLAND GREENBELT TRAIL CONFERENCE is a unique, non-profit grassroots organization that has created more than 200 miles of hiking paths on Long Island, including three National Recreation Trails."

This American Beech, The Sweetheart Tree, holds the records of many years of young lovers climbing this trail.

Lots of ups and downs along this trail.

Here's a description of our hike from the Long Island Greenbelt schedule of upcoming hikes: 

"...COLD SPRING HARBOR HILL HOP ... 4.3 miles – fast – hilly –... 
Not for beginners! Easily one of the toughest hikes on L.I., with extremely rewarding views of the harbor and many ups and downs on the way to NY 108 and back; bring your camera in case the Christmas elf has again decorated trees on the route; meet at Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail Head on Harbor Rd. (NY25A), in the unpaved parking lot adjacent to the Cold Spring Harbor Library; bring water; rain, snow or ice cancels." 

Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, NY

Topping the last hill, in sight of the finish. 

maggie and milly and molly and may 
went down to the beach (to play one day) 

and maggie discovered a shell that sang 
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and 

milly befriended a stranded star 
whose rays five languid fingers were; 

and molly was chased by a horrible thing 
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and 

may came home with a smooth round stone 
as small as a world and as large as alone. 

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me) 
it's always ourselves we find in the sea 

- e.e. cummings
Sunken Meadow State Park

Just in time for the early Eastern sunset.

I am so thankful to have be able to spend this day with three women I love, walking under blue skies in woods and in a gorgeous sunset by the sea.

It was fascinating to watch the gulls opening their shelled suppers by dropping them onto the rocks. This guy will fly up to twenty or thirty feet up and drop his little treasure to follow it to the rocks and pick out the contents.

We finished the evening with a very unconventional Thanksgiving Dinner at Country Kitchen in Norwich. Hot pint drinking jars of fresh cider, a big omelet, home fries, a big stack of flapjacks. I'm stuffed and happy.

Gleaning Facebook: NYC

Off to Manhattan to see the UN, then a show with Sheila and the girls and maybe (?) Rachel Craw. Guess I better carry that big ol' bumberchute -- it's still threatening rain out there.

Comments:

Howard Smith
love NYC theatre

Nora Matthews
have fun you guys! we love yall! and Happy Thanksgiving

Terrell Shaw
Thanks Nora. Wow! 6 days till Vada Day!!!! We are thinking of you and praying for you and Vada (and Grandma and Gramps and Daddy Derrick, too.)

Terrell Shaw
@Howard, we do too, but tonight we ate Indian at a wonderful little place on 50th near 2nd Ave and had such a good time we decided to skip a play tonight. Maybe we'll catch one tomorrow -- there are a few playing even on T'day. Or maybe we'll let that be it for this trip.

Nancy Johal Singh
Have fun, we are going in December

Terrell Shaw
Ahhhhh... Nancy tonight was almost as good as eating at the Johal/Singh Restaurant: Bhajjas, Chaat Papri, Samosas, Chettinad Chicken, Naan.. scrumptious! I thot of you and Jagdeep many times this evening.

Nancy Johal Singh
I am sure that its way better than what I can make, I love that about NY/NJ, the food is amazing, don't forget to have Chinesse and Pizza

Terrell Shaw
Yours is still the tops, but this was close! I am stuffed!!!!
(Yours was also a lot less expensive.)

Nancy Johal Singh
We will be seeing Wicked this year, last year we saw Lion King, it was EXCELLENT!!!....you are too nice, I am not an expert cook just yet but I think a few more years I could be or at least hope to be, the good thing about living in Rome is that Jagdeep doesn't get to compare my cooking to anything else so it just seems like my food is great!...LOL

Terrell Shaw
You will enjoy Wicked. We saw it 2 or 3 years ago. It is one of the few times when I disliked a book but like the play (or movie.)

Gleaning Facebook: Walking The High Line

This abandoned elevated frieght rail line has been repurposed as a pedestrian "nature walk" down the southwest side of Manhattan. What a wonderful idea. Well done NYC!

Comments:

Terrell Shaw
My pics did not turn out well -- all I had with me was my phone cam & I am seriously under-trained on it. But I wanted to share our walk with y'all anyway. Take a look at the High Line website for a better idea.

http://www.thehighline.org/

Lyn Davis
Looks like fun! Very interesting!

Joan Shaw Turrentine
Looks like so much fun! Do you have a pic of your three girls together? Or one of you and the girls?

Terrell Shaw
Brannon is working through tomorrow, so this walk was missing one.

Weyland Billingsley
Love the High Line...my son lives in the apt. building between 17th & 18th that connects to the High Line.

Gleaning Facebook: Seeing Pete Again!

with John McCutcheon

with Tom Paxton

at William Carlos Williams Center, Rutherford NJ.

A great night with our daughters. Pete Seeger, John McCutcheon, Tom Paxton and assorted other performers in Rutherford NJ raising money and awareness for the wetlands along the Hudson on the Jersey side. Pete is still Pete at 92. This was my first time to hear Tom in person, but I've been singing his songs since the sixties. And John is simply the best folk musician in his prime today. I love that hammered dulcimer and have enjoyed his albums since sometime in the seventies I guess. I hope to upload my rendition of John's Christmas in the Trenches soon.

Comments: 

Lynne Crothers Williams
Wonderful to hear that Pete is still Pete at 92.

Susan Cherones
IVE been singing Tom Paxton's songs since the sixties!!!!! My dad worked on a production with him and brought home an album that I played and played and played...I can still sing every song on the album!! Wow, you're the only other person I've met who knows him!!

Ruth Pinson
Can't wait to hear yours! Loved seeing you last week!

Jenifer Beaver
Went to a dulcimer festival in Louisville, KY once. Heard dulcimer all day long. Beautiful.

Kathy Wilson
Sounds like a great time was had by all.

Veterans Day 2011

I enjoyed singing the National Anthem today at the Veteran's Day program at Myrtle Hill -- the Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour.