New Year's Eve Day

Very pretty day. It was actually cloudy yesterday, but today is a bright and glorious day. So I used a happy picture.

I tooled around the house doing odds and ends, like fixing one of the many 'guns' in our house. This was after I cleaned out the closet. Threw away a lot of stuff. I know, I know it is the Christmas Miracle my family has been waiting for.

Got a call from Sharon Cosh about my immediate boss, Tricia Wempe giving birth the night before to a little girl, 13 days ahead of schedule. Ran right over to the hospital and took these pictures. 30 minutes, yes 30 minutes was how long her labor lasted. That is just so unfair.

Here is big sister Angelma holding baby sister Michaella. They are sticking with the Angel theme. Aren't they just adorable.

Went to the office to download these pictures so I could send them to the school staff, faculty, and students where we work. I especially wanted the internationals who we work with to know where their erstwhile leader will be for the next 3 months! Yikes. I gotta lotta work ahead of me.

Went grocery shopping- afraid it was going to snow, you know how us Southerners are about snow. We love it we just can't drive in it.

Fixed dinner of Chicken Fried Steak, Green Bean Casserole, Rice, Biscuits, & a fresh salad.

What was I thinking? I have enough food in my fridge, as my Granny Mary used to say, "for a log rolling." Just had to cook! didn't get a picture though!

Finished the Hoops & Yoyo paper Christmas Toy I started 2 weeks ago. It is all made of Card stock and glue. The instructions would blow most engineers minds. I lost the stockings that are supposed to go on the fireplace, because someone who was helping me cut them out lost them. You know who you are!

Finished the curtain I wanted to make for the kitchen door. Always felt a little odd, with that not covered.

Put the black eyed peas on to soak over night.

Watched TV and participated in New Years Eve

revelry.

A Southerner Speaks

This letter was shared with me by a fellow Southerner.

To:

Dr. Dan Jones, Chancellor
University of Mississippi
P.O. Box 1848
Oxford, MS 38677

Dear Chancellor:


In my previous letter to you, I mistakenly thought that your concern over playing"From Dixie with Love" was that use of the melody of Dixie might be offensive to non-Southerners. I have since learned that, in fact, your nose was out of joint because you could not bend a group of students to your will and muzzle the politically incorrect words they substituted for one line of the song.

In the beginning, God took Nothing and made Something out of it-ex nihilo. You, Sir, have almost replicated that feat! Until you called attention to it nationwide, hardly anyone was aware that students were inserting the words, "The South shall rise again" into "From Dixie with Love." I certainly was not aware.

Even so, no serious minded person can possibly think that the quotation, "The South shall rise again," even remotely suggests taking up arms against our beloved America. One has but to watch the Emmys, Grammies, Oscars, and the the CMA awards, and 'as any fool kin plainly see' (Al Capp, "Li'l Abner"), The South abides as the repository where patriotism for our nation is most deeply ingrained and celebrated. Phil Harris's popular song of the 40's, possibly the original source of the quote you so despise, facetiously stated that "all the Yankee bands were playing Dixieland so save your Confederate money, boys-The South shall rise again." Back then, it brought amused smiles, not recriminations or even raised eyebrows.

Indeed, the South shall rise, must rise, and has risen in many other areas. Assuredly, the South needs to rise economically from poverty for many to prosperity for all. In industry and entrepreneurship, strides have been made in recent years. WorldCom was a leader in communications, the preferred carrier for government telecommunication, until mistakes in judgment brought it down. Of the "baby Bells" created in the breaking up of AT&T, it was BellSouth that eventually resumed the name AT&T. The South should and shall rise in the field of communications.

Automotive manufacturing thrives in Mississippi and Tennessee, while languishing in Detroit. The South shall rise and has risen in manufacturing.

The idea for Federal Express was born on the campus of Ole Miss and now thrives in Memphis, the greatest delivery service in the world. Coca Cola, an American icon, was first bottled in Vicksburg, Mississippi, by the Biedenharn family. The South rose and shall continue to rise in entrepreneurship.

The South produces more writers than any other section of the country. The Faulkner brothers, Tennessee Williams, Stark Young, John Grisham, Greg Ihles, Thomas Harris, Euroda Welty, young Amy Vincent, just starting and already published twice--and the list goes on and on. The South rose and shall continue to rise in literature.

Besides the gift of Dixieland jazz, we also gave the world Elvis, B.B. King, Charlie Pride, Faith Hill, Leontyne Price, Van Cliburn, and oh yes! Let us not forget our very own Luther Snavely! The South has risen and shall always rise in the field of music.

The South shall and did rise in political prominence. Four of the last six Presidents of the United States were natives of The South, and whatever you may think of their leadership, they have led the free world for 24 of the last 32 years; i.e., 75% of the time. The South rose and shall continue to rise in national and world leadership.

And so I ask you, Chancellor Jones, in just exactly what area would you prefer that The South not rise?

Organizing my jewelry

Fixing my jewelry. I have what my mom calls costume jewelry. I probably organize it once every 4 years.

I have to get the little bins out and clean them, throw away the old broken stuff. Then look at everything with a critical eye and start again.

I just couldn't keep my necklaces from tangling. I had these little hangers I had used for hanging unused scarfs so I got rid of my scarfs and hung the necklaces.
Now I have them all neat. I just hope I don't get them tangled again.

Twinkies

We do not have 'Dress the same Day' day at our office.

-Erin Flippin and Gray Prichard-

Yet we do have two student workers who are 'married,' ok not really, but they do look the same and they did dress the same, and they look so darling.

I think they should live in the Village, cause this is what they do.
We really work our workers. Just ask them. Never a dull moment.

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

One thing I love is a BLT. You gotta have crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, a home grown tomato, white soft bread and good mayonnaise. There is just nothing like it. I don't cut it in half, because you have to hold it together like an envelope to keep everything from spilling out and the soft bread is great for that. Funny that something so simple can be so fantastic.

"Help" the Movie

You gotta love the movie "Help" with the Beatles. It is just too fun.

The end of the move credits.

In the Alps the group plays a song and has fun skiing.

The bad guys get caught up in their own scheme.

The Beatles play a song.

In the castle they play cards.

On the ice curling stone that blows up.

Paul meets the high priest.

On one note, I just couldn't help notice that the religious implications that permeated the UK were not surprising to the film makers in 1965. Are we heading down this pathway? I agree with Ringo. "I don't subscribe to your religion."

Favorite time of year

This is my favorite time of the year. Fall in Arkansas especially south Arkansas is just beautiful. The weather gets cooler on a slow curve. Some of the states north of here have long springs into summer. We have rain, rain, rain and cool weather in the spring, then boom it is 90 degrees. But the fall has beautiful days, OK some rainy days right now, but it is the time when you can light a fire in the fireplace in the evening and enjoy it. And when it is midday it can be sunny and crisp. Wow fall is just beautiful, and the sky turns this unbelievable color of vibrant blue, orange and pink. You gotta love it.