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Our Daily Thread 12-6-14

Good Morning!

19 Days Until Christmas!

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On this day in 1865 the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The amendment abolished slavery in the U.S.

In  1877 Thomas Edison demonstrated the first gramophone, with a recording of himself reciting Mary Had a Little Lamb. 

In 1889 Jefferson Davis died in New Orleans. He was the first and only president of the Confederate States of America. 

And in 1957 America’s first attempt at putting a satellite into orbit failed when the satellite blew up on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, FL.  

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Quote of the Day

“Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.”

Steven Wright

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FemHN8a8F6M&feature=player_detailpage

Or if you’d prefer an instrumental version…. from Manor House Music

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Anyone have a QoD?

61 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 12-6-14”

  4. Good morning, Chas. Good night, Jo.

    Jo: From yesterday’s thread: We’d love to have you visit us in Houston, Texas, as well! We have an extra guest room and will be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas morning celebrating as just our family (and Connie, of course!). You could join us for Christmas Eve service at our church at four and then for our annual fancy Christmas Eve dinner at our favorite restaurant, Perry’s. We’ll be in town until December 30th…and our guest room is open to you anytime. I’ve been told we have a very peaceful and relaxing atmosphere in our home, so you’d probably be able to get a lot of rest.

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  6. I have to take L. shopping later this morning for something nice to wear to the Nutcracker tomorrow. All she owns are jeans. She ordered a dress from Dillard’s for the occasion, but she looks like a stripper in it. Fortunately, she is in agreement with me that it is inappropriate and wants to return it. I don’t know why so many of the clothes made for juniors are so sexy–the dress was super tight (think high spandex count) and only came about two inches below her bottom. Lovely. Just the look I was hoping for for family pictures around the Christmas tree…Anyhow, I loathe going to the mall, especially this time of year, but it can’t be helped. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find something fairly quickly and the trip won’t be too painful…I know, I know…first world problems….

    This afternoon, we are headed to Scott’s mom’s house to help her put up her tree and finish decorating for Christmas. It’s become an annual tradition.

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  7. Good morning. We have lots of fog here. I mean weather related, not just because I have not had my coffee yet.

    The count down to Christmas is a bit rough to see first thing in the morning. I am no where near ready.

    Bosley is at the window looking into the fog and flicking her tail. Maybe she has radar eyes and can see birds through the fog, or perhaps she is having great imaginings.

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  8. I also have to go shopping today. Mr. P invited friends over to watch football. He told the wife of the couple that I would take her to the consignment shop he found and to the little flea market. He also bought all sorts of food. I had been planning to make gumbo. C-o-m-m-u-n-i-c-a-t-i-o-n People. That is what didn’t happen.
    I took BG out to dinner last night. She invited a friend…the one that drives me crazy. She is the one that kept BG’s boots and wouldn’t give them back. Now she has a Michael Kors wristlet that BG’s aunt gave her for her birthday last year. She has had it for several weeks now. While I am glad my child isn’t selfish, I do mind that she is being taken advantage of.
    She is at least learning more about the value of money. She has been saving her money to buy a second hand iPhone 5 from a friend of her dad’s. She somehow shattered the screen on her school issued MacBook so now the 100 dollars she had saved is going to have to go to fixing it instead of getting the phone. Her dad is doing a great job there. With me she would have whined, cried, and guilted me into finding a way to pay for it. She hasn’t told her dad yet what happened but knows that he won’t give her the money for it. Luckily right now I am in a position that I could do both for her but I won’t. It is more important that she learn this lesson
    She is turning out quite nicely.

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  12. Told you.

    I doubt AJ is doing any of the following, but he could prove me wrong:

    write Christmas letter, sign Christmas cards, Address Christmas cards (or convince someone else to do them on the computer), scribble notes in Christmas cards, lick and stamp Christmas cards, mail.

    Figure out when to get Christmas tree. Find said tree, find ornaments, decorate tree.

    Figure out what and where to buy imaginative and cool gifts for some 15 people.

    Convince husband you should NOT fly to Sicily on Christmas night with a compelling spiritual argument.

    Figure out and buy food for daughter’s Christmas party, family Christmas Eve part (ah, Slovenian sausages arrived yesterday. ONE thing down), organize Christmas day with daughter-in-law. Arrange for and buy ingredients for daughter’s annual cookie baking bash.

    Find requested high school graduation photo so daughter came frame and give to aunt.

    Play clarinet Wednesday night, week from Wednesday night, Christmas Eve. Sing Sunday, following Sunday, following Saturday AND Sunday, not to mention Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

    You have to help set up the Advent potluck on December 17, too.

    Pick up food for Voter’s Meeting between singing second service and start of meeting tomorrow. (Cookies already baked).

    Get a mammogram.

    Take bags of stuff to Redwood Gospel Mission thrift shop.

    Babysit adorable grandchildren for the night next Friday (can combine with decorating tree if you get one).

    He’s probably doing this one: write 10 blog posts, maybe 11.

    Continue combing through your 101K word manuscript to strength sentences. You’ve only 15 more words to examine–every single usage of the word.

    Did I mention six more days of work? (yesterday left early because dog got skunked and office was unbearable to work in) Two more Bible studies to prepare for?

    At the moment only one airport run, but I just remembered I need to purchase, wrap, pack and send several boxes of gifts . . . one to the aforementioned Sicily, very soon.

    Hey, thanks! Now I have my list.

    No pressure at all.

    We’re having leftovers for dinner tonight. I wonder if I can stretch that stew through tomorrow night . . . ?

    Ah, no worries! There’s a party!
    (But at least it’s not here!)

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  14. Musical Advent Calendar – Day 6: Versions of this Latin carol date back over 650 years. The version of “Personant Hodie” was first published in the Finnish/Swedish carol book Piae Cantiones in 1582.

    Shout aloud on this day!
    Children all raise the lay.
    Cheerfully we and they
    Hasten to adore thee,
    Sent from highest glory,
    For us born, on this morn
    Of the Virgin Mary.

    Now a child he is born
    Swathing band him adorn,
    Manger bed he’ll not scorn,
    Ox and ass are near him;
    We as Lord revere him,
    And the vain powers of hell
    Spoiled of prey now fear him.

    From the far Orient
    Guiding star wise men sent;
    Him to seek their intent,
    Lord of all creation;
    Kneel in adoration.
    Gift of gold, frankincense,
    Myrrh for their oblation.

    All must join him to praise;
    Men and boys voices raise
    On this day of all days;
    Angel voices ringing,
    Christmas tidings bringing,
    Join we all, “Gloria
    In excelsis” singing.

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  16. Michelle,

    That’s quite a list. 🙂

    But I have done some similar stuff….

    Christmas cards. – Pffft. Not my dept. 🙂

    Tree- Bought, up, decorated, done. 🙂

    I’ve also taken over Liz’ Advent boxes this year. I’m leaving clues in each box with directions to find what goes in it. The 3 wise men were easy, but they all looked like George Washington. 🙂

    It’s just us for Christmas Eve and day, so no major planning. 🙂

    We do travel after Christmas though for a weekend visit to Va. 🙂

    No mammograms, but I did have to waste time on the phone twice getting my prescriptions renewed. It’s always fun to do your doctor’s offices job and the pharmacy companies too. I shouldn’t have to be the one who figures it all out, and if I need to, shouldn’t I be paid like they all are? And why is it every single stinking time I need my high blood pressure medication refilled you have to make it a major production and rile me up so my blood pressure rises significantly? 😦

    And of course, blog posts. 🙂

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  17. Ann,

    I feel ya’. I hate going clothes shopping with the ladies for my daughter. There’s so little that’s appropriate for a girl her age. I can’t believe some people allow their young ladies to dress that way. Modesty isn’t big these days. 😦

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  19. Jo mentioned the beautiful full moon last night. Husband said this morning that he had to fight the urge to just get up and go snowshoeing last night, it was so beautiful out. We have a wonderful coating of hoarfrost to go with the moonlight!

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  20. I have to agree with you Chas on the dress. It is only half way down her thigh. That is far from 3 inches from the knew in a kneeling position that my uniforms had to be.

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  21. Reading michelle’s list I realize how simple my life is. 🙂

    I had to make a stop at the mall last night — got a call on my cell that my new glasses came in much quicker than expected — but I figured it would be less crazy to get them then (even though I was tired and coming home from a long trip out to Pomona in the middle of Friday rush hour) than it would be to go to the mall today, just a few Saturdays before Christmas.

    It wasn’t too bad, I was able to park right outside the eyeglass shop and while the mall was busy, it wasn’t packed (like it’ll probably be today). And the freeway was jammed up anyway, so from there I was able to get home on surface streets much more quickly.

    The cat is curled up at my shoulders on the back of the sofa as I’m drinking my coffee.

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  23. Michelle has the drive of a type A+ personality.

    I could not accomplish all that in a whole year unless I had staff to delegate to.

    Our Christmas will be simplified this year. Son will be home for a short time. We have no grandkids. Miss Bosley is the only lively one among us.

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  24. It’s the consequence of having all those children coupled with a husband who is the church president and this book . . . it helped me to vent, print out the list and realize a couple things, so thanks for providing the opportunity!

    I’ve been working on the book since 5:30 this morning other than a few chore breaks and breakfast. My husband will return from his ministry at church soon and maybe we’ll do something fun–or go out to dinner. Or talk through my list, ha!

    Laughing . . .

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  25. Husband deserves a medal, he took five of the children shopping this morning, before the Christmas party their boss is throwing this afternoon. That just leaves me with four to clean the house and put out decorations. Much less chaotic, and I have the youngest three! And the oldest at home who is incredibly helpful.

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  26. I deserve a medal. I went to Wal-Mart this morning.

    So do I. Mrs L asked if we could go shopping today and I agreed. Then I realized it was a Saturday in December, and I avoid places like WalMart on any Saturday, let alone in December. So I said “be ready in an hour (this was at 7 when we first woke up). She agreed and we were on the road at 8:30 (my “in an hour” should not be taken literally).

    We got there after the 30 mile drive and the parking lot was more like a Monday morning than a Saturday. I liked that. I went in and did a little gift shopping while she did the groceries and other things. I had time to drive across town to get an auto part before she was ready.

    Yeah, I actually survived a Saturday at WalMart. But our WalMart is never busy until around 10:00AM on Saturdays.

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  28. Oh, yes, and son graduates from the youth challenge in just under three weeks. He loves it but he is ready to be done and moving forward in life. So, I suppose I will enter the big city to attend his graduation.

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  32. Mumsee – You asked if Emily drank alcohol or took any drugs while she was pregnant with Forrest. The answer is no. She was very conscientious about what she put in her body when she was pregnant & nursing. (Still is, from a good health standpoint). She even gave up being a vegetarian in order to make sure she got enough protein. (And now she tends to favor a more “paleo” kind of diet. 🙂 )

    Also, although there are areas in which we wish she were a little firmer (like with better table manners), she is quite firm with Forrest. He definitely knows he’s not the boss.

    6 Arrows – You mentioned post-weaning as a time of exhibiting anger. That fits, along with the parental tensions. Emily wanted to wean him as he turned three, but he did not want to give it up! So for that last year, she slowly weaned him down to only a now-&-then (maybe every couple or three days), & then finally stopped. He still sometimes asks for it if he is tired or upset.

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  36. Non of you remember Pearl Harbor. But this song is one of the rallying tunes of the day.
    WW II produced lots of them.
    Japan didn’t want to conquer the US, they wanted us out of the South Pacific.
    Fewer people died at Pearl Harbor than at 9/11. But When the country wanted to do something, George Bush said, “go buy something.”

    Our enemy today is mare dangerous than in 1941. But we’re afraid to identify the threat.
    They want us out of the Middle East, then they want to Islamize Europe, and eventually America.
    They are succeeding because we don’t understand the conflict.

    It’s pitiful, in a spiritual sense, to consider the difference between then and now.

    NEVER FORGET!
    Your kid’s future depends on it.

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  37. Just a few of the songs that come to mind as I sit here.
    Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.
    When the lights come on again all over the world,
    Johnny Zero
    Rum and Coca Cola
    Hot time in the town of Berlin (When the yanks go marching in)
    Each Night at Nine.
    Don’t sit Under the Apple tree (with anyone else but me)
    I’ll Be Back in A Year (by Gene Autry)
    Smoke on the Water (Roy Acuff)
    Either too young or too old (Women lamenting the lack of men)

    I could keep this up a long time.

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  38. Elvera remembers Dec. 7, 1941. It’s the day her mother died.
    I was at the American Theater in Charleston watching “Belle Starr”.
    When I got home, we were at war. I had just turned 11 in August.

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  40. Musical Advent Calendar – Day 7: “Remember O Thou Man” was first published in English composer Thomas Ravenscroft’s ‘Melismata’ in 1611. The English novelist Thomas Hardy late quoted from it in the caroling scene in his novel ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’. That scene is charmingly acted in BBC’s television special of ‘Under the Greenwood Tree.’ So this carol gets around:

    http://youtu.be/HNbQicRIj48

    Remember, O thou Man,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    Remember, O thou Man,
    Thy time is spent.
    Remember, O thou Man,
    How thou camest to me then,
    And I did what I can.
    Therefore repent.

    Remember Adam’s fall,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    Remember Adam’s fall
    From Heaven to Hell.
    Remember Adam’s fall,
    How we were condemned all
    To Hell perpetual,
    There for to dwell.

    Remember God’s goodness,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    Remember God’s goodness
    And promise made.
    Remember God’s goodness,
    How his only Son he sent
    Our sins for to redress.
    Be not afraid.

    The Angels all did sing,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    The Angels all did sing
    On Sion hill.
    The Angels all did sing
    Praises to our Heavenly King,
    And peace to man living,
    With right good will.

    The Shepherds amazed was,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    The Shepherds amazed was
    To hear the Angels sing.
    The Shepherds amazed was
    How this should come to pass.
    That Christ our Messias
    Should be our King.

    To Bethlehem did they go,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    To Bethlehem did they go
    This thing to see.
    To Bethlehem did they go
    To see whether it was so,
    Whether Christ was born or no,
    To set us free.

    As the Angels before did say,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    As the Angels before did say.
    So it came to pass.
    As the Angels before did say.
    They found him wrapt in hay
    In a manger where he lay.
    So poor he was.

    In Bethlehem was he born,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    In Bethlehem was he born
    For mankind dear.
    In Bethlehem was he born
    For us that were forlorn.
    And therefore took no scorn
    Our sins to bear.

    In a manger laid he was,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    In a manger laid he was
    At this time present.
    In a manger laid he was.
    Between an ox and an ass,
    And all for our trespass,
    Therefore repent.

    Give thanks to God always,
    O thou Man, O thou Man,
    Give thanks to God always
    With hearts most jolly.
    Give thanks to God always
    Upon this blessed day.
    Let all men sing and say,
    Holy, Holy.

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  41. Yesterday was a busy day – the first of many family Christmas gatherings. So I couldn’t point out to The Real that he missed a day in history. It was the 97th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. On December 6, 1917, the munitions ship Mont Blanc and the cargo ship Imo collided in Halifax Harbour (Those of you on FB have seen picture of the harbour as it is now). The munitions caught fire, and then, the largest man made explosion before Hiroshima took place: http://www.halifaxexplosion.org/explosion.html

    The most immediate and devastating effect of the explosion was a shockwave produced by the detonation that was the equivalent of 2989 tons of TNT. The shockwave travelled at a speed of more than 1500 meters per second.

    At the center of the blast the heat produced by the chemical reaction was in excess of 5000C. The heat and pressure pushed a fireball of hot gases, and debris consisting of soot, unburned coal, carbon from explosives, and shrapnel high into the sky above the harbour. As the gases cooled a giant cloud formed, the soot, carbon, and shrapnel fell as a deadly shower.

    Around the Mont-Blanc the water was vaporized by the heat, the pressure of the explosion sent a 16 meter tidal wave out into the harbour and up into the Richmond neighbourhood for three city blocks.

    The explosion flattened 325 acres in Halifax and its sister city, Dartmouth, destroying 12000 buildings. 1600 people were killed and 7000 more injured, many of them blinded by flying glass shards. You may remember my picture of Citadel Hill on FB. The clock on the hill has one face always stopped at the time the explosion occurred. The Citadel stopped the rest of Halifax from being flattened by deflecting the force of the explosion upward. My great grandfather, who was stationed at York Redoubt, one of the forts at Halifax Harbour, helped with the relief efforts. The city of Boston was among the many to respond, sending a trainload of supplies and workers for relief, and in gratitude, every year, the city of Halifax sends a Christmas tree to Boston.

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  42. I have been up a little while, but when I came to check in I saw Chas’ s post about Pearl Harbor which reminded me I hadn’t seen my favorite survivor around town lately. A quick Google search showed that he died last December, but in all the hub bub of Christmas and my own life I hadn’t checked up on him lately. He tried his best to sell me the Merle Norman Cosmetic Store he and his wife owned in town. I was 23 or 24 and terrified to take on the responsibility. My father even encouraged me, telling me that even in the most desperate of times a woman WOULD scrape together enough money to buy at least a lipstick.
    I think I may have to go find him and leave him some flowers. He was quite the charmer.

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  43. Kim – Loved the Burl Ives song. Lee & I both think of Forrest as our boy. I often refer to him as “my little guy”. I wonder if part of it is because we had girls but no boys ourselves.

    It’s not that we want to usurp his parents, but that he is growing up in our home, with a lot of our influence, & is very special to each of us. Emily has said that I am like a second mother to him, & Lee is like a father. We pray that we will be a conduit of God’s love & truth to “our little boy”.

    A friend of mine has five girls & one boy. When she shares a picture on Facebook of her boy, her great-aunt will comment, “There’s my boy!” I always smile. I wonder if she had only girls, too.

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  46. Chloe and I went to breakfast at Waffle House. There was an elderly lady in the booth next to us. As we were sitting there each waitress spoke to her and if they had a minute they sat down and talked to her. One even walked by and kissed her on her head and said good morning.
    When I was paying for our breakfast I asked if she was quite the regular. She comes there every day to have coffee and visit. According to one of the waitresses she is is “such a sweetheart”.

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  47. I heard a lot about Pearl Harbor growing up, it was my parents’ era (though they didn’t meet & marry until after the war). My mom had come out to California with a girlfriend & was a “Rosie the Riveter” worker. My dad, also from Iowa but out in California on his own by then, enlisted in the Navy the day after Pearl Harbor. His first job after enlisting was helping with the physical cleanup of Pearl Harbor which was filled with oil.

    My uncle Bill was also in the Navy and survived Pearl Harbor (barely, he was reported as killed initially). And he did learn how to swim that day.

    I found this record of his story on the internet a few years ago on a site dedicated to South Dakota boys who had died — this was for my uncle’s buddy and shipmate, Herman A. Goetsch, who died in action on the USS Nevada on Dec. 7, 1941:

    ___________________________________________________________

    [I was] scared stiff. We all were for 20 or 25 minutes and then we got into
    the spirit of the action. The first attack was at 8 o’clock and the last at 2 p.m.
    Then six horizontal bombers came over. Our guns got three of them and our
    fighting planes downed the other three.

    Herman was my buddy and he was in sick bay (hospital) for an operation for
    appendicitis. I was doing his washing as we all have to do that and he couldn’t
    do it for himself. I had loaned him one of my shorts and it had my name on
    it. After the attack, having given his bunk to a badly wounded seaman, Herman
    came up on deck, though he couldn’t walk very well, being so weak.
    I was standing with my buddy, Herman Goetsch of Mitchell, when I
    was ordered to replace one of the Battery A guncrew, who had been killed.
    We were standing near the captain’s bridge. I had scarcely left when a
    bomb struck near Herman and he was instantly killed.

    … He was wearing my shorts when killed, and in that way it was reported that
    it was I who was blown to pieces by that bomb.

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  51. Those anniversaries can be poignant, especially when they’re still fairly recent and fall near the holidays. 😦

    For all you Lutherans and sacred music fans out there:

    “The multi-talented Lori Lewis has launched an internet radio channel devoted to Lutheran music. That is to say, to 16th and 17th century sacred music with lots of hymns, chorales, and Bach. …”

    Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2014/12/the-all-lutheran-music-channel/#ixzz3LEkRYenc

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  59. Long day touring a historic home (1906, Queen Anne style) and seeing all the Victorian Christmas decorations. A cousin helped decorate one of the rooms. He said the only glitch was the Christmas tree. They decided to go with the old-fashioned strings of cranberries and popcorn.

    But, like most old houses, it had a few resident mice, apparently, who nibbled away to their delight overnight, requiring a hasty re-do of the tree on the morning of the tours. They shellacked the popcorn this time.

    And very exciting news — more rain is on the way. Hooray. Along with snow in the local mountains, or so we’re hoping (just look at this gorgeous shot from past years):

    http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/12/07/48527/more-rain-colder-weather-on-its-way-to-la-area/

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  61. so nice to have helpful neighbors.
    I am cleaning out my cupboards and my fridge. I found some chocolate I shared at school today. Someone remarked that no one said ‘no’

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