There is nothing that cannot be achieved by firm imagination.
Asides
"Posterity - you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." - John Quincy Adams (6th President of America) # 
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
-Samuel Johnson
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What's New?
New look. New Season.
November 17th, 2008 by stephanieDidn’t I just put Christmas Away?
November 16th, 2008 by stephaniePICK YOUR BATTLES WISELY.
November 12th, 2008 by stephanieGet Your Story Straight.
November 10th, 2008 by stephanieBe Ye of Good Cheer
November 9th, 2008 by stephanie
Abraham Lincoln. 16th President. Still relevant today.
November 20th, 2008 by stephanieIn January of 2009 the 44th President of the United States of America will be sworn into office. Interestingly, though he is a Democrat, his latest book of choice is titled Team of Rivals. It focuses on how Abe Lincoln (a Republican) put together his cabinet. And it is quite a read I hear. For those of us that don’t remember who, and how, and why Lincoln did what he did, it was apparently a bit revolutionary if not controversial at the time.
All that to say, I was reading about a guy that was heading into a restaurant in Philadelphia. Before he entered, he saw a homeless man holding a sign that read: Please vote for Obama. I need the money. As the customer was seated at his table, he was then greeted by a server that had on an Obama tie. When the check came, the man stated that he was going to practice Obama’s “spread the wealth” idea. Instead of leaving the server the tip, he was going to give it to the homeless Obama supporter outside. Needless to say, the waiter was furious. But the man left and did just that dropping a $10 bill into the hand of the man outside in need.
Shortly after hearing about this incident, I was digging through some old files and ironically came across this quote from dear old Abe. Our 16th President. It goes like this:
“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independnece. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” - Abraham Lincoln
And with that, just my, or better yet, a past President’s thoughts for your day.
S.
What Not to do on Your Thanksgiving Vacation.
November 18th, 2008 by stephanieFor those of you who like to reminisce during the holidays, there is one memory I would personally prefer to forget. But alas, such will not be the case. In light of the fact that a few of the girls and I paid homage to the new 007 James Bond film this past weekend, (which I loved!) I felt a little walk down memory lane of sorts might just be in order.
It was Thanksgiving and I was visiting my mother (as all good daughters who live hundreds of miles away do). There was a question regarding an appliance in her house and it occurred to her that the neighbor might have the answer. So, with gift plate of goodies, or what I felt was actually a peace offering for our “Can you come over and help us?” plea, we set out for the 20-yard trek next door.
While my mom chatted up her friend, I began conversing with the woman’s spouse. It was when he got to the part about a taxi cab, the country of Turkey, and the 1950’s that I laughed out loud and jokingly announced, “So, what? Were you a covert operative or something?” At that point, the room froze. I was begging the floor to open up and swallow me. But it was Mexican tile. And it didn’t move.
The woman, a salt pillar at this point, merely opened her mouth, looked at her husband, and then stared back at me. With shock on her face she choked out the words, “He’s never talked about that.” He then mumbled something about languages and Germany. As I nervously tried to cover, it only got worse. “Uh, yeah, a friend of mine was married to a guy. They were stationed in Germany. He posed as an auto mechanic. Spoke Bosnian. You know, Uh,…” but the verbal decline only plummeted. The woman, yes, his second wife, now just stared at me even more dumbly. At this point, I was physically growing ill.
Oh, for a tornado from Kansas to suddenly sweep me away. But no. I had to weather this one alone. My mom just stood there with the usual, “Why do you have to talk so much?” look on her face that only a mother can give.
As the man walked me to, and out, the front door, I figured he was quickly thinking and preparing how to kill and dispose of me within the next three seconds that he had before the other women exited the house and caught up with us. But instead, he had this amazed smirk on his face. “How could you have known?” was all he asked incredulously. Relieved, yet horrified, I began apologizing profusely.
“I am so sorry! Please forgive me. Don’t kill me. I am a huge fan of this stuff. I traveled with Col. Oliver North on one of his book tours. I read all of his books. I’m a huge CIA fan. My dad worked for NASA. I just, I just, you know… know this stuff. I mean, c’mon Bob! What normal American guy was in a taxi cab in Turkey in the 50’s for cryin’out loud?! Give me a break!!” With that, he just laughed. And I gratefully lived to die another day.
When we returned to my mom’s house, I pondered if, when we left for Thanksgiving dinner a few moments later, neighbor Bob wouldn’t slip in, take the jewels and return to his domain. I warned my mother to lock the safe. But then remembered, “Oh, wait. We don’t have any family jewels. Or even a safe for that matter.”
I did manage to collect a set of the Oliver North fiction books soon thereafter and delivered it a few weeks later at Christmas. My peace offering of sorts. It was the least I could do.
All that to say, I highly recommend, whatever you do this Thanksgiving, don’t “out” your mother’s retired, covert operative. It’s just not the polite or merry thing to do.
With that, just my thoughts during this festive week prior to our national celebration. A precious time where we give thanks for the wonderful country that Providence has allowed us to create and in which we dwell.
And here’s to all the under cover 007’s that really do exist out there and fight for this sweet, sweet place we lovingly refer to as “home”.
Shaken, but not stirred,
Stephanie
