Christiansen's Comments HindsCounty Gazette August 4 2011

Is Summer over?

Must be school is fixing to start…When I was a kid summer was not over until after labor day. It has me scratching my head wondering…why are kids today learning less with more time? I don’t know, maybe they are sharper then tests show…maybe we should find out what they know and test them on that…. .Maybe they don’t need to now how to spell anymore, computers do that for us….Do they have to know how write complete sentences?…or dissect a sentence?…I know for sure I never dissected a sentence after I finish school….young folks write very concise now….like LOL that is laugh out loud…Computers do the math….It is a new world.

I do think many children and possibly their parents…No doubt all of us, could stand some brushing up on our manners ……Simple pleases and thank yous and learning how to sit quietly would be a good start…..computers don’t teach manners, kindness, or courtesy….But like I said it is a new world….maybe courtesy is old fashion and out of date too.



When children see grown folks on the TV yelling, name calling and using ugly language….It is no a mystery to me that there is a enormous problem in this country with children bulling children.



I don’t know how I got off on that tangent, but speaking of TV…I have gone a month now with out cable TV…and have not missed it! I kept saying, “I don’t watch TV enough to warrant the $65 it is costing me every month.”…but sometimes you do things more then you think you do….So I tested myself, I have only old fashion TVs, so I borrowed a converter box from Doug Turner …used it for a about month, and I did not get the DTs…. I did fine… No anxiety… no separation issues. . So I called and had it cut off July 1.





On the converter box you just get the local channels and it is still more TV then I need…PBS has a channel called “Create” that is about all I watch, it is mostly gardening, travel, cooking and crafts. Nobody yelling on that channel.



Well, we vote Tuesday, by the time you get the paper we will have already voted. I am scrambling to figure out who I should vote for, I am not very well informed, as I watch very little news, because it is so awful…But a couple of weeks ago I tuned in to watch the news to see Scott Cannada, has been named Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Mississippi farmer of the year…He is up for Southeastern farmer of the year….you probably saw that in last weeks Gazette. We are all very proud of Scott. And his wife Lesley, we are proud of her too! Lesley headed up Bible school this year…we had nearly 50 children!!! Can you believe it!!!! 50!!!! It was great fun! I love Bible School!

Music

Craft time in the nursery

Most everybody

Receration for the last day!

But anyway while waiting to see Scott, a political commercial came on, it was so refreshing, there was no yelling, or ripping his opponent apart. It was just a man, the candidate, and an old lady sitting on a park bench, the old lady is telling us what the candidate is running for and how he stands on the issues…..She is well informed on his stand and what he is running for but she just can’t get his first name right, she calls him Gilbert, Filbert, and Ingelbert…and each time she calls his name wrong. he gently with a big smile corrects her, “Yes Mamm, but it is Delbert”



Oh! Have you noticed the E D W A R D S sign in the side of the hill at the Presbyterian Church, Eric Armstrong painted it, he wanted it to look nice for Bible School. Eric Armstrong you may not know him, he married Shanna Floyd, you may not know her, they live in Miss Francis’s house on Birdsong lane….Ms Francis was Shanna’s grandmother. If you knew Ms Francis you have not forgotten her. Just the other day we were remembering Ms Francis … she planted the azaleas at the Methodist family center…they are the first to bloom in Edwards. ”Ms Francis planted those, they would not dare not bloom!” Ms Francis was a determined lady…to say the least. Eric and Shanna have two little girls….sweet family…proud to have them in Edwards.

Eric Armstrog

Speaking of the Methodist Family Center…That is where Inez Lee’s 90 th birthday party was held. Huge crowd!!! Folks were lined up out the door, into the street waiting to get in to help Inez celebrate. I was getting concerned I had not gotten enough punch ingredients for a crowd that big…but had enough for one more making….

Ms Inez and a few of her many fans

Got to go now

Call if you need me….

Christiansen's Comments Hinds County Gazette March 24 2011

Sunday morning of last week, the time change had me so discombobulated …my clocks were at different times…I had changed some and not others…was not absolutely sure which was which . So I looked at the time on my cell phone…changed all the clocks to that time….then Monday my phone and the clocks no longer matched…apparently ATT did not change to day light savings at the agreed upon time, the wee hours Sunday morning.. I do not know how I got to church on time Sunday morning….I must have went by the time on the TV.




So anyway, after I got the time thing sorted out and the clocks changed , Whit was here…so I didn’t get a column written.



Have I told you about Whittaker Lewis? (Angie and CJ Zadrozny’s son, Taylor Jack’s little brother, and Kay and Lewis Montgomery grandson) Whit is my buddy, my new best friend…Whit will soon be ten months old…he has the most infectious grin…he grins all of the time…and at everybody…you know the yellow circle you see every where, that has the smiley face drawn in it? No matter how often I see the yellow happy face I have to grin…Whit’s grin has the same effect on me.



I didn’t get to know Whit until later in his life, he was born last June….He came Bible school in July, Nancy McKey Hale had him strapped around her much of the day…then the other church ladies passed him around… but I never got to hold him… never got a turn.

                                        
"Asleep on the hay"
 Whit at Bible School last July.



Then one Sunday morning, I went in to the nursery, Whit looked up and grinned at me….that was it! He had my heart…and from that day on.. Everybody knew to back off….they got a turn holding him when I said so.

These days, Whit and I spend a good bit of time together, Angie lets me take care of him when she has things she needs to tend to….. I am not trying to steal him, I am just keeping him warm until his grandmother Kay Kay gets her strength back.



Before Whit came in to my life, I was wanting a puppy real bad…we at this house have not had a dog started from a puppy in years…we take in strays mostly. I thought if I am ever going to get puppy…I needed to go on and get it. Our dogs live a long time, in 15 years, I’d be up in my 80s, if I would die…nobody wants a 15 year old dog….daughter Angela said she would take the dog, but she was wanting to have a say in what kind of puppy I chose. Then along came Whit…The first time Whit’s mother let me keep him, I called daughter Angela and declared, ”I don’t need a puppy, I have Whit!!!”



I do hope I have not offended anybody by comparing Whit to a puppy… But babies and puppies are not all that dissimilar. …they both make the cutest little sounds and faces…and babies and puppies smell so good. And they love you…no strings attached. Whit doesn’t care if my socks do not match or my hair has paint in it and is not combed….he just grins and coos.



Whit and I have a lot in common too, we like the same things, Doctor Seuss…dogs and cats…sitting on the front porch, watching trains go by….listening to the birds sing and watching them fly,

Whit and Shelby

                             
                                                  Whit and Scout
Whit is the cutest little guy….everybody says so…at least every body who wants to my remain my friend…says so. The other day, I was relaying something cute Whit had done,…I was compared to Robert Mashburn… “ You sound about like Mr Robert carrying on about his dog Lady Cotton”



I know one day Whit is going to grow up, and instead of coming here, he will want to go to Pop’s hay field, to the tire shop with his dad or over to the hunting camp and stand around the fire barrel with the hunters… I will not be important to him any more…and that is ok…..But I am preparing for that day., I am working on a scheme…to hold that day off as long as I can. Food is the way to a growing boy’s heart right?……So I have been cooking for him, he loves grits, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli soup….and cookies….when he is old enough to eat fried chicken…That might be the deal clincher….I make really really good fried chicken….



Thinking on it …As wrapped as Whit has me now…. there most likely will come a day when I will not thrilled with him and his behavior…Say for instance, If I look down Main street and see him in his car… popping wheelies and taking corners on two wheels…I will not be happy. He might as well know right now, I have both his mom and dad on speed dial…. And I will bust him out… Then he will really be unhappy with me, he might even mutter uncomplimentary things about me, call me a “busy body“ or worse. But one day Whit will grow up and have kids, then he will know, why, even at the risk, of him not wanting me as a friend anymore…. I had to do it..

                                           Whit crawling
Love to all



…

Edwards Presbyterian Church Bible School resignation:
Dale, Angie and Robert Edward



The Lesson Rev. Dean Rydbeck and Dale Robinson


The children singing



Linda Dickson playing the piano..

Fun time!!!

Photos courtesy of Lesley Cannada

Well, ready or not... I am back….I took off July just because it is so blamed hot and miserable…and I knew you all didn’t want to listen to me whine. August is hot too…so I will still be whiney, but perhaps be a bit more cheerfully whiny? The days are still hot, but they are getting shorter. ...so perhaps more tolerable.... We will see.

I am on my front porch. My computer, Ruby is her name, has finally caught up with the old fashion tablet and pencil……Ruby is a lap top, and it can be toted any where a pencil and paper can go….but to use the internet she had to be connected physically to a phone line.

Until Now!!! I recently acquired a wireless router! ( I already had a router… in the shop, the purpose of that router is to shape wood. The two routers do not perform even remotely similar tasks, so why the same name? Maybe the techie guys didn‘t know the word “router” was already in use…do the techie guys not get out much?)

This new router thingamajig sits on my desk in the back of the house, and some how enables Ruby, un-tethered, by a tangle of wires, to function perfectly any where in the house. As I understand it, other folks and their computers can come play too and be connected. grandson Garrett is coming with his computer, we will see.

Garrett, you may remember was in a car wreck last October, he had to have more surgery, his mom and dad tended to him last week…they have declared him sufficiently improved enough that I should be able look after him this week. I don’t know about changing the bandage….I have a weak stomach…the incision is from his shoulder to his elbow. …I keep telling myself it can’t be any worse then a full diaper….we will see.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge…literally…(7or 8 inches)...since I was last here…but the most fun, was Bible School…we had Bible School in Edwards for the first time in years…It was a GRAND success…we had 29 children to attend.

I love Bible School…I no doubt have told you this before…as a wee little child, I learned all I really needed to know about Jesus at Bible school… “Jesus loves me, this I know because the Bible tells me so” , “The B I B L E” that’s the book for me. I stand alone on the word of God, the B I B L E” The Bible was taught to me, in simple language, with plenty assuring words, by compassionate Christian ladies that loved me…bandage my knees, give me hugs when I needed one, poured my Kool aid and gave me cookies…Bible school taught me, I can snuggle up with Jesus any time…

Call if you need me…
　
　
GloriaChristiansen@gmail.com