Christiansen's Comments for publication Hinds county Gazette October 20 2011

Mississippi Summers are hot, and so very, very humid, just wretched.

 Therefore we don’t plan many happenings from end of May until the end of September. About the only time we get out of our limp, flimsy, comfy clothes is to go to church or a funeral.

And as the generation before us, those who at least tried to set a standard of dress for us, now that they are passing on…you can see most any kind of attire now…even at funeral and weddings. My “uniform” this past summer was a wrinkled, (designed to be wrinkled) roomy, all cotton, pants and tops…I had two outfits of them in the natural color and one black…If you saw me this summer you saw me in one of those…even at church…My mother would have fussed, “They look like Pajamas to me.”

But, we here in rural Hinds County have been running in the fast lane lately, beginning for me, with Edwards Cemetery day, the first day of October.

Cemetery Day was closely followed, by ten days of pilgrimage events in Raymond. October 9, Bethesda Presbyterian Church, it is just south of Edwards, on Cannada Cross road, they had their 133 homecoming, with dinner on the grounds. That afternoon it was on to Second Sunday at St Mary‘s Episcopal in Bolton. The blessing of the animals was at 3 and Evening Prayers at 4, followed by the Hinds community college’s Jubilee singers…there just not enough weekends or weekdays for that matter in the month of October to get everything in, so most weekends there are multiple events. And besides the community events … there are football games, soccer games, pig pick’ns, flea markets and the Mississippi state fair etc….

The calendar is chaotic with all the carryings on…and you do not want to miss anything you are invited to if you can help it…this past Saturday evening, Peggy Ann, (Keith was out of town), and I, attempted to get to three, we got to two…the third we became hopelessly lost…The GPS on Peggy phone was so inconsistent we could never get the “Pin” and the “Pulsating Dot” together no matter which way we turned…and we went every which way but up! It was dark and it got to be very late…So we way on after while finally gave up and went home….we were enormously disappointed.

I haven’t mentioned my new dog Emma yet. Emma’s linage is unknown, speculations include, a mix of…. beagle, lab, Jack Russell, pit bull, and heeler …don’t know how big she is going to be ether…those guesses range from “she is about as big, as she is going to get” to “one hand shy of a Shetland pony.” Do not know how old she is ether…she still has baby teeth….and she chews a lot.

My New Dog Emma

Whit's New best friend

We are going to Bolton to Dr. Farr this week and get her shots, and see what he says…And to Gaddis McLaurin to get her a collar with her name and phone number on it. Kay turner went with me to pick up Emma, she harped all the way home that “Emma needs to have a collar” Kay wanted it with a phone number and a name to call.
So I put a collar on Emma …but it is not hers, it is Shelby’s, Shelby is my borrowed dog…I borrowed her from Jacqueline and Russell…when daughter Angela borrowed my dog Charlie…and I was dog less. Shelby does not need a collar, she never leaves this hill. Shelby’s Collar has Russell’s name and number on it…But it satisfied Kay, and put her mind at ease.
Emma is a wonderful dog! Shelby, Scout and I are tickled to have her.
Love to all
Call if you need me

Christiansen's Commments Hinds County Gazette October 6 2011

While folks were worrying about me and my bus trip….

My friend Peggy Cannada McKey was in Grand  Rapids Michigan, attending a National board meeting for Bethany Christian Services , Bethany is a non-profit Adoption and family service agency…This is a cause close Peggy’s heart, and for years, ever since I have known her, the entire McKey family has supported Peggy and they too have been committed to this organization. The family through the years kept and cared for many Bethany babies that were waiting for families.
WWW.Bethanyservices.org

Let me get back to what I was telling you…Peggy while in Grand Rapids was hit by a truck! Peggy was headed out for an early morning walk, she had to cross five lanes of traffic…She waited for the traffic to stop, then commenced to cross the street…a truck that obviously did not see her, began making a right hand turn, collided with Peggy, and tossed her several feet, with a force great enough to knock one of her shoes off. Peggy fell backwards landed on to her elbows and her head bash into the pavement…It was cold so Peggy was wearing a coat…the heavy coat kept the scrapes and bruises from being real bad and ugly. And her head landed on her pony tail…Peggy has a very thick head of hair…so thiick in fact she didn't even have knot on her noggin! However the barrette holding her pony tail, did succumb to the impact of Peggy Ann‘s head meeting the pavement ….it was in pieces. And some body retrieved her shoe…So she is calling it all Good! She is Not out done with anybody…..

Those McKeys are resilient lot…All of them…the kids, the grand kids… all of them! Active bunch too…and once in a while something gets broke… an arm or leg ….but more often then not they just bounce…and are right back up.

We are experiencing ideal weather here in mid Mississippi…cool , dry and abundant sunshine. Perfect for working outside….And that is what I have doing, I have been out with my arsenal of tools, conducting a war here at 201…I set out to conquer that tangle of thorny elaeagnus…the hedge at the bottom of this hill…I don’t know how long that hedge is 30 or 40 feet… maybe more. I hauled a least 6 pick up loads of branches to the burn pile. It took days, but I persevered and won! But this was not a battle with out injury, the barbs on elaeagnus stabbed right through my clothes and scratched my arms all up. And!! I was attacked by a flying insect of some kind…I heard it, but didn‘t ever see it ….it stung me on the back of the neck. But still and all Victory was mine!

Do not worry about the elaeagnus, believe me it will come back, to fight another day, stronger then ever. I am getting older….the strength and endurance I use to take for granted is waning ….I know one day the elaeagnus will be triumphant….but it wasn’t this time.

Lots happening around rural Hinds County in October…

Raymond is having their Pilgrimage beginning this week…goes for two weeks…lots of do not miss events….They were listed in last weeks Gazette and I bet they are in this paper…. Or you can go to their web site. www.friendsofraymond.org

St Mark's Raymond
Thursday's Lecture

There going to be an Old Time Gospel Sing at the old Rock Springs Church Saturday…I hope to be there…Then Sunday, Bethesda Presbyterian Church is having their Home Coming.. I plan to be there. It is Second Sunday at St. Marks in Bolton too. Besides the 4 O’clock prayer service, they are having a blessing of the animals at 3...I plan to be there.

St Mary's in Bolton
Second sunday services

Blessing of the Animals at St Mary's
Billie Abraham
 Angela Christiansen
Scout

Bethesda Presbyterian 1826
Home coming

Edwards Cemetery was Day Saturday (october 1)….beautiful day, big turn out!

Love to all

Christiansen's Comments from Hinds County Gazette September 29 2011

I have been to Nebraska to a family reunion…

took the bus. My family, fiends, acquaintances and total strangers have questioned my sanity….not only because it takes a long time to go by bus, but folks have a perception of who rides the bus….like I could to be in danger from the unsavory characters they envision ride cross county buses. And it didn’t help matters when my friend dropped me off at the bus station…and a patrol car pulled up with a newly released prisoner to get on the bus….it is not an uncommon occurrence.

I have encountered the full gamut of folks while riding the bus…Middle class folks riding a bus to catch a plane, so they do not have to leave car in a parking garage for great lengths of time……Jet planes do not service great portions of America.  

And there are still great numbers of folks who do not fly at all…and Trains service far more limited areas of America then buses…Did meet two couples who were riding the bus to catch a train.

And tourists ….This trip I chatted with French and German tourists.

And there are folks who for various reasons do not drive…the prevailing reason among the younger set is no drivers license….DUIs most common reason. Some people with the more age.. just do not feel comfortable driving outside of their communities.

And there are those people who are just plain cheap…I count myself amongst those people….the 1000 plus mile bus ride was $199 round trip! Driving I calculate with gas and motel stays to be well over $500.





This trip, my favorite travelers were a sweet young couple, who with their two very young children were traveling to a job…They had sold much of what they owned to buy the bus tickets and meals for the trip…What was left of their material belongings was packed in large suitcases…. Sort of a modern day “Grapes of Wrath” They were not bitter and whining, they were so happy to be going to a job. Their children were clean, well behaved, and happy…what this family lacked in material belongings…they make up in spirit…a kind, humble and gentle spirit.

I must tell you , if being close to the massively pierced and tattooed make you uncomfortable…Bus riding probably should not be your first choice for travel. ….or if you are in a hurry it is not a good choice….One of the drivers got lost. But for seeing the countryside and people watching it can’t be beat.

Next time you go to wal-mart look around, that is the type of folks you see on the bus. All sizes, shapes colors. You do not see many men in three piece, pin stripped, suits nor do you see many men passed out drunk. …not on the at wal mart or the bus…but you see both near bus stops. Bus stops, in cities, are often downtown. Downtown amongst the tall buildings…one man works and the other man lives and sleeps.

My mother had a high degree of tolerance for the eclectic, and the down trodden, back in the day, our house was marked by the homeless men riding the train, they passed house after house and came straight to ours….mother never turned away the hungry. “They are God’s children” I was never taught to be afraid of people who were different then me… so I am not…I might should be… but I am not.

And there was my John, he would stop the car and get out and give a few dollars to homeless men on the streets of downtown Jackson. I would say, “ you know he is just going to go buy liquor with that money.”

John’s answer…”what ever it takes to him get through the day”

If John and mother can look down…I don’t want them to catch me looking down.

Love to all

Call if you need me