Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Christiansen's Comments from Hinds County Gazette March 22 2012



As you all know the first lawn cutting of the season is tough

First the fallen limbs and the sticks have to picked up, Whit and I worked on the sticks all winter, trying to stay ahead of them, but those pesky sticks and limbs never stop falling, so there is always a fire pit full of them here at 201.


But, after several days of toil, (my yard is BIG ) I finally was able to get the entire yard mowed, trimmed and sprayed, I was proud as punch, and full of a great feeling of accomplishment. It was mid-afternoon when I finished up, and parked the mower under the shed. Grinning I went in the house took a bath, and washed my hair, poured myself a cold drink and headed to the front porch to admire my lawn.


Front yard
This is just 1/2 of front yard, I also have 2 side yards and back yard

I was just a swinging and grinning and I began to notice something quite amazing happening…Those weeds that have the pretty little flowers that comprise most of the lawn under the pecan trees…The weeds I thought I had cut…those little flowers began to reappear. I know everything grows fast in the spring, but surely not that fast…I can only conclude, I have very smart weeds, and the little flowers saw me coming and ducked.



I am sure glad the primary election is over, my phone rang relentlessly…what are those candidates thinking? Calling us in the evening when we are trying, to catch our breath from the day’s activities. I finally figured out to just stop answering the phone… But the ringing…I gotta tell you, the ringing got on my last nerve…Do they not think, we see all we want of them, on the TV making promises and more promises.



The office seekers, every one of them, have a plan, they each and every one know how fix America…They have a solution for all of our problems, the economy, gas prices, unemployment, health care, education etc…to hear them tell it there is not a problem they can not fix.


So you know what has this “Bear of little brain” scratching her head? Why is it, we are not fixed, because every four years we elect the man with the fool proof plan?


I am coming to believe, the changes we do see, that effect the United States ….are not being generated in America’s white house or by congress… … looks to me, like we are only reacting to events we have no control over. The price of gas appears to be controlled by foreign countries, big oil companies, even the weather appears has more control over the price of oil then the president or congress.


Remember the mortgage catastrophe? Of course you do, none of us will forget it anytime soon. Well, way back before it crashed and took Wall Street and people’s life savings with it and sent the American economy in to a tail spin; I remember many conversations on my front porch, when we were discussing, trying to figure out “how folks are able to afford all of those big houses that are being built?” “Where are they working that pays enough to pay those high mortgages?” My point here is, why if a porch full of housewives, over an afternoon glass of wine sensed there was something was bad wrong… Why did not some of our elected officials?



So that causes me to wonder who is really running the country. The people we elect or an out of control beauracracity? It seems to me the folks we elect are not even aware there are problems until we are in a full blown crisis. Then bless their hearts, they do what they do, and maybe what they do best… they convene hearings.

Love to all

Call if you need me





Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Doctor John McCall

Edwards Baptist Church

Doctor John McCall

The pastor at the Edwards Baptist Church, Doctor John McCall at the age of 93 has retired, Sunday, February 19 2012 was his last Sunday.    Dr. McCall served thirty years at the Baptist Church in Vicksburg, he taught at Mississippi College and 9 years here in Edwards.

 From the time I first met Dr. McCall I felt there was something truly rare about him, and it was not just his sometimes askew bow tie.

Well, Sunday I went over to the Edwards Baptist Church, for Doctor McCall’s last sermon…As least what he intends to be his last sermon, but Dr. McCall is a God called preacher, so you never know.  But I know this…Dr. McCall will be serving his Lord until his last breath…He considers it his great honor and privilege to be one of God’s servant.

 As I sat watching and listening to this unassuming man, I saw many things that makes him truly unique among men for one thing …he has no ego…he has no” look at me!” “Listen to me!” posture…..Doctor McCall preaches from the Bible, the Bible speaks for it’s self… the Bible is God’s word, he takes no credit ….that glory goes to God.

 And in his sermon Sunday, he remarked that his success in the pulpit was the doing of the congregations that God allowed him to serve, because the people were his encouragers. Which made me stop and wonder…?   Do I try to give encouragement to those around me?

 Dr. McCall radiates Christian love, and patience, and compassion and kindness….traits I strive  to have…. and do have those traits…. for a bit every morning while my Bible is open and in conversation with God, but when I close my Bible and my feet hit the floor…That’s when the rubber meets the road. I try…. I try real hard… really really hard. But, with out fail at some point…my impatience begins to show, my Christian Love wanes and my thoughts turn to resentments and judgments.

But here I go…to try again.  I do not know what this day will bring…. but I am certain how it will end…it will end by my asking God for forgiveness….
Love to all
Call if you need me





Monday, February 13, 2012

Hinds County Gazette: My scribblings from the Febuary 9 2012

Early morning, February, 5, 2012


It is Super Bowl Sunday! Yea!? The last big tummy stuffing day of the 2011/2012 holiday season….



It is obvious that this old person is not among the demographics, that the nice folks, who are in charge of the Super Bowl, want to make happy. The game does not start until five… For a Sunday afternoon that is late! For me, Sundays are not like the rest of the weekend, Friday afternoon through Saturday, Saturday evening and Saturday night.



Sunday is different kind of day. At 5 in the afternoon, I may still be contemplating the morning sermon. And/or reflecting on the week that was or planning for the week ahead... often my tummy is still full from an abundant Sunday lunch and I get sleepy, truth be told…it is not unusual for me to be napping by 5 O’clock on a Sunday afternoon.

But Now! When it comes to Fridays and Saturdays 5 pm is not late at all!!! I have been known to be still up and wide awake at midnight on a Friday or Saturday night….not often, but it has happened.



I said all of that to say this; if they wanted me to watch the game from start to finish…they needed to start the game by one and let it be over by 5…

But, I will be watching the game and Eli this evening, but I am sure there will be a nap before it concludes….so I am also recording it…Don’t want to miss the much hyped commercials and Madonna halftime appearance.



I am not a fuddy-duddy, what I have come to believe our body clocks are set very early in our lives…once upon a time; way back when I was coming up, a day began at dawn and was more or less over by dark….TV went to test pattern at 10 PM!

A week was Monday through Saturday… Sunday was a unique day, a day unlike the rest of the week…it was quiet….not much happened on Sunday…. Afternoon rides were about all the excitement there was on a Sunday.



Believe it or not boys and girls, there was a time when America did not operate on the mind numbing, physically exhausting life of twenty four hours a day… seven days a week….An existence that is now considered the norm. There were no little league games on Sundays, no malls to go to…in fact back when I was a kid coming up…nothing was open on Sunday…not a grocery store…not a drug store. You did not mow your lawn or even water it on Sunday. I do not recall it being a moral issue…it was more like it didn’t occur to people to give up their Sundays to buy, sell or to work the yard.



I am not saying life was more enjoyable back then…I am just saying Sundays were special. And almost certainly better…but I am not saying it…that would make me a fuddy-duddy.



Monday Morning

Well!!! There was no napping during that Super Bowl Game!!!! What an exciting game!!

The Madonna’s half time show was not nearly as electrifying as the game, but maybe you had to be there to appreciate her performance. And the commercials I was disappointed in those…the movies they were advertising seem to contain far too much violence for my taste. The Coke’s polar bears were cute…but not Super Cute…



Frankly, I thought the car commercials were way over done…In fact, this morning, I could not tell you what brand of car they were trying to persuade me to purchase.



I did appreciate the “Imported from Detroit” commercial …with Clint Eastwood.



Hey, I got to go…I have a fun and full week ahead!!