Rebranding - In Defense of Thanksgiving

Well, I did it. I broke my rule about no Christmas decorations going up until after Thanksgiving Day. In my defense, this was really more of a practical decision. My sweet husband is going along with my crazy plan to have not one but two Christmas trees this year. For the past few years, I have had a white tree with ornaments in funky blues, pinks, oranges, purples, and greens. And I love it! But my more traditional better half wasn't as big of a fan. So we have compromised with a gorgeous green tree in our front living room and my white tree will go up shortly in our den. So that we could get both trees up while I'm home this week for Thanksgiving break, getting the green tree set up and decorated early was really the only way to accomplish this. But I do feel bad.

I feel bad because, in a lot of ways, Thanksgiving Day is like the red headed stepchild of holidays. I ran into WalMart on November 1 to pick up some things for supper only to be greeted by a giant Christmas tree in the front door. A week or so before, I had stopped by Dollar General to buy a "Happy Halloween" door mat I had seen earlier. To find it again, I had to pick my way past the Christmas decorations and gift suggestions that were already proudly out on display! I am not a grinch nor am I a curmudgeon. I love Christmas as much as the next person. But I feel like Thanksgiving is just so under appreciated because it lacks the flash and pizazz that marketers and stores look for to convince us we want or need things. The only reason some have latched on to it is to offer good shopping deals a day earlier than usual, forcing people who ordinarily would not have to work to do so.

Maybe Thanksgiving is such an important holiday precisely because of its lack of pomp. It is simple, uncomplicated. Thanksgiving, at its heart, is a holiday about reflection, appreciation, family, and friends. Yes, we get to enjoy some delicious foods we only get at certain times of the year. And there can be stress involved, for sure, as there are with so many things when expectations get in the way. But, truly, Thanksgiving doesn't require the gifts, the trappings, the decorations that we sometimes get caught up with for other holidays. It just asks for a grateful heart and a reflective mind to look back over the previous year and assess all of the things for which we have to be truly Thankful. In that spirit, Happy Thanksgiving! And I promise not to decorate any more until Friday!

Rebranding - Soup Is Good for the Soul

Happy Thanksgiving Week! I am enjoying a much anticipated week long break from school and am looking forward to visiting with family and friends during this down time. I hope that you can say the same! Part of my original plans for this week included putting up our Christmas tree, decorating for Christmas, grading some papers, cleaning the house, writing a little, and cooking - lots of cooking! But my plans have gotten changed a little. Last week I got the opportunity to go with three of my greatest friends to see Dolly Parton. The one and only Dolly Parton! I jumped at the chance and, I must say, Dolly was fantastic! I loved getting to hear her iconic songs and her funny stories live. As a side note, Dolly is now my hero and I want to be her when I grow up. First step....bigger hair.

In addition to the amazing time I had seeing Dolly with two of my best girls, I also got food poisoning. Definitely not how I wanted to spend my trip seeing Dolly or the first of my Thanksgiving break. But I can say that God provides in all seasons and I was blessed even in this. Being sick away from home is one of my biggest fears. Getting sick is bad enough but to not have the comfort and familiarity of home makes it doubly worse. Fortunately, I had two registered dieticians and a doctor to take care of me on the trip home. And my best friend Melanie, one of the dieticians, works at a surgical weight loss clinic so she understands the unique things that I face as a Gastric Sleeve patient. Because of my surgery, there are certain medications I can't take and there is an extra concern of me getting dehydrated. After I told them I was sick, they put me back to bed and later on I woke up to Powerade Zero, stomach medicine I knew I could take, and sweet friends who had gotten me blankets and even brought me toast from the breakfast buffet. They were definitely my helpers in my time of need!

After several days of bumming it on the couch and Watson doing a wonderful job of taking care of me here at home, I can now say I think I've "turned the corner" and am finally feeling better. I am back on my way to cleaning, decorating, and cooking! My first thing to make today was some of my grandmother's vegetable soup, or Butler Stew as it is known in our family and to my friends. It is really just a basic vegetable soup recipe and it is definitely not thick enough to truly be considered a stew but it is delicious all the same. The first cold weekend of the Fall, my mom would make some Butler Stew and I would get to invite my two best friends over to share it with us. There wasn't much arm twisting or convincing required! Usually their parents would end up coming along too and we would have soup, cornbread, crackers, and great conversation. Another of our fun traditions was for my Mom to cook Butler Stew the night of the Baldwyn Christmas parade. We would go stand in the cold, shivering as we waited for candy and to wave to the people we knew riding by in cars or walking with bands or cheerleading squads. Then we'd come home and thaw out with the delicious soup. So many good memories!

This soup has been simmering all afternoon and the aroma of it has filled my house and my mind with memories. The smells of home grown canned tomatoes, ground beef, corn, potatoes, green beans, carrots, and lima beans warming and mingling together are like a kind embrace enveloping me. Add to that the unmistakable smell of fresh cornbread in the oven and I have been in heaven! The act of getting up and preparing this soup has done wonders in helping me feel better and more "normal" again. That's why I think soup is good for the soul. There's just something so comforting about a nice warm bowl of soup. After all the ugliness and bitterness we've seen the past few weeks in our country, I just want to give everybody a bowl of soup and say, "Here, have a seat, grab a spoon, feel some comfort, and let's talk it out." If only it could be solved that way. Here's to warm houses, warm hearts, and warm soup that's good for the soul.

Rebranding - Be a Bird

I wrote this blog post back in September for the blog at mine and Watson's church, Westminster Presbyterian, and wanted to share it here. I hope it encourages someone else going through a tough time of change and adjustment and "new"! 

“He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Psalm 91:4 NIV

 

We often speak about our lives in terms of seasons, and much as the summer is shifting into fall, my life is in a “season” of change as well. When I was younger, I was not a fan of change. I didn’t like the idea of things being different from how they were, or of people leaving, or roles shifting. As I’ve grown, both as a person and in my faith, I’ve come to see change as an opportunity. An opportunity for growth, new experiences, an exciting adventure and challenge. Most days I feel that way. Most days.

There are days, however, where “exciting,” “adventure,” and “opportunity” would not be the adjectives I would choose to describe change. There are days where “overwhelming”, “intimidating”, and even “fearful” become the words I use to describe all of the change coming my way. Instead of a new town with new possibilities, it’s a place two hours from “home” without the people and places familiar to me. Rather than an opportunity to reach new kids and teach them, it’s my third new school in four years and the largest one I’ve ever taught at. I’ve come to realize that the days I choose those words and those perspectives are the days where I am relying on myself and my abilities and not my Heavenly Father who has led me to the change in the first place. This was illustrated to me the other day by, of all things, a bird.

           

My current season of change includes a 45-minute commute from Greenwood to Grenada where I teach high school English. I spend most mornings in my car listening to satellite radio, viewing the landscape as it rolls by, and gearing up for my day in the classroom. A few weeks ago, I noticed a pool of water off to my left beside the highway. I’ve seen the pool before but on this particular day a flash of white out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I glanced to my left in time to see what looked to be over a hundred cranes flocked into the small pool. It was beautiful! The white wings and bodies packed into this tiny pool, flitting and dipping from side to side. It looked like those birds were having a grand time, splashing in the morning sun. The sight put a smile on my face as I thought about how beautiful God’s creations are!

As the smaller pool faded out of sight behind me I came to the larger pool connected to it, separated by just a small line of trees. And there I saw my lesson. Sitting in the middle of the larger pool was a solitary white crane. The fact that it was sitting in the pool by itself struck me and I thought it looked sad. “Why doesn’t he just join all of the birds in the next pool?” I wondered. And then another thought popped into my head. “I know just how he feels.” As the thought rolled through my brain, it registered with surprise. “What?!?! How do I feel like this sad bird?!?!” I stewed over that thought for several days, examining it from all angles. Was I not happy? I don’t feel alone, do I? Is something wrong? Well, after much mulling and stewing and examination, I came to a few realizations. We all go through times where we feel unsettled, when it can feel like things are just “too much”. And it is perfectly ok to take a step back and sit in “the pool” by ourselves. Especially if that time alone is spent in prayer, studying the Bible, and seeking the Lord’s guidance to lead our steps. But we also need to remember that God has put pools beside us full of “birds” to help and support us. I thought of all of the “pools of birds” God has placed in my life right now, specifically for this season of change. When I married Watson, I not only got a wonderful husband to be my partner and helper but I gained a supportive extended family who have gone out of their way to make sure I felt welcomed and loved. The Westminster family has also greeted me with open arms and made me feel at home in a new church and a new town. The teachers who have invited me to lunch and helped me navigate a new school have also been put there for a purpose. So I close with this challenge to each of us. If you are feeling like the solitary bird in the pond, don’t forget to look for the birds God has placed in your life. Seek them out. And if you are one of the birds in the smaller pool, look around to see the single bird you can invite into your pool. Be a “bird” for someone else that God has placed in your path.

Rebranding - Meg Ryan on Aisle 5!

Ok, so not the actual Meg Ryan but a few weeks ago I did a pretty good impression of her. One of my favorite Meg Ryan movies is the classic 90s flick "You've Got Mail". I love pretty much the whole movie with its funny scenes, highly quotable lines, and sweet love/hate/love story between Meg Ryan's Kathleen Kelly and Tom Hanks' Joe Fox. However, the other day I had a serious case of life imitating art in my local grocery store channeling one of Meg's scenes from this particular rom-com.

For me, one of the funniest scenes in the movie is when Kathleen goes to pick up a few items in the Thanksgiving rush at a grocery store and ends up in a cash only line with only a credit card in her possession. A debate ensues between Kathleen and a harried cashier, played by a pre-"Grey's Anatomy" Sara Ramirez. Other impatient holiday shoppers chime in too about the inconvenience that Kathleen is causing them in her cashless state. Joe steps in to save the day for Kathleen by charming Rose the checker into swiping Kathleen's card, allowing everyone to return to their Thanksgiving plans.

So, circling back to my own Meg Ryan "You've Got Mail" grocery store moment. About three weeks ago, I had to run into the local grocery store on a Thursday evening to pick up a few items we needed for supper that night and some baking I was planning on doing. I also needed to get $20 in cash to give to some students as a donation for an Alzheimer's Walk-A-Thon they were participating in. I quickly made my way through the store, grabbing my needed items, and trying to juggle all of them since I didn't need a basket. (Spoiler alert: I really did need a basket.) There was a humorous moment with me dropping and then following after a can of cinnamon rolls as they rolled down part of the frozen foods aisle! I finally wrangled the wayward cinnamon rolls and picked up the last rather cold item, a container of Lite Cool Whip.

I found an empty check out lane and began to place my intended purchases on the belt, making polite small talk with the cashier. A friend from church got in line behind me and he and I caught up on how both of our families were, work days, weekend plans, etc. About that time the cashier scanned my last item, gave me my total, and asked for payment. It was at this point that I quickly realized my wallet was in the car from my earlier stop at the gas station in Grenada. Oops! No problem, I think, I have my check book. I quickly re-grouped and proceeded to write my check and hand it to the lady while asking if I could get the $20 in cash that I needed. I was swiftly informed that cash back was not allowed with checks and the manager was called over to also inform me of this, just in case I were to doubt the young cashier. Ok, minor inconvenience but I'll work it out I said to myself. "That's fine," I replied, all while slightly apologizing to my friend behind me for holding him up.

Then, the cashier asked for my driver's license to add the information to my check. This presented a problem considering it was in my wallet in the car. When I told her this, she let out an audible sigh and impatiently asked if she could have my phone number while motioning for the manager from earlier to approve my check sans license number. Never mind the fact that my husband or I are in this store at least twice a week. My fellow church member even offered to vouch for me in that I wasn't sketchy and my check wouldn't bounce! I gave the cashier my number, a little embarrassed at all the fuss, and even offered to give her the first three numbers of my driver's license that I actually knew! It wasn't very well received. The manager approved my "rogue" check and I quickly grabbed my bags to scurry out of the way of my friend and the other customers who had joined our line in the middle of my debacle. I ended my evening of shopping at WalMart where I was able to get the cash I needed to make good on my promised donations to my students. The moral of the story is, always make sure you have your wallet and debit card when shopping. Or at least have a Tom Hanks leading man there to sweet talk your cashier!

Rebranding - A Right and A Privilege

Hi All! I am back once again after a bit of a hiatus. Maybe one day I'll get the hang of this consistent posting thing but that's just not my life right now. Election Day is tomorrow and thanks to the TimeHop/On This Day feature of Facebook, I was reminded yesterday of what my post was regarding the election four years ago. It went a little something like this: "Today I am thankful for my right to vote because it wasn't all that long ago that I wouldn't have had that right. I'm also thankful that I live in a country that I can safely go to a polling place and cast my vote without fear of being persecuted, no matter who I'm voting for. With that said, everyone play nice. Unless you're moving to Canada, we all have to live together for the next 4 years no matter who wins. :)"

I feel like four years later, those thoughts still ring true for me. I've had students asking me for weeks who I was going to vote for, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? And my standard reply has been "I don't know." I'm not just thrilled over either candidate and would really like to vote "Option E: None of the Above". Both of the two major party candidates have definite flaws and I take issue with their stance on several key things. Also, neither of the third party candidates seem like great options to me either. I think that speaks more to us as a nation and makes me question how we let it get this far? How did we as a country, as voters, allow it to come to the point where one of these people is really going to be the future leader of our country? And I honestly don't have the answer to that.

But I do know one thing. I will vote tomorrow. Despite the poor candidate choices, despite the flaws, despite the "How is Donald Trump really a candidate?" thoughts, I will vote. I've heard people saying today and have seen all over social media comments along the lines of "I just won't vote". But I can't do that.

For the past few weeks my 10th graders have been studying historic speeches. Two of the speeches we've covered are Carrie Chapman Catt's "Address to Congress on Women's Suffrage" and Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions." In the process of reading these, I've tried to drive home to my students that it was less than 100 years ago that women finally garnered the right to vote across our nation. The list of rights that were denied to women during this same time period were mind boggling for them! The fact that married women couldn't own property and were legally under the power of their husbands and that they had no legal recourse if they were being abused. Or that women couldn't attend colleges or universities or enter most professions. And that women had to pay taxes when they had no say in how those taxes were spent because they couldn't vote for the people who did decide how that tax money was used. These were all things that my kids had a hard time comprehending, especially the girls.

Because of all of these reasons and more, I will vote tomorrow. I will vote for Susan B. Anthony, whose grave is being adorned with "I voted" stickers by women who have exercised their hard earned right. I will vote for Carrie Chapman Catt and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Alice Paul and the other suffragists who wouldn't take "no" for an answer. For Fannie Lou Hamer, who had to wait even longer to get her right to vote just because of the color of her skin, as she famously said "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." For all of them, I will vote tomorrow. And I will hope and pray that I have made the right choice. And I will hope and pray that our nation will wake up on Wednesday with a competent leader who will see us through the next four years.