Words Divide the Indivisible

The Letters to the Editor sections of the newspapers around here are full of vitriolic exchanges among fellow Americans. It all began when a few large billboards appeared along the highways in the western North Carolina mountains. Patriotic in appearance with the colors of our flag, the signs read: "One Nation Indivisible." Since we proclaim ourselves to be indivisible, you might not imagine such a billboard would be the subject of intense debate.

The reason for the debate of course, is that our Pledge of Allegiance has similar words. In fact, until 1954 the Pledge of Allegiance had exactly those words.





The wording of the Pledge of Allegiance has been changed four times since it was written in 1892. The most recent change occurred in 1954, when the words "under God" were added to follow "one nation" and to precede "indivisible." Because of this latest change, many people feel that the billboards, by saying "One Nation Indivisible" are in effect "leaving out God."

No coincidence that the name of the sponsor of these billboards is displayed prominently. It is the North Carolina Secular Society. While we all know that secular means "apart" from religion, many of our citizens believe secular means "hating God."

Therefore, these citizens have begun to place billboards of their own along our highways. These billboards feature the Amerian Eagle proclaiming, or protecting the words, "One Nation Under God." These billboards also prominently display the name of the sponsors. In this case it is an organization called "We Still Pray."

As these billboards spread across NC, they will no doubt spill over into neighboring states. Vandals are hard at work, especially painting "Under God" on the first ones. So far, none of the "under God" billboards have been vandalized.

I do not understand the depths of concern these billboards are causing. Does anyone acually disagree that we should be one nation indivisible?

Reading the Letters to the Editor section gives me laughter and grief. Some of the people think one nation under God is in the Constitution. Others insist that we have no right to blaspheme the "original" Pledge of Allegiance. Of course there is always the point that even our money says "In God We Trust." Many call for the "God-haters" to leave if they don't like it here. I suspect some of the letters are too scathing to print.

My opinion of billboards has changed dramatically since I grew up. When I was a youngster, I loved them. Keep in mind that in those days there were no electronic games, no DVDs, hardly anything to keep children occupied on long car rides in hot cars with no air conditioning. [And wouldn't you know...reading in the car made me carsick!] So as I sat in the back seat (with my brother ALWAYS trying to cross the imaginary dividing line), I loved reading all the billboards and imagining myself visiting all those places.

But in these days of comfort I think billboards are distracting nuisances. Surely with GPS, smart phones, etc., no one needs directions from billboards. So as much as I loved them when I was a child, I hate them now. Given my preferences, there would be no billboards anywhere.

Organizations can spend however money they wish to purchase billboard advertising. Let them go ahead. But isn't there a better use for all that money? Do they really change anyone's mind about an issue?

Be on the lookout for the "Battle of the Billboards." I suspect they will soon come to an area near you. Do you have an opinion about these billboards? This is an open-minded blog so nothing you say will be criticized. I'd just like to know what you think about the issue. Or even, as in my case, if you see it as a non-issue.

Fridays are Golden

Ellie and Lucy often play together. Sometimes only one of them wants to play. If Ellie wants to play and Lucy does not, then Ellie will poke a toy at Lucy until she gives in. On the other hand, if Ellie does not want to play nothing will convince her to join a game.

They have a basket full of toys but play with very few of them. Lucy's favorite by far is an old blue tug. Ellie likes the tug as well, but her favorites are tennis balls. She is rarely seen without one.

Ellie is snoozing and not interested in playing. Lucy picks up the tug.





She takes it to my husband so he will toss it behind the sofa for her to fetch. Our den is quite large with a sectional sofa and lots of room behind it. It makes for a perfect run for the girls and Lucy loves to run circles around the sofa, with or without a toy.

Here she comes on the final turn.

Ellie observes, moving only her eyes. She seems to be thinking, "What a silly dog Lucy is."

Occasionally the tug will get looped around Lucy's neck like a giant blue necklace.

She knows exactly what to do. She goes over to her bed and lies down, then scoots back until the tug is removed.

She is so proud of herself when she gets free of the tug. I swear she is so happy and full of fun that she is actually laughing.

Let's all pool our wishes that the cap on the oil rig holds. And let's think positive thoughts about the people with whom we share this planet.

Have a great weekend. I hope that at least a few times this weekend you find yourself as happy as our Lucy.

There's Always A Swallow

I often wish PBS would do the "News Hour" at a different time. Watching the reports of news around the world often makes me a bit uneasy in the evenings. I find the in-depth reporting disturbing as I learn more and more components to big business and political madness. So afterwards I try to find ways of relaxing my brain and soothing my troubled spirit.

Many evenings I go down to a nearby lake and just sit and watch the swallows. I love the way they dip and zip and skim over the water snatching insects. Watching them is especially nice this time of year because they have nests full of little ones.

There are about six nests in this shelter so there is plenty of action. Watching the swallows go about their work is somehow soothing to me. It affirms that perhaps things may be all right after all. In a very short time, this spot will be filled with fluttering fledglings and what a sight that will be. It's comforting to know that year after year the swallows return to nest here and provide an evening's entertainment.


As I turned to leave the lakeshore, I stop to admire the Rose of Sharon. Not a rose at all, it is nonetheless a lovely bush that flowers all summer long.

So while I can't stop watching the news, I can still find peace at the lake and let my mind drift away from the troubling news of the day.

FROG Jam, TOE Jam and Southern Hospitality

Several components of hospitality are alive and well in the South despite having fallen by the wayside in other parts of the country. The ubiquitous hostess gift is one of them.

There are no established rules regarding hostess gifts; just some generalizations. The longer the stay the more expensive the gift. When invited to a dinner party a small hostess gift is in order assuming you did not prepare something for the meal. But it cannot be TOO extravagant or expensive.

Hostess gifts, much like stocking stuffers often say a lot about the giver. Many of them are clearly "re-gifts," some are totally useless, some are tacky, some are tasteful, but all of them are received graciously by the hostess. The hostess is gracious even when she may be asking herself, "What WERE these people thinking?"

Cocktail napkins, votives or other candles, tea towels, gourmet coffees, baked goods, jams and jellies, wine stoppers, or wine (if you are SURE they are not Southern Baptist or alcoholics) are frequently given as hostess gifts. Except for the flavored coffee, I actually enjoy hostess gifts.

I try to select hostess gifts based on the individuals we are visiting and I pick up little gifts all year long to have on hand. Sometimes we give a gift for purely selfish reasons. One of our neighbors serves cheap wine. Not just cheap wine...but OLD cheap wine that may have been opened months ago. The first time we visited there, the neighbor asked my husband to taste the wine to see if it was still good since she couldn't remember how long it had been opened. And it was not re-sealed with a vacuum stopper...she just popped the original cork back into the bottle. Since then we have always taken a bottle of wine which (to my husband's delight) they open and serve.

Last week, our guests brought us jam and preserves from Hillside Orchard Farms in GA. I've ordered their products before and they are delicious. Our friends had no idea we knew about the orchard, but were blown away by the name of two of the jams.


T.O.E. Jam is made from tangerines, oranges, and elderberries. It has a unique taste and is wonderful on your morning toast.

FROG Jam is made from figs, raspberries, oranges and a bit of fresh ginger. Also wonderful in a variety of ways.

By far, my favorite is the peach preserves. They add pecans and it's so wonderful...almost like eating peach pie for breakfast.

This is one hostess gift I will put to good use. I'll not share with anyone. OK, I'll share with my husband, but he is not as crazy about jams, preserves, and honey as I am. So he can have his bagels with cream cheese and I'll scoop out the jam for my toast.

Fridays are Golden

Just like the fireworks...colorful, fun, and entertaining. Appropriate that our Lucy was born on the Fourth of July! Last Sunday was Lucy's fifth birthday.

Frankly, I did not see the need for a second dog. After all, we already had the best dog in the world. But my husband's dream was to have two Golden Retrievers when he retired. Since retirement was planned in 2006, it seemed reasonable to get a puppy in 2005. I jokingly told him that if we got another dog then I would have to quit work. To my surprise he said, "That's a great idea!" So Lucy was the catalyst for my retirement.

We had planned to name the new puppy Abigail in honor of my second favorite First Lady, Abigail Adams. We quickly determined that "Abby" and "Ellie" sounded too much alike. In addition, this little fuzz ball just looked like a "Lucy." So Lucy received her name from a First Lady...not because she was so much admired but because her name was Lucy.

Lucy Hayes was called "Lemonade Lucy" because she rid the White House of alcoholic beverages and served lemonade to guests. She was the first First Lady to have a college degree. A devout Methodist, Lucy also banned card playing and even dancing. Alcohol was served at the White House only on a single occasion. In 1877 a group of Russians came to visit and the staff felt that they would be insulted if they were not served vodka.

Today's extreme sector of the right would love Lucy Hayes. During the term of Rutherford B. Hayes the White House held daily prayer sessions, Bible readings along with hymn singing. No card playing. No dancing. No pool. (The Billiard Room became a room for Lucy's plants.)

But enough about the other Lemonade Lucy. Let's get on with celebrating our own Lucy.

Here she is, already smiling and comfortable in her new home. Lucy's first thought when in a new situation is, "What do these people need to do in order to get along with me?"

Such a tiny little thing, she already had the "show dog strut" when she walked.

For size comparison...here she is parallel with two-year-old Ellie.

She loved to play with Ellie from the beginning. At first we didn't allow Ellie to interact much because Lucy was so little and could have been accidentally injured. The happiest day of Ellie's life came when the veterinarian said Lucy was big enough for them to play. Imagine Lucy's surprise when she ran to jump on Ellie, only to find herself flipped over. The shocked look on her face was priceless. Even today, when they rough house, Ellie is the victor.

Lucy didn't care as much for soft cuddly toys. Her favorite was a hard ball which she would push and tumble all over the place.

Even as a young puppy, Lucy always found a good place to sleep.

That aspect hasn't changed in the last five years. She still can sleep better than any dog I know.

Lucy has brought a new dimension of joy to our lives. She may be the smartest dog I've ever seen. She was not as easy to train as Ellie was. When we trained Ellie, she quickly learned the response and was consistent in performing it. Lucy, on the other hand had a lot of questions about every command. For the simple command "sit" Lucy wanted to know, "Oh, you mean NOW?" "Oh, you mean HERE?" "Oh, you mean I should stay sitting?" "How long do I have to sit?" "Oh, this command applies no matter where we are?"

Lucy is a wonderful dog and very loving. In spite of her impish ways, she really hates to be scolded. She has hilarious expressions and a great sense of humor. She observes every little thing and given opposable thumbs, she could assemble a swing set. She is a perfect compliment to our Ellie and I cannot imagine one without the other.

How is the summer passing by so quickly? Like most of the southeast and eastern seaboard we are having really hot weather. Needless to say, it's early morning and late evening walks for the Golden Girls.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend. Remember: the most important things in life are not things.

Feeding Guests

I am delighted when we have guests. I keep the house in pretty good order most of the time, so there is little preparation beyond putting out clean towels in the guest bathrooms and picking up some of the clutter in my study.

One of my favorite aspects of having company is in planning the menus. I love to cook and I especially love to cook regional favorites. So I put a lot of planning into the menus, coordinating the meals with the snacks and making desserts.

So why am I so out of kilter this morning? Not because we are having guests tomorrow. It's because my husband is the one communicating with them. (Although I have met them, they are his friends from work.) So I'll have to be more "flexible" in my menu choices. A few questions my husband failed to ask: Are you coming in time for lunch? Or will you be here in time for dinner? Or will you be coming later than dinner?

So I decided to forego big plans. It's been warm here. So I'm making a fruited chicken salad and some deviled eggs. That, along with some fancy slices of turkey breast, raw veggies, cheese and fruits will be the menu the day they arrive. If they are here for lunch, we'll have smaller portions. I have pork chops in case they are here for both lunch (chicken salad) and dinner. If they are arriving later for dinner, I'll have larger servings of the chicken salad and will bake some yeast rolls I have in the freezer.

Ordinarily my husband is good at communication, but typically the coordination with arriving guests is my responsibility and he just doesn't understand what a hostess needs to know. Next time I'll take charge and talk to them in person.

Regarding communication...here are some signs I found on Huffington Post. No credit was given to the photographers.

I hate to cop out, but we might just have dinner at the club instead of home cooking. That's what you get for stringing me out like that.

Fridays are Golden

Men would come for miles around to go quail hunting with my father and his English Setter, Peerless Dan. My father could hunt an entire field with Dan using hand signals and the occasional whistle. Dan never missed a covey and Dan never broke a point. Well, almost never. You see, Dan's only bad habit was that he would point if he found a turtle. No amount of training could correct this. Eventually my father learned that if there were no quail, then there was a turtle somewhere. My father accepted this flaw in his dog and loved him dearly.

The other day my husband called me out to the driveway. There was a box turtle just beginning to cross near the garage. My first thoughts were of my father and Dan. And I wondered what our girls would do if they encountered a turtle.

Here is the turtle, idly walking onto the driveway.

When the girls came out, Lucy immediately noticed the turtle and ran right up to investigate. As usual, Ellie stayed cautiously behind. Note the position of Lucy's tail. A straight up tail in a Golden means she is excited and tense and ready for the unexpected.

As soon as she decides the turtle represents no threat, Lucy's tail drops and she checks out the strange creature.

Ellie comes over to investigate.

The girls take a close look at the turtle.

A REALLY close look at the turtle.

The girls did not paw at the turtle nor try to turn it over. They were content to sniff it from all angles. When Ellie started to nudge it with her nose, I decided that was enough and sent the girls inside.

The turtle quickly emerged and started across the driveway once more. I decided to help the turtle cross and placed it near the edge of the woods. I hope the turtle will decide to live in our woods. What a treat.

The past weeks have brought pain and grief to many people, including some of my favorite bloggers. So this week I ask that all of us in the blogsphere lift up our thoughts and send healing energy to our friends in distress.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend as we celebrate our freedom!