Rockin' the Presidency!

Good Morning!

Today marks the inauguration of Barak Obama as president of the United States. As I watch the festivities in Washington, I am reminded of another inauguration back in the 60s when another young family was in the spotlight and the American Camelot was born.

A lot of things have happened since then, and I have witnessed the inauguration of a number of individuals who came into the Oval Office, changed what they could, pushed some issues into the closet, and sometimes were downright embarassing. Every of those inaugurations marked a new beginning for American. In some cases we were embarrassed at the result.

Yesterday Washington was full of visitors, people there to welcome the new president and to witness the concert at the Lincoln Memorial. A veritable galaxy of stars came out to welcome Barak Obama. They quoted Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln and others who were not afraid to step out from the crowd and make a difference. This concert saw thousands of people at the national mall, watching the concert - which rocked more than a little bit - and singing along with Garth Brooks, Pete Seger and an array of stars.

I admit I was moved. I admit I was moved, and I can't wait to hear President Obama's acceptance speech today. In the meantime, I am prouder than ever to be an American and to see a time when real change becomes a reality.

'

All that said, I wish you a bright day. Keep on the sunny side, Terry

Terry L White -Author of the Chesapeake Heritage Series

"Travel Through Time With Terry"

http://www.terrylwhitesblog.blogspot.com/

A Winter's Journey

Good Friday Morning,

Today's art reminds me of the dirt roads of my childhood when walking to school was part agony and part awe. There is nothing quite like a frosty morning with the temps below zero and particles of ice dancing in the air. The passing scenery seen from the back seat of Pop's car on Sunday rides was like something out of a fairy tale.

Speaking of fairy tales, I happened to see The Golden Compass a week or so ago and I was truly amazed at what computer generated characters can do. The battle between the ice bears had me on the edge of my seat and I can see how writers are gradually going to become producers of something much grander as time goes by. This movie garnered all sorts of awards with sequels going by the wayside due to economic constraints, but it was just wonderful.

I have been a writer all my life, and I will tell you that I always struggled to do a better job and to present a better product. My first book was written in pencil on a tablet of yellow paper. The second was delivered from a portable typewriter. I had a better portable for the third, but I was still typing books over and over again as I tried to reach perfect prose.

Back in the late 80s I was introduced to computers and I was scared to death I would do something wrong and break the darned thing. I loved, however, features like spell check and the ability to make changes without using paper or ink ribbons. Then I went to work as a news reporter and learned that the darned things don't break that easily. Page lay-out jangled my nerves. I just knew I couldn't do it -- but I did. The next thing you know I was working for a non-profit and producing 8-page newsletters and all the ephemera attached to event planning. I got so I sort of enjoyed computers and do to this day.

Some of my friends think I am a nerd and call me for help with computer problems, but I am just a writer struggling to keep up and stay on the sunny side. (I call more savvy users myself when I hit a techno-wall!)

Happy computering! Terry

Weekend With Sis

Good Morning Bloggers,

I spent this past weekend with a friend in Delaware. I met Sue nearly 20 years ago online, she paid me a visit shortly after, and we have been friends ever since.

Sue just loved Cambridge, and she has visited often over the years, helping me over the hard spots, and supporting the artistic endeavours I seem to need to keep my life going smoothly. People think we are sisters, and we don't mind. In fact, it seems like a good thing.

I do have some natural sisters, but they are far away, and we have not been close over the years. That happens sometimes, and I don't know if the situation will ever change. There is an old saying that you can choose your friends, but you can't change your family. Seems to be true.

I have had some truly wonderful friends and some issues with sisters. If you don't take the blood connection too seriously, the bonds of friendship have remained far stronger over my years.

So, let's hear it for friends that are truer than sisters. I know I enjoy my female friends very much and thank the heavens for putting them here where we can enjoy each other during good times and bad. So. I suggest we call today 'sister appreciation days' and think about the friends who are as close as sisters.

Big hug, Sis. Terry

A Message to Santa

Good Morning Bloggers,

I was looking for a clip for this morning and noticed this one with Santa speaking on telephone. It made me wonder if the jolly old elf had succumbed to the trend to the use of cell phones.

When I was a kid, we had one phone for five or more people all living in the same house. We were on what the telephone company called a party line, and that worked out fine too. People hung up if they heard conversation on the line and made their call later. If the cows got out, it was perfectly fine to interrupt the chatters, but otherwise one waited their turn.

Today we see cell phones everywhere. Teachers, kids and administrators all have them in schools, cops wear them as part of their uniform, and some folks carry both business and personal phones so they don't miss a call.

Poor Santa, though. I can't imagine how he can get all the prep work done for the big holiday if he is on the phone day and night dealing with anxious kids who just call instead of writing letters or bugging their parents for the most desired gift of the season. He must have some really boss elves to keep up with everything while the phones keep ringing.

I wouldn't call Santa if I had a cell phone - which I don't. I wouldn't call at all, since I can't call long distance on my phone plan and I guess the North Pole is out of my calling area. I wouldn't call anyway - there is nothing I need so badly that it won't wait.

If I could have Santa's ear, I would ask for peace and a better economy. I would ask for people to get along and be a little more patient with one another. Wouldn't that be nice?

I just thought I would add my two cents. Keep on the sunny side. Terry

Maybe Smoke Signals?

Good Monday Morning,

Saturday I attempted to call friends in New Orleans and learned how much the world has changed in the last few years.

Five years ago, I bought a house using my savings as a down payment. At that time I had friends with cell phones with out-of-area numbers so I chose to add 'unlimited long distance' to my phone services.

Prior to this, I had a local phone account that charged for long distance calls, so adding 'unlimited' long distance made sense with friends around the corner whose phones originated in other cities. I didn't think much of it, since I could afford the service. But times have changed.

I am now on social security, and while I might not look as cute as my picture (it is my favorite!) I am not that dumb either. Like lots of other Americans, the economy has forced me to cut back some of my spending, so I called Verizon and asked them to take the 'unlimited' long distance off my account. I thought I would still be able to make my long distance calls as long as I paid for them.

Little did I know this request removed ALL long distance from my account. It was early Saturday morning when I tried to call friends out of my local calling area when that danged little mechanical voice insisted I had to have a long-distance calling code in order to complete the call. What long distance calling code!

Well, you know I called customer service - only to learn that I had NO long distance service at all on my account. It costs extra to pay for long distance calls. Excuse my lapse into the vernacular, but I ain't buying it!

I sure hope the new administration can fix what is wrong with our economy. This seems like a case of pure greed to me. My grandfather was a lineman and Granny was an operator back in the20's and you got all the long distance you wanted on your reglar line back then.

Today, you plain don't get any service unless you pay for them to charge you. I sure hope someone catches up with all of this stuff because it doesn't make sense.

In the meantime, if you want to talk with me and I'm not home, keep calling because I can't call you back! Keep on the sunny side if you can. Terry

What's Up With Wreaths?

Good Friday Morning,

Last night I attended the gala for the 9th annual Festival of Wreaths at Pleasant Day Medical Adult Day Care Center. It was a glittering affair complete with four musical presentations, and more than 125 wreaths hung in the halls of the facility -all of them ready for sale by silent auction. The event was catered by just about every restaurant in the county. What a party.

I was there nine years ago when the boss, Jackie Vickers, told me she wanted a fund-raiser to help keep indigent clients in day care. Back then, it cost something under $70 for the services: transportation, two meals and a snack, medical supervision,activities, shopping, and social worker services. Last night proved the festival was pure gold. The sale of all those wreaths, a couple of raffles and a live auction of wonderful donated items generated thousands of dollars to keep our elders in the program.

I retired from Pleasant Day several years ago, but every Christmas I take time to make some wreaths - for myself, and for others. It is a lot of fun, and I always use up some of the tons of materials that seem to find their way into my craft shelves. Each year, I help decorate one of the 18 trees that decorate the center, and this year a couple of friends from the Wednesday Morning Artists helped. We made a wreath too - with dozens of little paintings by the members.

The gala was so much fun. I collected hugs and reconnected with friends I made during a career as fund-raiser for two non-profits and as a news reporter - one of the reasons I adore Cambridge. People are great here, and they aren't afraid to tell you they love you!

You can't beat a night like that. I hope you take time to do something for others less fortunate this holiday season. It sure keeps you on the sunny side. Love, Terry

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Good Thanksgiving Eve,

Tomorrow will be a big day for most of us. We will likely share a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings and the guys will watch football while the ladies wash dishes and chat in another room, and plan their shopping for Black Friday.


Why is it called Black Friday? I am not sure, but I think it is to remind us all of the stock market crash back in the 20s. Uh. Do we want to go there given America’s financial pickle? Better not.


I understand Congress has designated the day after Thanksgiving as Native American Day. I think that is interesting, but since I have a Native American heritage, not at all that flattering. Who wants to celebrate an earth-based holiday on the most commercial day of the year? Who thought up that big idea anyway?


Think about it. There wouldn’t even be a day of thanksgiving – or a country if it had not been for the Native Americans who helped their visitors from Europe how to survive in the forests and shores of what evolved to be the United States of America.


I am thankful for my ancestors, both the ones who sailed here to find a new way of life, and to the ones who met the boats. I don’t think my native ancestors would be all that tickled with the way things turned out. Somewhere along the line, the ideal of living without persecution and being able to worship as one pleased got turned around. My native ancestors were persecuted and massacred, scalped for bounties and pushed onto ever more worthless pieces of real estate. In some places, native people were even enslaved.


Where is the gratitude in that? My native ancestors taught my white ancestors how to build shelters and plant food. My white ancestors took their land, their freedom and their right to worship as they pleased. What, I ask, makes some people more entitled than any others? Can someone explain that to me?


The Native Americans were not the only individuals who suffered as this country evolved. Other ethnic minorities were used harshly and enslaved. Some of them celebrate their evolution with as long as a month of commemoration while the Native Americans get to share one day with a commercial spend-feast. Ugh!


Today’s image is a Dawn Tarr creation that she painted for the cover of my newest novel, Chesapeake Legacy, which will be in print by Write Words, Inc. this winter. The novel deals with prejudice, and tells the story of a woman who was not allowed to live among the European residents because she had native blood. She gets pushed around a lot. Life is like that. Sound familiar?


I hope all of you remember the role Native Americans played in the birth of this nation. They were there for us, and it would be nice if we could be there for them at last.


Have a blessed day,

Terry

Thanking Our Vets

Good Morning,

I took today's photo on the Pride of Baltimore, an 18th century schooner that is part of the tall ship preservation movement that reminds us of America's early days. If you note, the flag has only 13 stars representing the original 13 colonies. Those colonies fought a war to gain freedom from England - so patriotism and defending liberty is a big part of our heritage. I can trace the European portion of my ancestry clean back to 1632 when a man named Samuel Lincoln came to the New World as an indentured servant. I imagine Samuel would shake his head in disbelief if he could see where his great adventure has gone.

When I think about veterans, I don't have to look far afield. My father and grandfather both served in WW2; Dad in the North Atlantic flying over the frigid seas to photograph enemy submarines, and Gramp helped build the Burma Road. My brother was a sailor in the Vietnam era and he was wounded in Etheopia before entering the submarine service. Two sisters served in the military, one saw combat in Desert Storm. I think of their stories with pride. They fought and served for all of us and I believe we owe a debt of gratitude for all of the men and women who step out to defend the ideal of freedom.

In a sense, we are all veterans, for whenever there are soldiers, there are families at home that pray for their safe return. Today is a day for us to all pause and reflect on the service the American warriors have rendered to the cause of freedom. I know I am grateful for the effort that keeps free speech alive so that I can write what I wish and share my ideas with the world. You can't do that in every place in the world.

And so I say thank you vets, and God Bless America!

Terry