Last Thursday night was another program at the auditorium here in town. I missed the first two shows of the year, but was so glad I was able to get to this one. The Hall Sisters played sort of Americana/modern country music, and then the second half was their Christmas show. Their harmonies were out of this world, and they played all different instruments. Such a great time.
Mallory got her first official college acceptance letter last week, to Berry College in Rome, GA. She visited there because they offer the major she wants – public history – in the undergraduate program, and she ended up absolutely loving it. And, as it happens, it was Granny’s alma mater. We know she was dancing on the streets of gold when Mal opened that letter.
Last Wednesday when I picked Mallory and Clara up to go to school, it was Clara’s ROTC inspection day. I noticed that she had pins on her collar this week, and she said she had received the rank of Airman. I asked what she was before, and she said nothing – just a beginner. She had to score high enough on an oral test, and do all of her marching the right way, she said. Yay Clara!
Monday a week ago Meg & I met Amy at Gran’s house, and from there headed to Snellville, GA, for a meeting of all of the girl cousins on my momma’s side that could manage to get together. Everyone brought old pictures and any family history information they had, & we had so much fun comparing notes and catching up. Just such a special time. One cousin, Peggy, has done extensive family research, & had the coolest family tree made up. This was as far back as she has gotten – maybe eight or nine generations back. I just loved looking at it.
All Saints Sunday is one of my favorite services of the year. One thing I love is this banner that the acolyte brings in before the service, shaking to ring the bells. For a couple of weeks before All Saints Day you can list people who have died in a book in the lobby, and pin a bell for each name on one of the ribbons. It’s a beautiful way, I think, to commemorate those who have died that were not members of our church. And the bells are the saints cheering us on from heaven! Of course we pinned one on for Granny.
Last Saturday a week ago my friend Charlotte spent the morning taking in a couple of craft shows here in town. We started out at the one at the high school, where the student council’s craft show was being held. Mallory was there working, and I got this picture of her and her friend Karys being snowmen 🙂
Friday a week ago was Clover’s playoff game, which they lost – and so ended their season. It was hard for us all, because this is Mal’s senior year, and she has gone to school with some of those guys since kindergarten. They were sad & so was she, and that was hard to watch. When we got there, though, Clara was directing traffic for parking. It’s a service project that the ROTC does every home game, but usually the students have to be 16 to be one of the workers. This week, though, with the playoff game, they figured the traffic would be so heavy they would need extra help, so decided to let some of the more mature younger students in on the activity. Clara assured me she thought she was mature enough, and apparently the major agreed, because there she was – although the picture I took wasn’t that good.
There was so much information inside the ark that it just blew me away. I didn’t know there was ever a version of the Bible that referred to unicorns, but I thought this was interesting. I hope it’s big enough to read.
There was also a very interesting display about what all Noah would have needed to know about to build and live in the ark: woodworking, of course, but also blacksmithing, farming to get the food for the animals, engineering, animal husbandry. I had never thought about all of that.
Tuesday when we were in Kentucky we spent the day at the Ark Experience. It really was something to see. Along the walkway to the actual ark there were these beautiful obelisks that told the story of the Book of Genesis up until the time of the ark, with signs that interpreted what each one was about.
Inside the ark was much information about how life was when Noah and his family and all of the animals were actually on the ark. Of course no one really knows any details about that at all, but the researchers had done a good job of working out their theories, and explaining how they came up with their working hypothesis of all of that. Very interesting.
