One of the great fringe benefits of working in education is the time off during summers and holidays, during which I almost always do some traveling. My final week of 2007 has been filled with several interesting and memorable events, shared with family and friends. A few events you might enjoy with me:
1. I spent Christmas day with my family. Mom cooked a great Christmas lunch for all of us. We exchanged gifts. My sister, my niece and I laughed at playing a silly high-tech 8-ball-like game she got for Christmas. And we watched The Nativity Story, which I highly recommend to everybody! No matter how well you already know the story, this movie will capture you and add a new dimension to your Christmas spirit!
Then I spent New Year's weekend with a great friend in Staunton, VA, and we shared the rest of these adventures:
2. Friday, Dec. 28 we attended President Woodrow Wilson's 151st birthday party at his Presidential Library / birthplace. Although Wilson wasn't able to attend, the docents were in period costume, and we enjoyed a lot of history, ogled his Pierce Arrow Limosine, and even ate birthday cake! I knew little about Wilson and was interested to learn that his father was a minister, that Wilson attended NC's Davidson College for a while, and that Wilson was the only president to have an earned PhD.
3. That evening we attended a Tribute to Hank Williams Sr. in Harrisonburg, VA. (He didn't show up either!) Although I'm not old enough to have known him when he was alive, his music was ever playing in our house when I was a child, so he is very much a part of my own experience. He died New Year's Day 1953, 55 years ago today, at the age of 29, and left the world with many legendary songs that forever changed country music. Listen, for example, to the following 2 videos. The first one, although of poor video quality is a great piece of history and one of his few happy tunes: I Saw the Light, performed with Roy Acuff and a young June Carter.
The second video is not Hank Williams Sr. himself but is too cute not to post here. It's Hank Williams Jr. and 4-year-old Hunter Hayes performing Hank Sr.'s Jambalaya:
4. Saturday we walked the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, VA, admiring Thomas Jefferson's architectural genius and seeing some of the footprints left there by Edgar Allen Poe and William Faulkner. Then we rented the movie Miss Potter, which is a sweet biography of Beatrix Potter who wrote The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Highly recommended for those of you who enjoy stories of romance and the simplicity of bygone days. You may need a box of tissues nearby!
5. Finally, on New Year's Eve we went out to dinner. (Don't tell anyone, but we went to the restaurant at 4:00 to beat the crowd. The restaurant quickly filled with others "our age" and older!) Although we had a good time, I learned an important lesson I have to share with you: Never decide to try mahi mahi for the first time on New Year's Eve, lest you end up with nothing you can eat except a salad and side, and a bill of over $30! Mahi mahi is terrible. Does anyone like mahi mahi? Well, to complete the New Year's celebration, we played some Trivial Pursuit, and then I think I was asleep before 11:00! I'm relaxed, refreshed, and ready to return to work tomorrow morning!
34:21 "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.
I haven't met President Wilson (in any capacity) so I am a bit think on background other than knowing that he and Teddy were both in office at the same time (for awhile). His legacy escapes me.
I much prefer Hank Jr to Hank Sr. and absolutely love the architectural genius of Jefferson. Of course, since Architecture is my background, I understand his passion.
Oh, and yes. I like Ma-hi, ma-hi. But I'd prefer grouper, sea bass, pacific/Alaskan salmon, or tilapia.
Thanks for sharing your New Years. I wasn't raised on Hank Sr. but a lot of old torch singers of that time covered his songs. So I was raised on Tony Bennet's cover of I left my heart in San Francisco. I remember someone interviewing Hank about the fact that Toni Bennets version sold more he said nope. I bought my car with my recording and then I bought my house with Tony Bennet's.
DC, what is it with those DC guys! Yes, Staunton is home to the Statlers. There's a Statler Brothers museum and a very unusual Statlers monument, four stools cemented onto a small platform. I discovered the Staunton/Waynesville/Charlottesville area when I was church planting there in the summer of '90. Such a beautiful area that treasures its history!
Gene, I won't start in political debate here about Wilson's contributions, but he was in office 1913-1921, so much of his legacy is associated with WWI. He was democrat, as was, interestingly, most of the U.S. including the South during that time period. As for the architecture, have you ever been to UVA or to Monticello? If not, I think you'd love it! Jefferson, though not a perfect man, was truly genius! As for fish, I too love salmon, tilapia, and grouper, but I think I've had my first and last mahi mahi, in the same meal! More on Wilson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson
Cheryl, you can learn about mahi mahi here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahi-mahi. I strongly suggest you try a bite from someone else's plate before ordering your own, although Gene is a respectable and intelligent man, and he likes it! :)
That's interesting, Dave! I didn't realize that was one of his songs!
Marcella, he was one of my parents' favorites too!
Hopeful, great movie, wasn't it! Much better than I expected!
Deb, you and your husband make the mahi mahi poll tied at 2. Maybe only men have a taste for mahi mahi? A scientific poll probably needs more than 4 votes, doesn't it!
Rich, lol!
Brenda, wow! I didn't know the video of 4-year-old Hunter was not recent! Thanks for posting the older Hunter! He's 16 now and hasn't lost his talent!
Ah, with Growing's vote, we are now 3-2 in favor of mahi mahi, with all the ayes still men and all the nays still women. Is 5 a scientific sampling? :) In fairness to the restaurant, I don't think I got a bad piece of fish. Is there a better way to prepare it than cajun grilled? Is the meat always dense and chewy?
I normally find Mai Mahi a bit mild ant wothout a lot of character, so to speak. Not like a good solid piece of salmon or bass or perch. Northern can be a bit strong and gamey, but really, to understand real fish you have to each freshout of the lake smallmout, or lake trout, or bluegills. Mmmmmmmmmmm, fried up fresh, with the tail crunchy, ahhhh. Excuse me, I think I hear dinner calling, too bad no fish tonight. BTW, fresh off the boat halibut is pretty great also!
This is an outstanding post. I feel like I've been on vacation, too, after reading it.
I have been entertained, learned some history, introduced to other cities and foods, added two movies to my need-to-watch list. I learned some culinary and financial tips such as never to pay $30 for a mahi mahi meal I probably won't eat. I worshipped along with Roy Acuff and June Carter to "I Saw the Light," and was surprised to learn Hank Williams wrote it. I laughed with delight at the 4 year entertainer, especially when he reached down to pull the mike up. He is a pro!
If there was a category for "best all-around" blog, you would win for sure!
Hey, Cheryl! What's wrong with fish! lol I'll take the prayer anyway. If Jesus could use it to feed the thousands, I don't see anything wrong with it. Have you ever had smoked mullet for breakfast? mmmmmm! Good!
OK, I got interested in the Hank Williams reference, so here's the skinny. Again, it makes one think about God's grace and mercy for those who are so weak in an area. I'm sure we're going to be surprised at those who stumble, fall, and then don't recover as we are at those who never seemed to struggle at all. I pray daily for God's mercy, and will be interested to see how it was exercised on earth.
Extract from the CMT.com column - Nashville Skyline "I Saw the Light" -- A Country Music Beacon? The Saga of One Classic Country Song by Chet Flippo
"Country gospel is genuine currency of the realm, a timeless message that transfers seamlessly from generation to generation.
Williams himself, who was the original country star who set the pattern for sinning on Saturday night and seeking redemption on Sunday morning, seemingly looked into the face of eternity with the lyrics of "I Saw the Light."
He wrote it in 1948: I wandered so aimless, my life filled with sin/I wouldn't let my dear savior in/Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night/Praise the Lord, I saw the light.
The melody, ironically, is identical to that of the Chuck Wagon Gang's 1935 country gospel song "He Set Me Free." Melodies back then -- like now -- were fluid vehicles to be liberally borrowed from. Williams -- who granted virtually no interviews in his life -- never talked about the circumstances of writing that song. But his mother, Lillian, after his death, said the idea stemmed from an evening early in his career. She explained, "We was drivin' back from doin' a show in Georgiana [Alabama], and I was drivin' and Hank had his head in my lap, and he said, 'Oh, Mamma, I'm tired, so tired, but I know we're almost home because I saw the light.'" The light he mentioned was from the beacon at the airport.
Toward the end of his life, Williams was so drunk or drugged one night in San Diego that he stumbled off stage after finishing only two songs in the first show of a two-show evening gig. Minnie Pearl and the show promoter's wife drove him around town to try to sober him up enough to do the second show. They tried to get him to sing along with them to revive him. He sang only one verse of "I Saw the Light" before stopping. "Minnie," Williams said, "I don't see no light. There ain't no light."
After Williams died on his way to a Dec. 31, 1952, concert in Charleston, W.Va., and a New Years' Day show on Jan. 1, 1953, in Canton, Ohio, his Drifting Cowboys band went ahead and did the show at the Canton Memorial Auditorium. To open the show, a spotlight was shone on the curtain after the crowd was told that Hank Williams had died. His band, assembled unseen behind the curtain, sang "I Saw the Light."
Hank's funeral was held on Jan. 4 at Montgomery's Municipal Auditorium, where the crowd was so great that loudspeakers had to be set up outside for the overflow crowd out on the street. More than 20,000 people attended. In the service, Roy Acuff sang "I Saw the Light" over Hank's body lying in its casket. He was joined by Bill Monroe, Little Jimmie Dickens, Carl Smith, Red Foley, Eddie Hill, Lew Childre and Webb Pierce. Dickens began weeping and was inconsolable. "I Saw the Light" was Hank Williams' ultimate show-closer.
You can go and gaze today upon Williams' huge tombstone in the Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Montgomery, Ala. Carved across the front of that big white marble monolith are a giant sunbeam bursting through clouds and the words "Praise the Lord, I Saw the Light."
Interesting, Dennis. Hank Sr. was a fast-living person whose life seemed one of constant inner turmoil. My sentiment for him is as a cultural icon, unfortunately not as a spiritual one. Let's hope there was a part of his struggle that we only have a small "light" to.
I read this with great interest. Last night I had a dream about Hank Williams baptizing people! I've no idea why he came into the dream, didn't think he was a Christian, I had heard about his wild life style. I didn't realize he had written that song. Perhaps there was a part of him that knew his need of God? Well, God knows. I'm too young to have been a Hank Williams fan, but have heard him occasionally on the radio (I was very into Country & Western at one point).
Man, Kathy, I'd forgot about this blog! I've since seen Beatrix Potter and I not only loved the movie, I own it now. Renee Zellweger creates one of the most quirky, uncomfortable characters I've ever seen. She was totally sweet, and very innocent, but still, there was a level of discomfort she created that had me breathless. I found it one of the best acting jobs I'd ever seen. In the end, I also found the country lawyer to be portrayed in near perfection. When he walked into her house and started talking to her friends, the bunnies, I was utterly undone. It was like when you finally figure out that God knows you better than you know yourself. He not only got who she was, he participated. It is one of my all time favorites now. Not quite as good as Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, the Quiet Man, and a few others, but still up near the top.Thanks Ase for bringing this blog back to the surface!
My first time seeing this post. Too bad I missed out on the videos you posted as they are not unavailable. Beatrix Potter is a movie I've wanted to see but haven't yet so comments here make me want to make sure I do some time. Thanks for bringing us on your little break. It sounded like a good time!
Follow this blog
