Edition 46
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George Washington: first president of the United States of America. He commanded forces in numerous battles, defended our country against the British, and risked his life to save others. He seems fearless, right? Wrong! He had a very serious fear of premature burial. This was clearly expressed on his deathbed, in 1799, where he made his attendants promise that his body would be left out for two days, in case he was still alive. This may seem pretty odd for a man like George Washington, but taphephobia was a common fear for noble people, as well as commoners, living in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Although the fear is not as well known today as it was back then, primitive medicine meant that premature burial has indeed happened throughout the ages.

Mount Ranier - Washington State.

Thanksgiving is a time when we reflect and think of all we have been blessed with.

But, it's not a celebratory time for everybody. For some of us, it will never be the same.

There will be an empty seat because death came for them too soon.

An empty seat because one found another table at which to celebrate.

A clean plate set but not used that represents the child that has decided family is no longer a priority.

Suddenly, this year...we notice that things will never be the same.

I think back to the Thanksgiving days of my childhood. I would enter through the front door of my grandmother's house while the wonderful aroma wafted from the kitchen. The house was full. The table was set. We could not begin until every one arrived.

The smell of pecan pie and sweet potatoes tempted you to enter and get a taste of what awaited. But, you waited...knowing it would be worth it. Being the youngest grandchild, I got to fix my plate first and sit at the small table located closest to the food. This was Thanksgiving.

Year after year, the landscape of family changed. New faces were added. We mourned the loss of empty chairs and celebrated the additions of high chairs and card tables for extra seating. Every year different.

Then, I remember the first year that my grandmother was in a rest home. My heart ached that day when we gathered around the table to give thanks. No longer around her table, no longer with the big family, different. I knew it would never be the same.

But, the older I get, the more I realize, that even in the "never be the same" days, there are treasures to be mined out and enjoyed in the midst of different.

True. The faces have changed. But, let's not miss the faces that are gathered.

True. Life has changed. But, let's not look forward to the end of the day and miss the living of this day.

True. It will never be the same. However, truth of the matter is, it never has been.

So, let's squeeze all of the life we can out of today knowing that God has created this day and still has plenty for us to enjoy.

by Carol Davis

Carol Davis is a morning radio co-host on 106.9 the Light in NC. She is a proud single momma to Ella. A Southern gal through and through but, don’t accept an invitation to dinner cause she can't cook a lick, which is Southern for "we’re getting take-out." Visit Carol at cantcookalick.blogspot.com.

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS

 

or..........The song that silenced the cappuccino machine.

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square .  Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.  For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.  It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments.  We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in.  During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me.  She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me.  "I apologize for singing along on that song.  Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied.  "We love it when the audience joins in.  Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?" To my delight, she accepted my invitation.  "You choose," I said.  "What are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well.  ...  do you know any hymns?" Hymns?  This woman didn't know who she was dealing with.  I cut my teeth on hymns.  Before I was even born, I was going to church.  I gave our guest singer a knowing look.  "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know.  There are so many good ones.  You pick one."

"Okay," I replied.  "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted.  Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah.  Let's do that one." She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop.  With my two-bar setup, she began to sing,

"Why should I be discouraged?  Why should the shadows come?"

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed.  Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen.  The song rose to its conclusion.

 

"I sing because I'm happy;

I sing because I'm free. 

For His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me."

 

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall.  Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee!  I didn't come in here to do a concert!  I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!"

But the ovation continued..  I embraced my new friend.  "You, my dear, have made my whole year!  That was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?"

"Well .  .." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song."

"Really!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands.  By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual..  "She was 16.  She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence.  "Are you going to be okay?"

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands.  "I'm gonna be okay.  I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night?  Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop?  Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before?  I refuse to believe it.  God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival.  It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

Turkey Hash


Ingredients

Turkey (light meat), 2 cups cooked, chopped or diced
Potato, raw, 3 medium, diced
Carrots, raw, 2 medium diced
Celery, raw, 2 stalk, medium diced
Onions, raw, 1 medium diced
Salt, .5 tsp
Pepper, black, .5 tsp
Italian seasoning, 1/2 to 1 tbsp
Cheddar Cheese, 1 cup, shredded

Directions

Steam or boil potatoes and carrots for 5 minutes to soften but not cook completely. (I like to steam with some herbs in the water to add some flavor to the potatoes).
Heat a large skillet with the oil and then saute the onions and celery for 5 minutes. Add in potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper and continued cooking, stirring constantly, until potatoes are done, about 10 minutes. Add in Turkey and heat thru. Stir in seasoning and remove from heat. Serve with cheese on top to taste.

This is a great basic recipe you can adjust to taste and what you have on hand. Bell peppers would be a great; sweet potatoes, tomatoes, corn and peas are all possibilities too.

Number of Servings: 6

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