All in Columns
I realize Christmas Day was actually last Friday, but we are close enough to the day to pause to rejoice in the music that makes Christmas so special. Traditional Christmas carols are one of my greatest joys during the Christmas season. At the church I attend, we sing carols as congregational hymns every Sunday in December.
May I tell you a bit about the pioneering Campbells of eastern North Carolina?
The patriarch of the family, minister James Archibald Campbell, founded a school in Buies Creek in 1887 that we now know as Campbell University. In the early days, privation and bad luck sometimes forced “Jim Arch” to keep institution alive through sheer force of will.
Among the pagan-inspired customs of the Christmas season, there has come to be the ritualistic burning of the straw man. Specifically, I refer to the traditional seasonal column by a sly journalist or political analyst asserting that the exchange of Christmas gifts is a major lose-lose for the economy.
I am often asked what I teach when I tell someone my job and when I say “history”, I sometimes get the response, “I wish I would have paid more attention to my history class when I was in school.” Sadly, just like many of my students are now realizing how much they actually miss and crave the socialization found within a school environment, our society often belatedly realizes how vital an understanding of the social sciences are to their everyday lives.
Well, here we are into another Christmas week, and I hope It will be a really great one for you! I have the pleasure this week of spending some time with my Precious children and grandchildren, which for me is one of life's greatest blessings. I hope this will also be a wonderful time for you.
Celebrate the Holiday season with those in your “quarantine bubble” by enjoying a special leisurely brunch featuring classic and seasonal dishes. Pick the perfect recipes to share with your family and friends.
At this time of year, we are bombarded by images and music that celebrate the Christmas season. One of those images appears in the form of a rotund man with a long white beard who is dressed in a fur-trimmed red suit. We call him Santa Claus.
The ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court denying Texas' motion to file a Bill of Complaint alleging voting irregularities by the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin was based mainly on the claim that "Texas did not demonstrate a judicially recognizable interest in the matter." So this ruling by SCOTUS was apparently based on the jurisdiction and not the merits of the case, which may embolden the challengers to continue their efforts.
Despite all the hoopla and caterwauling that surrounded the Nov. 3 General Election, the real election for U.S. President takes place today when electors gather in their specific states to cast ballots for our nation’s highest office.
It’s not a secret that berries are really good for us, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, are all packed with fiber, antioxidants and many other super nutrients. Often overlooked until Holiday season are cranberries, nope they aren’t just for cranberry sauce and garland!!
In the summer of 2019, Billy Jarrell felt a call to start a new ministry focused on bringing automotive technicians and other “car geeks” together in a way that not only made spiritual connections but also allowed them the opportunity to serve others with their talents. The C.A.R.S. mission focus is to live out Colossians 3:17 “and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Today I want to write about the ongoing controversy concerning our recent Presidential election. Folks, some have attempted to make this a partisan issue, but that is not what it's all about. Representatives of BOTH major parties are now coming forward in the cause of justice and for the preservation of our Republic, to tell what they saw on Election Night and to bring to light supposed irregularities that have occurred.
On Sept. 3, a bipartisan supermajority in the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $30 million for rural broadband to help rural areas impacted by the pandemic. The next day, Gov. Roy Cooper issued a press release, taking credit for our work, with the following statement: “This budget followed my recommendations on school enrollment funding and invested in important areas like high-speed internet access…” Seventy-five days after the legislation passed, and 74 days after Gov. Cooper touted the investment, his administration quietly ripped this money and broadband from the hands of rural North Carolinians.
Despite the current spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths, there is good news on the not-so-distant horizon. Three effective vaccines are in the pipeline. Some North Carolinians — those battling coronavirus on the frontlines as well as those put at greatest risk by infection — will being vaccinated in the coming weeks.
Sandra and I invited Lydia and “the littles,” Laney, 9, and Luke, 6, to spend a week with us at Peppertree Resort at Atlantic Beach. Since both children are doing their schooling virtually, all we needed to school them was a decent high-speed internet connection. I had already checked Peppertree’s Wi-Fi and it was plenty fast.
When the weather picks up a crisp chill, that’s one of the first signs that it’s time to pull out the steamer pots and shucking knives, because Oyster season is finally here!! Oysters really are one of the sea’s most perfect foods. You can pick one up straight from the ocean, shuck them, and enjoy them raw. The saltier the better for me!! But they are best known for their sweet, briny flavor.
Well, another Thanksgiving observance has come and gone, and I hope you had a wonderful time. As I mentioned in last week's Column, I had the wondrous opportunity to spend a few days with my wonderful children & grandchildren, and blessings abounded. And now we can all look forward, you and I, to Christmas and the love and laughter we will once again have the opportunity to experience. One of my favorite movies of all time is "It's A Wonderful Life."
If the Republican Party were only the party of white men, it would never win an election. When discussing electoral matters, we all tend to use the political equivalent of shorthand. It’s a handy tool. We use it to identify the tipping point that determines electoral outcomes — the bellwether county, the interest group with shifting allegiances, the decisive issue that turned the tide.
Family is not merely people related in the here and now. Family stretches back into the mists of history and forward into the unknown future. Strengthening family ties is one of the most important achievements we can ever accomplish. Those family ties are essential to what we are, what we were, and what we will be.
