Personal Footnote to the Assassination of John F Kennedy

 

The afternoon just seemed to be endless. I was in a study hall and a senior in high school.  It was the fall of 1963 and my family had just moved in June from Florida to Tennessee. I had transferred from Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida to Jefferson High School in Jefferson City, Tennessee. So, it was a year of transitions and unbeknownst to me the changes would continue to come - in part because of the move, in part because of my age and stage of life and in part because of national political changes that were unfolding on this November day.

On a personal level I had met many new people in my life, school, community, and church. One, who was becoming a close friend, was John Toomey. He had given me a book of political fiction, which I had begun a month or so earlier. The book was ‘Advise and Consent’ by Alan Drury. John was a neighbor and was a couple of years older than I. It had been made into a movie but had never seen it. I read several chapters of the book daily in Mrs. Shipley’s study hall. The book was about the practice of the Senate “advising” the President concerning presidential nominations and constitutional requirement that the Senate “consent” to those nominations.

 

 

It was about 2:30 pm (East Tennessee Time) on that Friday afternoon when my reading was interrupted by a school public address system announcement. The president was in Dallas and he had been shot. At that announcement I immediately went to prayer. It was not effective.

No more than 30 minutes later we were told to go to the school’s auditorium and were informed of Kennedy’s death. It seems like there was a prayer, but I don’t remember any details beyond the fact that school was being dismissed immediately. We gathered our belongings and boarded buses that took us home. I did not own a car, so I had to ride the bus. Our bus driver’s name was “Lightening.” That’s what everyone called him. Yes, he was black and everyone liked him because a noisy, rowdy bus didn’t bother him. That afternoon it was eerily quite.  

 

 

On reaching home we immediately turned on the television. News was dominated by the events of the afternoon. The president’s visit to Dallas, the motorcade, the Dallas Book Depository building where the shots were fired, the rush of the President’s limousine to the hospital, the President’s death, and the swearing-in of Lyndon B. Johnson (referred to as LBJ) shortly before leaving Dallas on Air Force One.

 

The next several days were consumed with ever-growing details of Kennedy’s death, his war service, his presidency, his family and simply speculation. I don’t recall whether it was news coverage that brought things back to my mind or my memory of the events of the three previous years, but I thought back on the controversy that as “candidate” he was Catholic and that many thought he would implement Vatican policies, but since he had been sworn in on January 20, 1961 I had not seen any evidence of that suspicion.

 

 

I also recall that President Kennedy had established the Peace Corps shortly after taking office. I wondered about the volunteers who were serving in Africa, Asia and South America. I wondered because when I was a sophomore in high school we had been assigned by my teacher, Paul Susce to read ‘The Ugly American’ by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick (my copy was printed in Dec 1961). Susie was the grandson of an immigrant who had told him that even during World War II his grandfather warned him that the Soviets, one of our allies in the war, were as big threat to the world as were the Germans. The book was about Americans working in developing countries and how we are sometimes perceived and why.

 

My thoughts also went to the Bay of Pigs (April 17-20, 1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 14-24, 1962). The Cuban Missile Crisis involved U2 Spy planes documenting the construction of missile silos in Cuba, a pretty intense time if you lived in Florida.

At the time of the Bay of Pigs Invasion I was a paperboy in Florida and I recalled seeing the headline on the papers I delivered and how disappointed I was of its failure. Castro had lead a guerrilla war in Cuba against a dictator and in January 1960 became the country’s leader. Unfortunately, he became a Communist and allied with the Soviets. The Cuban Missile Crisis, which followed was notable because of Florida’s proximity to Cuba and the interest by many in Florida in building bomb shelters. The immediate nuclear war crisis ended when the US informed the world it would stop and inspect all Soviet ships off the coast of Cuba and Khrushchev agreeing to dismantle the missile sites.

Then there was the erection of the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin. At least one TV documentary and a movie followed the construction of the wall in August of 1961 depicting East Berliners escaping by climbing the wall and digging tunnels from the East to West Berlin. And then who can forget the words of Kennedy, “I am a Berliner” in German when he visited West Berlin on June 26, 1963. Our hearts went out to the Berliners who were trapped in East Berlin.

So, during this period of political tension Kennedy had captured the hearts and attention of many of my peers. I suppose it was because he appeared to be a vigorous leader, who, as presidents go, was young. He was also following President Eisenhower, a retired general. Though Kennedy was older than my father and fought in World War II, he was so often pictured doing things that seemed youthful. He could be seen on yachts, playing football with family members and swimming. He also had young children. It was referred to as “Camelot.”

So on Saturday, November 23 the media focused on Kennedy’s body lying in the East Room of the White House, the Mass that was given that morning, movements of family members, and the friends and government officials that came and went. I recall too that enormous crowds were gathering outside the White House and other Washington sites as everyone prepared to observe his funeral. It was a gloomy, foggy drizzly day in East Tennessee.

Unfortunately, November 23 was also my mother’s 37^th birthday. There was no celebration. She didn’t even have a cake, but I guess she didn’t feel in the mood for one either.  I suppose no one was ‘up’ for any kind of party. I am not even sure it was mentioned by anyone, least of all her. It was unfortunate because we didn’t give her the attention she really deserved. Her day was lost in the tragedy that overwhelmed us all.

 

On Sunday morning, November 24, 1963 I went to church.  I don’t recall anything about the service. I suppose it too focused on the tragedy but nothing seems special about it now. I only recall that by the time I had returned home, Lee Harvey Oswald had already been killed by Jack Ruby. I had missed the live coverage of that event at 11:30 am CST in Dallas, but saw one of many re-runs of that event later that afternoon.

Later that day, John F. Kennedy’s body was taken by horse-drawn caisson from the White House to the US Capitol Rotunda, and throughout the remainder of the day and night hundreds of thousands of people lined up to view the closed casket. It seemed TV coverage covered the over 250,000 people that filed by Kennedy’s casket. The line of people continued to file by the bier until mid-morning on Monday.

At mid-morning on Monday, November 25 another caisson carried Kennedy’s body from the Capitol to St Matthew’s Cathedral.  The procession behind it was led by Jacqueline Kennedy, Robert and Edward Kennedy, Lyndon B. and Lady Bird Johnson. It seemed to take forever. As I recall it was a cold day in Washington. At the Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle, Cardinal Cushing held a Requiem Mass. The most memorable event afterward was when John-John saluted his father coffin upon its leaving the church. Everyone was moved.

Again the casket was carried by caisson to Arlington National Cemetery for burial and at the end of burial services, Jacqueline lit an eternal flame.

The events from Friday through Monday seemed endless and exhausting. I suppose too much of us were in shock. How could it be possible for anyone to murder a president in the 20^th Century? We had Secret Service Agents. We were a civilized county. This wasn’t the 1860’s. Our hearts had been ripped out and yet there was so much yet to be done. Parallels to Lincoln were made and speculations as to who else might be involved were being asked. Conspiracy theories were already being formed. It seemed to many that no one man could do this. It was obvious Investigations into Kennedy’s death would consume the news for months to come.

Indeed, in the months and years to follow, Kennedy’s assassination was tied to the Cuban and Soviet Union connections of Lee Harvey Oswald and to organized crime and mafia connections attributed to Jack Ruby. Because of the events leading up Friday, November 22, it seemed to all, any one of these factors may have been the agent to his death. Months and years were devoted to uncovering the truth. I’m not sure there is total agreement by expects to this day.

During the events of that tragedy, one thing never crossed my mind and that was the issue of Vietnam. Southeast Asia was really not on my radar. It may have been an emerging issue in Kennedy’s last days, and it may have been in the news, but it wasn’t the national preoccupation that it would become under President Lyndon B. Johnson months later.

The assassination of John F. Kennedy was (to that point in my life) the first of six gripping national tragedies I have experienced. For my mother is was her second or maybe third tragedy. What was her first? It was the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She was a teenager at an afternoon Church Christmas Performance Rehearsal. On hearing of it their hearts were no longer in it and the rehearsal ended. I understand her heart. I understand it fully.

Do you know someone who filed by Kennedy’s casket or was alive then? What were their memories of those days? Maybe you were alive; what do you recall from that time? How old was your mother or grandmother on Friday, November 22, 1963? If she was alive, she would be 87 on November 23. I wish I could tell her, “Happy Birthday Mom.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Scripture

There is a time to live and a time to die. Ecclesiastes 3.1-8
We were created from dust and to dust we will return. Genesis 3.19
Everyone is appointed to die once and face judgment. Hebrews 9.27
Moses on Mt. Nebo saw the ‘promised land’ but was prohibited from entering it and then dies. Deuteronomy 34.1-7
King David dies. 1 Kings 2.1-4 and 10
Elijah taken up into heaven on a chariot. 2 Kings 2.9-12
Stephen being stoned to death. Acts 7.59-60
Sarah (Abraham’s wife) dies in the land of Canaan. Genesis 23.1
Jesus said to the Apostle John, “Behold your mother.” John 19.26-27
Jacob was gathered to his people. Genesis 49.33
John proclaimed that Jesus was the ‘Lamb of God.’ John 1.29
Jesus’ saying, “It is finished” on his death. John 19.30
Because Jesus rose from the dead, Paul wrote, “O’ death, where is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15.55

The Call of Rainbow Falls (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)

There is a Disney movie about a man (Carl Fredricksen) who, on his retirement, plans to go to Paradise Falls (UP!) using a zillion or at least several thousand helium balloons. For Carl it was a place of his childhood dreams.  So, let me spoil it for you and say, he makes it to Paradise Falls and it was quite an adventure. It didn’t go exactly as planned because so many unexpected things happened. But as things go, he learns a lot about life, even as an older person, and he establishes several memorable relationships.

When I mentioned to one of my grandchildren I planned to hike to Rainbow Falls her immediate thought was that I was going to a waterfalls, just like Carl in the movie “Up.” Maybe she thought I was planning to move there like Carl. For her my Rainfall Falls was the Paradise Falls in the movie.

 

My grandchildren enjoyed the movie immensely. The thought of using a zillion helium balloon to float his house to the idyllic waterfalls of his youth is simply an irresistible notion. It was the dream of Carl’s life. He had anticipated his retirement for years and now was the time for that adventure. It was time to put his plan into motion.

 

Well, on September 27 my brother, his girlfriend and I didn’t buy a bunch of balloons and float ourselves to Rainbow Falls; we used our feet.  It wasn’t necessarily easy, at least for my brother because he has been having some feet problems, in particularly, a condition called plantar fasciitis. But because we don’t see one another often, living in different regions of the state, we committed to the task.

 

He looked at numerous options and figured the Rainbow Falls Trail, relatively shorter than most (5.2 miles round trip) was the best trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for his condition. It was rated to be a little less strenuous. Well, it wasn’t rated a “four” or “five,” though it wasn’t a “one” or strictly “two” either. It seems, most folks rate it as a “two” or “three” in terms of difficulty. It would be a day-hike adventure.

 

The first task was in getting to the trailhead. There was simply a lot of traffic. The trailhead is just south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee on a road called Cherokee Orchard Trail. Getting there took over an hour from Interstate 40, going through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. It takes a lot of patience to drive through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg these days. Forty-five years ago many of the outlet malls, restaurants, crafts, art and gift shops, miniature golf parks, museums, motels, hotels and show and other entertainment facilities did not exist along the roads leading to the park.  Driving this span of road took less than half the time it does today. I don’t think local developers and decision-makers considered there might be some people who just wanted to get to the park to hike, backpack, picnic, and enjoy the mountains. We didn’t make a single stop to see any of the attractions designed to catch our attention.

 

We arrived at the Rainbow Falls Trailhead at 11:45 am.  We ended up at the Rainbow Falls Overflow Parking Lot.  I suppose it was just too beautiful a September day for many people to stay in one of the towns we drove through. Maybe they were anticipating the federal government shutdown. At any rate, the Rainbow Falls trail is a popular trail and the parking lots were nearly full by the time we arrive. We took advantage of the restroom at this trailhead (TH), but we were glad we didn’t have to fill our water bottles there (potable water isn’t available).

 

We began our hike from the western-most parking lot at noon. Before we knew it we passed the trail’s junction with the Trillium Gap Trail (.1 mile from the TH). From there we hike along Le Conte Creek, at least for a mile or so. I took photos of the trail, noting the many rocks and tree roots that cause tripping, and enjoying the creek that runs alongside the trail.  In fact, the sound of tumbling water accompanied us much of our way on this trail.

 

Somewhere in route we eat lunch as Clarice became very hungry. Richard and I discussed the fact that we had both hiked this trail 45 or more years ago with groups of kids who were choir members in a church we had both attended as college students.  We remembered the director of the choir and how remarkable he was, because he was nearly the same age as our parents were then but was active enough to hike five and a half miles up a mountain to see a water falls. This choir director did this multiple times, because we hiked with him in different years, neither of us knowing the other had hiked with his youth choir members in different years. I remembered too, how he surprised us all when he pulled out a harmonica and played several tunes when it came time to rest a spell. Although my brother’s group did not hike beyond Rainbow Falls, I recalled how my group persuaded him to continue hiking to the summit of Mount Le Conte, a 13.2 mile adventure when you consider the return.  We did, but we were late getting back to the TH. It is a feat I could not do now. To do that then, we left in time to have lunch at the falls.

 

It occurred me that maybe my hike to Rainbow Falls in some way parallels Carl’s efforts to go to a place encountered in my youth. Just maybe. Glad I hadn’t dreamed of returning to Mt. Le Conte via this trail.

 

Our rest breaks and lunch afforded us time to talk about the past, the present and the future.  Hiking with friends and family allows people to think and reflect in ways a telephone conversation, or texting simply cannot allow. We had a great time.

 

Two-thirds of the way up I was able to capture an image of a stream of water tumbling down the mountain. It was time afforded me by my brother’s deliberate pace. Le Conte Creek might be the epitome of the Great Smoky Mountains if there weren’t so many other creeks in this park that look much the same.

 

Shortly after the stream photo opportunity, we walk above Le Conte Creek on a log footbridge (guide books say we are at the 1.7 mile mark of the trail). We have hiked about ¾ of the way.

 

 

At 2.4 or 2.5 miles we “rock walk” across a small tributary of Le Conte Creek. It is just below a small unnamed falls. Again, another photo opportunity.  It was a pretty falls and I take several photos. When I first got to unnamed falls, there were a couple of boys climbing above it. I hoped no one would slip as my medical skills are limited. They didn’t stay long. Someone coming down the trail told us we weren’t far from Rainbow Falls and they scampered on. I remembered none of this from my hike 45 years ago.

 

At 3:10 pm our group arrives at Rainbow Falls. At the falls there is another log footbridge from which to view the falls.  The falls are actually a short distance upstream. Guidebooks say that when the sun is in the right position hikers can see a rainbow. We must have been too late, or maybe we were too early. The sight of the 80-foot falls was worth the hike, even without the rainbow. They say it is the highest falls within the park. We spent our time there eating snacks, taking photos and resting sore feet. A good many people came and left while we were there.

 

After 30 or so minutes we depart the falls.  My brother’s plantar fasciitis had slowed him down, but he doesn’t take it laying down. He uses his trekking poles like a seasoned hiker. We stop and rest several times, and because everyone is a bit sore, we wonder why anyone would wear flip-flops (people were wearing them) on a rocky mountain trail.  How could their feet take it? Many were hiking without water and no snacks; each of us had four bottles of water and snacks. And as we approached the TH we encounter folks just beginning their hike to Rainbow Falls. I calculate that if they made the falls in half the time it took us, it would still be impossible for them to make it back before dark.  We arrive back at the TH in about two hours.

 

 

 

Although you can’t plan for every possible event that might happen, just as in the movie “Up!” we can, as Carl did, plan for future events. We didn’t plan to encounter a yellow jacket nest (a hole to one side of the trail), but when we came to it we were careful not to aggravate any of them. We did plan for the journey, make pictures and enjoy one another’s company.

 

Scripture:

Jesus tells a parable about the wise maidens who took extra flasks of oil for their lamps so they would not run out in the night. Matthew 25:4

Jesus tells a parable about counting the entire cost before building a tower. Luke 14.28

Wisdom is open to reason, and full of good works. James 3.17

If it is appropriate and within God’s will, take money and a knapsack. Luke 22.36

 

 

Party Favors and the Government Stalemate

 

I was spending time with one of my grandsons the other evening and he began to tell me about the party favors he had been given at a birthday party for a friend. Initially, I thought he was telling me that the toothpaste on his brush had a 'farty flavor.' So I was a bit confused, because most toothpastes have been engineered to taste good. So, how could the toothpaste taste on his brush taste bad? Who wants to brush their teeth with something that is foul tasting?

 

 

No, that wasn't what he was talking about. He was actually talking about a handful of capsules on the counter that when soaked in water cause miniature sponge dinosaurs inside of them to expand, pop-out and appear to grow before your eyes. He was telling me he had received them as a birthday "party favor." The problem I was having at that moment with this 'farty flavor' business was that he doesn't pronounce his "p"s very well. In fact, his "p"s comes out sounding like "f"s. So as he was telling me about his party favors I am hearing him tell me about "farty favors." As he is explaining all this, I am cracking up inside. I wake up to his conversation at that point which is moving on with an intense discussion of all things “dinosaur.”

 

 

 

It hits me the next morning as I am reading the newspaper that my grandson is a genius. A letter to the editor was addressing the issue and non-sense of "party" politics.  The mere mention of "party" takes me back to my grandson's discussion of "farty flavors.” Yes I think, blatant party politics are simply "Farty Flavors." Irresponsible. Juvenile. Dis-ingenuous. And, oh yes, they don’t seem to mind making a nation of innocent by-standers victims. They would rather die on a hill than surrender. They would rather take no prisoners and revel in the glory of some victory. But after the battle, what becomes of the victims? A strong nation requires bringing people together. Let’s be responsible. Let’s build a stronger nation, not a weaker nation with disenfranchised citizens.

 

It seems to me that immovable party positions, espoused again and again are simply gaseous exchanges that serve no real purpose or general good except to make the source of the gas feel good for a short time. Nothing is accomplished and no real good appears to be coming from it, except paralysis.

I suspect most people simply want government (local, state and federal) to work. We pay good taxes for it. Most want statesmen who are real servants to step up, look at the issues that confront us and work to solve problems. Our representatives need to look at the issues from multiple perspectives and then solve those problems in ways that will resonate with most people. They need to be inclusive of others.  They need to consider the positions and needs of others, not just their own personal needs or the needs of those who shower them with money and praise. They need to propose solutions that will or may have the potential to the solve problems of people they do know and do not represent. There must be serious dialogue within and between political parties.

If we do not resolve the issues before us in a meaningful, long-term way our current self-destructive actions (and inactions) will lead to a weakened nation. Ultimately, that nation, if we continue on our course of “do-or-die” politics, may find itself irrelevant, or on the trash heap of historical empires. We must develop a process and precedents capable of leading to resolutions that do not imperil us. At present, we are on a course of political one-up-man-ships parallel to the run-up to the American Civil War. The process must be changed so that stalemates do not reoccur again and again. We need a process that automatically schedules new congressional elections in a timely manner (say within six months of a deadline to pass a budget). Previous year budgets should continue during the time it takes new elections to be held. We need a new way to redraw districts that do not wander all over a map in order to entrench people and political parties. And we need new rules established by law that moves legislation out of committees not according to a party or politics.

Our present course may not lead to a literal war, but it could lead to the collapse of this once great nation. We cannot allow an infection like the one we have had over the past decade become the gangrene that simply smothers us out of relevance.

“Farty” politics consists of impoverished people who consume only one thought. They have no new ideas. They only re-tell the same old stories and propose the same old solutions. They dare and then bully one another other. Our representatives need to look into a well of ideas, engage in dialogue and become statesmen, not political hammer-men.

There are games to be played, if you will, but everyone needs to be playing and that I mean we need fields to be grassy, lines drawn and rules established so the game of American life can be played. No one is having any fun standing on the sidelines.

We need to get past "farty flavors”.

Scripture:

Without vision the people perish. Proverbs 29.18

Those who walk in their own counsel go backward. Jeremiah 7.24

Conflict is not the solution. Psalms 33.17

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but wise men listen to advice. Proverbs 12.15

 

Kamp Keck 2013 Is History

After watching "Ernest Goes to Camp" on the first night of Kamp Keck and hearing Ernest say, " You know what I mean?" 20 times too many, I realized one of my own little campers had the same quirk. Only my grandchild would say, "You know what?" He must have said it 1000 times over the course of the week. No one could ever guess what he was thinking.


On the second night, after watching "Ernest Goes to Jail" Ernest asked the same thing many times. I then
realized another of my grandchildren would politely, but constantly ask, "Can you help me?" Hum, I began to see a pattern.

Nothing changed with the third movie, "Ernest Scared Stupid." Ernest was right on with his favorite phrase. And wouldn't you know it, so were our remaining two grandchildren. We realized another child liked to ask, "What are we going to do next?" and the fourth frequently made the "Can we have a Popsicle?" request. Wish I had a nickel for every time I heard these phrases.

Mind you, Kamp Keck did more than watch "Ernest" movies. Kamp began with the creation story, "Days of Creation." We made colorful butterfly houses and butterfly feeding stations. We had a campsite and a tent-friendly inflatable moose. We went on a nature scavenger hunt and we went to the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro. Maybe too, our visit to Cheekwood Gardens under the night skies to see Bruce Munro's " Lights" counted as a nature activity. At any rate it reminded us somewhat of the story of Abraham and God's promise to him. His descendants would be more numerous than the stars.

Every morning began with a Bible-based story. They included, "The Half-Empty Jar," "God Promises a Big, Big Family," "The Alabaster Jar," and "A New King." (All stories from the book Remember, and Don't Forget: Bible Stories for Mom and Me by Saundria Keck and Kay Benson.)

Since Kamp is about cousins building relationships, there were a lot of other simply fun activities. They recalled previous year activities and requested that we do them. Worm searches were done, a tea party was crashed, there was swimming in the big vinyl pool, water guns were filled, faces painted and art was created for the Kamp's art show held on our last day.

I especially loved it when one of our grandchildren bragged that her “grossed-out” act was better than the one her mother had as a young child. Her mother once left her pacifier amid the produce where she had been licking the cucumbers in the grocery store and after returning home wanted to go back to the store to retrieve it. Her daughter’s story involved eating the peanut butter used as bait in the mouse trap that was in the garage. It was truly a bonding moment for cousins. Need I say, you can tell Darth Vader apart from Mrs. Vader by the fact she wears lipstick.

 The highpoint of the week occured when Mimi and Poppa gave each of our grandchildren a "Mike with One-Eye" tee-shirt and went to see "Monsters University" at the theater. The ticket sales girl didn’t even have to ask what movie we were there to see. "You know what I mean?"

Scripture:   Deuteronomy 6.7 – As you go, teach your children that God is good.

Deuteronomy 6. 20 – When your son or daughter asks you, you can say what the Lord has done for you.

Psalm 78.4 – Tell the next generation what God has done, His power and wonders.

Psalm 79.13 – God’s people will praise Him and from generation to generation they will recount it.

Psalm 145.4 – One generation will commend God’s works to another.

Rattlesnake Head Chili, Voted “Best Chili” by the “Second Wind” Group

While on the subject of snakes, and things that can bite. A few days ago my Rattlesnake Head Chili won “Best Chili” in a cook-off of chilies for the group known as the “Second Wind” at my church. It’s a group mostly make up by AARP-Types. My wife and most of the other ladies are in the Second Wind group because their husbands qualify.

Why did I name it after a snake? Well, it’s because this chili can sneak up on you and bite you. In other words, it is somewhat spicy. In looking back on the event, I think I won because one or two of the judges were from Texas. They tend to like things hot and spicy. I like Texans.

Speaking of rattlesnakes, the last time I actually saw a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus) was in August of 2002 in the Great Smoky Mountains. Saundria, my wife and I were hiking to Ramsey Cascades from the Greenbrier Trailhead, about an 8-mile hike round-trip. It was in August, a wedding anniversary gift to me and it was hot. On our way back (from not quite making it to the waterfalls) we encounter a swarm of locusts bursting into a loud roar. It was almost deafening. No wait, it was a Timber Rattler along side the trail. I had just stepped beside it and then there was Saundria. She actually recognized the sound for what it was, a rattlesnake before I could. He was coiled and ready. His warning was loud and clear, “step back.” I suppose he was “speaking in tongues,” but I was able to translate his words. We stepped back and I took his photo. (No, wait again, I didn’t have my camera.)

There he was, quietly along side the well-walked trail. And like the oblivious to any harm suburbanites we are, we didn’t see him. He could have sunk his fangs into anyone of our four legs (as we weren’t wearing long pants). And everything after what actually happened might have unfolded differently. Fortunately, there was no hospital trip or visit to an emergency clinic.

Now to the real point (don’t you be thinking fang) of this entry. I am going to sneak up on you and give you the recipe to Rattlesnake Head Chili.

Rattlesnake Head Chili
12 –14 Servings
3 pounds ground beef
12 oz of Italian Sausage (Aidells Italian Style Smoked Chicken Sausage), chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cups (8 oz cans) tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (Pace Picante Hot)
2 packages chili seasoning mix (McCormick Original Chili Seasoning Mix)
2 (15 ounce) cans light red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

Directions
In a large pot (or very large saucepan) over medium heat, cook the chopped Italian Sausage. Place into a crock-pot. Then cook the ground beef and the onion and sauté until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease. Put the beef and onion into the crock-pot.

Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour (or simmer in crock-pot the rest of the day).

The recipe was created looking at several other chili recipes and taking what I thought would make a meaty, flavorful chili. I multiplied ingredient amounts and rounded things up or down to match how things are sold in groceries as well as can and jar sizes, etc. I didn’t want to have a bunch of half-used items that might have to be tossed later on.

So feel free to add another can of beans or onion, take away a package of chili seasoning, or reduce the heat by getting a jar of “medium” salsa. But beware, it is the year of the snake and a little bite may be fun. The judges from Texas thought so.

Be Careful in the Year of the Snake

A few days ago the people of China celebrated their New Year. For them it is the “Year of the Snake,” the sixth of 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac. It is believed by the Chinese that people born under this sign are thoughtful and wise and approach problems rationally and logically. They are often very clever, egotistical, and stingy. For everyone else in that culture it is important to consider the consequences of any planned action before engaging in it.

This “Year of the Snake” got me to thinking. It is always a good idea to consider the consequences of any planned action. Being careful is just good practice, especially around snakes.

Many of us in our western culture do not particularly like snakes. It doesn’t matter if they are venomous or non-venomous. It doesn’t matter if they are big or small. It’s a cultural thing.

The State of Florida is even having a python roundup. Because of python releases and an environment that is favorable to their prolific reproduction, state officials say there are too many of them in the Everglades. They are not a native species to the area. And these pythons can get large enough to take down deer, alligator and other large animals.

My parents didn’t care for snakes either, nor did my grandparents. Snakes stole eggs the chickens laid. They frightened farm animals. And I guess there was also the story that Satan was a serpent. You know the story. It’s written about in Genesis.

I know that when I was a little kid I was curious about snakes and I know that before most children grow up they want to pick them up or keep them as pets. Then some adults tell them they are dangerous and to avoid them.

Herpetologists recognize that snakes keep the number of mice and rats down. They eat insects, birds, small mammals and other snakes. Greg, one of my hiking friends always seems to be picking up a snake on the trail. He’s is one of just a few people I know who handles snakes.

On the other hand, I remember a time in early May 2004, in East Tennessee Greg, Luke, David and I were at a trailhead getting ready to hike when an elderly guy in an old truck came up to us to talk. Initially he talked about the weather and seeing folks get out into the woods and then he asked, “Have you seen any snakes?” He reminded us there are people in the backwoods who handle snakes in church, venomous ones. He might just be one of them. We told him we were just beginning our hike and hadn’t seen any. His question to us confirmed that handling snakes in some churches was still being practiced, even in 2004. It was late spring and he was hoping snakes were emerging from their dens.

This year for celebrating the snake also brought to mind my time in Brazil last September in the State of Amazonas, helping an indigenous group of people build a meeting facility for their church in their village. Some of us were digging holes to set large poles into when we heard the sound of an alarmed chicken. The squawking of the chicken finally stopped and that seemed to be that. A few minutes later, a local man produced a dead young chicken and a boa constrictor for all of us to see. As is customary with boa snakes, it strikes its pray and holds its victim with his mouth, wraps itself around its prey and strangles it. On releasing the snake we observed that this particular snake was no longer interested in feeding on its victim. Various other sources say boa will feed on rodents and rabbits that have been killed for them. Maybe this boa had second thoughts about the chicken he had killed. The chicken was large compared to the eggs in my bluebird box (Refer to my blogs dated June 13 and 28, 2009). I thought about how the snake would have appeared once the chicken was consumed.

Some cultures seem almost transfixed by snakes. The ancient Egyptians included Cobras into their art. In fact, I think Egyptians even worshipped some snakes.

In Judaism a snake on the top of a pole could save someone bitten by a snake from dying. The Book of Numbers (Chapter 21) provides details on that subject. One interpretation Christians make of this passage is that the bronze serpent on the pole helps us to recognize the source of our sin and that we must look to God to be healed spiritually.

In ancient Greece mythology Asclepius carried a rod with a serpent wound about it. Medical societies, ambulances and doctors use this as a symbol of medical healing today. The symbol is referred to as a “Rod of Asclepius.”

Maybe the year of the snake is a good thing. It seems a lot of different cultures have a good many takes on snakes. I’m not saying I am going to pick up snakes, especially venomous ones, but I am not necessarily afraid of them either. I am just going to remain cautious. I just know that even snakes that aren’t venomous can bite, and even little bites can lead to infections. In a world and in a time where so many things can go wrong, being careful is just a good practice. But I think that was said already.

Scripture

Genesis 3.1 - Now the serpent was craftier than any of the other beasts the LORD God had made.

Genesis 3.14 - The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

Exodus 7.9 – When Pharaoh says to you (Moses), “Prove your represent God by doing a miracle; say to Aaron, “Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.”

Numbers 21.8-9 - And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” Moses made a bronze1 serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

John 3.14 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Mark 16.17-18 - And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Nothing Like a Leiper's Fork Parade

It was a Leiper’s Fork Christmas Parade year with family. You know the kind of parade I’m talking about. It leads off with Rudolph and ends with Santa Claus in a sleigh as the climax to a very excited crowd of boys and girls who have waited to see him for what may seem like a year.

Well, everyone in these parts knows that the parade in Leiper’s Fork, a rural community in this county is a little offbeat if not qwerky. This year the actual parade was delayed a two weeks due to rain, but it was just as unusual as always. Maybe the additional two weeks just added to the emotional buildup. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day.

The first Christmas Parade I attended a month before the Leiper’s Fork parade included for me an Elvis sighting. It was unexpected and for me helped to make it memorable. Elvis sang “Blue Christmas.” The rest of the parade included marching bands, corrals of horses and many large floats. I don’t recall any goats, pigs, small donkeys, puppies or dogs. The parade in Leiper’s Fork had a menagerie (second dictionary meaning) for us.

Leading the parade in Leiper’s Fork, of course was a dancing Rudolph, and then there was Mike Wolfe from American Pickers on a vintage Harley with sidecar. Filling the middle of the parade were Farmall tractors, a replica of the General Lee, several antique Fords, Chevrolets and a Willies pickup truck. The parade also included a local Cub Scout pack, local high school cheerleaders, the Grinch who stole Christmas; children’s peddle cars, even a remote controlled model plane. At the end were Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. As you can see, it was complete.

There was a lot of excitement in this year’s parade. There were many children and possibly a few adults who were ready for the big man. I can recall that when I was a young boy it was important for me to communicate with him. I suspect kids don’t really change. He needed my list if I was going to get what I wanted. The kids today need to see him too. Seeing him is somewhat comforting even though when I was a kid I was always a bit anxious about it. He was also kind of scary too. I bet the children lining the parade route were just as anxious.

Thinking about parades, I am about to conclude that nearly every parade has someone special to salute, someone we want to welcome or maybe even celebrate. We look forward to seeing them and honoring them. Parades are meant for military heroes, sports figures and teams, national leaders and talented celebrities. So it is with Santa Claus. With notice, we mark our calendars to see them and look forward with great anticipation to seeing them.

During the holidays you may also plan for and greatly anticipate attending musicals and concerts, neighborhood lightings, and other events. And too, most of us long for time with parents, children, grandchildren and other family members. I look forward to spending time with them each year. A Christmas parade kind of primes our anticipation for being with family.

My granddaughter, Analayne woke up early the other morning, got dressed, made her bed and then proceeded to her parent’s bedroom. She woke them up at 3 am ready to go to her grandparent’s house. She couldn’t contain herself she was so excited. It was Christmas Eve day! That just sums it up, doesn’t it?

When you were a child did you wake up early? Were you excited about receiving some special gift? Did you look forward to seeing someone special to you opening a gift from you to see the expression on his or her face or in his or her eyes? I know now how my parents must have felt when I found a sled under the tree. My son received a Millennium Falcon and an X-wing Fighter one year and as a parent I was thrilled with his excitement about receiving it.

I gave my wife a coconut cream pie from Dotson’s Restaurant this year. Their coconut pies are the closest of any to being like her mother’s coconut pies. She wasn’t expecting it. I looked forward to her opening the box it was in. She had not clue. For me, it wasn’t easy to hide, and that added to the emotional drama of the occasion.

Think back to when you were last excited like my granddaughter. Ready to go and full of anticipation. What a special time it is to be excited about what lies ahead.

What kind of anticipation do you think Mary, the mother of Jesus had? Or Simeon’s anticipation of the Messiah? Or us, when we think about the second coming of Christ? The parade that sticks out to me the most in scripture is the one for Christ on the Sunday we refer to as Palm Sunday. Christmas is a time for some with conflicting emotions. Loved ones who are no longer around. I guess it comes down to focus.

Scripture

God’s sign to you will be a son, born of a virgin. Isaiah 7.14

We will be given a child who will be God, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9.6

He will come from the family of Jesse (King David) and the Spirit of God will rest on Him. Isaiah 11.1-5

There will be one before Him (John the Baptist), preparing the way for God. Isaiah 40.3-5

God declares a Messiah will come for the nation of Israel. Jeremiah 23.5-6

A “Righteous” branch will emerge. Jeremiah 33.15

From Bethlehem there will come one who will rule for Me. Micah 5.1-2

Jesus enters Jerusalem to many people shouting “Hosanna!” - Mark 11.7-8

Mary anticipates becoming the mother of Jesus. - Luke 1.30-33

The Spirit of God will come on you and His Son will be born to you. Luke 1.35

Simeon waits for and encounters the Christ child in the Temple. - Luke 2.25-32

I (Jesus) will come back to you. John 14.2

John foretells the second coming of Christ. - Revelation 2.16

I am coming again. Revelation 3.11 and Revelation 22.12