Memorial Day 2015

Well gang, today is Memorial Day in our country.  It is a holiday that has had quite an interesting past and it offers several lessons for us if we only have the confidence, humility and integrity to pay attention.  It began as a day of remembrance as a result of the horrible conflict that took place in this country between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865; a conflict known as the Civil War and in the South as the War Between The States.  By whatever name you call it, the conflict was truly horrible, resulting in horrendous loss of life on both sides.  People who loved and grieved for those who gave their lives in the war vowed that their memories would not fade away and sought to establish a proper way of recognizing their sacrifice.  Some would argue who first expressed the idea of a "Memorial Day" and a good case could be made for Mrs. Mary Ann Williams of Columbus, Georgia (who wrote about the idea of a Confederate Celebration in March, 1866) or for General John Logan the acknowledged originator of the idea for a Union Celebration.  Whatever the case, national days of remembrance were established to honor those who gave their lives in service to their country in the war of 1861-1865.  Before long, another conflict we now know as "World War I" caused the country to realize that those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country in any war should be remembered.  So, the practice of remembering fallen veterans has grown as time went on.  Presently, many organizations that hold memorial services now include veterans who passed away during the preceding twelve months.  Interestingly, the tradition calls for the memorial services to take place at 3:00 p.m.  While it is unclear where the practice began, it is fairly common throughout the country.  Another interesting and rather poignant fact is that when General Logan announced his idea, he chose May 30th as the "Day of Decoration" because it was a day on which no major battle had taken place in the War Between the States.  Now, of course, it is celebrated on the first Monday in May (the reason for which is also interesting). But, all of that is merely a preface to what I wanted to tell you about.  Those of you who have hung out with us here know that my brother, David, died last October.  Not long before his death I had also lost one of my very favorite relatives on the whole planet, my aunt Col. Francis O. Vandiver, who retired from the U.S. Army Nurse Corps a number of years ago.  Well - I received an invitation from the American Legion chapter in Anderson, S.C. to attend their memorial service which would be held on the Sunday preceding Memorial Day.  The American Legion is our nation's oldest veteran's organization, chartered in 1919, and is devoted to support for our country and mutual support for their brother and sister veterans.  We attended the service which began - as noted - at 3:00 p.m. and included a wonderful program of inspiring comments and, finally, a reading of the list of veterans who had passed away over the last year.  As the names were called, relatives of the veterans were invited to place a red "Poppy" on a cross of remembrance.  The use of the Poppy follows the tradition of what we know as "Remembrance Day" (now closely associated with our Veteran's Day) which was established at the end of World War I.  The flower is referred to in the somber poem "Flanders Field" commemorating the fallen.)  As Francis and David's names were called, Linda and I were joined by one of David's closest friends in placing the flowers in their memory.  Astonishingly, in the small county of Anderson there were more than two hundred thirty six veterans remembered from this one year.  The service was both nostalgic and encouraging and I hope that as this significant day proceeds you will all take the time to recognize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom and peace. I found myself reflecting on the people with whom I served who are no longer with us and found myself both smiling and shedding a tear or two.  I know that I could never, ever describe how much I miss David and Francis.  They were two of the most interesting, loving and involved people you could ever meet and we miss them every day.  But, we know that they would be encouraging us to "get on with it" and do good stuff.  That's a pretty worthy assignment so, that's what we'll do.  See ya.

It's Springtime and I've Been Thinking....

Well gang, all the signs of Spring are peeking out from behind the last frosty curtains of winter and here in the Sunny South the flowers, the blooming shrubs and trees and the scores of songbirds are announcing the fact that it is time to get started on our annual renewal.  For those of us who are practitioners of the Christian faith it is a very special time of the year;  a time when we celebrate the anniversary of an event that took place nearly two thousand years ago.  It was an event we believe resulted in the opening of a pathway for peace for our entire world and an opportunity for relief from the burden of our errant ways.  It is a system of belief not shared by all of our fellow men and women but, for us, it is an exciting time.  So bear with me for a minute or two while I ponder those thoughts. 

Actually, it was the fact that there are so many negative things occurring these days that led me to think about this idea of "renewal".  Stop for just a minute and think about yourself and the folks with whom you spend your days.  I'm pretty sure that, regardless of where you live or what you do, you have those around you who are important in your lives.  They are people whom you want to live in peace in comfort and for whom you make a special effort to help them achieve those ends.  It might be family members, co-workers, team members, comrades in arms or whatever.  But, there they are.  You know that when you fulfill your role as a trusted and supportive friend, things are better for you and for those with whom you associate.  If you are honest with yourself you will be forced to admit that that mutually supportive environment brings a level of comfort to you that results in feelings of warmth and peace.  Well, here's the deal folks.  If we extend our support, our consideration to others around us we have the potential to create an environment that can expand and bring those same feelings of peace to enormous segments of our society.  No, it is not easy to change attitudes, philosophies, behaviors, ways of life.  But the simple fact is that the level of antipathy, hatred and distrust that exists in our world today threatens to engulf us.  To crush the chances for peace among the people of our planet.  But it does not have to be that way!  We can change our course.  Look at the signs of spring - of renewal - around us.  Think about how wonderful it would be if we could all step back and take a different approach to how we relate to each other.

In this country and in other parts of the world we have become obsessed with certain approaches to things that I think have gotten us off track.  We have created educational curricula that emphasize "what we should learn" rather than "how to learn."  We have tried to articulate "what we should think" rather than helping each other learn "how to think."  We have promoted religious doctrines that dogmatically state "how life should be lived" instead of teaching us "how to live a life of peace and harmony".  Now is the time for us to change those approaches.  We must reach deeply into our hearts and souls and cast aside those destructive, misanthropic attitudes that have led to so much misery and realize that it is within our grasp to build a world of peace and happiness.  We can do this folks! 

I do not care whether you are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, Agnostic, Athiest or none of the above.  There is a simple, undeniable, absolute truth you can count on without question - if you are only brave enough.  That is - if you treat others as you would like to be treated - our world will work.  Do not let dogma dictate to you how you should behave toward your brothers and sisters.  Realize that the ultimate truth lies within yourself and that if you will allow yourself to open your heart and mind to the idea that we can be compassionate and considerate to each other this planet can become a true paradise.  It rests in our hands.  I promise - those who tell you otherwise are not telling you the truth!!!!!!!  You are my brother or my sister.  I love and respect you and want you to live in peace.  Join me in this idea.  See ya.

Amazing Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina

OK Gang, we’ve been away for a bit but – we’re back!!  We’ve had really cold weather here on the East coast and our neighbors up North have been brutalized by Old Man Winter.  In fact, as we speak (or write as the case may be) we expect to get some more freezing precipitation tonight in the Sunny South.  Who knows?  But we got a reprieve yesterday with temps in the high fifties/low sixties so we hooked up with a couple of our buddies and headed out for one of our most enjoyable outings – a Bluegrass Festival!!! 

You folks who joined us last year for the Bluegrass Festival at Magnolia Lodge will recall some of the spectacular music we saw right here in wonderful Ridgeway, SC.  Well,  Patty and Doug who we introduced you to back, then joined us for a visit to the Haynes Auditorium in greater metropolitan Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. for the second event of the 2015 Haynes Bluegrass Series.  Now, folks, this is something to mark down on your calendar.  It turns out that this tiny town, in the far western corner of Lexington County, S. C., has become a mecca for some of the most outstanding practitioners of bluegrass art in the country.  And I say that advisedly gang. 

Batesburg-Leesville was originally two towns (of the same names) both founded near the end of the 18^th century and separated by a 500 yard median along the “Columbia, Charlotte and Augusta Railroad (Now Southern Railway).  Batesburg was originally called Batesville for one or more members of the prominent Bates family who had extensive landholdings in the area and possibly the town’s first mayor, Captain A. D. Bates, who was also a railroad official and minister.  But it was later changed to Batesburg to avoid conflict with another South Carolina town of the same name.  Leesville was the site of Captain John Lee’s Tavern, reportedly one of George Washington’s stopping places during his tour of 1791, and the town name was derived from the Lee family.  Anyway!!! The present town (consolidated into one entity in 1992) is the home of some interesting stuff.  Located about forty miles from our capital, Columbia, with a population of about  5,500 people, the town is home to the “Mid-State Mud Bogg”, a wild event featuring a bunch of high-powered pickup trucks with huge engines and even “huge-er” tires whose sole purpose in life is to scream through about one hundred yards of gooey mud as fast as they can go.  But “B-L” also hosts the annual “Poultry Festival” (May 9^th of this year) where you can find virtually anything remotely associated with chickens!!!  And, I have to add that it is also the official home of “Camp Barstow” the summer camp of the Indian Waters Council of the Boy Scouts of America.  Barstow was originally located Southwest of Columbia and during the many years we were involved in Scouting we had lots of great adventures there.

We arrived at Haynes Auditorium on College Street right at 6:30 pm, picked up our tickets and made our way into the auditorium.  First, though, we had to pick up cushions for our seats!!  (Believe me, we were glad we had them).  We got settled in, said some “Howdy’s” to friends we saw, and very quickly were introduced to the opening band, “Flatland Express”.  This group has been around for a while and is a regular at Haynes but, more importantly, is the “home band” of the guy who coordinates events at the auditorium, Lewis Rogers.  The group consists of Lewis Rogers (Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo and vocal), O’Neal Davis (Guitar and vocal), Marty Carrigg (Banjo, Dobro, and Vocals),  Hugh Fanning (also known as “Otto”)  (Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar and vocal), and Katie Miller (Bass and vocals).  Folks this group is what “real” music is all about.  They are exceptional musicians who, I am sure, want to get compensated for their effort but, who perform for the sheer love of music.  They were great!! And glad we had them!– They performed for a solid hour without a break.  I have tried to attach some photos and a video so you will get an idea of their talent.  Soon, however, they turned the stage over to the “headliners” for the evening, “Darin and Brooke Aldridge”. 

Now, I’ve gotta tell ya, while the name of the group is “Darin and Brooke Aldridge”, every one of the other members of the band could be a headliner in his or her own right!!!  They were absolutely spectacular musicians – with credentials to match!!!  Darin (Mandolin, Guitar, Vocal) and Brooke (Vocal, Mandolin) were stunningly good singers but the talent on the other parts of the stage was amazing.  Dwayne Anderson (Acoustic Bass, Vocal)  has performed with a number of groups and is currently an instructor at East Tennessee State University; Tyler Collins (Banjo) is an incredible musician who has won numerous banjo and guitar competitions throughout the southeast and was Tennessee State Dobro Champion last year.  Colin Willis (Dobro) is from Chesnee, South Carolina and has recorded and played with numerous bands.  Carley Arrowood (Fiddle) is an 18 year old young lady from from Union Mills, N.C. whose credentials include First place (Fiddle) and Second Place (Bluegrass Band) at the Union Grove Fiddlers Convention.  Now, folks, these groups were truly outstanding and our experience at the Haynes Auditorium could not have been better.  I hope you will take the time to find out more about these exceptional groups and consider going to one of the events that will take place on the fourth Saturday each month for the rest of the year.  (And also to some of the other quirky, wonderful events they have around here!!) If you want to find out more about the series bluegrass series, go to http://www.haynesbluegrass.com/.  Next time we go we’ll let you know and, hopefully, we’ll have a chance to meet up in Batesburg-Leesville.  See ya.

As We Begin A New Year ......

2015 has begun, gang!!!  And, yes, it brings with it a whole new set of challenges and mysteries.  The year

Dave and the Century Plant

that just ended was full of very demanding trials and I have briefly shared one of the most difficult with you.  That was the loss of my wonderful brother, David.  He was a very interesting person and one who did not fit any particular stereotype you could try to apply to him.  He was a hard worker, a scholar, a patron of the arts and a very liberal thinker.  His last months with us were fraught with difficulty for him - physically and emotionally.  But, you would have never known he was facing those challenges.  It was not his way.  In the last few weeks of his life he finally let some of us know just how difficult things had been - but - he also reassured us that things were getting better.  He was really big on sending his friends and family notes, articles, photographs and myriad things to keep us engaged with the world around us.  So, his final communication - in keeping with his life-long devotion to the process of education - was both reassuring and portentous in what it foreshadowed.  But, it gave us all directions.  Instructions.  A way to deal with what he knew we would face.  It was a quote taken from T. H. White's work "The Once and Future King".  In book 1, "The Sword In The Stone", White presents Merlin, the wonderful wizard of Arthurian legend, as he seeks to instruct the young King Arthur who has begun to fall into self-pity and sadness as a result of his perceived inability to meet the challenges facing him.  In response, Merlin confronts him quickly:

“The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”

So, gang, I suppose what I'm telling you is that 2015 will be a year of learning for us.  Yes, I know ... some of us are getting a bit "long of tooth" and aren't quite up to the challenges we once faced.  But - that's what Merlin (and Dave) were telling us.  Get yourself together .... Learn!!!!  See ya.

Boykin Christmas Parade - 2014 Edition

Well gang, we made it again!!!  The 21st Annual Boykin, S. C. Christmas Parade was our target last Sunday and, again, we were not disappointed.  Our trip to Boykin this time was a little more 'exciting' since this was the last Sunday before Christmas and we had an unscheduled choir rehearsal after church in preparation for our Christmas Eve service.  The parade was scheduled to kick off at 2:00 p.m. and we knew that they would begin shutting the roads down well before that time.  Fortunately, we managed to negotiate the long, rural roads between Columbia and Boykin safely and, even though we did encounter a police barricade about a mile and a half from the starting point of the parade, Linda managed to 'sweet talk' a very nice young highway patrolman and explain our dilemma and the fact that we had to 'stay in after church'!!  (We also had the "age card" in reserve in case we needed it.)  He very, very kindly allowed us to proceed to

Mayor and Mrs.Jackson

the parking area and we made it to our rendezvous point right on time.  SCTravelerX3 Sherwood was holding down a VIP spot for us and the

Wilmington folks along with their fantastic friends from greater metropolitan Lugoff, S.C. (not far from our own Ridgeway) had a fabulous spread laid out.  We quickly picked up a snack or two and a cup of some very potent egg-nog and headed over to the viewing stand where we were just in time for the arrival of the Mayor of Boykin, the Honorable Bruce Jackson and his wife.  They were welcomed by perennial Master of Ceremonies, Roland Alston and it was soon time for the "presentation of the colors".  With many dignitaries present - including politicians from Kershaw County (home of Boykin), Major General and Mrs. Julian Burns and Colonel Clint Kirk, Commanding Officer of the Blackhawk Brigade from Fort Jackson, and a whole host of others too numerous to mention, the grand old flag waved gently in the cool December breeze as we all lustily sang

Grand Marshall Squeeky Wangensteen

our National Anthem and the parade was underway!!  The guy sitting next to us in the Santa hat gave us the 'thumbs up' as the Lee County Light Horse Brigade led the way.  Quickly, the Grand Marshall made her appearance (Note: it's the DOG!!) and introduced a whole host of floats of every description!!  There was music, dancing and, of course lots of Shriners from a couple of different lodges.  It never fails to fascinate me how willing those guys are to lend their presence and their talents to community causes and how bold they are in the things they are willing to do!!! Amazing.  But, I've got to also add that their charitable contributions to our state and our country are incredible and their hospitals have brought relief and care to people - especially children - who would never have received it otherwise.  But - I've gotta tell ya ... I'm not sure I could squeeze myself into one of those little vehicles to ride around at break-neck speed or to don one of those colorful costumes in the chilly winter weather.  My hat is off to them!!  And they are so warm and humorous in their activities.  They kept the kids along the route in giggles the whole time they were around and handed out candy every step of the way.  You need to keep in mind, however, that as light-hearted and fun-loving as these guys are, their ability to perform this way requires countless hours of practice and dedication to their organization that is often overlooked.  But, just like the Shriners, people from other organizations of countless kinds came together to celebrate the season and to express their wishes for peace, togetherness and friendship.  There were complex floats, simple floats, those that required extensive skill in preparation and those that carried the beauty of simplicity.  And we loved every one of them!!!!  The smiles we shared, the "Merry Christmas" greetings, the shouts of "Happy Holidays" gave us a feeling of buoyancy and warmth that it is hard to describe.  (And, no, I don't think it was the egg-nog!!)  Some of the floats and groups were old friends from last year's parade and there were many, many others that were new this year.  Virtually every age group imaginable was represented on the floats but they were all as excitedly active as if all were kids in middle school!  Boykin is a very rural little town and, as we have reported on in the past, it is the home of the famed "Boykin Spaniel", a hunting dog of extraordinary capability as a retriever.  The folks from around here take their hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities very seriously so a large number of the entries related to hunting, dog breeding, fishing, firearm training and other features of outdoor life.  Seeing the different hunting dogs proudly observing the crowds from the sides of their human partners was very interesting and the rustic nature of some of the floats illustrated the construction skills of these rugged hunters.  As in virtually any event held in rural South Carolina, respect for those who keep us safe from harm - law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders, military personnel and those who protect our children - is over the top and every float, vehicle or other entry representing those individuals and organizations was greeted with deafening roars.  It was really heart-warming and, after the difficult months we have experienced recently, it was good for them to hear and feel our deep appreciation.  But, of course, this is Boykin ... and ... the crowd was growing restless!!  Now in most parades the anxiety comes in the wait for the Jolly Old Elf and it was no different here.  But - the real excitement came when word rippled down the route that the real attraction was on the way - The 2014 Fatback Queen.  There is just no way to adequately describe this celebrity and I hope you got to see the post we did last year when the "Queens" from the prior twenty years came together for a reunion.   Now I don't know what the criteria for picking the Fatback Queen but somewhere in there there have to be a few attributes like "smokes cigars" or "has lots of facial hair" or "willing to go out in public in a costume that would cause most of us to 'melt down' immediately".  Whatever they use, they really get some hum-dingers!!!!!    But - as you might remember if you were here with us last year - the common characteristics really are men who are comfortable in their own skin, who care about others, who understand and appreciate the rugged rural culture that makes up this part of our state and ... lemme see ....  maybe a bit of 'craziness' doesn't hurt too much.  This year's Queen certainly did not disappoint in any of the above categories and his/her entourage provided him/her with a court of honor that was as regal as he/she was ...strange!!  It truly was a major highlight!!  But there was more to come.  This is South Carolina, of course, and there is no way that you can have a parade without proper recognition of one of our most cherished cultural aspects - Shagging!.  A float dedicated to our State Dance certainly represented all of us well - even considering the unstable footing of a float.  One of the many beautiful reminders of the season was the live manger scene played out for us all.  Coming when it did in the parade it kept us centered and aware of the majesty of the coming Christmas day.  But - at Boykin you are not going to be able to stay serious long.  The "Weinermobile", numerous animal friends and a lot of fascinating floats filled the route.  But we were somewhat bothered by what seemed to be some inordinate delays and 'open spaces' in the parade.  Of course, you can't get angry or upset at the Boykin Christmas Parade - we were just curious.  We knew Santa was on the way and the organizers certainly would not allow him to be delayed without reason.  So - we knew something was going on, just not what it was.  And, sure enough, it wasn't too long before we saw the trademark sled that we knew would be transporting the real guest of honor at this parade - Santa!!  As he approached and all of the kids (and us) got excited we noticed something a little unusual.  No, it wasn't the fact that only Rudolph served to represent Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen ... it was the fact that there appeared to be another float behind Santa.  Clearly a violation of parade etiquette!!  Now get this - the float that was supposed to immediately precede the Jolly Old Elf was an actual airplane!!!  The plane had circled the parade site and Skydivers had leaped from the aircraft to announce the start of the event.  The pilot then landed and his plane was maneuvered into position to lead Santa in the parade.  Unfortunately, the narrowness of the country lanes used for the route didn't always allow for smooth passage and it took help from the crowd to wiggle the plane around enough to get it past the various obstacles.  The decision was finally made to let Santa go ahead and, as the plane neared the end of the route it was discreetly moved (with the aid of numerous helpful viewers) onto a side road so it wouldn't diminish Santa's appearance.  Talk about class!!!  We're really glad you were here to enjoy the parade with us.  I know I didn't get all of the floats, bands, marchers and dignitaries in but there is just sooooooo much to see.  Last year attendance was close to 17,000 people and they said they thought the crowd exceeded that this year.  But - numbers are not the significant thing.  Whatever the count was, we were all there with our newest best friends and it was wonderful.  Hopefully we can take you back to this quirky and enjoyable event next year.  But - we've got a lot more traveling to do before then so - get ready.  We'll be on the road soon.  See ya.