Month: December 2024

Rest Now, Good and Faithful Servant

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President Jimmy Carter passes away at 100

Yesterday we learned of the death of President Jimmy Carter after nearly two years in hospice care and after the death of his beloved wife, Rosalynn a little more than a year ago in November of 2023.

I remember bits of his presidency and his family, especially his brother, Billy and youngest child, Amy, who was a year younger than me. I remember his deep southern accent and his wide smile, but mostly I remember that after he left the Presidency did his public service really begin. I can’t begin to relate his accomplishments – there are others better suited to telling those stories, but I do want to acknowledge his passion for the American people and their experiment as well as his compassion and faith that I admired and hope to emulate, although I know I’ll never come close.

To read about his legacy, visit his Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, online here and the Carter Center, next door to the Library and Museum.

For funeral arrangements and the schedule for his lying in state in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia, visit:

USA Today has a fairly comprehensive discussion of what is planned both in Washington and Georgia at this link.

This short clip on C-SPAN has President Carter talking about some of the funeral arrangements for when “his participation at the Carter Center is reduced.”

The Carter Center and The White House will have more information as it becomes available.

The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter will be Thursday, January 9.
All federal offices and some state offices will be closed in commemoration and as part of the
National Day of Mourning.
All flags will be flown at half-staff for 30 days, beginning on December 29, 2024 at all public buildings and grounds as well as military posts, and half-mast on all naval vessels.

A Look Back Through Photos:

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Something Hilarious

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Something hilarious just happened this morning and I thought you might like to hear it as an amuse-bouche to what I had planned to post later today.

After mass today, I went to redeem one of my birthday freebies, but before I could do that I needed to go to the nearby bank to deposit some checks for the organization I volunteer for.

I pull into the bank and as I’m about to turn into the drive-thru lane, a flock of geese decide to walk across the driveway. Yes, a flock – at least ten, probably twelve geese, just doing their thing, and honking, uncaring about the rest of the world spinning around them. This is a somewhat common experience in this shopping center, but still…inconvenient.

There is a car facing me.

I put my signal on, and settle in for the long wait.

In the car opposite, the passenger opened their window and dumped out what was left in their snack bag. I don’t know if it was chips or popcorn or what, and I didn’t care!

The geese began to rush to the their miraculous bounty of food.

The driver waved me through, and I turned, no geese in my way.

I had a huge grin on my face. I waved to my new friends, and thought that this is the greatest random act of kindness I think I’ve experienced.

Have a great Monday!

Friday Food – Thanksgiving Leftovers

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We eat turkey all week after Thanksgiving, and while many complain about the amount of turkey leftover, I love it!

Here are a few samples of our dinners this week (not pictured Turkey Cottage Pie):

Holiday Dinner: Turkey, of course, mashed potatoes with gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potato pie, macaroni & cheese, cranberry sauce, and a dinner roll.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s Turkey Trot Tot Hot Dish (with a few of my own modifications). It was cheesy and delicious!

Turkey Salad sandwich. I usually put in cranberries, but we had none in the house, so I spread some cranberry sauce on the bread. The turkey is very simple: chopped turkey, 1/2 granny smith apple, fresh ground pepper, and mayo all mixed together. I wish I had enough turkey for more than one sandwich!

All photos copyright kbwriting, (c)2024

Native American Heritage Month Can Be All Year Long If You Know Where to Go

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I think when it comes to marginalized groups in this country, it is important to remember that even though we attempt to celebrate them and honor them, we can still do that on the other 364 days of the year, and not just on “their” day.

Native American Heritage Month officially ended on November 30th, and Native American Heritage Day was commemorated on November 29th.

In addition to the post last week with links to the American Indian Museum in Washington, DC, I’d like to share the following links and travel recommendations for you to consider over the next 361 days.

The Akwesasne Cultural Center is located on State Route 37 in Akwesasne, New York, near the Canadian Border. They are a museum, library, and cultural center focusing on the history and culture of the Mohawk people as well as protecting Mohawk culture and artifacts. The museum and gift shop are open T – F, 10-6, and Sat, 10-2. The library is open additionally on Monday, 9-5.

The Kanien’keha’:ka Onkwawen:na Raotitiohkwa Language and Cultural Center was established in 1978. Its mission is to preserve and enrich the language and culture of the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) of Kahnawa:ke. They are located in the Mohawk Territory of Kahanwa:ke, south of Montreal, Canada.

You can also find the Welcome Center, the Kateri Interpretive Center, and the St. Francis-Xavier Mission Church (on this site since 1716) in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawa:ke. I have toured all three of these sites and it is well worth the visit.

From The National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian: The “First Thanksgiving”: How Can We Tell a Better Story?

Bluesky Handle, Puff the Magic Hater has a thread of ways to support Native people, for everything from abortion care, defending voting rights, keeping Native families together, and more. Visit the thread here.

I’d like to close this post with the words of someone smarter than me. On Nov 29, 2024, historian Heather Cox Richardson wrote on Facebook:

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