What Would Jimmy Do?

Today is Christmas Eve.
May you never be too grown up to search the skies tonight….
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In continuing with the Christmas theme of late, Claire has every Christmas tree ornament that the White House Historical Association has ever produced. 

The White House Historical Association has released a Christmas tree ornament every year, beginning in 1981. All ornament sales support the mission of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Association to protect, preserve, and provide public access to the history of the White House. 

The first ornament in 1981, “Angel in Flight,” depicted a copper weather vane inspired by those atop many historic American buildings, such as Mount Vernon and Independence Hall. 

Some of the ornaments have included a fire truck, a steam train and even a helicopter — because the decorations are not only meant to brighten people’s homes, they are intended to shine a light on lesser-known stories from America’s political past. The fire truck was inspired by the time Herbert Hoover’s Christmas Eve was interrupted by a blaze in the West Wing (1929,) and the helicopter alludes to Dwight Eisenhower becoming the first President to regularly fly in one. 

Each year’s design is based on a different presidency or, occasionally, a key White House anniversary, with the president-focused ornaments beginning with George Washington and progressing in chronological order. Each ornament comes with an information booklet, making each one a historical education tool. 

The WHHA was founded in 1961 by Jackie Kennedy. The decision to feature a different presidency every year was made early on — the system helps the nonpartisan organization avoid any contentious discussions about what the focus should be in any given year.
Since Christmas occurs more often that presidents are elected, the ornament will catch up with the present day fairly soon. When this happens, the design will either start again with Washington or, more likely, move on to other themes inspired by White House history.

The White House Chief Usher, Rex Scouten, arranged to have the Association’s first ornament hung on the Blue Room Christmas tree in 1981. This started the tradition of hanging the Association’s ornament on that official tree each year. 

Every ornament is American-made in Lincoln, Rhode Island by ChemArt Manufacturing. The company has made all the ornaments since the first one in 1981.
All the ornaments are on display on our Christmas tree….
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Today is the first day of winter. I’m not crazy about winter, but one good thing about it is that starting today, the days are getting longer.

Yesterday was the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year, when the sun appears at its most southerly position. This is true in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, yesterday marked the longest day of the year.
The solstice usually (but not always) takes place on December 21. The time that the solstice occurs shifts every year because the time it takes for the sun to reappear in the same spot as seen from earth (the solar year) doesn’t exactly match up with our calendar year.

So why does the solstice even happen? The reason we experience seasons is because the Earth is tilted on its rotational axis. As the Earth moves around the sun, each hemisphere experiences winter when it’s tilted away from the sun and summer when it’s tilted toward the sun.

As to why the Earth is tilted, no one really knows for sure, but scientists think that billions of years ago, the Earth was subject to violent collisions that caused the axis to tilt. 

Solstice celebrations have traditionally been held around the world…. last year, and maybe this year, a lot of the celebrations have been scaled back, or completely canceled because of the Covid pandemic.
One of the most famous solstice celebrations is at Stonehenge in the UK. During the winter solstice, visitors have the opportunity to enter the mysterious stone circle for a sunrise ceremony run by local pagan and druid groups. The gathering was canceled last year but scheduled to be held this year. That could change due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant.

If you don’t want to go to a solstice celebration, try this — stand outside at noon and look at your shadow (assuming the sun is shining.) It’s the longest shadow that you’ll cast all year. I realize that it’s a little late to try it this year — and — there was no sun yesterday, so remember it for next year. In the meantime, go outside at noon on the day of the summer solstice and you’ll see almost no shadow.

Anyhow, winter is here — for me, that’s the bad news; the good news is that the days are getting longer. And soon…. it’ll be spring. Bill Veeck once said, “There are only two seasons — winter and baseball.”
— 30 —

Well, it’s that time again — the new year is almost here and that means it’s time for my annual New Year’s Resolution blog. I know I go through this same spiel every year, but I do it to remind you not to be too hard on me when I don’t live up new year’s expectations….
Resolutions are a way of expressing one’s desire to change something in themselves or adapt to a new challenge. We all know that very few succeed in pursuing their resolution(s) and many come up with excuses for failing to carry out their resolution.

Actually, I never make excuses — I only explain why keeping some of my resolutions was not possible, usually due to forces beyond my control. But nonetheless, I annually make resolutions, always with the best intentions and fully intend to keep them. I also readily admit when I fall short.

I used to make a long list of resolutions — the past few years I’ve shortened the list and made my resolutions more realistic…. that’s my plan again for 2022. A short list with a reasonable chance to succeed in keeping them all. So, here’s my list for the coming year:
• Even though in the past, I’ve resolved to be nicer to people, this year I resolve to be extra nice to people that do exactly what I want.
• Although I don’t read, or understand, “Tweets,” and in the past I’ve resolved (unsuccessfully) to do one, this year I resolve to write one.
• Last year I resolved to become really good at procrastination — I think I’ll be able to accomplish that this year — or maybe next year.
• I resolve to be more optimistic in 2022 — I will always look at my wine glass as half-full, not half-empty.

That’s my list — all admiral resolutions that I think I can achieve. It’s been a tough couple of years for all of us, but once again the new year offers us a new beginning. No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.
— 30 —

We made our (almost) annual trek to the Nutcracker yesterday. Just like in past performances, Emily was the best dancer of the bunch — I think she’s now been just about every character it’s possible to be in the Nutcracker. Claire went to the stage and got her autograph — it’ll probably be worth lots of money one of these days.
Good job Emily!!!
— 30 —

We have our Christmas trees up — a little later than usual this year. Just about everything seems to take longer these days… maybe time doesn’t really fly — we just work slower.

Anyhow I was thinking about Christmas trees. Until we moved here to West Virginia, we always had a real Christmas tree and when our kids were young, they always went with us to get it. Even though the trees were somewhat expensive, messy and just generally a hassle to get hone and set up, it was always an enjoyable experience.

When Kelly and David were young, we always took them to see the “National Christmas Tree” on the Mall in Washington. It was a kind of “tradition” for a few years. After we’d done the routine of visiting the tree on the Mall for a number of years, I learned that the tree that is cut down every year and decorated on the Mall isn’t the real National Christmas Tree.

The Nation’s Christmas Tree is alive and well in the Sequoia National Forest in California. The tree is over 1,700 years old, is 267 feet tall and goes by the name General Grant Tree.

The General Grant Tree was declared the Nation’s Christmas Tree in 1926 by President Calvin Coolidge — it was officially dedicated as the Nation’s Christmas Tree on April 28, 1926 by the United States Department of the Interior. On October 1, 1949, Sanger, California was recognized by the Post Office Department as the Nation’s Christmas Tree City. Congress, by public law 441, made the General Grant Tree a National Shrine on March 29, 1956. 

The story as to how the tree was selected as the national tree for the United States, goes something like this… Charles E. Lee of Sanger, California stood next to a little girl and they both looked up at the tree in 1924. As they admired the tree, the girl exclaimed, “what a wonderful Christmas tree it would be!” The idea stayed with Lee, and in 1925 he organized the first Christmas program, held at the Grant Tree at noon on Christmas Day. Lee worked with the Sanger Chamber of Commerce and wrote to President Calvin Coolidge, who designated the General Grant as the Nation’s Christmas Tree on April 28 in 1926.
The Sanger Chamber of Commerce continues to sponsor an annual Christmas “Trek to the Tree” on the second Sunday of December — always at 2:30 p.m.

The little girl that suggested the tree would be a “lovely Christmas tree,” supposedly ran off into the grove — no one knows her name. But they never forgot her words.
— 30 —

Every year in December I go over my list of New Year’s resolutions that I made in December of the previous year. It’s my way of letting you know how I did during the past year in keeping my resolutions (for 2021.)

Here’s the list, and my honest assessment as to how I did….
• Since it got screwed up by the coronavirus this year, I again resolve to drive by the Shepherd Wellness Center once a month, or at least occasionally.
I think I have to get credit for this one — I’ll admit that I didn’t make the once a month goal, but I did drive by 2 or 3 times this year…. I think that counts for “occasionally.”

• I will sign up for a marathon that I fully intend to not actually run.
I almost did this one, but I never got around to actually signing up — but I really did think about it… maybe partial credit?

• I resolve to burn all leftover 2020 calendars that I see.
I actually didn’t burn any, but I did destroy a few and some I sent to recycling, so for helping with the environment by recycling, I think I should get credit for this one

• I resolve to go outside —among people.
Home run!! I went outside and cut our grass every week — and — we actually dined out (outside) a number of times.

• I resolve to share my New Year’s champagne.
Done — I shared it with Claire…. even drank out of the same glass!

• I promise when I hear a funny joke, I will not reply LOL
Nailed this one — of course it was easy…. I hate LOL

• I will be more imaginative.
I think I became more imaginative this past year…. but I might just be imagining it.

• I will become the GOAT at procrastination ( or maybe I’ll save this one for next year.)
I thought I’d do really well with this, but I think maybe I should save it for 2022

So once again, I think I did pretty good — since I’ve shortened and simplified my list the past few years, I seem to tackle the resolutions with more enthusiasm. 
Check back here nearer the end of the month for my list for 2022 to see how again, I plan to become a better me.
— 30 —

The year is winding down…. just a few more weeks and it’ll be 2022. Last year about this time, we were all thinking about how bad 2020 had been and we were all looking forward to 2021 being a better year. 

Well, in some, or many, ways, 2021 has been just as difficult, and some ways more difficult, than last year — despite how excruciating 2020 was. Thinking back, 2020 was brutal — it wasn’t just a global pandemic that made things tough. Racial injustice, rioting, political division and a complete change of life as we knew it all compounded to produce a tougher year than any of us have lived through in our lifetimes.

I figured we’d be approaching some semblance of normalcy by now, but it seems that we’re far from that. In some places in the world, lockdowns continue. But even in those areas where things have fully reopened with no restrictions, the landscape is much different than it was just a couple of years ago. People aren’t flooding back to church (at least not our church) or some of the businesses like they used to. The pandemic is certainly not “over,” and while I guess some progress has been made, racial justice is far from resolved. And then of course, we can’t seem to find a central message that we can all unite around — divisions are either static or have grown deeper. 

I hadn’t known about it until this year, but there is a global supply chain problem, and inflation is suddenly an issue — it’s just a highly unstable environment. I keep hearing about the “Great Resignation,” as lots (and lots) of people quit their jobs.

Last year, everyone, for the most part, was unified about a course of action to address the pandemic — at least for the first month or two. But before long, the pandemic became not just political, but partisan. I feel bad for our leaders…. everything they do — or don’t do — is too much, not enough or just wrong. And everyone is happy to let them know it.

I was just thinking the other day how the last two years have led to broken personal relationships and family tensions over differing viewpoints, and none of that appears to be letting up any time soon.

I hate to sound pessimistic, but normally we can endure things if we know there’s a solution coming or an end in sight. Unfortunately, I don’t see any easy solution in sight — to anything. 

Probably, for most of us, how good or bad 2022 will be is going to come down to the choices we make — the things we say yes to and the things we say no to. My personal world has never felt smaller than it has over the past couple of years. That seems a bit strange, because our world is more connected than it’s ever been. This year was full of events with global repercussions like extreme weather events, the ongoing effects of the pandemic or the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Every day there were reminders of just how significantly something happening on the other side of the world could affect us personally. Just think about how one container ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal caused the shelves in our local stores to be emptier than I ever remember. 

We all tend to be resistant to change, but the last couple of years have seen massive global upheavals that’s caused us to adjust to new ways of living — not an easy thing to do.

There’s no question that in 2022 the pandemic will continue to create huge, lasting changes that will take years to understand  — and accept. But throughout history, the world has adapted to big disruptions and survived…. I’m sure we’ll do it again. I’m looking forward to 2022 even though it’ll certainly make me find ways to create new routines. I’ve heard it said that new challenges equal new opportunities. Hopefully next year about this time, I’ll be listing all the things than made 2022 the “best year ever.”
— 30 —

The other day someone mentioned something about getting older — that’s the term that I usually use. But some people say that “growing” older is the proper term, not “getting” older. So which is it? And does it really matter? 

Like most subjects I tackle in this blog, it really does’t matter — if you get old or grow old, you’re still “old.” Well, of course, this all got me to thinking…..

In the conversation I was referring to, I think “get” is the same as “grow.” But — “grow older” doesn’t mean the same thing as “grow old.”

From what I can tell, “old” today means an age greater than 60. I think 50 used to be considered “old,” but not today. Anyhow, everyone grows old — that means everyone eventually becomes 60. But “grow older” just means that someone is older than he was before. Everyone “grows older” every year, but they have not necessarily “grown old.”

But the fact is that it doesn’t matter if you are 20 or 80, every day we are all getting older — at least chronologically. But age is also a factor of our mindsets and attitudes as well as the years. Sometimes I wonder why many people let their age determine their actions, behavior — and goals. Thinking back I don’t think I ever wanted to be judged by my age.

So — what’s the difference between growing old and getting old? I’ve always believed that everyone is going to get old but they don’t have to grow old. I think I once heard it explained in a way that made a lot of sense to me:
Getting old — the years pass one by one and the older you get the faster they seem to pass.
Growing old — leaving behind the exhilaration, passion, optimism, adventure, excitement and zeal that you once lived in your earlier years. 

I’ve been told fairly often that I’m immature. I never took it as an insult… or a compliment. Immaturity, or youth, isn’t an age group — it’s a mindset. Of course being immature doesn’t mean we should behave like a child. We all grow old, but some of us grow up. I know a few people in their 50s, 60s and 70s (and older) that are still whiny brats — they grow old, but never grow up. Some even get worse as they grow older. 

Growing old happens no matter what — you can’t not get older. But growing up requires work, mindfulness and persistence. To grow up we have to learn from our mistakes, remain open to change and accept, and adjust to, the realities of life. 

When we were kids, we yearned for the time we would be grown up. Well, it’s that time for most of us. We all (me included) need to act our age and behave like an adult. Heaven knows, right now the world needs more adults….
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