#OOH i need to get my brain out of 'crisis mode' and into 'write mode' -- you can help!

[grimelords]

Finished writing my January playlist up a couple weeks ago and forgot to post it. Sometimes things are like that I suppose. A pretty good mix of all the songs I was very into two months ago.

Terrapin Station (Suite) - Grizzly Bear & The National: It's shocking to think that a 5 hour long Grateful Dead tribute album changed my life but it really did. It's so good all the way through which is a feat in itself and it's a great introduction to every side of a band that can sometimes feel culturally overwhelming to try to get into. This song is a highlight, veering over every kind of territory for 16 minutes but always maintaining the sort of precision of purpose I associate with Grizzly Bear.

New Year - Beach House: January baby! I've got tickets to see Beach House later this month and I'm excited because they really surprised me as an incredible live band last time I saw them, building their songs with a lot more dynamism than the sort of drum machine play alongs their albums are (which I love!!).

BAGDAD - Cap.7: Liturgia - Rosalia: I'm still working my way into fully appreciating how good this Rosalia album is. The Justin Timberlake melody is so beautifully repurposed and I absolutely love the church choir behind the 'junta las palmas y las separa' part. It's just a heartbreaking and beautiful song even if I did have to google translate it.

Signs Of Life - Arcade Fire: I've been thinking a bit about Everything Now and how it was received and weirdly it seems to have a lot of parallels with the Achtung Baby/Zooropa/Pop era of U2, 20 years before it. Well established megastar bands who turned from their extremely heartfelt authentic origins and explored the world of pop and commercialism with varying critical success. Everything Now doesn't feel old fashioned but it's kind of weird they're playing with a lot of the same ideas U2 were in their Pop-Mart era so long ago. Anyway this is one of their best songs ever I think. The disco instrumentation versus the paranoid lyrics is just great, the backing vocals especially.

Discotheque - U2: The vocals in this song are so interesting. There are at times upwards of three Bonos harmonising with each other. It creates an unsettling image of a world overrun with Bonos. I do however love the extremely strangled guitar sound in the breakdown. I sort of wish this song were longer, long as it is, because it really starts to build into something serious by the end but then it just fades out disappointingly.

Violent Shiver - Benjamin Booker: I love Benjamin Booker but he needs to take a lesson from this song and do some hot licks again. He doesn't do hot licks like this in barely any other songs! Benjamin Booker sounds like he's from an alternate timeline where rock n roll stayed black and this is where it's at now.

Dawn Of The Dead - Does It Offend You, Yeah?: Can you imagine naming your band 'Does It Offend You, Yeah?' in 2019? What a time to be alive 2008 was. I absolutely love the steel drums in the prechorus and the bass and 'ooh ah' in the chorus. The production is just so chunky throughout. This whole song is thick.

Golden Skans - Klaxons: Anyway speaking of the heady days of English 'new rave' Golden Skans is a masterpiece. It's also masterfully compact, it's over in 2 and a half minutes. Amazing.

Go Bang - Pnau: I really applaud Pnau for having the audacity to release Chameleon and Go Bang on the same album right after each other when they're essentially the same song. Close enough to be the same song but different enough that you're still completely hyped when either of them come on.

Say You See Why So - Eleventh He Reaches London: I found this extremely serious Perth screamo band a little while ago they're so good i'm surprised I'd never heard of them before. I love the style of just endless new sections on new sections with barely any repetition, it makes you feel crazy which is perfect for this music.

Why Write A Letter That You'll Never Send - The Drones: I don't really know what to say about this song other than imagine literally getting this email verbatim lol.

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me - U2: Fully fucked up that one of the best U2 songs only got released on the Batman Forever soundtrack.

Dead Of Night - Orville Peck: I'm so glad Lana Del Rey has been around long enough now that she's inspired a second wave. I absolutely love the whole concept Orville Peck has going, masked gay cowboy is a criminally underexplored genre.

Trip The Mains - Methyl Ethyl: I can't believe Methyl Ethyl are onto their third album already. I love how dancey this is compared to their other stuff, and his voice is still completely blowing my mind.

Strange Days (1999) - Health: I've had the cover for this single as my lock screen for two months now. It's simply very good and such a direct distillation of Health's essence. They've simplified and moved closer to pop ideas on this album and I'm all for it, they sound like Purity Ring if Purity Ring exploded occasionally which sounds very good to me.

Milk Crisis - The Go! Team: I'm racist because I thought for a long time that this song was gibberish but it turns out it's actually just in Japanese.

Cream On Chrome - Ratatat: It's fucking sick that Ratatat have been able to not only survive but thrive for so long making music that sounds like the loading screen of a Dreamcast racing game.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken - The Staple Singers: This is maybe my favourite example of 60s stereo recordings making completely bizarre decisions. The drums and bass in this are panned extremely far left and the guitar far right, which has the nice effect of letting you take out your left headphone and listen to a very beautiful stripped back guitar and vocals only version.

Angel From Montgomery - John Prine: I'm seeing John Prine next week and I'm very excited. He's approximately one million years old and seems to only now be getting the recognition he's deserved for decades.

(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers - Merle Haggard: It's interesting thinking about the parts of American culture that don't really get exported to Australia. We got Johnny Cash and Hank Williams to a lesser extent but I hadn't really heard of Merle Haggard before this year which seems insane now that I've realised just how massive he was.

Debbie - Architecture In Helsinki: I have so much love for this vocal performance. Sitting in a weird half falsetto out of breath and just shrieking your way through it, mwah mwah I'm doing a chef's kiss right now.

Yandere - Yamantaka / / Sonic Titan: It's reassuring that the enthusiastic art nerd mindset of bands like The Red Paintings and The Sound Of Animals Fighting will never truly die. There should be more bands where they all have costumes and multi-movement songs songs telling an inscrutable story and a guy in the band whose whole job is just doing the lights.

Sweetness And Light (For Life Remix) - Itch-E & Scratch-E: My lifelong grudge against Paul Mac for enabling The Dissociatives and various other crimes will always be slightly tempered by how much this one song bangs.

Ontheway! - Earl Sweatshirt: I am such a big fan of this album. All the way through it feels like laying on the floor feels and it's addictive because of it. Every time I listen to it I just want to start it over again and lay the fuck down.

Mistake - Middle Kids: This song made me feel like a record producer in a movie or something when I first heard it because I got about one bar into the chorus and was absolutely smitten. It's just incredible.

Pressure To Party - Julia Jacklin: "I know where you live, I used to live there too" is maybe one of the best ever breakup album lines I've ever heard.

Our Shadows - Deantoni Parks: Deantoni Parks has a huge brain. The thing he does, where he sort of plays live mpc as part of a drumkit could be extremely naff and I'm sure there's a million guys on youtube doing it and making bad music, but he ain't one of them.. His take on it is so completely alien that the human element serves to bring it back to earth, all the disconnect that you would get from someone making a song like this on a laptop is metered out by a physical human body feeling every sound out personally and it's amazing.

Head To Toe In Morocco Leather - Muslimgauze: What's the word for being a weaboo except about the middle east and getting totally radicalised about it but never leaving England? Anyway Muslimgauze rocks and every six months or so I reread his wiki article and listen to his music exclusively for a couple of days before whatever that feeling is wears off again. I have a lot of respect for him but also suspect he may have just been a nut, which I respect as well.

In The Nervous Light Of Sunday - Circle Takes The Square: Very excited that Circle Takes The Square is on spotify now!!!

I'm In It - Kanye West: I heard that when they were recording this there was steam coming out of the horny meter that they have in the studio and then the glass broke on the horny meter and the needle started spinning around and around because the horny levels were so high.

Do Me A Favour - Arctic Monkeys: Alex Turner has two songwriting modes: incredibly tangible story songs and songs where he's just playing word association rhyming games and the craziest thing is both types are good. This is absolutely one of his best of the first kind I think​.

listen here

[giantpeachjournal]

BRUCH: WOMEN TO THE FRONT #2 Self-produced folk electronica artist BRUCH is making waves in the live indie circuit with her haunting voice and hypnotic melodies. We chat to the ethereal songstress about her inspirations, her creative process and what music means to her. WHERE DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC BEGIN? When I was very young, I would always sing random lyrics, make up songs as I was tidying my bedroom - I’d go, ‘ooh, this is good, I should write this down’ - then forget. I never thought of doing music seriously, as a career, putting my heart and soul into it. It just didn’t occur to me. But I always loved to sing and I always had a song in my head. I started getting involved with musical theatre through my early teens and thought that was what I wanted to do, but just before I left school I discovered artists such as Björk, Aurora, and Lianne La Havas, purely by chance. They had so much creative freedom, and were song incredibly, beautifully sure of themselves - they could speak their minds - I knew then that I wanted to create my own kind of music, instead of singing somebody else’s, or acting like a character. WHAT TRIGGERS YOUR WRITING PROCESS? A lot of the time, I will look at somebody I see on the train or when I’m out and about, and see the simple thing they’re doing; putting up an umbrella, standing in the wind - I realise that everyday life is so poetic, and even small actions, when put into lyrics, can spark strong emotions. Lately, I have been so busy with shows that I haven’t had much time to write, and during the time that I am rushing around and performing, I don’t have any yearning to write because I am in the ‘performance' mode. Then when I have a few days off, I get this surge of inspiration. I very recently had some days like this - hundreds of lyrics and melodies came into my head, I was recording little memos of each small thing that popped up so I wouldn’t forget - I managed to set up my home studio and write three songs out of all the lyrics and melodies I’d come up with. It’s funny and a little scary how my brain can work this way! But it’s also wonderful, getting so much inspiration all at once, seemingly from nowhere. I also take a lot of inspiration from nature. It’s so unpredictable, frightening at times, and beautiful, powerful and ugly, all at once. I think it also really highlights humanity’s flaws - when a crisis occurs, how do we act? I have very strong feelings towards climate change and environmental issues, so it fuels a lot of the meaning behind most of my songs. HOW DOES YOUR LYRIC WRITING PROCESS DIFFER FROM YOUR MUSIC WRITING PROCESS? WHERE DO THEY INTERLINK? Usually lyrics come first. Mainly because they can come to me at any moment, and they usually come to me at inconvenient moments, too - they’re unreliable like that! I can write the vocal melodies on the go too, but to form the musical aspect I need to be in the studio, at least somewhere with a keyboard or my laptop, so I can find something to accompany and enhance those vocals. For me, everything needs to fit perfectly - any tiny detail that is out of place can throw the whole song off for me. That’s probably why I find it so hard to let anybody else touch them! I always have a very clear vision in my head for my music, and I think the only way to fully materialise that is for me to put my whole self into it. FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE EMPTY LAND VIDEO, HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK VISUALS ARE TO MUSIC? I think visuals can be really impactful, but not necessary, per se. For example, if I hear a song for the first time with a music video, I will always associate the visuals, colours, lighting, images, with that song, with those sounds. However if the visual aspect isn’t there on first listening, it’s more open to interpretation by the listener - they see colours, images, and may have particular emotions, by translating what they themselves perceive through the sound, which I think is a beautiful thing. That song can be whatever they need it to be. The only time I think 'visuals' are really important is perhaps when an artist releases live versions of their songs - it’s really interesting to properly see how the artist interacts with the music live, how they feel when they perform it, and this can really take a track to a new place for me. I remember how the artist and audience must’ve felt in that moment, and it transfers that atmosphere to me when I listen to it. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT CREATING? Definitely seeing the end result. As a completely self-produced artist, it can be so tough getting a song off the ground in terms of production (not being able to find the right sounds, the right rhythms that fit with the emotion of the song). Sometimes it can take me months of changing things around to find the version of a track that really clicks. That’s why I find it so, so rewarding once a song is finished. I remember how many takes I’ve done, how much editing, cutting, mixing, altering, and how much time it’s taken to get to that final stage, and it’s amazing how good it feels to be self sustained, and at the end of it, to have music that is completely and utterly yours, and that sounds great. It's amazing to know that it wasn’t all for nothing - and to know that it can finally be heard by other people! WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON? I have just announced that I will be releasing my debut EP this year! It will be towards the summertime, and I’m so excited to get new material out! I’ve been sitting on the news for a while, with lots of people asking for an EP or album, so it's great to finally have it out there, amongst such a supportive network of fans. I’m mostly excited to produce a piece of work that has all aspects of the music I create, not just one song, which only embodies one part of myself as an artist. I want people to know that I’m not limited by a single sound or genre. WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE THROUGH YOUR MUSIC? I hope that people can take away something - even if it’s just that it makes them want to dance or wiggle, that can still be a strong feeling! Of course, it is incredible when people come up to me at the end of a show and tell me then connected to me and my music on a deep, spiritual level, I love that so much. But in the end, not everybody is going to feel that way. I’m hoping that, especially with some of my more meaningful songs, people are able to learn something. See things from, and understand, my point of view. Perhaps something in the lyrics might help them make a difficult decision they’ve been struggling with, or help them through a difficult time. At the end of the day it’s the emotion and feeling, some kind of connection that counts. SEE MORE OF BRUCH spotify: BRUCH instagram: @bruchmusic PHOTO BY INSTAGRAM @blackhamimages ‘WOMEN TO THE FRONT’ IS A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WOMAN IN THE ARTS, AIMING TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE AND GIVE VOICE TO FEMALE ARTISTS.

[the-record-columns]

Nov. 22, 2017: Columns

A Thanksgiving Than You…

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

               In last week's column, in which I wrote of the various items I might have taken to the Friends of the Library's Wilkes Antique Roadshow, I mentioned several pieces, including a beautiful Helene Curtis Empress Permanent Wave machine from about 1918. I was given this amazing piece of history by Arlene Staley of Arlene and Friends Hair Designs at Melody Square in North Wilkesboro.

I have been meaning to mention this machine earlier, but had not gotten around to it. However, because we are full-swing into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, we get much more company at our offices of The Record and Thursday Printing than most other time of the year, and I have written often in this space that my visitors are very often the best part of my day.

               Well, this past Friday evening was the North Wilkesboro Downtown Partnership's annual event, Light Up Downtown. We opened up our offices and our apartment upstairs for company, and had probably the most visitors at any Light Up event in years. We call our apartment The Mayflower, named for the last business which occupied the space, The Mayflower Beauty Shop, and the front door still proudly displays the name, yea these 50 years since it closed.

               I will now tie all this together by reminding you that there is a story which goes along with almost everything that makes up the "poor man's museum" which our offices have become. That 100 year-old permanent wave machine almost looks scary to one who has no idea what it is for, and it often catches the eye of young and old alike, as they make their way though out office. When that happens, if time and circumstances allow, I tell them a short story.

               Being my mother Cary's baby boy, I went wherever she went. One day, I found us climbing up the 26 steps to the Mayflower Beauty Shop on B Street (now Main) in North Wilkesboro. "What are we doing here?" I queried. "I am going to get my hair done; a permanent." she replied.

               Up the steps we went and, sure enough, it looked as though they were going to blast her off into outer space by the time they got all those curler things rolled onto her hair. I was almost scared for her, but she was pleased with the results and that was good enough for me.

               In no time, or so it seemed, we were climbing those same steps again. We had basically the same conversation ending in, "I'm going to get a permanent." When I protested that she had just gotten one, she assured me that it was time for another. "Then it's not very permanent, is it?" I said. My mother got tickled, and, before she could explain that your hair grows out and such, I said to her, "Looks to me like they should call it a 'temporary.'" She was still laughing as we made our way into the Mayflower Beauty Shop.

               My mother Cary never drove a car. In her later years, when my father could no longer drive, she would periodically call me to take her to the beauty parlor, always remarking that she was in need of another "temporary," as she called getting her hair done for the rest of her life.

               And that, quite often, is one of the pleasures I get from the collection of old, odd, and eclectic things that make up the "decoration" in my office. My parents have been gone for 22 years this past spring, and I simply have no words to tell you how much I miss them. Also, most of their contemporaries are long gone, so any chance to remember them and share a story

 about them is priceless to me.

               So, among the many, many things I have to be thankful for during this week of Thanksgiving, one of them is always going to be my company. Because these people so often, without ever having any idea that they have done so, bring a special memory of my parents to mind, and ever so politely allow me to share it with them.

               It instantly makes their random visit the best part of my day.

               Another note on last week's column: For the Wilkes Antique Roadshow, I chose to take an absolutely gorgeous 1880 oak portable toilet, cleverly designed to look like an end table, and suitable for the finest bedroom décor. I was confident it would be the hit of the show. I was wrong. No one gushed to me about how great it was, and the appraiser, Mr. Schweikert, spent about 30 seconds telling me it was in good shape for what it was, and he then priced it at about half what I had in it. I suppose it remains a good thing that I buy things to keep, and not to sell. And, the last note: I have already picked out the piece to take next years event, and I can guarantee that this one will be the hit of the show. Me and Pearl Bailey both say so.

 Truly thankful on Thanksgiving

By LAURA WELBORN

               While it is easy to get ready for Thanksgiving and to remember to be thankful, how do we continue this mind altering practice?

               One way is to write down five things we are grateful for each day, by breaking it down into smaller pieces we can look closer at our lives and the small things to be grateful for.  Do this at night before you go to bed- this is important for several reasons the most important is that this is what you will have on your mind as you sleep.

               Too often I read a murder and mayhem book or watch a scary movie before bed and I have bad dreams all night. This helps wire your brain in a positive mode. Then the next morning when you wake up read the five things you wrote down, and it will start your day in a positive direction.  I think the practice of children saying their prayers before bed is a wonderful mindful practice tradition that we should carry over even after children are grown.  

               Then there are the times of crisis in health and situations where being thankful seems more than we can bear.

               Still do it.

               Make yourself do it even though it may seem cheesy.  Keep this in a journal so you can go back and look at what you were thankful for, or as a legacy of gratitude when you are gone. And if you look back and see the dates of when you were in tough times and yet still found something to be grateful for - it can inspire you to just how resilient you were.  This small practice actually helps the brain develop resiliency and the ability to overcome tragedy.  When your brain reads the words you wrote down the day before it releases serotonin -- which is like an antidepressant medication.  

               Praying for others has this same effect, the release of serotonin (the feel good hormone)  I try and write gratitude Christmas cards where I write why I am thankful for that person.  This really helps me get into the Christmas spirit and gives me a boost of serotonin, plus passes on a happy thought to another person.  I think of it as the next step after Thanksgiving towards Christmas. Gift giving is thinking about another person and intentionally thanking them.

               One more thought.

               On Nov. 7, we lost Eric Payne- longtime friend of many and strong supporter of Wilkes Heritage Museum.  My memories of Eric brings me a smile with his hats to fit all occasions and playing his accordion New Years Eve.        My favorite memory of Eric was this past fourth of July.  Eric had finished several rounds of chemotherapy but his spirits were high and he rode in the parade in an antique fire engine with his friend, Tom Graves. Tom and Eric joined us on the deck at our apartment to watch the fireworks and when I asked him if he enjoyed riding in the parade he said, "I had the time of my life." He then smiled and was one of the loudest to ooh and aah over the fireworks.     I will always keep this memory close to my heart and remember to see each experience as "the time of my life" being thankful in the moment as Eric was.

                  “Oh, the Humanity”

By HEATHER DEAN Reporter/Photojournalist

It's always a hard thing to lay a dear friend to rest, especially one who has fought the battle with cancer.

               Cancer sucks. So does Dementia, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's disease, and a thousand other ailments that we watch our fellow humans suffer with everyday.

               Funerals are never an easy thing to attend. But you know what I love about funerals? It brings together people that I would have otherwise never met, get to meet someone that loved and adored this person, and hear things about them that I would have never known. It bonds people in a way that we could never be in life.

               This was the case at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Wilkesboro on Saturday, at the funeral of Eric Payne, as I listened to one of his school chum's reminisce.

               This man and I had never met, but he echoed in his sentiments of the sweet soul that I knew Eric to be. For instance, it's hard to imagine Eric Payne ever being mad. And his school chum said he had never seen Eric mad, except once when someone was cruel to his dog. Eric loved his dogs.

               I've had the privilege to get to know and adore both Marilyn and Eric in the past several years, what with the historical Ghost Tours and Wilkes Heritage Museum goings on. I want to share with you my favorite story that Eric told me about he and Marilyn's marriage.

               Eric had said that they had never really had a fight; that in fact, whenever a quarrel did arise, the three words that would stop the discussion immediately and have them both in a fit of giggles was "Oh! The humanity!"

               He told me it started when he and Marilyn were watching a documentary about the Hindenburg.

"You can hear the news announcer live on radio giving details of everything that was transpiring. And then the newscaster exclaims "Oh! The humanity!!"

               "And we've used it ever since to diffuse whatever quarrel was arising."

 Maybe it gave them perspective- whatever was going on, it's not as terrible as being blown up in a blimp.

               Maybe it was their secret code, as most married couples have, for "you irk the crap out of me sometimes, but I love you more than life."

               Maybe it will just be something that the two of them shared, like no one else can, who knows?  

               What I do know, is that when I think of my friend Eric, I will forever remember the smile on his face, especially when he looked at his wife, his family, his friends, pat his chest and say "Boy, now this is the life right here."

               I'll miss that man and his accordion.

                            RIP

                     Eric Payne

    July  26, 1942-November 7, 2017

 Heather Dean is a theatre major working in jouralism. She keeps pinky promises, and never turns down shenanigans. You can reach her at therecordofwilkes@gmail.com  

 Best friends

By EARL COX

Since its reemergence as a nation in 1948, Israel has suffered opposition on nearly every possible level. It has been attacked repeatedly in the military arena by its Arab neighbors, in the public relations arena by the world media, in the political and diplomatic arenas by the United Nations and the European Union, and in the religious arena by mainstream Christians and their Replacement Theologians.

               In recent years, however, a groundswell of support for Israel has arisen, creating a new and powerful friend for Israel in the form of Evangelical Christians. From all over the world these Evangelical Christian believers, including many Americans, are proud to be labeled as "Christian Zionists."

               They use their political, financial and spiritual leverage to help Israel withstand whatever attack might come next.

               Without the Evangelical Christian community standing in the breach with both prayer and action, the United States may have entered a free-fall in its foreign policy that would have ended in a far more hostile environment for Israel.

               The Obama White House encouraged, aided and facilitated the destabilization of the Middle East, as evidenced by its use of either diplomatic or military assets (or both) in Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Egypt and Syria. Amidst all the political and social upheaval in the name of democracy, the result was the elevation of Islam, Islamic-centered constitutions, and Islamists being "elected."

               The longstanding tradition of the US being Israel's closest ally was arguably dismantled by the previous U.S. administration through positions and policies detrimental to Israel. While the Trump White House is working to reverse this, there has always been one ally that has remained steadfast to Israel … the Evangelical Christian.

               In America, many members of Congress and the Senate, various pro-Israel Christian organizations, conservative Christian media and Evangelical Christians in positions of influence are working to help guide the policies of this current administration as they relate to Israel ending the "blackmail foreign policy" of the Obama administration.  Remember the remarks of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (who is the current Mayor of Chicago)?  Rahm Emanuel sought to tie the US pressure against Iran's nuclear program to an Israeli unilateral land-for-peace giveaway. This "blackmail foreign policy" may have been far more severe if those remarks, said behind closed doors, had not been widely reported. Evangelical Christians shout the loudest about the lack of balance toward Israel at the United Nations, in the media and on college campuses where anti-Semitism and BDS cmapaigns are on the rise.

               Israel is one issue that energizes Evangelical Christians. As events in the Middle East continue to spiral out of control, Evangelical Christians are a valuable asset for Israel. It is this courageous and vocal group that makes up the hedge and stands in the gap for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.

               Many people will remember back when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself acknowledged that Evangelical Christians are "Israel's greatest friends." A few years back speaking to a large group of Christians in Washington D.C., Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "Israel has very few friends, and these Evangelical Christian leaders are the best friends that Israel has in all the world."  This sentiment is something which he has reiterated numerous times since.

               Many Evangelical Christian organizations in Israel, with support from Evangelical Christians around the world, are providing food and other assistance to thousands of Israeli immigrants and poor families. Others have provided portable concrete bomb shelters to protect Israeli residents living along the borders with Gaza and Lebanon. Christian radio and television networks in America are broadcasting Israel's message around the world. Millions of Evangelical Christians are proud to be considered Israel's best friends and supporters.

               They are not ashamed to speak out against the pro-Muslim and pro-Arab agendas of anti-Semitic hate groups.  These same Evangelical Christians are hard at work helping to pass pro-Israel legislation at the local and state levels as well as influence policy at the national level.

               The God of Israel does not need anyone to support Israel, but He tends to work through the hands, hearts and voices of men and women who seek to serve Him. One voice Israel can count on is the heart-felt cry of the Evangelical Christian, who stands with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who happens to love Israel and the Jewish people whom He calls the 'apple of His eye.'

 A Lamb, a turkey, and Dressing

By CARL WHITE

Life in the Carolinas

The Thanksgiving season is filled with traditions that celebrate family, food and a grateful heart.

If you close your eyes and imagine the perfect Thanksgiving gathering, chances are you will see family and friends gathered around the table with a grand meal featuring a beautifully prepared turkey. There will be a wide variety of side dishes with a generous offering of dressings and gravy.

Everyone has their favorite side dish. I posted the question to our Facebook followers. What is your favorite side dish for the Thanksgiving meal?  Variations of dressing or stuffing with gravy or cranberry sauce were by far at the top of the list.

Here are a few other favorite sides, Lynn Akers likes corn casserole, Robin Brueckmann has Mennonite heritage and enjoys corn pudding and shoofly pie. Karen Goodsell enjoys her grandmother’s recipe for Squash Casserole. Laura Crews is crazy about roasted Brussel sprouts with lemon pepper seasoning. Ann Graves is wild about Minnesota wild rise. Terri Reid enjoys a good Waldorf salad with her turkey. Micheal Nelson likes Strawberry salad. Bill Evans loves fresh turnip greens, and Vivian Hopkins likes Cranberry Salad. Dena Burton-Claus loves her dad’s creamy, flavorful mashed potatoes.

The last Thursday in November is our National Day to gather, be grateful, eat, play and for many get ready for the excitement Back Friday.  We do this every year, and in great part we have the author of Mary Had a Little Lamb to thank for the holiday tradition that brings so much joy. The story goes like this. Sarah Josepha Hale was a widowed mother of five children; she was a poet, writer, and editor.

Sarah became the literary editor of Godey’s Ladies Book, which became the most read magazine of the 19th century and it would be this platform that would give great momentum to her big project, which was to establish an annual day of Thanksgiving nationwide. On October 3, 1789, President George Washington proclaimed November 26th 1789 as a day of Thanksgiving for that year.

Sarah believed that America would be well served to have a set day every year to celebrate our great American Festival of Thanksgiving and for many years she would write letters to political leaders including five U.S. Presidents for this cause. It would be her letter written to President Abraham Lincoln on September 28, 1863, that yield the favorable response she was seeking. On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation was signed. There would be other Presidential Proclamations signed. However, it was this one that set the stage for many of the Thanksgiving traditions and foods we celebrate with today.

It is not in doubt that there was an event at Plymouth in 1621 where various people gathered for a meal and prayerful Thanksgiving. There are other recorded dates on which various forms of Thanksgiving was celebrated.  

The story of Sarah Josepha Hale is one for which we can be thankful. Sarah married David Hale, and for nine years they dedicated two hours, a day to study, and it was during this time that Sarah would gain confidence in the power of her mind. David died of a stroke, and Sarah became a widowed mother of five. Little did Sarah know that she would make a difference in the lives of three hundred million Americans. Mary’s Little Lamb would bring joy to countless children around the world and the turkey, dressing and all the other delightful sides and other traditions would give us all something to celebrate.

In our collage, President Lincoln is portrayed by our friend Authur Lightbody from Waxhaw NC. Photo credit: Titus Lightbody.