Christmas

The mystery of Christmas opens my mind to the many possibilities in life. I think of the humility portrayed in the Christmas story contrasted with the coming of the three kings of power and might. I think of the story of the flight into Egypt when King Herod was so totally outwitted by the humble Joseph. I am reminded of one part of scripture that we had to memorize, the line from the Magnificat, Mary's song, "He has put down the mighty from their throne and has exalted the humble."

I think the kernel of Christmas is exactly that, and the mystery lies in anticipation that it can and will happen again, not another Jesus birth per se, but the raising up of the lowly.

My soul glorifies the Lord, *

my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.

He looks on his servant in her lowliness; *

henceforth all ages will call me blessed.

The Almighty works marvels for me. *

Holy his name!

His mercy is from age to age, *

on those who fear him.

He puts forth his arm in strength *

and scatters the proud-hearted.

He casts the mighty from their thrones *

and raises the lowly.

He fills the starving with good things, *

sends the rich away empty.

He protects Israel, his servant, *

remembering his mercy,

the mercy promised to our fathers, *

to Abraham and his sons for ever.

Merry Christmas!

Let it snow!

We survived the ice storm on December 12th. Power was lost for only one day, Friday, (off at 1 a.m, and back on at 5 p.m.). We were lucky. The people in the back hills were out until Wednesday. The Austerlitz post office, which is close to Route 22 continued without power through Tuesday also, despite its proximity to us. Apparently, there were a number of trees and lines down on East Hill Road beyond the post office, and the switch for power to East Hill Road covers the post office. The same situation applied to the Fire House which sits off Route 22 on West Hill Road.

A key to survival for us was the wood stove in the kitchen. We fired it up at about 8 a.m., kept close to it all day, and cooked coffee,lunch and pop corn on it.

Being prepared for emergencies is an odd phrase. I think the best way to prepare is to have available options which are not too unusual, for instance, the wood stove. We use it at other times of the year just to conserve heat, or for spot heating. I have two kero-sun heaters in the garage, but I never thought of using them, because they are buried too deep in the garage, and I did not have any kerosene. I could give them a more prominent place in the garageand have them ready for emergency use every four or five years, but then the kerosene would probably have evaporated, and I would be out of luck in the emergency. there must be a better way to prepare for the heating part.

Water is another issue. I used to put a couple of milk jugs with tap water in them under the sink. By the time an emergency arose, they would taste like plastic, and were useful only for flushing the toilets, or washing hands. I have found that the water system itself, with the tanks that have a liner will provide several gallons of water before they stop producing water. For drinking, it makes sense to purchase pints of spring water ahead, using it for drinking while working around outside during the spring, summer, and fall, and replenishing it for the winter just in case.

And then there is lighting. Batteries are important to have around, and charged flashlights if available. Batteries power radios for communication with the outside world. Candles help to see each other in the dark. If there is reading to be done, do it in the daylight, and go to bed early after darkness.

We find it good to go out after the emergency is passed, sticking to the main roads. The car is so warm, and the contact with people who have gone through the experience is invaluable. It's fun exchanging "war" stories, and when you realize how little you have been inconvenienced compared to other neighbors, you count your blessings.

Now a new storm has appeared on our doorstep, with predictions of up to 14 inches, before it ends in the early morning hours tomorrow. The snow blower stands ready.

We will continue to get ready for Christmas, which will come after a third storm on Sunday, and perhaps a fourth storm on Christmas Eve. I think that spring will arrive early; after all, winter did.

Family Christmas Party

Left: Santa delivers coal to Uncle George.
Below: the sing-a-long


About 60 people, including 25 children, came to the 35th annual family Christmas party on Saturday. We were graced with bountiful food, our traditional carrot soup, and great desserts like carrot cake, cheese cake, pan forte, fruit, and gianettes. Santa came to deliver gifts to the children... huge teddy bears for those three and under, which was about 11 of the group... and a special gift of coal for Uncle George. The sing-a-long was merry and robust with full participation... Pat on the piano, and many people with tambourines and other rhythm instruments. We are resting this week, and enjoying the many fine breads (banana, pumpkin, zucchini) that we were given from our family. We save Mary's torte for Christmas morning. Wow!
Theresa and George sent me this note:

Hi, Phil and Phyllis,

We are still reminiscing about Saturday's gathering at your warm, loving home. The family certainly has expanded so beautifully.

Thank you for everything that you did to have so many people roaming about the house. Santa was perfect. The picture which you sent was a little blurred, but, it did bring back fun memories of that moment. I know who the clown is in the family and his name is Pete. haha

Thanksgiving

As we celebrate the American holiday of thanksgiving, I am mindful of the people who have made my life so complete. They include not only my loving spouse, and children, but the people with whom we have shared this day throughout the years: family members, college friends, friends from our children's colleges, their parents and siblings, fellow workers. There is always one above all, and that would be my parents who taught us how to celebrate these times at their magnificent dining room table, that seemed to extend forever from room to room. There was bounty, welcoming, laughter, and stories from everyday life.

There were five of us children who grew up together. Invitations to another person's table were rare. So we had our feast, and Dad would invite his co-workers from Montgomery Ward to share our good time. It was fun, special and inspiring. Sometimes, it was Mom's relatives, or Dad's siblings.

The common thread was the love, the laughter, and the bounty, all for which we gave, and continue to give thanks.

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Bail out the consumer

The Federal government is taking its time producing an impact on the world economy, so I offer some "what ifs" for those in charge.

If it is important to help homeowners stay in their home, why not require banks to sit down with people who are in danger of being foreclosed upon, and renegotiate the loan so that it is affordable to them, by lowering the interest rate and extending the term. If the house is still unaffordable, then reality may require either steps to make it affordable, maybe an additional low interest loan from the feds would be in order; and maybe it will continue to be unaffordable, at which time the bank might become the property owner, and and contract with the owner to become the renter in a rent to buy arrangement.

The other banking crimes that should be addressed are interest rates and penalties on credit cards. There are some who buy things on credit that they cannot and need not afford. Maybe a penalty is in order, but not necessarily an interest rate hike. The whole point of credit cards is to keep people buying, not to drive them into the poor house which is counterproductive.

Credit card interest should be capped at between 12 and 15 percent (my arbitrary numbers, so I don't sound like I am too anti-bank). The interest should be able to be calculated easily over a period of time, and statements from the credit card companies should reflect not just the minimum payment due, but the advantage of paying off completely or in larger installments. Same as cash options should become a rule rather than an exception.

So these are my two "what ifs" for the feds to consider. Neither would cost much to them. People would be happy and the economy would have the cash needed to carry on.

• Keep people in their homes by renegotiating mortgages.

• Cut interest rates and penalties on credit cards.

The country would be a better place.

What if Osama bin Laden is dead!

Osama bin Laden is probably the most hated man in America's eyes. He is to be pursued unto death. Yet, no one has heard from him since 2001. There was a report on CNN today that said, if you talk to the intelligence community, about half of those in the know think he is alive, and the other half think he is dead.

What if our policies reflected the opinion of the half that think he is dead. What if we declared him dead, "mission accomplished", and with a wary eye to the alternative possibility, went about a different agenda for America.

Perhaps we could focus on the Taliban, and its influence in Afghanistan, and other Muslim countries. Probably we could stop dropping missiles into the huts on the hillsides of our allies, and prevent loss of more innocent life. Maybe we could build positive relationships with the nearly one-third of the world which calls itself Muslim, and assist those people as they try to move forward into a modern society. Surely our resources would not be so strained and wasted as we pursue an illusive, if alive, foe. And there is a possibility that the world's most wanted would venture out of his cave when the heat is off, and suffer the consequences of his folly.

I don't know the answer, but perhaps declaring victory, and remaining vigilant would free us from the demons of hate which have possessed and consumed us for so long.

The Constitution

I have posted a link to the United States Constitution on this Blog. As I realized the number of propositions which were on the ballots of states across the country, I was curious about the actual safeguards for all people in the constitution. Somewhere I had read that "the rights of individual citizens shall not be abridged. " And there it was, article 14 which reads: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

This is and amazing concept, which has huge ramifications for all of us, and which will always be the subject of debate. This is part of what men and women have fought and died for, and what is missing in those parts of the world where there is no democracy. It applies to all people in the United States and subject to the laws of the U.S. "Equal protection" is what makes America great. Some of the propositions which were voted on will be overturned because of the 14th amendment. The propositions "abridge rights".

It's also rather good to know that the propositions were on the ballots because of the constitution.

Amendment 2: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

What a great country!

---

Election Look

As I thought about the elation I feel about the election of Barack Obama, I have no illusions about the road ahead. I realize that a large part of my good feelings come because we probably have already been through one of the roughest periods in American history since the great depression, namely the two terms of George W. Bush. This election has been more about that than any one or any thing else. I do think that the promise and unifying message of Barack Obama has uplifted the dialogue and will set us on a path to recovery. If his candidacy was an uphill climb, the road ahead for America is also steep.

Election Day- Hope returns

Since Robert Kennedy was campaining for president in 1968, I have not been filled with the hope that I have today as America stands on the verge of electing Barack Obama. He will not handle everything. He is not a miracle worker. But I think he will try to solve problems instead of just managing them. I think he will be a great president.

It seems like winter has come too soon. There are about 4 inches of snow on top of the leaves that I should have raked last week. I'll wait a little longer for Indian summer.

Halloween used to bring eight or ten ghosts, goblins and other images here in the early evening, but that tradition seems to have gone by the way around here.

Phyllis recalled to Dan and Meg the time when "Dad would stay home and make donuts, while she, Meg, Michael and Joseph (Foiadeli), Audrey and Jill (Weiner), Mike Dunham, Kathy and Alice would go trick or treating around the neighborhood." All returned here for cider and delicious home made donuts.

I remember one Halloween night when a truck with a trailer of cows broke down across the street. The driver and his partner came over to seek help. and were treated with a tour of this old house, cider, donuts, and a ride to the truck stop where they were to spend the night. A short time later, the sheriff called me on the phone to find out where those guts went because " they can't leave that rig there over night." Soon the sheriff, and the truckers were back with a tow truck to get the truck moving again. Weird!

Well we are getting socked with water most of the day, and it is now snowing. I noticed that Oneonta was closed early today, as I clicked my school closings link on my web site. The stream in the back has had water all year for the first time since we have been here, and now it is totally full. It goes over in two places... 1. Where we figured it would, at that bend, and it goes into the back field; 2. Just after the bridge, and then down stream a bit more where there is a log stuck in the way... which may float out with this amount of water. So there is a stream in that gully after the bonfire area out to the woods. Yikes!

Campaign cycle

As this election campaign winds down, I realize that there are polar arguments going on. One candidate is telling us how his presidency will change America, and the other is saying that his opponent will do none of it. One is preparing to govern; the other is trying to assure that his opponent cannot govern. One has his eye on the next four years, and the other is laying groundwork for the next campaign in four years.

With election day, the cycle of the next campaign begins, and an attempt is made to make everything that happens relevant to the defeat of the incumbent, rather than the good of the country. What a way to run a country!

One might say that it has been this way for 200 years. I would say that sometimes it has. The bottom line should be, what is for the good of the country, our people, our world. Can we get to the bottom line?

As I see the news about the lines of people attempting to cast an early vote for the candidate of their choice, I realize the folly of an election day on a Tuesday. I would like to see the polls open for two days, Saturday and Sunday, the first weekend in November from 6 am to 6 pm with hours open ended on both days to accommodate people in line. Continue to have absentee balloting for those who cannot physically make it to their polling place. I would also suggest that ballot propositions be placed on a separate ballot on another day, thus leaving only a few candidates on the election days, the presidential tickets, senators, congress people, and a few state legislators.
We have to get this right.

We are on the cusp of seasons now with fall like temperatures and the furnace wanting to go on often. Last night, we discussed the book The Limits of Power by Andrew Basevich. It challenged our commonly held beliefs about the option of military power, the spread of democracy, and the American dream. We have some adjusting to do.

Photo by Phyllis Palladino

Austerlitz Historical Society Cemetery Walk and Calendar

A cemetery walk, during which five spirits who are buried in Austerlitz Cemeteries, attracted about 30 hearty people on Saturday at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Spencertown. The event was sponsored by the Austerlitz Historical Society to raise interest in the 2009 calendar published by the Society and which features photos of tombstones and houses associated with those buried in the local cemeteries.

The ghostly guide legendary raconteur Anna Rundell (portrayed by Connie Mondel) escorted the group to the graves of Hiram Mather(Joe Mondel), an undertaker; May Wolfe Howes (Mitzi Lobdell), former resident of Clatter hall; Clara Blanchard Wadsworth(Sally McCarthy), founder of Wadsworth Park- known as the village green; Jonathan Chamberlain(Phil Palladino), a shoemaker, blacksmith, and farmer; and of course poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (Diane Arduini). Each of the ghostly figures recounted stories about the times and places where they lived back when.

The stories, tombstones, and homes of these five and six others are featured in the 2009 Calendar which is dedicated to Marion Kern the former Town Historian and a charter member of the historical society. Creating and producing the calendar is an effort by the Austerlitz Historical society to stimulate interest in the Town of Austerlitz and engender an appreciation of its heritage. Calendars are available for purchase at the Chatham Bookstore and the Spencertown Store, and at AHS quarterly meeting on November 16th and the Holiday Sing on December 7^th. The price of a calendar is $8 or 2 for $15. You may call (518)392-0062 for additional information about purchasing calendars. Visit www.oldausterlitz.org for coming events.

Phil Palladino

Publicity Coordinator

Austerlitz Historical Society

392-5933

Up and coming

I have been out of touch on this blog for a while, concentrating my efforts on my web page, www.philpalladino.com . This will be used more and will be accessible from a button on that page, so watch out.