Two Americas

[bill_schubert]

One stayed up all night, got drunk, shot off fireworks and annoyed all the animals in the area.

The previous is by report only.  I slept my usual 9+ hours.  Apparently something happened with the calendar while I was out.

When we lived in Florida we used to go to the beach and watch the sun rise.  It was a nice way to start the new year.  Now I'm just happy to be rested and have a blood stream free of alcohol. 

We made seven bean soup yesterday and corn bread from a stone ground cornmeal I always have on hand at no little expense.  I get it from Hoppin' John's and it is an emotional attachment as much as anything since I could get stone ground cornmeal from other places.  But about 30 years ago I wandered into his store in Charleston when my parents lived there and have been eating his grits and cornbread ever since.  He's long since closed the store but his sister still keeps things going out of a shop in Durham, NC. so I can still get my supply.  It is a very different cornbread and goes well with the soup.

We got our stimulus money in my account yesterday and before I could rethink it I gave $500 to the local food bank (Central Texas).  I didn't need it for the tax break as I've already maxed that out but they had a matching grant set up for contributions before then end of the year so it was really a $1500 effect.  A small drop in a very large bucket but we're not going hungry and are so much better off than so many around here.  We're about 2 hours north of all those lines of cars that are on the news in San Antonio.  Modern day soup lines. 

I'm fairly sure this part of the country is going to be an engine for growth and recovery.  Despite the lines in San Antonio and DFW and Houston this is an economy that will get healthy fast.  I'm not thrilled about a lot in Texas but I am happy to see all the signs of a runner poised on the starting line.

Comments

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Happy New Year!

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

And to you mi amigo.

[mairi-dubh.livejournal.com]

Good on you for that drop in a very large bucket!

Oceans are made of drops, and I reckon that with enough drops---yours. mine, theirs, his, hers, ours---the tide can be turned.

[sleepybadger.livejournal.com]

We don't usually get a ton of fireworks in our area but there were a lot last night.

So awesome of you to donate the money to the local food bank (and really amazing that they had such a great matching grant set up!!). We haven't gotten our stimulus yet, I'll have to keep an eye on it.