Four Calling Birds

Christmas is almost here!  There are Christmas songs being sung, gifts being bought, and our families to think about.  At this time of year, when I think of the word "calling" I think of the words from the song The Twelve Days of Christmas:  Four calling birds.

What is a calling bird?  A quick internet search tells me there are a lot of other people who have this same question.  However, instead of focusing on what bird was originally in the song and when the lyrics were changed, I'd rather think about birds calling to each other.  

There are days when, after I've gotten my daughter on the bus and I'm walking back home, in the stillness of the morning I listen to the birds tweeting and chirping.  It's when I hear certain chirps from two different birds right after each other that I recognize a conversation is taking place.  It's a beautiful thing to hear.

So, as we gather to celebrate Christmas this year, my challenge to those reading this post is to follow the example of the calling birds and take time to listen to each other.  Listen to what is being said and then engage in a conversation together.

Thanksgiving Traditions

picture from sweetieskidz.com

Thanksgiving usually means spending time with family and participating in family traditions.  These are some of the Thanksgiving traditions that our office members have enjoyed over the years.

Tom used to go small game hunting with his family when he was younger.  Some of the animals they'd hunt were squirrels, rabbits, and doves.  Watching the Thanksgiving parade on tv was another thing he'd look forward to every year.  These days, Tom's family gets a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, and his extended family is so large that they usually get together to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time.

Steven also used to participate in small game hunting and watching the parade on tv.  When he was little, his family would get together at his grandma's house every year where he would goof off with his cousins.  After he started his own family, he took his own kids to his grandma's house where they spent time with his extended family.  These days, Steven cooks the turkey every year with his perfected recipe (cook the turkey in an oven bag to keep it moist and juicy).

Stacey had a large family growing up and did not live near extended family, so they had to come up with their own traditions.  All the kids were given Thanksgiving names for the day.  The girls were named Patience, Prudence, Charity, Faith, and Hope.  Her brother was usually known as John, except the year he proclaimed that he wanted to be known as Squanto!  (This may or may not have been due to one of the hats he'd made at school and brought home.)  Everyone was given part of the meal to prepare, also, including the one year they had "fuit" salad made by her then 2 year old sister.  These days, Stacey's family has been known to play soccer in the park on Thanksgiving morning, and at dinner everyone takes turns telling their favorite part of the meal,

This Thanksgiving take some time to reflect on your family traditions and the memories they bring.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Celebrating Memorial Day

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the "unofficial" beginning of the summer.  Amid the beach trips, relaxing, and the fun of a holiday weekend, I like to celebrate the real meaning of the day.

According to wikipedia, "Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces."  One way I like to do this is to visit historically significant locations in my area.  Here is a list of places in the Wilmington, NC, area I have or would like to visit:

Fort Fisher Visitor Center

Fort Fisher
Kure Beach, NC
Fort Fisher was built during the Civil War as a way to protect the port of Wilmington from the Union forces.  After the fort fell to the Union, the supplies couldn't go out to the Confederate armies.  Without supplies it was impossible to keep going with momentum and, due to this and other reasons, three months later the war ended.

It also played a role in World War II.  According to the NC Historic Sites website, the Wilmington area "underwent a major expansion in the shipbuilding, chemical, and petroleum industries" during WWII.  After Camp Davis was built, anti-aircraft training began at Fort Fisher.  This led to further development at the fort, which you can read about on the NC Historic Sites website.

All of this contributes to the historical significance of Fort Fisher.  The Fort Fisher State Historic Park includes a visitors center, a civil war museum, earthen fortification walls (man-made mounds), a reconstructed and operational cannon, a confederate memorial, and more.  There is also the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area which includes hiking trails, fishing, boating, a beach, four wheeling, etc.



Moores Creek National Battlefield
Currie, NC
The Moores Creek National Battlefield is part of Revolutionary War history.  Some of the Loyalist were marching to meet up with Redcoats and head toward the North Carolina coast.  Some of the Patriots heard of their coming and positioned themselves at the Moores Creek Bridge with muskets and cannons.  As the Loyalists were headed to cross the bridge, the Patriots attacked and the Loyalists surrendered.  According to the Moores Creek National Battlefield website, "This battle marked...the first significant victory for the Patriots in the American Revolution."

My family and I went to this battlefield for Memorial Day in 2013 and it was a great place to visit.  There were people dressed up from the 1700's, with tents displaying guns, clothing, etc. from that time period.  There were games set up for the kids, like hitting a hoop with a stick.  There's also a cannon that they fire on special occasions.  It's loud, but very cool to watch.  This national park has a visitors center, monuments, trail, the Moores Creek Bridge and a picnic area.
 
You can find out more information about the historical significance of Moores Creek at the Moores Creek Bridge page on the History Channel's website.

Battleship North Carolina
Wilmington, NC
I've previously written how visiting the battleship is one of my family's favorite things to do on Memorial day.  The Battleship North Carolina's historical significance is from World War II.  It went to Pearl Harbor where it was damaged.  The battleship's website has a lot of information, but not quite as much (I think) as the visitors center.  Visiting the battleship is informative, exciting, and a great way to spend Memorial Day.

The Battleship North Carolina has a special Memorial Day Observance starting at 4pm on Memorial Day.  Check out their website for more information.

Operation Bumblebee Observation Tower -
 Picture from Pinterest

Operation Bumblebee
Topsail Beach, NC
Operation Bumblee was a secret Navy program to develop surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles during the 1940's.  The location on Topsail Island became the permanent location for testing and launching of these missiles in 1947.  One of the famous remnants from Operation Bumblebee are the observation towers that still remain. The Topsail Historical Society runs a Missiles and More Museum, where you can see model and original missiles from the Operation, a full size Talos guided missile, and a film that chronicles the history of the program.

Visiting local historically significant locations is one of my favorite ways to spend Memorial Day.  What are some things you like to do to celebrate?