Smoke Signals and other news
The daylight of our days becomes shorter, and the temperatures are slowly falling. Homelessness is abundant in our area whether you see it or not. I personally know people who are homeless. Some have put themselves in this situation through drugs and alcohol use. Others won’t work, or have a disability and cannot work, and have no family to turn to or have estranged themselves from family by their own actions. Some manage to survive honestly, but not all. Where do the homeless stay. I’m certainly not an expert on this subject as I have been blessed to always have shelter. Some I have known survived in their cars if they had one, but then you have to find a place to safely park that vehicle. Some I know have stayed in tents either legally or illegally camping. I have found evidence on my land of those who have stayed without permission. Some live under a bridge with or without a tent until discovered and asked to move along. Others stay in abandoned buildings.
On a recent night as I sat on the porch waiting for Charlie, I experienced a rare event-total silence-no dogs or coyotes in the distance, no highway traffic, no noise from a nearby factory, no gunshots, no train passing through, no cars traveling the road, no insects-no usual sounds of the night at all. It took a minute to realize the total and complete silence as I strained to hear anything at all. As I sat there in the quiet, I thought of friends who cannot hear and imagined that must be what it’s like. We often take the sense of hearing for granted, but it is a miracle created by God.
Thursday night I found myself on Great Grandma duty holding, feeding and cuddling the youngest great grandson while watching the antics of his two big brothers. He is such a good baby, really only expressing unhappiness if he is hungry or sleepy. He is bright and alert whenever he is awake. He has recently discovered how yummy his fingers are to have in his mouth.
On Friday night I once again got to go to Ole Miss to watch Mary Claire dance with the Ole Miss Dance Company, a group offering free weekly classes for all skill levels and styles. Each semester they have a concert in which students of all levels can audition for dance and choreography opportunities. It is a great way for dancers to continue using the skills they developed over the years. On Saturday night my son, DIL and I went out to eat and then
drove around Collierville viewing the many Christmas lights. Although there don’t seem to be as many decorated as in previous years there are still many beautiful lights to see. Some of these displays must take weeks to put together and take down.
I would love to report your news. Call or text me at 901 246-8843, message me on Facebook at Clair Wagg, or email me at jchwagg@gmail.com.