Beech Tree News Network

HAVE NO IDEAL- I am by no means a member of the “language police,” for I have been known to be less than formal in my own spoken engagements. I have used ain't in conversation, I say ant for aunt and on more than one occasion have been guilty of using several more countrified colloquialisms and I still struggle with knowing when, whom should be used instead of, who.

At the risk of sounding like an organ recital--goodness forbid.  Although I need to take a bit of morning medication, our grey-stripy cat, Lilly Bell, is asleep in my lap; I am reluctant to disturb her.

Presently she is laying on her back with her front legs outstretched; her tummy and throat exposed, a sure sign of complete trust.  Putting the medication on hold in the meantime, trust won’t kill me.

Lilly Bell is somewhat spoiled; we love her anyway.  Strange how we can overlook faults in our pets—but not in some people.  Maybe we all need to work on that; I do.

This week we pick up 50 fast facts with #16.  There’s a 3,500 year old song.  Known as “Hurrian Hymn #6, the music, inscribed in cuneiform on clay tablets, were excavated from the ancient city of Ugarit(today’s Northern Suria), dating back to 1400 B.C.  You can actually listen to the tune, performed on lyre, by composer Michael Levy.  T’s not exactly top 40 material but still an interesting listen.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/belief). As Roosevelt said, I, too, choose to believe that people (– with the help of God) can make better lives for themselves. However, I’ve concluded that some of the things I believed as a child are not always true. 

          Local:  The irony of the holiday season is that although it is almost universally recognized as a time of joy, many folks still struggle to find that joy, or peace, in their lives.  Why?  We miss dearly many of our family and friends who are no longer here.  We experience acute financial discomfort associated with gift buying and as parents we sometimes feel like we fail our children the most this time of year.  We

Dessert is such an emotional food.  You put so much of yourself into making dessert.  It’s happy food.  I’ve often watched Garey and Sabria make homemade ice cream together then eat it together, congratulating themselves on the finished product.  It has been a real bonding experience for them.  

 Naaman (II Kings 5) was a “mighty man in valor.” He was captain of the Syrian army, known for his military cunning, and bravery. Unfortunately, he was a leper (II Kings 5:1). In order to be cleansed of his leprosy, an Israelite maiden that he had captured told his wife he should see “the prophet that is in Samaria” (II Kings 5:3). Rather than seeing the prophet, though, the king of Syria sent Naaman to the King of Israel for healing (II Kings 5:5-6).

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Daniel Humm said, “What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s really for everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/thanksgiving). Humm has a point, but for me Thanksgiving is also about being thankful.

          Local:  The city of Morgantown recently unveiled an approximate $3.7 million dollar plan to totally remake the Charles Black City Park - a project that could take place in steps spread out over five years.  Hooray for city officials i