Count the Giraffe

"One, Two, Free, Four, Fibe! There are two!" Jack Williamson at the Nashville Zoo's Giraffe exhibit on a rainy September, 12, 2006. He was attempting to count the three giraffe that were in plain sight.

Whatever

"Whatever, Boobie-ah..." Jack Williamson to Sarah Williamson on September 8, 2006 under his breath and from under the table after being asked three times to pick food up off of the floor that he had dropped. His response was in the most exasperated, condescending tone possible for a two year old. Jack also has a strange verbal habit of extending the last syllable of the last word in a phrase or sentance with a pronounced "ah" sound.

The Jack Stikes Back

"I'm Dars Bader! I'm Dars Bader!" Jack Williamson on September 8, 2006 as he was weilding his new "light savers" upon his dad.

The Pilgrims

On a road trip I recently took I listed to a book on CD the Pilgrims, their voyage to America and the story behind their first several years as Americans. History books have become one of my favorite types of books to read. At any rate, I learned something new or rather the book was able to dispel a myth that has long been a part of American history as I understood it.

I’ve always heard it said that the United States was first settled by those seeking religious freedom and liberty. The real reason they came was more practical and less principled. They came so that they could worship the way they felt was most supported by the Word, not because they sought to live in a place where people had the freedom to worship as they pleased. The difference between these two concepts is subtle but real as the Pilgrims on many occasions failed to show the same tolerance they themselves desired. To them it was not about liberty; it was about being right.

Quote of the Day

"Do you pour margarita on it?" Sydney Williamson to Sarah Wiliamson on hearing she planned to order a margharita pizza for dinner which is, of course, a pizza with tomatoes, cheese, and basil. Should my four year old daughter know what a margarita is?

My Great Great Grandfather, Thomas B. Boyd

In the past five years I have become very interested in family genealogy. One of the most interesting people in my family history is Thomas Boyd. He was a Confederate soldier and member of a group of prisoners of war who, because of the cruel treatment they received, became known as the "Immortal 600". The brutality they received from their Union captors was in response to Confederate cruelty at prison camps such as Andersonville. Last week I met, via the Internet, a distant cousin who is also a descendent of Captain Boyd. He provided me the most remarkable document. Apparently in 1912 Thomas sat down with the county’s notary public and dictated an affidavit that describes his 1863 capture and his ensuing experience as a prisoner of war. This is the only known document containing his own words.

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November 27, 1912

Decatur, Texas

To all whom these come, Greetings. I Thomas Boyd hereby certify that I was Captain, Company B, 1st Mississippi Regt. Infantry, C.S. Vol. and was taken prisoner at the surrender of Port Houston [Hudson], Louisiana on or about July the 9^th, 1863 and was confined to prison at Johnson Island until February 1864. Then taken out and sent to Point Lookout, Maryland, kept there about two months and sent to Fort Delaware, confined there until on or about the 20^th day of August 1864 when six hundred C.S. officers were taken out and put on old ship Crescent. We were quartered down below water. The Crescent had been used as a transport and was filthy beyond by knowledge to fully describe and vermin crawling on the floor. We were taken to Mares Island after several days and were transferred to other transports that was but little better, if any. Short rations and bad water to drink amidst all the filth on boats. Why all this inhumane treatment we could not tell. On or about the 8^th of September we were put in the stockade on Mares Island in front of the Federal battery of heavy guns planted there for the purpose of shelling Fort Sumpter. Their shots passed directly over our stockade and our Confederate guns had to throw their shells directly over ours to reach the Federal batteries. Our guards were negros. They were more like beast than human. On one occasion did wantonly shoot two of our men without a legal cause. The ration consisted in four crackers of what is called hard tacks and about one ounce of fat meat. At dinner we had one half pint bean or rice soup. Supper was skipped over. Drinking water was obtained by digging in the sand, letting it seap in, and shore it was bad and unhealthy. We thought when we were taken to Fort Pulaskey, Georgia that shurley the worst was over. We received good rations for a few days and kind treatments from Colonel Brown’s men though soon our rations was reduced to about 10 ounces musty corn meal full of worms, about one pint sour pickles. This ration lasted about sixty days. How any one came out alive is a mystery to me. Myself and mess mates had little money and succeeded in getting the Sargent that called the roll to smuggle in some provisions. Had it not been for what I got through that channel I have no idea I would come out alive as it was telling on me very fast. I had the scurvey and was very nearly blind. Our bedding had been reduced to about one blanket to the man. We had to go through the winter months and that without any fire. I had one good meal out of a tom cat. Would have eaten a dog if I could have had the chance.

Subscribed and sworn to by Thos Boyd before me this 27^th day of November A.D. 1912

Notary Public, Wise Co.,Texas

Today's Top Sydneyism

"Daddy, would you unscoot my chair." Sydney Kate Williamson at breakfast on Thursday, July 20, 2006. I had never hear the word "unscoot" but it certianly communicated.

Things I Never Thought I'd Hear Myself Say

“No, you can’t have another peach. Just get a cookie.” From Sarah Williamson boating on the Elk River near Athens, Alabama on July 15, 2006. We were on the Wicks’ boat and mowing through the peaches they had brought as a snack. Sarah did want the kids to eat them all.

“Jack, get your head out of the toilet!” From Sarah Williamson to Jack after a day on the Elk River near Athens, Alabama. Jack was giving a close inspection of his work product.

Clean Your Plate

It happened again last night. It happens pretty much every night and every breakfast and lunch too. After ten minutes at the table Sydney will say she's not hungry any more but its clear very little eating has taken place. Often at dinner, especially if she's aware that any kind of desert will be served, she just skip the fake fullness exuse and go strait for the the "can I have desert now" move.

I actually don't have too much of a problem letting Syd off without eating a meal but she nearly always comes back an hour later wanting a special meal. If it weren't for that I'd actually like to instill in her the notion that you stop eating when your full which may mean that you skip a meal now and then.

Unfortuneately that is not the example that we show often enough. I grew up having to clean my plate and vividly remember sitting at our harvest gold dinner table for a couple of hours with four green beans on my plate that I refused to eat. I finally swollowed them cold with my luke warm milk as if they were a pill. So now with Sydney, we often require her to at least eat three bites of her food, or some other arbitrary amount. What makes it crazy is that its often some junk food dinner item like pizza or fast food. You know that something has gone very wrong when you tell your daughter, "Sydney, you can't have your ice cream until you've eaten at least three more bites of your pizza." I'm not sure but I suspect that ice cream may actually be better for you than pizza.