The Mandolin

On Saturday evening during his performance on center stage at the annual Rhythm and Roots celebration in Bristol, Tennessee, bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs talked a little bit about the mandolin he was playing. He spoke about the fact that he had owned that mandolin for many years and that he played it every day. And then he told the audience that his mandolin had Bristol roots. He had bought the Gibson mandolin from Pee Wee Lambert, a bluegrass pioneer who had played with the Stanley Brothers, who were themselves bluegrass legends. He went on to say that Pee Wee Lambert had originally bought the mandolin from a man named Roy Webb, right here in Bristol, Tennessee, sometime in the 1940's. Roy Webb happens to be my father. I'm sad to say that there wasn't one member of our family in the audience to hear Ricky Skaggs talk about the mandolin and its history, but luckily we did have a friend there (thanks, Les) who called my sister Priscilla the next day and told her all about it.  I think if Ricky Skaggs had any inkling that eighty-eight year old Roy Webb was still alive and kicking and sitting in his living room about five miles down the street (watching his beloved Vols on t.v.), he might have put in a call to him. He might have invited him to join him on stage for a number, maybe even to do a little pickin' on his old mandolin. What a shame and a missed opportunity for both of them.

This is a picture of the Tennessee Hilltoppers at WCYB radio in Bristol, Virginia, in 1947. That's Roy, second from the left, holding that very mandolin that Ricky Skaggs was playing on Saturday night. He is the only surviving member of this group, he still owns a Gibson mandolin and he still plays it every day.

Retainers

Say the word "retainer" to a room full of attorneys and their eyes will light up like a bunch of cats in a dark alley. But say the word "retainer" to the attorney who lives in our house (PhillyTwo) and her eyes will tear up like a sad little puppy dog, because hers are missing. Her retainers, that is....not the the kind you get from clients, but the kind you wear at night while you sleep to keep your teeth in the exact configuration that the orthodontist put them in. Convinced that her teeth will rebel at the first opportunity, PhillyTwo still wears her retainers at night, if not religiously, at least frequently. Until Sunday.  That's when she sat on the couch in the bonus room and removed them to eat a little something.  She carelessly deposited them on the nearby table and then abruptly forgot about them. And later, that's where Dolly, her sweet and loving kitty, discovered them and carried them off to parts unknown. They have to be somewhere in the house. That's Dolly's only territory. But so far we haven't been able to find her clever hiding spot. I've crawled around on the floor in every room, searching under beds, couches, tables and looked in every closet, in every corner. Nothing. I'm not ready to give up, but PhillyTwo is in panic mode and is ready to call the orthodontist for replacements. See, attorneys need the security of having their retainers in place. It helps them sleep better. It gives order to their world.

Dissecting "Gone With the Wind"

I just finished reading "Gone With the Wind", so since it's fresh on my mind, I thought this would be a good time to have a one-way discussion about it...one-way, because I'm here and you're there, and that pretty much gives me free rein on the subject.

I think Margaret Mitchell's intention was to have Scarlett O'Hara and the South as interchangeable characters in the book.
 
Scarlett O'Hara before the war:
soft, beautiful, carefree, ignorant, exclusive, self-serving, headstrong, dismissive, cruel, but not completely heartless
The South before the war:
soft, beautiful, carefree, ignorant, exclusive, self-serving, headstrong, dismissive, cruel, but not completely heartless

Scarlett O'Hara after the war:
harder, not quite as beautiful, more determined, smarter, more inclusive, still self-serving, more accepting, forced to be more humane
The South after the war:
harder, not quite as beautiful, more determined, smarter, more inclusive, still self-serving,  more accepting, forced to be more humane

You get the picture?

Mitchell wanted us to love parts of Scarlett, just like she wanted us to love parts of the southern way of life, but not the whole package. She wanted us to see the beauty, but not be blind to the ugliness.

My God, she was smart.

We Have Nothing To Fear But Sarah Herself

My name is Sarah Palin. Don't be fooled by the stupid look on my face. When I was asked to be Senator John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential election, I may not have known who Margaret Thatcher was, but by God I was briefed. Now I have her name written on my left palm and I refer to her as my "political heroine".

I call myself the North Star, 'cause I'm from the north and I'm a star, a bona fide rock star goddess. Put that in your rifle and shoot it...right here out my kitchen window. If you're lucky, you can blow a Ruskie off the map.

I wear my Christianity like a badge of honor. Never mind that my children call me a phony when I pray in front of people. "Why are you pretending to be something you're not, Mom?" "Shut up and smile for the cameras, you ungrateful little bastards. Momma loves you."

People in my home state of Alaska are disappointed in me. Hell, I'm disappointed in myself. I thought I'd have a prime time network show by now, instead of that pesky little TLC gig. All in due time, my little pretties. All in due time.