Home for the Holidays

Christmas was good at my house this year. The best part was that my older son who lives in Florida was able to make it home for the holidays.  It's so nice to have him here for a little while. He's just waking up here, but he's wearing a smile.

That's Santa hanging from the light behind his head.  It was a good vantage point for the jolly old elf to watch the Christmas morning festivities.

It was also nice to see the girlfriend of my younger son.  She is home on break from college too.

Younger son's claims that he is now taller than his older brother had to be verified with a back to back measurement.  Yes, it looks to me like he's ahead by about an inch now.  The youngest in our family of four is now the tallest of us all.   I am the shortest.

After our gift exchange and breakfast of cinnamon rolls as big as your head (that is not a saucer sized plate, that is a dinner plate!),

we were off to church service which included much singing and ended with a very enthusiastic rendition of "Joy to the World."


Then it was back home again for a big lunch followed with Christmas cookies for dessert.

After such a sweets-filled morning, husband and older son thought naps were in order.  Younger son left with his girlfriend for some Christmas festivities with his girlfriend's family.  


For me, it was time for a walk through the park.  No white Christmas for us this year, which was quite OK by me.  In fact, we not only had no snow on the ground, but we also had a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit and a bright, sunny day.  This made for a good day to go for a walk for me (as long as I bundled up a little).


A few months ago, I passed one of these green signs in the park, and it was about "Respect."  Now the signs have been changed.  I still don't know who is putting up these signs, but I like them.  The one I saw on my walk on Christmas Day was this one about "Gratitude."  That seemed very appropriate on a day when so many gifts are given.

As you can see, Christmas Day brought a pretty blue sky and puffy white clouds.  It was quite unusual for a day when ordinarily it is either snowing or gray and overcast.  This is overlooking the elementary school from the walking path that runs through the park.

The walk in the fresh, cold air did me good.  On my way home, I passed by this wreath hanging on a pole in the park.  I liked the little wooden figure ornaments on it.  I don't know why this wreath was in the park or who put it there.  There weren't any other decorations around other than this one, so I was a little surprised to see it there.  In any case, the whimsy of it made me smile.

We will be seeing extended family members later in the week including my husband's family and my brother and his family.


I hope you all had a nice Christmas.  I am taking some vacation days this week from the library and have off now until after New Year's Day.  I am looking forward to the time off while my sons are both home too.

Merry Christmas! (With a Little Help From My Son)

A couple weeks ago, the local high school orchestra performed their Christmas concert.  My younger son plays the upright bass in the orchestra.  As many of you know, that's him on the right.  

I thought it would be appropriate to let his orchestra provide the music for my Christmas post on this blog.  My son is standing in front on the right side of the stage, but he is in the shadows, and it is hard to see him there in the videos.  The theater was packed the night of the concert, and we were sitting several rows back from the stage.

I hope you enjoy the music.  My apologies, but my camera work was even shakier than usual at this concert, so it might be better to just listen instead of watching these.  The first is "Troika" (also known as "Sleigh Ride"). 

This second video is a collection of German Christmas Carols.  I'm sure you will recognize several of these.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

A Glimpse into Prison Life

I went to jail this week.  

No, I wasn't arrested.  I'm just having a little fun with you with that silly picture. (It's a good thing, too, that I wasn't really in jail. I don't think that outfit I'm photoshopped into"wearing" in that picture above is my best look.)  


What really happened is that my leadership class met on Wednesday of this week and took a tour through our regional correctional center.  Before I talk about that, though, let me tell you what else we did that day.


The Justice Department was the theme of our class this month.  We met for breakfast at 7:30 in the morning and heard a presentation from the local police.  Next we visited the Sheriff's Office and the local 911 dispatch office.  We also toured the Municipal Court and the City Attorney's office.  In the Municipal Court we were allowed to sit in the jury box and on the witness stand to see what it felt like (court wasn't in session, obviously).  We also saw the room where the jury is sequestered when there is a jury trial going on.  


One thing I thought was interesting was that above the door to the jury sequestering room were three light bulbs, one red, one green, and one yellow.  When the red light is on, it means the jury is still deliberating and they shouldn't be disturbed.  The green light means that the jury is done deliberating and ready to return to the courtroom.  The yellow light means that the jury has a question or problem or needs some clarification on something from the judge.


The majority of the day, however, we spent touring the correctional facilities. (I wasn't able to take any pictures, of course, but if you click on that link, it will take you to the jail's website. There is a button there labeled "Virtual Tour" which will lead you to a Powerpoint slide show where you can see pictures of many of the things I'm going to write about here.) 


Our tour began when we were picked up at the Sheriff's office in the correctional center's "paddy wagon" bus.  There is a picture of the bus that we rode in that slide show at their site.  It was a full-size bus, white with the prison name across the side of it in big letters.  Inside the bus, between every group of four seats were metal sliding doors that could be closed and locked to section that area off from the rest of the bus.  


When we reached the correctional center, we were told to hang our coats on the coat rack in the lobby and to leave all jewelry, purses, wallets, keys, cell phones, watches, and anything else we were carrying in the lockers they provided for us.  We were instructed to wear a paper badge that said "Tour" on it.  We had to walk through a metal detector to enter the main part of the jail.  The commander who led our tour also explained that we were to stay in single file and walk on the right side of the corridors.  He also told us what to do in case of an emergency or a disturbance.  He explained about their alarm and intercom systems.  Before we could go on this tour, we all had to sign a release form saying we wouldn't hold the center responsible if we suffered any injuries (including in the event of our death!) while we were there.  So I was a little anxious listening to his instructions in case of an emergency.


The first thing we saw was the visitation area where the families of inmates could come to visit.  It was a large room with a row of cubicles with chairs facing a windowed wall.  On the other side of the windowed wall was another room where the inmates were brought for the visit. They could then talk to each other with the phones there. Because this facility houses both minimum security prisoners and maximum security inmates, there were also tables and chair in the room where prisoners who were a minimal risk could come and sit face to face with their loved ones.


You know how in the movies, you always hear the slam of those big metal doors in the prison scenes?  That sound is something we heard over and over and over again.  The prison is made up of many corridors and areas with a locked metal door at either end of each section.  This is their way of isolating trouble should any occur.  There were no barred cells anywhere that we saw.  The cells were mostly small rooms with a thick glass window in a heavy metal door facing out into the corridor.  The toilets and sinks in the cells were stainless steel with the sink directly above the toilet.  They had one shower to be shared by a whole row of cells in the corridor.  You can see some pictures of the corridors and rows of cells at their website.


We saw the booking area of the jail along with the holding cells for when the prisoners are first brought to the prison.  They also showed us the padded cell for those with suicidal tendencies.  The padded cell really was padded and didn't even have a toilet in it.  There was nothing but an open drain in the floor in the padded room.  They showed us the fingerprinting machine which is all digital and computerized, of course.  


Next we saw a small closed off room where video conferencing could be done between the inmates and their lawyers or that could be used for arraignment and court appearances via video camera.  This saves a great deal on the costs of transporting the inmates back and forth to the courts.  This also is a convenience for the lawyers to save them travel time to and from the jail.  Having the video conferencing system also lessens the opportunity for escapes during transport.


The inmates, both male and female, wore one-piece coveralls, not the black and white stripes like in the picture above.  The severity of the crime or crimes they were being punished for determined the color of their coveralls.  Yellow meant minimum security, blue was medium security, and red was maximum security. Clean sheets are issued to the inmates once a week, and a clean uniform is issued twice a week.  They wore orange, rubber-looking, Crocs-type clogs on their feet.


The inmates could earn credits which could shorten their stay at the jail by working at a job while inside the center.  Jobs they could do included doing the laundry, working in the kitchen, doing cleaning around the facility, and other options.  


By the same token, for any infractions, the inmates would run the risk of losing their earned credits and could have various privileges (such as snacks or time in recreation, etc.) taken away from them.  Troublemakers could find themselves serving time in isolation cells.  


For each level of severity of crime from misdemeanors to felonies (everything from passing bad checks to murder and anything in-between), there were different cell areas with different types of security.  Some of the perks available to the inmates at different levels included a recreation area with TVs, board and card games, ping pong tables, and a kitchen area with a microwave and refrigerator. The inmates have their own library in the center where they can request items not owned by the center itself.  The librarian who works at the center is employed by both the library system where I work and the prison system.  Classrooms are also available at the center where inmates can study for and take the GED exam, among other things.


There was also a large gymnasium with a basketball court for indoor exercise and several different outdoor exercise areas.  The outdoor exercise areas were much like those seen in movies and on TV.  The biggest was just a large grassy area (actually it was raining the day we were there, and it was quite muddy in the courtyard) with two metal, bolted down picnic tables surrounded by high walls topped with rolls of barbed wire.  There were also a couple of smaller outdoor areas that were basically just enclosed cement patios.


A medical center/sick bay is also a part of the center where a visiting doctor, dentist, ophthalmologist, and psychologist come regularly.  If an inmate requests to go to the medical center but isn't really sick, the inmate will be charged for that visit.  The inmates, in fact, are charged for their entire stay at the jail.  If a family member doesn't pay the bill, the inmate is issued a bill for his or her stay when he or she is released.  The matter is then turned over to a collection agency to be handled once the inmate returns to freedom.


We were given lunch as part of the tour--the same lunch that the inmates had that day.  It was not a pleasant experience.  We formed a line and were given a tray with our food.  We weren't offered any choices, but the commander said that dietary allowances are made for those who need them for health or religious reasons.  The lunch we were given included a bologna sandwich with one slice of bologna on two slices of white bread, some coleslaw, some rather dry scalloped potatoes, and a very spongy tasting brownie.  The only eating utensil we were given was a plastic spoon.  The spoon had been dipped into mustard and then plopped onto the side of the tray, resting in the gob of mustard.  We weren't given a fork or knife or napkin.  We were each given a little paper packet of salt and pepper.  No other condiments were offered or given.  We were given a small plastic mug that we could fill with either water or watered down red Kool-Aid.  Our class instructor told us that this meal we were given was actually the best one he had ever seen offered there.  I ate about half of the meal. Some of the people in my group refused to eat any of it at all.


Several times during the tour, we were in the same room with unrestrained inmates.  Every time that happened, we could feel the tension in the room or corridor as soon as we entered.  It was such an awkward feeling.  We had been told to avoid eye contact with them and to ignore anything that any of them said to us.  A couple of times the male inmates made catcall noises or rude remarks directed at us, but they quieted immediately with one word of warning from the security officer there.  


Two inmates left an impression on us.  One of them who was wearing yellow coveralls (minimum security) and whose entire face was covered in tattoos, as soon as he saw us, started rap/singing some words that he repeated over and over.  His "song" went like this, "I believe in God.  I believe in Jesus.  I believe in love.  I believe in Mars.  I believe in Pluto."  Then he began again back with "I believe in God..." and so forth.  It was a little unsettling.


Even more unnerving, though, were the actions of the maximum security prisoner in red coveralls that was being held in an isolation cell. As our tour went by in the corridor past his cell, he began banging and kicking at the door in a rage over and over again making a loud commotion.  The commander who was leading our tour told us that this man is a frequent troublemaker and his acting out while we were there would most likely get him additional time in the isolation cell or at the very least a revoking of privileges if he currently was being given any.


I can say with certainty that a jail cell is not a place I ever want to be.  It really was a very frightening place to me.  The inmates made me feel both wary of them and sorry for them.  It put me on edge being around them, not knowing what crimes they had committed, not knowing how far they could be trusted, or if they could be trusted at all.  At the same time, I felt a certain amount of sadness being around them and felt sorry for them and their plight.  I couldn't help but wonder about them and what had driven them to break the law.  Knowing they were there at Christmastime away from their families and friends was especially sad to me.


After the tour, we collected our belongings and were transported back to the Chamber of Commerce Office on the same bus as before.  It felt a little odd getting off that bus and thinking about all the freedoms and choices I have compared to those in the prison we had left behind.  It changes your perspective to view the cold, sterile, lonely, angry surroundings those inmates have at Christmastime compared to the warm, colorful, brightly lit Christmas celebrations we are accustomed to.  


I realize this blog post is not very Christmasy, quite to the contrary, but I do want to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas.  I hope while you are spending time with your families, feasting on all the traditional foods, exchanging gifts, and celebrating, that you will take a few moments to remember to be grateful for all that you have, and perhaps offer up a prayer for those who aren't quite so lucky.


Merry Christmas, everyone.

Do You See What I See?

I thought the sky and the clouds looked pretty as the sun was setting one day last week, and I took this picture.  What was quite surprising to me was that, later, when I looked at this picture on the computer, I saw that the Life Flight helicopter was sitting on the landing pad at the hospital when I took the picture.  


I was so focused on watching the colors of the sunset and the interesting cloud patterns when I snapped the photo that I didn't even see the helicopter sitting there right in front of me.


My home is just a short distance from the hospital, and I often hear the Life Flight helicopter fly by overhead on its way to or from the hospital.  When I hear it, I say a quick prayer for those on board it, whether it be just the crew, or a medical or trauma patient being transported, or both.  I admire and respect those who have that job--those flying to the rescue of those in need, often saving lives that otherwise would not be saved.  I am grateful they are there at the ready to help.


I kept thinking about this picture, and I was struck by how timely it was that I took it during the Christmas season.  I thought about how easy it is for us to focus on the pretty colored lights on the Christmas tree, the shiny wrapped packages, the parties, the family gatherings, and all the special holiday food, and how in the process, we might overlook the humble manger scene.  How easy is it for us to be so intent on the celebrations and festivities that we forget the reason behind those celebrations--the arrival of Jesus, the one who was sent to rescue us, to save us.


Although this sunset really wasn't that spectacular and this photo was rather ordinary, I'm glad I took it.  I have many other sunset photos that are prettier than this one, but this one serves as a good reminder to me of where my focus should be.  Some things are too important to miss.

A Gift That Keeps On Giving

This is me at the age of five sitting on Santa's knee in 1964.  Do you like my little red hat with the black pompom on top of my head?   Of course, it matches my little red coat with the black fur trim--what a fashion plate!

A "few" years later, this is my older son when he was probably three, or maybe four, years old also sitting on Santa's knee.

Twenty-two years ago today my son was born.  We declared him an early Christmas present.  What a wonderful gift and blessing he was then, has been, and still is now.  Happy Birthday to my son today!  

Christmas Here, Christmas There, Christmas Everywhere

This past week zipped right by.  As is true for many people this time of year, I suppose, the last few days have been a blur.  It included a fundraiser spaghetti supper for my son's high school orchestra, an appetizer potluck with the Lions Club followed by attending a local theater production of "A Christmas Story," the library staff Christmas dinner and white elephant exchange, and coming up yet this weekend is the high school Christmas concert, and our church fellowship ornament gift exchange.  Next week is more of the same.  Every year when January comes, I look back and wonder how I made it through the month of December because it is always so jam-packed full.

At the production of  "A Christmas Story," they were selling raffle tickets.  One raffle was held the night we were there for a Red Ryder BB gun like the one seen in the movie. The other raffle goes through until the last night of the production and the prize for that raffle is a leg lamp, also like the one seen in the movie.  My husband bought one ticket for each raffle.  He didn't win the BB gun, but he did win the second place prize in that drawing.  This sparkly little table centerpiece is what he won.

When they gave it to him, he turned and asked me, "What is this thing?"

I told him he had won "a major award," and that we should take it home and put it in the front window and then see how it looks from the street.  (If you haven't seen the "Christmas Story" movie, you won't understand why I told him that, by the way.)  We won't know until Sunday if his ticket will be drawn as a winner for the leg lamp.  Heaven help me if he wins that!

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I also have some pictures to share from last night of our annual staff appreciation Christmas party at the library  The evening began with a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant.  The food was delicious and we had fun talking and visiting.  

While at the dinner we were each given a goodie bag which held trinkets and candy and such.  I think my favorite items in these bags were these refrigerator magnets, badge type pins, and key chains.  In case you can't read the lettering, these are the messages printed on them:

"Librarians Rock"

"Because I'm the Librarian, that's why."

"Librarians are hot."

"What happens in the library stays in the library."

"Did someone call for a librarian?"

and the last key chain has a picture of some books on it and just has the word, "Librarian," on it.

Each bag also had a fun holiday pin and a little rubber duck reading a book in it.  The rubber duck had a number written on the bottom of it which I will explain in a minute. My holiday pin was a snowman. I can't show you a picture of the candy that was in the bag because I have a seventeen-year-old son who was hungry when I got home from the party and I let him have the candy.  

After the dinner, we went to the library and met in the conference room which had been transformed to look like this.

The table in the center was loaded with a delicious dessert buffet which included peach, apple, coconut cream, and chocolate peanut-butter pie; chocolate cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, seven-layer bars, lemon bars, and huge decorated Christmas sugar cookies.  If anyone went away hungry, it was their own fault.

Next we had our white elephant gift exchange.  These presents look fairly innocent sitting here on the cart, but there were some peculiar things hidden inside.

There was this Scooby Doo soap and bubble bath, for example,

and this thing, whatever it is.  A gremlin, maybe?

I can't imagine that you've ever seen one of these before.  I know I hadn't until last night.  What is it?  Well, it's a purse, sort of.  It is made out of duct tape and looks like one of those cement geese you set on your front porch or out in your yard.  It even came with several outfits of clothes for it to wear.  It was light-weight and empty inside, of course, so that it could be used as a purse.  I'm so glad I didn't end up with this gift!  

Some other gifts that raised some eyebrows were a portrait of an owl (I'm not sure if it was a paint-by-number or what it was, but it was...um...well interesting, I guess you could say.)  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it.  There was also a redneck make-up kit (I didn't see what was in that box, but I think it was some different makeup items that had funny labels on them), a very ugly treetop angel holding a bubble light in it's hand, a toy cat that hung by its front paws from a shelf and that shook and meowed in a sort of dance, and some other odds and ends. (and I do mean odd!)  There were also some nicer gifts mixed into the lot--things like candles and chocolates and pretty Christmas decorations.

The gift I went home with was this pair of wooden snowman mitten Christmas decorations that came wrapped in a burlap bag with a candy cane picture on the front of it.

In addition to the white elephant gift, we also each received a gift from the library.  Remember the rubber ducks with the number written on the bottom?  Each of the gifts from the library had a number on it which corresponded to the number on one of the ducks.  This was my gift from the library.  It is a wickless candle that is used to scent the air.  It came with vanilla and cinnamon scents.

After the party was over, this is how our reception area looked where we held the white elephant gift exchange.  We laughed and laughed during the gift exchange.  We had such a good time.

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My week ended on a high note today when I received this beautiful poinsettia from a very dear friend of mine.

Isn't it lovely?  And aren't I lucky to have such a dear friend?