Wire Report, November 21st

As everyone travels to be with families and loved ones, here is a short wire report:

Jobs:

Ms. Pickwick has decided at least temporarily to get out of the Hill Rat Race, and is returning not to Tennessee, but instead to the Lone Star State to work for the Granddaddy of Texas Politics. The Whispering Spot wishes her well, and hopes that she will visit often.

Miss Walters had a tragic moment on the job, when a construction working working on site ran into a power line and was electrocuted.

PeaceCorpsK has decided to move on and has transferred back into the more immediate executive branch.

A-Man-Called-Peter and his wife are doing well though staying very busy. He was just promoted, which means his days have gotten 3-4 hours longer. Additionally, they are traveling a lot, both to see family, and for him to preach in Eastern VA churches. Additionally, they have started team teaching a middle school Sunday school class.

Just Married:
The Whispering Spot wishes to congratulate Orlando and Rosalind, who were married in a double ring ceremony on November 19th. The Bride wore a simple gown with a white brocade bodice featuring a Basque waist with a full gathered skirt. Instead of a veil, Rosalind wore a tiara, and a full snow white cape. The Maid of Honor and Flower Girl wore medieval inspired gowns of forest green. Due to space constraints, the ceremony was held not at the Bride's home church, but at a local High Lutheran Church that reminded the congregation of a small cathedral with its beautiful stained glass windows, beautiful organ and general atmosphere. The Whispering Spot has been informed that after a wedding trip to Tennessee, the couple will be at home in Hazleton.

Babies:

Autumn is developing a lot more personality, though she is missing being center of attention. Her mother Aravis, is home from the hospital, but continuing to struggle with ill health. Continue to remember them in your prayers as it is a very difficult time for them. Since Autumn's birth, Aravis has had two surgeries, and the doctors still aren't totally sure what is wrong.

Nora Kate is growing rapidly and is one of the star attractions wherever she goes. She behaved herself beautifully all through the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner last weekend. While at the wedding reception, she made it clear that while others could be funny, she was definitely Mommy and Daddy's little girl and didn't take kindly to suggestions that they leave her with friends for an extended visit.

Extracurricular Activities:

The ArmedProphet recently actually (stop the presses) put down the law books for a day and volunteered to help with an event. He then found out that the event he had unknowingly volunteered for was the swearing-in ceremony of JRB. He said that one of the neatest things was the Judge herself, who though a bulldog on the bench, was so personally humble, something that speaker after speaker, including the Chief Justice, mentioned. He said that the Bible used was her own personal Bible which was very evidently well used.

Beware of Sunglare, and the Press (with apologies to Miss Walters).

The Whispering Spot regrets to report that a malicious patch of sunglare resulted in an automotive inconvenience to the Dictatix when it turned out that a car was hiding in Sunglare. We are relieved to report that she is doing well, and the damage wasn't very extensive.

Ceil had a dangerous driving run-in of her own. The press has been strongly focusing on a bit of homeschool oriented drama taking place locally, and last Wednesday, they decided to barricade the garage at work in addition to having helicopters circle the building. It was a highly novel experience and made her quite sure that she never wants to be a famous person. As she emerged from the garage, she was confronted on two sides with members of the press who had only faces with lenses protruding out of them. A very unattractive situation. They jostled each other, craning their necks to try and see into the cars. (Our correspondent is sure it was a very disappointing experience. Afterall, her breakfast muffin wrapper isn't quite national news, is it?) What made the driving situation worse is that they were densely packing the sidewalks, and Ceil had to make a turn onto a very busy one way street. Due to the press packing so tightly together and to the presence of a police car parked just to the right of the garage exit, there was absolutely no visibility as far as oncoming traffic. You just had to say a prayer and pull out. Sidewalks have public right of way, but it would have been a much safer situation if that policeman had made the press move to the sidewalk across the street, (though given the darkness and the fact that the person they were looking for would have been in the back seat of a sheriff's car or van, I am not sure what quality picture they would have gotten anyway).

Miscellanity:

Machiavelli was vastly amused at THE Alumni Board's baby gift. He was equally impressed that it came wrapped in green Florentine gift wrap. (A lucky coincidence for us. They didn't offer us a choice in gift wrap.)

You know women really love shopping when even emergency surgery can't keep them down. Our correspondent spoke with Aravis on Saturday before her relapse, when Mr. and Mrs. Kilgore were preparing for an expedition to Michael's. The conversation went something like this:

Karl: "We're getting ready to go shopping at Michael's."
Ceil: "Well, you know she loves shopping. She can't really be feeling that badly, then."
Karl: "Yeah, well, we figured with a van and a wheelchair, we could make it happen."

Ceil to Aravis: "Oh, you must be feeling better then?!?"
Aravis, slightly drowsily: "Well, I am doing ok just so long as I don't try to walk or move. [That is beginning to sound like our favorite Greenwheel song...] It is mainly the fact that I have a 50% off coupon and it isn't good after today."

Rumor has it that the Fieldings are planning a trip to visit around the first of the year.

Also, if Harriet hasn't provided enough amusement for you recently, then check out the Brain's comments on scammers and phishing.
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Ceil is being reminded at during this holiday season to be grateful for the the small things, for family, for health, for unexpected things, such as tonight. She and her mother were dropping dinner off at the hospital for her dad. On the way over, they ran into any number of rude drivers and other such nuisances. It was raining, and driving conditions were poor. On the way out of the hospital, Ceil paused along the sidewalk as she noticed yet another unwary driver barreling around the parking lot. At the last moment, the SUV spotted Ceil and her mother and braked hard to allow them to cross the lane. As they crossed, the SUV moved on, and suddenly Ceil slipped hard, losing her footing, twisting both knees awkwardly as she struggled to maintain her balance and finally lost the battle feeling her left ankle give way. Hard to believe in this day and age, but the driver of the SUV actually saw her fall and stopped to make sure she was all right. Despite being laid up with a nicely twisted ankle that is turning interesting colors, she is doing well and amazed at small blessings and acts of caring such as stopping to check on the welfare of a complete stranger.