Uncategorized - Roseanna M. White

Remember When . . . Washington Resigned?

by Roseanna White | Dec 29, 2010 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized

I just got to a crucial part of my Annapolis book–George Washington just resigned his commission before congress and declared that he would be a private citizen from here on out. The date was 23 December 1783, and no one knew at the time that a few short years later, he would be the first President of the United States. At that time, on that day, they saw only that the most influential man in the nation was handing over the key to total power and opting for private life. They saw only that a man so deserving was also so humble as to refuse what was offered him.

Because the speech is simply amazing, I’m going to post it, along with the response from the president of Congress.

“Mr. President,

“The great events on which my resignation depended having at length taken place, I have now the honor of offering my sincere congratulations to Congress, and of presenting myself before them, to surrender into their hands the trust committed to me and to claim the indulgence of retiring from the service of my country.

“Happy in the confirmation of our independence and sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I resign with satisfaction the appointment I accepted with diffidence; a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task, which, however, was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of the supreme power of the Union and the patronage of Heaven.

“The successful termination of the war has verified the most sanguine expectations; and my gratitude for the interposition of Providence and the assistance I have received from my countrymen increases with every review of the momentous contest.

“While I repeat my obligations to the army in general, I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge in this place the peculiar services and distinguished merits of the gentlemen who have been attached to my person during the war. It was impossible the choice of confidential officers to compose my family should have been more fotunate. Permit, me, Sir, to recommend in particular those who have continued in the service to the present moment as worthy of the favorable notice and patronage of Congress.

“I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last act of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God and those who have the superintendence of them to His holy keeping.

“Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theater of action, and bidding an affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.”

General Mifflin, the president of Congress, replied in a speech thought to be penned by Thomas Jefferson,

“The United States in Congress assembled receive, with emotions too affecting for utterance, the solemn resignation of the authorities under which you have led their troops with success through a perilous and doubtful war.”

A woman of Annapolis wrote, “I think the world never produced a greater man and very few so good.” I can’t help by agree with her.

(The painting is the famed General George Washington Resigning His Commission by Trumbull. He painted it years after the fact and inserted a few historic figures that weren’t there, basing his design upon other paintings he had done of said figures. In itself a subject worthy of a post, but you know. I won’t bore you.)

Story Time . . . The Read and Share Bible

by Roseanna White | Dec 28, 2010 | Uncategorized

A couple weeks ago I got an email from a publicist working with Thomas Nelson Publishers, asking if I’d be interested in receiving the Read and Share Bible for review. I quickly agreed. With two small children, I definitely want to be sure to give them a Biblical grounding. But I confess it–we often give up on Bible stories because I just despise the way some books tell them. I mean, I get leaving things out, even highlighting things not mentioned, but can they please refrain from mangling facts??

Yesterday Read and Share Bible arrived, and I was excited to bring it to our book time last night. This is going to be only a first impression, of course, but I have to say that thus far I’m thrilled with what I’ve seen.

Though arranged in short, punchy stories told along with colorful pictures, the voice is approachable and fun, and there are prompts at the bottom of each page–not things that take you out of the flow, but which look forward to the next part of the story, like, “Uh-oh, things are about to get wet!” or “Do you know how long it rained?”

I’m looking forward to reading more with my kiddos each night. Yesterday they responded actively and with excitement to the storytelling and illustrations, and I think this will be a good way to give them that grounding I want to provide. Sure, there are stories not included (no Cain and Able, for instance) and details excluded (it doesn’t actually say the flood killed all the bad people), but as a way to introduce the most familiar stories, this is the best I’ve seen–and I’ve got a pretty wide selection of Bible story books lying around my house.

Happy 4th day of Christmas, everyone! Hope your Tuesday is bright and cheerful!

Happy 3rd Day of Christmas!

by Roseanna White | Dec 27, 2010 | Uncategorized

Is anyone else having a tough time wrapping their minds around the idea that it’s MONDAY again? As in, a work day? My hubby has to get back to the normal grind today, and I finally realized at almost 8 that, gee, I guess I should blog. Sheesh.

But you know, I have a very traditional excuse for my forgetfulness. In these modern times we tend to put all the hype before Christmas, so that there’s all this build-up and then–THEN–it’s over. Kaput. The kids are left looking around with dazed eyes and that “what just happened” expression, muttering over and over again, “Where are my presents? Are there more presents?” They just can’t quite grasp this explosion of stuff that happens one day a year.

Makes me wish we still celebrated the 12 Days of Christmas in this day and age, drawing out the giving and holiday spirit after Christmas Day. Wouldn’t it be great if our Savior’s birth were the start of something in our celebration, instead of the end of it??

I think so. And so maybe I’ll embrace that as much as possible in our house. I can’t exactly tell my hubby he shouldn’t work (oh, but if we could pull that off!), but I want to savor the Joy of the season this year. I want to forget about schedules and obligations and bask in the glory of that little baby coming, with such a great commission over him already. I want to contemplate the miracle of God becoming man. I want to bring my gift before the Christ child and offer him all I am, all I dream, all my heart.

It took the magi years to get to Jesus with their gifts. In my mind, that means that Christmas and all it represents is a process. Giving our best to Him is a journey. Let’s start on it now and pray this coming year is one of total surrender to our Lord and King.

Enjoy the continuation of the Season, everybody!

Thoughtful About . . . Those Christmas Gems from 2010

by Roseanna White | Dec 23, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized

This is the first year that both my kids are old enough to get excited about Christmas, and I gotta say–it’s making for some fun memories.

The first bit of fun was when I took Xoe out shopping. The purpose of the trip was actually to pick up curtains, but she spotted a Pillow Pet that was blue and asked if she could get it for Rowyn for Christmas. She then proceeded to find gifts for her cousins–small, but fun. I love that she’s so in the spirit of giving. My MIL took the kids shopping for my hubby, and then my mom took them shopping for me. Xoe was very determined to choose each gift herself and a bit upset when my MIL selected the one for Papa–so she added some chocolates to it when out with my mom. =)

Last Friday when we stopped at the market, I asked David to take Rowyn down the toy aisle to pick out a gift for him to give Xoe while she went with me. Naturally, Rowyn in the toy aisle is hilarious. He kept going, “Rowyn likes trucks.”

David: “Yes, but we’re shopping for Xoe. What would Xoe like?”

Rowyn: “Rowyn likes trucks.”

“What does Xoe like?”

Thinking . . . “Pink trucks?”

LOL. David laughed and said, “Do you see any pink trucks?”

Rowyn looked around for a minute and pointed at a big, red, remote-control monster truck. David put the nix on that one, and they eventually decided on a paint-it-yourself piggy bank. But we got a lot of laughs from our single-minded boy. (And some people dare to argue that girls and boys aren’t just different?)

This was also the first year Xoe could write a letter to Santa. I told her she could only ask for one thing, so she deliberated very carefully before asking him for a pink ballerina princess costume with flowers on it, and ballerina shoes with ribbons. Complete with drawings. And after inquiring after the reindeer, of course. We took the letter to the post office, where they have a special “express delivery to the North Pole” box. She climbed the little stairs, opened the mailbox, put in her letter, and was oh-so-pleased. Then Rowyn said, “Where’s my letter?” Um . . . yeah, we didn’t help him write one. Given that, you know, he can’t write. But as it turns out, he just wanted to climb the stairs and open the box. He didn’t really care about having a letter to put inside. =) And then all evening he kept saying, “Where’s Xoe’s letter? In an airplane? Is it on Santa’s sleigh now?” Very cute.

For our Christmas Eve service, we’re going to be presenting gifts to the Christ child–our gifts being written on paper and delivered. The kids will have wrapped boxes to take him, and our little girls decided they MUST be angels. Xoe was very adamant about this, but also insisted Rowyn had to be something different. His choice? A turtle. There’s nothing saying there were turtles in the stable, but hey. Why not? LOL.

I hope everyone else is having as fun a year as we are!

Remember When . . . Christmas Was Banned?

by Roseanna White | Dec 22, 2010 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized

Yes, you read that title correctly. While researching Christmas traditions for my 1783 book, I came across information I may have heard before but obviously never paid attention to. 😉 Back in the day, in New England, celebrating Christmas was strictly forbidden. Why? Because English traditions for the holiday led to excessive drink and revelry, and that was a big no-no in Puritan society. So . . . sorry, folks. No mistletoe, no evergreens, no wassailing.

Luckily, my story takes place in good ol’ Anglican Annapolis and Williamsburg, where the Yuletide season was still full of merry making. Whew! So I got to have a jolly good time exploring the traditions of Christmas that were around back in that particular day.

Christmas trees hadn’t made it across the pond yet, but there would have been mistletoe hanging, evergreen and holly boughs used for decoration, and food and drink aplenty. In the days before Christmas, the poor would have gone wassailing–going door to door with punch that the rich were pretty much obligated to buy. Mostly, this was a chance for the poor to come into the homes of the rich and get a few treats. Holiday parties were also expected to be public for a while, but eventually people stopped publishing their parties in the newspaper to avoid the drunken crowds mobbing them.

What, you wonder, would a typical Christmas look like in 1783 or so? Well, it would start with church. After that, the family would exchange a few gifts of toys or treats or books or the like, then have a feast of local delicacies. In Maryland and Virginia, this would have included oysters, crab dishes, ham, chicken, fruit in wine jelly, biscuits, minced pies, pound cakes, cordials, syllabub, eggnog, and more.

Now, folks back then really knew how to keep a celebration going–the Christmas season extended through New Years and into January. Traditionally it would have ended on the Epiphany (January 6), but folks had so much fun that the parties often extended through the end of the month.

So raise a glass to the good ol’ days, sing a merry tune, and deck the halls with boughs of holly!