Edd's Gatherin' Place

An apology is in order for today; I did not contact the city of Sumter or the Salvation Army as promised. Besides having serious computer problems and coming face to face with the frustrations associated with Dell Computer’s outsourcing of Technical Support to India my health problems worsened. In most letters and e-mails, I include the following disclaimer:

Disclaimer: I have a rare brain disease, the name of which I can barely pronounce, but it is in the same category of Alzheimer’s disease. I apologize if my sentences may seem stilted or meaningless at times but I must use several Word Prediction, Grammar, and Spell Checker software programs to help me write.

Please understand that when my health allows me, I wish to become an informed citizen of Sumter and our surrounding communities and thereby pass along that information by the way of this Blog.

Peace and hope from Sumter’s Main Street Barber Shop…

While the Thanksgiving decorations came down yesterday, the Lady of the House continues to clean, put up the tree, string the lights, and hang all of our Christmas tree ornaments gathered over the last 37 years. Coming next are the Advent candles, the hundreds of collected Christmas accessories received or collected since childhood leaving the pride and joy for last, The Lady’s “Santa Claus” collection – Santa’s in all shapes and forms large and small. Now that the living and dining rooms are through it’s on to the kitchen and den and then to the installation of the single candelabra into each window of the house.

The kitchen is completed (for now) and the den is now being converted into a winter wonderland with a smaller Christmas tree and put ablaze with even more ornaments and accessories. It amazes me every year the number of boxes and plastic containers strewn throughout the house they seem to grow in number each year but The Lady knows the content of each and every one and the location for every object stored so delicately in them.

My job after the last round of furniture polishing, cleaning, and vacuuming is to stand on a chair rather unbalanced holding onto The Lady for even more stability and affix the “Angel,” God’s messenger to mankind atop the living room Christmas tree. By tonight, all will be accomplished but the tweaking of small items here and there and as for me; it’s time for another cup of hot cocoa.

Jane and I just finished reading Mayor Bubba’s Newsletter, Love From 208, and as always get a sense of belonging and community togetherness. The inevitability is a shimmering sense of love, a brief reverie for past people and times, and a deep solemnity for the love of our maker, Jesus Christ. We must all remember that tomorrow marks the First Sunday in Advent…

I’m back Jane took me away from the computer because she said I was getting confused and the longer that continues the better chance of a seizure. Needless to say it’s not a pretty site nor do I need another hospital stay this close to Christmas.

Again, we must all remember that tomorrow marks the First Sunday in Advent for millions of Christian churches throughout our beautiful country and the world. On the back of St James Lutheran Church’s bulletin for tomorrow is a statement that says it all, “Today the church embarks on its celebration of Advent, its celebration of the God who came, comes, and will come again.”

Peace from all of us to all of you…

The Arizona Daily Star has a good column on the Salvation Army and the Target Department stores. An article well worth reading as we enter this time of celebrating the birthday of our Christ and as we think of those less fortunate than many of us at this time of the year.

Yesterday was another rollicking Thanksgiving Day ablaze with the bustle of family and friends and the engrossing aroma of food cooking. After the meal, as is our annual tradition, we all piled in cars and traveled to the movies grandparent’s children and grandchildren. Two of us went to see “National Treasure” and the woman and children to a “Christmas with the Kranks.”

Before the afterglow diminishes, reality must set in that not all of our fellow neighbors experienced such a wonderful “Rockwell” Thanksgiving. Who looked after the homeless, the battered and abused, our shut-ins and poor, and all those alone unable to share in our joy of a day giving thanks? What did we do on Thanksgiving Day to relieve but for one moment or one day of survival from many who would call us inhabitants in an incompetent world?

I don’t have the answers to these questions but come Monday with a few phone calls to the city and the Salvation Army, possibly we can find out at least a few answers.

I sent the email, seen in my Post, Target Department Stores vs. The Salvation Army, of November 20, 2004, before learning that the proposed development across from Goodwin's may be a Target department store although that would not have changed my attitude towards Target. Up front, let me say that Target Community Services does provide a wide range of honorable philanthropic acts and they are very commendable. However, that does not change my mind on the exclusion of the Salvation Army on a local level.

Traditionally the Salvation Army has the lowest overhead of charitable organizations, it normally employees the needy during holidays (especially those that stand out in the weather ringing bells for donations), and most, if not all, the money collected during the holidays stays in the Sumter community. Target has also stopped a practice of hiring disabled Salvation Army individuals - at no cost to them as the Salvation Army takes care of that arrangement. I have not talked to the city on this but plan to sometime today. This Blog, "Barber Shop - Sumter County's Main Street Listening Post - at http://bshopblog.blogspot.com/ became an idea after the past election when I discovered I knew very little about Sumter and felt this was a way to get to know the community I live in better. The downsize is my health - that I can only wait and see...

The following email sent to Target personnel concerns Target’s latest decision not to allow the Salvation Army access to their stores - more information on Target turning the kettle black is at Hugh Hewitt's Blog:

Dear Sir:

I am disappointed in Target’s decision not to allow the Salvation Army to solicit donations at their stores this holiday season.

Our family made a decision last night that we would boycott Target not just for the Holiday Season but also for as long as this policy of refusal remains in affect. Our family made this decision in a conference call last night to the families of my four brothers and sisters and my two children. The extended family includes eight nieces and nephews and eleven grandnieces and grandnephews - also each family consists of many friends and acquaintances.

Have a happy but non-profitable season,

Ed Hart