This, That And The Other

On the road to Manteo again today!

I have ready our cooler, our box of food staples, my suitcase, my make up kit (a vital item) clothes for Sunday, music for the band, Sarah's school stuff (which she thankfully packs herself) my computer, Snowy's kennel and food for him, snacks for the trip, and "water for the road" for every Smith involved in this undertaking.

Here is my "getting music for the band" collection of stuff. Nice of Nathan to go off to college so that I can use his room for my personal office/music room.



Note how Snowy is diligently supervising the operation.



Of course, I don't do all the planning, packing and loading by myself; Steve works twice as hard as I do on all that and between him, Sarah and me, we eventually get it all together and get headed in the right direction.

(In addition to getting all of our stuff packed every weekend, we also have to remember to leave the house beautifully clean and picked up in case someone comes to see it while we're gone.)

This afternoon in Manteo, we'll be looking at some more houses and then this evening, we'll be having dinner with a young couple in the church. They have two adorable small daughters with another one due to make her appearance in January. I do so miss when my kids were young; those were precious, fleeting, frustrating, joyful, challenging, marvelous days.

Now they're older. And so am I. Sigh.
__________________

Okay, moving right along to our Pineapple Lessons!

Lynie started this whole discussion by asking if anyone knew what a pineapple symbolized. A lot of you jumped right on the bandwagon and shared your pineapple knowledge and it was just so interesting that I thought I'd post all the comments here in one place for a sort of Pineapple Symposium.

There will be a test at the end.

Just kidding.

I think.

Let the comments begin . . .

---Pineapples in the south are associated with Southern Hospitality, or so that's what I have been told my entire life. --Debbie Jean

---Pineapples are a sign of hospitality. They are mostly used in Hawaii (big surprise) and in the south. ---Lisa from Georgia

---Just a quick note [from a first-time commenter] to affirm what Debbie and Lisa said. At least in the southern part of the US, the pineapple as a sign of hospitality originated in the colonial era. They were a rare commodity, and among the most precious treats one could offer guests. Displaying a pineapple on a sign or over a doorway was a sign that one was willing to offer that special conviviality and welcome to whomever entered. Warmly (pine-apple-ly?) ---An historian

(This particular commenter gets the Becky Smith Word Award for so charmingly using "conviviality" in a sentence. I'm not sure I could have pulled that one off!)

---And yes, pineapples are a sign of hospitality . . . go to Williamsburg, VA during the Christmas holidays! You will see what Colonial America was like! :) ---Buff

--- In my family, when someone buys a new house or moves into a new home, they always put out a pineapple. It's seen as a "welcome to all" kind of thing. My sister even put up a doorknocker of a pineapple! ---Karen from Indiana

---About pineapples: I learned this on a trip to Charleston, SC but it may not be the most accurate. In the olden days, when a husband would return from a sea expedition, one of the traditions would be for the family to put a pineapple on the fencepost - usually one with a spike like top (silly description) to let neighbors, friends and relatives know that the man of the house had returned and they were now welcome to visit--so, same idea. A sign of hospitality and welcome. --Mary H.

---Pineapples - I end up using edible leaves (or not depending on use) from my garden to dress stuff up. I like your way better! I love the symbolic meaning of a pineapple meaning "Welcome". Love -Guerrina

And lastly, here is a fascinating interesting comment from Lynie, who started the whole discussion:

Regarding the pineapple...the legend I heard was yes, they were very precious and so every one noticed a pineapple in ones home.Well-heeled party-goers back in the day would arrive at a party and a pineapple would be in display upon the mantle, where every one could see it. As the evening progressed and the partiers partied and the guests guested, the pineapple would be in place.

However, when the host/hostess was ready to call it a night, they would remove the pineapple from the mantle and place it just outside the front door. Then as people glanced up at the mantle they knew without the host having to announce it or usher folks out, that the party was over. So a pineapple came to signify you are welcome here, make yourself at home and good-bye, thanks for coming!At least that's what the tour guide in Savannah said! How else would an Oregon girl know? --Lynie

So there you have it! A mini lesson in pineapples. I guarantee that from here on out, you will be the most pineapple-educated person in your circle of friends.

______________________________


A few of you asked how I was doing and I am happy to report that, apart from the large bruise on my left arm and some soreness around the bruise, I feel like I never even fell! I'm very thankful, especially considering how bad things could have been.

_____________________________


I want to answer an excellent question that came in by e-mail from Jodi, a long time reader. "What is the difference between a Reverend and a Pastor?" (Referring to Steve's recent change in status.)

In most Protestant denominations, a Reverend isn't always a Pastor but a Pastor is always a Reverend. (A Reverend, in order to become a credentialed minister, has to go through a stringent schooling/credentialing process with his or her denomination in order to obtain those official credentials.)

When we were on the road for fifteen years, doing concerts and service in churches around the country, Steve was never referred to as Pastor Steve (or Pastor Smith) because he was not responsible for any particular church; however, he was a Reverend since he was ordained in 1989.

And on the Sunday we went to Manteo to try out, he was not a Pastor until he was voted in that evening by the congregation. So now he's a Reverend AND a Pastor!

Having said all that, Steve is not at all hung up on titles. If you ever see him, you don't have to call him reverend or pastor or anything fancy--just "Steve" is fine! (Although Nathan and Sarah do occasionally call him "Pastor Dad." Just because they're funny like that.)

___________________________

Catherine asked if I had found any thrift store treasures this week. My best buy of the day was a pair of dark brown dress pants that I've seen at our local department store for $58.00; I got them for $4 and they actually fit! Hurray!

__________________________

And now, because I don't have any groovy new pictures to share with you, I'm going to reach way back into my virtual picture vault and pull out some miscellaneous photos.





















Here I am in the midst of chaos getting ready for a dinner.





And here I am with myself and the kitchen cleaned up.





Ready for a lovely dinner!



The only thing we were missing that night was a pineapple!