Thursday, January 04, 2007

Out with Old ('06) in with NEW (A.D. 2007)

How appropriate that this blog-posting which I had meant to compose yesterday the Third, gets delayed 'til the Fourth day of the Seventh year of the Third millennium! Seems that I'm sort of the "late" Mr. Graham!

You see, back in the Second millennium, i.e. the late 1900s, in writing checks I often forgot the new year's number while dating checks and would write the previous year's. One year my dating error continued 'til March! Thank God, I don't seem to have had that problem (in writing checks, at least) since the present millennium dawned on 1 January A.D. 2001. BTW, most of the populace has the mistaken notion that 31 December A.D. 1999 was the final day of the Twentieth Century and the Second millennium. However, such cannot be, as any historian or mathematician knows. There was NO Year Zero! Western history goes from the end of One B.C. (Before Christ) directly to the start of One A.D. (Anno Domini, "in the Year of Our Lord"). So the First Century A.D. ended with the Year 100, and the Second Century commenced with 101. And so on, down to our present time.

BUT NOW, concerning my celebration of the most-recent change of years. For the fifth time I observed New Year's Eve night and the midnite start of New Year's Day, not by going to the very well-publicized fiesta that San Antonio throws on South Alamo Street at HemisFair Park and La Villita. I will confess that I did stop by there late in the afternoon on my way to my NYE destination, just to observe the setting-up for the S.A. party. My heart was touched when I strolled near the Arneson River Theatre (at the Riverwalk and La Villita), because the sound system set up for the later live entertainment was broadcasting a very nostalgic song, "Mayberry". Actually I'm not sure that is the correct title, and I don't know the recording artist. But I do know that it's featured in one of the country music shows, the more contemporary show, out at Fiesta Texas theme park. Such a timely song to play on NYE, and think back on the vanishing good of the past, while singing, "I miss Mayberry, sittin' on the porch drinking ice cold cherry - cokes. . . strummin' my six-string. . . watchin' the clouds roll by, bye-bye. . . ."

Shortly afterward I continued on by VÍA bus to that NYE destination, Ashley Road Baptist Church on the South Side of the city past Stinson Field (the city's first commercial airport). When we lived in Devine (A.D. 1992-94), I discovered that this church had a New Year's Watch Nite service, featuring a Southern Gospel family singing group from Tennessee, The Telestials, and several local gospel groups. The four plus hours of live gospel singing is broken by an adjournment to the church fellowship hall for a late supper, to include of course black-eye peas and cornbread, chili and tamales. Then The Telestials do an encore sing, which endsjustt before midnite. At that point we pray out the old year and pray in the New Year of Our Lord. I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate the change of calendar than this. It certainly has the advantages of being indoors and out of whatever cold or wet there may be, and that of NO hangover upon awakening on New Year's Day!

Music being such an integral part of me, isn't natural that this type of activity to "ring out the old and ring in the new" be so cherished by yours truly? Indeed, my first significant activity (other than daily tasks) in A.D. 2007 involved music. You see, the blood center I patronize was offering a New Year's Day special, so I contributed platelets. The platelet donation process takes about two hours, so they let you watch the movie of your choice while donating. I took along a DVD of my favorite movie of all time. Guess which movie? That's right: "The Sound of Music"!

At the ARBC Watch Nite a constantly included local group is the father-son duet Frank 'N' Joe. They celebrated their fortieth anniversary of singing ministry back in July of '06 (see my posting about the anniversary). Now Frank 'N' Joe seem to have a calling to sing at several Watch-Nite services in the area, so after singing a few songs (including a bilingual gospel rendition -- their apellido/family name IS Ramirez) they move out the door to their next venue. This year I attempted to get them to hang around for at least one more song, by hollering "Encore!" But in vain. Sort of. Brother Anthony Shipp, Pastor of ARBC, assured the congregation that "Brother Glen Alan will get his 'encore' in February." On the second Saturday of that month they'll be the featured singers for the monthly second Saturday singing at ARBC.

I can hardly wait!

And Happy New Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven, dear reader!

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