No, I am not wearing short pants. It’s unseasonably cold in Louisiana. We’re having days upon days of subfreezing night temperatures. I am speaking of short bits of information that I will write about in this space.
- I finished a Shutterfly book this week about my father’s family. I wrote about my family’s arrival to the New World in the early 1700s to the present. Lots of pictures of my modern ancestors kept it fresh. I will try to flesh out a few stories into blog-worthy posts in the next several weeks. Especially intriguing are the stories about my ancestor whose first name was a derivative of the word, Bear. Ursin, from the Latin, Ursa, was bearish in his pursuits, accomplishments and appetites.
- Since the weather has been unseasonably cold, I took the opportunity to read a bit. Three books captivated my interest.
- White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing by Gail Lukasik is not the best-written book. However the subject was intriguing and it was well-researched. The story is about a woman who left New Orleans with a black identity and white skin, married into a white family, and forever left her black roots behind. At least she did until she died. Her daughter tells an intriguing story of New Orleans society, where the one-drop rule kept otherwise white-looking people forever in the colored/black social class. Thanks, Carol King, for the tip on a good read.
- The Girl with Seven Names: Escape from North Korea by Hyeonseo Lee and David John was a gripping tale of a girl who, at first, left North Korea for a few days lark, but could never return. Her story makes one wish fervently for the overthrow of the North Korean regime. Thanks for the suggestion, Michael Dickson.
- You Were Born For This: 7 Keys to a life of Predictable Miracles by Bruce Wilkinson and David Kopp is a book I haven’t completed yet. The premise is that we all experience nudges from God to do sometimes simple things that have great impact. Here’s an excerpt:
We’re never more fully alive and complete than when we experience God working through us and in spite of us in a way that changes someone’s life right before our eyes Nothing compares to the wonder of seeing God’s goodness and glory break through – and knowing we played a part in it. p 26
That’s a wrap for this post. Stay warm. And don’t forget to wait on God for nudges to bring forth a miracle in someone’s life.
Hi there,
So glad you liked the book. I did too even without a Louisiana connection.
Carol
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It was a book that stays with you. She crammed quite a bit of interesting bits of culture and history in that book. It made me think deeply about issues of color and race. I would think it’s almost 100% certainty that my family tree has black and/or Native American ancestry.
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Nudges from God. I like that. Always waiting on that.
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I think God is always nudging. Do we respond?
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The one-drop rule is still in play. However, now if you have that one drop, you can say you’re black, and it’s advantageous. Life gets weird in America.
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I know your views. Useless to offer counter arguments.
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Is the Shutterfly book for sale? I would love to read it.
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The book is pricey. I made it big, with a hard cover, and lay flat pages as a momento for my mom. You can look for free. Send an email address and you can look at it. My next step is a more general book about the past in Bayou Blue and Bourg that is more appealing to a larger audience. Enjoy the peek and don’t freak out when you see the price!
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