Oh, Christmas Tree

Finally got the tree up and decorated last night. Had to resuscitate the star (the bulbs required for our star seem to be getting harder to find). Watched the Tonic Sol-Fa Christmas concert on DVD while we decorated. I love that concert. I miss working theater.

It's not the People's Choice Awards, but . . .

Here's an interesting tidbit of information:

IMDB.com Top Stars of 2009. Check out #87.

And from this article:

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Little Sure Shot

The other night, Geo was watching a DVD of an eclectic assortment of Christmas TV episodes. And one such show was a TV version of Annie Oakley. Well, knowing that there is early footage of the real Annie Oakley, I at first saw the title and thought maybe it was going to be a documentary of some sort. Though it didn't quite look like it. Then I saw the girl come on screen, and I told Geo the obvious: "That's not Annie Oakley." (It didn't look a thing like her.)

So while he was watching, I hopped on-line and discovered that this was an ep of a TV show he was watching. (Which became pretty obvious when it started playing out as a narrative and all.)

But as I've got something of an interest in Annie Oakley, she being from Darke County, where my dad was raised (he was raised in Greenville, to be specific. He's often told me that Annie Oakley taught him everything he knows about guns), I started doing a little surfing.

Now, when I was a wee lass, I did a book report on Annie Oakley. And I've visited her grave in Darke County. But I didn't remember much about her beyond the very basics.

And you know what?

She was fairly awesome.

The Annie Oakley Foundation website is a good place to start. Here's one of the things that impressed me most:

Annie set an example for women and helped change the American public's mind regarding what were appropriate sports and activities for women. She also argued for a woman's right to bear and use firearms, both for sport shooting and for self-defense. She coached more than 2,000 women in firearm safety and shooting. As a public service she traveled the Eastern coast, at her own expense, demonstrating the safe and effective use of firearms for World War I soldiers.

This seems to be a good, brief biography as well.

You know, it just now occurred to me. I've long been partial to the name Phoebe. It conjures images of Gibson Girls and class and refinement. Now I'm wondering if I'm not actually partial to the name because of Phoebe Ann Mosey. Hm . . .