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Dedicated To The Memory Of Reverdy Lewin Orrell, Jr. (1920 - 2006) |
Here's a photo and Jackson and his Daddy feeding the deer at the West Virginia White House.
Here's another photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell showing off his hat.
Here's a photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell from a few months ago.
Here's a photo from a few months ago with Jackson and his Daddy. Jackson is getting his first taste of Yoohoo.
I've been looking forward to this weekend for about a month. For the first time ever, Reb, Sara, & Jackson are staying a complete weekend with Nora and I at the West Virginia cabin. They arrived a little after 8 PM last night with Jackson wound up and in rare form.
It seems the dogs scare him a little. He has two dogs (Hammish and Dakota); however, they're large dogs and tend to ignore him. Our dogs are much smaller, at his eye level, and Brandi (the cocker) does anything but ignore him.
One game Jackson loves to play is 'horsey' which he jumps around like a horse. He'll run, or rather semi-skip through the house. We have fun chasing him around.
I fixed a nice dinner of Bubba burgers and polish kabasa. Seems Jackson loves 'dip'. This isn't the regular 'dig' you and I might eat. His dip is nothing more than ketchup. He loves it and constantly 'dipped' his hot dog in it.
Naturally Grandpop's been preparing this visit for some time. I threw out some deer corn yesterday afternoon to entice a deer presense in the back yard. It worked as we had a nice size female doe show up about 9 PM. This morning I'll have to put Jackson to work in helping to throw out some more deer corn.
I prepared for the visit at the store yesterday. A few months ago I introduced Jackson to lentil soup, a family favorite for generations. If he's going to have the surname "Orrell" he must be exposed to family favorites. Last night I introducted him to braunsweiger. Most people hate it; however Jackson, bit off a nice chunk, plunged it into his dip, and eat it all. As you can see from the photo below, he not only ate it, but also smeared it everywhere.
I also bought a package of ginger snaps. Again another 'Orrell' favorite. He couldn't have it though, as he has a peanut allergy and the product was made in a factory that used peanut oil. I'll have to check the cartoons closer in the future.
Today, he'll get introduced into other 'Orrell' favorites. Since he like 'dip' of ketchup, it seems logical that he'll like the Orrell favorite of V-8 juice. After all, they both have a tomato base. Reb & I will go easy on him and give him the straight up out of the bottle version. When he gets older Reb & I will give him our favorite version which involves taking the V-8 juice and adding a lot of 'hot sauce' to it. You can buy a 'spicy' or 'zesty' version of V-8, but we like to spice up our own. By the way, stay away from the 'low sodium' version of V-8. It's horrible.
Let's see - we also have some tapioca and some rice pudding for later. Reb & I love that also.
Also, we'll give him another favorite which can involve another type of 'dip'. I bought a block of mild sharp chesse. We'll let Jackson 'dip' this into some syrup. That's been an Orrell favorite for decades.
As an added bonus, we'll also let him try some YooHoo later today. His father and I love to slam back a bottle of that now and then. As you can see, I've been getting ready for this weekend for quite a while.
Today, we'll all go down to Winchester, Virginia and walk around Old Towne. We'll tour the gardens and other areas, then return back here and go in the outdoor pool. Nora and I went yesterday afternoon and the water was wonderful.
The pleasures of being a grandparent are endless. Nora said she wants to teach him 'hide and seek' this afternoon. I guess we'll let her in on the action and have some fun also.
My son pointed out that I have been remiss in my grandfatherly duties. Seems I started a section of photos on the non-blog portion of this website for Jackson, but haven't updated since the first set of photos.
He's right. I've only posted photos to the "Jackson Reverdy Orrell" portion of this blog and have neglected to also put the photos in the other section. I'll remedy that this week.
To see all blog entires of Jackson Reverdy Orrell go here. The website portion only contains 1 page; however, I'll expand that to several pages in a
Reb's dog Hamish is now close to ten years old. He's the doggy garbage disposal in their household. Naturally, he's right there when Jackson is eating.
Look closely at the photo below and you'll see how much Jackson loves lentil soup. You can just see the top of Hamish's head in the lower right portion.
Jackson is giving Hamish a serious look while eating his lentil soup.
The next rite of initiation will be braunswager sandwiches with ketchup and onion. We figure this will take place next year at a baseball game. You just can't go to a ballgame without braunswager sandwiches.
After that, we'll give him a nice garlic bologna sandwich with some good spicy mustard! Nothing better than that, but it's got to be a good brand of lunchmeat for a good garlic taste.
After that we'll let him try some sliced chesse on Ritz crackers with some syrup on top. That's been a big family treat for years.
Then, we he gets a little older, we'll let him try a very lean raw beef sandwich with onion and salt and pepper. I'll guess we'll wait on the raw oysters for a few more years.
Nora and Sara just shake their heads.
"Hamish - you're crazy if you think I'm sharing any of my lentil soup with you!"
Every family has traditions. Most families have special meals that have been handed down for generations.
In the Malle - Orrell family, one of our special meals is lentil soup. This actually started in the Malle family, probably before 1900.
My Mother's Mother (Catherine Louise Simmont) made a very simple soup. Her lentil soup is very easy to prepare and has long been a favorite with some of the Malle family. My Mom introduced it to the Orrell family back in 1948 when her and my Dad got married.
The recipe is very simple:
Take a pot of water, add several chopped onions, add three bags of lentils, and add about three pounds of hot dogs. That's it. You could also add small cut potatoes or carrots, but we don't do that. Just put it on the stove, turn the heat up high and stir often. It will be done in under an hour.
Over the years, I've sometimes changed the recipe up a bit - now, more than not - using Polish hotdogs instead of regular hotdogs. I generally get the longer hotdogs and buy everything in a 3 pound package for about $5.00. I've even used the 'hot & spicy' hotdogs from time to time.
After the soup has cooked, I used to thicken it up a bit, frying up some Criso with flour. I'd just pour it into the big pot when the sauce thickened; however, I've gotten away from doing that several years ago.
One of the little secrets we do is to add dark cider vinegar to the individual containers before freezing. If out of dark cider vinegar, I've also used white vinegar and have even used some other types of vinegars. The vinegar gives it a little 'kick', although most people don't like it like that. You can either freeze the portions, thaw out and heat up, or as I prefer, just eat cold.
The above recipe makes about 15 large bowls of soup.
Eating your first bowel of lentil soup is a rite of passage in our family. I took up my large soup pot and made a huge batch for Reb yesterday. Naturally, it was time for Jackson to go through his initiation.
He gobbled up the soup. (We didn't add any vinegar to it this time.)
Yep, he's a true member of the Orrell family as you can see from the photo below:
Here's the second photo that Reb, Sara, and Jackson gave to Nora for Mother's Day 2008.
This one is a classic showing Jackson giving a High 5 to Daddy.
Do you think Jackson loves his Daddy?
Here's one of the photos that Reb, Sara, and Jackson gave to Nora for Mother's Day 2008.
I really like this photo:
I received a call from Sara about an hour ago. Jackson is out of surgery and doing well.
This little guy has had his share of problems since being born 14 months ago. He has asthma and acid reflux. Also, he's had more than eight ear infections. We didn't know if they were going to operate on him today, as he was slightly congested. However, the doctors thought everything was safe this morning and proceeded with his ear operation.
They drained fluid, cleaned out his ears, and inserted drains in both ears. They now hope that the acid reflux problem will begin to solve itself. While he should be on stage three baby food and some table items, he's still only really eating stage two with some stage three. The feeling is that the ear problem is related and with that cleared up he can start to eat and grow better.
We are going to Pennsylvania on Saturday to pay a visit. He's walking well now and is all over the place. In fact, he took his first steps on his first birthday.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
Here is a photograph of our grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken at Christmas. He turned one year old on 20 December and took his first steps on his birthday.
As you can see from this series of postings (12 days; 26 Dec 07 – 6 Jan 08), he has plenty of expression.
It's hard to believe but Jackson is one year old today.
It was an exciting evening for everyone last year, as we drove to York County Hospital and met with Sara and Reb before they went into the delivery room.
I remember after they brought him out for us to see. I took a quick photo with the cell phone and with another camera.
I really didn't get a good look at him until a few days later when we came home. It seems my eyes were a little watery that evening.
For Christmas, only five days old, I gave him a copy of the book I wrote called 'Reverdy'. After all, if he's going to have the name he may as well know it's history.
For his birthday this year, he's getting one of my most prized possessions. The photo to the left shows the actual working tools of Edward V. Orrell (Civil War Veteran) and Great - Great - Great - Great Grandfather of Jackson Reverdy Orrell.
I had a plaque made up for it, properly engraved. Scott Williams, a cousin in Missouri, had a few book making tools in his possession and sent them to me. Actually the top and bottom didn't go together and did fit. I had a friend weld them together for me several years ago.
It's the only thing I had of my great great grandfather and I'm blessed to be able to pass it along to my grandson.
Happy Birthday Jackson !
Here is a photo that was on Reb & Sara's camera.
It is one of Nora's favorites. In fact, I just ordered here a 5x7 of it.
Can you tell that Jackson is happy?
Here is a photo of Reb & Jackson from last weekend.
Jackson has a look on his face like he's saying:
"It's cool. Everything is OK. I'm with my Daddy."
Here's a four generation photo from Jackson's christening.
If only my father had still been here for this.
Over the weekend we went to Pennsylvania to see Sara, Reb, & Jackson. While there I downloaded the digital photos from their camera onto my portable hard drive.
Here's a great one of Reb, Sara, and Jackson.
On Sunday, September 30th, we traveled to Pennsylvania to see Jackson, Sara, and Reb.
The little guy wasn't feeling very well. He's cutting about six teeth at one time and is suffering with asthma. He's currently getting two nebulizer treatments every day.
In spite of all that, he really wasn't whinning or crying. He just wasn't smiling as much as usual.
It seems Jackson has found a new way to fall asleep. Basically, you sit in your crib and play with your toys until you fall asleep. You don't bother to lay down. You just slump forward.
Here are two photos from that day
On Sunday, September 30th, we traveled to Pennsylvania to see Jackson, Sara, and Reb.
The little guy wasn't feeling very well. He's cutting about six teeth at one time and is suffering with asthma. He's currently getting two nebulizer treatments every day.
In spite of all that, he really wasn't whinning or crying. He just wasn't smiling as much as usual.
Here is a photo from that day:
"Yeah, I'm a good boy ... sometimes."
On Sunday, September 30th, we traveled to Pennsylvania to see Jackson, Sara, and Reb.
The little guy wasn't feeling very well. He's cutting about six teeth at one time and is suffering with asthma. He's currently getting two nebulizer treatments every day.
In spite of all that, he really wasn't whinning or crying. He just wasn't smiling as much as usual.
Here is a photo from that day:
"OK, stop looking at me like that. I'm trying to be good."
On Sunday, September 30th, we traveled to Pennsylvania to see Jackson, Sara, and Reb.
The little guy wasn't feeling very well. He's cutting about six teeth at one time and is suffering with asthma. He's currently getting two nebulizer treatments every day.
In spite of all that, he really wasn't whinning or crying. He just wasn't smiling as much as usual.
Here is a photo from that day:
The caption should really read:
"OK, you've seen me in my Baltimore Ravens outfit. Now, let go of me so I can crawl around the floor"
Yep, he just started crawling.
Here is a photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell and his Depraved Brain Grandfather:
Finally we have a photo of Jackson and his proud grandpop.
Here is a photo of Jackson taken on July 22nd at Brittany's birthday part. He turned 7 months on July 20th.
Here is a photo of Jackson taken on July 22nd at Brittany's birthday part. He turned 7 months on July 20th.
Here is a photo of Jackson taken on July 22nd at Brittany's birthday part. He turned 7 months on July 20th.
Here is a photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell and his great-grand aunt, Dorothy (Malle) Kunsman.
She is my aunt (and godmother) and is my mother's sister. Since she is on the same generation as Jackson's great grandmother, she is his great grand aunt.
Here is a photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell and his great-grand aunt, Frances Waldecker.
She is my mother's sister. Therefore since my mother is Jackson's great-grandmother, Aunt Fran is Jackson's great-grand aunt.
Here is a photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell and Bethany Brooke Sandusky.
This one gets a little harder to calculate relationships for most people. Bethany's mother, Dorothy Jean (Waldecker) Sandusky is my first cousin. Our children are second cousins. Therefore my son (Reb IV) and Bethany are second cousins. However, Jackson is one generation 'removed' from that relationship. Therefore Jackson and Bethany are 2nd cousins, once removed.
To say she is a beautiful and delightful young lady is a real understatement.
Here is a photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell and his great grand aunt, Kim Malle. Kim's husband, Frank Anthony Malle, Sr. is my aunt. Kim would be my son's grand aunt (There is no such thing as a 'great' aunt - regardless of what you hear). Therefore, Frank and Kim are 'great grand' aunt and uncle to Jackson.
Think of it this way. Siblings of your grandparents are on a 'grand' level - not a great level. You have to go one generation beyond you grandparents to reach the 'great-grand' level. You have 'great grands' and 'grands', but not 'greats'.
We had a wonderful 16th birthday party yesterday for Brittany. She is Jackson's 2nd cousin, once removed.
Here is a photo of Jackson with Pat Daines. She is Jackson's 1st cousin, twice removed. Here's a brief explanation. Pat and I are 1st cousins.
Therefore, Pat and my son are 1st cousins, once removed. Since Jackson is my grandson, they are 1st cousins, twice removed. The 'removed' also deals with the generation differences. Pat and I are on the same 'generation' - being equal cousins (1st cousin, 2nd cousin, 3rd cousins, etc - are 'equal' generational cousins).
My son is one generation removed from Pat and my generation and my grandson is two generations removed from our generation.
Here's a nice photo from Jackson's christening. His cousin, Mary Beth Bunting is holding him.
Here is a nice photo of my grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, take on 3 June 2007.
He's a little over 5 months now and weighs about 16 lbs.
We try to get up to Pennsylvania every few weeks. We see a major change in him every time. He now has good control of his body.
Here is a photo of my grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken on 3 June 2007
Here is a photo of my grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken on 3 June 2007 with his great grandmother, Jean Orrell.
Here is a photo of my grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken on 3 June 2007 with his great grandmother, Jean Orrell.
Mom goes into Johns Hopkins Hospital for surgery tomorrow morning.
Here is a photo of my grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, taken on 4 June 2007 with his grandmother Carol.
Here one final photo from Jackson's christening with the Orrell family.
Here's a photo of Mary (Orrell) Jahnigan holding her great - grand nephew, Jackson
Here's another photo from Jackson's christening of Reb, Sara, Jackson, and godparents, Lori and Brent.
Here is another photo of the proud Grandpop with his favorite cousin (don't tell Mary Lynn), Phyllis (Orrell) Gettier
Here is a photo of the proud Grandpop and his favorite cousin (don't tell Phyllis), Mary Bunting.
While Jackson was taking a little nap, I snapped this photo of my (1st) cousins, Phyllis (Orrell) Gettier and Mary Lynn (Jahnigan) Bunting.
From a genealogical perspective, they are Jackson's 'first cousins, twice removed'.
Here is another photo from Jackson's christening, although he somehow escaped this photo.
Pictured are Richard Francis Orrell, Reverdy Lewin Orrell III, Mary (Orrell) Jahnigan, Reverdy Lewin Orrell IV, and Mary Beth Bunting.
Here is one more photo taken after Jackson's christening.
We have Jackson, Reb 3, Reb 4, and Jerry Gavin. Jerry has been one of my best friends for 50 years. He is also one of Reb 4's godfathers.
Here is a photo after Jackson's christening of the family at the altar
Here is the second photo from my grandson's christening, taken during the actual christening.
Here is the first photo from my grandson's christening
Jackson is just snoring away in his mother's arms.
Here is a photo from Jackson's Christening on Sunday. I'll try to post other photos in a little bit.
We're all heading up to Pennsylvania this morning for Jackson's christening. Hopefully, I'll be able to take several photos for posting on the website. We have about a 2 1/2 hour drive in each direction.
I'm also taking a few gifts. One is a very nice outfit for Jackson. I've also bought a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker for Sara. Finally, I bought Reb & Sara's first Mother & Father's Day present from Jackson. Their camera broke shortly after he was born. Nora and I bought them a digital camera. Seems like today would be a good day to give it to them.
Lessons From Grandpop
Jackson Reverdy Orrell
Lesson in Conservatism
by Reverdy Lewin Orrell, III
aka 'The Depraved Brain'
(1127 words)
April, 2007
NOTE: The webpage version of this article may be found here. The Adobe PDF version may be found here.
"Grandpop, how come you're so smart?"
"What do you mean, Jackson?"
"You know everything, don’t you?"
"No, Jackson, I don't. I do know about conservatism though because I study it along with current events in America and around the world, sociology and our society."
"Am I going to know as much as you do about these things?"
"In time, but it will take a lot of hard work on your part."
"Let me get my notepad and write some things down. What should I study and how should I go about learning these things?"
"Well first Jackson, you'll need a good library and must learn to surround yourself with good reading material. You'll also need to know what newspapers, newsletters, and magazines to read. It's also very important to know what talk shows and TV shows to listen to and watch."
"OK, Grandpop, can you give me a list of what I should read, watch, and listen to?"
"Certainly, Jackson, but it is also important to know what to avoid."
"Is that sort of like knowing that I must listen to Mommy & Daddy, but avoid strangers I don't know?"
"Pretty much, Jackson. You must always listen to Mommy & Daddy and be very careful of people until you get to know them."
"What about the other stuff - newspapers, books, newsletters, magazines, and TV and radio shows?"
"It's important that you study history and learn from the past. Of course, in school they don't always teach you what really happened. Listen to your father in that area. He has a degree in history and knows all about that."
"I know, Grandpop. I've seen all of his books. He has tons of them on the Civil War that he's going to let me read. Can you tell me the other things to read?"
"First, you'll need to subscribe to the Conservative Chronicle, Human Events, and NewsMax magazine. Conservative Chronicle and Human Events are weekly newspapers and NewsMax is a monthly magazine. There are also some other good conservative publications out there. You’ll want to get The Limbaugh Letter."
"Is that written by Rush Limbaugh? Or is it the other Limbaugh you sometimes talk about?"
"It's Rush's publication; his brother, David Limbaugh, is a conservative columnist who also writes good pieces."
"Who are some of the other conservative columnists you read?"
"I'll probably forget a few of them, but here are some of the ones I read - Ann Coulter, Patrick Buchanan, Joseph Sobran, Ben Shapiro, Oliver North, Jeff Jacoby, Robert Novak, David Limbaugh, Linda Chavez, Phyllis Schlafy, Donald Lambro, Cal Thomas, Mona Charen, George Will, William Rusher, Stephen Chapman, Larry Kudlow, Rich Lowry, Michael Barone, Walter Williams, Larry Elder, Thomas Sowell, Kathleen Parker, Paul Greenberg, Tony Blankley, Brent Bozell, William F. Buckley, Terence Jeffrey, Charlie Reese, Michelle Malkin, Harry R. Jackson, Jr., Herman Cain, Charles Krauthammer, Armstrong Williams, and Jesse Patterson are some of the ones I read."
"Wow, Grandpop! Which ones are your favorites?"
"I'm drawn more toward the topic or subject they are writing about, than the actual author, in most cases. However, my favorite columnists are Larry Elder, Michelle Malkin, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Mona Charen, Phyllis Charen, David Limbaugh, Joseph Sobran, and Ann Coulter."
"I know that Ann Coulter is your favorite, right?"
"Yes, Jackson that's right. She hits the liberals as hard as anyone and never pulls a punch. She says what others only dare to think and always has a touch of humor and satire in her pieces."
"Grandpop, you write like that also. Is she your hero?"
"In many ways she is, Jackson. I like the fact that she doesn't like Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy and no matter what she writes about generally finds a way to mention these two scumbags."
"Grandpop, you do that with the same two scumbags. You also go after Hillary, Je$$e Jack$on and Al Sharpton whenever you can. I like that word 'scumbag', Grandpop. Thanks for teaching it to me. Grandpop, with the columnists you mentioned, are they all Republicans? Are all of them white? Some of them are women, right?"
"Jackson, you're right and wrong. Don't mistake 'conservative' for Republican and 'liberal' for Democrat. While most are probably Republican, there might be a conservative Democrat in the bunch. Also, I do believe that Joseph Sobran and Thomas Sowell are Libertarians. Many of my favorites are women and some of them are not white. I mentioned thirty-five columnists. Six are women and seven are black. Good conservatives, like just bad liberals come in all sexes and races."
"Grandpop, you've told me about talk radio before and I've been listening to Michael Savage, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity. I really like Michael Savage - he's a lot like Ann Coulter in that he says what he thinks. Should I be reading any books?"
"Certainly, Jackson. I'd suggest all of the books written by Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, William Bennett, Pat Buchanan, Larry Elder, Thomas Sowell, and Jesse Patterson. Start with them, then I’ve give you a few more to read."
"OK, Grandpop, I'll do that. But what websites should I visit?"
"Wow, Jackson, you're really getting into conservatism. There's some great websites out there. I'd suggest Michael Savage, Michele Malkin, Townhall.com, WorldNetDaily.com, DrudgeReport.com, Media Research Center (mrc.org), NewBusters.com, TheConservativeVoice.com, HumanEvents.com, plus a few others. I'll e-mail you the links."
"Great, Grandpop. What should I stay away from?"
"Jackson, most of what you see on TV is crap. Stay away from most of the reality type TV shows and ABC, CBS, & NBC news shows. Don't read the New York Slimes, Washington Compost, or the Baltimore Scum. Fox News is your best source, although sometimes CNN has something good. It"s not that often, but it does happen. Also, whenever an entertainment celebrity opens their mouth, it"s generally time to close your ears. The same thing is true of most politicians. In fact, when you get a little older, I'll get you a special set of ear protectors, just like the ones that our military veterans wear whenever Hillary Clinton or John Kerry are speaking."
"I guess we've pretty much covered what I should read, watch, and listen to, right Grandpop?"
"Yes, Jackson that pretty much covers it for now. As you get older and develop your own special conservative issues, I'll tell you about specific websites that cater to them."
"You mean like illegal immigration, Grandpop?"
"Yes, Jackson, while conservative in nature there are groups that are organized around a specific conservative topic, like illegal immigration."
"Gee, Grandpop, you sure are smart. You’re my hero."
"And Jackson, you're my hero too. You represent the future of America, a country that won't survive unless little ones like you are able to wake it up."
"Chick Magnet Lesson"
Jackson Reverdy Orrell
Lessons From Grandpop
by Reverdy Lewin Orrell, III
aka 'The Depraved Brain'
(522 words)
April, 2007
Note: The webpage version of this article may be found here. The PDF version of this article may be found here.
"Grandpop, I'm getting thirsty. Can you grab my bib and get me a longneck from the refrigerator?"
"A what?"
"A longneck. Daddy bought a six-pack the other night. I'm thinking it's time I tried it. He seems to like it."
"Jackson, you aren't old enough to drink beer. You're only three months old. You'll have to wait another eighteen years before you can have a beer."
"What's the problem, Grandpop? Kids drink that stuff all the time. Why can't I?"
"Because your Mother and Father won't let you. And because your Grandpop would crack your bottom if you're caught drinking underage. We don't care what other parents or grandparents allow. We say 'No' and that's final."
"OK, Grandpop, I don't want Mommy mad at me. I'm her good little boy. Can you give me some milk instead? Remember to get my bib."
"Here Jackson, drink a few ounces of your formula."
"Grandpop, what does it say on my bib?"
"It says 'Chick Magnet'."
"What does that mean, Grandpop?"
"A chick magnet is a modern day slang term. It's a newer version of 'ladies' man'. It is a term given to a man who attracts women the way a magnet attracts iron shavings."
"But, I'm just a little boy! Will I be a chick magnet when I grow up?"
"The slang term is based on a person's looks rather than the more important qualities of what they have in their head and in their heart. It's based on physical assets, rather than more important qualities. You should want girls to be attracted to you for other qualities, for instance, how you treat people."
"Grandpop, I've been watching Fox News and listening to conservative talk radio. I've heard things that make me think that Bill Clinton and Je$$e Jack$on are chick magnets. Is that right?"
"No Jackson, that's a little different."
"Why?"
"A chick magnet should only be an unmarried man. It's accepted in society to be a chick magnet if you are unmarried. Once you are married you are supposed to be faithful to your wife and not look at another woman."
"But, Grandpop, the shows talk about the zipper President and his various girlfriends. They also talk about the 'Revrum' being an 'adult or her.'"
"Actually, Jackson, the word is 'adulterer'. It means someone that has not been faithful to his wife."
"That's right, Grandpop. They said Je$$e fathered a baby with a woman who wasn't his wife. Isn't that wrong, Grandpop? How can he still be an ordained minister having done that?"
"That's a good question, Jackson. The marble mouth 'Revrum' was never properly ordained and never graduated from a religious institution. Besides, many people 'loves' the 'Revrum'. To them, he can do no wrong."
"So you're saying I can't be a chick magnet like the zipper President and 'Revrum' Jack$on?"
"That's right, Jackson. You are expected to be faithful to your wife when you marry, unlike the zipper President and the Revrum."
"Gee, if the Kennedy brothers had been taught this lesson at an early age, Marilyn Monroe and Mary Jo Kopechne would still be alive. Thanks, Grandpop."
Jackson Reverdy Orrell - Lesson About Liberals
by Reverdy Lewin Orrell, III
aka 'The Depraved Brain'
(578 words)
Note: This article may be found in webpage format here, and in PDF format here.
Last Saturday, the Depraved Brain Grandpop gave Jackson a lesson about liberals.
"Grandpop, what have the liberals been doing lately?"
"Well Jackson, they've been busy. The Democratic presidential hopefuls have been running around the country making fools of themselves. Hillary & Obama have been going at each other's throats. It's been a lot of fun watching Hillary trying to talk like a black southern preacher and watching Obama try to shed his light skin and make himself more black."
"Grandpop, what's that all about. Isn't Obama a colored person?"
"Jackson, they don't like to be called 'colored' anymore. That's politically incorrect."
"Then why do we still have the NAACP? Isn't that one of their top groups?"
"Yes it is, Jackson. But many get offended with that term."
"Well isn't Obama a Negro?"
"Jackson, many don't like that term either."
"Then why do we have the United Negro College Fund?"
"I don't have the answer, Jackson."
"OK, Grandpop, then what is Obama? Black, Black American, African-American? Which is it?"
"I'm not sure, Jackson. The politically correct description keeps changing every few years."
"I'm confused, Grandpop."
"No more than the rest of us, Jackson."
"Grandpop, what's this stuff about Sharpton?"
"Al 'Sharp Tongue' has just learned that his ancestors were slaves and that the family of a former southern senator, once owned his family."
"Is that bad?"
"Slavery, while part of our history and part of the history of many nations around the world was very bad."
"Grandpop, I saw on the news that Obama's ancestors owned slaves. If Obama is - Grandpop, I don't know what the right word to say here is - anyway, did people of Obama's race also own slaves?"
"Yes, Jackson they did. In fact, the African Tribal Chiefs were one of the main reasons of slavery. They rounded their people up and sold them to the slave traders who brought them to America. Here, in America, many blacks owned slaves, but you shouldn't talk about that. It's improper. You can only degrade the whites who owned slaves. You can't talk about the black slaveowners in America or the African Tribal Chiefs. Only the white people were bad. The other's were just 'victims'. Besides, Obama isn't all black. His mother was white."
"But Grandpop, I heard that Obama's ancestors once owned slaves. Is that correct?"
"Yes they did, Jackson. But there's something else. You and Obama are cousins."
"You're teasing me again, Grandpop!"
"No I'm not Jackson. I looked at Obama's pedigree and have found the Cheney family in Maryland. As you know, we also descend from the Cheney family. You, Daddy, Me, and Obama all share a common ancestor in Richard Cheney."
"Wow, Grandpop. But didn't you say that we connect into the royal lines in England through Richard Cheney?"
"That's correct, Jackson. Obama does too."
"Grandpop, what does Al Sharpton think about Obama?"
"I don't know everything, but I've heard that Sharpton doesn't think Obama is black enough?"
"What does that mean, Grandpop?"
"Liberals, like Sharpton and others, only what to see a truly black candidate run for office. They're looking for a candidate who has a dark skin color and who acts black in their talk and lifestyle."
"So, if Obama doesn't act black enough, liberals won't support him? That doesn't seem right. Isn't Obama a very liberal senator?"
"Yes, he is, Jackson."
"Grandpop, these liberals are driving me crazy. I'm starting to get a headache. Can I have a bottle to settle my nerves?"
Jackson Reverdy Orrell - Lesson in Talk Radio
by Reverdy Lewin Orrell, III
aka 'The Depraved Brain'
(548 words)
March, 2007
Note: This entry may also be found in webpage format here and PDF format here.
Yesterday, my Mom, Nora's father, and Mr. & Mrs. Depraved Brain, traveled to PA to see Sara, Reb, and Jackson.
Jackson had been sick the previous week, but was just starting to feel better. Sara had hurt her knee about 10 days ago and also was sick, but was also starting to feel better. When we arrived Jackson was taking a nap.
When he awoke he quickly asked, "Grandpop, what are you going to teach me today?"
"Well, Jackson, I thought I'd teach you about talk radio today. Your Mom says you like the radio and listening to music, but there's more than that on the airwaves."
"Really, Grandpop? I thought there was only singing. I know there are different kinds. Daddy sometimes puts on classic rock from the 80's, then switches to country music. I like both of them. One time we made a mistake and put on the wrong channel, then left the room without knowing it. I had to listen to something called 'rap' music. I screamed and screamed until he came back and changed the channel. It was horrible! Tell me about talk radio."
"Well, Jackson, talk radio has been around for years. Basically, there is no music and people are talking all the time. The radio host brings up a topic, makes his comments, then listeners generally call in and talk about the current subject."
"But, Grandpop, there are a lot of stupid people in the world. Do they sometimes call in?"
"Yes they do, Jackson. But as you know these stupid people are called liberals and most of the talk radio hosts are conservatives. They straighten them out quickly."
"But, Daddy says liberals don't know how to listen. That's why they're the way they are."
"That's true, Jackson. As Michael Savage says, 'Liberalism is a mental disorder'."
"Mommy sometimes says that Daddy has a mental disorder. That can't be right. Daddy isn't a liberal."
"No, he's not a liberal, Jackson. Mommy is only teasing Daddy. But true liberalism is really a mental disorder. Michael Savage wrote a book about it."
"Really, Grandpop?" Can you bring it next time and read it to me? Mommy and Daddy read me books all the time. What do you like to read Grandpop? Mommy just read me 'The 3 Little Pigs'."
"Jackson, we now live in a politically correct world. It's not nice to say '3 Little Pigs'; that's been changed to '3 Little Puppies' in England."
"No, it hasn't Grandpop. You're just teasing me, aren't you?"
"No, Jackson I'm not. It's true and I'll be writing about it in an upcoming article."
"What talk radio shows do you like to listen to, Grandpop?"
"Well, Jackson there's several - Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Les Konsolving, Rick Roberts, G. Gordon Liddy, Mark Levin, and Michael Savage are my favorites."
"Wow, that's the second time you've mentioned Michael Savage, Grandpop. You must really like him. I see you have a 'Savage Nation' hat on."
"Yes, Jackson, Michael Savage is my favorite. He's a very smart man who tells it like it is. He has a way of breaking everything down so that anyone can easily understand what he says."
"Grandpop, do they make a Savage Nation hat in my size?"
"Not yet, Jackson. But when they do, I'll buy you one."
Last night Nora, my mother, and I travelled to Pennsylvania to see Reb, Sara, and Jackson.
The little guy is becoming much more alert, now almost 12 weeks old.
Sara has returned to work and Jackson is going day care.
Naturally, Grandpop had to spend some quiet time with him, teaching him various things. In the past we've discussed some genealogy. Today he was fasinated by my new hat, a U.S. Border Patrol hat I received for renewing my subscription to NewsMax.com magazine.
He quickly grabbed one of his hats and said he wanted to be like Grandpop.
The first thing he asked was whether I could get him a border patrol hat in his size. I told him I didn't think they made them in his size. He asked me to keep looking for one.
He then asked me about the crazy Florida Senator who doesn't like the term 'alien' and wants it banned from use in Florida.
I told him that I would research it and get back to him. He then asked me to write an article about it. I'll try to do that this weekend.
On Saturday, my Mom, Nora, and I travelled to Pennsylvania to see Reb, Sara, and Jackson.
It had been a little over 3 weeks since our last visit. He has really grown, now being about a week under 2 months old.
Naturally Grandpop had to give him another genealogy lesson. I told him about my troubles in finding his great great grandparents, Reverdy Lewin Orrell, Sr. and Mary (Martinek) Orrell in the 1930 Maryland census.
I must say, he listened well and was very interested in learning about how to search census records on line. I also told him about the 'old' days when you'll have to go to a library or archives, check everything out by hand, locate the reel containing the enumeration distrcits, load onto the micro-film reader-printer, search for the image, and then waste money (generally 25 cents at a time) trying to print off a census image.
He laughed at that. "Boy, Grandpop, things have changed. Now all you do is log onto Ancestry.com, plug in the name, click the hyperlink to the image and pull it up on the monitor. Then you can print out the entire page, save the entire page to your computer. You can even crop the page to just the section you want. You don't even have to leave the sofa."
Finally he wanted to know some more about the research trips Uncle Bob and I have taken over the years. Here is one of the photos I took while telling him a few things that happened on one of those trips.
This was originally posted on another blog on 15 January 2006.
Yesterday, Nora, my mother and I, travelled to Windsor, Pennsylvania, to spend a few hours with Sara, Reb, and Jackson, and to celebrate my mother's and Reb's birthdays.
While there, I decided to give Jackson his first real genealogy lesson. I told him about Uncle Bob and Uncle Ed in Florida. I explained the Dewey Decimal system to him, something he'll need to know when researching in libraries. Then I told him about all the research trips Uncle Bob and I have taken, about our trampling through various cemeteries, and about how Uncle Bob, his father, and I, are all 'world reknown' authors. I gave him all of the facts and even told the truth about the times Uncle Bob and I have been thrown out of archives and libraries for giving the people a hard time. I even told him about the time I plugged my laptop into an outlet at the DAR and caused an entire bank of lights to short circuit. "History is history, my grandson," I said. "You can't rewrite history, even though liberals try to do that all the time."
I think he got a big kick out of the lesson.
Then I proceeded to tell him about all the other 'Reverdys', I've come across. He found that very interesting.
He really liked hearing about the Kings, Queens, Emporers, Dukes, Earls, Princes, Counts, and Knights he was decended from and how he is related to several Presidents, Governors, Mayors, and Senators.
From the looks of the photo below I think he really started to get tired when I started explaining the various blood relationships in the family and how everyone was connect.
Somehow, I think he has the right idea.
It's been awhile since I put up a photo of Nora and I on the website. The one to the left was taken at Sara's baby shower in November, 2006.
It's one of the new photos that I have showing my new 'hair' style.
If anyone has a family photo they would like to share, please email to us. Be sure to give us the names of anyone in the photo. I'll get in the proper format for the blog and will post. We'd be happy to do this for any Orrell.
Naturally, we can't put all the photos on the blog, but we can certainly do our best to post a few of them.
Here is another of my favorites with Grandmom Nora and Jackson.
Here is another photo taken on Christmas Day, 2006.
It is of Jackson Reverdy Orrell and his grandparents.
As everyone knows, you must start teaching your children while they are very young. Below is a photo of Jackson Reverdy Orrell (6 days old at the time - Christmas Day, 2006) with his father, Reverdy Lewin Orrell IV.
Jackson has just received his first lesson on conservatism and the proper history of the Civil War. His Dad, a graduate of UMBC in History, and conservative, has just explained some of the true facts of the Civil War to him. No, these facts weren't taken from the school books you'll find in the classroom. They were the true facts of the war.
He was also told he was named after Gen. Stonewall Jackson, a great Southern General.
As you can see from the photo below, Jackson was listening intently to every word.
It's time to put a few more photos of Jackson Reverdy Orrell on the blog.
Here is one with his grandmother, Nora Skerry Orrell, taken on Christmas Day.
Below is the first four generation Orrell photo from my specific line.
Pictured are Reverdy Lewin Orrell IV, Jean Catherine (Malle) Orrell (holding Jackson Reverdy Orrell) and Reverdy Lewin Orrell III.
It would have been great if my Dad could still be with us. He would have been so happy and so proud.
Below is a photo of the newest member of the Orrell Family Association. Reverdy Jackson Orrell is shown taking a brief break from his genealogy research. Like his grandfather and Uncle Bob, he sometimes takes a nap in the afternoon, or whenever he wants.
Right now he's thinking about his next project. Is there any doubt that he will become a genealogist and research his various family lines? Like his father, grandfather, and Uncle Bob, in time, he'll also write books. After all, we Orrells are world reknown authors, and he wants to add his name to the list.
Perhaps he is the future of the OFA. After all, Grandpop and Uncle Bob aren't getting any younger and new blood is always needed to keep the association afloat.
Within a few years, I'll have him tromping through cemeteries and showing him the ropes at the archives and libraries. Forgetting about drawing with chalk on sidewalks - this kid will learn how to clean up graveyard headstones with a spray water bottle and brush, chalk and hightlight the lettering, add a little extra light to the headstone with a reflector, and snap a photo for the Orrell Scanned Database. After all, there are priorites in life. He'll learn that genealogy is one, close to the top of the list.
Along the way, his father will teach him about the Civil War and he'll learn all about his namesake, Gen. Stonewall Jackson. He'll regularly visit Gettysburg, about an hour's travel from his home. He'll take pride in his Confederate and Union ancestry, learning more about his ancestors Dr. Reverdy Benson Stewart (Confederate), the Hon. Lewin Randolph Stewart (Confederate), and Edward V. Orrell (Union). Perhaps he'll one day discover more hidden information about these relatives, as well as information on the more than 100 Civil War soldiers he's related to.
Of yes, he'll have his 'Golden Books', but will also have Orrell books on his bookselves. He already has his first. I gave him the book 'Reverdy' for Christmas. Written in 2003, I'm waiting for the day he asks, 'Grandpop, how come I have Reverdy in my name, but I'm not in the book?'. Oh well, that's why 2nd editions are written.
The great part of having your own website and blog is the ability to instantly share photos with friends and family. Today was one of the best days of my life, as I got to hold my grandson, Jackson Reverdy Orrell, for the first time.
Sara came home from the hospital last night, less than 48 hours after having Jackson, via c-section. With all of the doctors and nurses constantly around, she got little sleep or rest in the hospital and welcomed the opportunity to go home.
Over the next few days I'll post a few photos. These were taken this afternoon, the developed at WalMart. I gladly paid the extra $2.85 per roll to have them scan the photos.
Here's one of my favorites of Jackson and his grandfather. Jackson's the one with the most hair.
If you want to see all of the photos you can go here.
My Dad would have been very happy. We'll be taking my Mom back with us back up to Pennsylvania on Christmas morning. I'll get some more photos then.
I just spoke to Sara. She sounded tired, but said she is feeling OK. I don't think she has gotten much sleep.
She was getting ready to feed Jackson.
Sara said she and Jackson are coming home from the hospital today.
She also said that he weighed 7.23 pounds.
Every now and then, you are able to make a very happy entry into your genealogy database.
Below is the best entry, I've ever made in my 21+ years of genealogy.
Jackson Reverdy Orrell is the 28,647th person entered in my Reb4 database.
It is with a great deal of pleasure and pride that I announce that my grandson ....
Jackson Reverdy Orrell was born at 11:08 PM, 20 December 2006, at York County General Hospital, York County, Pennsylvania.
Sara is doing well after the c-section, and is looking forward to being home by Christmas Eve.
I'm sorry that I don't have the weight or any more information at this time.
We were only able to see him for a minute, before he was even weighed or measured. The nurse said he looks very healthy and in good shape.
While I was able to get a quick photo on my cell phone, I don't know how to get the jpg off and posted.
We will be going back up on Christmas Day when we'll get some photos.
The proud daddy is also doing well.
The Reverdy name now continues in our family in six straight generations.
1. Reverdy Benson Stewart, Confederate soldier, uncle of
2. Reverdy Lewin Orrell, Sr.
3. Reverdy Lewin Orrell, Jr.
4. Reverdy Lewin Orrell, III
5. Reverdy Lewin Orrell, IV
6. Jackson Reverdy Orrell
