The Guild 12-07-2002 Past White House Christmas Cards

The White House ^

[BigWaveBetty]

Written on White House stationary in his own hand in 1927, President Calvin Coolidge issued the first official Christmas message to the American people. As a response to numerous requests for the President to send a holiday greeting, President Coolidge asked newspapers across the United States to publish his holiday greeting to the American people. Although he didn't speak, he participated in the first ceremonial tree lighting for the event now known as the Pageant of Peace.

President Eisenhower expanded the list of Presidential Christmas cards recipients significantly in 1953; the President sent season’s greetings to American ambassadors abroad, members of the Cabinet and Congress, foreign heads of state and government officials. Thereafter, the official Presidential Holiday Greeting was the White House Christmas card.

Artist Adrian Martinez of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, designed the 2001 holiday card which features the Second Floor Corridor of the White House with Mary Cassatt's 1908 painting, Young Mother and Two Children. Mrs. Bush selected the Psalm for the card on September 16. At Camp David, the chaplain based his sermon on the Psalm, which was outlined in the lectionary for that September Sunday.

2001 White House Tree

The President and Mrs. Bush stand next to the 2001 tree, an 18-foot Concolor fir that was grown in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania. For ornaments, artists from all 50 states and the District of Columbia designed miniature replicas of historic houses from their regions.

See the past cards from The White House from Hoover to to Bush 41.

[BigWaveBetty]

Where in Louisiana? I grew up there.

New Iberia, LA. Where ever the heck that is! Well lookie here I found it!

Is that a nice place? Her husband grew up in Slidell.

[lodwick]

Anywhere out of NO proper is a nice place - you'll have a blast when you visit them. I've cousins living in Metarie and except for the occasional hurricane, the living is large in Cajun land.

[Timeout]

Sorry, I don't know New Iberia. I was way up in the top of the state...near Monroe. Dittos on the New Orleans fun FOOD! Oh my...just thinking of Commanders Palace...turtle soup, scamp almondine. Mmmmmmmm

[BigWaveBetty]

I am worried their so close to the coast, told them to stock up with lots of flood insurance.

I've never been to LA and I'm looking forward to it. Fstcwgrl says she'll teach me how to eat crawfish.

But there's no way I'm going to Mardi Gras and bear my sweater puppies. Nope, not gonna happen! :-)

They should be gone by Thursday, sniff, sniff, boooo hooooo hooooooo! Her and Laney are coming over on Tuesday so we can go to Steak and Shake (a restaurant) one last time.

I've got to get all of Laney's presents wrapped so they can take them along, I'd like to save the postage.

Christmas will be very lonely this year with our niece recovering and fstcwgrl and family gone. Sniff, sniff, boooo hooooooo hoooooooo!

[BigWaveBetty]

*groan* their they're

[lodwick]

Just imagine all the beads you'll get when you "bear" those puppies!

[Endeavor]

Isn't New Iberia an oil town? I had friends who worked for Halliburton and they were stationed there early in his career. I hope they like mosquitoes (and cockroaches - they still give me the creeps and I was born in Houston, where they are practically tamed and ridden as pets by toddlers).

[Iowa Granny]

I have heard about those giant cockroaches, but I've never seen one. The ones I am familiar with are about three quarters of an inch long, are black and have a shell like thing on their backs,,,, sort of like crickets.

Are these big ones like that only bigger?

[Endeavor]

Yep. Slap a saddle on their back and away you go. I just hate the way they scurry (you hear them) when you walk in the kitchen and turn on the light. At least we don't have cockroach problems in the midwest.

But anyone who can live in Florida can live in LA. Those Floridians are tough customers, what with all their bugs and 'gators and such. I'll take the cool waters of Martha's Vineyard and leave the swamps to the heartier folk.

[Iowa Granny]

Incredible!

I'm not afraid of bugs, but there are several I don't particularly care for,,,, I'm thinking this is one of those.

[Endeavor]

Well, ya know, we Texans tend to exaggerate a bit from time to time, but they are big - of course, that's how we teach our kids to ride bulls - we start them out on cockroaches at the tender age of 6 mos. ;>)

[Iowa Granny]

At what age do they progress to Mutton Busting?

[Endeavor]

It's T E X A S IG, we don't allow any muttons. If you ain't got cattle, you just ain't got.

[BigWaveBetty]

Oh God, I not telling them! But since fstcwgrl was born and raised here in the Sunshine State she probably won't be too freaked out.

We got skeeters, some so big (usually they hang at the beach) they'll carry you off. Three kinds of roaches that I know of. German, the 3/4 inch kind IG spoke of, cockroaches, they're the ones that fly (eeeewwwwww!) and my personal favorite, palmetto bugs. These lovelies are pre-historic and are not afraid of anything. They don't need to fly, they have an armour type shell and emit a horrible stench somewhat like a skunk if you're unlucky enough to step on one. Sometimes they just let it loose if they feel threatened.

As a going away present I'll give them a case of Combat. :-)

I have no idea about it New Iberia being an oil town. The company her husband will be working at make industrial generators. Trust me, there's no talking them out of going, some of us have to learn the hard way.

[lodwick]

The Daily Iberian

[Timeout]

Check out the City of New Iberia's official website....looks pretty.
LINK
But they may need to prepare for a trip back in time....here's the movie theatre:

As for those yucky bugs, we have them here because of all the giant oaks. But I use the Terminix quarterly service and don't have a problem. I see one occasionally, but their service really works.

[lodwick]

It seems that the kids housing costs will be quite reasonable in Cajun land.

[Iowa Granny]

I'll be thinking of you this week as you assist your daughter with preps for the move.

Lots of details to attend to here today. I'm flying out to DC in the morning.

[lodwick]

Lots to do in New Iberia:

December 15
CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES
New Iberia, Shadows-on-the-Teche, host home 877-200-4924

December 15
LIVE IN THE PARK
New Iberia City Park, 300 Parkview Dr., 7-8:30 pm, singing, live music, poetry readings and performances, open stage format, 337-369-2337

December 15
IBERIA COMMUNITY BAND CONCERT
Sugercane Festival Bldg., Parkview Dr., New Iberia, 3:00pm 888-9-IBERIA

December 15
LES SONS DU TECHE
Christmas Chorale Performance, St. John the Evangelist Church, Jeanerette, 2:00 pm, 888-9-IBERIA

December 19-22
CHRISTMAS IN THE AIR
Live nativity scene, play, concessions, Sugarena, Hwy 3212, New Iberia, 337-365-7539, www.sugarena.com

[mountaineer]

A good suggestion from Cindy Adams:

SO, our U.N. losers can't find Iraq's weapons of mass destruction? Let them paint Saks Fifth on Saddam's headquarters and let's send in Winona Ryder. She'll not only find them, she'll carry them out with her.