I got up this morning and poured my daily ration of pills from the pill box into my hand. I looked and them and thought, "WHAT AM I DOING?"
There looking back at me were:
Blue Capsules, White & Tan Capsules, Tan capsules with black stripes around them,
Green Pills, Yellow pills, Blue Pills, Orange Pills-
And White pills of all shapes and sizes, round ones, square ones, long ones and short ones,
oval ones and round ones.
Then I thought, "I have been taking these for years and have never questioned how they know where to go in my old body, and when, and where they need to get to their destination? Of course the answer must be that the spoonful of Metamucil that I take last must act like a traffic cop and direct it all.
Do the big pills have the right of way over the small ones? Do the fancy colored ones get preference over the plain ones? If there were to be a Red-White & Blue capsule (No I do not take one of those.) would it have preference over ALL the others?
Some say they work for 12 hours without stopping and some say they take one-half hour before they even start to work. Who decides that--the traffic cop, or do they have a Union advisor?
If I miss taking one, do all the others wait until the missed one catches up?
If anyone has ALL the answers, please enlighten me. In the meantime I will just keep taking them.
TO ME THIS IS A LARGE CONUNDRUM????????
WALLY
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Sunday, December 22, 2013
GROWING OLDER
The statuette below is one good reason why you should call ahead if you are going to visit someone who is getting up in the years. One on my Grand-daughters gave me this a few years ago and I am sure it was to remind me not to forget any essential clothing when I get dressed each morning.
GROWING OLDER
Written
by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is
the most requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents
will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is
the most requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents
will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
I CUT THIS OUT OF A NEWSPAPER SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND EACH YEAR IT SEEMS TO HAVE MORE AND MORE MEANING TO IT. AT LEAST I CAN STILL LAUGH ABOUT IT SO I MUST STILL BE MOSTLY O.K.
WALLY
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
One Christmas in a Small Town
I have been under the weather (or ill for about three weeks), with pneumonia and a few other complications so I have been away from my computer, and therefor my blog. I think I am on the mend finally so I will try to get back to it.
Since it is getting close to Christmas I thought I would put in this short story about Christmas in a small town that I wrote in 2002.
ONE CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL TOWN
He lay very still for a few minutes, perhaps even holding his breath to make sure he could not hear anyone moving about. He had finished eating his cookies and milk in his bedroom and had called "goodnight" to his Mom and Dad quite a while ago.
When he was sure they must be asleep by now he quietly slipped out of bed being careful to step on the homemade braided rug beside his bed. He knew the stories he had heard about your foot sticking to the cold linoleum, like your tongue does to an ice tray were false, but he did not want to take any chances.
He crept out of his small bedroom and across the kitchen, again making sure he stayed on the rugs and did not step in the cold linoleum. In about eight steps he was in the doorway to the front room where the Christmas Tree had been decorated and lit and was awaiting the appearance of Santa Clause. Of course he and his friends now did not think there was a Santa Clause, but they were not sure? Maybe, just maybe-----? Never the less he wanted to see what awaited him under the big blue spruce that was their tree this year.
He peeked around the doorframe and was not really surprised that it looked just like it had when he went to bed. There were presents under the tree, there were cookies and milk on the end table for Santa and the lights were winking and blinking but nothing had changed. There were no new toys or gifts added since he went to bed. He said to himself, "well that is what I expected to find. I wonder how they know exactly when I am to sleep or just pretending?"
Of course it seems he had just gone back to bed and had just fallen off to sleep and he heard his Dad up building a fire, and then he knew! He knew that Santa had come and that it was OK to get up. He called to his Dad and asked, "has he been here yet?" And he answered. "of course Son but lets let the house warm up a little before you get up so your feet will not stick to the linoleum."
That was the beginning of another Christmas day, just like they had been for as many years as he could remember. When the house warmed up he and his Sister and Mom and Dad all opened their presents and ooohhd and ahhhed just like they did every year. They were thankful they were together and they always got some presents from that unknown Santa Clause.
After a quick breakfast the day's activities would begin just as they did every Christmas Day for as long as he could remember. He would bundle up in his warm coat, hat, gloves & boots and run as fast as his legs would carry him to his best friends to see what had been left for them under their tree. After a short visit and a piece of Christmas Pastry he and his friend would be off to the next friends house to do the same thing over again until they had visited all their friends in town. Each time they might pick up another person to go with them until in the end there might be ten or twelve kids trudging into a home to inspect gifts, eat cookies and have a Christmas drink. It was a grand time and one the young man would remember all his life, and even tell his children and grandchildren about.
Even though there might be ten or twelve children going from house to house. covered with snow and laughing and acting like children, they would never be turned away from their friends homes and would always be offered some type of "goodie." It seems in that small town that Christmas was the time for all the Mothers to try and outdo each other making goodies to hand out. I remember Greek Cookies, Pitisa, Italian biscuits, Fruit Cakes (soaked in wine cloths), Fudge, Butter Squares, Divinity and an array of things that were hard to imagine. We were even offered home made Wine by the Greek and Italian families, but we usually turned this down, hoping not to upset them.
It was usually afternoon when we finished visiting with friends and then it was time to visit the Aunts and Uncles (real ones and adopted ones.) There were many people in our small town who we called Aunt and Uncle but they were really just friends of our Mom and Dad's. Some times I am not sure if we really knew if they were relatives or not. Of course at those homes we had to eat. It was either a Turkey sandwich or a salad or it could be a full course dinner again. We never knew what it would be but we did know that we would be invited to eat. It seems in a small town that was closely knit together one of the favorite activities was to EAT.
After eating it was off to play, usually in the snow. If some of us were fortunate enough to get new sleds we could not wait to go try them out on the big sledding hill in Flat Town. We never had to worry about whether we would have enough snow. In fact our worry was usually the opposite. Who would be the one to walk up and down the hill in the thigh deep snow to pack down the trail for the first ride? Or if we got skates that clamped onto our shoes we would go to Hoopes' Pond and take our scoop shovels and shovel the snow of the pond so we could skate.
We would play in the snow until dark and then build a fire and play until we were so tired we could not get back up the hill. We were so wet and cold our pants were like cardboard--- but we did not care because we were having fun.
Our Christmas Day's were perhaps not as spiritual as they could have been, but the closeness and the love of other people of all faiths and all nationalities was ingrained deeply in me in that Small Town.
By W.R. Baldwin
9 Dec 2002
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND BUILD A LOT OF FUTURE MEMORIES.
WALLY
Since it is getting close to Christmas I thought I would put in this short story about Christmas in a small town that I wrote in 2002.
ONE CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL TOWN
He lay very still for a few minutes, perhaps even holding his breath to make sure he could not hear anyone moving about. He had finished eating his cookies and milk in his bedroom and had called "goodnight" to his Mom and Dad quite a while ago.
When he was sure they must be asleep by now he quietly slipped out of bed being careful to step on the homemade braided rug beside his bed. He knew the stories he had heard about your foot sticking to the cold linoleum, like your tongue does to an ice tray were false, but he did not want to take any chances.
He crept out of his small bedroom and across the kitchen, again making sure he stayed on the rugs and did not step in the cold linoleum. In about eight steps he was in the doorway to the front room where the Christmas Tree had been decorated and lit and was awaiting the appearance of Santa Clause. Of course he and his friends now did not think there was a Santa Clause, but they were not sure? Maybe, just maybe-----? Never the less he wanted to see what awaited him under the big blue spruce that was their tree this year.
He peeked around the doorframe and was not really surprised that it looked just like it had when he went to bed. There were presents under the tree, there were cookies and milk on the end table for Santa and the lights were winking and blinking but nothing had changed. There were no new toys or gifts added since he went to bed. He said to himself, "well that is what I expected to find. I wonder how they know exactly when I am to sleep or just pretending?"
Of course it seems he had just gone back to bed and had just fallen off to sleep and he heard his Dad up building a fire, and then he knew! He knew that Santa had come and that it was OK to get up. He called to his Dad and asked, "has he been here yet?" And he answered. "of course Son but lets let the house warm up a little before you get up so your feet will not stick to the linoleum."
That was the beginning of another Christmas day, just like they had been for as many years as he could remember. When the house warmed up he and his Sister and Mom and Dad all opened their presents and ooohhd and ahhhed just like they did every year. They were thankful they were together and they always got some presents from that unknown Santa Clause.
After a quick breakfast the day's activities would begin just as they did every Christmas Day for as long as he could remember. He would bundle up in his warm coat, hat, gloves & boots and run as fast as his legs would carry him to his best friends to see what had been left for them under their tree. After a short visit and a piece of Christmas Pastry he and his friend would be off to the next friends house to do the same thing over again until they had visited all their friends in town. Each time they might pick up another person to go with them until in the end there might be ten or twelve kids trudging into a home to inspect gifts, eat cookies and have a Christmas drink. It was a grand time and one the young man would remember all his life, and even tell his children and grandchildren about.
Even though there might be ten or twelve children going from house to house. covered with snow and laughing and acting like children, they would never be turned away from their friends homes and would always be offered some type of "goodie." It seems in that small town that Christmas was the time for all the Mothers to try and outdo each other making goodies to hand out. I remember Greek Cookies, Pitisa, Italian biscuits, Fruit Cakes (soaked in wine cloths), Fudge, Butter Squares, Divinity and an array of things that were hard to imagine. We were even offered home made Wine by the Greek and Italian families, but we usually turned this down, hoping not to upset them.
It was usually afternoon when we finished visiting with friends and then it was time to visit the Aunts and Uncles (real ones and adopted ones.) There were many people in our small town who we called Aunt and Uncle but they were really just friends of our Mom and Dad's. Some times I am not sure if we really knew if they were relatives or not. Of course at those homes we had to eat. It was either a Turkey sandwich or a salad or it could be a full course dinner again. We never knew what it would be but we did know that we would be invited to eat. It seems in a small town that was closely knit together one of the favorite activities was to EAT.
After eating it was off to play, usually in the snow. If some of us were fortunate enough to get new sleds we could not wait to go try them out on the big sledding hill in Flat Town. We never had to worry about whether we would have enough snow. In fact our worry was usually the opposite. Who would be the one to walk up and down the hill in the thigh deep snow to pack down the trail for the first ride? Or if we got skates that clamped onto our shoes we would go to Hoopes' Pond and take our scoop shovels and shovel the snow of the pond so we could skate.
We would play in the snow until dark and then build a fire and play until we were so tired we could not get back up the hill. We were so wet and cold our pants were like cardboard--- but we did not care because we were having fun.
Our Christmas Day's were perhaps not as spiritual as they could have been, but the closeness and the love of other people of all faiths and all nationalities was ingrained deeply in me in that Small Town.
By W.R. Baldwin
9 Dec 2002
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND BUILD A LOT OF FUTURE MEMORIES.
WALLY
Saturday, December 7, 2013
PEARL HARBOR DAY/ B-DAY
72 years ago today an earth shattering and almost unbelievable act took place. The "sneak attack" on the U.S. Military Installation at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I am sure everyone is aware of this historical event. The younger people, from reading it in their history books and some of us who are a little older were alive at the time as we were born in the 1930 era.
I will ALWAYS remember it because the attack that brought the USA into WW II had a close connection to me personally. I was having my 10th B-Day party at our home on that day and our next door neighbor came running in the back door of our home yelling, "The Jap's have bombed Pearl Harbor and we are at War. I just heard it on the radio." I cannot remember who all was attending my Party but I do recall that ended it when she came running in. Some of the guys immediately ran home and the rest just stood around talking about what actually happened and what would happen in the future.
I suppose as I get older I will always remember my 10th B-Day and the connection with Pearl Harbor Day.
As I sit here and jot these thoughts down some other things filter through my mind about that trying time in the lives of people I knew.
* VE Day --May 1945 was a day of celebration because of the end of the war in Europe.
* VJ Day -- Aug 1945 (sometimes actually celebrated in Sept. in some places of the world.) I and a group of boy scouts were camping at a lake called Boulger Reservoir. A Forest Ranger came by and told us that the War with Japan was over. We had a couple of big watermelons cooling in the creek so we went and got them and had a real old fashioned "watermelon bust." We ate all the watermelon we could hold then threw rinds at each other and run around yelling and laughing. We finally all got together with our leaders and decided to tear down camp and head for home.
* Gold Star Mother flags in the windows of homes.
* Blue Star Mothers flags in windows.
I am sure that everyone who might read this has many memories of their own but as I have received many Happy B-Day thoughts from people it has just stirred up my connection to Pearl Harbor Day I decided to share just a couple.
Wally
I will ALWAYS remember it because the attack that brought the USA into WW II had a close connection to me personally. I was having my 10th B-Day party at our home on that day and our next door neighbor came running in the back door of our home yelling, "The Jap's have bombed Pearl Harbor and we are at War. I just heard it on the radio." I cannot remember who all was attending my Party but I do recall that ended it when she came running in. Some of the guys immediately ran home and the rest just stood around talking about what actually happened and what would happen in the future.
I suppose as I get older I will always remember my 10th B-Day and the connection with Pearl Harbor Day.
As I sit here and jot these thoughts down some other things filter through my mind about that trying time in the lives of people I knew.
* VE Day --May 1945 was a day of celebration because of the end of the war in Europe.
* VJ Day -- Aug 1945 (sometimes actually celebrated in Sept. in some places of the world.) I and a group of boy scouts were camping at a lake called Boulger Reservoir. A Forest Ranger came by and told us that the War with Japan was over. We had a couple of big watermelons cooling in the creek so we went and got them and had a real old fashioned "watermelon bust." We ate all the watermelon we could hold then threw rinds at each other and run around yelling and laughing. We finally all got together with our leaders and decided to tear down camp and head for home.
* Gold Star Mother flags in the windows of homes.
* Blue Star Mothers flags in windows.
I am sure that everyone who might read this has many memories of their own but as I have received many Happy B-Day thoughts from people it has just stirred up my connection to Pearl Harbor Day I decided to share just a couple.
Wally
Friday, December 6, 2013
MY LITTLE BLACK BOOK
I was just thinking today if there were many people that keep a little black book like I have for several years? I called it Kid-Speak. When ever one on my grand kids said something funny or maybe not so funny I would write it down.
If any of you have done this it would be interesting to hear if kids act about the same all around this old country.
One of my grandsons came home from school one day and wanted to tell me about this chair in his class. He said,"Grandpa they call it the 'Power Chair.'" He went on to tell me that when you did something bad you had to go sit in the Power Chair. I told him that I bet he never had to sit in it and he said, "Oh yes I do. I sit in it a lot". It was all I could do to keep from laughing.
When one of our Granddaughters was visiting, she was just sitting on my lap staring at me. After a minute or so she said, "Grandpa how come you have hairs growing out of your ears?"
Trying to correct our Grandchildren and not thinking we were getting very far became insignificant one day when one of my Granddaughters climbed up on my lap and said "Grandpa I want to whisper to you." I put my head down so she could whisper in my ear and she said, "Grandpa I love you."
We were putting a sprinkler system in our lawn one summer and while I was at work the "Blue Stakes" man came and marked all the sewer, water and telephone lines before we dug the trenches. They marked them by spraying the lawn with blue, red & yellow spray paint. When I came home from work, one of my grandson's came running out of the house yelling, Grandpa someone spray painted your lawn. I looked at the lawn and said "I will be darned they sure did." Then he started yelling, "IT WAS NOT ME, IT WAS NOT ME, I WAS NOT EVEN HERE WHEN IT HAPPENED!"
One of my Grandkids and his Mom went to Parent Teacher conference. After talking a few minutes the teacher said ____-? is really quite smart and catches on quickly. He looked up at the teacher and said,"ya I am the smartest kid in the class. I thought you already knew that I already told you that once before."
We were having our annual Christmas Dinner at our house and before we had set down for dinner I asked what the grandkids liked best about Christmas? One of the boys gave a classic answer."I like the Christmas Feast at Grandma's, then Santa comes and gives us just a little something to hold us over until Christmas morning."
Some of the kids were over visiting and one was quite skinny, and always was. I picked him up and as I did I said, "J----- you are nothing but skin and bones." He did not even stop to think and answered back---Yes and Grandpa you are nothing but Fat & Bones." Needless to say everyone broke out laughing.
Well it is fun to reminisce and Grandparents and Grandchildren seem to have a certain special bond. As I said at the beginning, if any of you Cyber Grandparents out there have grandchildren episodes how about sharing them as a comment.
WALLY
If any of you have done this it would be interesting to hear if kids act about the same all around this old country.
One of my grandsons came home from school one day and wanted to tell me about this chair in his class. He said,"Grandpa they call it the 'Power Chair.'" He went on to tell me that when you did something bad you had to go sit in the Power Chair. I told him that I bet he never had to sit in it and he said, "Oh yes I do. I sit in it a lot". It was all I could do to keep from laughing.
When one of our Granddaughters was visiting, she was just sitting on my lap staring at me. After a minute or so she said, "Grandpa how come you have hairs growing out of your ears?"
Trying to correct our Grandchildren and not thinking we were getting very far became insignificant one day when one of my Granddaughters climbed up on my lap and said "Grandpa I want to whisper to you." I put my head down so she could whisper in my ear and she said, "Grandpa I love you."
We were putting a sprinkler system in our lawn one summer and while I was at work the "Blue Stakes" man came and marked all the sewer, water and telephone lines before we dug the trenches. They marked them by spraying the lawn with blue, red & yellow spray paint. When I came home from work, one of my grandson's came running out of the house yelling, Grandpa someone spray painted your lawn. I looked at the lawn and said "I will be darned they sure did." Then he started yelling, "IT WAS NOT ME, IT WAS NOT ME, I WAS NOT EVEN HERE WHEN IT HAPPENED!"
One of my Grandkids and his Mom went to Parent Teacher conference. After talking a few minutes the teacher said ____-? is really quite smart and catches on quickly. He looked up at the teacher and said,"ya I am the smartest kid in the class. I thought you already knew that I already told you that once before."
We were having our annual Christmas Dinner at our house and before we had set down for dinner I asked what the grandkids liked best about Christmas? One of the boys gave a classic answer."I like the Christmas Feast at Grandma's, then Santa comes and gives us just a little something to hold us over until Christmas morning."
Some of the kids were over visiting and one was quite skinny, and always was. I picked him up and as I did I said, "J----- you are nothing but skin and bones." He did not even stop to think and answered back---Yes and Grandpa you are nothing but Fat & Bones." Needless to say everyone broke out laughing.
Well it is fun to reminisce and Grandparents and Grandchildren seem to have a certain special bond. As I said at the beginning, if any of you Cyber Grandparents out there have grandchildren episodes how about sharing them as a comment.
WALLY
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
A SNOWMAN
A SNOWMAN W.R.Baldwin
A
snowman is really a sight to behold
And
of course is created when the weather is cold.
He
could be tall, or he could short and fat
But
the kids who built him don’t think about that.
Was
he built by rolling big balls up in the snow
And
putting one on top of the other as high as could go?
Or
did you shape him and form him with snow from a pile.
It’s
not important but did you give him a smile?
What
did he have for teeth, and what was his eyes.
Did
he look like a girl or was he one of the guys?
Did
he have sticks for arms, and no legs separately?
So
he would have to stand there for eternity?
But
a snowman won’t linger for very long in the sun.
It
is not very long until all his parts start to run.
His
head, then his arms, and soon he’s a puddle you see.
But
for Dad & Son who built him, he is a good memory.
.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
One year without my Wife
One year ago today I sit in a care center gripping my wife's hand and hoping she was not suffering as she was gasping for breath. After gripping her hand for only a few short minutes I felt the grip loosen and I knew she had passed on.
My first reaction was a selfish one as I immediately thought to myself. "what will I do without her." We had been together for over 56 years and now she had passed on. I honestly could not think of one thing that I might want to do by myself. As my mind went around in circles I kept coming back to, "what will I do without her?"
My youngest grandson Caleb had bought her a necklace for Christmas and wanted to know what to do about it. I took it and put it in Donnie's hand and told Caleb that when they dressed her for her funeral they would put it on her neck. He was happy with that.
After sitting here thinking about my mixed emotions I come to several conclusions. I am so happy that Donnie is not suffering anymore. She dealt with Diabetes and its many connected problems for years and she is now through with that. For that I am extremely happy.
Now that a year has passed I still miss holding her hand and talking of our memories. Thankfully I still have those memories.
I do not suppose I will ever stop missing her. Over this year I have at least realized she is in a much better place and hopefully she can use her loving influence to hold a place for me there.
My first reaction was a selfish one as I immediately thought to myself. "what will I do without her." We had been together for over 56 years and now she had passed on. I honestly could not think of one thing that I might want to do by myself. As my mind went around in circles I kept coming back to, "what will I do without her?"
My youngest grandson Caleb had bought her a necklace for Christmas and wanted to know what to do about it. I took it and put it in Donnie's hand and told Caleb that when they dressed her for her funeral they would put it on her neck. He was happy with that.
After sitting here thinking about my mixed emotions I come to several conclusions. I am so happy that Donnie is not suffering anymore. She dealt with Diabetes and its many connected problems for years and she is now through with that. For that I am extremely happy.
Now that a year has passed I still miss holding her hand and talking of our memories. Thankfully I still have those memories.
I do not suppose I will ever stop missing her. Over this year I have at least realized she is in a much better place and hopefully she can use her loving influence to hold a place for me there.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
MY AUTUMN
I wrote this several years ago when we were tending Autumn, one of our grandchildren. Of course we knew we were tending her but in her mind she was having a sleep-over at Grandma and Grandpa's.
MY AUTUMN
She walked into my room as if to let me know she was still around.
My Autumn, my youngest grandchild, born to my oldest daughter.
She ventured into this quagmire of clutter I called my office
Where I spend so much time in my old age.
Where faded pictures of her mother,
Adorn the walls in torn and dilapidated frames.
Left there to remind me of my younger days.
Of family vacations, school, work and just people.
I looked into her smiling face as she called me Grandpa
In that very small voice that I could hardly hear.
I almost cried when I thought of one so young
Who wanted to spend time with an old Grandpa who was almost spent.
We talked for a few moments then she turned and run from the room
To return to the toys and entertainment in the room next door.
I thanked my Heavenly Father that I had this privilege
To associate with a child so full of innocence and vigor.
As she left the room I turned back to my pictures, my clutter
And the many things of time gone by.
And all at once I realized how quickly I had grown old.
Thoughts by W.R. Baldwin
26 Aug 1999
MY AUTUMN
She walked into my room as if to let me know she was still around.
My Autumn, my youngest grandchild, born to my oldest daughter.
She ventured into this quagmire of clutter I called my office
Where I spend so much time in my old age.
Where faded pictures of her mother,
Adorn the walls in torn and dilapidated frames.
Left there to remind me of my younger days.
Of family vacations, school, work and just people.
I looked into her smiling face as she called me Grandpa
In that very small voice that I could hardly hear.
I almost cried when I thought of one so young
Who wanted to spend time with an old Grandpa who was almost spent.
We talked for a few moments then she turned and run from the room
To return to the toys and entertainment in the room next door.
I thanked my Heavenly Father that I had this privilege
To associate with a child so full of innocence and vigor.
As she left the room I turned back to my pictures, my clutter
And the many things of time gone by.
And all at once I realized how quickly I had grown old.
Thoughts by W.R. Baldwin
26 Aug 1999
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tanksgiving in a small town
Thanksgiving In A Small Town
When I try to remember Thanksgiving growing
up in a small town many things come to mind and of course almost all of them
are different than they are today.
The first thing, and maybe the most
important is the family and real friends. I lived in a small town and I had
close cousins who lived there also. Probably just as important as cousins and
perhaps more so was that in our small town, USA many years ago people developed
friendships that were very close and in many cases lasted for a lifetime.
My hometown was in the mountains over 7000
feet in elevation so by the time Thanksgiving rolled around there was usually
snow someplace to sled on, or ice on one of the ponds nearby.
One thing I
distinctly remember is that every winter I wanted a Flexible Flyer sleigh. It
seemed like every kid on town wanted one but there were not too many of us that
got one.
Of course as we got
older we used to slide down the hills around town either on a scoop shovel or
the hood of an old car we had “scrounged” up and I think maybe that was more
fun than a sleigh.
The town I grew up in had people from many
different countries and my Mom was a very good cook so our Thanksgiving dinner
was usually different than the plain old fare.
The turkey was pretty much the same as any
Thanksgiving turkey. The one difference I remember was we put pine nuts in the
dressing which gave it a distinct taste different than most dressings today,
(which many times just come out of a box from the store.) The other thing that
was usually cooked different from year to year was the sweet potatoes or yams.
The real big difference was the deserts.
Because of all the different nationalities and the fact that my Mom was a great
cook we always had an abundance of different deserts.
We had Greek Honey Cookies, Belgium Waffle
Cookies, Patisa, Butter Squares, divinity, fudge and several other types of
candy. We also had Fruit Cake wrapped in wine cloths and the ever popular Sugar
Cookies.
When the family was finished eating everyone
would help clean up and card tables were put up and some headed for a favorite
spot on the floor as we got out the game boards and cards to settle in for the
rest of the evening. The adults usually played cards and the kids usually game
board games. It seems like Monopoly sometimes went on for days?
When we had all had enough games and eaten
enough “goodies” we would call it a day and all head for our various homes.
Of course we all knew there would be plenty
of left over’s the next day—and of course the next day we could start looking
forward to Christmas and New Years
I just wondered as I
sit here reminiscing how many others out there remember the Holiday’s or the 1940, 1950 era and if they were as
enjoyable to you as they were to me?
Wally
27 Nov 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Hiawatha Breakfast guys
The Hiawatha Breakfast Group is a group of men who were raised in Hiawatha, Utah and meet for breakfast the first and third Mondays of each month to reminisce and share stories of what it was like growing up in a small town like Hiawatha. Most of the individuals now live in the Salt Lake Valley. My purpose is to capture some of these memories for whoever might enjoy them.
Comments from one meeting 4 Nov 2002
HALLOWEEN
Halloween was a fun time for the Hiawathaians. I remember the dummy being hung on the underpass going to East Hiawatha. Fun times John Barnett
A group of kids were up East Hiawatha tipping over out-houses. My brother Clyde slipped in the hole and got ("STUFF- you know what ) all over his foot. He was afraid to go home. He tried to clean it up as well as he could, but he still smelled when he got home
Don Reaveley
Ray Kramer had me deputized to make sure the kids didn't do damage to things. I caught Jerry Orton and had him arrested. His dad got really upset with me. Darrell Bearnson
DEER HUNTING
I once went hunting with Tom and Whitey. Whitey shot 82 times and had to go back to town for more ammo. Whitey did not get his deer that year John Barnett
I shot my first deer from the hip while hunting up North Fork. I didn't have time to aim. I shot it with the rifle on my hip. It was a four point buck. No one would believe me when I tried to explain how I shot it from the hip without taking aim Darrell Bearnson
THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF THE TALL STORIES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS------- Yes we do have fun!!!! and yes we do tell tall stories.
Friday, November 22, 2013
The Perfect Thankgiving
This was an article in the Murray Journal a couple of days ago and was written by Peri Kinder. It was so much OUR FAMILY I just had to pass it on. I called the Journal and got permission to reprint so I don't think I am in trouble? ENJOY--I did. Wally
Peri Kinder
At what point does
the preparation of Thanksgiving dinner get handed over to the next generation?
Is there a statute explaining the process of turning the oven mitts over to the
daughters/sons so they can begin their own traditions?
I grew up thinking
it was a law for grandmothers to make the Thanksgiving feast, with all the
favorite dishes like perfectly-roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, fluffy biscuits
and pumpkin pie with real whipped cream; and the not-so-favorite bowls of sweet
potato casserole and giblet stuffing. I never thought T-Day would ever change,
that we’d go on eating at grandma’s house until the end of time.
But then my Grandma
Stewart passed away. And then my Grandma Brickey passed away. And although I
knew my mom was a good cook, I worried that Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the
same. She didn’t have the aluminum drinking cups that gave grandma’s 7-Up and
Kool-Aid concoction that metallic tang. And she didn’t have access to
boysenberry bushes to create my favorite holiday pie And my cousins wouldn’t be around to torment.
Thanksgiving rolled
around, and (surprise!) the meal magically appeared on the table—with all the
appropriate fixins. My mom had done it! She pulled it off! I was impressed, and
showed her my gratitude by eating two dozen of her dinner rolls, doused in
homemade strawberry jam.
I decided I could
put off worrying about traditions being changed for many, many years.
Or so I thought.
One day, my mom
announced she was moving to the far-off state of North Carolina with her new
husband, blatantly ignoring the fact that her daughters were
Thanksgiving-disabled. Oh sure, we brought the mandatory side dish to each
holiday meal; but we’d never cooked an entire T-Day banquet. It seemed our
choices were either a) move to North Carolina, b) order KFC take-out, or c) eat
only pie (which I was totally okay with).
My sisters and I
called an emergency meeting. We tentatively agreed to cook a turkey, but had no
idea how big that turkey should be, or how many potatoes needed to be peeled,
and we were clueless about making gravy. We knew mom’s first ingredient was
always butter; we figured we couldn’t go wrong from there.
Luckily, we had mom
on speed-dial, and she talked us through that first Thanksgiving without her.
We survived with only mild cases of food poisoning, and a broccoli stuffing
that was quietly served into the garbage disposal.
But after mom
passed away, we couldn’t even call her for tips.
That’s when I
realized that I had become the grandmother, that legally it was my role to feed
my family Thanksgiving dinner. I still can’t time a turkey; it’s either
finished cooking way too early, or still roasting while we eat pie. And I
refuse to make sweet potatoes. But we’ve established our traditions, and
hopefully my grandkids associate the holiday with my desserts and homemade
rolls. And not the overcooked stuffing or too-salty gravy.
I often wonder
which of my daughters will take over the role of Thanksgiving chef when I’m too
old and feeble to cook (any day now). And I wonder what favorite foods will
become traditions at their meals. As our families become more diverse, T-Day
might include tamales, shrimp curry or sushi. I’m cool with that.
As long as there
are homemade rolls and jam, and any kind of pie, my Thanksgiving is complete.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Donnie-My loving Wife
In a few weeks it will be one year since Donnie left us. In some ways I cannot believe it has been that long, then other times I think about it and it seems it has been much longer. I wrote this little tribute just after her funeral and I have been thinking about it a lot as it gets closer and closer to 1 December.
The rains came down today as if the heavens were crying with happiness and joy as they were receiving one of their own back from her sojourn here on earth.
The rains came down today as if the heavens were crying with happiness and joy as they were receiving one of their own back from her sojourn here on earth.
Our Mother, our
confident and the person who brought joy into my life was returning home to her
Heavenly Father after a life of service, and of bringing joy and happiness to
all the people she knew during her journey here on earth.
Of course it is selfish
of me but one of my first thoughts was of my plight--- “What will I do without
her?” “Who will cheer me up when I get in my doldrums state of mind? What will
happen when I just want to hold her hand and talk? Of course the past several
years it has always been my wife Donnie that I turn to. She was always there as
my wife, my shoulder to lean on, my confidant—My Eternal companion. Again I
ask, “Who will it be in the long days and nights of the future?”
Her last years were
years of pain and suffering, but most people would never know that because if
they asked her how she was doing the answer was always.”I am Fine.” Of course
those of us who really knew her knew she was not fine and she was almost
petrified at the thought of dying. Of course everyone knew she was confined to
a wheelchair, but few really knew how bad she was suffering and how afraid she was
of dying. She wanted so much, to stay here on her earthly journey to play with,
cuddle and spoil her new great grand children.
She was a precious
jewel in our life. She was our wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother
and she was such an inspiration to all of us. She especially loved the young
ones in the family and she loved to have them come and play a game of cards or
Sorry or whatever they wanted to. She did not care what. She only wanted to be
with them.
Her one goal in life,
if she had “one goal” was to keep her family close to her and she did her very
best to accomplish that.
I am sure she is one of
the Angels in Heaven now. I am not sure exactly how the Heavenly Plan works but
I picture her there, as a beautiful, caring lady, just as she was here on earth
and planning and doing good, along with her son Steve, Bailey Grace, My Mom and
Dad and any others who want help in any way.
I am sure she is
bringing a little joy, happiness and peace of mind to those on the other side
of the veil just as she did while she was here on earth with us.
My question still seems
to be---“What am I going to do without her?” I sense her in our room at night,
I go to her gravesite and talk to her, and I know she hears me, but I long for
her voice. To hold her hand or just to jump in the car and go get a hamburger
and talk and reminisce about all of our good times. People say she is not
suffering, and I should be thankful she is not longer suffering the torments she
put up with the last several years. But I do miss her—I am happy she is not
suffering--- But I long to touch her and I am lonely.
Monday, November 18, 2013
HER FIRST NIGHT IN A TENT
When we were first married we did not have a lot of money, but we both loved the great outdoors of Utah and the neighboring states. A lot of our vacations were spent in the beautiful green mountains and the red deserts of Utah.
All of them were fun and we created a lot of memories. After we got home from one in particular, I
(with tongue in cheek) put down on paper this very interesting deer hunting vacation. A little of it is enhanced but for the most part it pretty much the way I spent that night? Ha-ha.
All of them were fun and we created a lot of memories. After we got home from one in particular, I
(with tongue in cheek) put down on paper this very interesting deer hunting vacation. A little of it is enhanced but for the most part it pretty much the way I spent that night? Ha-ha.
HER FIRST NIGHT IN A TENT
It was to be a pleasant week of deer hunting, but as it
turned out. It was a serious case of first time tent fever.
My wife Donnie and I had decided to pack up and go deer
hunting for our first time out after we were married. I knew she had spent a
lot of time in the mountains, but I had not thought about the fact that she had
never actually spent time in a tent.
She had roughed it in the mountains in an old cabin—quite
old but still serviceable. She had even slept, on one camping trip in a 1961
Nash that had seats that would fold down to make a bed. Little did I realize as
we got ready to go, that she had no tenting experience.
Even for the most experienced tenter, you need to have a
very large tent with some of the comforts of home to keep from getting the
infamous tent fever.
Before we left home in the city, I made sure we packed my
pride and joy, a 10 foot by 12 foot wall tent that I had owned since I was 17
years old. I also put in the tent stove that I had made in High School, which I
bragged would run most normal people out of the tent if you really got it fired
up. We also packed an assortment of other comfort makers. Coolers, clothes
racks, lanterns, lantern hangers, a large tarp for the floor and an old bed
springs and two brand new five pound Dacron sleeping bags.
We pushed and stuffed all of these things into the trunk and
back seat of our old 1954 Mercury, with a few overflow items on the front seat
between us. With no more room in the old Mercury, we took off for the mountains
of Joe’s Valley for a pleasant week of deer hunting.
When I was seventeen I had bought all of my camping
equipment at the Company Store in Hiawatha, where I worked and I was really
proud of it. I had a large wall tent, Coleman lantern, Coleman stove, Coleman
cooler and a .270 Winchester rifle. The sleeping bags were new or had only been
used a couple of times.
I imagined what the week was going to be like as we traveled
from the city toward our destination in Joe’s Valley. I could picture Donnie
and me roaming the beautiful Joe’s Valley mountains and looking down on our
little tent camp, on the edge of a meadow, at the bottom of the mountain.
There was however numerous things I forgot to take into
consideration –Donnie had never spent a night in a tent, let alone a week. It
also could be bad weather and bad weather in Joe’s Valley was really bad news.
As one might suspect, we arrived in late afternoon and set
up our tent in an idyllic setting. We were in the edge of some quakies that
bordered on a high mountain meadow. We could set on a log in front of the tent
and see clear across the meadow to the mountains on the other side.
We sat and watched the clouds scudding across the sky and
tried to imagine the shapes of animals as they changed from one thing to
another, moving swiftly across the sky.
As dusk creeped in and total darkness followed, we put out
the Coleman lantern, stoked up the wood burning stove in the tent and prepared
to settle in for the night. We hoped to get a good night’s sleep so we could
arise early in the morning for the hunt.
I had not realized that mild hallucination was one of the
early symptoms of tent fever. If I had known I would have gotten a clue about
Donnie early in the night. As soon as we got settled down in our sleeping bags
Donnie started to exhibit some neurotic behavior.
I was one breath away from being sound asleep when I felt a
hand grip my arm and tighten until I thought it was going to shut off the blood
to my arm. “Did you hear that,” she whispered. “I didn’t hear anything,” I told
her.
I settled back down and again as I was about to pass into
the never land of dreams and big Bucks, the grip on the arm again, and she
said, ”listen to that THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, there is something right outside of
the door to the tent.”
At that point my ears perked up and I listened and sure
enough I heard a faint, chop, chop, chop of someone down the valley was cutting
firewood. Of course unless you have been in the mountains at night, you can not
realize how sound travels a long distance in the thin mountain air.
I could not convince her it was someone cutting wood. She
thought for sure it was a bear, moose or perhaps even Sasquatch.
“Did you tie the tent flaps.” She said. As if that would do
any good, if it was one of her imagined threats. So I grumbled a little and got
out of bed, catering to her psychological need, untied the tent flaps and took
a quick look outside, retied the tent flap and said to her, “No one there dear,
all is well.” By this time I secretly hoped we could now settle down for a good
night’s sleep.
Sometime within the next hour, again just as my eyelids had
closed and I could see a big six point buck standing on a ridge looking at me.
I heard a panic stricken whisper, “The tent is on fire.”
I jumped out of bed and started putting on my pants. I had
one leg in the wrong pant leg and was almost awake when I realized there was
nothing amiss in the tent. I hissed as calmly as I could, “WHAT makes you think
the tent is ON FIRE.”
“Look at the tent behind the stove; I think it might be
burning.” I looked and the air holes in the stove were reflecting a gentle
orange glow onto the tent wall. Indeed a nice reflection but no fire.
I blurted out, “Don’t EVER do that to me again,” as I
crawled back into bed.
About midnight I felt an elbow in my ribs and was given the
enlightened information, from my now psychotic wife, that the wind had started
to blow and, “Do you think the tent might blow down?”
“Let it blow,” I yelled. “The fire is stoked, the tent is
tied down and I have slept in this tent through everything but a hurricane, so
now let’s get some sleep.
About an hour later I heard this small voice say, “Honey
what is that plop, plop, plop noise I can hear?” I propped up on one elbow and
listened and as I layed back down I said, “It is just a little rain let’s try
and go back to sleep.” After about fifteen minutes, that to her seemed like two
hours, the plop, plop, plop quit and she gently shook me and said, “I think it
has stopped honey, now we can get some sleep.”
I thought to myself as I settled back down, “Was she
shivering from the cold, or trembling from her imagined fears or did she just
have a touch of tent fever?”
Within hours the temperature was dropping like the mercury
in a thermometer in a snow cave. I know how that feels because I had spent some
time in a snow cave as a boy scout in my younger years. I got up and stoked the
stove a couple of times and finally it was 6:00 AM and time to get up, get
breakfast and go off and stalk the mighty bucks.
I got up, stoked the fire, got dressed and untied the tent
flap and looked out and let out what my wife thought was a primeval scream, “OH
NO.” When the plop, plop, plop on the roof had quit during the night it was
because it had quit raining, but what we did not realize was that it had turned
to SNOW.
There were two or three inches of, what in any other
circumstances would be beautiful white snow. But at this point it was a bone
chilling addition to Donnie’s tent fever. It was still snowing hard, and the
flakes looked as big as half-dollars, as they were fluttering gently down to
the ground.
I started thinking of all the stories I had heard about
people being snowed in for the winter, or having to walk out and leave their
car, and those that had to have a CAT come in and pull them out. And then I
thought of spending another night in the tent with Donnie.
I yelled at her, “get up, get dressed as fast as you can, we
are out of here.” She pouted and said, “Don’t yell at me dear.” I screamed
back, “I am not yelling I am just excited.” And I to perhaps, had a touch of
tent fever.
I dropped the tent almost before she got out of it. I
stuffed it, and anything else that was loose, in the back seat of the Mercury.
As calmly as possible I told her. “We NEED to get out of here as soon as we
can.”
Donnie said, “Why are you shouting and sweating dear, when
it is snowing.” I could not tell her it was because of worrying about spending
the winter in Joe’s Valley in a tent. We did not even have a Scrabble game or Monopoly
game to play if it came to that. I tried to casually say. “I guess I am just
trying to pack to fast and it causes me to sweat and be a little up tight.”
Because of our haphazard loading, we could not get
everything back in the Mercury. It seems when you just throw things in they
take up more room than if they are packed in nice and neat. We ended up
throwing snow on the stove to cool it off. We tied the tent poles to the front
and back bumpers and tied the stove on top of the trunk lid.
We jumped in the Mercury and I gunned the motor and we shot
down the road, sliding from one rut to another. As we were sliding down the
road my wife said, “Honey do you hear a funny noise in the engine?”
There has never been anything quite like our first night in
a tent. I still kid her about tent fever and she still talks about “snow
phobia” that I seemed to have caught that morning.
(This is a somewhat
true story with some embellishments—written by W.R. Baldwin in November of
1993)
Friday, November 15, 2013
MY GUARDIAN ANGEL
As I was sitting here thinking how fortunate Donnie and I were to have such special friends. Especially the ones she called "Her Guardian Angels." When she got so she could not leave the house very easy because she was in her "JAZZY" two groups of friends stepped in and came to our home to spend time with her. One was a book club and one was a craft club. They came every week and when she was in a Care Center they went there and spent a lot of time with her. As I said she called them her Guardian Angels-- and of course I had to give them a name also and the name I chose was "The Old ladies". If course they all knew that was not a derogatory name but just one of my eccentricities.
I can never thank them enough for the care and service they provided us. I think now they may have taken me for a service project and as I was thinking of them this little "ditty" that I wrote way back in 1997 came to mind.
Thanks to you Guardian Angels that actually live here among us and go about doing GOOD.
4 July 1997
W.R. Baldwin
MY GUARDIAN ANGEL
Is there someone up there
watching me?
Is there a Guardian Angel assigned to me?
Could there be someone special, who watched me grow?
Perhaps helped me decide which way I should go.
Does that special Angel watch me for life?
Through times of happiness and times of strife.
Or do they change places as the years go by?
Could my Angel be my Mom or Dad when they die?
I hope it is someone, who is patient and kind,
Who can put up with my faults, no matter what kind?
Who will guide me and help me as I go along,
Like the Angels we find in many a song.
Do we each have our own Angel up there?
Or do several of us have only one to share?
Perhaps some of us might need three or four
To keep us on the path, to life evermore.
Do they watch us play and do things we shouldn’t
Are they there to help us do things we couldn’t?
I suppose if we believe this, and I truly do,
We might be more careful of most things we do.
When in the beauty of the mountains, do you a presence feel
Just as you do as you pray by your bed and, kneel?
A Guardian Angel, I know I have one!
I hope they overlook some things I have done.
Again as I wonder, who this person might be.
Have they lived on the Earth like my family and me?
Do they know of our happiness, our troubles and fears?
I am sure that they do. They are probably our peers.
Is it Mom or my Dad or perhaps a good friend?
Who has passed through the Vail after this life did end?
Whoever it is, really does not matter too much
If they are there to help me, is that asking too much?
Is my life an open book they keep for me to see?
Will I “Endure to the end”, and then eternity?
I hope that my Angel is really “down to Earth,”
“Or does that sound like an attempt at some mirth?”
Whoever they are, and where ever they be,
I hope I have one to watch over me.
To watch after me from somewhere afar,
And to give a good report at the judgment bar.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
WHAT IS IT?
Do any of you more mature guys and gals out there know what this tool is? Actually I did not see one until I was about 25 years old. Also I NEVER saw one that was as pretty looking as this one. The ones I saw was usually very rusty from being used a lot and then tossed in the corner of a "tack shed" or in the corner of a field. One clue about it is that I was told it could replace a horse or two or three strong boys.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
9:10/11/12/13
Well at 9:10/11/12/13 I was sitting here doing genealogy. I would bet if you ask your friends what they were doing then most of them would not know. Well we will not have another chance at it for a LONG time. Just saying---
WallyMonday, November 11, 2013
Veteran's Day
Monday, November 11, 2013
A VET and a GRANDPA
The important question he wanted answered was---- did any of the planes I ever flew in ever get shot at or have bullet holes in them.
Well the short answer is NO. I was fortunate that even though I enlisted during the time of the Korean War, I did not have to do any combat time.
I enlisted in the US Air Force, at the same time many of my friends did. I was in the United States for the first six months getting training in Texas and Colorado ---then three years in Germany-- then the last six months before my discharge I was in Kansas.
I am not sure my grandson Caleb got the answer he wanted to his question? I think the kids now days play to many War Video games so they cannot even comprehend what real war is like. I am not sure that I even understand what it is like. I have some friends that could tell them and it is not fun and games and it is not pretty and glorified like it is on the video games.
Then to answer Caleb's question:
Yes I am a Vet.
Yes I am proud of it.
Yes I enjoyed my time in the Air Force (but remember I was not in a combat zone.)
Yes four years was long enough for me.
No there were no bullets hit any of the planes I was flying in.
No there were no bullets shot at any plane I was in.
Yes I would do it again if I was 19 years old again.
One real plus I got while in Germany was I was on the ground crew if a precision flying team called the "Skyblazers". They were in our squadron and they went all over Europe putting on air shows and we got to go with them most of the time.
So if you want to know more I guess you will have to come and stay with Grandpa a day or two.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
A MISSIONARY FAREWELL
I attended a meeting today, that is called a Missionary Farewell in my Church. A lot of other things take place in this meeting when a missionary is not participating in his "going away" meeting. It then is called a Sacrament Meeting (but this is a subject for another blog at another time.)
While I was watching and listening to this young 18 year old man several things came to mind and it touched my heart and gave me a warm feeling. He is going to serve a mission for two years to try and find and teach the people in Mexico the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so they can indeed fill the Temple pictured above, with dedicated saints.
He will be away from his home and family for two years, however he will have the love and protection of Jesus Christ with him for those two years. He also will have the prayers of his family, friends and Ward members to give him the strength both spiritually and physically , that he will need.
He is going to the Ciudad Juarez Mexico Mission. which is not the most placid place in the world, but it is obviously the place the Lord wants him to be.
In his talk this young man indicated that the mission boundaries encompass about 1.5 million people and it is the missionaries calling to glean out the faithful who are looking for the truth and prepare them to become members.
A Sister member played and sang a song in the meeting entitled "God Be With You Till We Meet Again." I am sure God will do just that.
As I said in the beginning I had a "warm feeling" all through the meeting and I am sure all the people who came to support him did also. There were quite a few what I call "weak tear ducts" through the meeting
I purposely have not used the young man's name here but if he or his parents want to they can add it to the comments section below. GOD BLESS YOU ELDER K.M.
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