tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167111412024-03-07T21:42:00.495-06:00Mimi and GrampaMORE THAN 40 YEARS PLUS TWENTY SEVEN GRANDCHILDREN AND COUNTING!Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-84332090607206939762012-10-10T21:48:00.000-05:002012-10-10T22:02:26.729-05:00Me and President Nixon<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Say what you will about President
Nixon --- those who know me know that I have said plenty about his stupid
involvement in the Watergate mess and what it did to our country. In the end,
he did the right thing when he resigned, but he did it for the wrong reason ---
not because it was the right thing to do, but because it was the last thing he
could do. I think much of the division we now have in our politics can be
traced to the Watergate debacle. But, that is not the reason for this post. This
is my story that involved President Nixon.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
I was a young soldier in Vietnam in the mid 70s when President Nixon ordered
the United States Military into Cambodia to engage the Viet Cong and disrupt
the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the main supply line for the North Vietnamese and Viet
Cong from North Vietnam into deep South Vietnam. This is not a debate on
whether or not that incursion worked or even if we should have entered Cambodia,
but what the results were and my letter from President Nixon.<br /><br /> Before this
operation, our base camp at Tay Ninh was hit almost nightly with mortars and
rockets by the Viet Cong. There were many nights I was on shift in the ATC
radar van vectoring helicopters in and out of fire zones as they attacked those
who were attacking us. There were many nights I spent in a bunker as the
incoming sirens blared and jolted us from our bunks. Parts of some nights I spent
on the floor of the hooch next to my bunk waiting until we felt it safe to dash
to the bunker. Those were nights of terror for us as we had no way of defending
ourselves, just laying on the floor trying to get to the relative safety of a 6
x 6 conex covered with layers of sandbags.<br /><br />
I had friends who died in that incursion in Cambodia; one in particular whom I
went to Church with. But for us, the incursion’s effect was the virtual end of
the war in Tay Ninh! The supply lines were broken and the mortars and rockets
were not getting into the hands of the enemy, nor were they being fired at us
in the base camp. No more were incoming sirens going off every night. No more
were we crawling to the bunkers. In fact, some of the newbies in our unit never
experienced incoming from the time they arrived until we closed that camp and
moved to Chu Lai.<br /><br />
One evening I wrote a letter to President Nixon thanking him for his courage to
send troops into harm’s way in Cambodia to hasten the end of the war. I don’t
remember all that I wrote to him, but a few weeks later I got a letter --- the
return address simply said “The White House”. President Nixon had taken time to
write me a personal note thanking me for my service and for my understanding of
the situation in Cambodia and Vietnam. I still have that note as it was very
special to Specialist Pritchard to get a personal note from his
Commander-in-Chief.<br />
<br />
I was not privy to the letter my friend’s wife and parents received from
President Nixon following his death in Cambodia. But my from my own personal
experience, I don’t think they received a form letter. But that’s me and I was
just thinking.</b></span></span></div>
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Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-9019702631138190542011-11-21T19:47:00.002-06:002011-11-21T19:50:44.343-06:00My Thoughts on Pepper Spray<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> 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Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How you feel about the Occupy movement is not important, because my comment here is not about the pros or cons of the movement nor whether or not they have a clear and coherent message like the 60s antiwar movement. My thoughts are centered around the recent pepper spray incident and the use of video and You Tube, without conclusion on the event itself.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you have children, you can relate to this:<span style=""> </span>Your child is exhibiting a behavior you want stopped. You tell the child to stop and he doesn’t. So you tell the child that if he doesn’t stop, you will swat his butt. He keeps it up, and you swat his butt. Simple, and honestly, most parents can relate – and most of us, when we were kids, had our butts swatted. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, add the new technology of cell phone or web cam videos, coupled with You Tube. If you recorded the entire incident leading up to the swat, that is one thing. Again, not drawing any conclusions, but putting facts out there.<span style=""> </span>You can edit out whatever you want in a video when you post it to You Tube. And all you see is what is posted. If all that is posted is the child getting a swat, a conclusion by the video watcher may be very different than if the entire video was posted. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What the You Tube video and the television news is reporting of the pepper spray incident at UC Davis, graphically shows a line of “peaceful” students sitting on the ground, arms locked, being pepper sprayed by the campus police. Very disturbing video.<span style=""> </span>Here is what isn’t shown, but video is available that does show it, but the media has chosen not to. Prior to the pepper spray incident, video shows the police telling (not yelling nor confronting) the students they had to move or they would be pepper sprayed. They were blocking the public from entrance to whatever building the protesters felt compelled to block.<span style=""> </span>The protesters obviously didn’t move. So now, we are where the parent is when the child doesn’t stop misbehaving – the promised swat.<span style=""> </span>In this case, the promised pepper spray. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Part of my job is to review police videos for an attorney.<span style=""> </span>I can see firsthand how easy it would be to edit those videos to show whatever point of view someone would want to show.<span style=""> </span>I am not a professional video editor, but I could easily edit any video.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Lastly, are these protesters really peaceful? If you had some people decide to camp out on your front yard to protest your lifestyle, and refused to move, yet were not violent, but blocking your access to your yard, what would you do? You would call the police and the occupiers would be arrested for trespass and DISTURBING THE PEACE! <span style=""> </span>Are they being “peaceful” in their demonstration – just non-violent? There is a difference.<span style=""> </span>But that’s me, and I was just thinking.</span></p>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-50651706057467534492011-06-26T09:26:00.001-05:002011-06-26T09:29:19.556-05:00There I Was Again<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> 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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><u><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">THERE I WAS AGAIN</span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE KILLEEN HILLBILLIES</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"">“Grandpa,” excitedly shouted young Junior Jethro (Jared), as he came running into the parlor, “we got our tractor back and it’s in the trailer on the back of my momma’s truck!”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So Grandpa <em><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Jedidiah (Frank) got up out of his chair with the dog, Ol’ Buff, jumping down to follow, and went to the door with Junior Jethro to admire the shiny green tractor with the yellow seat, in the trailer.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“Mighty fine tractor, Grandson, are you going to drive it with your Daddy?” Grandpa Jedidiah asked.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">“I am going to drive it, Grandpa. And when we’re done, we park it in the shed me and my daddy built in the backyard today” He was so proud.</span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">“Pops”, Jethro (Scott) asked, “want to go with me to take the mower over to the other house?” I think I may need to mow there and also take that fridge out of the house and move it over to the big house and put it in the garage”. </span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">“Son”, Grandpa Jedidiah, responded, “I will go with you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I went to the dump without you today, by the way. I had a truck load to get rid of”.</span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">“Pops”, you could take a truck load to the dump every Saturday. I just don’t know where you get the stuff to take. Anyway, I’ll have a load next Saturday, so if you have anything, you can put it in my truck”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“I’m sure that by next Saturday I will have stuff to add to your load.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I know I have that big tree branch that fell out of the pecan tree last week”, Grandpa replied.</span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">We loaded up the truck with the young’ens and headed over to the other house to drop off the mower and load up the fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Everything went well, until we tried to load the fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We were using the hand dolly to load the fridge and as we pulled back on the dolly, the fridge tilted to the right and the doors flew open.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The tire on the dolly was flat and needed to be aired up (what is it with me and flat tires) – and the fridge needed to be loaded from the opposite side so the doors would stay closed. About that time, the 4 young’ens came in and announced that they had to use the bathroom. Jethro explained that the water was still off and that they needed to wait until we got back to Mimi’s house… or the boys could go pee in the back yard.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Junior Jethro was all for that until the other young’ens said they could wait. So back to Mimi’s house we went.</span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">Meanwhile, back at Mimi’s house, Grandpa got the air compressor and we headed back over to the other house, this time with no young’ens.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Jethro and I got the tires aired up on the dolly – the first dolly we had ever seen that weren’t hard rubber and actually needed airing up. But we got the fridge onto the dolly, with the doors staying shut, and we went out the door and to the trailer. The neighbors watched us loading the fridge and then after a few minutes called us over. Seems Gertrude, Gigi’s old friend (now at least 114 years old) was out watering her lawn and noticed two men stealing the fridge from nice Lil’ Valerie’s house, so she got together with the other neighbor and called Lil’ Val and told her some men were taking the fridge from her house. Lil’ Val assured them that it was Jethro and Jedidiah and all was okay. So the four of us stood on the neighbors porch laughing a bit while Gertrude told the story.</span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">Fridge loaded, we headed back over to the big house to put the fridge in the garage. Jedidiah told Jethro he was now officially a growed up Pritchard because he now had a fridge in his garage, too. Jethro wondered why it had taken us over an hour just to move the fridge from one house to the other, and mused that we still had to load the mower back onto the trailer and take to back over to the big house and park it in the shed. So back over to the other house we went.</span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">We parked the truck in the street by the curb and put the ramps down for the mower and Jethro was ready to load. This is a maneuver he has done countless times. Just before he started to move to the trailer, I saw in my mind’s eye the pending disaster that was about to take place. It all played out in slow motion. About three fourths the way up the ramp, front wheels on the trailer, the left ramp fell from its perch and Jethro was sitting on the mower, eyes as big as half dollars. Jedidiah was right behind the mower and was trying to keep the momentum going so the mower would get up onto the trailer. But the mower deck caught on the trailer and the mower stopped, and Jethro stood up and the motor stopped. The mower started tilting to the left and the other ramp then fell out from under the mower and there was only one place for it to go – DOWN – with Jethro riding in the saddle. There was nothing Jedidiah could do but jump back out of the way. BAM! The mower somehow landed on all four wheels and then a loud banging pop as the engine backfired as it shut down. Poor Gertrude – she watched the whole thing, mouth gaping open and eyes wide. “I’m good”, Jethro assured everyone. After a few “WHEW’s” we decided this time we were going to push the mower up the ramp and onto the trailer. And without further incident, we were on our way to the big house, by the way of Mimi’s. Jethro had to use the bathroom. Jedidiah was surprised that he still had to!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><br /><br />When we left for the big house, Junior Jethro wanted to go with us, so the three of us rode over. We unloaded the mower the same way we loaded it, pushing. Then Jethro and Junior Jethro took the mower to the backyard and parked it in the shed. Then Junior Jethro said, “Grandpa, you need to get a green tractor like mine.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I said that I did need one, but maybe I would get an orange one. He thought a minute, and then said “Yeh, you can get an orange one and I will have a green one”.<br /><br />There I was again!</span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-style:italic"> </span></p>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-43146041733574206592011-05-06T20:51:00.002-05:002011-05-06T20:59:03.380-05:00But That's Me, And I Was Just Thinking<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> 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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Many years ago while on active duty we were deployed on a month long field exercise in Alaska called Brim Frost. I heard a term for the first, and only time actually – tightly disbursed. It was during those days that I came to understand George Carlin’s rants about the oxymoron. <span style=""> </span>Is it a huge shrimp or a small jumbo? <span style=""> </span>How about others like “original copy” , “partial cease-fire”, or the one I hated until one day when I heard the Major describe tightly disbursed, and “military intelligence” all of a sudden became my favorite oxymoron.</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Over the years since then I have come to appreciate how right old George really was. I have seen some really stupid decisions made in the Army. But I digress … I am not talking about having everyone in a field exercise all located on the airfield instead of in the woods in the wilds of Alaska. I am thinking of some things I have seen more recently – even today.</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In July 2005, four “home grown terrorists” set off a series of 4 bombs in the subways and in a double-decker bus in London. However, the “threat level” in The United States was not elevated following that attack. The airport security was not increased, nor was the color code changed. There was, however, a tightening of security on the Army fort just up the road that we all know and love. You didn’t notice any difference getting thru the instillation gates, but there was an immediate response …. Barricades went up in the commissary parking lot, blocking a third of the available parking, and you had to show your ID card to get into the store itself. Funny thing is that you could still drive right up to the front door of any of the schools on post where defenseless children were frolicking and learning, but you had to park way away from the front entrance of the commissary. (What does that say about what the Army brass thinks of the gate security? (I’m just saying.)</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After a few years, the barricades went away and parking was restored to those areas blocked and for several years now things were back to normal. Then Seals Team 6 killed Osama Bin Laden. </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I had heard that security had been tightened since May 1<sup>st</sup> , when Bin Laden was killed, but I hadn’t been on post until today. I breezed right thru the front gate with my Express Pass, the guards not even giving me much of a glance. But when I got to the commissary, the barricades were back and the parking lot was once again restricted. As I went into the commissary I had to show my ID card and I started laughing, thinking of that Major in Alaska and George Carlin – military intelligence. I could zip right thru the main gate, but had to show an ID card to get to the tomatoes. I don’t know, were they warned to protect the produce section? 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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Political pundits use words like “gutsy” to describe the President’s authorizing the raid on Bin Laden’s compound by Seals Team 6. As a soldier, I see things a little differently. <span style=""> </span>I would expect no less from my Commander-in-Chief.<span style=""> </span>The President, when presented with the over whelming evidence that Bin Laden was holed up in the compound, had the Constitutional responsibility and duty to act upon the intel.<span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">There are a couple of things, though, that are troubling to me that are taking place. We have American war -fighters who are daily putting their lives on the line to protect ours, and we owe them no less than insuring that we provide them with the equipment and wherewithal to do their jobs. So, when I hear things being said and events being politicized, it upsets me.</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">You may remember the Jessica Lynch fiasco of a few years ago.<span style=""> </span>The story was that she had been captured when the convoy she was in became lost and was attacked by Iraqi troops. Most of her team was killed during the attack and that she grabbed a weapon and fought to the bitter end and was captured. She was in a hospital in Baghdad and was rescued by an elite special ops team. However, as it turns out, some genius in the publicity department of the military decided that they needed a “feel good” event to bolster the American pride. And someone concocted the rescue of Specialist Jessica Lynch.<span style=""> </span>Then brought in a crack team to bring her out. We all felt great, and the politicos began patting themselves on their backs. But like all ruses, the story began to unravel the truth came out. Had I been part of that Special Ops team, I would have been looking for that publicity mogul.<span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Now with OBL assuming room temperature, I see the politicos once again taking credit, and I also see things that are troubling to me.</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">First, the story keeps changing. First we had the feel good 40 minute firefight, a stealth Black Hawk helicopter going down and being blown in place on the way out. Then we learn, welllllllll – maybe it wasn’t a firefight after all. In fact, OBL was really unarmed, but the others in the compound were armed and part of the firefight. OBL’s wife was used as a shield and was killed – oops, it was his daughter and she was there to watch her father killed. No, it was his wife, after all, <span style=""> </span>and she was shot in the leg and survived. Then it was, wellllll, actually, no one was armed, but there was a secret room with weapons ----- and the last one I heard today was that an AK-47 and a handgun were within the reach of OBL.<span style=""> </span>I would rather not hear the details on how he was killed than to have a Hollywood production with alternate endings.</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">This was a special ops “kill” mission, as special ops missions are. You don’t send in the Seals to Mirandize <span style=""> </span>the enemy. </p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Next, I hear that several computers and hard drives were captured and we cultivated a treasure-trove of intel.<span style=""> </span>Why do I need to know that? Why alert all the other bad guys that we know a ton of stuff? That’s like announcing a surprise party for someone on Facebook. <span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">And what about the picture? I would like to see it, but it isn’t necessary. Why did it take so long to decide not to show it and why agonize over a reason? He didn’t need a reason – he is the President. Then why was the CIA Chief, Leon Panetta, marched out to the press to announce that the photos would be released by 2 PM the next day, only to have an administration spokesman announce later that Pinetta never said that …. It isn’t like the video isn’t all over You Tube.<span style=""> </span>This isn’t the 80s or 90s, you know. If I was Panetta and was being thrown under the bus like that, I tell the President to take his SecDef job and shove it. Then I would go work on Hillary’s primary campaign.</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">And now I hear that the CIC is going to meet with members of Seals Team 6 tomorrow. Why? These guys are stealth and their identities should never be known to anyone outside their immediate command. I only hope and pray that there are no cameras present because the minute these guy’s pictures go up on the internet, a huge target is painted on them and their families. No, this is a mistake and this is a precedent that should not be set.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">There are many good things to be taken out of the operation last Sunday, so why do the politicos have to jump in once again and screw it all up. But that’s me, and I was just thinking.</span> <span style=""> </span></p>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-46532794797323500832011-05-03T21:00:00.002-05:002011-05-03T21:08:54.796-05:00But That's Me, And I Was Just Thinking<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ELxvrGUsT1yDSFeE7omhs_3sYpGS5IJxeuznibvAZ9AIJF4aCVElXmgBsklO4nwwBaisFmv2h_CvCeeq1rIKJvm5-UfPuSAyPErwjvX34bGMUIPgqkiby3TlvkoSTw4gcs_nQ/s1600/Navy+Seals+logo.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ELxvrGUsT1yDSFeE7omhs_3sYpGS5IJxeuznibvAZ9AIJF4aCVElXmgBsklO4nwwBaisFmv2h_CvCeeq1rIKJvm5-UfPuSAyPErwjvX34bGMUIPgqkiby3TlvkoSTw4gcs_nQ/s320/Navy+Seals+logo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602675402473092914" border="0" /></a><br /><ol><li><strong>“Good morning, Mr. Hunt. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves the recovery of a stolen item designated "Chimera." You may select any two team members, but it is essential that the third member of your team be Nyah Nordoff-Hall. She is a civilian, and a highly capable professional thief. You have forty-eight hours to recruit Miss Hall and meet me in Seville to receive your assignment. As always, should any member of your team be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow all knowledge of your actions.” (Mission Impossible II, 2000)</strong><strong>I am not writing this to disparage President Obama or our courageous special operations teams that took out Osama Bin Laden. I want that said because I have heard over the course of the last few days so much that is just so much bunk that I can no longer keep quiet.</strong><strong>In the President’s address Sunday night he stated that he “assembled a team” to take out OBL. I just do not understand this statement from the Commander-In-Chief. He made sound like he was giving instructions to Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible.</strong> <strong>Special Operations teams have been around as long as there has been a United States Military. I met a man recently who belonged to a special ops team. He told me that his team was assigned to bring out a “high value target”. Without going into detail of why he was telling this story, he said that his team had been together for 10 years. They knew each other better than they knew themselves. The rest of his story isn’t important. What is important is that his team had been together for 10 years. Unlike the IMF team in the movies, you don’t just assemble a team at the last minute. These Special Ops guys are a highly trained unit and work together very closely. I expect they have been together for a number of years. I proudly salute these guys – professionals in every way. </strong> <strong>Now, something I need to say to those who have never found a conspiracy they didn’t like. As a soldier I am offended when I hear someone doubt that this team took out OBL. First, it would take a huge conspiracy and lots of conspirators to pull off a hoax like some are saying took place. I will tell you this, American soldiers are not mind numbed robots that blindly follow orders. First, there is no way a hoax could be perpetrated upon the American people without the truth being leaked; and second, no American Soldier would be a part of such a hoax. What I hear described is what Hollywood puts in the script of a B movie. This piece will not self destruct in 10 seconds, but, that’s me and I was just thinking. </strong></li></ol>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-90402289316713277842011-04-30T18:17:00.001-05:002011-04-30T18:21:11.184-05:00That's Me and I Was Just Thinking<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I got to thinking about a couple of stories I have heard on the various news shows lately discussing the “epidemic” of overweight adults and kids we have in our country. In response to this problem, the “do gooder” Nannies who have taken it upon themselves to try to negatively influence the freedoms we have by telling us we can’t eat popcorn at the theaters, our children cannot have a toy in their Happy Meal because toys apparently are fattening; Chinese food has WAY to much sodium; we can’t have salt shakers on the tables in restaurants in New York City; we can’t give our kids KinderEggs because our dumb American children will choke to death on the toy; we must have twigs and stems in the school lunch programs because good stuff isn’t good for our kids<span style=""> </span>(one Illinois school district has banned lunches brought from home because the district can’t make sure all Mom’s care enough for their kids to send only twigs and stems); and on and on. </span></p> <h6 style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Recently an “if you agree, repost” status has been going around on Facebook that says “If you were raised on home cooking, rode a bike with no helmet on gravel roads, your parents had no child proof lids or seat belts in cars, got spanked when you misbehaved, had 3 TV channels you got up to change, school started w/the Pledge of Allegiance, drank water out of the water hose or the Soquel Creek (Capitola River) , rode in the back of a pickup truck, and YOU STILL TURNED OUT OK re-post.” </span></span></h6> <h6 style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">I heard on one of those shows how our Nannies are worried because our fatso kids got fat from eating all that fast food and the Twinkies the horrid mothers are sending in their tubby kid’s lunches. And, of course Walt Disney for making movies which kids have to watch in a theater where they are eating that super fattening theater popcorn, popped in coconut oil. This made me reflect back to my own childhood and what we did as kids. In a recent post on this blog I wrote about my memories as a 10 year old. I told of riding bikes up and down the hills at the construction site of the new mall. We won’t discuss what a bad mother I had for letting me do that, and without a helmet (they hadn’t invented bike helmets yet). The thing is, we were outside riding our bikes at breakneck speeds we attained by pedaling with our legs. Our curfew in the summer was when mom and dad were ready to go to bed. We played tag and hide and seek OUTSIDE AND IN THE DARK!<span style=""> </span>We climbed trees and jumped rope. When we came in at night, we smelled “like puppy dogs” and had to take a bath before we went to bed. </span></span></h6> <h6 style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">In school we had recess at 10 AM and 2 PM. We had an hour for lunch, and when we finished eating we spent the remainder of the hour playing tetherball, 4 Square, softball, football, tag, or just running and chasing each other. I rode my bike to school every day until I was in high school – then I walked the 2 miles each way from my house to the high school (we couldn’t afford for Frankie to have a car to drive to school – the day I graduated from high school was the only day I got to drive to school). When I was in Junior High and in High School, PE was a regular subject. I had 4<sup>th</sup> period PE, or 1<sup>st</sup> period PE, or whenever it was. Even after I graduated and started college, we had to take PE for three hours a week until age 21. The thing is, we had PE every single day in high school, and those 3 hours per week in college. </span></span></h6> <h6 style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Compare that to today. I know that my own kids have been fighting the elementary schools in Texas and Arkansas to get daily recess back into the schools. Our kids sit in the classroom all day – go to lunch and right back to class, with very little free time. PE happens occasionally in elementary school, but in middle and high school, kids take band or choir, and that counts as PE.<span style=""> </span>Singing or playing an instrument, while extremely important in the over-all development of our kids, is not running and getting exercise. We did “warm ups” every day in gym – I am not sure that kids today even understand the concept of “warm up” – unless it involves food in the microwave. </span></span></h6> <h6 style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">If your kids’ after school games involve a game console or a smart phone, perhaps<span style=""> </span>we need to take a look at what is making our kids fat. I don’t think it is toys in the Happy Meal and I doubt kids are getting fat eating theater popcorn once or twice a month, or having a Coke at lunch. Perhaps, just maybe, it is our parents and our schools not having our kids outside running, riding bikes, climbing trees, playing tag, jumping rope – just moving around every day.<span style=""> </span>I’m not saying to toss the Wii or the Nintendo 64, just turn it off an hour or so a day and run the kids out doors. You might like the results. But, that’s me and I was just thinking. </span></span></h6>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-20227339311512623022011-04-17T11:41:00.003-05:002011-04-18T00:49:03.552-05:00Memories of a 10 Year Old Boy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10lYBcs-nqc7C4BMdSYAKEfM4IO3XODMJNbDDmS2wo_IKdaNtcsC9n_dqAuvFhGd9BsBY6fJcW28D_FlYay-u9ckzx1295LcuLPxEp9AmhvLKu5vZl-da1ZIlSWKFRLpVdM-65A/s1600/Macys_ar_S.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="311" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596594395823087426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10lYBcs-nqc7C4BMdSYAKEfM4IO3XODMJNbDDmS2wo_IKdaNtcsC9n_dqAuvFhGd9BsBY6fJcW28D_FlYay-u9ckzx1295LcuLPxEp9AmhvLKu5vZl-da1ZIlSWKFRLpVdM-65A/s400/Macys_ar_S.jpg" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
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When I was about 10 years old, construction on a new shopping center began, just a half block from our home in San Jose. The orchard at the end of our street was about to become the first major retail center not located downtown. Macy’s was moving in….along with 39 other retail stores and eateries. This would begin a boom in west San Jose and mark the decline of the downtown shopping that took place during the 60s and 70s, although downtown revitalization starting the 80s revamped the downtown area. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">But this piece isn’t about the economic booms and busts of my home town. This is about boys, bikes and mounds of dirt!</div><div class="MsoNormal">When the prune orchard at the end of Monroe Street began to disappear, we boys of the neighborhood were fascinated. Every day we would ride our bikes up to the end of the street and watch the progress. The huge piles of trees parts gave way to huge fires burning the trees to ash, and we were captivated. That hasn’t changed with boys and burning brush – I notice my own grandchildren and the Fire in the Pasture at Aunt Heidi’s years later. But after a few weeks, the fires were gone and the big earth movers arrived on site. They pushed dirt from one place to another. One of the features of the center and Macy’s was the underground delivery areas and the basement shopping that was part of the center. This required huge ‘holes’ to be dug and large piles of dirt. It was those piles of dirt that became the focal point of the existence of the neighborhood boys.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Work was pretty much over for the day by the time we all were finished with our dinner. The evenings were warm and long in the summer of 1955 in San Jose. And no construction was taking place on Sunday. So we had the place to ourselves. To a 10 year old boy, the piles of dirt were huge and were captivating. One thing we noticed very quickly was the bulldozers always had a trail to the top of the mound, or hill, as we always called it. We would ride our bikes up as far as we could, then would push our bikes up to the top. Then we would ride back down to the bottom, as fast as we could. At first it was a straight shot up and back down. But everyday was different, and sometimes there were turns … a challenge in soft dirt! We had a ball! I think the biggest challenge to that point was for our mom’s to wash those dirty Levi’s we always came home in! </div><div class="MsoNormal">Soon, however, it became boring just riding up and down the hill on the trail. So we “invented” cross country downhill’s. (BMX – what’s that?) The trail up was no longer the way down. We would get to one side of the top of the hill and get going as fast as we could and ride down wherever we hit the side. This was great and the danger made it all the more fun. Sometimes we made it all the way down riding, and sometimes we wiped out. Once we were at the bottom and had our bike back in hand, back up the hill to do it again!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, when I see those construction sites with fences around them and security guards on their patrols, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps we boys in 1955 had something to do with tighter security on those sites. We didn’t have fancy safety equipment of the new generation of BMX bikes – no we were just boys without helmets or pads on Schwinn Cruisers and 3 speed “racers” racing up and down hills of dirt in the evenings and Sunday afternoons – memories this boy still carries with him.</div>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-9510894354340963362011-03-26T21:20:00.003-05:002011-03-26T21:33:00.236-05:00There I Was, Revisited, or There We Were!<span style="font-weight: bold;">There we were – once again! So today, Holly (Ellie May) and I, Frankie Boy (Jed Clampet), took a trailerfull of trash to the dump. Now many of you have taken full trailers to the dump. But not like this trailer. Years ago I got a trailer for our pool business and it served our purpose well, until it fell apart. So, I decided to rebuild the trailer from the base up. When I got done, it had been converted to a utility trailer in which I could haul things to the dump. I put a new floor and new sides – however, for several years the trailer was used only a few times, and sat down at Holly’s behind the fence. Still not bad. Then today happened.<br /><br />The trailer was full of stuff that needed to go to the dump. Holly had asked me if I could pull the trailer to the dump with my truck. Frankie Boy was ready. First I had to get the 2011 tag for the license plate… the last one put on was dated 2009. When I got down to Holly’s, I noticed that a couple of the side boards had fallen off, as had the entire tail gate. Oh well, that’s what ratchet straps are for, right? I got everything into the trailer and put the tarp over the trash and strapped it all down. Then I took the piece of the tailgate that had the license plate and put it into the back of the trailer and wedged it under the ratchet strap…. It should easily travel the 5 miles to the dump. (Remember, I’m the one who had just posted the “There I Was” series). The next hurdle was hooking the trailer to the truck … which went fine until I tried to secure the hitch on the ball…. good thing I had a hammer! Done. So, off we merrily went to the dump. About as soon as we turned onto Highway 195, heading South, a pickup truck passed us tooting his horn and pointing. Now this isn’t anything new, you see, because whenever I go to the dump, I lose a bag or a box and have to stop and retrieve it. We stopped and got out to look what we had dropped… I was sure hoping that it wasn’t the license plate. It was. Ellie May asked if we should continue on to the dump and find the plate on the way back. I thought we would be wiser to go back and get it now. At the next intersection, we turned around and drove back. We thought we saw what could have been the remains of the tail gate remains that I had loaded into the truck. So we turned back around and sure enough, the 4 foot long 4 x 6 was now a bunch of toothpicks. The license plate had come completely unattached from the board and was laying by itself, embarrassed, I’m sure … not of being detached, but that the Killeen Hillbillies were back to get her. Ellie May picked up the big pieces of wood and put them in the back of the truck, put the license plate up front with us, and off we went. And, without further incident, we arrive at the dump.<br /><br />Not only that, but I actually backed up the trailer into the dump area without running into the fancy-dan truck parked next to us. We unloaded our load in good time – but I noticed that in the back of the trailer was the left wheel fender that I forgot had fallen off some time back. So our trip to the dump was hauling an illegal trailer – one that had no wheel cover. Remember the side boards that had fallen down? I felt it prudent that we reattach those before we left. So I got a wrench out and began tightening the bolts that held the boards in place, right there in the dump, while people were outside waiting for me to vacate my spot. Of course, none of my good wrenches would fit the bolts, so I got our the crescent wrench, which worked fine, except and every other turn, it slipped off the bolt and out of my hand, and onto the ground. But, I kept on keepin’ on and soon the trailer was ship shape, and the guy waiting for us to move was relieved we got done. Except we still had no wheel cover, but I decided that would need to wait for another day or time. So off we go, headed back to the house. Did I mention that we plugged in the lights on the trailer, but they had stopped working long ago? Anyway, we got all the way home and as we were backing the trailer to its parking spot, the right side tire blew…. Just went flat very fast. So we unhitched the trailer and had to leave it where it was until Jethro (Leslie) got home to muscle it back into its parking place. Yes, Frankie Boy and Ellie May had quite a day.</span>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-91860736162303336102010-07-08T16:49:00.001-05:002010-07-08T19:52:52.945-05:00The Journey BeginsMy nickname was Tubby. I was in elementary school, but not everyone called me that, just my best friend. But I always remember being called “Tubby”. I do remember a time, about the 5th or 6th grade that my mother bought me husky jeans, but that was okay because my cousin wore 6X clothes. My mother put me on a diet, once, for a couple of weeks. I guess I lost enough weight because I don’t remember it lasting that long. She fed me steak and other proteins… a real Dr. Atkins forerunner! But, in all that, I never considered myself fat. I didn’t run like the wind, even with my PF Flyers, but I could run. I could play softball, but was always the last one chosen. But when I look at pictures of myself from back then, with the exception of when I was on a diet, I didn’t look fat.<br /><br />I think it was because I never could see myself as fat that I got fat. During my career as a soldier, I had to take an annual flight physical. In twenty years I never failed one, although a time or two I had to lose a few pounds. I was never put on what we called the fat boy program. If I had to lose a few pounds, I always did. Back in those days I was young and in my prime. I ran PT every day (despite what my children will tell you). I could outrun most of the young soldiers in my unit when I was 40. Once in Korea, when I was on the mountain at Evenreach for 4 months, I did pack on some weight. We were a self contained air traffic control outpost and we had our own chef. There were 5 of us assigned there, and whenever we would sit down to watch television, the chef brought us a hamburger or a piece of cake. While on shift, he would bring us food. Whenever I had to drive down to the base camp, I always had a huge packed lunch, usually a couple of steak sandwichs, chips, potato salad and dessert. Before long, I had ballooned up to 250 pounds. When I was reassigned back to Seoul, I went on a diet and lost 80 pounds and was 170 when I went home. <br /><br />It was after I retired that I started gaining weight. There were times when I could keep it off really well, but those times started coming fewer and further between. I was doing no PT and running ice cream and cookie restaurants. Later I was always in jobs that required me to sit at a computer or desk and got very little exercise. I knew I was fat, but I never saw myself as fat, if that makes sense. One of the things that allowed me to keep deceiving myself was that my blood pressure and blood levels were those of a skinny dude! My cholesterol level never exceeded 150 at my heaviest, and was 105 at my retirement physical. So, I kept fooling myself. And yet, all the time I knew I was fat and needed to do something. In Korea I lost 80 pounds on the Dr. Atkins Diet, so over my life I would always try to pattern what I ate based on Atkins, but I was never able to do it. I have a weakness for fast food and never thought twice about having a burger or fries, if the opportunity was there to have them. In fact, I considered Whataburger as “fine dining”. Whenever I went TDY, I usually managed to lose a few pounds because I could stock my quarters with only those things I should eat. But even then, if a hamburger called my name, I was there. And despite what Jared says, you can “eat fresh” at Subway and still gain weight.<br /><br />The final blow came a couple of years ago when I was going TDY to Hawaii. I had gone to the Oncologist for my semi-annual checkup and the blood pressure machine was on the fritz. The nurse told me I needed to go to my primary care doctor and have them take my blood pressure. Since I had never had high blood pressure in my life, and because I was flying to Hawaii in two days, I decided it could wait until I got back in two months. And off I flew to paradise. About a week or so later I got a call from my primary care doctor wanting me to come in and follow up on having my blood pressure checked. I explained I was TDY in Hawaii and would come in when I got home. So when I got home, I made an appointment and went in. For the first time in my life, my blood pressure was off the charts. The doctor immediately ordered an EKG and found that I was in atrial fibrillation. He ordered an immediate consultation with the Cardiologist. Jannie and I were planning a trip just before Thanksgiving to drive out to Fort Knox to see Hilary, Paul and the kids, and then stop in Arkansas for Thanksgiving with the family. The doctor said absolutely not! He finally said I could to Arkansas for Thanksgiving, but not Kentucky. Later, the Cardiologist determined that my A-Fib was being caused by hyperthyroidism and that I had to have my thyroid removed. In the meantime, I was put on some heavy drugs to lower my blood pressure and keep my blood from clotting to prevent a stroke. I had my thyroid removed and with some additional treatment, my heart was shocked back into rhythm. <br />With no thyroid, I gained more weight. I ballooned up to a size 50 pants. I can remember not too many years earlier when Todd and I were in Hacks Western Wear in Killeen, seeing a pair of size 50 Levis, and thinking that no one could really be that big. At the end, though, I wore size 50, and mostly because I couldn’t find a 52! I finally admitted to myself that I was now fat. I wondered if I could get the doctor to refer me for a gastric bypass. I was determined to ask him when I went in for my physical in a few weeks. At the doctor visit he told me that my last physical had all my blood numbers way elevated, although my blood pressure was being controlled by medication. He asked me if I had ever considered having a gastric bypass. I said “sign me up”.<br /><br />The process from that day to the 29th of June, the day of my surgery, took about 7 months. But I did follow thru and had the surgery. I am now just a little more than a week past the procedure, and I am losing weight, learning to eat again, and changing my whole life style, at least as to how I see food in my life. My goal is to get back down to that 170 pounds I weighed when I got home from Korea those many years ago. Don’t know that I can get that far, but I will sure try. Today I am down 25 pounds from my official start weight, and I am down to wearing size 48 pants again. I feel good and am healing well. So the adventure begins. This is just the beginning of my weight loss story.Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-34076532620835078582010-06-19T22:20:00.002-05:002010-06-19T22:23:43.261-05:00My BeachesThis is an open letter to my family and friends on the west coast, the gulf coast and the east coast. These are my thoughts and your comments are welcome; and you are welcome to pass them on, if you so desire.<br /><br />I was raised on the west coast of central California. My entire life revolved around going to the beach. I love the beach. I love the sand and the salt air. I love the Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The sound of the surf breaking on the shore has been, at times, to me, very therapeutic. As a child I built sand castles and sand angles. I swam in the cold pacific and loved every minute of it. We went to the beach and always laid our towels and blankets as close to the ocean as we could get without the water running up to us and drowning out our “spot”. When the tide began to role in, we moved just a little further back. As kids, we spent entire days at the beach. On family trips to Capitola, we craned our necks to be the first one to see the ocean as we topped Depot Hill and descended down into the Village and the beach. And I knew that I would always live near the Pacific Ocean, for it captivated me.<br /><br />Then life got in the way. At 19 I began serving my mission for our church and was called to serve in New England and on Long Island. I came to love another ocean – the Atlantic. Its waters were as cold as my beloved Pacific, but that didn’t matter because as a missionary, we couldn’t swim. But we could watch the boats – and even played football one P-Day on the beach at Patchogue --- in March, and had to hike over the snow to get to the sand. Later in the spring, several of us went out early on P-Day and strolled the beach. It was beautiful. And the white sand beaches rivaled the golden beaches of California. In Maine I marveled at the fishing boats and I knew that one day I would have a hide-a-way cabin on the New England Coast.<br /><br />My introduction to the Gulf Coast came in the height of the Vietnam War. I was drafted and had to leave my bride in California to attend Army training ---- at an Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. I quickly learned that Biloxi was known as the Gold Coast of Mississippi. It was really quite pretty. The white sandy beaches were not quite the caliber of what I had become accustomed on the East and West coasts, but they were nice. Biloxi sat on the shore of Biloxi Bay and the water was sheltered by barrier islands from the Gulf of Mexico. An afternoon boat trip to Ship Island and I was immediately hooked on the Gulf of Mexico. In the bay, the water was calm, much like a lake. But on the Gulf side of Ship Island, we had surf, and wind and beautiful white beaches! I knew someday I would spend many years on the beaches of The Gulf of Mexico.<br /><br />About halfway thru my tour in Vietnam, my bride and baby daughter found ourselves on R and R in Hawaii. I remember Jannie and Heidi coming from the West Coast Jannie melting in the humidity. I, on the other hand, coming from the jungles of Southeast Asia, was so grateful for the dry climate of the Islands. Dying of humidity and reveling in the comfortable weather, we fell in love with Hawaii. Upon my completion of duty in Vietnam, I was stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. After a month or so, I reenlisted and got my choice of duty stations, and we were headed to the Island of Oahu! While this turned out to be our least favorite assignment in the Army, I did fall in love with Hawaiian beaches and the warm waters of the Hawaiian Pacific. And we had a chance to buy a condo right on the beach and at a price a young Sergeant could afford, and I knew that I would be spending much of my life on the beaches of Hawaii! All I will say is that it didn’t work out. And we headed back home to the home of Army Aviation.<br /><br />We arrived at Fort Rucker in April 1973. Our first Christmas there, we had family come and visit. My mother came down and on New Year’s Day we drove down to be beach at Panama City. Heidi, Brett and Todd were all the kids we had then, and it was a beautiful day. I realized there and then that if I could go to the beach on New Year’s Day that I loved the Deep South! Over the next nearly 10 years we ventured often to the beach. The early years we found the Fort Rucker Recreation Area at Niceville, FL. It wasn’t directly on the Gulf, but on the bay. The beach was small and the water was flat and you could walk out in the water forever and the water was never deeper than your waist. With small children, it was the perfect beach. But the children didn’t stay small, and as the years flew by, so did the ages of the older kids. So it was time to move to a different beach – one with more stuff to interest the kids. So we began going to Fort Walton Beach and Panama City Beach. Some day trips; and some trips when we rented a house for the week. We had fun, and Panama City Beach became our favorite. And having been in Alabama for so long, we had come to think that we would retire from the Army there, and I was excited to think that I would be able to spend many years at the beaches in Florida.<br /><br />The reality of life is that we retired in Central Texas, many, many miles from the beach. Our pool has replaced the lake and the ocean, and we have fun here. But deep in the recesses of my heart, I love the beach and when I have a chance, I go. Since we have been here, I have had the chance to go back to some of my favorite beaches. I have been to the fishing villages of New England, been TDY to Southern California for almost 3 months, living in Huntington Beach and walking in the sand almost daily. I have been to Capitola several times, and less than two years ago was able to go TDY to Oahu and stayed in a condo in Turtle Bay, on the North Shore. I spent many evenings sitting on Hawaii’s Sunset Beach, and others. To me, the beach will always be my special place and I long to visit them again in my life.<br /><br />But today, many of those beaches are threatened. The habitats for many fish, oysters and water fowl have been wiped out. The beautiful marshlands are coated with oil. Wildlife is under siege. The beaches of the Louisiana Gulf Coast are being fouled. Livelihoods are threatened and the fishing industry will be destroyed for generations. Today marks the 60th day of the gulf oil disaster, and there is no fix in site. To date, nothing has worked, and the oil keeps gushing. I watch and listen to the news; I see fingers being pointed and the blame game in full force, but what I do not see is much progress, (in the words of President Obama) plugging the “damn hole”. Instead, this is what I see.<br /><br />I see a speech of empty rhetoric from the Oval Office that just fixed blame, called for a new energy policy and assured us the he is on top of the situation, but I don’t see the oil flow easing.<br /><br />I see the Congress, the ENTIRE Congress incensed with righteous indignation, and grilling the BP Oil execs for hours in front of the television cameras, seeking a photo op and perhaps 10 seconds of footage that can be used in a reelection commercial, but I do not see much going on to clean up the mess.<br /><br />I see the executives of BP promising to make the Gulf of Mexico and its people whole, but I don’t see much money flowing into the economy and the bank accounts of the families.<br /><br />What I do see is very disturbing. I hope I can make this clear and understandable. First, BP is in great trouble. We have yet to know the full scope of how much of this accident was caused by poor safety practices, etc. We may never know, but this much I do know, BP has some explaining to do.<br /><br />As does the Government of the United States and its leaders, starting at the top. Why did it take over 10 days before the oil disaster was ever addressed by the President? Oh, I have heard him and many others say that he has been on top of it since day one, but that statement is not borne out by the facts. Why was it weeks before he ever bothered to leave the golf course and head to the Gulf? It was only after he was taking a beating from his own party and watching his poll numbers head south that he packed up and headed south, blaming BP and sending scores of lawyers to sue BP and whoever else they find, was the response of the government. <br /><br />I find it very amusing, if amusement can be pulled from this crisis, that the President and Congress demonize BP on the one hand, and on the other say that only BP has the ability and technology to stop the leak and clean up the mess. So BP is the bad guy and the good guy, all at once.<br /><br />At about the 30 day mark we heard disturbing news. The day of the explosion and the detection of the massive leak 5000 feet below the surface, several foreign governments, including Netherlands, Great Britain, and several others, offered assistance and technology to clean up the spill. The ability to skim off the oil before it reached shore. After all, it was far enough out in the gulf to allow the positioning of the equipment and operations to begin before the first drop of oil came within miles of a grain of white sand or a bed or oysters. But the administration turned down all the offers of help, in writing. Why? The reason was a 1920’s law called the Jones Act. This law requires that only members of trade unions be authorized to participate in disaster clean up. The provision of that law also allows for the President to suspend its use. Every President from the time the law was enacted to now has suspended the use of the provision when disasters have occurred, for disaster cleanup. This included the clean ups of major hurricanes like Camille and Katrina, as well as during the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Why now, does a President refuse help when it is available? In the Army we referred to that as the 4-Ps – Piss Poor Prior Planning. Sixty days later, we quietly go back to those governments with our hands out asking for help…. But the oil is no longer miles out to sea…it is on the shore.<br /><br />Several private companies in the United States offered help with technology that could clean up the mess. They were told no. Actor Kevin Costner had developed a process that sucks oil from the sea and separates the oil from the water, and demonstrated how it worked. Through the process he developed, the oil is funneled into a container and clean salt water is sent back into the sea. He was told no. And why are there miles of protective boom sitting in warehouses throughout the country, idle? Why has the Governor of Louisiana not been given the authority by the Feds to build sand barriers to keep the oil off the beaches and out of prime fishing and oyster areas? Last week the Louisiana Governor authorized oil skimming barges to go out into the Gulf and start skimming oil – a process that was working. Why did the Coast Guard, under orders from the Department of Homeland Security shut down the operation, require all the boats return to harbor to be inspected for fire extinguishers and live vests? And why has the EPA, in the excuse of preventing an environmental disaster, stopped the use of chemicals that disbursed the oil and broke it down so that the microbes in the sea can eat the oil and the atmosphere can evaporate it? Isn’t the oil coming ashore a worse environmental disaster? I am not making this up. Check the stories in the press. They have reported all of this. <br /><br /> I could go on and on for pages and pages to show how the Administration, like the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, has bungled this entire operation – from the day one they claimed to be on top of it. But I am too upset. I cannot think of anything recently that has upset me more. Why? I saw on the news tonight that today the oil has started washing up on Panama City Beach!<br /><br />Mr. President, you are on the golf course today at Andrews Air Force Base with the Vice President and several of the leaders of your Administration. Why don’t you put down your golf clubs and your incompetence, stop playing the blame game and looking for “someone’s ass to kick”, order and authorize the procedures that will allow the cleanup to begin and to “PLUG THE DAMN HOLE!”Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-41512722956529262622010-05-02T17:09:00.000-05:002010-05-02T17:10:54.839-05:00Mariela Abigail PritchardIn the April 2010 Home Teaching message, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, spoke of listening to promptings and acting upon those promptings. He told the story of Solomon Chamberlain who, in 1816, had a dream in which he was told that he would live to see the restoration of the Lord’s gospel upon the earth. In 1830, Solomon was traveling by boat down the Erie Cannel to Canada on business. When the boat stopped at Palmyra, NY, he was prompted to get off the boat. He did. While visiting with the townsfolk, he learned of a man named Joseph Smith and his gold bible. Solomon says that when he heard the words “gold bible”, the words sent “a power like electricity [that] went from the top of my head to the end of my toes.” He met Joseph Smith and left Palmyra with 96 unbound pages of The Book of Mormon. He traveled to Canada, using the manuscript to teach of the restored Gospel. Solomon was present on that day when the Church was organized on April 6, 1830. Solomon had a prompting and acted upon it and received great blessings in his life.<br /><br />I am thankful for promptings. This week has been a very special one for me as a father and grandfather because my son followed promptings given to him. Eighteen months ago a story ran in the local newspapers of a 2 month old baby girl who had been admitted to a local hospital with 9 broken bones. Her parents were in jail because of the abuse of her father. My son, Brett, an attorney heard of this case and was prompted to talk to his wife, Cindy, and see if they could get this baby. They have 5 of their own children, the youngest just one day younger than the foster baby. He spoke to the judge, and they were awarded temporary custody of this baby. This was unusual since they had not been to the certification training for foster parents. After a few days in the hospital, Mariela was released and came into their home. This baby was not an easy baby because she was not only abused and broken; she was also a “special needs” child, having a severe form of mental retardation. Following several months of having the baby in their home, Brett was prompted again that the baby should go to her family – not her parents, but an aunt and uncle. I remember the day she left their home and how Brett sobbed and sobbed. As I recall, so did we. But it was the right thing. <br /><br />After just a few weeks it became obvious that the aunt and uncle could not care for the baby, and the judge ordered the baby to be placed back in the full time care of Brett and Cindy. Now they not only had her, they now wanted to adopt her. But a battle was about to ensue. Though the father had already given up his parental rights, the mother had not and the possibility loomed that when she was released from jail, she would be deported back to Mexico because she was here illegally, and take Mariela with her. Brett asked the family to fast for Mariela and his family. A few days later, we heard that the mother might give up her rights. And a sometime later, she did.<br /><br />On Friday, April 30, 2010, in the District Court building in Bell County, Texas, Mariela Ruby Arismendez was adopted by Brett and Cindy. Along with her adoption came her new name, Mariela Abigail Pritchard. In the eighteen months that this baby has been in the family, she has taught us a very important life lesson – to love unconditionally. Though this baby will never walk or run, never talk or do things normal children do, she had given us a great and lasting gift. My congratulations to Brett, Cindy, Brandon, Rebekah, Rachel, Austin and Eathyn… and especially to Mariela. We love you all and the Lord has blessed you beyond your greatest dreams. Thankfully, you followed the prompting.Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-2067721725157399342010-04-27T21:49:00.000-05:002010-04-27T21:50:22.838-05:00Random Thoughts from MeSome random thoughts from me. Meant to provoke thought, not emotional outbursts. I offer them up and for what it costs you to read, that is what they are worth.<br />First, I watched the debacle today in the formerly august body of The United States Senate. I was not surprised at the line of questioning by the elite committee holding the hearings on Goldman Sachs. I thought it was a fascinating show on the part of the Democrats considering that almost all of President Obama’s cabinet members are former employees of Goldman Sachs. I am also amused that the Chairman of Goldman Sachs is not only a liberal Democrat, but a personal friend of the Obama’s. No wonder the press has had a heyday with the timing of this committee and its investigation (right when the President wants the Congress to reform and regulate Wall Street). Goldman takes a hit, pays a fine of a few million dollars and is then, somehow, exempted from the new regulations, and makes billions. The old Democrat play book is to divide and conquer and right on cue they try to pit Main Street against Wall Street. <br /><br />One thing I found interesting was the insistence of the Committee for Goldman Sachs to make public all the internal emails from the company. The courts long ago have determined that emails are protected by free speech and are private. Taking emails and making public only portions of them – taking them out of context – is an old trick used by the Congress politicos of both parties, and the press. I wonder, if the Congress can force Goldman Sachs, a private company, to make public its emails; if we could make all 100 members of the Senate, who are public servants and whose emails belong to We, the People, make public their emails. I would venture they would not because they contain the very same embarrassing type content that is in the Goldman emails. <br /><br />Secondly, and much shorter. I am aghast at the county I have called home, where I was born and raised; Santa Clara County, California. It seems that the all knowing SCC Commissioners have deemed McDonald’s Happy Meal toys to be fattening and dangerous to our young children. I wasn’t aware that toys contained calories or fat. Now certain meals containing more than a specified number of fat grams and calories cannot be served with toys (fries yes, plastic, no). The Nanny Statists feel that children are eating the fatty meals to get the toys, and that by eliminating the toys; children would not eat those meals and get fat.<br /> <br />May I suggest something else? As little as a generation ago, when my children were young, they were outside playing football, basketball, tag, or any number of activities that involved lots of running and jumping. We didn’t have the obesity problems in children then as much as we do today. Now if I ask my grandchildren if they want to play football, they do --- on X-Box or PS3. If we want to get our kids back in good health, banning a cheap toy from a Happy Meal won’t do it. How about parents being parents and turning off the X-Boxes, hand held games, and texting telephones, and doing what my mother did –running them outside and having them play hard. Turn off the games and soon they would be tossing the football. Would it really work? I say, why not give it a try.Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-3618220068476461662009-11-16T16:47:00.002-06:002009-11-16T16:50:55.722-06:00A Fire in the Pature 2009<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CFrank%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CFrank%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CFrank%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> 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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoQuote"><span style="font-size:100%;">It started earlier this year than in other years. In fact, it has been going on since last year’s fire in the pasture was drowned in the rain. The excitement of the Thanksgiving holiday<span style=""> </span>over the years has grown, until <span style=""> </span>this year’s fire is more of a “fire in the belly” than a “fire in the pasture”. For sure, there will be a fire burning in the pasture for the kids to poke and stoke, but I am talking about the fire in the boys and some girls to be out on the hunt. The closer we get to our annual trek to the small farm in Arkansas, the more the talk and the bigger the stories.<span style=""> </span>Since last year’s bust in the woods, a lot of hunts have taken place. Deer stands have been built and put on Texas deer leases. Hunts have taken place on private lands that have not been hunted in many years. And visits to the small farm in Arkansas have been extended in order to help Shawn put more deer stands up for this year’s hunt. This year there is not a deer within all of southwest Arkansas that is safe! Boys with guns --- thru the centuries, nothing has changed. </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="">It doesn’t seem that long ago when Thanksgiving was about the dinner; and the dinners were served on plates with roses on them and sterling silver utensils to eat with. Pink stemmed goblets, and later, rose covered glasses held the water. The hamburger bun dressing was done to perfection and the pies were baked and ready to eat. The bell was rung and kids and grandparents sat around the Capitola table and we gave thanks and ate till we were thankful for Rolaids. And that was before the dessert! There was roasted turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and a colorful array of wiggly, jiggly molded salads. Those Thanksgivings will always have a special place in the hearts of those of us who sat at that table and loved those dinners. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="">Our annual family reunion Thanksgivings reminds me of the Thanksgivings of my childhood. <span style=""> </span>As a child, we had our Thanksgivings at the beach, in the Capitola house, sitting around that same Capitola table, or the two or three kids tables sitting in the living room. We didn’t have a fire in the pasture, but we had a river on the beach and a wharf in the ocean. It was November and the weather was not unlike what we have now in Arkansas; some years we had warm sunny days, and some were chilly and rainy. We took them all and loved every minute. We ran in the sand and “sailed” our ships from the end of the wharf. <span style=""> </span>And those dinners – oh my gosh…. Such delights as dry turkey and two kinds of dressing – wet and dry! Mom’s getting up and putting the turkey in the oven at 2 AM for a noon dinner…turkey cooking right up to putting it on the table. Mom’s apple and pumpkin pies and Aunt Dee’s pecan pies topped off the dinner. And the slice of apple pie swiped after dinner and put under the bed for later. I would be willing to bet that many pieces of pie were found when the mom’s cleaned the house before closing it up when we all went home. And the memories that have lasted a lifetime to those of us who were the children of the Capitola Thanksgivings.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The key to those Capitola Thanksgivings is the same as the key to our Arkansas Thanksgivings – kids. All we do is for them – to make memories that will last into adulthood and will become the stories of the Thanksgivings of their youth. For some, it will be their first buck, and for others, the first time they drove a 4 wheeler. As I look forward to our trek to Arkansas in just a few days, I am excited to watch the older boys playing with the fire or their DS’s; to watch the girls talk moms and aunts into taking them to the mall, or to give the boys pointers on tending the fire. I am anxious to put on my boots and pick up my walking stick, and take the hands of 2 and 3 year olds and take them for walks with Mimi to see the horses, cows and chickens. This is turning into a GREAT Thanksgiving….a wonderful Fire in the Pasture that will give us a warm glow for the rest of our lives. And like our lives continue, so will this post!</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></p> Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-55704726106119255272009-11-10T08:33:00.002-06:002009-11-10T08:34:40.922-06:00Henry James, a Re-Post<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:verdana;" ><em><strong>I really don’t know how to write about Henry James. His is such a sad story and it breaks my heart when I think of his short, pain filled life. I don’t have a lot of stories to tell because there were not a lot of happy incidents that come to mind. He was born on November 10, 1955 in San Jose, California. He was loved greatly and I remember he had huge eyes and a captivating smile. He was born a few months before his cousin; Lisa Susan Magnon Scherer was born on April 30, 1957.<br /><br />He was not quite a year old when we moved to Dallas in the fall of 1956. We lived in the house my parents rented before they purchased the home two doors down. At about 3 PM on April 2, 1957, a Category 3 tornado hit Dallas. My mother was in the kitchen and had told me to watch Henry as I watched TV in the den. Evelyn was also in the den watching TV. An announcement on TV warned of the tornado. I ran and told Mom and she tuned in the radio to KLIF and listened to the Tornado Warning. We were told to go to a shelter or into the smallest room in the center of the house. That was the hallway. Sitting in the hall, Mom held Henry and Evelyn and I huddled together. Mom couldn’t hear the radio very well, but was afraid to go to her bedroom to turn it up. Finally she broke to the radio and turned it up.<br /><br />It was about that time when Evelyn and Henry came down with the Chicken Pox. Evelyn was covered with spots, but Henry had only a couple of pock marks. He hardly was sick during that bout. Between then and our moving back to California after my Dad lost his job with Slick Airways, I have almost no memories of Henry James.<br /><br />We moved back to San Jose in the spring of 1958. We stayed with Aunt June for a few days. I remember waking up with my Mother screaming “MY BABY”. Aunt June wouldn’t let us come out of the bedroom. An ambulance arrived and left. It was the next morning I would learn that Henry James was taken to the hospital. He had gone into convulsions when my Mother started screaming. He stayed in the hospital for a few days and was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. He stayed in the hospital while the doctors regulated his insulin levels. He came home after a few days and apparently didn’t have many more problems at that time.<br /><br />We went to Clear Lake, CA on vacation some time later. Aunt Bell had a place there and they let us go up there for a few days. I had been there with Aunt June and Uncle Lee sometime earlier. I must have been 15 because Evelyn was 12, and that is a whole other story. Evelyn and I had a lot of fun. We went out in Uncle Jim’s boat and there was a dance almost every night in the park where we were staying. We had planned on staying longer than we did, but Henry got sick. He was in pain and she took him to a local doctor. When they got back, we packed up and headed back home. He was admitted to the hospital again. He was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.<br />This disease would take its toll on his frail body. He was in and out of the hospital several times, then seemed to settle down and he came home and went back to school. He was 6 and in the First Grade.<br /><br />One of my favorite memories of Henry, perhaps the only one, happened one summer day when we were at home. Our house was not air conditioned, like most homes in Central California then, so we had a screen door on the front, back and patio doors. I was sitting on the front porch steps doing something. Henry was in the living room on the other side of the screen, and we were talking. As we were talking, a girl about 16 walks by the house on the sidewalk. At the top of his lungs he yells, “HELLO THERE CUTIE!” She looked up and kept walking. She could not see through the screen door, so all she saw was me. Had no idea who she was, never saw her again, as far as I know, but I could have crawled under a rock and just died. She never said a word, He thought that was the funniest thing he ever did.<br /><br />It is sad, but that is about the only thing I remember about Henry without him being in the hospital. Evelyn and I could never go see him while he was in the hospital in San Jose because of the rules about kids going into the hospital. A few months after the incident at the screen door, he had another health crisis and was back in the hospital. It seems that the treatment for the diabetes and the RA conflicted. Every time the doctor’s got one disease under control, the other flared up. His little body was showing signs of the RA. His joints were huge. He spent several weeks in the hospital, then came home. He went back to school again, but only for a short time. Then he was admitted again. This time the doctor made arrangements for him to be transferred to the Stanford Children’s Hospital at Stanford University. He would never come home.<br /><br />The doctors at SCH tried to regulate the two diseases, but made very little headway. He seemed, in fact, to be worsening. At some point, because of the intense affect on his body, his immune system began to shut down. He was diagnosed with </strong></em></span><a name="glance"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:verdana;" ><em><strong>Relapsing Polychondritis</strong></em></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><strong> a disease that causes inflammation of the joints, particularly the cartilage. As I have read some about this disease, it is rare and the symptoms could easily be mistaken for RA. I wonder if he wasn’t misdiagnosed from the beginning.<br /><br />My mother would drive to SCH every day to spend time with Henry. Evelyn and I were teenagers and spent a lot of time home alone. On Saturdays we went up to the hospital with Mom, We also went on some Sundays, but usually we stayed home. I remember how frail he was. He laid in bed all day and had developed bedsores. Mom had gotten him a sheep skin to lie on, but it only helped somewhat. If he wanted to sit up in a chair, I would carry him. He could no longer walk. On some visits we could actually take him on an outing for an hour or so. We would load him up in the car and put his wheel chair in the trunk. Then we would go to the mall and walk around and buy him some ice cream. Once we took him to Crystal Springs Reservoir so he could be out doors for a little while. I remember picking him up so he could see something and could feel his heart just racing. I thought how it was not right for his heart to be racing that fast.<br /><br />At the hospital I would play cars with him. He had lots of Hot Wheels. He was in great pain and I would hold his arm or leg and softly tickle his foot or arm. It relieved the pain to have his foot tickled. When I came in he always wanted me to tickle his foot.<br /><br />It was about 10 PM one evening after Mom had come home from the hospital. The phone rang and Mom answered it in the kitchen. I heard her call out and collapse on the floor. I took the phone and it was the doctor. He told me that Henry “had expired” a few minutes earlier. Then he told me we needed to make arrangements to have him picked up before the morning. I remember how impersonal he seemed, and how incredulous I was. First, I called the mortuary and made arrangements to have him picked up. Then I called my Dad. He had been talking to Mom earlier that evening and thought it was the operator calling him back. He said he would fly out the next day.<br /><br />His funeral was three days later at the San Jose Stake Center. I remember the chapel was about half full with family and friends. Henry had an open casket and at the end of the service those present passed by him, paying their last respects. As the family lingered, I stood by his casket and thought how peaceful he looked. As I began to leave, I laid his favorite toy in the casket with him – a little brown monkey with a yellow t-shirt with red letters across the front spelling the monkey’s name – Zip. He was buried at the Santa Clara County Cemetery, next to his Great Grandmother.<br /><br />I remember how upset I was over his passing. I remember his frail body and the pain he was in. I would hear people say he was in a better place, that he was no longer in pain. I wanted to believe those things I professed to be true, but he was the first person I was close to who died. The night of the funeral I went to bed and Henry appeared to me in a dream. I remember is as vividly now as I did when it happened when I was 18. He stood at the foot of my bed and said that I shouldn’t be sad, that he was okay now. He moved his arms and legs to show me he was without pain. I woke and had a peaceful feeling come over me. I have never doubted since. Years later I would have that same peaceful feeling again, in the Dallas Temple, when I was diagnosed with cancer…but this is not about me.</strong></em></span></span>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-14837137854994411572009-09-21T20:17:00.006-05:002009-09-21T20:31:51.322-05:00Dr. Ludwig Von Stitches<strong><span style="font-family:arial;">I have always been one who thought that laughter is the best medicine. Ever notice when you aren’t feeling well that a dose of laughter will make you feel better much faster than a dose of cod liver oil? Have you ever told a pouting child or a mad adult not to laugh? “Now don’t you laugh; don’t you dare laugh,” and in a matter of seconds the frown disappears and is replaced by a smile or a giggle?<br /><br />I would much rather laugh. To quote Uncle Albert in the Walt Disney classic movie, Mary Poppins,<br /><br /><em>“I love to laugh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP32JJPGdXefWYU-BMZmQpMMSSzEAUCJS8rdAkb1YrmG0d7cOP1eVXEF-CNxhcFtAmmcq0xiMgtTSWF3KCjjsazZUN9eEvMRUh62gZnSkA7ovSjQ3iIb2JkRX_xrQ0LRKkIBHPQ/s1600-h/Uncle+Albert.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 131px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384095938666611026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP32JJPGdXefWYU-BMZmQpMMSSzEAUCJS8rdAkb1YrmG0d7cOP1eVXEF-CNxhcFtAmmcq0xiMgtTSWF3KCjjsazZUN9eEvMRUh62gZnSkA7ovSjQ3iIb2JkRX_xrQ0LRKkIBHPQ/s320/Uncle+Albert.gif" /></a></em></span></strong><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Loud and long and clear</span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">I love to laugh</span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">It's getting worse ev'ry year”</span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">The more I laugh</span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">The more I fill with glee</span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">And the more the glee</span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">The more I'm a merrier me</span></strong></em><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">It's embarrassing!</span></strong></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>The more I'm a merrier me!”</em><br /><br />When my children were young, I took this to heart. One day, one of my children came in crying because he or she had hurt a toe. I have no clue where the idea came from, but I said, in my best German (?) accent, “Come over here and let Dr. Von Stitches look at it.”. I had whoever it was lay down on the floor and give me the hurt toe. Then I started doing “this little piggie went to market”, with a slight variation.<br /><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>“This little piggie went to market.<br />This little piggie stayed home.<br />This little piggie had a pizza,<br />And this little piggie had ---wait,<br />Piggys don’t eat pizza.</em><br /><br />So then I said I would have to “adjust” the piggys. After all, out of whack piggys just wouldn’t do. The adjustment button was on the bottom of their little foot. The more I “adjusted” the piggys, the more they laughed. And the more they laughed, the less they hurt. Soon the tears were gone; replaced by smiles.<br /><br />Over the years since, Dr. Von Stitches has built quite a practice and has fixed everything from hurt toes to hurt hearts. He still has his original 8 patients, but also has their spouses. And now he has at least 27 more little patients. “Grandpa, will you do my piggys?” “Grandpa, my sister is hurt, will Dr. Von Stitches look at her?” Not only do the kids bring their siblings or cousins, but the parents drag crying kids with boo boos to Dr. Von Stitches or his magic way of turning tears into giggles.<br /><br />I have noticed that my kids all do “piggys ” on their children. All the piggys eat pizza or peanut butter sandwiches and have to have an adjustment on that special adjustment button. But if grandpa is near by, it’s “go see Dr. Von Stitches. And Ludwig Von Stitches always has available appointments and has his miracle piggy repair bag ready to adjust piggys and make laughs.</span></strong>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-37840973391293644392009-08-20T11:55:00.001-05:002009-08-20T11:58:20.303-05:00The Peace Symbol<strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">The pharmacy tech was, maybe, 25 years old. She was working in the pharmacy this morning at the base hospital clinic I was at and she was helping to fill my prescriptions. To me, her age was important because she was wearing a pair of orange earrings that were the hippie “peace symbols.” The fact that she was just 25 puts her into that group of innocence, of not knowing. At 25, she was probably older than her mother was when her mother first saw the “peace symbol.” The fact that she was working in the pharmacy of a military medical clinic during a time when soldiers were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan really has nothing to do with my observation. If I had asked her, I would have probably gotten the same reaction from her as I get from my 15 year old grandson who wears a t-shirt with the symbol. It really means nothing … it is a symbol of peace.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">The iconic peace symbol is not the upside down broken cross inside a circle, as we have come to accept. The symbol of peace has always been the dove with an olive branch in its claws, or just the olive branch. This symbol dates back to the time of Noah when he released a dove from the ark that returned with an olive branch, telling Noah that the waters were receding off the face of the earth. The symbol we see today has not been the symbol of peaceful times … in fact quite the opposite.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">The symbol started out in the ‘50s as the symbol of nuclear disarmament in England and Europe. It came to the United States about 1960 and was picked up by the anti-Vietnam War movement, beginning at the University of Chicago. A couple of years later, it was everywhere and was used to rally the anti-war crowd – mostly college students at the more liberal schools in the country. I remember walking down the street near San Jose State College and seeing the symbol painted on just about everything…graffiti. It was present when student “peace” demonstrations turned violent at The University of California at Berkley, and at Kent State University, resulting in the deaths of students participating in the demonstrations. The National Guard’s shooting of students, while tragic, was a direct result of students assaulting the inexperienced troops called out to protect University property. It was present when anti-war protestors rallied on the National Mall in 1969. And it was present during the infamous visit to North Vietnam by activist Jane Fonda in 1972. Google “1960s peace symbol ”or“ anti-Vietnam War movement and you will find pages of articles about how the peace movement, with its symbols, was responsible for the ending of the Vietnam. In actuality, if you search hard, you will find that it was more responsible for prolonging the war, resulting in the deaths of additional American servicemen.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">During the early 1960s, Vietnam was an obscure little country “somewhere near Japan,” and as a 10th grade student in 1960, I wasn’t really sure where Japan was. I had no idea where Vietnam was and the term Indo-China was never used. The US had some military advisors there, but that was about all I knew, if I even knew that much. All through high school, the only foreign news stories I was aware of had more to do with the outrageous hairstyles of The Beatles and whether they would ever be more popular than The Beach Boys. After I graduated from high school, I had to register for the draft. My fear of being drafted didn’t involve going to war, but whether or not I was going to be able to go on my Mission before I was drafted. All of that changed in August 1964 when the Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred. In the resulting resolution, the Congress gave President Johnson the authority to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal Congressional declaration of war. The build-up of American forces in Vietnam was rapid, and I began to wonder if I would stay out of the draft long enough to even go on a Mission.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">I entered the Mission Home in Salt Lake City in September 1965 and was told that Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve, was the Church’s representative working to get Missionaries their ministerial draft deferments, but that it was not a done deal until the deferments were secured. Two days later, I got the word that my 2Y Ministerial deferment had been approved and I was going to be a missionary. As I came to the end of my mission, the escalation of the war was in full force and we were beginning to hear about the war in our homes on the evening news. I was afraid that I wouldn’t get my student deferment, but I did. Attending school in San Jose was an eye opener for me. Everywhere you saw the peace symbol, and every day, a demonstration. More than once my fiancée had to be evacuated from her office because of the tear gas from the police. After that year in school, I transferred to school in Southern California as I obtained a good job and was getting married. Upon my transfer, I couldn’t get the minimum required units and I lost my deferment. A month after my deferment expired, I was in the Army.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">On April 30, 1975 the fall of Saigon was complete. The Americans had withdrawn and the country of South Vietnam ceased to exist. Since the end of what became known as the Indo-China War nearly 35 years ago, many books have been written by principals in the leadership of both sides in the conflict. From Rush Limbaugh: <em>“How many of you remember the name General Giap from the North Vietnamese army? … He was a very famous, knowledgeable general in the North Vietnamese army. He's published his memoirs and here's a pull quote: "What we still don't understand is why you Americans stopped the bombing of Hanoi. You had us on the ropes. If you had pressed us a little harder, just for another day or two, we were ready to surrender. It was the same at the battle of Tet. You defeated us. We knew it. We thought you knew it. But we were elated to notice that your media was definitely helping us. They were causing more disruption in America than we could in the battlefield. We were ready to surrender. You had won." He makes the point the Vietnam War was not lost in Vietnam; it was lost [at home].”</em></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />For those of us who were there, the Hippies’ peace symbol will always generate hostile feelings towards those who extended our war. The Lord tells us to forgive, and I have forgiven those who participated in the anti-war movement; however, it is their cause and tactics I still remember, as do most soldiers who were there. I have looked at the names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall and wonder how many fellow soldiers whose names are on that wall would be alive today but for the “Peace symbol” and the movement it represented.<br /></span></strong>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-25082022273690394482009-08-18T19:50:00.001-05:002009-08-18T19:53:14.141-05:00GRUMPY OLD MAN<strong><strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">After today I have decided that I will never be old. Therefore, you cannot call me “old and grumpy” anymore, just “grumpy”. This morning I went to the gym to do my bike ride and I noticed all the old people in the parking area. The gym I go to is the city facility and the senior center is located right across the parking lot. A few months ago, when I decided to join the gym, someone told me that I could get a senior discount if I belonged to the senior center. So I went over to take the 50 cent tour of the place. Now, years ago, when my mother was alive and living here, she belonged to the senior center. I had no problem with that because, to me, she had been old my entire life. So she would go to the senior center and square dance (right Holly?), have lunch, do ceramics, and get free bread. So I figured that if I had to join to get the discount at the gym, I could use a free loaf of bread every now and then. I took the tour just before lunchtime the day I went. The gentleman giving me the tour was just a year or two younger than General Eisenhower….and I am sure he knew him personally. He told me the senior center had its own gym, which should have sent up a red flag right there. He took me in and told me that I could use the equipment at no charge, (there were several pieces, but only 1 of each) but that I had to first take a 4 week training course on the equipment before I could use it. He then took me to the “library”. There were about 50 books….but it also was equipped with two computers and their instructor would teach me how to use them. After the library we went to the lunch room. They serve lunch every day at 11:30 and dinner at 4:30. This gave me pause because the center is closed on the weekends, so I wondered where the old folks ate on Saturday and Sunday; but I digress. He told me I was there just in time for lunch …. and only $2.00. I looked into the dining area and I was reminded of the countless nursing homes I have visited over my life. It looked and smelled just like them all. By now I was so depressed I thanked the tour guide and told him I would get back with him if my wife and I decided we wanted to join. Then I decided to go to the gym facility and check it out. As a senior (over 55 – seniors get younger every year, it seems), I could join for only $10 a month. A quick tour and I knew this was okay. No classes, no ceramics, and no lunch. Before I left I was a full-fledged member of the Tommy Harris Fitness Center.<br /><br />This morning, after my workout, I was sitting outside on a bench in front of the gym, cooling down; enjoying my music and the breeze, as I do every morning. I noticed that the parking lot was especially full because of some type of training for police officers taking place in the gym facility. Cars were moving up and down the parking aisles, drivers looking for places to park. It became obvious that the drivers were members of the senior center because they only looked for places near the center …. Up and down the aisles looking for a parking space to magically appear. Across the lot, away from the center, there was plenty of parking….but not near enough I guess. Reluctantly, some finally took spaces further away and took the long trek to the center. I could tell by the body language and hand gestures being displayed in conversations with others, that they were not happy that someone had the audacity to park in the senior side of the lot! (It sort of reminded me of the parking lot at my high school with underclassmen parking in the sacred senior side).<br /><br />Then today I had to go to the PX to check on moving my prescriptions from Walgreens to the Darnell Pharmacy. I was also looking for a couple of items I needed to buy since I was there anyway. I became aware of an announcement being made over the PA system….it was the second or third time I heard it, but now I was listening to it…mostly because the sound of the voice was annoying. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special showing today of a product not normally available in the Exchange”, the announcement said. We are giving away a free sample of the product today only, in just a few minutes, to all adults in the Exchange who would like to have one. This product will be available here at Fort Hood and at no other Exchange in Texas. You have seen this product on QVC and the Home Shopping Network”. Now, I never watch either one, but that made me realize that I wasn’t interested in anything they were giving away. And never at anytime were we actually told what the product was. The demonstration and giveaway was taking place in the center of the store, where the toy department and garden department intersect. Now, I had to weave my way right thru that part of the store to get to the exit. My first reaction was “what is going on that there is such a bottleneck here? Then I realized that I was in the midst of the giveaway area. I also noticed that all the people clamoring around for a free sample were old. I wondered if the Senior Center knew all these people had escaped! Old gray haired women in sneakers and old potbellied men with khaki shorts, black loafers and long white socks that went halfway up between their calf and knee, milling around waiting for the coveted free thingamajig. It was more than I could stand and decided right then and there I would never be old and grumpy – just grumpy!</span></strong></strong>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-33095338152096523042009-05-26T18:24:00.002-05:002009-05-26T19:21:15.921-05:00<OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-FAILED height=266 width=320 contentId="FAILED"></OBJECT>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-11132826188644178782009-04-17T07:42:00.003-05:002009-04-17T07:51:04.722-05:00Letter to Senator Cornyn and Congressman CarterThis is a copy of the letter I sent to Senator John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Cornyn</span> (R-TX) and Congressman John Carter (R-TX) in reference to troop reduction levels at Fort Hood.<br /><br />The Honorable Senator John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Cornyn</span> and the Honorable Representative John Carter;<br /><br />Fort Hood has been a major part of the defense of the United States for many years. Most of the weapons systems in uses by today’s Army, as well as other Services, were tested and fielded at Fort Hood. The M1 Abrams Tank and the Apache helicopter are two of the major weapons systems that came from this process. The current modernization of the Army has come from the Force XXI development and testing at Fort Hood.<br /><br />With III Corps, 1st Cavalry Division and 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> Infantry Division all headquartered at Fort Hood, a major portion of the defense forces of the United States are located within the Central Texas area and is has a major impact on the economy and standard of living of the residents of Bell and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Coryell</span> Counties, as well as areas in all directions on the compass from Fort Hood.<br />In an article in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Killeen</span> Daily Herald (15April2009), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">LTG</span> Rick Lynch, Commander III Corps and Fort Hood, announced the troop levels would decline from the 2009 level of 53,146 to 45,872 by 2013. This reduction of 7,200 plus troops, plus families and civilian support components, will have a huge negative impact on the communities that surround the post. This includes everything from schools to retail and housing.<br /><br />Countless millions of dollars have been spent on the infrastructure of Fort Hood, primarily since the involvement of Fort Hood in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s. Moving 7200 soldiers to other <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">installations</span> would conceivably require many tax dollars to upgrade those <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">installations</span>. During the current economic climate, how wise is the expenditure of the American people’s tax dollars to build elsewhere what is already available at Fort Hood? <br /><br />While the move of the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> Infantry Division to Fort Carson seems to be a done deal, the realignment of the force could easily allow for another Division size unit to headquarter at Fort Hood. The pending arrival of the First Army Division West's headquarters is a start. I urge you to work hard to insure the troop, family, and support population at Fort Hood remain at least at the 2009 levels.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Raymond F. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Pritchard</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">SFC</span>, Retired<br />United States ArmyMimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-14862450598024568332009-04-14T14:08:00.002-05:002009-04-14T14:19:17.392-05:00Sheets in the Wind<strong><em><span style="color:#ffffff;">SHEETS IN THE WIND<br />By<br />Frank Pritchard<br /><br /><br />Sheets swayed back and forth in the wind as my Mom hung bed sheets on the line to dry. When I think of the home of my youth, I can see that old clothesline with its sheets. And later, my own wife would carry wet sheets out to the clothesline to dry in the sun so we could have the aroma of air dried sheets as we lay down at night.<br /><br />The gymnasium was full. The bleachers were covered with bottoms. Excitement was building by the minute. The noise was deafening. The walls were covered with banners made from sheets, and homemade signs abounded in the bleachers. This wasn’t the big game at the high school. No basketballs were bouncing on the floor or rebounding off the backboards. The floor was covered with kids of all ages running around and playing. The scene was that of a big party – a celebration. The banners weren’t there to encourage the home team on to victory. The signs were not held by fans encouraging the varsity squad. And this wasn’t the local high school. This gym was on Fort Hood.<br /><br />The banners screamed out “JOB WELL DONE” and “WELCOME HOME 3RD ACR” or a myriad of other unit names. The signs were held up by waiting families: “WE MISSED YOU DADDY”; “MY HUSBAND, MY SOLDIER, MY HERO” or “MY MOM IS A HERO”. The excitement this day was soldiers coming home from Iraq. The kids on the floor and the families in the bleachers were waiting for the words they had waited for 15 months to hear – “The aircraft has landed!” Later, “The busses are on the way”. Then soldiers running thru the doors and forming up…. Line after line, row after row as these soldiers – officers and enlisted – respond to the “FALL IN” command given by their Commanding General.<br /><br />The Chaplain thanked God for their safe return and prayed for the safety of those soldiers still in Iraq. The General thanked the soldiers for their fine performance as they represented their unit, the United States Army and the American people. Finally, the much awaited command, “DISMISSED”.<br /><br />Soldiers began searching as families were climbing off the bleachers. Eyes met, tears flowed and the slow trickle of wives, husbands, children, and parents quickened. In a matter of just seconds, the scene changed and where there was once military order on the floor, families were embracing, sweethearts kissing and children lifted up into daddy or mommy’s waiting arms. Teenage girls were crying, hugging dad and texting all at the same time.<br /><br />The gymnasium started to empty as soldiers, who just moments before, had entered as warriors, were leaving as husbands and wives with their children in tow … families reunited.<br /><br />This scene is not unusual in Army communities. Drive around the city and see magnets on the backs of cars - a torn heart saying “Half my heart is in Iraq”. Yellow ribbon magnets saying, “Support our soldiers.” And sheets hanging on fences. Soldiers, willing to sacrifice their very lives, sacrifice much every day. Children don’t save first steps or first words for daddy to come home. Daddy – Daughter dinners at school or church go on; and the Pinewood Derby at Cub Scouts takes place with Mom rooting her Cub Scout on to victory – her hands still covered with the paint she used to help prepare his car … the one he dedicated to his dad. And, that special anniversary passes with sweethearts half a world apart. Life goes on.<br /><br />I have been privileged to watch several homecomings on Fort Hood, in gymnasiums, and on the parade field at the 1st Cavalry Division, where soldiers, lined up at attention, are greeted with a charge of the 1st Cavalry Horse Detachment. It is amazing to see 400 soldiers at attention with the horses and wagons charging across the field the bright Texas sun. It is just as amazing at midnight under a full moon. It will absolutely take your breath away when you see just one soldier, who has returned alone, standing at attention, with the full horse detachment making its charge.<br /><br />I never gave much thought to sheets until recently. When going to work and then coming home, I see the sheets tied to fences, flapping in the Central Texas wind, and one says “WELCOME HOME MOMMY!”</span></em></strong>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-78560266711523049332009-01-28T18:28:00.010-06:002009-01-28T19:27:04.577-06:00LOOK INTO MY EYE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD11piSS9rwdqisMpaqHvxuhpee8vIlFmt10njR0GjJ16a31GdRogz3Che5Q0R1o0TOI7uavepWSVwt0Uemfmd1kAsmcMtJHGhqKCT3aBSoPYvsdrUfvf6kS92bIgvVazNKxc8OQ/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296510165489866130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 152px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD11piSS9rwdqisMpaqHvxuhpee8vIlFmt10njR0GjJ16a31GdRogz3Che5Q0R1o0TOI7uavepWSVwt0Uemfmd1kAsmcMtJHGhqKCT3aBSoPYvsdrUfvf6kS92bIgvVazNKxc8OQ/s200/1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div>“LOOK IN MY EYE! LOOK IN MY EYE!” shouted Elder Smith as he pinned me down and his face right in mine, and his glass eye in his hand. “NO, I DON’T WANT TO LOOK!” I yelled. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING UP TILL YOU LOOK!" he yelled back. Then I pushed him back, and it started all over again. We were laughing so hard we could barely breath!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div>Elder Smith lost his right eye in a farming accident when he was a little boy, and now as a 20 year old missionary, he had his 5th prosthetic eye, and now was trying to get me to look into the empty socket – and I didn’t want to look! I remember well that day, and how hard he tried to get me to look. But, I never looked at any time during the months we were together.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsHGPv7WhKJIe4sYyrWhtFCkt7f_HE8tfkhPMrUC1DCGMUOhfg1AWybcndoVS9KX7nmvN92x4ECOnSm7PSkZBqWRDXWHFb3dqjSb1d6-lv7RJRXQjZl6cEIXCfXdJqCSMh0P0EQ/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296508677710515730" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsHGPv7WhKJIe4sYyrWhtFCkt7f_HE8tfkhPMrUC1DCGMUOhfg1AWybcndoVS9KX7nmvN92x4ECOnSm7PSkZBqWRDXWHFb3dqjSb1d6-lv7RJRXQjZl6cEIXCfXdJqCSMh0P0EQ/s200/2.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Now it is today, nearly a half century later, and it is me with the prosthetic eye. In the year 2000 I was diagnosed with a Choroidal Melanoma in my right eye. In layman's terms, I had skin cancer in my right eye. Unusual, indeed! The choroid layer of the eye has the same tissue as the epidermis or skin, therefore, it is possible to literally get skin cancer in the eye, although very rarely. And I am a rare breed and I got it! After the initial treatment of radiation, my tumor began to shrink and the prognosis seemed to be pretty good. The doctor said that I had to get to 10 years to have the procedure be considered a success and me to be officially “cancer free”. Then in 2005, the tumor began to grow again. The treatment was then considered to be a failure, and the only recourse was to have my right eye surgically removed. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQw1A_WgibpTaPXnUEcCiJxBy4lojJNqSBqplI88JkxErizOq5N1B52vGUqihNanhoTzyXPPNbv4rDsNvcw7DN2k0WhRtAMXV91NtoGxGTmXP01spdFz4qA1bPCEhITDmW_vsHw/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296508948343182514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 183px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQw1A_WgibpTaPXnUEcCiJxBy4lojJNqSBqplI88JkxErizOq5N1B52vGUqihNanhoTzyXPPNbv4rDsNvcw7DN2k0WhRtAMXV91NtoGxGTmXP01spdFz4qA1bPCEhITDmW_vsHw/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This was not an easy thing for me to accept. I was losing a part of me, not like tonsils or a diseased appendix. I was losing an eye that still worked and of which I had no symptoms of being sick. In 2000, the choice was to remove the eye or have the radiation treatment. My daughter, Hilary’s suggestion was to have the eye removed and then have it repl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZR1QJy8ELNcjs4ayYYlMNAVaUZMxW9MiRYw2dJO2swAjiAE_MLpBIwD43JNOm86bcUUEoENwrrwYAPfOGFOQlriCx_ytUbEguM503k-amaHHcVzSvLw7Q0bpM3VFG-n7Cfihaw/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296509573707686482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZR1QJy8ELNcjs4ayYYlMNAVaUZMxW9MiRYw2dJO2swAjiAE_MLpBIwD43JNOm86bcUUEoENwrrwYAPfOGFOQlriCx_ytUbEguM503k-amaHHcVzSvLw7Q0bpM3VFG-n7Cfihaw/s200/4.JPG" border="0" /></a>aced with a glass eye – so the kids would have something to dive after.</div><div></div><div>Now it is me with the glass eye. Actually, it isn’t glass, but acrylic. I posed for the eye as it was hand painted to match the left one. Upon close inspection, one can see some slight flaws, but all in all, it is an exact duplicate of my good eye. I have had doctors who have been amazed at how good it looks.</div><br /><div></div><div>The kids don’t dive after it in the pool, but the first request I get whenever the kids are together is “Grandpa, take your eye out”. And little Jared is the funniest of all. He isn’t satisfied for me to just take my eye out. He likes to touch it and to wear it. I think I will always picture him with my eye on his forehead or in his eye. I wonder if he will be scarred for life?</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-67419893643205728772009-01-16T09:09:00.005-06:002009-01-16T13:10:08.073-06:00May We Have More Pie, Please!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWkBaA2uD9pD9RXFpjs2T-0Ou5OfZ5TK-pPsfghj9CLQ2y2O0Sc10mPddl8pPXYnvK-fwgUVEbFIjxs2fZV3QneKGVLkRrgPzv2E69Vk7MoB9KXpzDsWjTSmJyT_w_szTjYrEvA/s1600-h/Slide1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291909241735763666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWkBaA2uD9pD9RXFpjs2T-0Ou5OfZ5TK-pPsfghj9CLQ2y2O0Sc10mPddl8pPXYnvK-fwgUVEbFIjxs2fZV3QneKGVLkRrgPzv2E69Vk7MoB9KXpzDsWjTSmJyT_w_szTjYrEvA/s320/Slide1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It is kind of funny when you think of the level of understanding our children have. I would love to delve into the mind’s of these little ones and try to figure out how they think. Which of life’s little experiences have helped form their thoughts and understanding? What meanings do they give the words they hear? </div><div><br />On Sunday evening when the family was gathered together for dinner, the little ones were playing quietly. When the kids found out that no special dessert had been made for after dinner because all the adults figured that their figures could do without, these little ones started discussing desserts. The discussion ended up centering around pie. “I like pecan pie” declared 7 year old cousin, Rachael. “My favorite is pumpkin pie” replied her 7 year old cousin, Colby. Now, here is where I wish I could be in on all the conversations of these little ones. The third cousin in this little group was 5 year old Maddie. Since her daddy owns a pizza restaurant, her understanding of this word is somewhat different. Her daddy always refers to his pizzas as “pies”, so it really is no surprise that when she said her favorite was pepperoni pie. </div><div><br />Her cousins told her that pepperoni was not pie, but to her it was – and I am sure that it will always will be. PEPPERONI pizza PIE! </div>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-12023090875797243492009-01-05T10:52:00.003-06:002009-01-05T11:03:55.665-06:00Missionaries AllI want to let everyone know that Mom and I have put in our papers to serve a mission. We are applying for a local mission, serving as Military Relations Missionaries. When we are called, we will receive training here. We will not have to go to the MTC. Don't know what the time table is for receiving the call, but we are looking forward to it. We have been wanting to serve a Military Relations Mission, but are not yet able to leave home. There is a great need here in the Fort Hood area as the full time MRM's left and no one is scheduled to take their place. We are excited.Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711141.post-18355640148075430712008-12-09T20:35:00.013-06:002009-01-06T13:52:05.920-06:00A FIRE IN THE PASTURE 2008<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277985644829092738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2wBG-uu5-95bjm8gRKTjllt-m1TPXEXV5zYMK4s5xaFtRCfK8ll26V6_-GO_KuVP81tHKJd9FxhM8gcwxAtS8gHT8L4SUTIF1uJhyEvr_L4uEg4ITGVqhNsPmkG9lLL-J4U9EQ/s400/DSCF9533(1).JPG" border="0" /> <strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">The smoke could be seen from the road. Gently it billowed up into the blue sky. As we turned off the road onto the dirt driveway we could easily see the source of the smoke. It was Thanksgiving weekend and Mimi’s birthday, and the smoke was from the fire in the pasture. As I looked to the place in the pasture where the brush was piled and burning, I could see little boys stoking the fire with their sticks as in years past. Little girls were there being properly ignored, but taking in the aroma and building the memories that will last all their lives. No matter what happens in the future, these memories are etched permanently in that place in the brain where the memories of pleasurable events are stored.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tE6t36dVCcywmC0sywiOsDLlltWdQMzTD8Mo7auW6oR0jQT8c6_72Z_jHBLb1N9-sFm58JLko0Ze7UmHPtbv034FIthmRcW9x7sKe3_Rqbr28-0O1MHd5HyCBPv7N3DuhIOagw/s1600-h/DSCF9508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277985950938093330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tE6t36dVCcywmC0sywiOsDLlltWdQMzTD8Mo7auW6oR0jQT8c6_72Z_jHBLb1N9-sFm58JLko0Ze7UmHPtbv034FIthmRcW9x7sKe3_Rqbr28-0O1MHd5HyCBPv7N3DuhIOagw/s320/DSCF9508.JPG" border="0" /></a></span></em></strong><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">We honked the horn. Mimi and Grandpa were here and the kids bolted from the fire to the car. Hugs and kisses were had by all. Then the kids started grabbing luggage and tugging on the handles to pull suitcases up the gravel walk to the house. In the house more hugs and kisses. You would have thought we never see each other. With the exception of Heidi, our homes are only a few miles apart. Hilary wouldn’t arrive until late that evening, having gotten a late start from Fort Knox. The weather was cooperating and all would travel and arrive under blue or starry skies.</span></em></strong></div><div><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">There were new babies this year and a new requirement for cribs. The cribs required bedrooms so the babies would not keep others awake in the event they had a hard time sleeping. So Mimi and Grandpa all of a sudden were out of a room. Actually, other accommodations could have been made, but it was just easier on all for us to go to town and stay in the motel. As it turned out, the motel was being renovated by the new own<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFIJpMuOxfemWOgcAlRxXvuDJ04GIUIAXgN46NyplkiZMoDWPVAlPPf4Oyp9Grp_caGGzObKmJ4OEx6utyQhF-B3S8VELCVDAm_xy0FZ-sNBubGmf6YrhdC4TvQbH6jaO1_DYtg/s1600-h/DSCF9517.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277986592172739202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFIJpMuOxfemWOgcAlRxXvuDJ04GIUIAXgN46NyplkiZMoDWPVAlPPf4Oyp9Grp_caGGzObKmJ4OEx6utyQhF-B3S8VELCVDAm_xy0FZ-sNBubGmf6YrhdC4TvQbH6jaO1_DYtg/s320/DSCF9517.JPG" border="0" /></a>ers and it was nice, clean and cheap! We were afraid that perhaps the train, which passes just yards from the motel, would awaken us often as the trains rumbled through town. But, we heard not a click nor a clack and we slept well. We stayed at the house late in the evenings and arrived in time for breakfast every morning….usually via the way of Wal-Mart! After our experience, others are now thinking that they may volunteer to stay at the motel in the future.</span></em></strong></div><div><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">As the weekend got into full swing, I noticed that the fire in the pasture was often going unattended. Where were the boys? What happened to the girls and their directing the efforts of the boys to make the fire burn better? Nintendo. The boys had graduated to the electronic age and were engaged in whatever little boys play on a DS. The little girls wondered around and played what little girls play when boys are not attending the fire. The older boys were gearing up for the hunt. There was target practice and the sighting in of the sights on the rifles. Learning safety tips from their Dads and making sure the cammo was properly worn. And the older girls were just being older girls…trying to figure out how they could get someone to take them shopping. They settled for the movies with Aunt Cindy, to see a vampire and to eat at Olive Garden.</span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">The family was ready to eat! Thanksgiving had arrived. This year dinner would be at 6’ish so the great hunters could take as many deer that they could that day. Turkeys were roasted and deep fried. Potatoes were mashed and gravyied. Sweet potatoes were casseroled and candied. Dressing was wonderful! Cranberries were --<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvktGRuSAXIfSLbkx0BWUnm1z2DEgFjLgL_SVoe4RzhTp7ppPVcy7PO4BvvYfLUSYnvkwenL_c0RU3l-JheJExvaINEO26rilIfpW8Sqr3U_X0zpcuHCkpK4x3KWiDA6F1AeVzQ/s1600-h/DSCF9537(1).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277987292866879762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvktGRuSAXIfSLbkx0BWUnm1z2DEgFjLgL_SVoe4RzhTp7ppPVcy7PO4BvvYfLUSYnvkwenL_c0RU3l-JheJExvaINEO26rilIfpW8Sqr3U_X0zpcuHCkpK4x3KWiDA6F1AeVzQ/s320/DSCF9537(1).JPG" border="0" /></a>-- well, cranberries. And the pies! Is there ever enough pie! We ate and ate, talked and talked, and laughed and laughed. It was a Thanksgiving that fit in with all our past Thanksgivings, yet so different. And we all are already looking to 2009!</span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">On Friday the rains came….and came. Kids stayed in the house. Some of the adults ventured out to Wal-Mart and Black Friday. And unlike New York, everyone was friendly and helpful…and no clerks were trampled to death. The fire in the pasture endured the day. And, even though we were crowded in the house and often had to talk above the noise, not a cross word was spoken. Movies and football were the order of the day. Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit occupied many of the adults. And food! And at the end of the day, the rain continued. </span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />By the weekend the rain had stopped and the kids were outside. I noticed that no one was at the fire. Then I noticed that the fire in the pasture had drowned. All during the rain, the fire continued to smoke, but in the end, it was no match for the rain and humidity. Not so for the enthusiasm of the kids and the parents. And next year our 5 year olds will be 6 year olds; a whole new crop of boys at the age to stoke the fire and a bunch of girls to tell them how to do it. And the hunter’s? Well, there is always next year! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277987824196475378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5XHGiXkGbYCip8jWWM9DN3UXDzVKIDN46TpBv6oCWCsgOwImhi3e2NsiKGekEE5MSgVkDljBwcd2uLveBq6tOD1_WOwYe6Rwa98KWnfd1PBkDGnPWXCabFlr_Vf57TjUbtp0OA/s320/DSCF9511(1).JPG" border="0" /></span></em></strong></div><div><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">With the words, “Color guards, post colors”, the Eagle Scout Court of Honor was under way. Joshua was receiving the Eagle Scout rank he had earned during his youth as a Boy Scout. The Weblos Den from Ashdown that Jacob belongs to was the color guard. These younger Scouts proudly carried the American and Troop flags to the front and upon command from the Senior Patrol Leader (and Eagle Scout Candidate), the boys placed the colors in the flag holder on each side of the rostrum. In the front, facing the audience was the Eagles Nest, the area where all those holding the rank of Eagle Scout sat. The program progressed and then it was time for comments of encouragement to the new Eagle Scout. “We call him “Pooter” “, stated Uncle Chad. Aunt Heather then explained how he got that name and the integrity that the name “Pooter” represented. </span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">Following the Court of Honor, the family moved to the baptismal font. With Grandpa presiding and Uncle Scott conducting, Jannie entered the waters of baptism and was baptized by her Daddy, Paul. A few minutes later, with her Grandpa, Uncles and Cousin assisting, Jannie was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, again by her Daddy. What a neat experience to have a room filled only with family, all enjoying the moment of joy for Jannie.</span></em></strong></div><div><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">Then Brandon came forward, and with all the Priesthood still in the front, Brandon took a seat and his Dad, Brett, ordained him to the office of Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood. What a special time for all three that Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.</span></em></strong></div><div><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">On Saturday afternoon, Gunner, Hilary’s dog, was loving life on the farm. He was out renewing friendships with the family dogs and checking out the wildlife. Flower wasn’t as gentle and sweet as he was in Bambi. Flower left his calling card all over Gunner. Gunner then got a firsthand experience with tomato juice and Summer’s Eve. But Flower’s aroma prevailed and Gunner was relegated to his kennel for the remainder of his visit to Arkansas. Poor Gunner.</span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">The fire in the pasture went out early in the rain. But the rain didn’t dampen the fire in our hearts. We all had fun, and a lifetime of memories were made. We now look forward to the Christmas holidays and the New Year, but it is the Thanksgiving adventures on a little farm in rural Arkansas where a fire in the pasture continues to burn in the recesses of our minds and rekindles the feelings of the eternal nature of families and our lives.</span></em></strong> </div>Mimi and Grandpa's Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10937035996472376689noreply@blogger.com3