Veteran's Day Thoughts

I've mentioned it before, but I grew up in Port Hueneme, California. There is a Seabee base there (branch of the navy), and men in navy uniforms were a common sight all around town. I love those white uniforms, with the sailor collar and bell bottoms, and the navy cap perched, usually at a jaunty angle, on the sailor's head.

My dad served four years in the navy, during the Korean War, or Conflict as some people like to call it. I think those who served might use the term war. While I was in Kirkland last summer, my sister and I unearthed my dad's uniform. We laid it on the ground and tried to take pictures - the light was never great, but here are a few shots:

The whole uniform. My dad was soooo skinny. 6 foot two, and 135 pounds dripping wet. My son Ray might be able to get in the uniform, but I don't know if even he could fit it.

Navy Uniform - Korean Conflict 1948-1952

Here's the top alone. Notice the VEO inside the collar? Those are his initials, and they are stenciled like that on everything he had in the navy. I remember scratchy navy blankets that we used for picnics and the beach that had his initials. We used those for years.

Navy top 

Here is a close-up of his ribbons. My dad remembered what all the other stripes and patches on the shirt meant (I forgot to write them down), and most of the ribbons. My sister, who works with big-wig and not so big-wig navy people, knew some of the ribbons too, but she also knew where to look them up. Here's what they are:

Top row: 

Red ribbon on the left - Good Conduct Medal ribbon

Yellow with red ribbon on the right: Navy China Service Medal ribbon (China as in country, not dishes)

Bottom row:

Blue ribbon with yellow on the left: Korean Service Medal ribbon

Blue striped ribbon in the middle: United Nations Korean Service Medal ribbon

Red and yellow ribbon on the right: National Defenses Service Medal ribbon

Uniform ribbons

This is the best photo of all, and you can see the detail of the top of the pants very well:

Pants - detail

My dad served at the Submarine Base at Pearl Harbor for part of his stint. I'm not sure on the details of the rest of his time in the service. I'll have to ask him again about that.

I think of all those who have served our country in the past, and those who serve now. What a sacrifice they have offered for all of us. Time, sometimes years, away from family, and no guarantee in times of conflict that they might come home. 

Thank you, thank you. 

November Gray

Fire in the fireplace. ✓
Quilt. ✓
Book. ✓
Hot Chocolate at the ready. ✓

It's just that kind of day.

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Sixteen women head to Nebraska to homestead, not knowing they were actually brought there to be brides (most of them are Civil War widows).

Six of them balk at being "mail order" brides, and set out to homestead.

It's a cute story. I was diverted, and it kept me interested. It's not high literature, but that wasn't what I was looking for anyway. Right now I need diversion and reading for enjoyment - to get lost in another world. This book fit that bill.

More of the Week with the Grandchildren

Tuesday:

Not a great night's sleep. Elizabeth was up and unsettled until about 2 AM. Ray worked with her most of that time. Matthew woke up at 4:30 AM, then went back to bed after a few minutes. Yikes! It all came back to me--counting the hours of sleep I was now not going to get--from when my children were small.

Considering my fatigue, we had a fun day. Trish came over and we had work day. I actually got some sewing done, but mostly corralled the children. They love Trish so we all had a good time.

Elizabeth

 After Trish went home, the children and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. The boys collected pine cones (or fir cones, I'm not sure which). When we got home they went inside and got a basket for the cones. We took a picture, and the cones are now our lovely fall centerpiece on the dining room table.

Austin, pine cones, Matthew, Elizabeth

 The kids slept beautifully. I did not. Oh well, if it's not one, then it's another.

Wednesday:
Debra came up for the day with her girls. She sent me to bed for a nap. The nap was thwarted by several phone calls. Then we all had lunch:

Austin, Matthew, Madeleine, Elizabeth

I took off for bowling, which was a nice break. The children meanwhile had a delightful time playing with Madeleine and Diane. After Debra left we had about an hour before dinner, and the kids were at the stage of the day where it becomes my  "be witchy" hour.  I do not know why that is such a hard time for me, but it always has been.

Solution: go for another walk. It was perfect. Today they gathered some leaves, and put them in another basket. We have a lovely fall centerpiece of two baskets, one with cones, one with a few leaves.

Fall Leaves

Ray saved the day again and made his fabulous pancakes for dinner. The kids ate and ate. I love that when the kids see the buttermilk in the fridge they call it "pancake milk".

Everyone is in bed. Elizabeth is asleep. They boys are chatting and looking at books. I hope I can stay awake long enough to make sure they are asleep and all tucked in before I collapse.

Audrey is home tomorrow. Her children have missed her. I have missed her. It will be good to have her home again. 

A Week with the Grandchildren

"Are we there yet?" is perhaps the most annoying phrase uttered by all children everywhere. 

On Saturday Ray and I were surprised to hear ourselves repeating, "Are they here yet?" I guess the tables have turned, so to speak. We could not figure out why it took so long for Audrey and family to get to our house.

Audrey and Joseph left Saturday to go to Florida for the shuttle launch. Their children are staying here with us.

Here's what we've done so far:

Saturday

Ray took Audrey and Joseph to the airport, I took the Elizabeth to get a haircut:

Elizabeth

 The boys played on the slide conveniently located in the haircut place:

Matthew and Austin

 After the haircut we came home and got ready for our family Halloween party:

Elizabeth, Matthew (Construction worker), Austin (Cowboy)

Austin - Cowboy, Matthew - Construction Worker, Madeleine - Soccer Player

When we got home Elizabeth began screaming and pulling on her feet. When I took off her pajamas, she had a straight pin sticking into her feet, between her toes. Do not ask me how in the world that got there, but it did. I took it out, and all was well.

Everyone slept through the night. 

Sunday
Church. I had Elizabeth with me because she has a runny nose. Too bad, because she loves the nursery. She fell asleep during Relief Society, and slept through Sunday School. We survived Sacrament meeting.

Family dinner was the usual wonderful circus with all the grandchildren together. I put the kids to bed, but guess who didn't want to go to sleep? Austin and Elizabeth ended up in our bed for another hour. Once they fell asleep, Ray moved them into their beds. 

Everyone slept through the night.

Monday

Up and out the door. I took the kids to the Bean Museum at BYU. I drove down to Orem, and Debra, Madeleine, Diane, Beth and Rachel joined us. We played tetris with the car seats to fit them all in the two cars and off we went.

As we pulled up to the Bean Museum, we heard the fire alarm go off. People came out of the building. Beth said, "It's probably just a drill, it will be done in 15 minutes or so." Here we are waiting:

Rachel, Elizabeth, Madeleine, Diane, Matthew, Austin

That's all six of the grandchildren together, and most likely the only time in their lives so far that they've all looked at the camera at the same time. It was the very first picture we took. I may have to frame it.

While we were waiting, a fire truck showed up.

 More waiting.

Rachel, Elizabeth, Matthew, Austin

Rachel, Elizabeth

Finally, we got the all clear, and in we went. Luckily there was no one else in the museum, although our children made it sound as if there were a record crowd in there. Austin pointed out the various animals. Among otheres there were a jackal, bison, and oryx (and he doesn't read - he just knew them by sight). Like father, like son.

In a brief moment of calm, we snapped this picture:

Matthew, Rachel, Diane, Austin, Elizabeth, Madeleine

  Here's a slightly more accurate picture of the outing:

Matthew, Rachel, Diane, Austin, Elizabeth, Madeleine

We stopped at McDonald's and picked up lunch on the way home. We've had an afternoon of playing with cars, playing outside with large sticks (where do they find them?), and resting for about one and half seconds together on the hammock.

I'm off to get dinner.

Please let them sleep through the night.

In the Dark Streets Shineth: a 1941 Christmas Eve Story as told by David McCullough

This book is the print version of David McCullough's presentation last Christmas at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert.

It tells of Winston Churchill's surprise Christmas Eve visit to President Roosevelt in 1941. It also gives some background on some of our traditional Christmas hymns.

It was a very quick read, and I loved it.

A CD is enclosed with David McCullough's narration.

What Happened?

Remember my favorite bush, five days ago?

Here it is today:

See the red still trying to peek out from under the snow?

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen Ambrose

I have always been fascinated by the Lewis and Clark expedition. Ten or twelve years ago I asked my brother-in-law for a recommendation of a good book about the expedition. He recommended this book, and I read it then.

I really liked the book. It took me a little while to really get into it - the first  few chapters deal extensively with Meriwether Lewis' background and upbringing. I was anxious to get on the road with the expedition. But that preliminary information was invaluable, so I'm glad I waded through it.

The book is thorough in its information, and interesting in content. I think Stephen Ambrose has a real talent for that. (Nothing Like it in the World is another example of his great writing.) It is not a fast read, but I was interested the whole time.

Fast forward to now. My book group chose this book for October's read.  Because it's been so long since I read it the first time, I really needed to reread it. I've had a hard time getting as much reading time in as I like, so I got the book on CD. I listened to it while on the treadmill, and while working in the yard, and even some when I've sewed. It was a great way to review and remember the book. When I got to the last 150 pages I picked up the book and read the remainder of it. I liked it just as much this time as I did the first time I read it.

If you are at all interested in history, or biographical information, this book is an excellent choice. The emphasis is on Meriwether Lewis. William Clark is not prominent in the book, although he obviously played a key position in the expedition.