Happy New Year's Eve!

I couldn't help this last post for 2013. As I was looking at the year totals, I was only one post away from blogging more than last year. So, here is a small token of the New Year celebrations of the past. This is a photo of my grandparents: Bessie (Pace) and Charles Daniels....with a twist. In mid-December of 1943, my Grandfather had been home on leave, still recovering from contracting malaria after fighting in the Pacific. As the year was coming to a close, he was given orders to return to service, in Europe this time. To spend every last moment possible together, my Grandmother traveled with him to New Orleans where his ship would be disembarking. I have always loved this photo of them - the sadness and fear is evident as they face an unknown future. At a later date, he sent her this memento wishing her a Happy New Year, and recalling the moment they spent together "Dec-15-1943. Me & My Darling on the eve of my departure, Hoping for a safe journey & an early return. Pop" As readers of this blog will be able to attest, he did make it home safely, and lived to be 93 years old, passing away on Christmas Day of 2004. Grandma on the other hand, is still with us, and 93! What a long and memorable life together!

Happy New Year's Eve! Here's to more blogging in 2014 - not a resolution, just a hope!

Love According to Jack & Thelma

A couple of years ago I got a little addicted to buying original letters and photos at Ebay. My addiction was partly a result of the bidding wars that took place for the WWII letters of Jack (George) Hunt and Thelma Barnes. Apparently, this collection was sold at an estate sale, but subsequently separated into batches for the online auction market. I have not investigated Jack Hunt's War record yet, but I do know he began his service in 1942 and served well into 1945. During this time, he was engaged to his hometown sweetheart, Thelma Barnes. Unfortunately, I was unable to win all of the batches of letters written between these two, but I managed to snag about 100. The separation of this collection was conducted in a mercenary fashion as usual. Batches of 10 were parcelled out in date order, with the exception of a few singled out to be sold on their own when the content was particularly interesting or rare. It was doubly sad that no one seemed to want Thelma's letters since she was writing from the homefront - hers went very cheap. Yet, their story is only half known if we only read one side of the exchange.

The wonderful thing about these letters is the prolific prose found inside. Jack was a very engaged writer! He was articulate, his penmanship was clear, he was detailed, and he was funny! He was not the most grammatically correct writer, but his sweet affections expressed for Thelma are some of the most adorable I have ever read. Instead of the standard (and often boring) letters back home, Jack actually described what he was doing, how he was training, what movies he saw, and how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with dear Thelma. As I went through the letters, these two expected some sort of leave within 1943 or so to get married, but the War kept getting in the way. The more they wrote, the more they expressed their desire to marry and have a happy life with children. I also noticed that as the War drug on, Jack's letters became much more solemn in nature - but he never waned from his desire to marry Thelma. By the last letters in 1945, I did not know if he made it home to marry his sweetheart, but then I stumbled upon Thelma's obit from 2008. I was very excited to see that they did get married as soon as he got home in 1945 and had several children. Jack died in 1971, but Thelma remained true and never remarried. After reading their passionate love letters, I am not surprised in the least!

These are some excerpts from their February letters.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! (P.S. Don't you love her pink stationary?!)
C

New List of Goals/Failures

I realize that is a very depressing title for the New Year and all of its hopes for successful change. But, let's be totally honest with ourselves.....we are personally fighting the duality of our nature. I have friends that are sooooo anti-resolution for New Year that they happily scoff at anyone attempting to make one. And then I had a friend who posted his status on Facebook yesterday: "Say you want a Resolution?"......which made me laugh at our attempts, while taking that thought to heart. No matter what time of year we attempt to make change in our lives, we are staging a personal Revolution. Which is, at the core, the most difficult battle of all. It's right up there with the epic battle of good versus evil! We are mad as hell at the current leadership and aren't going to take it anymore! But since we are the leadership we rebel against, we are our own worst enemy and doomed to fail if we cannot advance from Revolution stage to a fully successful Coup!

If the success rate for Resolutions is so very small, why not sit back and join the scoffers? Because, in my humble opinion, any impetus for change is a good thing! We are smart enough to recognize that things get out of control in our lives....and tend to upset a healthy, balanced way of life.....so we seek to change the behaviors that lead to negative results. Even if we fail at our attempts, the small number of days we tried is better than never having tried at all. We've all heard the "studies" that tell us our bodies even respond to this attempt. Risks of certain diseases lower, even if only a fraction, when we take a chunk of time and live healthier. Almost like the rings of a tree, the attempt to live healthier is recorded in our core. Which leads me to have hope for our attempts each year. Oh, and all you scoffers out there....you are just scoffing at the time in which we hopeless changemantics pick to begin new habits of change. Everyone, throughout the course of the year remarks on how they should be changing something - eating better, talking to relatives more, managing our finances better, etc. Whenever you are comfortable attempting the change is your own personal choice.....sometimes a coup is best attempted in the warmer months anyway.....but for now, here is my list of changes/goals for the coming year (mostly genealogy related, but not exclusively):

1. Spend more time with God, family and friends.

2. Blog more frequently!

3. Exercise more - uhem, I should say, START exercising in some way.

4. Organize my family photos/documents - seriously, this one needs immediate attention, not only for our older photos, but for this generation whose collection is getting older in its own right.

5. Write more - not in a blog fashion, but that pesky book we all work on, which is actually related to goal #1!

6. Reduce sugar intake - I'm OK when it comes to eating healthy, but I still have that sweet tooth which must be conquered!

7. Utilize my "Smart" things to their full potential...which means...using the task/notes sections, complete with alerts/alarms to keep me on task. This will of course mean planning little goals in advance, but this is necessary to maintain any semblance of success with this list.

8. Back-up computer photos/documents MUCH more regularly - kinda like goal #3 if you get my meaning!

9. De-clutter! Which has already begun, a few days prior to the Holiday.....but sooo necessary to get more organized.

10. Explore one new genealogy related tech-product, or resource per month....thoroughly.

So, to keep things reasonable, I will limit myself to 10 this year. Don't forget, that, by Wikipedia's definition, as quoted from another military historian: "A coup consists of the infiltration of a small, but critical, segment of the state apparatus, which is then used to displace the government from its control of the remainder." How do I propose to infiltrate and be successful? By sheer numbers! I figure, by making a nice big list, one of them is bound to stick! I'll let you know how that goes - same time next year - unless the Mayans were right!
Happy New Year!!!

The Season's Greetings

As we all fall prey to the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, I wanted to stop and wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas, and bright, historically prosperous New Year! It is way too easy to let the spirit of Scrooge enter our lives as we tread through the family obstacle course that rears its head during this special time of year. But stand strong! Don't allow the Christmas meanies to steal your joy. Christmas holds different meanings for each of us, but if we slow down, even for a little bit, to reflect on the beauty of the season, the reason behind the season, and the special memories attached to this glorious season, we can bring the year to a restful and peaceful close. Besides, those tests and trials will be waiting for us on December 26th.....so let them go for a couple of days and purposefully embrace the Spirit of Love behind the Holiday we know as Christmas.

As a side note about the gold greeting you see above, this is the cover of a small paper photo frame. The photo inside is long gone, but the frame remained in the family photo collection. Due to the current controversy surrounding "Happy Holidays", "Merry Christmas" and "Season's Greetings", I thought this little historic piece from the earlier part of the 20th century was quite telling. For my family, Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings were just another way of saying "Merry Christmas". There was no exclusion intended and in fact, we used it (for generations) as a way to include a Happy New Year in the mix. So, in my book, none of the previous phrases are insulting to the Spirit of the Holiday. However, I have enjoyed the resurgence of Merry Christmas. I grew up in a city where the Menorah was right next to the Nativity Scene, and in my own family we put out a Menorah during Hanukkah as something of a symbol to honor the season, even though we do not fully celebrate this Holiday. I've always believed America to be the place that welcomed all religions and beliefs.....one that celebrated them and encouraged their celebration.....not one that silenced their celebration. I never want America to be a place of such restriction that a person is forbidden from wishing someone a Merry Christmas, etc. If you want to wish me a Happy Solstice, bring it! I will assume you are wishing me a happy time, a season of celebrating something good. The world can be such a dark and dismal place. We all need reasons and seasons to celebrate. Historically, religion has provided those seasons for us as a nation. From its inception to the present, our culture has been infused with a religious base. That base allowed for freedom to celebrate, not rules to silence the various celebrations.

So, as December 24th and 25th roles around.....Merry Christmas to all!

And well our Christian sires of old
Loved when the year its course had roll’d,
And brought blithe Christmas back again,
With all his hospitable train.
Domestic and religious rite
Gave honour to the holy night;
On Christmas Eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas Eve the mass was sung:
That only night in all the year,
Saw the stoled priest the chalice rear.
The damsel donn’d her kirtle sheen;
The hall was dress’d with holly green;
Forth to the wood did merry-men go,
To gather in the mistletoe.
Then open’d wide the Baron’s hall
To vassal, tenant, serf and all;
Power laid his rod of rule aside
And Ceremony doff’d his pride.
The heir, with roses in his shoes,
That night might village partner choose;
The Lord, underogating, share
The vulgar game of ‘post and pair’.
All hail’d, with uncontroll’d delight,
And general voice, the happy night,
That to the cottage, as the crown,
Brought tidings of salvation down.

Excerpt from Marmion by Sir Walter Scott

CD 12/24/10

Advent Calendar - Grandma's Stocking

This one could almost qualify as a wordless post, because catching a glimpse of Grandma's special stocking says it all. However, I will give just a little background. This one is of Grandpa and Grandma Daniels, back before I was born, probably in the 1960s or so. When I found the photo, I loved the look captured between them on a busy Christmas morning - but as I took in their surroundings, I laughed out loud when I studied that fake fireplace behind them....yes, Grandma had put up her nylon pantyhose as her Christmas stocking that year! I'm not sure if it was meant to stretch and therefore hold more loot, or if it was a small protest, reminding the children that Mom deserved something from Santa too! The motive could be a little of both considering this is the same woman who painted hoof prints on her forehead in the 1980s when "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" was the hit song that year.

Christmas is a time of laughter - enjoy!

CD

12/18/10

Advent Calendar - Ma's Cookies

Earlier in the year I wrote a lengthy post about Ma's (Nellie Cox Beyersdoerfer) sugar cookies. They have been an absolute favorite and permanent Christmas tradition for at least four generations. The recipe is simple but when cooked to proper perfection (done on the bottom but taken out before browning), they are light, soft and chewy, with a wonderfully light nutmeg and Cinnamon essence. The picture I have included is their traditional round form, but the various forms they can take are endless. With this round form, we have dressed them up for Christmas with red and green sugar sprinkled on top. However, it really wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't use some of our old cookie cutters to make things more festive. When shapes are used, we have added the tradition of a light confectioner's sugar icing on top - which can be tinted to any color you prefer. Uber delicious!

I have included the recipe again below. The image of that cook-stained original clipping from Ma's kitchen is one of those wonderful pieces of heritage genealogy that I adore most of all. In fact, it is so precious to the family, that whenever anyone gets married, we make a color copy on photographic paper and then frame it to give to the brides. A surefire way to implement an old tradition into a new household!

In my previous post I included a lot about Nellie and my memories of her cookies on the kitchen table, but since this cookie tradition was started in her home, I've decided to include some photos we have of the home place which was torn down just a few years ago.
This precious photo, as faded as it is, has a caption on the back: Christmas 1936. This was taken on the front porch of Nellie and John's home. All of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren grew up visiting Ma here, and sneaking more than one cookie during their visit. Nellie is the woman center front. Travelling to the left is her mother, Oleva Ellen Mockbee Cox, and the young woman on the far left, trying to hide, is one of the daughters (my Grandmother), Freida Beyersdoerfer Watts. This is the house a few years fore they razed it.....but no one has lived in it for years, and with no indoor bathroom facilities (there's another memory I have from childhood!), I'm not very surprised. It sat on a hill in northeastern Pendleton County Kentucky. Each time we make these cookies, we picture this place, and the warm, loving woman inside working to make her family welcome and comfortable.

Be sure to give these cookies a try! You'll be glad you did!

CD

12/8/10

Advent Calendar - Santa Claus...or?

Growing up, I firmly believed in Santa Claus, at least until I was about 10. Santa Clause was awesome! He brought me great things, I got to visit him in the mall with cool reindeer....it was a pretty sweet relationship. Ironically, visiting Santa was one of my favorite things to do each year....it was a rather comforting visit.....and he was great about bringing me what I asked for. Once I grew out of the stage of believing, my brother was very small and we had to keep up the belief system just for him - which was extended for one more year when, as he was tottering on unbelief, we passed by someone in a Santa suit entering the front door of a neighbor's house on Christmas Eve - the very night Santa always came to our house!

As I helped maintain the Santa belief for my brother, I started paying more attention to how the whole system worked and the secret little joke that existed among the adults. This was about the same year that my Grandfather (Charles Daniels) began dressing up as Santa on Christmas morning when we opened presents at the Grandparents' house. Funny how he fit that so suit so very well......

Come to find out, Grandpa was the mall Santa Claus at Northgate Mall in the Colerain area of Cincinnati. Plus, he was also the Santa Claus at his Masonic Lodge each year for the annual family event. So, for several years, it was our own Grandfather's lap that we sat on while whispering our Christmas wishes.....no wonder Mom and Dad got it so right every year....Santa was on speed dial! The above photos were taken on my brother's first Christmas, which was still a year of belief for me, although I knew this one was Grandpa. The one below is from one of his Lodge gigs as Santa. From the look on my face, I knew it was him.

From those days onward, he was known as Santa or Mr. Christmas. It was his absolute favorite time of year, and it showed. From hardened soldier to lovable Santa, we were always so proud of him. When it was his time to leave us, he waited until very early Christmas morning, 2004, and hitched a ride upward in Santa's sleigh. He was 93.

Merry Christmas Grandpa! We miss you!

CD 12/6/10

Advent Calendar - Tree Phases

Our collective family memory of Christmas Trees is solely based on which phase of tree you are remembering at the time. I will demonstrate for you below, but we seemed to run through differing phases, all related to tree types. For years, my only memory of a Christmas Tree was based on those toilet brush trees from the 70s. The cousins on my Mom's side of the family all had real trees, but in order to keep with the trend on my Dad's side of the family in Cincinnati, we all had artificial trees.....the move to Kentucky ushered in a new phase - real trees.....and so the pattern went. Here are some examples of the decades of trees through our family's relatively short memory....we don't have any Christmas photos earlier than the 1940s.....sad.

This little gem is from the very early 1950s - Dad and two of his sisters. I cannot tell for certain, but this looks like a real tree to me....which would have been in Ohio....gasp! We have one earlier than this from 1945, but it is very faint, and the tree also looked like a real one, so this would be an early phase for the Daniels family - apparently, a real tree! That tinsel behind them reminds me of a childhood memory....for a few years during my own childhood, my Mother decided to throw that sprinkle tinsel on the tree, but that stopped after she got tired of cleaning it out of the litter box....eww.... I know, but we had a cat that loved to eat that stuff, and we figured that was not good for her!

This next tree was Grandma Daniels' next phase...the metallic or tinsel tree! This one is from the 1960s. We have several photos of this one, so it might have lasted close to a decade....but completely ushers in the remainder of Grandma's Christmases as only consisting of artificial trees.

Once the 1970s arrived, I could finally grace them with my presence, and this ushered in my Parents' phase of the toilet bowl brush tree as mentioned earlier. This sucker was around until my brother was born in the early 80s. Ah, and then the 1980s arrived, and this picture perfectly reflects the memories I have of this newer model - the soft plastic branch tree. So easy to put up - after we had to wait for Mother to meticulously clean the entire house of course - but as you can see, the weight of the ornaments was not kind to this one, and it progressively got more and more droopy as the years went by. I guess these years were my favorite. Both my brother and I were still kids, and in our little Cincinnati house, the Christmas atmosphere was perfectly achieved every year.

Our family moved to Kentucky around 1993 and from that year onward we had a real tree. Mainly because we moved to a farming community and with the influence of our neighbors who happened to be family, we fell in love with the scent and uniqueness of real trees. Our first year down here, we even had a cedar tree instead of a fir or pine. There is a memory I will always treasure: Grandpa Watts taking my brother, cousin and Mom into one of the back fields to cut down that cedar and haul it back on an old wooden sled. The cedars were quite painful to decorate, but what a wonderful smell and perfect for an old fashioned country Christmas! I know the ease of an artificial tree has tried to lure me away, but even my own trees have remained real over the years - just hooked on this tradition I guess.
And for one last memory that surrounds Christmas Trees: While in Cincinnati - and even now when we visit - it was customary to visit several amazing sites around town. One favorite tradition was the Krohn Conservatory and their Poinsettia Tree. Beautiful - and a tradition that carries on for the future generations.

Merry Christmas everyone - hope your tree is up!

CD

12/1/10

Too Much Turkey!

It is only right and proper that we should stop the onslaught of Christmas for just a moment to remember our blessings and give thanks before we head out, en masse, with credit cards in hand to storm the malls for decking the halls. So, as we are flooded with Pilgrim and Native American imagery, enough turkey and tofu recipes to gag on, this is the best time to reminisce about the good ole days. In other words: the food!

Thanksgivings with the Grandparents were crowded and tension filled, but the food helped us all get along in those cramped quarters. As a kid, I didn't notice the family tensions or politics, just the FUN. We kids played together well, and packed enough toys to supply an underprivileged country. However, as the years progressed, one thing stayed constant: that fantastic cooking!

The feasts on either side of my family were tremendously indulgent. As I look back, what seemed to me a feast meant for a small village was actually a familial act of appeasement. I was so impressed by what my Grandmothers made. Every wonderful side dish imaginable was there, plus that ginormous turkey, followed by several different desserts! But why did they go to soooo much trouble? As my Mom has taken over the main Thanksgiving meal over the years, we have a great turkey, plus a few side dishes, bread and then pumpkin pie for dessert. Nothing as complex as the "olden days". So what gives?

I finally realized that my Grandmothers were practicing that age old talent of keeping everyone happy. If we took a tally, each person would probably have a favorite something - and the Grandmothers cleverly remembered what those were. Which meant slaving over the stove for hours, making sure everyone got their favorite dish for Thanksgiving. This practice of appeasement.....or, aka, selfless love.....was the reason we had such a wondrous feast every year. And which is why the above picture of Grandpa was taken by my Dad back in the late 60s after the feast....obviously Grandpa had many favorites....and whoa to those of us who indulge in all of our favorites on the table, or you too will be grabbing for the first sight of that clever product placement as seen in the photo!

To wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, a safe and profitable Black Friday, and a creative leftover turkey weekend, I will offer the following tidbits:

Primary Sources from the First Thanksgiving

**Note, the number of adult married women present at the first Thanksgiving was 4! That's right! 4! And according to the accounts of who attended, there were 5 adolescent girls, 9 adolescent boys (good grief), 13 young children, 22 adult men....and drum roll please.....at least 91 Native American male guests! So, maybe our Mothers and Grandmothers have really just been carrying on the tradition of female exhaustion for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Quotes from the Quote Garden

Oh, and try to spend as much time as possible WITH the family, and not glued to the TV like this group of naughty pilgrims:

From the Gizmodo Thanksgiving Photoshop Contest

Remember....eat lots of Turkey...but not too much!

CD

11/23/10

Ah! on Thanksgiving day....
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.
What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?
~John Greenleaf Whittier

Oral History Promoted @Starbucks?

I will not divulge locations or calories consumed, but I happen to work in a library that has its own Starbucks attached to the backside. As my co-workers and I have been frequenting this establishment quite regularly lately due to that marvelous concoction, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, we took notice of this year's new Christmas slogan: Stories are Gifts - Share. Oral History is one of my side passions and I was thrilled to see this reminder to the masses that some of our most precious historical and cultural gifts are oral traditions and memories - but only if we share them! So, as the Holiday season encroaches upon us, and we attend gathering after gathering, try to get your family to share as many memories as possible! Even if you have no recording device, quickly jot things down as they were repeated as soon as you get home.....I did just that on one special Christmas back in 2002.

My Grandfather, the one seen in the previous post with all of his military medals, and seen below in his Christmas glory days back in the 80s, was 91 years old in 2002 and recently diagnosed with cancer. He was weak, but still strong in his own way, and this was the last Christmas we all spent at my Grandparents' house. The following Christmas we spent at my Aunt's and then on Christmas Day 2004, Grandpa made his final journey home at 93.

Grandpa had a few photo albums from his youth that I had scanned the previous year to have my own copies. However, when I scanned them and talked to him about them, he didn't seem interested at all in talking about the people in the album. If you asked about the Wars, that was a different story....he would proudly talk all day to anyone who would listen. It was odd to me that he would not talk about this side of his family and the many unidentified people in it, but I thought that to be a lost cause and kept the scans as my only tie to his background.

I have always felt that Christmas was a magical time of year. Regardless of how religious your beliefs about this season, you cannot deny that people act differently during Christmas. That Christmas in 2002 was a brief magical moment that allowed me to document some of our family's past.

As everyone had gone home and a few lingered upstairs talking to Grandma, I stayed downstairs with Grandpa in the family room just chit-chatting and photographing some of that old album again to practice reproduction with various light sources. He was watching my progress and when I brought it over to him to ask him about someone, he took the album and put it in his lap. I quietly pulled up a small chair and sat next to him as he walked me through the album, pointing out people he knew and telling me stories about his parents and extended family that none of us had ever heard before. I had no recording device save my own memory, but as soon as I got home, I wrote down every story he told me in his words as I remember him telling it. That type of memory recollection is not the best way to preserve important family stories, but beggars cannot be choosers, and since each of his little stories were short, my recollection abilities were able to retain everything until I could get home.

As magical as that memory is for me, I learned a few things: If you are forced to record a story from memory, write it down AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, the more time that elapses, the more details you lose - Never take an opportunity for granted, any family gathering is precious and could be the last one for a loved one in the room - Do not wait for a recording device as some relatives of advanced years can sense those things from a mile away, and balk at the idea. Besides, passing on family stories orally is a tradition as old as humanity itself - Don't knock the tried and true! One last tip: buy a nice quality journal to keep handy in case a relative starts telling a story that you cannot capture via device. I kept one during my years with both sets of Grandparents and I still use it when I hear a family story I want to make sure I remember.

So take Starbucks' advice and SHARE the gift of memories! Oh and BTW, their peppermint hot chocolate has been unanimously declared "Christmas in a cup" by the library ladies in my department.

C

11/16/10

Acts of Honor

As we celebrate Veterans Day this year, I spent some time trying to remember all of the members of my family that spent some time serving in the military. As it turns out, my Father's side of the family is the one that remains heavily devoted to serving our country. From the American Revolution, to the Civil War, to WWII, to the Korean War, to the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, this side of the family has had very strong ties to the military.

In remembrance of those who have honorably served our country, I will list their names, and a link back to their entry on FindaGrave, if they have one. As an act of honoring our relatives who served and have already passed, perhaps this is the perfect opportunity give them a small honor on that site? There are a few ways to accomplish this: add the entry if the Veteran has not already been added to the database; add a note or two about their service if you have that information ; add a flag or flower to their entry in honor of this special Holiday. These are our heroes and we should make every effort to keep their memories alive....be sure to celebrate their acts of honor today!

My Military Family:

Daniel Estle 1745-1821: American Revolution - Pennsylvania Militia

Henry Connelly 1751-1840: American Revolution - Captain - North Carolina Cavalry

Henson Mockabee 1792-1880: War of 1812 - Kentucky Militia

Madison Daniels 1838-1913: Civil War - Ohio Infantry

Myron Beyersdoerfer 1907-1979: WWII US Army

Charles C. Daniels 1911-2004: WWII, Korean War - LTC US Army (Grandpa)

Charles C. Daniels Jr. 1939-Present: Army Reserves - LTC (Dad)

Plus some other living relatives (Uncle Jeff, Uncle Bruce, Cousin David, Cousin Bobby, Cousin Eddie, Cousin Harold, etc.). Sadly, as I go through some of the old family photos, I see some other valiant men who served, but I do not know their names.....for all the Veterans out there, we say "Thank You for securing and preserving our freedom!!"

The photo above, is my Dad and Grandpa....we are very proud of these two Lieutenant Colonels! Grandpa was so proud of his only son who chose to follow in his footsteps and as you can see, he was there to celebrate his milestones at every opportunity. Dad still enjoys Veterans Day and will celebrate tonight by visiting the local Veterans in one of the Nursing Homes near his home in Georgetown. Sadly, we lost Grandpa in 2004 at the age of 93. The man who also took incredible delight in the Christmas season chose Christmas Day as his time of departure. Below is a picture of his flag as displayed at his wake in Cincinnati.

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"
Maya Angelou

CD 11/11/10

Happy Birthday America!

As we get out the sunscreen, burgers, and fireworks this weekend, I like to slow down at least once to reflect on what this weekend, or more importantly, the fourth should mean to all Americans. I am writing this on the 2nd of July and as I looked for an appropriate quote from one of our founding fathers, I came across this ironic little gem from my favorite reference books of all time: America's God and Country by William J. Federer.(ISBN: 1-880563-05-3)

"The second day of July, 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever.

You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth all the means; that posterity will triumph in that day's transaction, even though we [may regret] it, which I trust in God we shall not."

John Adams: July 3rd, 1776

This founding father regarded the 2nd of July as the true birthday of America because the Continental Congress voted to adopt a resolution of Independence on the 2nd instead of the 4th as is traditionally observed. However, the Declaration of Independence was adopted as the official statement for this resolution on the 4th....and appropriately, it is the day we found our voice, declared our rights, and unified that cause with the people that we celebrate our true birthday. It was not until the people were able to take this Declaration and plant it like a seed in their hearts that our country had any chance to fight to the very end.

As John Adams suggested, perhaps the 2nd should be observed with solemn thanksgiving on this Day of Deliverance? At the very least, let's begin the celebration by making sure that seed is firmly planted within all of our hearts to keep the spirit of America as bright as the day she was born!

For your convenience, please take a moment to listen to the words and reflect on their meaning:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128242656

And for those of you ready to party after your moment of reflection, I couldn't help including a bit of 4th of July fun!





.....and don't forget that pursuit of happiness! :-)

CD

7/2/10

Photo at top is an undated patriotic image of Grandmother Paulina Strawderman Schilling with an unidentified Uncle Sam.