Dad
1941-2006
US Army, 1960-1963
I miss you, Dad
Happy, and respectful, Memorial Day.
Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
2008; Memorial Day Awesomeness
Remembering how much fun it is to ride a tube awesomeness:
Remembering how much MORE fun it is to see the sheer terror on your son's face awesomeness:
Laughing cousins awesomeness:
Water balloon fight awesomeness:
The joy of being a boy awesomeness:
The joy of being a boy with awesome cousins awesomeness:
Sparkler awesomeness:
(aka. the joy of knowing someone will most likely call DHS on you for not feeding your rail-thin child)
Catching some sweet, sweet air awesomeness:
Pretending you're bored awesomeness, especially when your younger cousin is so excited:
Wakeboarding nephew awesomeness:
The need for eventual chiropractic work awesomeness:
Remembering how much MORE fun it is to see the sheer terror on your son's face awesomeness:
Laughing cousins awesomeness:
Water balloon fight awesomeness:
The joy of being a boy awesomeness:
The joy of being a boy with awesome cousins awesomeness:
Sparkler awesomeness:
(aka. the joy of knowing someone will most likely call DHS on you for not feeding your rail-thin child)
Catching some sweet, sweet air awesomeness:
Pretending you're bored awesomeness, especially when your younger cousin is so excited:
Wakeboarding nephew awesomeness:
The need for eventual chiropractic work awesomeness:
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day, 2007
For most of us, Memorial Day is great. A day off work, a day off school, a day to unofficially herald the beginning of summer, preferably spent at the lake or by the pool, grilling burgers, staying cool, and hanging with friends.
Even better when you can get your boyfriend Nicholas to pull you around the pool like some sort of pack mule, who do you think you are, Cleopatra???
Water balloon fights are the way to go.
However, since Memorial Day is officially a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service, I’d like to take the more patriotic route and send a huge thank you to those we know personally who have served (Joe, welcome back home!); are currently serving (Hey, Gary and Glen, hang in there!); and will be serving soon (Jim, best of luck!) overseas deployments during this war, away from their family and friends, for months at a time. And of course, to the thousands and thousands of men, women, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, that we don’t know personally --- thank you to you, as well.
I’ll leave you with a song that is very special to me …. If you have your speakers turned off, it might be worth turning them on, just to hear this. The song isn’t new, so you’ve possibly heard it before. If not, it’s worth hearing, and if so, it’s worth hearing again today. And if you don't know the story of the Sullivan brothers, you really need to look it up and learn it.
Listen, and think about the sacrifices made by others, no matter your personal political leanings. Then sit back and say a small prayer of thanks to those people in your mind, because whether you agree with this war or not, whether you agree with any war or not, whether you like George Bush or hate him --- even if you’re the biggest pacifist on the planet --- you are damn lucky to be living in this country and for just one day, this Memorial Day, we all need to remember those who have sacrificed for the rest of us.
Artist: Caroline'S Spine
Song: Sullivan
Album: Monsoon
it's not hard to reach back to the day
underneath that Iowa sun
running to the tower of waterloo
looking for the Sullivan's train to come
and his five boys would run to the top
and salute him as he went by
first we'd wave hello
then we'd wave goodbye
goodbye
it's not hard to reach back to the days
after the attack on pearl
overnight my buddies turned into men
running out of time for games and girls
and the Sullivan boys were not overlooked
Uncle Sam calling each by name
the very next day they left on a mystery train
say goodbye, Mrs. Sullivan
and don't you cry
"-We regret to inform you
the Navy is taking your sons away-"
all five...
so put your blue stars in the window
it's not hard to reach back to her smile
when she'd recieve a letter
and the letters they sounded generally the same
said if they couldn't be home
at least they were together
on a mighty fighting battleship
somewhere in the South Pacific
the letters never got much more specific
say goodbye, Mrs. Sullivan and don't you cry
"-We regret to inform you
the Navy is keeping your sons away-" all five...
so keep your blue stars in the window
it's not hard to reach back to the day
when the war finally came home
Uncle Sam'll send you a telegram
so he doesn't have to tell you over the phone
i heard she cracked up
when they found out what the war had cost
when all five of her boys were lost...
say goodbye, Mrs. Sullivan
go ahead and cry
"-We regret to inform you
that all your sons have passed away-" all five...
so change your blue star to gold
blue stars to gold
Even better when you can get your boyfriend Nicholas to pull you around the pool like some sort of pack mule, who do you think you are, Cleopatra???
Water balloon fights are the way to go.
However, since Memorial Day is officially a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service, I’d like to take the more patriotic route and send a huge thank you to those we know personally who have served (Joe, welcome back home!); are currently serving (Hey, Gary and Glen, hang in there!); and will be serving soon (Jim, best of luck!) overseas deployments during this war, away from their family and friends, for months at a time. And of course, to the thousands and thousands of men, women, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, that we don’t know personally --- thank you to you, as well.
I’ll leave you with a song that is very special to me …. If you have your speakers turned off, it might be worth turning them on, just to hear this. The song isn’t new, so you’ve possibly heard it before. If not, it’s worth hearing, and if so, it’s worth hearing again today. And if you don't know the story of the Sullivan brothers, you really need to look it up and learn it.
Listen, and think about the sacrifices made by others, no matter your personal political leanings. Then sit back and say a small prayer of thanks to those people in your mind, because whether you agree with this war or not, whether you agree with any war or not, whether you like George Bush or hate him --- even if you’re the biggest pacifist on the planet --- you are damn lucky to be living in this country and for just one day, this Memorial Day, we all need to remember those who have sacrificed for the rest of us.
Artist: Caroline'S Spine
Song: Sullivan
Album: Monsoon
it's not hard to reach back to the day
underneath that Iowa sun
running to the tower of waterloo
looking for the Sullivan's train to come
and his five boys would run to the top
and salute him as he went by
first we'd wave hello
then we'd wave goodbye
goodbye
it's not hard to reach back to the days
after the attack on pearl
overnight my buddies turned into men
running out of time for games and girls
and the Sullivan boys were not overlooked
Uncle Sam calling each by name
the very next day they left on a mystery train
say goodbye, Mrs. Sullivan
and don't you cry
"-We regret to inform you
the Navy is taking your sons away-"
all five...
so put your blue stars in the window
it's not hard to reach back to her smile
when she'd recieve a letter
and the letters they sounded generally the same
said if they couldn't be home
at least they were together
on a mighty fighting battleship
somewhere in the South Pacific
the letters never got much more specific
say goodbye, Mrs. Sullivan and don't you cry
"-We regret to inform you
the Navy is keeping your sons away-" all five...
so keep your blue stars in the window
it's not hard to reach back to the day
when the war finally came home
Uncle Sam'll send you a telegram
so he doesn't have to tell you over the phone
i heard she cracked up
when they found out what the war had cost
when all five of her boys were lost...
say goodbye, Mrs. Sullivan
go ahead and cry
"-We regret to inform you
that all your sons have passed away-" all five...
so change your blue star to gold
blue stars to gold
Sunday, May 28, 2006
HOW WHITE TRASH FOLK CELEBRATE MEMORIAL DAY
AKA: WHEN YOUR PARENTS ARE TOO CHEAP TO PUT IN A SWIMMING POOL
AKA: THE POOR MAN’S VERSION OF THE DUNK TANK
obviously, we have forever lost the battle against the tongue hanging out of the mouth .... Kendrie and Kellen are both lost causes
Hope you have a WONDERFUL Memorial Day!!!
PS. To our fellow military families, past, present, and future ..... thank you!
AKA: THE POOR MAN’S VERSION OF THE DUNK TANK
obviously, we have forever lost the battle against the tongue hanging out of the mouth .... Kendrie and Kellen are both lost causes
Hope you have a WONDERFUL Memorial Day!!!
PS. To our fellow military families, past, present, and future ..... thank you!
Sunday, May 29, 2005
FEELING BETTER TODAY, THANKS! (I'm talking about Kristie, not Kendrie)
199 Days to Go!
Hey do you see that? We have officially got LESS than 200 days of chemotherapy left, yippee! Have I mentioned to you lately that we are having Kendrie's Official Off-Treatment Party on December 18th, 2005 --- mark your calendars now!
First of all, three cheers (or prayers, or meditations, or chants and incense, or whatever floats your boat) for Jake, whose bone marrow aspiration on Friday showed NO bone marrow involvement in his relapse! This is really, truly, wonderful news. He’s still got a long road ahead of him and his parents and doctors have some tough decisions to make, but this is definitely a blessing and I’m so happy and grateful for their family.
Secondly, thanks to all of you who offered me kind words in the guestbook after my last *melancholy* journal entry. It’s extremely comforting to know that I can come here and throw a virtual temper tantrum, or virtual pity party for myself, stamp my foot on the “send” key, and actually have people tell me they feel the same way, or offer a note of support. Anyone who needs proof about the goodness of mankind just needs to spend a little time on Caringbridge.
Speaking of Caringbridge, we’ve received official notice that the “new and improved” Caringbridge will be unveiled on June 1 (and unavailable from 8pm until midnight CST on May 31.) Apparently, as per the e-mail I received, all CB sites established after that date will have a “new” look with “new” cool features. All of us with sites begun before that day will now be referred to as “Classic” sites. I don’t know who came up with that title, but it’s downright insulting to a 38 year old woman who spent an hour last night plucking the gray hairs out of her head. First my high-school glory days songs are “Golden Oldies” on the radio, I *NEVER* get carded for beer anymore, and now I’m a CaringBridge “Classic”????? I’d like nothing more than to pull up my knee-high support hose and give that person a good swift kick in the --- oh, never mind.
I’m going to talk a little more in my next journal entry about *why* I think I was melancholy earlier this week (I know, like my personal inner feelings aren’t boring enough now I feel the need to analyze them?!?!?) but for now, I’m going to end this journal entry with some photos. This is Memorial Day weekend here in the US of A, which means that Monday officially marks the beginning of summer. (Technically, I think summer doesn’t begin until June 20, and here in Georgia, it’s been summer-weather for over a month already, but I’m sticking to the holiday time-frame for ease of record-keeping purposes!) Many, many thanks to those serving (and those who have served) in the military.
Summer is a’coming, and this is how we spend it in middle Georgia!
Brayden and Kellen enjoy what is officially known at our house as our "poor man's pool".
"Holy Crap, it's cold in here!"
"Yeah, well, it's not as cold if you only stick your face in."
"For only fifty cents a day you could provide three nutritious meals to this starving child -- look at his bones sticking out!"
"Well, who cares if I'm skinny? When the sun is shining warm on my face and the water is cool on my body, that's all I need to be happy."
Ah, the fun of being a kid!
I hope you all have a great holiday weekend (at least what is left of it.) We are hoping to take the kids' fishing tomorrow, if the weather holds up, so the next pictures I put up will most likely be of Brayden catching a fish, Kellen squealing like a girl and refusing to touch it, and Kendrie rolling her eyes and baiting the next hook.
Thanks for checking in, Kristie
PS. Happy one-day early anniversary, Blaine. I'll be honest --- the first sixteen years were a lot more fun than the last two. Irregardless, I love you, picc line and staph infection and all. But let's work on the "getting better" and healthy-living thing, ok? :)
KENDRIE'S PERSPECTIVE:
WORST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: Um, really nothing. I'm feeling pretty good today!
BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: I get to go to a birthday party for my cancer-buddy Jacob! Who knew that getting leukemia would mean I would actually make MORE friends???! Please go to Jacob's site and wish him a happy birthday!
Hey do you see that? We have officially got LESS than 200 days of chemotherapy left, yippee! Have I mentioned to you lately that we are having Kendrie's Official Off-Treatment Party on December 18th, 2005 --- mark your calendars now!
First of all, three cheers (or prayers, or meditations, or chants and incense, or whatever floats your boat) for Jake, whose bone marrow aspiration on Friday showed NO bone marrow involvement in his relapse! This is really, truly, wonderful news. He’s still got a long road ahead of him and his parents and doctors have some tough decisions to make, but this is definitely a blessing and I’m so happy and grateful for their family.
Secondly, thanks to all of you who offered me kind words in the guestbook after my last *melancholy* journal entry. It’s extremely comforting to know that I can come here and throw a virtual temper tantrum, or virtual pity party for myself, stamp my foot on the “send” key, and actually have people tell me they feel the same way, or offer a note of support. Anyone who needs proof about the goodness of mankind just needs to spend a little time on Caringbridge.
Speaking of Caringbridge, we’ve received official notice that the “new and improved” Caringbridge will be unveiled on June 1 (and unavailable from 8pm until midnight CST on May 31.) Apparently, as per the e-mail I received, all CB sites established after that date will have a “new” look with “new” cool features. All of us with sites begun before that day will now be referred to as “Classic” sites. I don’t know who came up with that title, but it’s downright insulting to a 38 year old woman who spent an hour last night plucking the gray hairs out of her head. First my high-school glory days songs are “Golden Oldies” on the radio, I *NEVER* get carded for beer anymore, and now I’m a CaringBridge “Classic”????? I’d like nothing more than to pull up my knee-high support hose and give that person a good swift kick in the --- oh, never mind.
I’m going to talk a little more in my next journal entry about *why* I think I was melancholy earlier this week (I know, like my personal inner feelings aren’t boring enough now I feel the need to analyze them?!?!?) but for now, I’m going to end this journal entry with some photos. This is Memorial Day weekend here in the US of A, which means that Monday officially marks the beginning of summer. (Technically, I think summer doesn’t begin until June 20, and here in Georgia, it’s been summer-weather for over a month already, but I’m sticking to the holiday time-frame for ease of record-keeping purposes!) Many, many thanks to those serving (and those who have served) in the military.
Summer is a’coming, and this is how we spend it in middle Georgia!
Brayden and Kellen enjoy what is officially known at our house as our "poor man's pool".
"Holy Crap, it's cold in here!"
"Yeah, well, it's not as cold if you only stick your face in."
"For only fifty cents a day you could provide three nutritious meals to this starving child -- look at his bones sticking out!"
"Well, who cares if I'm skinny? When the sun is shining warm on my face and the water is cool on my body, that's all I need to be happy."
Ah, the fun of being a kid!
I hope you all have a great holiday weekend (at least what is left of it.) We are hoping to take the kids' fishing tomorrow, if the weather holds up, so the next pictures I put up will most likely be of Brayden catching a fish, Kellen squealing like a girl and refusing to touch it, and Kendrie rolling her eyes and baiting the next hook.
Thanks for checking in, Kristie
PS. Happy one-day early anniversary, Blaine. I'll be honest --- the first sixteen years were a lot more fun than the last two. Irregardless, I love you, picc line and staph infection and all. But let's work on the "getting better" and healthy-living thing, ok? :)
KENDRIE'S PERSPECTIVE:
WORST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: Um, really nothing. I'm feeling pretty good today!
BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: I get to go to a birthday party for my cancer-buddy Jacob! Who knew that getting leukemia would mean I would actually make MORE friends???! Please go to Jacob's site and wish him a happy birthday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)