life at 2027: May 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day

We woke up this morning to a gorgeous sunny Carolina day. We are making last minute preparations to spend the day with friends on the lake...eating good food, drinking yummy beverages and soaking up some vitamin D. I bought two American flags yesterday at the store and put them in our front yard...I guess as a means of showing our American Pride. Earlier this week, we received a booklet. The timing couldn't have been more appropriate!

A few weeks ago, JJ and I were out to dinner and saw an old gentleman wearing a WWII Veteran's hat walk into the same restaurant we were eating at. As a VERY SMALL token of thanks for all he has done for us, JJ and I decided to buy his dinner. We didn't want recognition. We just wanted to say thank you. Well, his daughter strong-armed her waiter into telling her who the mystery guests were. She came out to thank us and let us know how PROUD he is to have served this country. In fact he had written a little booklet about his experience. We asked if we could have a copy of it. Well, days went by and we had forgotten all about it. This week...how appropriate...we received this in the mail...

Here is a snippet of what we read...

Now that the war had ended, I wish to mention an item that I had not felt at ease to speak of previously. It was shortly after our Invasion Training in North Africa that four of us "C" Company Officers, in our tent one evening just prior to bedtime, and thinking of what may lay in the future, made a vow to each other. We agreed that any of us who may survive the war would make a deliberate effort to contact the families of any of us who may not survive in order to let them know just what might have happened. The four of us making this vow were Capt. Horton from Pageland, South Carolina, Lt. Greenly, from Milford, Delaware, Lt. Nobles, from Macon, Georgia, and Lt. Russ Darkes, from Lebanon, Pennsylvania. As previously stated in this booklet, but for purposes of this item, I shall say again: ---Lt. Greenly was Killed in Action on 12 September 1943 by German mortar fire on a dusty mountain road outside of the town of Maiori, Italy; Capt. Horton was Killed in Action in early December, 1943, by German sniper fire on Mt. Sammucro, Italy; Lt. Nobles was Killed in Action on 30 May 1944, in the vineyards near Velletri, Italy by German machine gun fire. Russ Darkes, by the Grace of God, was the only survivor of the four of us who made the vow.

In November of 1945, on our honeymoon, which had been postponed for almost three years because of my overseas service, my wife and I decided to visit the families of my three comrades, in fulfillment of the vow I had made. I shall never forget how grateful they were to learn the details of the deaths of their loved ones. As well be noted later, we visited the graves of all three of these Officers in the beautiful American Military Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, in September, 1988.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!

WHEN YOU SEE A PERSON WHO HAS SERVED,

PLEASE THANK THEM FOR RISKING

THEIR LIVES FOR OUR FREEDOM!!!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

JJ and I are lucky enough to have four mom's and we wanted to celebrate their special day with a surprise luncheon. I did not intend for this to be in our backyard. But I could not find a place that would be as perfect as these ladies deserved (and not that our backyard won any competitions...it was just easier). So I went from antique shop to antique shop...consignment shops to Internet sites...all to find the perfect dishes. Each setting was completely different from one another. Anthropology has really cute mugs with initials and I thought they made a neat addition and even served as their name card (so to speak). I rented a table, chairs and linen. The mom's didn't have to worry with bug bites, because I got them all while we were setting up the tent and table. But just in case any were left behind, we added tiki torches around the tent. Now our backyard is not beautiful...so we had to do whatever we could to direct attention from the surroundings and bring focus on what we were trying to do. So I took logs and made a pathway then sprinkled the pathway with Peony pedals.

Upon their arrival, the mother's were greeted indoors with a Skinnygirl Margarita over ice. We chatted until all of them had arrived. We then directed the ladies outside. JJ was waiting for them outside with a fresh bouquet of flowers for each mom. Flowers in hand, they began down the path that curved it's way to the tent. I had a centerpiece of flowers from our yard (super excited I came up with that idea...that morning). The ladies were blown away. We had music playing in the background. We let them chat a bit and then served a rotisserie chicken salad along with buttered croissants and a salad tossed in a garlic vinaigrette dressing. After lunch, they were treated with a homemade mint julep beverage. We then presented them with a homemade (not Duncan or Betty) cake that JJ made the day before. It took us 4 hours to make this cake. And we are messy bakers:). We brewed coffee and served cake. They enjoyed the company of one another. We couldn't be happier with the way the day turned out. We are so very blessed to have these ladies as our mothers.

Messy! Messy! Messy!

Any cake made with love never comes out looking perfect...strictly my opinion.

the pathway

the tent

God could not be in every place
With loving hands to help erase
The teardrops from each baby's face,
And so He thought of mother.

He could not send us here alone
And leave us to a fate unknown;
Without providing for His own,
The outstretched arms of mother.

God could not watch us night and day
And kneel beside our crib to pray,
Or kiss our little aches away;
And so He sent us mother.

And when our childhood days began,
He simply could not take command.
That's why He placed our tiny hand
Securely into mother's.

The days of youth slipped quickly by,
Life's sun rose higher in the sky.
Full grown were we, yet ever nigh
To love us still, was mother.

And when life's span of years shall end,
I know that God will gladly send,
To welcome home her child again,
That ever-faithful mother.

--George W. Wiseman

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Stiletto Sprint for Ovarian Cancer

Insane. That is what this was. Crazy Fun!!!!

The Stiletto Sprint was April 9th. The Teal Magnolia's, a support group at CMC worked so hard planning and executing this event. What a stellar job they did!!! Proceeds went to the CMC Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and I am happy to say Teal Diva was a proud sponsor of the event. So Teal Diva had a team and there was such a great turn out. I had gift bags for everyone who signed up for the team which included teal boas.

I bought JJ 3 inch silver glitter stiletto's. He was so embarrased to wear them outside. In addition to the heels, his mom made him a tutu. That's not all...I found some wings too:) He is a good man. My sweetie pie came in 3rd. He did me so proud!! Oh my goodness, all the while with a nose plug. He had gone to the doctor the day before. He was really embarrased by that...especially when the news interviewed us!!