Bill the Marine

"There was a time when the world asked ordinary men to do extraordinary things". That was on the shirt I wore to the store yesterday. It shows a picture of the National WW II Memorial. It was at the check-out counter that I was blessed to meet Bill. I asked if he had served in WW II. I thanked him for his service and told him how honored I felt to shake his hand. Soldiers (& their families) make tremendous sacrifices that the rest of us cannot fathom. When next you meet a soldier, please shake their hand and give a sincere thank you for their service. They so rarely hear this and can not hear it enough.
When the war was over, "The Greatest Generation" came home, built new lives and a new America. They didn't get "therapy" or "closure"...they put the past behind and looked to the future. They blessed all of us and the world by building a better, stronger America.

Bill had been a marine, drill Sergeant. (sergeants are the ones who get things done). We talked for the longest time...Bill needed to talk. God blessed me to be there in just the right shirt at just the right time. On Memorial Day, he had been asked to go to D.C. to the WWII Memorial and memories came flooding back. He spoke of the camaraderie ~the brotherhood~ soldiers felt and still feel, even after all these decades. 55 years later, he feels the pain and loss of beloved friends and the horrors of war.....dear, old friends and painful losses.
These words of Jesus are my prayer for Bill and all soldiers in all wars "I will pray the Father and He will send the Comforter [Holy Spirit] to abide with you always". John 14:16

June 6, 1944 Remembered

A peaceful scene on the coast of South Carolina.

Now imagine the water the color of blood. The sea and beach covered with bodies and parts of bodies....I was up half the night of the 5th/6th and spent the better part of the 6th perusing history books trying to find the right words. I shed many tears.I watched countless videos on youtube...there are no words I can summon to recreate the horror, valor, & heroism of that day. I can tell you that FDR, Ike, Churchill and England's queen all offered public prayers invoking the name of the Almighty to be with our "boys"....

I suggest you follow this link to a 10 minute video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_qeCNg8fO0&feature=related

With all due repect I offer you these images:
June 6, 1944 Remembered








The following are links from youtube:

FDR's speech to America:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-weBUzQleo
Eisenhower's speech to the troops:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEyCjN9riiY&feature=related
Winston Churchill's speechto the Britain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0JsPXg-e1s&feature=related
Stephen Ambrose on Saving Prvate Ryan
http://www.historyinfilm.com/ryan/real.htm
Opening scene Sav Pr Ryan Pt 1 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSmEpnHKr4M&feature=related
PT 2 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMq7iiIoiSw&feature=related
from {roivate ryan scene 3 of 4
Scene 3 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP1OyLojDl4
scene 4 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B02a7GhyAXA
*******closing scene of the movie (tear-jerker)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0lc1IOHejs
We so often forget the airmen w/o which D-Day would not have succeeded:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaEezr48xiQ&feature=related

Recommended reading
Stephen Ambrose
Pegasus Bridge: D-Day before Dawn
D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of WW II
Citizen Soldiers : The U.S. Army from Normandy Beaches to the Bulge
to the Surrender of Germany
Gerald Astor
June 6, 1944: The Voices of D-Day
(In the words of Ambrose, "No one does oral history better than Gerald Astor")

The National D-Day memorial in Bedford, Va is in dire financial trouble. Please check out their site...may we never forget.....
(D-day memorial in Bedford)
http://smokeys-trail.com/USA/bedford-2001.html
http://www.awon.org/memorials/bedford/
making a donation:
http://www.dday.org/index.php?page=giving

In His Image: Creative

I often hear people say, "Oh, I'm not creative," to which I ask, "Do you believe you were made in God's image?....Do you believe HE is creative?... Doesn't that mean that you must be creative?"....*
Trees, leaves, plants, flowers, and even people remind me of God's playful sense of creativity. We often see His sense of humor in his creations, too. Take seashells for example. Something hard was needed to protect the soft animal creatures, called mollusks. He could have made a generic shape, color and texture. Instead He playfully had fun with it, changing color, texture, pattern...Take a look at the variety our Creator used in the cockle shell alone !!!!! Creator-God: Master Artist and role model.

















* If this resonates with you, I suggest you get Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way" and work the process to rediscover your own creativity.

The Greatest Generation

On this day of remembrance, I would like to brag on my folks. In January of 1945, my dad was about to ship out to the pacific theater of war. Young kids in love, they didn't know if they would see each other again and were married. (After 64 years, Momma always likes to say, "Well...we think it's going to work out after all". They are still awe-inspiringly in love!)
After the war, the GI Bill enabled Daddy to finish school. His was a generation of engineers that went from glass tubes to computer chips. They were an invaluable asset to the space program. Born "Depression Babies", they went on to attain the American Dream.They nurtured their faith and raised 3 children to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. Theirs is a generation that worked and saved for everything they had and never borrowed against their future. They are honest, hard-working and trustworthy. They have strong moral values, character and integrity. I admire my folks and all that they and their peers stand for and tried to instill in their children.
My folks taught me to honor God, country and our veterans. They always esteem the sacrifices made by a generation of boys and men to preserve freedom. In addition to all our vets, today let us remember and honor the faith and values "the Greatest Generation" upheld. Let us honor them, by following in their example.
(Thanks for everything, Momma & Daddy! I love you, both!)

Shannon & Solomon's Seal

Up in the Maryland suburbs, these seem to be a nursery item. In my back yard and the surrounding forest, they grow wild. Over the last few weeks,

I have been watching them sprout, rise and open. Teardrop buds, which dangle in a line, under the luscious, sets of leaves are just now opening.

Solomon's Seal were first pointed out to me by my (step)daughter and each time I see them, I feel close to her. One of my heroes, she is uber-mom and all-around, amazing woman! When we need some odd sort of info, the saying around our home is, "Shannon will know". She is an awesome cook, gardener, homemaker , decorator and artist. She is loving, daring, playful, wise, adventurous and caring. If she sets her mind to it, I am certain she can accomplish ANYTHING she desires. When her 8 y.o. daughter had cancer, they were told the child's bowels would have to be removed. Shannon found that unacceptable and found a less life-altering, procedure being tried out in some exotic place like Fiji... Shannon convinced the doctor's to try it and it worked! She is now well into her nursing program, working towards being a pediatric, hem-onc nurse....What an amazing woman!!!
[I am having trouble getting images out of my camera, so pictures of them in bloom will have to wait until later].

Thoughts of Daryl & Wisteria

Sweet, lavender clusters of floral grapes,
Candy-coloured fragrance of bygone days.

Breezy hammock dozing under draped arbors,
Cottony sky-dreaming while eyelids flicker in & out of shade.

Checkered blanket picnics with teeming wicker baskets,
Candle light and secrets shared to heart-filled eyes overflowing.

White-picket laughter amidst twining purple vines,
Stained-glass, long-ago lore & all things romance.

Country photo shoots, 'neath Blue Ridge Peaks,
Round hay bales on cedar-lined farms of yesteryear.

Macro-grasshoppers on rusty, barbed wire,
And tiny treasures for keen observers eyes.

Sharing mommy moments & warmth of forever friends,
Her spirit entwines my heart as wisteria graces spring.