Category Archives: remembrance

Addition to my Statement Shelf

The glass print of my owls jigsaw puzzle finally arrived yesterday.

This glass print of the personality painting my dad did of me when I was about 6 is still in the center – the place of honor – on my shelf. Our son had it made for me after we moved to Thailand when he saw how sad I was to leave it in Arkansas. He brought it to me soon after I moved into my place here as a housewarming present. It’s made me feel my parents are here, too. Isn’t he wonderful?

This print of a painting by a good friend is on the other side of my dad’s painting. I’m delighted to be able to display his work. He has sent us a print at Christmas for some 20 years. We had to leave those, too, so it was a delight to get a letter – with a card print – from him here recently!

My plan is to only have really meaningful things on this shelf. I particularly love the idea of preserving jigsaw puzzles when I finish them, since I give the actual puzzles away when I take them apart again. It’s kind of a “statement shelf.”

2 Comments

Filed under memories, remembrance

Saturday Thoughts 12-7-2024

bas relief-Peret-Pinterest

Feeling somber today with thoughts of the 83rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. Makes me realize that my worries and concerns are silly in comparison.

My husband was a U.S. Marine for 4 years – 1965-1969. They were on a ship, offshore everywhere in crisis during that time. The most dangerous, I guess, was when he was offshore Cuba. He trained hard and was proud of his service – earned a medal for marksmanship, among others, but was frustrated that he never faced combat. He really wanted to know if he was ‘any good,’ if he could survive. I, being a selfish type in love with him, was relieved he never had to find out.

When we were in California years later at a conference, we took the time to drive down Highway 101 along the CA coast down to San Diego to see the Marine Base there. I think he was disappointed that there were no signs saying, “H. Lewis trained here” and there were no ‘jarheads’ exercising in the heat while we were there.

He’s still embarrassed when someone thanks him for his service. I wanted to purchase a stone plaque in the square in Greenwood to honor his service, but he said an adamant ‘no!’ He feels that he doesn’t belong with those who faced combat, were wounded, or died. The plaques are for all who have served. We have agreed to disagree on this.

Leave a comment

Filed under Family, remembrance

Saturday 12-7-2024

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Indiana

“On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The assault killed or wounded more than 3,500 American troops and civilians; severely damaged the fleet; and shocked the nation.”

My father wanted to serve when this happened in 1941. The services wouldn’t accept him because he broke his left arm in several places falling off a horse when he was 3 and that arm wasn’t set correctly, resulting in that arm being much shorter than the right and his hand unusable. He never got over not being able to ‘do his duty,’ when his country needed him. He was quite a man, though, and my personal hero.

We honor those who died in Pearl Harbor that day and their families.

Leave a comment

Filed under remembrance