Shifting Gears   Baby Boomer…Member Life 2.0…Wife, Mother, Grammie…Bicyclist…GoldWinger…Mensan…Girl Scout…Reader…Knitter…Rotarian

It was late last Saturday afternoon.  I was home alone fixing dinner for the troops who were scattered about while I had a few quiet moments to myself.

 The iPhone rang but I didn’t get to it soon enough – but since it was one of my kids I immediately dialed back while multi-tasking away.  I put the phone between my ear and my shoulder, leaned over a sink full of water and tried to cut up chicken while talking.

 You can see where this is going………..

 iPhones were not designed to be cradled between your shoulder and your ear.

 iPhones don’t swim.

 Mine fell in the water.

 I would love to tell you I said “Oops” but the actual words were something like “Oh sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, etc!” A phrase of which my mother would not approve. She also didn’t like sentences that ended in prepositions!

 With no internet connection I was clueless as to what action to take so I did all the wrong things – I dried it off, took it out of the case, turned the hair dryer on it (big no-no), tried to call Burl (another no-no), sent a text (no-no #3) and prayed!

 Fortunately Mike and Annie arrived before I could inflict any further damage on my month-old phone!

 Mike immediately googled “wet iPhone” and told me to turn it off, stick it in a bag of rice and he left to go to Michael’s for silica gel.  I felt better just knowing someone with more than half a brain was in charge so I poured a glass of wine and went on fixing dinner while I visited with Annie and Devin!

 Within 30 minutes of the disaster, the phone was encased in a Ziploc bag full of silica gel and put away in a dark dry place to rest for the next 72 hours.

 More praying ensued!

 Tuesday evening Dr. Mike called and said it was time for the phone to come out of ICU.  I was scared of the results but knew I had to learn the truth – but I felt better knowing Mike had an iPhone 4 he could loan me.  It’s always good to have a Plan B.

 Burl and I took the phone out of the Ziploc, shook out the silica gel, vacuumed out the ports and then I prayed some more as I turned it on.

 Voila!  It worked!

 So far everything works but I’m not so naïve to think I haven’t shortened the life of this electronic marvel – I’ll just use it until something doesn’t work and then deal with it at that time.

 I dodged the bullet on this one for the time being – but I learned I could survive without my phone for a few days.  It helped that I had Burl’s iPhone available for my Facebook and email fixes and to record my nutrition info on myfitnesspal.com.  But I really don’t need to be tethered to the phone 24/7.

 And more importantly, I realized it was only a phone – it wasn’t arms or legs!

Last week was my official Celebration Week – it was my Birthiversary or Annivirthday – whatever you want to call it!  It’s the one day of the year when I not only become a year older but more importantly, celebrate the day I got my best birthday gift ever – my dear sweet husband, Burl.

 Burl is a very thoughtful guy all year-long and naturally he never forgets this one big day – and he knows the difference between birthday gifts and anniversary gifts too.  My gift to him this year was a skylight along with the installation kit – his gift to me was to spend an entire day (along with son, Mike) installing it plus several more hours putting mud on the sheet rock and patching the ceiling around it.

 Burl’s love language is through his acts of service and I’m so thankful to be on the receiving end of his talents.  Our winter home now also features a skylight over the bed and I love seeing the stars at night and the glow from the full moon like we had last week.  And to prove his mushy side, he also gave me a dozen red roses and a beautiful card.

 My birthday celebration seemed to go on for several days – not that I’m complaining!  I spent the actual day doing all the things I love to do – I went on a bike ride with the bike club and then had coffee with the gang followed by yoga class.  I received many nice phone calls and cards and so enjoyed hearing from my friends via phone, mail, email or Facebook.

 And since my main priority in meeting Burl was to find someone to take me out to dinner and a movie occasionally, we did just that!  Those friends who know me well are aware that marriage was not on the radar with me when we met!  We saw “Margin Call” which apparently is getting Oscar buzz but only got an 8 out of 10 from us – still a very interesting movie and probably a very accurate depiction of what goes on behind the scenes on Wall Street.

 We finished our date with dinner and had a leisurely meal enjoying a margarita and reminiscing over the last almost 10 years since me met and making plans for next year when we celebrate 10 years of marriage.

 Friday night was the family birthday party complete with Stacey who flew in from Charlotte for a couple of days on her way to San Diego for meetings.  Mike and Annie fixed a taco bar for dinner and had skinny margaritas and since I’m staying away from sugar-rich foods, Mike fixed a parfait of fresh berries and yogurt.  Quite yummy!  Good food, good drinks, great family.

 Saturday I got to have lunch and spend time with Stacey and then Sunday we all went to see “J Edgar” while Devin stayed in the babysitting area at the movie theatre.  That movie was fantastic – a solid A with exceptional acting and directed by Clint Eastwood.  I’m not usually taken with Leonardo DiCaprio but have to admit he gave an incredible performance and should be nominated for best actor.

We dropped Stacey off at the airport late Sunday afternoon and sadly the celebrating ceased!  But I’m grateful to all my family and friends for their wishes and also to Tammy who gave me an early celebration with lunch and shopping before we headed west.

 Here’s to what I hope are many more fun times ahead in the years to come…….

1995.

 The hot romantic movie for single ladies that year was “The Bridges of Madison County” starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.

 I saw the movie with my friend Becky and we joked that if some handsome stranger strolled into our lives for four days we probably wouldn’t know how to act.  We were both working stressful jobs at CoxHealth – we were single, fiercely independent and assertive.   Becky used to joke that we’d never meet anyone because “they would have to standing in the path between work and home” since that seemed to be where we were most of the time – either at the office or enroute.

 In a Hallmark shop I found the perfect card for her birthday.  It had a picture of a covered bridge on the front and read “A birthday wish for you….If some handsome drifter in search of covered bridges comes knocking on your door….may it not be on a bad hair day when you’re feeling fat.”

 I signed it with a Post-it note telling her it was a recyclable card and a couple of months later, it was back in my hands with a note from her on top of mine.  “The Card” was born  16 years later it’s still going strong and getting fatter each year as we add our birthday notes to the pile.

 Since Becky’s birthday is in September, she only has to keep the card for two months before it is turned over to me again.  So far it’s never been lost and we’ve never had to depend on the USPS to get it from one of us to the other.

 Several weeks ago I hand-delivered  “The Card” to Becky at her office and today we met at Betty’s Nosh in Phoenix for lunch and for her to transfer the card to me.  Becky’s daughter, Michelle, lives in the Valley and Becky was here for a visit so it was only fitting that we meet for lunch.

 Each time one of us gets the card we have so much fun reading back over our notes.  Early notes talked about the dearth of “nice guys” and wondering if/how either of us would ever meet Mr. Right. I lead the way when I met Burl almost 10 years ago and sealed the deal for life when we married 9 years ago on my birthday.  Becky was one of the first people I called the night we got engaged and for months she wondered if I’d sustained permanent brain damage when I took a fall on the ice on our first date and ended up in ER with a possible concussion.  She couldn’t fathom that I could meet someone and decide in 10 short days to get married!  I told her that when she met the right person, she’d know but that concept was totally foreign to her.

Sure enough, a few years ago Becky met Clarence and it was love at first sight.  They recently celebrated their third anniversary and are looking forward to retirement in a few years when I’m hoping they too will settle in Arizona.

 Another note said “wonder what we’ll be doing when we’re 60” and since we’ve passed that milestone, the notes now talk of her pending retirement in a few years, our kids and grandkids and the beauty of our endearing friendship.

Now we no longer wonder about handsome strangers or bad hair days or feeling fat.  We savor each day, cherish the wonderful guys we married, count our blessings and never forget that “girlfriends are forever.” 

 Becky is a true friend – the kind I could call in the middle of the night and she’d be there for me.  I treasure her friendship and feel very blessed to know her.  We’ve been through so much together and both know where the bodies are buried and how to keep secrets!

I can’t wait until tomorrow when I get to open “The Card” and read my birthday message for this year.

Even though I’m 1300 miles away for the winter, Women of Substance know how to keep connected.  So when Robin and Vickie spent an afternoon at the outlet malls in Branson, I demanded a full report.  Here’s the scoop on our lives for the last week or so:

• Even though they fit like a glove and make her look awesome… Robin refuses to pay full price for a pair of black skinny pants at The Gap.  Yes… they were $49 and everything else in the store was on sale.  She sticks to her guns…Vickie can appreciate that.
• Branson stores are very understaffed these days… it was busy and most stores only had one register open.
• Vickie is now into scarves… albeit, at least 3 years, behind the rest of the world.
• Vickie bought some jeans at TJ Maxx… they don’t have front pockets.. they are sewn like they do.
• Eddie Bauer sells a spoon/fork/knife all-in-one utensil.. it’s plastic and Vickie bought one for Chaz to take hiking and kayaking and it made him happy.  $2.99 – score.  BTW.. Robin wasn’t shopping for Jim this trip.
• Layers are the best way to react to hot flashes…  Vickie had her sweater on and off all afternoon.
• Robin scored two really great t-shirts with satin trim at Banana Republic.  
•  Robin will laugh if you suggest she shop in Rue 21, but she will go into American Eagle for Hannah’s sake.  She doesn’t like Old Navy and she won’t go into Harry and David because she is tempted by the samples.
• The 40% off everything sale at Ann Taylor made Robin and Vickie happy… they both got cardigans and Vickie bought a turtleneck black sweater and also a long sleeve t-shirt. 
• Sperrys are officially cooler now that Robin has a pair too.  Her’s are a darker brown.. Vickie now has Sperry regret since she got the tan ones with plaid.  Robin says she won’t wear socks with hers… like Hannah says is the rule.  Hannah will wear “sock panties” with hers.. those like no-show footie type nylons… Robin laughed at the name.
• We don’t really care if Leeza Gibbons is at the mall, across the parking lot.  Even if the salespeople tell us to go meet her.
• When they give you a coupon book.. you must keep it handy so you can check on every store you go into…. bearing in mind most of the coupons were only good if you spent at least $100. 
• The Factory Merchants Mall (red roof) is officially dead in our book… who shops there?
• We did top the day off with a $1 ice tea/diet coke break at McDonalds… boy are we big spenders but 3 hours of shopping does make you thirsty. 
• Robin forgot to take advantage of a $10 gift card with $50 in receipts – if she had remembered, she would have gone back to the Gap for those cool black pants.
• The only reason they went to the outlet mall was so Robin could get pantyhose at the L’Eggs outlet.
• Vickie loves the new HyVee store – went there three times the first week.  I’ve always loved shopping at HyVee in Des Moines – great meat and produce and always plenty of free samples.
• Robin just took the HyVee flyer to Wal-Mart and took advantage of their specials.
  Robin went to Wal-Mart on Sunday morning sans make-up and of course saw someone she knew – and even though that person also was without make-up they had on cute workout clothing.
• Naturally when Robin was all spiffed up for the MSU basketball game, she saw no one she knew.
• Vickie shared an interesting article that showed legal secretaries much prefer working for male partners than female ones.
• When I went to Wal-Mart and found 12 self-serve lanes and only one staffed by a human, I was tempted to desert my cart and leave – but I was tired and really needed coffee for our first morning here.  However, I called the store manager and shared my frustration – not that I expect it to do a lot of good but I sure felt better.

That’s all the news that’s fit to print from us this beautiful Monday.  Happy Halloween to everyone!  BOO!

Our annual westward migration is behind us and no matter how much I wish the drive would be less than 1300 miles, it’s not!  This year we loaded the trailer with goodies for ourArizona home which meant there was no room in it for the motorcycle – so Burl got to play Easy Rider while I became a trucker.  Driving his full-size truck is always a challenge for me and when a 10’ trailer was added to the equation, I approached the challenge with more than a little trepidation.  Burl’s advice was simple:

• Watch your mirrors
• Stay within the lines on the highway
• Make W-I-D-E turns

 I’m happy to report that his hints were followed closely and the only fatality was an orange traffic cone in easternArizona.  Given the amount of roadwork that’s happening on I-40 I’m amazed that only one cone was sacrificed for our trip.

 We made this trip over three days leaving mid-day on Sunday and arriving at our home early Tuesday afternoon which allowed us plenty of time to unload and get settled.  By time Mike, Annie and Devin arrived to help the only thing left to do was bring in the beds and then toast our arrival with their gift of a bottle of mango margaritas.  Yum Yum!

Dinner was at one of our favorite places, Pei Wei, and then it was time to brave the evil empire known as Wal-Mart if we wanted coffee our first morning.  Actually we needed a lot more than some java but what we got in addition to a cart-load of groceries was major frustration.  Seems the gods of Bentonville have decided to cut staff so this store had 12 self-serve lanes open and only 1 lane staffed with an actual person – and a line of customers a mile long waiting there.  It was mighty tempting to just leave the cart parked at the front of the store and split but I knew my mother wouldn’t approve so we endured the self-serve lane and vowed to take our business elsewhere in the future.

 We’ve lost no time in getting back in the swing of activities here.  The bike club rides at 7:30 a.m. now before it gets too hot and since many snowbirds haven’t returned, we’ve had a small group the last few of mornings and I’ve been the only female.  The guys have been good sports and adjusted their pace to accommodate my speed.  I do enjoy riding early since I’m home by 9:30 and have the whole day ahead of me.  Burl played golf on Thursday and the rest of the time we’ve been tackling little annoying chores related to getting settled – things like switching Dish Network (hooray – we got to watch the World Series games 6 and 7), trying to set up Internet (the hotspot on my iPhone doesn’t seem to want to work at our house so looking for an alternate solution), getting the golf cart licensed and shopping for Burl’s next home project which is to install a skylight in our bedroom. 

 I’ve been back to my local Rotary club and hopefully I’ll soon be plugged in to some volunteer opportunities here.

 As we drove into the Valley on Tuesday I had the feeling of coming home.  This trip we knew where we were going since we have a house here and just seeing the mountains in the distance and the palm trees and cacti plus sunshine told me I belong here – at least part of the year! 

 This winter will be a mixture of work and fun as we tackle lots of projects around our house.  After the skylight is in we need to paint the bedroom and I want to make shades for that room – then I’ll start on the guest bedroom in hopes we’ll have friends and family taking advantage of our invitation to escape the cold and come see us.  Also want to put in a large patio right of the sunroom so it looks like my resident handyman won’t lack for projects.

 The next six months will fly by and then it will be time to close up this place and return to our Midwest abode to enjoy a more tolerable spring and summer.

 But for now, Arizona, ,and all it has to offer is just waiting for us to enjoy!

Vickie scored a coupon from 417 Magazine for free queso at Cantina Laredo so naturally as Women of Substance we couldn’t pass up a great deal from Gary and Joan!  Vickie also offered to drive to tonight took us south to Branson for our first-ever out-of-town dining experience.  Not only did we get super yummy food but we had plenty of time for great conversation during the drive time.

• All of us opted for the Enchilada Veracruz which featured spinach and chicken enchiladas along with rice and grilled veggies.
• Robin and I passed up margaritas in favor of chips and queso – I know I made the right choice.
• We don’t like stuffy academics who read their slides when giving a PowerPoint presentation.
• Vickie gets snaps for scoring some juicy gossip at a recent wedding reception.  In fact, it was so good she had to email us with it but she wanted credit in the blog for her find.
• Next month Vickie is going to New Orleans for a CPA marketing conference which will have a grand total of 11 people attending – and Vickie is the most senior marketing person in the group with 8 years experience.
• Robin and Vickie just knew being 45 would be the year of spectacular but so far, they aren’t feeling it.
• Vickie is hot for Dennis Quaid – but he’s not as hot as Chaz.
• Robin saw “Ides of March” and said it had a very different ending that just left her hanging.
• Best recent bumper sticker:  I Never Thought I’d Miss Nixon.        ‘Nuf said!
• Vickie hates traffic circles/roundabouts but Robin said Jim learned to love them when they were in Australia.  I love them because I think they are very efficient.
• Vickie is going to the Most Influential Woman luncheon on Friday – and since Robin and I aren’t going, Vickie is responsible for a complete report by the end of Friday.
• Robin doesn’t like water with any flavor in it which is why she prefers bottled water.
• Jim’s Mighty Mite football team finally won their first game.  Jim told them he’d paint his face and hair maroon if they won and he did – and also wrote “Rough Riders” on the side of his head in white. 
• At the library board meeting today, Vickie saw a demo on the Kindle and the presenter predicted they will cost $10 in 5 years.
• We identified three friends who hang together and are clearly “Women of Substance wannabes.”
• Hannah started working Sunday at Simply Yo and said it was “real work” and not just all fun.
• Kickapoo Homecoming was a fun evening but the dance didn’t meet expectations.
•  When the students entered the Homecoming Dance they were each given a wrist band – and if they were caught dancing inappropriately, the band was removed and they had to leave the dance.  Fortunately Hannah got home with her wrist band intact.
• Hannah’s curfew was 12:30 – 1 hour after the dance ended.
• We concluded the White House Black Market sales people on the Branson Landing were pushy and annoying – plus we have no reason to buy there when we can get the same stuff in Springfield and pay a lower sales tax.
• Vickie heard an NPR story about an oil tanker that was sunk off the coast of California during WWII.  It’s now 900 feet below and environmentalists are worried about an oil leak.  The challenge is to bring it to determine if there is still oil in it and then bring it up safely.
• Vickie moved her office at work and it’s much less stressful even if she did have to sacrifice her window.
• The recent Business Exposition was an incredible disappointment.
• There’s a new not-for-profit in Springfield that will focus on giving birthday parties to foster children.
• On the drive home I quizzed Vickie on her Bible verse for tomorrow night’s class – Daniel 2:20-23.  She needs to work on V23
• Vickie’s MIL is coming for Thanksgiving so they can’t go to St. Louis for the Chris Tomlin concert.
• Recently heard from Delilah on the radio:  “What if you woke up and all you had was what you thanked God for yesterday?”  Now that’s serious food for thought.
• Robin thinks I should stay home for the winter and let Burl take his girlfriend to Phoenix.  Hmmmmm….tell me more about this girlfriend – I had no idea I gave him any free time – or money – to have one!

That’s all for the next few months while I’m MIA but we have agreed to stay in close contact via email and conference calls so who knows when a Women of Substance blog post will appear.

David Selznick’s 1938 cinema masterpiece has always been one of my favorites so we couldn’t pass us an opportunity to see it on the big screen at the historic Gillioz Theatre last weekend.  When I was in college, the Gillioz was one of the four movie theatres in Springfield – the others being the Fox, the Tower and the Landers (which showed foreign and artsy flicks).  I have fond memories of going to movies at the Gillioz including the opening night of “Goldfinger” when the Starter Husband and I attended the late show with several other couples and sat on the back row of the balcony.  Needless to say, having time to kill before the movie meant the guys killed a few brain cells with alcohol and I’m still surprised they weren’t ejected in the middle of the show!

The Gillioz closed in the late 70s and the last movie I remember seeing was “Saturday Night Fever” which makes me want to dance like John Travolta and sing “Stayin’ Alive” when I walk into the theatre now.  (No, Tammy, I didn’t actually do that)  Fortunately, the Gillioz was restored to its former glory several years ago and now looks magnificent.  We’d been to events there so had seen the interior but this was a first for Burl, seeing a movie at the Gillioz.

I remember the first time I saw “GWTW” – it was in the mid 50s and the movie had been re-released and I saw it at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis with my mom, my sister, my aunt and two cousins.  Just going to the Fox was an experience and we dressed in our “church clothes”!  The movie captured my heart with the music and the sweeping scope of action and when the lights came on for intermission, I couldn’t wait to get back and immerse myself in the old South.  A few years later I read Margaret Mitchell’s book and could clearly picture every scene from memory.

Once again, I was captivated by “GWTW” but with the advances Hollywood has made in 70+ years, the movie now seems dated in many aspects.  Still it’s hard not to love the sweet, gentle Melanie, to fall for dashingly-handsome Rhett and wonder what Scarlett ever saw in Ashley!  As for Scarlett, I love her!  Sure, she’s a scheming, conniving bitch most of the time but perhaps I identify with that behavior – I’m sorry to say I’m more like her than Melanie.

Here’s a big “thank you” to whoever was instrumental in bringing “GWTW” to Springburg for our viewing pleasure and here’s hoping there are more classics offered at the Gillioz in the future.

Because, frankly, my dear, I DO give a damn!

It’s the last night of summer 2011 so Women of Substance marked the occasion with al fresco dining at Touch.  The mild weather made it a perfect night to be outside and away from the noisy bar area and we had our side of the patio to ourselves all evening long.  Vickie and Robin got the 3-course meal and both ordered the chopped salad and the meatloaf with lobster cream sauce (at my suggestion), flash fried spinach and garlic mashed.  I opted for the tapas menu with a couple of bistro burgers paired with the strawberry spinach salad.  Along with our meal we had a delicious helping of conversation!

• Vickie was butt buzzed just as she sat down.  It was her hairdresser calling to say she can’t get her in tomorrow and Vickie thinks she is in BAD need of her services
• Our waiter’s name was Boston – claims he was named after the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.
• Vickie declared she is a flourless chocolate cake kind of girl
• Hannah has gotten into baking so Vickie got her some cookbooks at the Library – but Hannah will only bake recipes that have photos of the finished product.  Last weekend she made brownie cookies with peanut butter inside and chocolate frosting – most of them went to her boyfriend, Billy.
• Hannah and Billy just celebrated their one-year anniversary.  They met at Wally World and got sandwich stuff and had a picnic lunch – then drove to Branson and dinner at Branson Landing.
• Hannah just landed her first official job.  She’ll be working PRN at Simply Yo which is my favorite place.  She got offered a seasonal job at a Halloween store but turned it down.
• My concession to autumn is I changed my toenail polish from bright turquoise to OPI’s Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not.  Robin’s toes were sporting OPI’s We’ll Always Have Paris and she’s thinking about having her fingernails done with OPI’s Black Cherry Chutney.
• Boston brought us complimentary Reese’s peanut butter muffins and goat-cheese filled dates wrapped in bacon.  Vickie raved about the muffins and he brought her 4 to take home to Hannah – hope she remembers to share them with Hannah. 
• Not everyone is perfect like us.
• Vickie is not energized by social media in the work world but it is necessary for marketing.
• We saw our friends Paula and Tim who were out celebrating their 14th anniversary.
• Vickie is the one of us who has her feet on the street but sadly had no gossip.
• Vickie got an email from Rotarians in Oregon who said they were having a fund-raiser Happy Hour before the Oregon-MSU game and invited all Springfield Rotarians to join them.
• My granddaughter, Julia, is now sporting University of Iowa Hawkeye bands on her braces.
• Vickie is going to New Orleans for a conference – although she won’t have as much fun without me along to go fetch beignets and coffee for her each morning.
• Vickie is using her free Air Tran ticket to go see a friend in Florida in January over MLK week-end.  I haven’t decided how to use mine yet.  She wanted to use it for New Orleans but can’t get a return flight that will get her back to Branson the same day she leaves NO.
• I need to know how to delete a LinkedIn contact – I accidentally accepted one today from somebody I don’t know in Indianapolis.
• Vickie worked the brat sales for Rock ‘n Ribs at Cider Days last weekend – she worked from 10-1 on Saturday and they sold 10 brats.
• Chaz painted their house a creamy chocolate-brown with forest green shutters and white trim.  Vickie wanted black shutters but said this was one time when she had to pick her battle – but know it looks like an old lady house and Chaz doesn’t like it either.
• Vickie reports she is officially in menopause (and yes, I had her permission to print that!) – if you see her fanning herself, you’ll know why.
• Robin joined the wellness program at work and is excited about all it has to offer.
• Vickie will be featured in Cox’s HealthSense magazine with an article about breast cancer.
• “Moneybull”  opens this weekend – it’s the new Brad Pitt movie and is already getting Oscar buzz.  Is supposed to be a true story.
• Robin and Vickie have both emailed people who haven’t responded to them in over a week.
• Downtown Rotary is returning to Kentwood Hall as of 11/1/11.
• The rest of the world needs to attend our school of manners.
• Hannah found a Homecoming dress at Dillard’s.  Short dresses are in this year.  When Robin and Vickie were in high school they wore dressy dresses to Homecoming – skirts and sweaters were the thing in my day.
• Robin got to attend prom all four years in high school and her senior year she went to two proms – and she had a new dress for each dance.
• I’m getting a new grandson in January in Phoenix.  No name chosen yet.
• Robin bought three pair of readers at TJ Maxx – the pair she showed us tonight had black and white paisley temples with silver trim.  We decided she looked very studious but she claims they give her a headache.
• Vickie recently found Talbots shoes at TJ Maxx.
• Robin needs some black and navy low-heel pumps with rounded toes – but they MUST look good as well as be comfortable.
• I recently knit a pair of socks – took me several weeks to finish them – and lost them between here and Des Moines.  I think they fell out of the floor of the truck at one of our stops but no one claims to have found them.
• Vickie saw “Drive” with Ryan Gosling last weekend and said it was really bad.
• Robin and Jim went to The Palace to see “Bridesmaids” and she thought it was really funny – but can’t believe Vickie let Hannah see it.
• Robin can’t believe I don’t like “Big Bang Theory”.
• Vickie is starting a new Beth Moore Bible study on the book of Daniel.
• Hannah has set a goal to donate blood this year.  Since she practically faints at the sight of blood, this is a very big goal.
• Vickie went to the Banff Film Festival at the Gilloiz last week and said it was very interesting.  One of the films was a 5-minute short where the camera was just left in the woods and captured the wildlife who came to investigate it.  She recommends not sitting on the front row of the balcony at the Gilloize as there’s no leg room.
• Robin’s nephew, Tony, tested and earned his first degree black belt in karate and he’s only 9 years old.  She said all of his teachers from grades 1-4 at New Covenant Academy came to watch.
• Robin’s hubby Jim is now coaching Might Mite football for a team of 3rd and 4th graders.
• Robin and Vickie are going to teach a class at Rare Breed next week.  It’s supposed to be on life lessons.  Vickie said they should just wing it and Robin wants to plan the curriculum – should be interesting to see how those two teaching styles blend.

That’s if for September – we’ll meet again in October before I escape for the winter.  Right now we’re open to suggestions on a local dining spot (non-chain) so if you have an idea, please share it.

Continuation of blog titled “Honor Flight”………….

We left Abe Lincoln and as we descended the stairs of his memorial we saw evidence of a movie being filmed.  Naturally we had to investigate and discovered they were filming an episode of the TV show “The Firm.”  We didn’t get to see much action and since I’d never heard of it (nor had Burl) so we ventured on to The Wall. 

The Vietnam War Memorial - The Wall

I’d heard and read so much about The Wall which is the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial.  This was the war of my generation – it started when I was in college and ended about the time my younger daughter started kindergarten.  I have vivid images of news scenes and especially of the POWs arriving back in the US after the war – and seeing the gentleman whose name was inscribed on the POW bracelet I wore for a few years – Lt. Co. Jack Bomar 2-4-67 – the date on which he was captured.  I had friends who served – and some who never returned.   It’s still hard for me to fathom that people in our country (I can’t call them Americans) actually cursed and spat upon these veterans when they returned home.  And I lost what little respect I had for Jane Fonda when she renounced our troops to the enemy – the best that could have happened would have been for her to be taken as POW and shown no mercy.

The Wall is so incredibly moving and intense because of its simplicity.  Although most people see it as a tribute to those 58,272 named on The Wall, it actually is meant as a memorial to the 2.7 million men and women who served in the combat zone during the war.  Each of the casualties is listed and there is a reference book available to help locate the names on the numbered panels. Names of those who are still missing are included and they are indicated with a “cross” which can be later converted to a “diamond” if they are confirmed as dead.  Should anyone return alive (which has not yet happened), the cross will be circled and the name will remain. 

The Korean War Memorial

The “Almost Forgotten” war was actually called a “conflict” by many historians but to those men and women who fought in Korea in the early 50s, it was a war!  Their memorial is located in the same vicinity but on the opposite side of the Lincoln Memorial . The Korean War Memorial features 19 larger-than-life statues representing all branches of service from this war and they are set among strips of granite and juniper bushes to signify the rugged terrain of Korea. When reflected on the wall, there appear to be 38 soldiers, representing the 38th parallel. To the north of the statues is a path, forming one side of the triangle. Behind, to the south, is a 164-foot-long black granite wall with photographic images sandblasted into it depicting soldiers, equipment and people involved in the war. This forms the second side of the triangle. The third side of the triangle, facing towards the Lincoln Memorial, is open.  54,246 of our heroes gave their lives in this war.  It’s sandwiched in time between World War II and the Vietnam War and rarely receives the recognition that those two wars garner.  Many of the veterans who were with us on Ozarks Honor Flight also fought in this war but again, they were close-lipped about their service.

Our last official stop of the day was at the Arlington National Cemetery and we had our visit timed so we could witness the changing of the guard – or sentinels as they are officially called.  These sentinels have guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24/7 since 1937 and work in 30-minute shifts from April-September and 1-hour shifts the rest of the year.  There is a myth that they have to live in quarters under the tomb and for the rest of their lives cannot swear in public or drink but according to the Society of the Honor Guard, those are just rumors.  And even though most people think only male officers have this duty, there have been 3 female sentinels over the years. 

The changing of the guard (sentinel) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The most decorated hero of WWII was Audie Murphy and while his headstone is identical to others, it has been marked with a flag because so many want to see it.   As a child I knew him as a star of western films but in real life he was a fifth-grade dropout from a poor Texas family who lied about his age when he tried to enlist.  He was turned down by the Marines and the Navy and finally the U.S. Army took him – but wanted to send him to school to be a cook or a baker.  He wanted to see combat and was sent to Europe where he distinguished himself by winning 33 U.S. decorations and medals, five medals from France and one from Belgium.  His book ,”To Hell and Back”, was made into a movie in 1955 – starring Audie Murphy! 

We got to our gate in time for Steve Grant to do a live newscast back to KY3 and then there was one more treat for our heroes – Mail Call!  Unknown to these veterans, friends, family and school children had written them letters thanking them for their service and each of them received a large decorated envelope full of accolades for their service.  Duff  waited until he got on the plane to read his letters and he was clearly moved by what was written to him.  He shared them with me and I was certainly not surprised to read the heartfelt messages that friends had sent him.  He also received many nice notes from school children in our area and those who included their school are getting personal thank you messages from him.

We left the plane and Duff thought it would just be a short wall through the airport to his car and the day would be over.  Little did he know that a crowd was waiting for the veterans at the airport and he had a personal cheering section from his friends, the Knauer families.  He had worked for their father for his entire career and they consider him a member of the family.  It was sheer coincidence that I got assigned to be his guardian when Jan Knauer Horton is one of my best friends and she was delighted to rally her siblings to meet Duff!  

Sometimes an experience is so emotional that it takes a few days for me to digest it and be able to put my thoughts in words.  That’s been the case for me for the past couple of days after Burl and I had the honor of acting as guardians for two World War II veterans on the Ozarks Honor Flight to Washington DC.

My veteran, Duff, is almost 92 and proudly served in the U. S. Air Force from 1943-46.  Burl’s veteran, Laverne, is a bit older – almost 94 – and was in the Army for the same time.  The two met in 1937 at what is now Missouri State University and have been good friends ever since.   We had met and had breakfast with Laverne a couple of weeks ago but Duff was too busy to meet us before we went out-of-town for several days.  Since he had been a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in the early 40′s, he couldn’t miss a Springfield Cardinals game – plus he still has a job!  Yes, you heard right – he’s still working part-time.  In 1941 he started working for Ozarks Wholesale Beverage as a salesman – and except for his time with the Cardinals and Uncle Sam, he worked for them until retirement and at that time had risen to be president of the company!  He said he spent two months in retirement and then went back to the new owners and signed on as a part-time salesman and that’s what he does today – he sells liquor to a handful of select accounts.  He calls them daily and a couple of times a week, he drives to each place and makes a personal call.

When we arrived on the ground in DC, we were met at the gate by the DC Honor Flight Ground Crew.  With patriotic music blaring in the background, these volunteers and veterans graciously welcomed us to their city and escorted us through the terminal.  We might have gotten through a lot quicker if Laverne hadn’t stopped to hug all the women!    I’m not sure who was having the most fun but these guys were very appreciative of all the salutes, handshakes, hugs and “thank you” messages they received as we made our way to the awaiting buses.   Naturally they were labeled “Red”, “White” and “Blue”!

My very favorite veteran greeter in DC was this petite lady who I’m told meets every group that arrives – I can’t begin to imagine where she gets her energy but her uniform fit her to a “tee” and her salute to each veteran was quick and snappy. 

As we stepped off the bus, Rep. Billy Long met us and personally thanked each veteran for the gift of time they gave to our country.  We had about an hour at the memorial and the four of us enjoyed walking around it and reading the inscriptions and seeing the significant parts of it.  There is a wall of 4,000 gold stars with each star representing 100 service men and women who gave their lives during the war.