Recently.....

our potted Mandevilla 

Our younger, more rowdy days are behind us. I have learned this about myself over the years:  hot sticky weather combined with loud fireworks out on the driveway are not a good mix for me. 

Especially in this season of my life, I prefer quieter celebrations. This past holiday weekend was exactly that. Here are snapshots from the memories we made.

front yard

As with all patriotic holidays, Gary posted the American flag in our front lawn. There was no breeze for this photo-op, but the colors still looked great in the morning sunshine.

If you look closely in the grass, to the southwest of the flag pole, you'll see a small blue-green rain gauge cup. The rainy season is here. We've had a good downpour on several days recently. I think it was on July 3rd that we got a full 2 inches in one storm. 

On the subject of rain, I will stop here to express my sincere condolences to our fellow Americans in Texas who have had the catastrophic flooding and shocking loss of life. I pray for any who may still be in need of rescue and for the comfort of those who have personal loss. As one of my Daughters-in-Law who is a former first responder said on Facebook, remember the many who are working on the search and recovery. Even though this is the career for some, it's not an easy calling.

My favorite and trusted donation agency for catastrophes like this:

Samaritan's Purse
click on the link to contact

In times like this the shock is profound. I have no other words about this tragedy that have not already been expressed by so many. When we can't find the words to pray, the Lord reads our hearts. 

holiday garments

Returning to the 4th of July, I wore the two shirts I save for patriotic occasions.

front row parade seating in our back yard

Where we live, nearly every other house has a golf cart in the garage. Holiday parades are the norm. We don't have the space nor a desire for a golf cart, but are content to pull out our canvas patio chairs to watch the celebration drive by.

one of 20 or 25 golf carts in the parade

Our community is huge, so the parade is limited to one of the primary loops, which is on the other side of the berm behind our house. Generous decorations, honking horns, waving flags, calling out to on-lookers, and some with their own music -- it's a fun tradition. 

Washington Monument souvenir from 1984-1988

Very early in our relationship, Gary and I discovered we both had not only lived in the greater Washington DC area, but it would not be unreasonable to imagine we might have crossed paths at some time, most likely in the underground metro (subway) system. We enjoy sharing with each other our experiences of living there. 

Watching the explosions of color within view of the Washington Monument and the Capitol was memorable. It's possible that Gary and I could have watched the same fireworks, but of course that was many years before life-changing events and circumstances brought us to meet face-to-face here in Florida. 

Our lunch on this 4th of July, was home-grilled hamburgers and French fries. All weekend we sliced into a Poke Cake made with strawberry Jell-o and Cool Whip until it was all gone.

PBS version of the 4th of July
Washington DC, 2025

When it was time for the fireworks, we enjoyed those at home, too. The forecast expected hard rain off and on all through the evening, but our plan all along was to enjoy the show from the comfort of our recliners in the living room via TV.

One of my favorite parts of the show was the Beach Boys, who gave us 4 songs.

Since our weather has been too hot and/or rainy to do much outside (with the exception of our after-breakfast bicycle ride), I read two books that gripped my attention so completely that I could hardly put them down and finished them both in just days.

In the Presence of My Enemies

This, from our public library's biography section, is the true story of a  an American missionary pilot and his wife who lived in the Philippines. In 2001 they were kidnapped by a terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden. Held captive for a little over a year, the wife tells the story with the co-author help of Dean Merrill from Focus on the Family. I remember when this happened but had never read the story. 

Cold Before Morning

This second book was not a terrifying read like the first one, but a good story of a Scottish family's history as they immigrated to North and  Central Florida. With the growing number of day trips we have taken to smaller towns north of Orlando, I was interested to read how this area was settled, the wars fought, and how Florida became famous for its orange orchards. 

Camp Blanding in Starke, Florida
(Florida National Guard)

Speaking of our day trips, this week we drove to Starke, Florida to visit the World War II Museum at Camp Blanding. Established in 1990, the museum features displays from Camp Blanding's history and involvement during WWII. 

There were many life-like scenes such as this one with descriptions of the guns, vehicles, and clothing from that war.

helmets

We were welcome to pick up, and even try on, this variety of helmets, some heavier than others (surprisingly heavy!).

example of where soldiers slept

Based on his Air Force basic training and years of service, Gary told me the three different ways airmen were taught to make up their beds. Depending on the requirements of the day of the week, the beds were made according to these designations:

Dust Cover

White Collar

Open Air

Gary made immediate note that the museum people did NOT know how to make Hospital Corners. (When we wash our sheets every week and then make our bed together, Gary makes a perfect hospital corner on his side. Mine, well, not so much, but that's mostly because the mattress is very heavy.)

We saw examples of practical (personal) matters in addition to the implements and techniques of warfare.

There was this famous painting by Norman Rockwell from an issue of the Saturday Evening Post.

dress made from a parachute

Since I have enjoyed needle and thread since the age of about nine, this dress really caught my eye. It was made by a French farmer's wife from two parachutes picked up from the field. The label says the parachutes "were from the D-Day jump of men from the 508th PIR outside of Ste-Mere-Eglise." 

As we returned to our car, Gary insisted my picture be taken beside one of the static displays of an army tank:

And of course I wanted his picture with an Air Force F106 Delta Dart.

Gary 

One of his duties in the early years of his military career was to guard aircraft on the flightlines in Japan, Minnesota, Thailand, and Maine. After that he became a Special Agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. 

Junior

As I close out this post of recent events with us, I am giving a shout-out to one of my sons who is celebrating a BIG birthday today. Named after his dad, now that Senior is deceased, Junior still keeps that designation to his name, even though by law that is not required. He tells me he is proud to have his dad's name and for others to know he is named after him.

"Brad, turn off the TV and go clean up that mess you left on the table! And pick up your jacket!!"

"Y'know, it'll be a relief when Brad goes off to college! I mean, can you tell me ONE useful thing that kid does around here?"

"Yes. He's the only one in this house who can set the clock on the VCR."

"Oh.... That's right ..."

I have saved this cartoon, clipped from our newspaper in the 1990s, because it spoke well for us at that time. I feel sure many of the readers of my generation can say the same!

Until next time, grace and peace.