Monday, December 25, 2006

A letter from the front..

"Dear Mom and Dad,
Merry Christmas!
Hope everything is well and fine back home. I'm doing okay here in France, all things considered. The weather has been kind of crappy, but I understand General Patton will have that fixed for us here real soon. The snow isn't as pretty when you're marching through it day after day. And I used to think fog was kind of neat, but now it's keeping our airplanes from flying over the Krauts.
But you know what does look good? When those new diesel tanks start up in the morning! They kind of rumble and shake, and the snow falls off the sides like when the bull back home gets up after a snowfall. Then they smoke and go Rrrr...rrrr...rrrr until they warm up. They say the diesel doesn't explode so easy from a spark or a shell hit, you see, so they're safer. The tank crews are happier, and if the tank crews are happy, us foot soldiers are happy.
My buddy Alvarez is on one of them, says they're powered by TWO of those new GMC diesels- they call them Screamin' Jimmies! And boy, when they put the pedal down, they do scream! Too bad the Germans can't hear that, it'd put the fear in them!
They say the German tanks are better, but we have more of them and that's fine by me. When this war is over they won't have any left. And if they ever do build any, I bet they'll have Screamin' Jimmies in them- no more Mercedes and whatnot running around, no sirree.
Boy, listen to me- I sound like some big shot industrialist- I'm Walter P. Chrysler! But if I had my way, that's how I'd do it. America can outdo those other countries any way you look at it!
Well, we gotta march again, so I better say goodbye. Tell the kids I send my love. I'll be home next Christmas, me and General Patton, together."
Your son,

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

AN AMAZING WOMAN

Last week we bid goodbye to an amazing woman who was dear to all our hearts. She was finally granted the peace and rest she had earned years before, and had waited patiently for. When she had all her children gathered to her one last time, she bid this world farewell, and we her. Reunited now with her Lord, and her husband of fifty years, peace and joy are hers.
Of all the memories I have of her, the ones that always come first are those of being on the farm. This little woman could work right alongside any man on the farm, rain or sun, whether it was shoveling grain from trucks, tossing alfalfa bales, milking cows, or whatever. She did those things for years alongside her man, on a half section of land in Park Township. Rosie the Riveter had nothing on my Mom, let me tell you.
Wearing jeans and galoshes, she could do chores in the morning, be a farmwife all day, and milk cows again at night. And still have the energy to whack you a good ‘un if you got out of line. As was said of many of her generation, she was made of better stuff than any of us ever will be.
She was born into near abject poverty, and was raised by a foster family when her mother couldn’t take care of all the kids her wandering dad left behind. This probably explains her affinity for orphans and strays all her life, be they human or animal.
We weren’t allowed to have pets inside, save for those times when our entry washroom to the old farmhouse teemed with sickly lambs, boxes of baby chicks, new-born puppies, rabbits, or what-have-you. Most of the time, these special cases were nurtured back to health and returned to the outdoors. I’m sure it was sufficient to consider us kids running around like animals to be the house pets.
I could go on forever about a life of eighty three years, and never do her justice. Suffice it to say we will all miss her, who gave us life each in our turn.
Goodbye Mom. I love you.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Let capitalism ring!

Red and I went shopping for a Christmas tree at Lowe's the other day- as we walked in the store, it made this old capitalist's heart sing. There was Christmas stuff- ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE.. And trees up the wicky wacky woo. Beautiful trees, not all smooshed up, either. You could see what you were getting! After you pick yours out, THEN they smoosh it up so you can transport it. And you know what? I didn't see one there that said "Made in China"on it! Brought it home, and it was beautiful!
I am not a Christmas person- not like Red is. But I was overcome with the whole capitalist/ Christmas deal, and ended up buying lights to decorate the house, and even went back and got more. And a pole thingie to string the lights up safely on the eave trough. It was great.
Today the Good Ol' Boy & Co. are going to make an all-too-infrequent trip to Columbia Mall to Christmas shop. See you there! More news later on this fast-breaking event!