Memorial Day Blues

Today is Memorial Day.  For some people, Memorial Day weekend is a three day party and celebration to kick off the start of summer.  Here at Corinth West we will have a quiet day at home, a day filled with gratefullness, humility and sadness.

This mood started last night when we watched the movie Taking Chance.  Taking Chance is about Marine Lt.Col Mike Strobl who volunteers to escort the body of Marine Pfc.Chance Phelps, who was killed in Iraq, back to Chance's home town for his burial.  It's one of those movies that helps drive home the point of how much loss people in this country have suffered.  It makes you question war--each and every war.

This morning Taking Chance and the reason for Memorial Day was still on my mind.  I was surfing the web when I came upon this story Final Salute which was originally published in the Rocky Mountain News.  The slide show accompanying the story does not load, but if you search Final Salute or Katherine Cathey, you will find some powerful photos that show the loss of one family.   Take a moment and read the story today, Memorial Day, and I guarantee you will be grateful and humbled by the sacrifice that sons, daughters, husbands, wives, sisters and brothers have made.  I am not just talking about the sacrifices of those killed in action, but also of those that stood by the grave sites and mourned the lives cut short. 

(The above photo, which was taken by the U.S. Department of Defense, shows flag-draped coffins of U.S .war casualties aboard a cargo plane in Dover, Del)

Alzheimer Induced Rumors

When you have a parent with Alzheimer's, you sometimes laugh but more often than not you are scared and sad.  Well, here's a sad story.  Two weeks ago my mom called my sister Linda.  At the time of the phone call, Linda and my other sister, Maryel, were driving to Texas from Florida.  My mom asked Linda if I had a baby boy.  According to my mother, someone called and said they had a baby boy.  My mother did not know who it was and did not ask, so in her plaque filled mind, it was me.  Mom also shared the news with her sister who shared the news with her daughters, and so on.  When word got back to me I called my mom to make sure she understood that I did not have a new baby boy; however, she knew I wasn't a new mother again and also insisted she never told her sister that I was.

The scary part is that up until now, my mom would forget things.  This is the first time she invented things.  I wonder how long she thought she was a grandmother to a baby boy.  Was it a mere five minutes?  One hour?  An entire day?  An entire week?  We have no way of knowing.  There are so many unknowns and questions in the story.  My mom probably never received a phone call; my mom probably dreamed it; my mom did not believe Linda when Linda said  I did not just give birth to a baby boy; and where was my dad when all of this baby boy talk was going on?  Dad is clearly exasperated by what my mom sees as reality.  He seems to have given up on trying to help my mom or arguing with my mom about what is true and what is not.  I can see him just shaking his head and walking away.  Not good.  He is in survival mode and appears to be just looking out for himself.

Anyway, to clear up the Alzheimer induced rumor, no, I did not have a baby boy.  No, I am not pregnant.  Ciao.

My in-laws left yesterday for Dallas and the miniature show in which they are participating.  I'm always sad to see them go because I love my in-laws.  My mother-in-law and I get along well and it's fun to have someone to pal around with for a few days.

For Mother's Day, my in-laws purchased numerous flowers to plant around our home.  For several days, Carol, my mother-in-law, and I planted petunias, roses, marigolds, impatiens and coleus.  Actually Carol did most of the planting.  I dug a hole for the rose bush, around a tree for the impatiens and around the gazing globe.  Our soil is compact and solid and  I developed some serious muscles digging in our yard.  However, most of the flowers and foliage are in containers, which are numerous.  The homestead really has brightened up.  Katie/Rick gave me Sirius Satellite Radio for Mother's Day.  It's for the SRT8 and I can also access it on my iPod.  In addition, the other day Rick came home with a trellis/garden arch that I liked from Sam's.  It is black and has a planter on each side.  His dad installed it at the end of the sidewalk by the parking area.  It looks so sharp.  I wanted to plant flowering vines so they would eventually cover the whole trellis, but I think I will go with grape vines--real grape producing vines.  Won't it be nice to go outside and pick a few grapes?  In addition, grapes do well in our climate.

I have been battling a horrendous headache for the past two days.  Not sure if is is the normal migraine, sinus infection or some virus.  This morning it was so bad that I took liquid medicine when I got up, which I promptly threw up.  It didn't sit well on an empty stomach and severe headaches make me woozy anyway.  Right now it has temporarily subsided.

My sisters arrive on Sunday to which I am looking forward.  Katie is also anxious about spending time with "the girls."  In the meantime, I will leave you with a picture of a rose from the bush that my mother-in-law purchased for me.  Normally, Carol does not like yellowish roses, but she decided I needed that color because of the whole Yellow Rose of Texas thing.  Actually, once the first bloom opened, it looked more apricot colored.  Enjoy.

Old-Fashionied Version of Rock Band

I've been M.I.A. the past few days from blogger because my in-laws are visiting..  (Translation:  I have better things to do than sit on the computer and blog!)  However, to keep you engaged in my blog about life on Corinth West and to apologize for the last comment, I have a picture from the other evening.  It is Katie and her Pop Pop jamming.

While other families are jamming out to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, we take the old-fashioned route with an accordion and keyboard.  As a side note, Pop Pop is an amazing accordion player and knows oodles and boodles of songs by heart.

One More For The Count

While I was out hob-knobbing and living the good life--my MOPS group had a fondue party tonight--Rick and his father were hunting a rattlesnake that got into the shop.  Apparently this snake was Mr. Sensitive because it started rattling when Rick walked into the shop even though it was about 75' away.  Mr. Sensitive also tried to take cover underneath a stored sofa, but Rick blasted him just in time and got him about 6" from his tail.  It was also at that time that Rick's flashlight went dead, so Rick had to walk in the dark through the shop and back to the house for another flashlight and back-up personnel, which was his dad.  (Good thing I was out dipping strawberries in chocolate or I would have been #1 assistant.)  Newly illuminated, they headed back down to the shop.  When he and his dad moved the sofa Mr. Sensitive was still alive and snaking around.  They decapitated him with a shovel.  Mr. Sensitive was about 3 1/2' long and healthy looking.  When Rick was cleaning up he said Mr. Sensitive was the worse smelling snake he ever encountered.  I don't think the snake was any different.  I think it was Rick who was different.  Eagle Eye Rick typically shoots their heads right off; however, this time he got part of their digestive track.   Anyway, we have one more for the count which brings this year's total to 4, which ("knock-knock-knock" on wood) is a low number.

Airfest 2010

This past weekend we went to the Big Country Airfest which is held on our local air force base, Dyess.  Katie was very excited to go because according to Katie she is going to fly jets when she grows up.  Below are just a few of the hundreds of photos that I took that day.

Katie striking a pose underneath a military aircraft.  (Sorry, I can't remember which one.  However, Rick could probably tell you based on the tire!)

When we were waiting for our chance to visit the cockpit of a C-130--again I think it was a C-130, Rick would know for sure--Katie strapped herself in a seat.  Apparently she thought she was going for an airplane ride.

Katie in the window of a C-130.  She loved, loved, loved sitting in the pilot's seat and didn't want to leave.

After our visit to the C-130, I tried to comfort Katie.  "No Honey.  You can't fly the airplane."