Eric and I recently watched an old movie that had been released in 1944. The title was 'Hollywood Canteen' and it starred many actors and actresses from that time period. The Hollywood Canteen was a real club started by Bette Davis and was a place for all military members. Soldiers and sailors could go to the club, have refreshments, hear music and dance. Well known bands wanted to play for the crowds, popular singers would perform and famous people would serve sandwiches and drinks. Everything was free and many men and women visited the club.
As Eric and I sat there transported back over 70 years ago, we couldn't help but comment on the unity of our country then. Whether the people agreed with the war or the political party in charge, they were there to support our fighting guys. Everyone was pulling together and no one got paid for their services.
How I wish we could go back to those days again. How I wish that the world could see the United States as just that-UNITED. How I wish that people were proud when they saw the American flag. Can our country ever go back?
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Our Attic
I am a sentimental person who has been known to keep something that was broken because a special person had given it to me. While I realize that makes no sense to anyone else, it made sense to me. I wish I could be more like people who get rid of something and have no second thoughts.
A few years ago, I decided to really clean out our attic. Part of this urge was brought on by the fact that after cleaning out my parents house with my 2 siblings, Eric and I had to tackle his parents home a year later. Pulling down the attic stairs, I took a deep breath and started going through boxes. I threw away cards and letters from over 40 years ago. I got rid of my prom dress from my Jr. year of high school. I shredded tax papers from the year we got married-1979. (I hope we don't get audited.) T-shirts from youth sports teams were given away. We discarded Christmas decorations from our early years of marriage. I gave away lots of new items that we had bought to make gift baskets for charity auctions. The 2 bathing suit cover ups that I received as high school graduation gifts were put in a donation pile. Gifts that we had given my parents were sold in a consignment shop. I reluctantly carried my dad's old tube case (VERY large satchel) down the stairs to the garbage after holding onto it for over 20 years. Souvenirs from our vacations were put in the box, taken out and put back in. Lastly, I sent an old graduation announcement to the family of a deceased classmate he had given me in 1977.
But the part of the attic that I could not attempt was from Andrew and Paul's childhood days. Some of the items were always intended to be handed down; Cabbage Patch dolls (yes they both had one), rocking chairs, toy chests and tricycles. Then as the 4 grandchildren started having birthdays, we decided to regift other things. The 'Farmer Says' from Christmas 1983 was wrapped up in March. The 31 year old Fisher Price Cottage Family was a birthday gift in May. A small personalized coat rack was given for a birthday in 1984 and then again in 2014. I have enjoyed seeing my grandchildren in some of the clothes that their daddies wore years ago. The clothes were given at recent baby showers, along with pictures of their daddies in the same outfit.
With apologies to our sons and daughters-in-law, you will have to finish the attic someday. Not soon, I hope. But the sentimentality is hard to get past. We kept everything and we didn't mean to.
A few years ago, I decided to really clean out our attic. Part of this urge was brought on by the fact that after cleaning out my parents house with my 2 siblings, Eric and I had to tackle his parents home a year later. Pulling down the attic stairs, I took a deep breath and started going through boxes. I threw away cards and letters from over 40 years ago. I got rid of my prom dress from my Jr. year of high school. I shredded tax papers from the year we got married-1979. (I hope we don't get audited.) T-shirts from youth sports teams were given away. We discarded Christmas decorations from our early years of marriage. I gave away lots of new items that we had bought to make gift baskets for charity auctions. The 2 bathing suit cover ups that I received as high school graduation gifts were put in a donation pile. Gifts that we had given my parents were sold in a consignment shop. I reluctantly carried my dad's old tube case (VERY large satchel) down the stairs to the garbage after holding onto it for over 20 years. Souvenirs from our vacations were put in the box, taken out and put back in. Lastly, I sent an old graduation announcement to the family of a deceased classmate he had given me in 1977.
But the part of the attic that I could not attempt was from Andrew and Paul's childhood days. Some of the items were always intended to be handed down; Cabbage Patch dolls (yes they both had one), rocking chairs, toy chests and tricycles. Then as the 4 grandchildren started having birthdays, we decided to regift other things. The 'Farmer Says' from Christmas 1983 was wrapped up in March. The 31 year old Fisher Price Cottage Family was a birthday gift in May. A small personalized coat rack was given for a birthday in 1984 and then again in 2014. I have enjoyed seeing my grandchildren in some of the clothes that their daddies wore years ago. The clothes were given at recent baby showers, along with pictures of their daddies in the same outfit.
With apologies to our sons and daughters-in-law, you will have to finish the attic someday. Not soon, I hope. But the sentimentality is hard to get past. We kept everything and we didn't mean to.
Friday, March 4, 2016
No 'Negative' Influences
I have recently been looking through some old negatives from film that has been developed. (For those of you who don't know what negatives are, it is from old school cameras-before digital.) I collected these in a fireproof box in the event that our house would catch on fire and I would at least be able to reprint our priceless photos.
I have been able to view the negative strips through a viewer that you hold up to a light. This viewer was actually used to view the old slides that people had when they used to have slide-shows. It is a very slow process since the strips are wider than the viewer slot and you have to keep repositioning it and turning it around.
Some of our negatives are recent; mostly from Christmas or vacation. The older ones are on the bottom of the box and are the smaller 110 type. I have always kept our photos organized and in albums, most are labeled with a description and year. But as I looked at these small pieces of my life, I was reminded of different people who have influenced me and my family. There were day care workers and school teachers, church leaders and Scout Masters. Friends and family members of friends who were there to offer their help. Some of them never were given the credit they deserved for shaping the lives of so many. Most of them would be embarrassed if you told them 'thank you' for all that they did and would insist they didn't do anything.
I have enjoyed looking at these; yes, I do have the pictures I can look at. But some of these have been lost to my mind until recently. I hope over the years I have impacted someone that could say my name and think 'she was a positive influence'.
I have been able to view the negative strips through a viewer that you hold up to a light. This viewer was actually used to view the old slides that people had when they used to have slide-shows. It is a very slow process since the strips are wider than the viewer slot and you have to keep repositioning it and turning it around.
Some of our negatives are recent; mostly from Christmas or vacation. The older ones are on the bottom of the box and are the smaller 110 type. I have always kept our photos organized and in albums, most are labeled with a description and year. But as I looked at these small pieces of my life, I was reminded of different people who have influenced me and my family. There were day care workers and school teachers, church leaders and Scout Masters. Friends and family members of friends who were there to offer their help. Some of them never were given the credit they deserved for shaping the lives of so many. Most of them would be embarrassed if you told them 'thank you' for all that they did and would insist they didn't do anything.
I have enjoyed looking at these; yes, I do have the pictures I can look at. But some of these have been lost to my mind until recently. I hope over the years I have impacted someone that could say my name and think 'she was a positive influence'.
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