Burnie

 

Hi, it's me Burnie.  I hope you had a good Christmas, I know I did.  Mom's son, my brother, came all the way from Seattle for a visit.  There were lots of boxes for me to hide in.  But, the best part is that my brother brought me a present.  A while ago I mentioned how much I liked the Purrfect Arch, and he brought it here for me.  He also brought a present for Crash, something to put on the wall so she can scratch her chin.  She really likes to have her chin scratched.

 

After all the presents were unwrapped, we had our traditional Christmas afternoon.  Mom and my brother take the pieces of wrapping paper and throw them to (or at) me.  They don't hurt, mostly they miss.  They aren't good throwers.

 

 

Here are a couple of pictures of me enjoying my present.  I really like it.  It's just like the commercial, and it makes me purr really loud.

I really, really Christmas.  I can hardly wait for next year.  

Crash,  Burn and I all want to wish you a Merry Christmas and to all a Good Night.

Burnie Speaks

 Crash and I have a complaint to register.  For some reason, today when we finally got a cold day, there is no heat.

Mom said that she called to have someone look at the heater, but we wouldn't know about that, she locked us up most of the day.  She even had the nerve to wake me up to put me in the other room.  She tried to redeem herself by giving us some catnip.  It helped a little.

After she got a phone call, she even turned the fireplace on, it felt so good.  She wasn't too happy after that phone call, so I guess we'll be cold for a day or too.

When you're all snug and warm in your houses tonight, please think of Cash and me. We'll probably be burrowing under the covers to keep warm.

Burnie here

 This is one of my favorite times of the year.  Winter is coming!

That's when mom takes out her furry throws.  I don't know why they're called throws, they're placed neatly on the furniture and just sit there.  No one throws them around.

She puts them on her bed and sometimes I sleep there.  It's so cozy.

 



 



 

There's one on a chair in the living room.  I like that one too, but I can't hide when I'm sleeping on that one because it's white and I'm black and white.

 

 

 

Here I am on my favorite.  You can see me here because mom used the flash when she took my picture.  Usually, you can only see the whites of my feet and face.

 









 

I really, really like these fur things because I don't have to share them.  Crash is afraid of them, she won't even walk on them.  Silly Crash.

 

I guess you saw some of the Christmas stuff in the pictures.  We'll talk about that another day.  Until then, it's time for my nap.  See ya.

New York and the Police

I can't believe I'm saying this, but for the first time in my life I actually agree with a union.

The recent edict by the mayor of New York has decided that as a result of the death of a person resisting arrest, the police will have to undergo retraining.  Naturally, the police union has rejected this idea.  Hmm, retraining sounds like something out of 1984.  I wonder what this retraining will mean.

Will the police have to approach a suspect and say, "Mr/Ms suspect, I'd like to invite you to accompany me to the local precinct to have your picture taken, your fingerprints taken and fill out some paperwork."

The better solution to the recent deaths of suspects who were resisting arrest would be to have this retraining of all the residents of a locality, city, state or even the country.  This retraining would emphasize treating the police officer with respect, treating the law with respect and treating your neighbors with respect and when you are approached by the police not resisting arrest.

All of this respect has been missing from the recent protests around the country.  We've seen bottles and rocks thrown at police officers, laws broken and neighbors' businesses destroyed, looted (stolen from) and burned to the ground.  I know this sounds very naïve, but if everyone respected the police, our laws and neighbors, the majority of our problems would be solved.

Getting back to NYC, there are times when I'm sorry that I left, but this new mayor DiBlasio has taken away those regrets.

THANKSGIVING MEMORIES

I just finished watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Charlie Brown's story of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower.

They brought back so many memories.  When my boys were young, that was required watching.  On Thanksgiving, we would probably stay home and I would make dinner for us and my mother.

On Friday, there would usually be a marathon on the TV - either Godzilla, Twilight Zone or The Honeymooners.

The day or weekend was very similar to Thanksgivings of my childhood, with a few changes.  All the children on our block, and I guess the neighborhood, would get dressed in our oldest, worst looking clothes and visit all the neighbors asking, "Anything for Thanksgiving?"  We would get some pennies, fruit or even some nuts.  Sometimes, we would even dirty our faces with burnt cork to look even worse.  Then we would come home and count our "loot".  That was so much fun.  I don't think anyone out of our neighborhood ever heard of that practice and I don't know how it started.

The day after Thanksgiving back then was a little different then.  There was no "Black Friday", we stayed home and sometimes, we would bend the rules a little on meatless Fridays.  My parents would let my brother and me stay up past midnight, making it Saturday.  We would then have a turkey sandwich.  If I was able to make it to midnight, it tasted sooo good.

Then, sometime that weekend we would have to restock the pantry and refrigerator.  My father always made the first eggnog purchase of the season.  Of course, he would also buy some prepackaged pfefferneuse.  That is still my tradition.  Even though I sometimes see it in the stores early in November, I simply cannot make my first purchase of eggnog until after Thanksgiving.  The pferrerneuse has changed.  Now, I bake my own and I must say it is better than the prepackaged cookies of my youth.

I still celebrate the day with family, only this time, I'm part of the older generation.  My niece invites me to her home which is usually filled with her mother, sisters, brother and their children.  It makes for a wonderful day.

I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving and make some wonderful memories.

Gruber

I really can't understand all the fuss about this character Gruber who said, on many occasions, that the American people are too stupid to understand Obamacare.  He's right.  After all, the majority of the  American people did vote for Obama TWICE.  (My apologies to my friends.)

The only people who questioned the proposed bill, and are still questioning the law, are the "wacky" tea partiers and republicans.

If the results weren't so sad - raised premium rates, dropped services, dropped policies, being forced to pay for services that are not needed, the tea partiers could have the last laugh.

IN WAR AND PEACE THEY SERVE

 

            I recently took a short trip to Arlington, VA to visit Mt. Vernon.  On my last day there, I discovered that I had a flat tire.  I called for emergency road service and was told that it would take about 45 minutes.  While I was waiting in my hotel lobby for their arrival, I noticed a young man also just sitting there.  After 45 minutes, I called again and was told it would be another 25 minutes.  This young man asked what I was waiting for and I told him.  He offered to change my tire, but I said road service would be there soon.

            Shortly after that, he disappeared.  When he came back, he had work gloves and said, “Where is your car?  I’ll change the tire.”  We walked to the car together.  While he was working, road service called to say they were on the way.  I told them not to bother as I had found a “Good Samaritan.”

            When he was finished, I thanked him profusely and we started talking.  He told me he was retired military (which I had figured out by his demeanor) and had served two tours in Iraq.  His father was also military.  I said that I thought it was a corny thing to say, but I thanked him for his service.  He didn’t think it corny at all and appreciated my saying it.

            I realize now that it’s not corny, but simply saying “Thank You” doesn’t seem like enough.  Our service men and women put their lives on hold for at least two years, some put their lives on the line, some don’t survive. 

            As we were returning to our respective rooms, he THANKED ME for being so appreciative of his help.  I couldn’t believe it.  He deserved all the thanks, not just for the tire, but for all the years he spent serving our country and us. 

            I never got the name of my Good Samaritan, so to all veterans, I can only say “Thank you.”  It doesn’t seem like enough, but it is sincere.

 

 

 

 

Age Differences

Today was my usual day at the desk in the clubhouse.

While I was signing a couple up for an event, the gentleman commented that my handwriting was so nice.  When I take my time, it is quite good.  I thanked him and said that it was the result of 12 years of Catholic school.  They laughed and his wife said that she also had 12 years of Catholic school, but she didn't write as well.

We got to talking and she mentioned that she went to school in Brooklyn.  I said that I did also, even though I lived in Queens.  She also came from Queens, Ozone Park in particular.  Since I came from Woodhaven which is just the other side of Atlantic Ave. we compared notes on which schools we attended.  She attended St. Sylvester which I also attended.

I told her that I graduated in 1953 - there the similarities ended.  She was born in 1953.  I suddenly felt so old.  But this evening I realized that I'm only 13 years older than she and when you're a senior citizen, I guess that's not so great a difference, and we both do live in a 55+ community.

Age is just a number, isn't it?

Burnie Here

Hi there, it's me Burnie.  Sorry I haven't written in a while, but mom went on another of her geographical explorations for weeks and weeks and turned the computer off.  I'm sure she'll write about it soon.

I missed her, but not too much.  Her friend, and mine, Jeanne came every day and fed Crash and me.  Crash wasn't too friendly, but I was.  I got lots of pets and Jeanne combed me every day.  I like it when she takes care of us.  I wasn't too mad at mom, I didn't even limp too much, but Crash got even.  On mom's first night home, Crash got on mom's pillow and meowed right into her ear.  That really woke mom up.  I think it was about 1:00 am.  That'll show her.

She was very nice to us all week, until she found me sitting on the scale.  She saw that I weigh 20 pounds.  I guess that makes me a Fat Cat.  Now, we don't get our afternoon snack any more.

Last night, mom started being extra nice to us, giving us lots of pets and hugs.  I thought that mom was feeling guilty for leaving us for so long, but Crash told me that mom found out that Fuzzy, a dog who lives on a farm in Colorado with Boomer and writes a blog on Fridays, died.  Mom was very upset, so she gave us lots of extra attention.  I'm sorry that Boomer lost his friend, but I like the extra attention mom gives us.

Now if only we could get our afternoon snack back.

Newer = Better

Not always.

I've been baking for over 50 years and have now developed a reputation in my community for  being a terrific baker.  Almost everything I make is from scratch although I do occasionally use a mix.

Today, I was baking some cookies for our Arts & Crafts Fair tomorrow.  My preferred cookie recipe uses a cookie press.  Several years ago I retired my old aluminum cookie press where you turn a knob to push the dough through the template onto the cookie sheet.  I decided to come into the 20th century and bought a new cookie press, one that uses a trigger to push the dough onto the cookie sheet.  After only one or two uses, it broke.  So I bought another, more expensive one thinking that the old one broke because it was cheap.  I usually make this type of cookie once or twice a year.

Well, today I was in the middle of baking my cookies and getting ready to refill the press.  I unscrewed the pusher (very technical term) and it came right out of the press.  Naturally, I couldn't find any of the pieces.

Fortunately, I NEVER throw anything out.  I went into the garage and found my original cookie press to finish the job.  Guess I'll forget about replacing the "new" press and go back to the old, stone-age aluminum one, the same type that my mother used.

Speaking of my mother, several years ago she noticed that I lived by my timer when baking anything.  She was quite surprised and said that she knew when a cake was done when she could smell it.  Of course, I scoffed at that idea, but decided to try it.  Surprise!  It works.  As soon as I smell a cake, I check it out and it is done.  Who knew mothers could be so smart.

Food for Thought

We are all aware of the threats of ISIS/ISIL.  The president has started air attacks and is being helped by some other countries.  He has promised that there will be no combat troops sent to Iraq.  If the defeat of these terrorists can be accomplished this way, I'm all for it.

However, one thing he said has me worried.  He admitted that there are some troops in Iraq whose only job is to advise and assist those fighting terrorism.  Those words "advise and assist" sound very familiar.  Wasn't that the job of the first troops send to Viet Nam?  Weren't they just advisors?

Do the powers that be in Washington think that we Americans have such short memories that we will accept the fact that the troops in Iraq are just advisors?

WHY IS EVERYONE SURPRISED?

This week, all of the news shows have focused on the recent accusations of spousal and child abuse by members of the NFL. 

Members of various football teams have long been accused and convicted of various charges of sodomy, rape, assault, drug possession, etc.  Back in 1998, Jeff Benedict and Don Yaeger wrote a book entitled Pros and Cons, the Criminals Who Play in the NFL.  They went into detail on these charges.

I wrote about this back in July 2007 when the Michael Vick case was prominent in the news.  He was charged with, and convicted of, sponsoring a dogfighting operation.  He served his time and is now back playing football.

Now, we have new charges against various players.  What must happen to rid the NFL of these star players who have no respect for the law and common decency.  Far too many are held up as heroes.

The Purrfect Arch

Burn here.  I must tell you all about the very best commercial I just saw on TV.  It's for cats.  It's called the Purrfect Arch.

All you have to do is rub against it and it takes all your loose fur, and I could really use that.  Whenever mom combs me, she says that there's enough fur to make another cat.  I think she's kidding, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, back to the commercial.  There were a lot of cats rubbing themselves against this arch and they really seemed to be enjoying it.  I couldn't stop staring at the TV.  They were purring so loud, I heard them clear across the room.  I guess that's why they call it the Purrfect Arch.  I wonder if the cats come with it.

I wish mom would buy one for me.  Maybe, if I'm very good and don't stare at Crash too much, she will.  If not, Christmas is coming, maybe Santa will bring one for me.

Burnie Here

Hi, it's me, Burnie.  I know it's been a while, but I couldn't write last week.  I had a little accident.

One night, at bedtime, I tried to climb into bed.  You know I'm getting old and I can't always jump into bed.  Well, this night, I put both feet with claws out onto the quilt covering the bed.  Guess what.  Both feet got stuck.

I meowed and meowed and mom ignored me.  After I cried for quite a while, she looked and saw me hanging from the quilt.  She figured out how to free me.  She apologized for ignoring me.  She said that she thought I was sitting in front of the shower meowing. That's something I like to do, I don't know why, but I do.

My front paws hurt for a while so I couldn't type.  I tried typing with my back paws, but that doesn't work, I fell over.

I'm feeling better now.  I missed all of you, hope you missed me.

Hi there, Crash here.  Sorry I'm a day late.  I kept trying to remind mom that it was my turn to write, but she didn't listen to me.  She was too busy unpacking and organizing from her last trip.  She went to visit someone named George Washington.  He wasn't there, but his house was so she wandered through it and all the property.  I don't think she wants to buy it, at least I hope not.  I wasn't too happy with her last move.

I like it here, but the ride here was awful.  Burnie was meowing the whole time, so I tried singing to quiet him.  It didn't work, so I went to sleep.  But then I woke up and got car sick so, when we got to the house, mom let us out of our carriers and said this is the last place we'll ever live in.  The only time we will leave is when we die.  I'm not too crazy about that idea, dying.

Everything else here is good.  Mom stocked the closet with our favorite foods and she even bought us some new dry food, but no new toys.  Last week I dug my lobster out of the toy box and had some fun with it.  There's nothing like an oldie but a goodie.

Life is good.

Five Down, 39 to Go

I blame President Harry Truman for this.  About eight years ago, I was driving through Independence, MO and saw a sign for President Truman's library.  I had the time, so I decided to stop and tour it.  That started it.  I have now decided to visit every presidential home/library.  This was my fifth home or library, the others being Truman, JFK, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.

 

I just returned from Mt. Vernon, the home of our first president, George Washington.  The home is nicely furnished with mostly original furnishings.  It was an interesting tour.  I learned a few things that were new to me.  I did not know that Pres. Washington was more than a plantation owner.  He was one of the first Virginia farmers to switch from growing tobacco to wheat.  He also experimented with composting and crop rotation.

The grounds are quite large.  I did a lot of walking.  I saw the stable area where they had a carriage similar to one Washington might have used.

 The horses were gone from the stable, but their essence remains.  I saw the outbuildings - kitchen, laundry room, cobbler's workspace, blacksmith's area, etc. 

There is an area for the graves of the president and his wife and other members of the family.  Near these sites, there is a memorial for the slaves who lived and worked there.  They are also working on this area to survey the actual graves of the slaves.  The slaves who belonged to Washington were freed when he died.

There is a learning center and museum on the grounds.  The learning center has three theaters that show films about different times in Washington's life, including one about Martha, their meeting and life together.  There I learned that when he died, Martha locked their bedroom door and never returned to that room.

One of the other theaters gave us the revolutionary experience.  It centered on that winter at Valley Forge and the crossing of the Delaware.  We got the full effect of the cannon firing that shook the seats and sent smoke coming up from the floor.  We also got "snowed" on.  That was very interesting.

Also available, although separate from the control of the Mt. Vernon Ladies' Association, is a short boat ride on the Potomac.  It was a very relaxing and refreshing ride.  This last photo shows the mansion from the river.

I should add that Mt. Vernon is not a national part, it is completely under the auspices of the Mt. Vernon Ladies' Association which was founded in 1854 to purchase the mansion and 200 acres of adjoining land from Washington's great-great nephew who could not afford to maintain the estate.  They immediately started shoring up the buildings, but stopped during the Civil War.  After the war they started furnishing the house with some Washington-owned pieces and an assortment of 18th century objects.  The association relies on admission and sale of souveniers and private donations and does not take any federal monies.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and recommend it to anyone with any interest in the beginnings of our country, or even to just get a look at how people lived in those days.

Hi there, Burnie here.  I know it's been quite a while since either Crash or I had a chance to write to you.  You see, mom bought us this really neat scratchy loungy chair thing and neither of us wants to give it up to the other.  So, we don't want to take the time to write.  Sorry.

Mom went away for a while this week.  She took one of her geographical explorations.  I'm sure she'll let you know all about it.  While she was away, Jeanne our friend came by and took care of us.  She's so good to me, she gives me scratches and I purr so loud.  This time, I was on my loungy chair, on my back and she gave me my scratches.  It was so good, I rolled over and fell off my chair.  But don't worry, I'm OK, it's not too high off the floor.

Well, when mom finally came home, Crash and I just ignored her.  We couldn't hold out too long because she fed us, and you know how much we like our food.  After we had eaten, Crash yelled and yelled at mom.  I think she got the message and won't leave us again any time soon.

Well, there's not much else going on here.  It's a cloudy, lazy day and I have to rush back to my chair.

Talk to you soon.

Crash and Burn

 

 

 

Hi there, Crash and Burn here.  We just wanted to show you the new scratchy thing mom bought us.  We both like it, that's very unusual.  Instead of buying this and a new scratching post, mom should have bought two of this.

 

 

 

 

 

We take turns sitting and sleeping on it.  Sometimes I  just stand there and stare at Crash until she decides to get up and leave.  Then I just jump on and rest.

We just love our new scratchy thingy.

Burn Speaks

 

Hi, it's me Burn.  I'm a little late this week.  We got confused with the 4th of July holiday.  Did you have a good one?

 

I did.  It was much better than where I used to live when I was just a kitten.  There were so many fireworks banging and banging and popping and I used to get so scared.  Now, it's so nice and quiet, I don't mind at all.

 

Crash and I haven't been getting along too well lately.  She comes up to me all nice and sweet, she sniffs me and then she takes a swing at me.  I'm too surprised to do anything except just sit there.  Sometimes I give her a nasty look, but mostly I just stand there and then she walks away.  I just don't know what's gotten into that cat.

 

We got a new seat/scratcher and if mom ever puts the pictures in the computer, I'll show you how comfortable it is.  Crash and I take turns sleeping on it.

 

Well that's the latest from here.  Talk to you soon.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

 

 

Conversations

This morning I was at my local supermarket for a few things.  As my purchases were being rung up, the woman at the register and the woman packing my groceries were chatting.  They started out talking about being outside in the sun with or without sunscreen.  I chimed in that since I had a few blistery sunburns when I was a child, the damage was already done.

The packer remembered that her sister used to use baby oil and iodine to get a tan.  Then the woman at the register asked if that was the sister who had had breast cancer.  The packer said yes, but that her sister had used hormones to get through menopause.  We all agreed that was a bad idea.  Another added that she has had hot flashes for 15 years. 

Somehow the conversation went to the fact that drinking wine causes our faces to get very red and hot.  Another woman misunderstood and asked if drinking wine really helped with hot flashes (or as someone once called them "personal summers").  I said that it didn't, but it might help you not care.

We all got a good laugh out of that.

Who knew grocery shopping could be so entertaining.

Today

Today was a very good day.

First, the Supreme Court ruled that home health care providers who care for a family member in the home are not required to join a union and pay union dues.  It seems so obvious that I can't imagine why it had to go all the way to the Supreme Court.  Parents who care for a disabled child do get some money from the government for this care, but I'm sure they would provide the same level of care without the money, although it does help I'm sure.

Then, the same court decided that small family corporations are not obligated to go against their religious beliefs and offer abortions with the mandated health care covered by Obamacare.  Again, this seemed obvious to me.  If a company doesn't offer coverage for abortions, you are not obligated to work for that company.  There is no one saying that you have to work for any particular company (at least not yet).  You have the right to choose.  Isn't that what feminists are always saying, that a woman has a right to choose what to do with her body.

Finally, the FDA approved a new drug for diabetes.  I bought stock in the company about a year ago and it didn't do anything.  Today, there was a little movement although it did close a little lower.  I have renewed confidence in the company now.

I also have a little more confidence in the government too, specifically the Supreme Court and FDA.

Crash Speaks

Crash here.  I'm sorry that I'm a little late tonight, but mom went out to dinner and stayed out way too late.  It's almost bedtime.

Well, things have been pretty good here, but somebody got in trouble today.  Mom heard someone scratching on the furniture and she yelled.  I don't know who it could be, but I was sitting at mom's feet.  So, she went to the store and bought us some new scratching things.  One is a scratching post with two toys attached, I liked that right away.  The other is a sort of seat or couch that we can use as a scratcher  I was a little afraid of it at first, but I got used to it.  Mom didn't take the time to take any pictures of us with our new toys.  Maybe next week.

Mom has been in and out all week.  She's getting very social.  I don't like it one bit.  She's supposed to stay home and keep Burn and me company.  I heard rumors that she's going to be taking a trip soon.  I guess that means we'll be left alone again.  I really don't know why she likes going away and leaving us home.  I'd really like to take some of those trips with her.  Maybe some day I'll sneak into her bag and then she'll have to take me.

Well, it's time for bed, talk to you soon.

 

 

Today, I'm in trouble.  This morning I mistook the rug on the floor of the guest room for my box which is in the bathroom.  Boy is mom mad.

 

She forgot all the times I've been very good.  Like earlier today when I let her go on the computer before me so she could rant and rage about current events on my day to write.

 

Well, just to show you that I'm a really good cat, here's some photographic evidence that I share my food.  This is Crash and me both looking longingly at a dish of food.

 

 

 

I think mom was talking to me and I took my eyes off the food.

Now you can see that I walked away and let Crash eat all the food.  Aren't I a very good cat?

Burnie will have his turn later, but I’ve been listening to the news and I can’t hold out any longer.  The words are bubbling up inside my head and they just have to come out.

The mainstream media has pretty much been ignoring most of the news coming out of Washington.  This just proves what I have always said, beginning back in 1972-74.  Then, the media was all over the Nixon administration over what started as a simple break-in.  I’m not condoning the break-in.  Then, Nixon made the biggest mistake, he and his administration tried to cover it up with lies and more lies. I don’t know how involved he actually was, perhaps he heard about the break-in on the 6 o’clock news.  But the media was the driving force for him to resign the presidency.

Fast forward to 2014.  We’ve had guns sent to Mexico and lost, we’ve had emails lost to a computer crash with no back-ups. We’ve had an embassy attacked and done nothing, it took almost two years to “find” and arrest a suspect who had made himself available to all the media.  I find it odd that this arrest took place right after the emails were “lost” and Iraq is being taken over by terrorists.  I guess this arrest is supposed to make us feel better and forget about everything else.

Why are the media not demanding a thorough investigation of the missing emails just like they demanded an investigation of the missing 18 minutes of tape in the Nixon office.

This just proves what I said back in the 70’s.  If Nixon had been a democrat, there would have been no problem with a break-in.  If Obama were a republican, the media would be calling for his immediate dismissal.

Double standard?

Happy Flag Day

 

 

 

Today is Flag Day.

 

Long may it wave over our land.

In the past I've taken pride in the fact that I knew what was going on in the entertainment world.  I used to follow all the singers and shows, maybe even sing a line or two.

Today, I realized how out of the loop I am.  While watching The Talk today I heard that there have been words exchanged between Rihanna and TLC about Rihanna's appearing in a see through dress and showing everything.

I thought they were talking about TLC (the cable channel), then I realized TLC is also a girl singing group.  Guess I better pay a little more attention to pop culture.

Hi all, well mom finally got home.  She went to a party for a friend who is moving.  I don't know why anyone would want to have a party for someone who is a flatleaver, it doesn't make any sense.  Some people.

It's been pretty quiet here except for the carbon monoxide alarm which has been beeping for the last few months.  It's been driving me crazy, but does mom care?  No.  Anyway, she finally made a call to get it fixed, but it will take a couple of weeks.  I don't know if I can stand it much longer.

The days have been quite nice.  I've been sitting in the window catching all the sun's rays and sleeping.  It was great, Burnie's been leaving me alone.  I guess he found somewhere else to sleep.

Well, that's about it for now, time for bed.

Crash

D DAY

Today is the 70th Anniversary of D-Day.  I've grown up hearing all the stories of that day.  When I visited Gettysburg, I saw a demonstration of the gear and clothes the soldiers wore on that day.  They had to go from their landing crafts into the water carrying about 75 pounds of gear.

We've all heard about the number of men who participated in our invasion of Normandy and the number of those who didn't come back.  To me, they were just a number.  It was very difficult to realize just how many there were.

Last year, I visited Normandy and the American cemetery there.  It was then that I got an appreciation of the difficulties they faced and the fact that many didn't make it.  Here are some of the pictures from that trip.

The guns they faced

 

The cliffs they had to climb

The dangers in the water

 

 

The end for some

Row after row of markers

 

They made it real.  I now understand the numbers and the sacrifice, but the ones that got to me were the markers for the soldier known only to God.

 



 

Today is a day to remember the sacrifices and courage of those who took part in D-Day and to thank them for all that they gave.

 

Hi, it's me Crash.  See that picture up there.  I was very young then.  I'm getting old now and can't climb to the top of the cabinets any more.  That was fun.  I could look down and watch everybody and not get in anyone's way.

 

Mom complains now that I'm always underfoot.  I don't know what that means because she doesn't step on me.  I just try to stay next to her, maybe sometimes in front of her.  It's fun.

 



She bought us some food today and came home telling us all about the cute kittens she saw at the store.  I think she really wants a kitten.  I think she's crazy.  Burnie and I are all the cats she needs.  We give her all the love she needs.  We let her sit next to us, we make sure she gets up on time in the morning.  I even help her stretch her back in the morning. 

I sit next to her when she's on the computer and I meow and meow until she stops what she's doing and bends down to pick me up.  Then I move around so she can't catch me and she has to keep stretching her back.  Then I let her pick me up and I purr so she feels good.  She says her back doesn't hurt so much since we've been playing our game.

Well, gotta go.  I have some bags to check out.  I wonder what food mom bought for us today.

A Problem

I have a problem.  I have decided that I should visit every presidential home/library.  I've already visited the homes/libraries of Presidents T. Roosevelt, H. Truman, D. Eisenhower and J. Kennedy.

I decided that this year I would take about four days and drive to Virginia and visit Mount Vernon and Monticello.  I mentioned this to some friends and they reminded me that James Madison had a home near there.  Okay, I can still visit three homes; my trip would be a little longer than the four days I planned.  I'll just take one extra day.

Last week I decided to do some research and discovered that James Monroe was a neighbor of Thomas Jefferson.  Add one more to the list.  Then I read that Woodrow Wilson's library was also nearby.  Now I was up to six days.

Today I was looking at a book from Virginia tourism and discovered that William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor also lived in Virginia.  John Tyler is buried in Virginia.

Now it looks as if I'll have to make several short trips to Virginia rather than one long trip this year.  I simply can't take a two week road trip because I have other vacations planned and Crash and Burn might not let me back in the house if I keep leaving them.

I'm very fortunate to have such a problem;  I'm still healthy enough, physically and mentally,  to travel.

Upgrade

This past weekend I took a trip out to Riverhead, LI to visit relatives.  I had made reservations at a hotel chain where I am an "honored" member.  Since this was a holiday weekend and there were a couple of weddings staying at the hotel, rooms were limited. 

I have a profile with this chain and in it I specify that I prefer a lower floor since I've never been comfortable riding in elevators and it has gotten worse since I'm retired and don't have to any more.  The woman at the desk assigned me a room on the 3rd floor and then realized that I prefer a lower floor.  Instead of telling her that I could take the 3rd floor, I kept quiet.  She kept checking available rooms and finally asked a co-worker if she could do it.  I wondered what she meant, then she said she could give me an upgrade.

I was thrilled, what kind of upgrade would it be.  Might I possibly be getting a suite?  She finished the process of checking me in, noted the room number and gave me my keys.  I moved my car around to be nearer my room and checked it out.

This was my upgrade

I've never heard of having a bathtub so close to the bed.  It's a good thing I don't walk in my sleep.

I guess the upgrade was that it was a Jacuzzi tub, but not quite what I had expected.  Oh well.

 

 

Today we remember and give thanks to these young men.

 

Hi, Burnie here.  I had a very good week.  First, mom had her cleaning ladies here, so  I had to be locked up with Crash for a very long time.  But I didn't mind too much because she has to use catnip to get us into the room.  I'd really go into the room on my own, but if she wants to give me some catnip, I'll gladly take it.  Don't tell her though.

Then, later in the week, she had some company.  Four of her friends came for coffee and cake.  The best part is that none of them is allergic to cats, so Crash and I had the run of the house.  I got lots of pets and scratches from them.  It was so nice.  Usually, when mom has company, someone in the group is allergic to cats so we have to be locked up.  I like these new friends better.

Well, that's about it for now, time for my nap.

Crash here.  Sorry I'm late, but mom was very busy yesterday and then later she went out without turning the computer on.

Well, it's only a day later.  Mom has spent the past couple of days cleaning her closet.  I don't know how she does it, but she made such a mess in the rest of the house.  She keeps taking things from her closet and putting them in the guest room and disturbing me when I'm sleeping in there.  I'm not really a guest since I live here, but it's a very comfortable bed.

Anyway, she says she's going to donate them to some charity.  I hope she makes arrangements soon before she changes her mind and keeps half of the "stuff", which she has done in the past.

The weather hasn't been too good lately, not much sun, so there's no place for me loll around on the nice warm sunny floor, and the windows aren't getting opened either.  How boring.

I've been spending my days lately just following mom around the house, from room to room.  She sometimes sits down, but Burnie runs to sit next to her.  It makes me very sad, then I go off to my room (the guest room) and sulk.

That's about it for now, I feel a nap coming on.

Mom was Right

I must admit that I am a slave to my timer.  I use it for everything.  Years ago when we had a swing set for the boys and their friends would come over, I would tell them that they could have a certain amount of time on a favorite swing, then they would have to let someone else have a chance.  I would set the timer and they know that when it went off, someone else had a chance.

I also used a timer on the light in my son's room.  As a child, he would get so involved in reading that he would lose track of time and stay up way past his bedtime.  I would give him an hour to read, then the light would go off and he would have to go to sleep.

I even use it when I want to sit and read for an hour.  That way I'm not distracted by checking my watch.  Unfortunately, that is the time when my phone always rings, but I digress.

Years ago, when I was first married and my mother was visiting while I was baking a cake, I set my timer for the recommended minutes.  My mother, who was a terrific baker, commented that she never timed a cake.  I asked how she knew when it was done and she replied that she knew when she could smell the cake.  I was shocked and couldn't believe she could really tell just by the small.

Last week I was baking a cake and puttering around the house while it baked.  I was in my office at the other end of the house when I smelled something - it was the cake.  About 30 seconds later, the timer went off.  I checked and sure enough, the cake was perfectly done.

I guess mom was really right about this.

Burnie Here

Hi, it's me Burnie.  Mom has been busy getting out her summer clothes and putting the winter ones away.  She wasn't too happy when I jumped into the empty box.  Doesn't she know that cats really like being in boxes, no matter the size.

I'm really lucky, I don't have to worry about changing from winter to summer clothes.  All I ever wear is my fur coat, it suits me whatever the weather.  Sometimes, mom has to comb me and she takes so much fur, she thinks she could make another cat out of it.  I hope she doesn't, I don't want to have to share with yet another cat.

Anyway, for all you moms out there, Happy Mother's Day.