Veterans

My father was a veteran of WW2. He came home in one piece and it was a miracle because he flew many missions over German in a rickety little plane!

My dad was an adorable little Italian guy like Leo DiCaprio, so when the Air force found out he was an amateur photographer, they found the perfect job for him..shoving him into the nose of the plane with his camera equipment.

He thought he would get a desk job because he had graduated from College, no such luck! He had one of the most dangerous jobs of all!

He was a wonderful guy. Mom said he came back from England with two English pennies in his pocket, he took off his uniform and never wore it again! He only told me of the beautiful English Countryside and the many kind people who invited the service men to their homes. He took pictures of Queen Elizabeth (she was a princess then) visiting the devastated rubble of London.

He never went anywhere without his camera so I have many interesting pictures. He died when I was eighteen, but I worshipped him and can see his smile and twinkling eyes right now. We are so Blessed in this country and it is because God loves us and these guys protected us. We must remember to be thankful and make sure our children understand, life is a gift but a responsibility too. To those who have much…much is required. Happy Memorial Day.

Hostility

Today I had lunch with Mother Angelica. I am a little girl again when I watch her and I loved being a kid! You don’t have to be a Roman Catholic to understand her wisdom.

Yes, she does live in a different world than most of us, but isn’t it nice to escape our Mad world for a few minutes a day? She was talking about Family. Many people today don’t have families or they are at odds with the ones they do have.

She doesn’t get caught up in all that JUNK, she say’s we are one big family of Americans and we can and should all help each other, (Put your wallet away) she means Spiritually.

More people than should be are trying to make ends meet and it’s frustrating and depressing. My Mother always told us “Our wants were many and our needs were few” I think about that, it is true today more than ever.

Americans have lost not just income in the last few years, they have lost something much more important. The love of each other. It’s so easy to say thank you, be polite, open a door for another, compliment a person on something, don’t just think they look nice, they can’t read your thoughts.

Maybe because I am lucky enough to be retired, I truly can take the time to say hello, to smile and to be polite. It ALWAYS works. A smile is a darn hard thing to give away and it makes you feel good too. I like that part. Help young people, they aren’t getting the guidance you did. They are ten times smarter than us with all their technology, but they lack the loving, caring touches and only the ones who learn them will succeed and enjoy life.

Last week I was in Macy’s and I had to have help to the car with my packages (I am recovering from a broken leg and ankle). The very nice young man who helped me said “No Problem” when I thanked him. I smiled at him and said, “I am going to give you some advise that will help you forever. I didn’t think there was a problem and that statement is all negative.

Try “My pleasure” easy, and it has so much more impact. He smiled at me and said, “Hey Thanks, I’ll try it.” He had everything else going for him, I hope he does. I love kids and we all need to pay more attention to them and the “details” of life. Somebody did it for you. The nuns did it for me and I had marvelous parents, my little Mother Angelica on EWTN still does it for me!

California Girl

I always wanted to be a California girl.  I got sidetracked by love, but I managed to right myself and move permanently to California, my dream State.  Almost anybody who listened to the Beach Boys dreamed of being a California girl.

People envisioned the curvy blonde bombshell with the Sandra Dee looks and the Pink Thunderbird.  It seemed the West Coast was the place to be with all that sunshine and fun.  Hollywood glamour was everywhere, movies stars were emulated and their lifestyles envied.

When I was a kid growing up in Canada, I was in love with ELVIS.  My mother constantly knocked him, it didn’t matter…I loved him.  Once, I tried to call him.  The operator was so nice, she said “Oh, Honey, he doesn’t take personal calls, if you want to see him you will have to go to his shows or his movies.”

I begged my Dad to take me to see ‘Love Me Tender’ when I was thirteen.  I bought movie magazines and photo books of him with my allowance and then one day one of my friends told me I worshipped idols and I was going to go to Hell.  I didn’t think I worshipped him, I just wanted to marry him!

My friends thought I was ridiculous, they said he was an uneducated hillbilly (so judgmental) and after a while of being told how stupid I was, I gave up on Elvis.  He was never going to love me anyway.

But, ha, I got to see him in Las Vegas when I was twenty four and I  couldn’t swoon over him anymore because now I was a married woman with a child, but I will never forget a word of any of his songs and even though his movies were not very good, I will always like him more than I should admit.