Happy Veteran's Day
Happy Veteran's Day! If you know me well enough you know that I'm the textbook definition of a patriot: someone who believes their country is the best no matter what. And that's pretty much me. Independence Day is my favorite holiday, I hear the Star Spangled Banner and tears come to my eyes, and when I think of all the people that made (and still do) this country possible, I have a huge sense of pride. Yes, our country has some faults, but I would never live anywhere else.
Veteran's Day also brings to mind the death of my granddaddy. He was my mom's father and he was a card. He died 16 years ago yesterday (Veteran's Day was the 10th that year). So...I'm going to give some insight on him. Sorry if you're disappointed but if nothing else, you might learn a little why I'm as loony as I am. :-)
I was only ten when he died and I wasn't close to him; in all honesty, when we went to visit him, I was always a little afraid of him. I remember he had false teeth that didn't fit just right and he'd flip them all around in his mouth. Yes...I agree. That's pretty gross. But at the time, I thought it was awesome.
The man loved a flea market. He could always be found at one if it was near. When we'd go visit he'd always try to give us some "treasure" that he'd found. I remember him once saying, "Linda, you need a gas can? I found one at the flea market the other day. I think it's got a leak, though." Every time mom and I remember that conversation, we crack up. 'Cause that was him. He didn't care if it was junk. It was just fun for him.
He also had these little sayings that were so perfect when he used them. Mom and I still use almost all of them. He'd say, "Save your money, spend it on your kids," when you were considering buying something that wasn't necessary. His favorite was "Use your head." That one doesn't really need explaining.
When my brother bought his first car Granddaddy sent him a note in the mail that said, "David: big car payment, bad dreams, no sleep. Little or no car payment, good dreams, sleep like a baby." That's all it said. Mom still has the note.
I wasn't close to him but my mom's always tried to tell me little stories about him all the time. He was in the army during the second world war and learned sheet metal work. He often told mom that he froze his butt off over there. When he came home, he came home to a daughter that he'd never met who was almost walking. That wwould be my aunt.
So that kinda brings me to another point...maybe the point. Today's Veteran's Day and I am so proud of our men and women of this country and the sacrifices they have made, are making, and will make. I can't imagine being pregnant, going through childbirth, and raising a baby while my husband is off in the military. I can't imagine having to constantly move around from city to city or country to country. I can't even begin to think of being thousands of miles from home and someone starts shooting and you find yourself in an ambush. How? How do people handle this? How do people withstand these hardships and manage to press on? It's beyond me.
So...I've strayed from the outline of this blog, but oh well.
Happy Veteran's Day. I hope you had a good day. Mine was pretty quiet. I thought of Granddaddy quite a bit, thought of our active military, and thanked God for them. Pretty good day.
Veteran's Day also brings to mind the death of my granddaddy. He was my mom's father and he was a card. He died 16 years ago yesterday (Veteran's Day was the 10th that year). So...I'm going to give some insight on him. Sorry if you're disappointed but if nothing else, you might learn a little why I'm as loony as I am. :-)
I was only ten when he died and I wasn't close to him; in all honesty, when we went to visit him, I was always a little afraid of him. I remember he had false teeth that didn't fit just right and he'd flip them all around in his mouth. Yes...I agree. That's pretty gross. But at the time, I thought it was awesome.
The man loved a flea market. He could always be found at one if it was near. When we'd go visit he'd always try to give us some "treasure" that he'd found. I remember him once saying, "Linda, you need a gas can? I found one at the flea market the other day. I think it's got a leak, though." Every time mom and I remember that conversation, we crack up. 'Cause that was him. He didn't care if it was junk. It was just fun for him.
He also had these little sayings that were so perfect when he used them. Mom and I still use almost all of them. He'd say, "Save your money, spend it on your kids," when you were considering buying something that wasn't necessary. His favorite was "Use your head." That one doesn't really need explaining.
When my brother bought his first car Granddaddy sent him a note in the mail that said, "David: big car payment, bad dreams, no sleep. Little or no car payment, good dreams, sleep like a baby." That's all it said. Mom still has the note.
I wasn't close to him but my mom's always tried to tell me little stories about him all the time. He was in the army during the second world war and learned sheet metal work. He often told mom that he froze his butt off over there. When he came home, he came home to a daughter that he'd never met who was almost walking. That wwould be my aunt.
So that kinda brings me to another point...maybe the point. Today's Veteran's Day and I am so proud of our men and women of this country and the sacrifices they have made, are making, and will make. I can't imagine being pregnant, going through childbirth, and raising a baby while my husband is off in the military. I can't imagine having to constantly move around from city to city or country to country. I can't even begin to think of being thousands of miles from home and someone starts shooting and you find yourself in an ambush. How? How do people handle this? How do people withstand these hardships and manage to press on? It's beyond me.
So...I've strayed from the outline of this blog, but oh well.
Happy Veteran's Day. I hope you had a good day. Mine was pretty quiet. I thought of Granddaddy quite a bit, thought of our active military, and thanked God for them. Pretty good day.
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