The Hero Had GERD

Talking with his mom, you would never know that the Hero had an obedient bone in his body, but I witnessed him being called, in a manner of fashion, obedient by his doctor.

In his mid fifties the Hero was diagnosed with GERD (GERD, is short for gastroesophageal reflux disease; a condition in which acidic gastric fluid flows backward into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn. It had become painful and caused him sleep loss so we had gone into the doctor to find a solution. The doctor said the best treatment was weight loss and raising the head of our bed to a 45 degree angle. The Hero was cautioned to not use a foam wedge that was available on the market. The effect of that would be to cut him off in the middle and make the GERD worse. We will not talk about the weight loss.

We went home and the Hero began problem solving. There weren't any wooden support extensions back then and our bed was a huge wooden backboard bed that had a memory foam mattress that he had paid 2500 dollars for, so he wasn't giving that up. Hmmm, said he, if I put blocks up under the edges I think I can raise the bed up to the 45 degree angle. He bought concrete cinder blocks, and began his process of measuring the angle and adding smaller bricks to achieve his angle. He did it. Our massive bed was like this...

It was exactly what the doctor had described. The only problem was you would have to occasionally crawl back up to the top at night when you slid down the slope. 😄😄 I love that man, he made life such an adventure. 

When we went back to see the doctor on the follow up visit and the Hero told him what he had done. The doctor was amazed. He said no one had ever actually done that. (I am sitting here laughing at the doctor's face and the Hero's face who was amazed that no one had ever done what the doctor said... duh) We continued to sleep like that for a few years until the Hero was diagnosed with cancer and it became impossible for him to get into the bed like that.

Today there is actually a huge wedge that goes between the mattress and the box springs to elevate the whole top of the mattress and not bend the body at the waist like the "pillow" wedges do.

Well, when you go to bed tonight in your comfortable bed, think of the Hummer who would use her elbows to inch up in bed to the top quietly so as to not wake her Hero up. Life can be funny.

Scenic Pictures - Sentimental Sunday story

I have a rule that when I with family on a trip that the scenic pictures always has a family member(s) in them. That way the scene means something later when viewed by later generations (needs name and place on back still. 😉).

However, there are times that a picture maybe taken of an object or thing without a person and to you it will mean great memories. To others without a story, it may get tossed to the wayside and why did they take that picture. I have two such pictures and will proceed to write the stories behind them for future generations to enjoy.

The first picture involves my dad and my Hero, Ned. 

When we first moved to the "farm" (6.7 acres) we had a small barn, chicken pens, and a pig pen, and rabbit hutches. We were as my father-in-law put it, gentlemen farmers; meaning the Hero worked in Houston then he and my dad built stuff on the weekends. After clearing much of the brush and small trees in the back, my dad was worried of losing trees.  As he was sitting next to the barn watching his chickens, he as he liked to do, he noticed a small pine seedling sprouting in the barnyard. 

Not the actual seedling, but exactly like it.

He decided it would be a fine addition there to give shade to his critters. Picking up a stick he fashioned a stake and stuck it in the ground to protect it from foot damage so we would know it was there. The Hero thought that was a great idea too. So as the pine grew, so did the stake, thus everyone would know it was a choice tree. 

40 years later both of my men are gone, but I imagine occasionally they might look down and say that is a fine tree.  It turned out it is a Loblolly Pine and is beautiful. Every time I pull in at home and park, I face it.  I remember the years of protecting it and the care the two men did to make sure it survived to be the tree it is now. 

Actual tree 2019, 40 years later.

The other landscape picture is of a road going to our home. We used to call it the tunnel. Everyone knew that when we arrive at the “tunnel” that home was just a short way down the road. We loved the oaks and pines that covered the road and that you could see light at the end of the tunnel.

As the children would say..."Almost home"...

There were many stories about that area of the road. The the road was an iron ore road that had to be graded by a road grader. 

For my grands: a 1960s grader (like the one on our road) 

The grader would not smooth the road out after his first pass and it would leave the surface like a washboard. 

For my grands: a washboard women used to wash their clothes...remind me to tell you a story about that.

You would drive down it and feel like your teeth were chattering. The worse time was when I was expecting my 4^th child and every time we drove over it I would exclaim “slow down!” The Hero would smile or even (added injury) giggle and say won’t help. My body parts did not agree, but it was what it was…miserable. Everyone was excited when they finally decided to blacktop the road (wish I had written the date down).

The tunnel is gone now due to development. New owners decided they needed a clear view of the road, but the random picture I took one day to remind my children of home, still survives. I am so glad I took it. When they see it, they still think home. That is why there is a picture of a tree tunnel in my picture box.

Write the stories. Grandchildren will love them and they can pass them down to theirs.

Blog Caroling... A Favorite Time of year.

Every year footnoteMaven hosts a fun event called Blog Caroling, a favorite activity for me. If you want to join, then head on over to this blog post at fM's. 
There are many Christmas carols and hymns that touch my heart, but sometimes you just need to stop and have some fun. When the Hero and I would talk about Christmas plays and our children were in the Church party Manger scenes, he would always break out in song about "The Angel in the Christmas Play". This Christmas song was written in 1949 by Spike Lee.  The Hero would have been about 3 when it first came out. 
Wonder if our children remember the song... Good question.

[One year my daughter's church ward had a funny nativity scene at their church party.  I was almost falling off my seat laughing at the antics of the shepherds and angels. Somethings never change. ] 
This is a link to the song done by Karen Carpenter on YouTube. 
Have a wonderful Merry Christmas my friends.

The Hero and the Rottweiler ~ Sentimental Sunday (thought of then.)

The Hero did flooring jobs to supplement his day time job income. His primary workers were his family members.
This one job was for a doctor resurfacing a second floor patio above the first floor patio.  Everyone was excited and thought, this will be a fast easy job.
The doctor had a pet Rottweiler.  He looked like this dog.

 A beautiful healthy, happy, big dog.  The guys were apprehensive at first about how he would accept them, but soon found him to be friendly and funny, because he would run up the stairs to greet them then his claws would slip on the wood floor and he would end up in all sorts of positions, and gyrations trying to get in control.  No one minded his presence, until... they noticed tools would go missing.  He would come out get petted and when they turned back to work, he would pick up a tool, tape, what ever was sitting there unattended, and quietly slip back inside.  This started causing lost time because the guys would have to go looking for the item, and would find it with their friend the dog. It ended in him being banned from the area, and them keeping a watchful eye in case someone would forget to close the door.  He was then such a sad dog looking longingly out the door.
The Hero laughed telling the story and loved petting the Rottweiler when he was there. The guys would hoot and laugh talking about his antics.  All in all, the Rottweiler made the job a fun one that had good memories.

1. Image, Rottweiler3.jpg , https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rottweiler3.jpg

Sentimental Sunday ~ Memory of A Great Trip

One fall, the Hero and I were driving our daughter to Utah for her fall college semester.  We decided to go through Taos, New Mexico area because none of us had ever been in that area before and the scenery promised by brochures was going to be great.

We stopped at an out of the way group of bungalows before we got there.  It was an awesome place. There weren't any electronics, or phones, no outside world at all.  Our son was with us too. He was so excited no one could interrupt with a phone call.  We and a wonderful time visiting; they had games too and the kids went for a short hike. (nope no pictures...silly me, but no smartphones back then either.) Short digression here, I asked my daughter if she remembered and I am giggling over her answer:  "Yes, I remember him going on and on about how quiet it was... he wouldn't be quiet.... it was lovely and I remember the cold creek out behind it."...

When we left to continue our journey, we were relaxed and filled with happiness.  The trees were breathtaking and the air was so clear as we drove in the mountains. The Hero gave way to our request to stop at the first scenic pull over in spite of a tight schedule. It was so beautiful looking down through the trees.

We saw these. This is from a brochure.

picture from the area on Wikipedia

 Away from the world and all its cares, my daughter turned on the Enya "Watermark" album for her and myself to dance our best joyful uninhibited interpretation of the music.  We were having so much fun. Our son and the Hero, just leaned back on the rocks and smiled.  They knew we were silly.  

Our reverie was interrupted by a car pulling in behind us and an older Native American gentleman got out.  We quickly turned down our music, when he approached us.  I guess we were expecting a scolding for so much noise.  Instead, we were surprised when he said  "I have not stopped here for many years and enjoyed the scenery.  When I saw you dancing with so much joy, I had to stop. I remind myself now, that I should take the time to enjoy what is here. Thank you for reminding me."  

We never know how we are going to affect someone else. This man was uplifted by our joyous dancing and he reminded us that one should not ignore the beauty around us as we become busy in life.  

The rest of our trip was filled with a feeling of happiness.  We deposited our daughter at BYU and then drove back home on I70 through Colorado. The choice to drive up the scenic way was one of the best we ever made.  

I am glad I am writing this because my daughter had forgotten our dancing in the woods..,

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses... one of my favorite sayings.  J

Surname Saturday ~ And They Became One

One starry night on October 24^th, 1970, a couple professed their vows to love and cherish each other, and she took his surname as hers to honor.

In their toast to each other, it was made mention of a “toast to their love together forever”, and so it is and forever shall be.

This 45^th anniversary is celebrated by the bride with his memory at her side.  God has sent a promise that though they are parted, they shall one day be reunited. 

My hero is missed but not forgotten, and ever waited upon for the loving reunion.

FE

Military Monday : A Hero Story

I am back to renew my blog relationship.  I have found myself far away from this blog, but after visiting it last night, I remembered why I started blogging, and why I loved it.  I am too late for a Sentimental Sunday post for my Hero, so I will start with Military Monday.

The Hero was very proud of his service in the Army Medical Reserves. He served 3 enlistments. When he was assisting in planning his funeral (yes, he did), he was concerned because he was not a full time enlisted man that he wouldn't be honored with a flag on his casket.  A friend, who had been in Viet Nam, said I don't think it is a problem.  He called the VFW and visited with them, then called the Hero back and said, not only would the VA provide an American flag for the services,they would have someone to be there to fold the flag to be given to be given to the family. This was very relieving to the Hero. He was very patriotic, and was from the time his was little.  I wondered about this and decided to research the military in his family history.

The first thing I discovered was on his dad's side, only an uncle had served in the military in the United States. His grandfather had not served, he had diabetes.  His great grandfather had not served, he was an immigrant from Canada, and was too old for the WWI &WWII.  On his paternal grandmother's side, it was all the way back in the War of 1812 that a fourth great grandfather served and it was for Great Britain.
Moving to his mother's side of the family, the search went back to the Civil War, on both sides of her family.  One great great grandfather died in Savannah during the war. Both her paternal and maternal sides fought for the South.

The Hero's twin, who also served in the Reserves, made a trip to Savannah to see the tombstone.

Neither the Hero's father, nor his paternal and maternal grandfathers fought in a war, and they did not appear to be politically active.
It seems that the Hero, by some fluke, just came by his patriotism on his own.  He was one who loved his country dearly and studied the constitution as well as followed the politics of his time carefully. Now this was passed down to all his children today. They each keep informed about the state of affairs in the country.  He taught them to study things out, weight the information and make their own choices.  One of his sons is on his third enlistment in the Air Force Reserve and has served one tour in Qutar.  He would have been proud how they have grown.

Sentimental Sunday: The Hero and His First Born

Haven't written a Hero post in a while. Have had some thoughts, but still mulling over several.
This is for the Hero's first born child.

When she was born, the Hero was the first to hold her because I had been drugged by the medical staff so that I slept 5 hours after the birth. Last time that happened.

Back to my story. The Hero frequently would relate to others that his whole life changed the day he held his first child. He said she was pink and perfect.  He was in love head over heels.
She could lead him around with just a smile.

He loved playing with her, reading to her, and she went everywhere with us.  

The first time he had to leave her when he was a US Army Medical Reservist, was excruciating for him. He called. He wrote. He didn't want her to forget him.

Over the years he became wise enough to know a separation did not mean she would forget him, but it was not something he liked either. When she became a woman and went off to college, he was the one who made business trips up to check on her. He would call and check on how things were going. When she came home, he hired her in the office because he believed in her and trusted her work. She never failed him.

It was hard for him to trust the man she chose to marry, not because he was bad or would do bad to her, but because he found it hard to trust that anyone could love and care for her more than he could. (the dad ego). He actually loved the young man very much.

Then came the day that they moved very far away, and his heart broke. He wouldn't be able to visit like he did at home. It was before cell phones like we have today, so calls would be limited. The desire to still be part of her life was very important to him. When her children had special events, he would fly up to be there. There was only enough money for him to go and there was a religious reason it be him. I was okay with it.  
The day came he felt it was time for him to move on from where we were. He spent many hours looking at places near to where she lived. Alas, the feeling he was ready to move on, did not mean moving closer to her, but time to leave this life. We never moved.
6 months before he died, he had just finished chemo therapy, and they said he had gone as far as they would treat him. He was afraid he would not see her or her children again, so he planned at trip for us with our other daughter to drive up to visit.

He loved every minute with them and seeing her. He was so afraid that they would think him a grouchy old man and not remember how much he loved them.
Unbeknownst to us, he had developed gangrene in the area of his treatment and was in tremendous pain the entire time of the trip.  I had to take him into the hospital when we got home. It was the beginning of the end.
Somewhere along the way he had told her that she didn't need him anymore.  I think she took it as a rejection.  I troubled over it for a while, but I have come to the conclusion that he meant that, she had accomplished being her own person. She didn't need him in his mind, like he needed her. He had to let her go.  
The last few days of his life were filled with happiness that she was coming to see him. We kept up with her movements by phone and watching the sky cams on the highways.  Sadly the weather slowed them down and they did not arrive until a day after he passed away;  It was the fulfillment of his feelings of not seeing her again, but his heart was glad that she tried.

Did he love her? Oh, yes!  With all his heart. 

The Hero Made a Difficult Decision: Sentimental Sunday

I am combining two memes today. One is Sentimental Sunday which I have done for years and the other is Blue Raspberry Sunday by Aine at Blue Raspberry Sky.

This is a sentimental look at a hard decision that the Hero made which affected our lives and fits both memes that have kept me blogging when it would have been easy to quit.


When the Hero and I first married, we lived in Houston. This was the Hero's birth city and where he fully expected to live out his days in.  I on the other hand was not a city girl and desired to go to the country.  My mom and dad lived in Oklahoma and we wanted them to move to Texas so we kept an eye out for them a small acreage of land.
Meanwhile, the Hero compromised with me and we moved to a rent house that belonged to his
dad's company in the outer suburbs (at that time) which qualified, for him, to be in the country.

The house was most people's dream. It had 5 bedrooms, 2 car garage, 2 1/2  baths,  fireplace, an office, and a swimming pool.

 I admit, it was not my dream. It was in the middle of a subdivision, although this is where I earned the title of snake killer.
About a year later, we discovered some property 6 acres with a house partially started for sale just 30 miles north of us in a small town.  They had their own school district, so it was perfect for my parents and would be close enough for us to visit frequently and the children to have a taste of country.  When my dad saw it he was excited, there was a shack on it that was called a cabin which he could live in while getting the house finished and then my mom could move on down.

He thought was a great idea.  It took us about 6 months to get all the paper work done and my dad moved down.  My baby was 18 mos old, and my oldest was just ready to finish 2nd grade. She adored our big home, her friends, and the status she had at school.
My dad of course began to populate the "farm" first before finishing the house. :D  I was not surprised.

The second weekend we went up to help him work on the house, the well had stopped, and he decided to pull the well casing and clean it with the help of some friends he had already made in the area.  The Hero was all excited about learning to fix things on his own and not having to pay a serviceman.  They worked hard, pulled the casing, and by the end of the day they were all exhausted.  That night, my dad got up in the middle of the night, and started belching and complaining of heart burn.  He was pale, but asked for coffee.  We got him some. He threw up, then commenced to collapse in the Hero's arms.  The Hero picked him up and put him in the car.  I got in the backseat and held my dad's head while the Hero drove 100 miles an hour down a two lane road to cover 20 miles in 15 minutes.  We never saw a policeman either. We got to the hospital and in the ER they said he had suffered a major heart attack (Myocardial Infarction).  My Hero gave him a blessing as there weren't any other Elders in the area to help. My dad made it through.
We knew we had a challenge on our hands.  My mother had already quit her job, and my dad was not going to be able to finish their house.  After much thought and prayer, the Hero decided (it had to be his decision)  we would move up to the "cabin" and live there to finish the house for my parents. That way I could help them during the week as my mom wouldn't be able to take care of my dad and the farm too.  This was a decision that changed our lives totally and affected all our children forever.  It was a shock to move from a 5 bedroom house with all amenities to a shack that sometimes would not have running water or a working bathroom.

 The Hero was a brave man to take on the responsibility.  He felt a sense of responsibility since he had paved the way for them to move from their home.  It took us another 2 years before we started a house of our own.  I know many times he wished maybe he had not done that and had decided to stay in the city.  He didn't though, and stuck it out to the very end.  There were blessings and I have to admit, some very hard times that shaped each life as a result. I was thankful for his strong character and devotion to family.

It all worked together for our good in some way. I hope the children feel the same way. 

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Christmas Trees

 One year, our story was not so much about the decorating of the tree it was more about the change it made in what kind of tree we would get in future years.

We had obtained a pine tree from the local store this time.  The kids had had wonderful time with the Hero decorating and playing while decorating.  It was a beautiful tree. 

It had been a cool year and we had the fireplace going.  When it was time to take the tree down, the Hero decided to be efficient and burn the limbs in the fireplace. Sounded good.

When he put the first branch in the fireplace (it was a large stone fireplace), there was a loud roar, and the whole house shook. We all came running to see what had happened.  The Hero looked pale, but it was not because of the house shaking, it was because he had thought of where the tree had been sitting.  The first words out of his mouth were “It was sitting under the girls’ bedroom.  If it had caught fire, we would not have been able to save them, if this is what one branch will do.”  He disposed of the rest of the tree outside.

In the coming years, we had an artificial tree that was flame retardant, underlined by the fact that we moved to a house we heated with a wood stove. 

The new artificial tree.

We missed the smell of the fresh cut trees, but it was worth the sacrifice to have a tree we felt would keep our children safe. 

Sentimental Sunday: How Decisions Shape Our Lives

Here I sit in the wee hours of the morning at the computer.  I was awakened in the dead of night with this Hero story going through my head, knowing I have to write it now. There is only one other person alive who knows this story besides myself. 

The Hero and I were deeply in love. We had our lives planned out. I was on the brink of becoming a Registered Nurse with a degree and he was attending school to finish his degree in Business and working at the same time.  A dilemma came into our well planned out future, or so we thought.  I was pregnant.  We talked with our enlightened friends about this and they were adamant that we should have an abortion, that it (they didn't use the word child) would ruin our careers and future.  I will digress here and remind you, the Hero was agnostic; I was the only believer in Christ in the group.

I found myself in the middle of our queen size bed hugging myself, crying and praying while the Hero went to talk with a friend who was a nurse to find out where to go to have an abortion.  This was before Planned Parenthood.  I did not want this, but the peer pressure was so great, I did not feel the strength to go against so many who were positive this was right.  I reached out to the only understanding friend I could.   I prayed to Christ to not let this happen.  He had the strength I did not.  “Please don’t let this happen.”  Tears streamed down my face as I hugged myself into a ball rocking back and forth and pleading this over and over.  I felt an unexplained peace in my heart that it would not happen, but could not quit pleading. 

I heard the key in the door.  The Hero paused at the doorway.  I looked up. He had the most compassionate loving look on his face.  He came over and took me in his arms, and said “We are not doing this. I don’t want you to hate me.  We can overcome the challenges.”  My heart exploded with love for him, and I thanked God that He had spared me and my child. 

Years later, as a Public Health Nurse, I found myself across a desk from many young women who were discussing having an abortion.  Most were acting on the advice of friends, and many did not have a faith to fall back on.  My advice to them was to talk with their parents or ministers who cared about them and their well being.  I told them not to rely on people who had no investment in them or their future.  I don’t know how many listened, but I tried, because I had knowledge of what that choice meant.

I know without a doubt, had my sweet, beautiful daughter not been born, our family would not have been.  The Hero would not have made the step to find Christ back in his life, and I would not have survived.  Such a thin thread, but so very strong.  I continue daily to Thank God for his tender mercies and his being mindful of my needs. 

I am not sure why the urgency to write this came tonight, but I hope if someone who might be thinking of having an abortion reads this, it will help.  You may not want a child, but that child is wanted by others who, for reasons beyond their control, may not be able to have a child.  I personally wanted my funny face and love her deeply and for always.  

Sentimental Sunday 'A Moment in Time'... A Hero memory

As we began the drive into town, my son popped a cd in to the cd player.  Little did he know that with first strain of music, I was transported back to 2002.



The road faded away, and I saw the Hero's office. There was the deep green carpet, the sun streaming through the open room with the Hero sitting at his desk. He turned around when he heard the door opening and a smile spread from his eyes to his lips when he saw it was me.
"Hi, honey.  I'll be done in a minute and we can go to lunch."
I grinned for I knew that meant another 30 minutes.
Not to be deterred from what I had been planning, I walked over behind him an said "I heard a song today that reminded me of  us.  Give me a second and ..." With that I reached past him, and popped my CD into his CD drive on his laptop.
As the music pulsed into the room, I couldn't help myself (I love to dance); I began to tap my foot and then to sway back and forth. He laughed, got up, took me in his arms and we danced around the room.
The music stopped on my car player, but the intense feelings of love and happiness continued, letting me know I needed to write this story.
How nice to have lovely moments in time be triggered in our minds.
The music was a song by Celine Dion.  "I'm Alive"

Wishing You a Blessed Christmas

About this time of year in the past, the Hero and I would be doing last minute shopping.  There wasn't a lot of money and so we would take the time to stop by the card aisle and choose a card we thought was just what we wanted to say to the other... We would then offer it to the other to read, then put back.  Then sentiments were held in our hearts.  I think of that as I walk down the aisles at the stores during holidays.
Christmas is not what you spend, rather what memories you make.
The late hours of sewing, assembling a toy, sitting and hold a little one and singing carols.  Hugs.
Making the most of each moment is so very important for a life time of memories.

Wishing you a Blessed Christmas from the Hero and me.

Sentimental Sunday ...The Hero Back Seat Driving

The Hero was always on the alert for my safety while I was driving... or maybe safety of the car????
He would sit in the shotgun seat and give alerts like there's a red light ahead, or watch out for that car.  Annoying right.  I do have to say there was an alert he gave that always sent me into a fit of giggles.
The area had been plagued by pine bark beetles.  The forest had lost acres of trees.  Thus when he would bark out the alert "Watch out for that pine bark beetle, as I rounded one of our road's 90 degree corners.  I would just start laughing.  I could visualize a beetle on the side of the tree in a state of horror or shock at the "close call" he had just had.
To this day, as I turn the corner going home, I will chuckle and remember "watch out for that pine bark beetle!" and smile.

Love those memories.

Sentimental Sunday, The Hero Was a Mischievous Boy

A story the Hero would often tell to remind himself of how boys are not always angels, was one between his mother and himself at about age 6.
It was a beautiful day for being outside.  The Hero had been playing in the backyard, but soon ventured into the front yard. After a little, he wandered across the street to the neighbor's yard.  After a while, he heard his mother calling his name.  Did he respond?  No, he shimmied up the front live oak tree.  Climbing up as high as he could to keep from being seen.
Soon, he saw his mother come out into the front yard calling his name and looking for him.  He said, "I don't know why, but I scrunched down more into the branches and didn't say a word."  She then came across the street and knocked on the neighbor's door.  He heard her ask if the neighbor had seen him.  They walked out right under the tree where he was and started looking up and down the street.
At this point, he was thinking it was funny they didn't see him, and began to snicker.  He couldn't hold it back, one snicker turned into full blown giggle.  His mom looked up and there he was...   We are left in the dark at this point, because he said, he didn't remember what happened after she found him.
What do you think happened?

Sentimental Sunday The Hero Wanted to Hunt

When we were first married, the Hero wanted to be like his brother-in-law and hunt. His father had never gone hunting to his knowledge.  The Hero was wanting to put duck on the table... I mean meat on the table.  He asked Tim if he could go with him the next time the guys went out.  A date was set, and the Hero's dad gave him a his old shot gun.  He sat and cleaned it several times making sure it was in perfect condition.
The day finally came.  The Hero dressed in a jacket and jeans.  It was a cold morning for coastal Texas.  He drove over and met 'the guys' to go out to the duck blind.  They had a cooler of beer.  He was hoping for hot chocolate.   Their first order of business was to set him up on one side of the pond and they went to the other, with the words 'wait for the duck to land'.
He sat there, lying on the ground, vigilantly looking at the sky and the pond where a decoy had been placed near some reeds.  It was quite a while before he finally heard a quacking sound.  He strained his eyes.  A duck was nearing the pond. It slowed and began to land on the water.  The Hero was excited. The duck was in front of him! He took aim, shot, and missed because he was shaking.  He shot a couple of more times, but the duck got away.
The other fellows came over in a foul mood.  "Why were you shooting?  That was the lead duck, a scout. You should have waited until the flock began to settle in.  Now they won't be back.  Might as well go on home."
He came back home 3 hours later, cold and unhappy.  "Why didn't they stay with me or instruct me.  Tim should have known, I didn't know anything about duck hunting."
It wasn't the best experience, and the Hero never got to go hunting duck again.
Later, he raised ducks for the freezer on the farm.  He said it was a much better experience.

Sentimental Sunday: The Hero's Dream at 16.

Most young men dream of cars, big jobs, et cetera, I guess the Hero did too, however going through his book of writings, I found a poem of his wish for his future.  I am far from home so I can not share the poem.  Will do that when I return home.  I have put off writing his stories now for too long.  A bit of writer's block as well as over whelming challenges in life.  Back to my story
The Hero simply wished to dance with his beautiful daughters at their wedding.  He said that many times later as our daughters grew.  I am happy to say this wish the Hero realized two times... It would have happened four but two daughters didn't have dancing at their wedding receptions.
Here are pictures of the two daughters and the Hero.

Mily and the Hero, He had so much fun planning this reception with her sisters.

Little Miss Sunshine and the Hero. Wonderful story behind this one..  Click and Read Here.

I am thankful he was able to enjoy these time with his daughters, it made sweet memories for both of them. He was a dreamer.

Sentimental Sunday The Hero, A Young Son's Memory

We are in hurricane season.  My youngest son and I were discussing his memories of recovery and clean up he and the Hero participated in after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.  They were part of the Mormon Helping Hands.   Before they left they were given on of the Yellow T-Shirts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Helping_Hands

My son was telling me of unsafe antics that several of the older men were doing and how safety was not adhered to in his group.  I asked him if he remembered what his dad did?  He thought for a moment and said,
"He was a overseer or manager of sorts over several of the service projects and would drive around checking on them.  There was one home where a tree was held up off the house just by a window frame.  The men were standing around discussing how they could cut at this angle and remove that part, when dad came up.  He looked at the situation and said 'No, sorry, we can not do this job.  It is unsafe for the men and the people's house.  We would need different equipment than saws.  We will not do it. They will have to get someone with special equipment to do this.'  They were disappointed, but mom they couldn't have cut it with out the house being hurt without on of those big crane-like machines."
As I listened to him, I saw he was proud his dad was smart, thought things through, and didn't take silly chances.  (Of course, he wouldn't admit that.)
The Hero was proud to be a part of the recovery groups helping others getting back into their homes.  He was a Hero even then.
Happy Father's Day!

Sentimental Sunday A Hero Camping Memory

Memorial Day Camp out with the kids brought on many family memories of previous camp outs. 
It turned off chilly at night and we were laughing none of us had brought blankets for nighttime.  I said, "This reminds me of when I forgot to bring jackets when we camped out it Denver."  'No,' said the daughter, 'I remember that you took them out of the van after Dad had us put them in, saying "We won't need these."  Oh, all right, it was my stupidity that nearly gave us all pneumonia in July and the Hero is still the Hero.  You just can't rewrite history in this family.
Back to the story.  The Hero had planned a great trip for us through Colorado to Utah.  We were going to visit Leadville, because all of the family loved the movie "The Unsinkable Molly Brown".  His first words as we were packing were, "Make sure there are blankets and jackets."  I was rolling my eyes saying, "It is 100 degrees, I really don't think we will need those.  They take up too much room."  The kids dutifully brought down their jackets and stuffed them in the back.  When I was trying to organize the back of the van, they were just too bulky, so... Yep, I removed them quietly and took them back to the closets. 
We arrived in Colorado in the late afternoon somewhere off Hwy 24 at a camping ground. It was beautiful, a stream nearby. I don't remember where exactly just the general location. This looks like the approximate area.

Everyone was busy setting up the tent, and the fire for cooking.  Then the sun started setting, it was getting very cool. Dare I say more that a bit chilly.   Oh yes...  The Hero (this is the man who donned his red parka when the temperature dipped to 70 degrees in Texas) began looking for the jackets.  He searched, called the children to him to inquire if they had brought the jackets as told.  I had a flash back and sheepishly came forward saying.  "I took them out at home for more room."  It was a good thing that the Hero did not have the powers of Zeus, because I probably would have been struck by lightening and they would have warmed their hands over the coals.  Oh my.  He never let me live that one down.  "Don't forget to pack jackets like you did..."

Needless to say we all snuggled and crowded together that evening.  The next day, jackets were purchased.  Good thing he loved me...

The moral of the story is... Listen to someone who knows about the climate you are going to.

Sentimental Sunday The Hero Communicated

Now that the Hero has left this life, I find myself struggling to keep in touch with friends and family as he would have wanted me to.  I don't know how he did it.  I look at the list of friends, he would call and think there are not enough hours in the day. He would always know about their challenges, families, and would be offering to help.  He would check on his family (I was an only child or he would have been busy in my family too).  His mother and I were talking about how he would strive to call her several times a week if not daily. Our children have mentioned that they miss him greatly because he would call and check on them. That they missed running challenges and happiness by him.

I miss his calls to check on me during the day.  We were always in communication once cell phones came out, before that it was long distance to his work in Houston.
He kept in touch up until the last 2 days of his life with family and friends checking on them.   This was a blessing because he had been able to talk with our Idaho family and give them love. Because of snow storms, they arrived a day late to see him.  I am glad he liked to communicate.

The Hero used phones to communicate.