"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." Saint Francis De Sales

Friday, November 24, 2017

Brothers, Life and Runaway



1. Saturday’s game between the Irish Lads and the Navy Midshipmen was better than I expected. Watching the brothers, Navy junior OT Adam Amosa-Tagovailoa and Notre Dame freshman DT Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa playing on the same field added to the excitement of the game. The teams respect each other but play hard and for a period of time it looked like Navy would be the victor. But it wasn’t to be and now the Lads are at 9-2.


2. We had a beautiful Thanksgiving with family. Dee and her Mom made the turkey, along with some roasted chestnuts. Christina and her Mom, Debbie, brought side dishes and desert. I ate too much.

3. “On November 23, 1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine Life is published, featuring a cover photo of the Fort Peck Dam by Margaret Bourke-White.”


4. I’m staying even with the leaves, but as I was gathering them a thought came to me. Did Adam have to rack leaves in the garden?     
5. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”          Mark Twain

6. 

7. Del Shannon - Runaway (1961)



Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Veterans Day, Sam & Leaves




1. I graduated in 1965. My plans were to enlist in the Navy, but God had other plans. I dislocated my elbow in a toboggan accident and was given a 1-Y classification. ( Available for military service only in the event of war or national emergency.) I watched as my friends went off to Vietnam. So, I chose the following poem for Veterans Day.

Vietnam Tears

I stood and I watched as a mother cried, 
when she had heard that her son had died.
He didn't die because he was sick, 
or he didn't die because he was in a wreck.
He died doing what he felt was right. 

I watched a father try to hold back his tears,
His son had lived only a scant 19 years. 
His son had died nine thousand miles away,
And what was there left for a father to say? 
He got down on his knees and said a prayer,
His brave son knows his father did care. 

I stood and watched as a little girl cried. 
She didn't understand why her brother had passed on;
Why he never again played with her on the lawn. 
Looking at the little girl's tears I knew,
That her big brother died fighting for you and me.
~ Author Unknown ~

2. The Richmond Spiders are now at 5-5 after their loss against James Madison last Saturday. Miami controlled last Saturdays game against the Irish Lads, dropping them to an 8-2 record. This Saturday is the annual U.S. Navy game which is always a good game no matter who wins.

3. I watched the movie “Casablanca,” (released in 1943) last Sunday evening. A movie that should be viewed at least once a year because it’s so good. I love the plot, the characters, the music and the lines. 
“Round up the usual suspects,” spoken by Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault.
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine,” spoken by Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine.
“Play it Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By,” spoken by Ingrid Bergman as IIsa Lund.
If you enjoy the “old flicks,” it is worth taking the time to watch.


4. Leaves were piled up last weekend so I spent Saturday picking them up. On Thursday I was able to mow the lawn without worrying about additional leaves. We’ll see how next week goes.

5. The History channel has produced a new program entitled “The Warfighters.” It is a series using “first-person accounts, the un-narrated series chronicles recent U.S. Special Operations Forces missions in the global war on terror, giving viewers an inside and candid look at the realities of war. Over 90 veterans participated in the production.” It is an excellent series and worth watching.


7. Don McLean - “And I Love You So.”



Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.


Friday, November 10, 2017

Travels, Wine & Ampersand



1. Dee and I were traveling with our friends Pam and Tony last week. Attended the LaRue wedding in Hadley, MA then headed to Buffalo, NY to visit family. My nephew Chris and his wife Adrienne provided a place for us to stay while we were there. We enjoyed their hospitality,  listen to ghost stores on halloween night and learned about Adrian's school, Nardin Academy. 


2. In Massachusetts, we visited Mineral Hills Winery. Did some wine tasting and bought wine and gift items. Tony had Sue autograph the wine bottles. It was the first time anyone had made such a request. 

Photo By Dee
Photo By Me

3. Canada has some great wineries along Lake Ontario. We showed Pam and Tony Niagara Falls then drove to “Niagara On The Lake.” In addition to some shopping, we had lunch at Caroline Cellars Winery and completed some wine tasting there. Keeping with Tony’s new wine tradition, we had Linda sign our wine bottles.

Photo By Me
4. Season 5, of the History Channel series Vikings, starts November 29th.

Bjorn, Lagertha & Ragnar (Season 2 Episode 1)

5. Our son Eric sent me some information on the “History of the Ampersand.” A great article.

“As with a lot of aspects of typography, the history of the ampersand begins with our triumphant and progressive friends, the Ancient Romans.

Roman scribes would write in cursive so as to increase the speed of their transcription, often combining letters into one form to save time while also increasing legibility, where certain characters overlap in a visually discordant mannerthis was the birth of the ligature. The ampersand is simply a ligature of the letters E and T (et being the latin word for and).” 


6. "The soldiers did go away and their towns were torn down; and in the Moon of Falling Leaves (November), they made a treaty with Red Cloud that said our country would be ours as long as grass should grow and water flow."           Black Hawk

7. Willie Nelson - “On the Road Again.”   




Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.