Mil'S READING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

These are presented after much thought: (Note, in each case, GOOGLE for complete info.)

(1) Vera Brittain (12/29/93 to 3/29/70) Famous English writer, books covering period of World War I to circa 1950. I have read these twice, and was captivated.

"Testament of Youth"
"Testament of Friendship"
"Testament of Experience"
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(2) Victor Klemperer (10-09-81 to 2-11-60) German Jewish Professor of the French Enlightenment... His terrible experiences under Nazis...This set might have to rank in my TOP TEN of all books ever read. Published late nineties, probably out of print.

"I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1933-41"
"I Will Bear Witness: To the Bitter End, 1942-45"
"I Will Bear Witness: The Lesser Evil, 1945-59"

Victor was a second cousin of the actor, Werner Klemperer, of "Hogan's Heroes" TV Show.
He was posthumously awarded in 1995 the Gerschwister-Scholl-Preis for his work, " Ich Will
Zeugnis Ablegen Bis Zum Letzten, Tagebucher, 1933-45."

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(3) Erik Larson (1-03-54) is a fine author and splendid researcher.

 "Isaac's Storm" - I read his book about the Galveston hurricane (the most destructive in human life in US history) a number of years ago.

"The Devil in the White City" great info re the Chicago World Fair (called The Columbian Exposition--
after the 400th anniversary of Columbus' 1492 voyage) The 800 or so acres of the fair were filled with buildings--all painted white....Katherine Lee Bates before penning her patriotic hymn, " America, the Beautiful" had visited the fair; thus her lines "Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears..."


"In the Garden of Beasts"- American Ambassador to Germany, William Dodd and his beautiful 23 year old, philandering daughter, in Nazi Germany, 1933-38. They knew Hitler.
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(4) Lynne Olson- One of our finest writers...

"Troublesome Young Men"- The book is about politics in Britain in the 30's and 40's, Churchill's rise to power, urged on by his young supporters...interesting insights. A splendid book, a joy to read, a must read. Get one while they're still out there..
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(5) Leo Marks- son of the Benjamin Marks, owner of the famous 84 Charing Cross Road bookstore, Marks & Co., was a twenty- three year old genius code expert in charge of female spies operating in Europe.

"Between Silk and Cyanide"- Marks has a great sense of humor and writes self-effacingly. The
story of these attractive British and French women spies, many of whom never came back-- is most interesting...and sad.
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(6) Lauren Hillenbrand--author of the best-selling "Sea Biscuit," has done it again.


"Unbroken"--story of a WWII B24 bomber which crashed somewhere south of Hawaii. The bombardier, Louis Zamperini, world-class runner, floated in the ocean for days, was finally captured by the Japanese and tortured and abused for years by the Japs, notably the hateful guard nicknamed "The Bird." On returning home at the end of the war, Louis became a Christian, due to his wife's prayers and example.
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(7) Jeannette Walls-- These two slices of Americana, I wouldn't have missed!

"Half-Broke Horses"
"The Glass Castle"--you won't forget this one!
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(8) Patrick O'Brian--English writer, lived much of his time in France. Has given us twenty historical sea novels, based on English naval history in the period circa 1815. He has the same ship's captain and ship's doctor in every novel. A movie was made, "Master and Commander-the Far Side of the World." These are great books.
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(9) Henning Mankell--Swedish playwright and novel-writer; in my book, one of the best detective/mystery writers. Police Inspector Kurt Wallander is one of the most-real and interesting heroes I have read about.  Mankell deals with the surroundings, the weather, what the hero is thinking, his frailties and shortcomings; Wallander gets toothaches, stomach problems, forgets his gun, hates shootings, always behind on his laundry...there is none like Wallander; start with "Faceless Killers."
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(10) Lee Child--former British TV producer who became a writer in 1995. He has about 16 or 17
books out there. I read them all this year, 2011. A most fascinating writer, and no small part due to his GREAT hero, Jack Reacher, 6'5" tall and weighing in at 240 or so. Reacher considers a fight unfair if six guys come at him...that is-- unfair for THEM. The general word from a Child reader is: "I got hooked... on such and such Reacher novel." I, personally got hooked on "Die Trying." The first book in the series is: "The Killing Floor".There is a Reacher movie in the works starring 5'9" Thomas Mapothers Cruise, at, I judge 175 pounds.  Where oh where is Ray Stevenson when you need Him?
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May I wish you the best of reading in 2012.  Send me a little writeup on two or three of your favorites and I will print your note anonymously.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
By Mil


Sent from my iPad-

I HATE THE "WHITE ELEPHANT" GIFT THING, DON'T YOU?

Now that Christmas is over, can we talk? Can you think of anything worse than a forty-five minute speech? In my opinion, there IS one thing worse. A "White Elephant" gift party. Such parties are particularly favored by groups of school faculties, clubs, classes, and church groups.

One thing about them is that they never advertise in advance: "CAUTION--party may last interminably. BYOP, bring your own pajamas." Never, other than speeches, as noted above, have I ever found anything so boring.  Here are some objections:

(1) For one thing, this is the time when all notorious "re-gifters" come out of the woodwork.
Unwanted gifts from previous years, or decades, surface and make their appearances. Defenders of WEG parties will say that the above is well and good; it is a "side benefit" of the party. You see, changes of ownership and cleaning out the closet is of benefit to society and the larger cosmic scheme of things. Good to know.

(2) And I always get my heart broken: that worthless thing I really wanted and held in my very own hands for a short time...is appropriated by someone else.

(3) Yes, by that one who comes...with a leer, smug, clever-looking, self-righteous--not just walking--but sashaying, traipsing, even prancing...so proud of themselves...and I, with no recourse, no appeal, no remedy...have to give up my neat, beloved, and worthless re-gift.

(4) And how about a WHOLE school faculty White Elephant party with 45 people, seated in a seemingly never-ending circle of chairs? Just close your eyes and imagine this event. Let's also understand that some of them are "feeling no pain," (if you get my drift). I mean, when is this ever going to end? And have you ever heard the word: CACOPHONY? This is IT!

This goes on interminably. Things that were hilarious during the first hour-and-a-half and first twenty-five people are starting to wear a little thin. It's repetitive. What? Are they starting over?!
FOREVER, it goes on. Announcement: "Break out your pajamas if you have them."
(Me: "zzz-zzz-zz"); (Wife: "Honey, it's over, let's go home, it's 2 a.m."); (Me: "Hooray! What did we wind up with.?") (She: "Oh, it's cute- a glass manatee with a hole in the top that you fill with water, and people put out their cigarettes in it!"); (Me: "Just wonderful.")

So dear friends, do you get my point? Okay, you might convince me, if you are a proponent of the WEG party, and you have a small one--say four or six people. Soon it's OVER AND DONE---I'm GONE; sayonara, adios, hasta luego, BYE BYE. See you next year for caroling, (I hope!)

But, really, a White Elephant Gift party--not for me. A silly idea. Thanks, but I'll pass. Never again.

Unless I'm invited.

----30----
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"JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME!"

Isaac Watts, (1674-1748), writer of hymn texts, who came to be known as "The Father of English Hymnody", did not write "Joy to the World" as a Christmas hymn; he was merely pursuing his main purpose of converting the Psalms in the Bible into "singable" hymns. The result of his treatment of the 98th Psalm is what we sing at Christmas.

As the story goes, it came about something like this. Around the year 1686, twelve year old Isaac and the Watts family were returning home from church. He was complaining to his father about the hymns in the church service--the Psalter and the Psalms they had sung. Isaac's father reportedly said:"Well, if you don't like the hymns, why don't you write something better?"

That is exactly what Isaac did, and his hymn was used in the church service the very next Sunday. History tells us that he wrote one new hymn a week, for two years, many based on the Psalms, and most of them were used in the church services. We are not told what the hymn tunes were, but it was common in those days to "re-use" older tunes from other hymns, if the meter matched.

Let us note here that as a very young lad Isaac had shown literary genius. From five to thirteen years old, he learned Latin, Greek, French, and Hebrew. Besides hymn writing, he was also a student of theology and philosophy. He wrote significant volumes which had a powerful influence on English thinking. We are not told what these volumes were.

He eventually published 210 hymns in a collection entitled "Hymns and Spiritual Songs."  Most of his hymns were very good. He did, of course use the language of the time, some of which hymnal committees have chosen to update somewhat, as in the gospel song "At the Cross." The original wording was "Would he devote that sacred head for such as worm as I?" Committees in the 20th Century changed it to "for sinners such as I?"

He went on to write over 600 hymns and rightly earned the title, "The Father of English Hymnody." Without Isaac Watts, Christian worship would be the poorer. In my much-used Baptist Hymnal, 1957 edition, I count seventeen hymns by Isaac Watts.

As stated earlier, "Joy to the World" was not specifically written as a Christmas "carol." It was Watts' interpretation of the 98h Psalm in plain English. It is not verbatim. Note: " Let the sea roar;" "Let the floods clap their hands;" "Let the hills be joyful together." Henceforth, when we sing this great hymn, may we not merely repeat words mindlessly, but let's be aware that we are joining all creation in singing to our Heavenly Father.

The tune is thought to be an arrangement by Lowell Mason, (1792-1872), an excellent tune-writer of the period; the arrangement was based on themes from Handel's "The Messiah."  Mason, an American choir director, composer, and educator gave us dozens of fine tunes, 23 of them appearing in the Baptist Hymnal of 1957.

I want to point out, as I wrap this up, that two other of our greatest hymns were written by Isaac Watts, "O God, Our Help In Ages Past," and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." The first captures the eternality of God more than any hymn I know. Read the words to these two. They are not used often, unfortunately.

This Christmas season, let's all join with Isaac Watts, our friends, and all Creation, in singing:

Joy to the world, the Lord is come,
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing!
While fields and floods,
Rocks, hills, and plains,
Repeat the sounding JOY!!!
---30---
Merry Christmas...from Mil

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"WONDERFUL BIRTH, TO A MANGER HE CAME"

During this Christmas season, with the nip of winter in the air, and with the goodwill, excitement, bright lights, and music of the season, I find myself thinking of a song from by-gone college days. The writer was in two quartets--the "Campus Quartet," and the "Varsity Quartet," as well as the Hardin-Simmons University A Cappella Choir. This was one of our favorite selections.

This song which has always meant so much to me, because of its message (and I am sure because also of past camaraderie), is not thought of necessarily as a Christmas song, but it does fit in nicely in the season. It was composed in 1939 by A.H. Ackley, a talented gospel hymn writer of the period, and copyrighted by Rodeheaver.

As you will see, as you read the text further down, the words have a certain poetic movement to them. As a general rule in singing, the words should have a smooth flow as they are sung, with attention given to accented and unaccented syllables from a poetic standpoint, and if well-wedded to the tune, these will coincide with the accents of the music.

This is true of this gospel hymn. Trained singers should have the breath control necessary to sing long phrases and hold at the end of the phrase if needed. Ensembles, through much practice, can sing every syllable, word, speed-up, slow- down---all members right together. That's what makes this an excellent song for a quartet. In fact I have never seen it in a SATB songbook or hymnal.
Not only does it speak of Christ's birth: ("Wonderful birth, to a manger he came..."), but of the whole Divine Redemptive plan. Read the Gospel message below:

Wonderful birth, to a manger he came,
Made in the likeness of man, to proclaim
God's boundless love for a world sick with sin,
Pleading with sinners to let him come in.

Wonderful life, full of service so free,
Friend to the poor and the needy was He,
Unfailing goodness on all He bestowed,
Undying faith in the vilest he showed.

Wonderful death, for it meant not defeat,
Calvary made His great mission complete.
Wrought our redemption, and when he arose,
Banished forever the last of our foes.

Wonderful hope, He is coming again,
Coming as King o'er the nations to reign;
Glorious promise,His word cannot fail,
His righteous kingdom at last must prevail!

Chorus:
Wonderful name he bears,
Wonderful crown He wears,
Wonderful blessings His triumphs afford;
Wonderful Calvary, wonderful grace for me,
Wonderful love of my wonderful Lord!

If you can find an old Rodeheaver or Lillenas songbook, you will enjoy playing this tune.
By Mil

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"BASEBALL'S SAD LEXICON"---TINKER TO EVERS TO CHANCE

Have you always wanted to know just what is meant by the famous expression: "Tinker to Evers to Chance?"

Here is the story, in brief: It was a Chicago Cubs double-play team---short-to-second-to-first or second-to-short-to-first, in the year 1902 and after. These three Chicago Cubs players first appeared in a game together on September 2,1902. They turned their first double-play the next day. This famed trio would never have existed if Cubs manager, Frank Selee had not done some serious juggling to his team's roster. He decided that back-up catcher Chance would be better at first base. Chance moved to the new position "kicking and screaming" but soon forgot his objections.

Tinker, originally a third baseman, shifted to shortstop. And Evers, who was originally a shortstop was switched to back-up second base. However, in the September 2, 1902 game the second baseman broke his ankle and Evers replaced him---from then on.

There is some sentiment among baseball experts that, as good as this combo was, they may have gained much of their fame from a most-famous poem by newspaper sports writer Franklin Pierce Adams titled "That Double-Play Again," in the July 12, 1910 New York Evening Mail. Three days later the same paper reprinted the poem under the title we know today: "Baseball's Sad Lexicon." The poem can be sung to the catchy French ditty "Viva La Compagne."  Here is Adam's poem:

These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly picking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double---
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance were all a part of the Chicago Cubs World Series-winning teams in 1907 and 1908, as well as the pennant-winner in 1910. All three players were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. Some baseball experts have thought their inductions--particularly Tinker and Evans-- were based more on the fame generated by Adam's poem, than by their playing ability.

(Writer's note: a "gonfalon," in line five of the poem meant a pennant or flag--in this case the
League Title.)

Now, after all these years, I know what "Tinker to Evers to Chance" actually means!
By Mil
Sent from my iPad

MIL'S LIST OF "BOOKS READ" IN 2011

Writer's note: a number of my readers have written me or asked in person: "What and how much do you read?" Several others have said: "You ought to write a book!" (Bless you, but what about and who'd read?) Anyway, it seemed an appropriate time, here in the wrap-up days of Old 2011, nearly gone, for better or worse---and I hope it's been better for ALL of you--- that I might just print my list of books-read, as maybe a matter of interest to you.

In my younger days I tackled long historical works like Halberstam's book on the Korean War and lengthy, heavy stuff like that, but you will notice now I am doing a lot more fiction. The fact that a book appears on my list does not indicate a recommendation necessarily---or that you should "try it at home." LOL.

At any rate, I do feel that my mind has been expanded, and we should remember that "not reading" is almost as bad as "can't read."

JANUARY
1. Cross Fire- Patterson
2. Deal Breaker-Coben
3. Die Trying- Lee Child
4. Without Fail- Lee Child
5. Unbroken- L. Hillenbrand
6. Persuader- Lee Child
7. Nothing to Lose- Lee Child
8. 61 Hours- Lee Child
9. Tripwire- Lee Child
10. Running Blind- Lee Child
11. The Enemy- Lee Child
12. The Killing Floor- Lee Child
13. Echo Burning- Lee Child
14. The Hard Way- Lee Child


FEBRUARY
15. Bad Luck and Trouble- Lee Child
16. Gone Tomorrow- Lee Child
17. One Shot- Lee Child
18. Worth Dying For- Lee Child
19. We Die Alone- Norwegian
20. Touch-Elmore Leonard
21. Dead or Alive (955 pages)- Tom Clancy
22. Worst Case- Patterson/ Ledgwidge
23. Next Time You See Me- K.T.
24. Vera Atkins: A Secret Life- Helm

MARCH
25. Vera Atkins: Spymistress-
26. Morning of Fire- (History of Pacific explorations) Scott Ridley

APRIL
27. Between Silk and Cyanide - Leo Marks
28. Half Broke Horses- Jeannette Walls
29. The Fifth Woman- Henning Mankell
30. Faceless Killers- Mankell
31. Malta Spitfire Pilot- Burnham
32. The Dogs of Riga- Mankell

MAY
33. One Step Behind- Mankell
34. The White Lioness- Mankell
35. The Man who Smiled- Mankell
36. The Man From Beijing- Mankell
37. Side-Tracked- Mankell
38. Firewall- Mankell
39. Lost in Shangri-la ( WWII, C 47 crashes New Guinea, WACS lost)- Zuckoff
40. Before the Frost- Mankell

JUNE
41. Rat King- Dibdin
42. Dragon 9 - Michael Connelly
43. The Overlook- Connelly
44. The Pyramid- Mankell
45. The Lighthouse- P.D. James

JULY
46. The Brass Verdict- Connelly
47. The Lincoln Lawyer- Connelly
48. Shattered- Michael Robotham
49. Reversal- Connelly
50. Empire of the Southern Moon ( Quanah Parker's life)- Gwynne

AUGUST
51. Suspect- Robotham
52. The Art of Reading ( The Great Courses)- Dr.Timothy Spurgin
53. Lost- Robotham
54. Ancient Egypt, Volume One ( The Great Courses)- Dr.Bob Brier
55. Area 51- Connie Jacobsen
56. Ancient Egypt, Volume Two (The Great Courses)- Dr. Bob Brier
57. Lost Light-Connelly

SEPTEMBER
58. The Cathedrals (The Great Courses)- Dr. William Cook
59. A Darkness More Than Light- Connelly
60. Experiencing Rome (The Great Courses) Volume One- Dr.StevenTuck
61. Wreckage- Robotham
62. Night Ferry- Robotham
63. Experiencing Rome (The Great Courses) Volume Two- Dr. Steven Tuck

OCTOBER
64. The Troubled Man- Mankell
65. City of Bones- Connelly
66. The Art of Writing: Building Greater Sentences (The Great Courses)- Dr. Brooks Landon
67. The White Road- Connelly
68. The Art of Writing (The Great Courses) Volume Two- Dr. Brooks Landon
69. Evolution (The Great Courses) Edward J. Larson
70. In The Garden of Beasts- Erik Larson
71. The Day I Ate Everything I Wanted- Berg

NOVEMBER
72. The Nostradamus Secret- Joseph Badal
73. The Affair- Lee Child
74. Michelangelo (The Great Courses) Volume One- Dr. William A. Wallace
75. The Devil in the White City- Erik Larson
76. Michelangelo (The Great Courses) Volume Two- Dr. William A. Wallace
77. Don't Blink- Patterson/Roughan
78. The Hypnotist- Lars Kepler
79. Michelangelo (The Great Courses) Volume Three- Dr. William A. Wallace

DECEMBER
80. Ancient Egypt- (The Great Courses) Volume Three- Dr. Bob Brier
81. Ancient Evypt- (The Great Courses) Volume Four- Dr. Bob Brier
82. The Source Field Investigations- David Willcock

Here's wishing good reading to all of you in 2012! I also hope for you a meaningful Christmas season!
Thanks for being a loyal reader!
By Mil

Sent from my iPad

THE STRANGE, FASCINATING, AND SAD STORY OF THE "LADY BE GOOD"

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

If the nine U.S. Army Air Force crewmen had known that April 4, 1943 afternoon when they took off from a base near Benghazi, Libya on a mission to bomb targets in Italy, that they would soon be statistics to be added to the 65,164 airmen killed in World War II, they might have "called in sick." In fact, they had no idea that they would never again be seen alive on this earth and their bodies would not even be discovered until 16 years later.

I first heard this story in 1961 when a good friend and pilot told me about it and lent me Dennis E. McClendan's very excellent book--"The Lady Be Good." I borrowed it, read it; several years later I borrowed it again--and read it again. In the 70's it was reprinted and I got my own copy and read it again. (Good thing too--they are listed now at up to 348.00, though I believe a diligent book searcher could find one much cheaper.)

The story is this: The crew of "Lady Be Good" were on their first mission and in a brand new Consolidated B-24D Liberator, four engine heavy bomber, serial# 41-24301, with ID# 64 painted on the nose in tall letters. (Reader's info: this was the most-produced U.S. Bomber of the war, with some 18,000 being built; and at a cost of $297,627 each---$4.4 million in today's dollars.)

They were in the second wave of 13 planes totaling 25 planes in all, headed for Naples, Italy. The Lady was among the last two or three of the planes to take off. Soon all were caught in a terrific sandstorm, nine turned back, and The Lady was separated somehow from the the others, but she continued her mission, finally having to bomb an alternate target due to poor visibility over main target.

So she then began her long lonely trip back across the vast dark Mediterranean Sea, on her way home to her base at Soluch, near Benghazi. At 12:12 a.m. (civilian time), still flying alone, the pilot Lt. Hatton, called the base on his radio and stated that his automatic direction finder was not working and asked for a bearing to verify his position. The bearing was sent out but there is no knowledge as to whether the plane received it or not. And in those days, one could receive a bearing but be on "the back side of it, going away." Thus he could have been...past his base.

Plane engines were heard high above the base by the concerned ground crews about this time and flares were fired into the air.

Apparently, as deduced later, the crew could not distinguish the ocean from the land due to the dense darkness, and never knew when they crossed the coast. Thus Lt. Hatton flew on and on, deeper into the interior of North Africa. At about 2 a.m.with three sputtering engines feathered and one running, the plane was set on "auto-pilot" and the crew bailed out wearing their Mae West life preservers, apparently thinking they were still over the ocean.

The Lady Be Good still had enough fuel so that it flew 16 miles further into the desert and made a somewhat "gentle" belly landing, but breaking in two. The crash was deep in the desert near the Egyptian border, and a little over 100 miles north of an oasis.

When the plane didn't return, a concerned base sent out air searches, some over the ocean, but no trace of plane or crew was found. No one thought to look over four hundred miles south in the desert.

The first reported sighting of the plane's wreckage was by a British Oil exploration crew, November 9,1958. They notified Wheelus Air Force Base. No search was conducted at that time. On February 27, 1959 a British oil surveyor team again reported the wreckage at 440 miles south of Soluch. On May 26, 1959, a team from Wheelus AFB found the wreckage.

The plane, as noted earlier, was broken in two and no sign of the crew was found other than odds and ends in the plane, including a thermos of tea still drinkable, and some food and water.

The plane, in the dry desert air, was immaculately preserved; the .50 caliber machines guns fired right off when tested. The radio was taken out and hooked up to an electrical source and worked immediately. No parachutes were found.

In February of 1960, the U.S. Army conducted a formal search for the missing men. They found five in one group. Diaries were found, enabling them to piece the events together. The five had apparently become exhausted due to lack of food and water, freezing nights, and exposure to the harsh sun. (The entire group had only one canteen of water.) A path of discarded equipment, miscellaneous items, and scraps of parachutes weighted by arrows of rocks, had led to the first five. Then they found one more, 21 miles further on, and the last who was strong enough to make it 6 miles beyond that. One crew member was never found. Also it was discovered later that one had died when his chute didn't open.

The searchers, from the diaries and other evidence, determined that the men thought they were jumping over the ocean. On landing, they fired their revolvers and flares and got together in a group and started the long walk north, wrapping up in their parachutes against the cold desert nights. They actually thought they were near the Mediterranean coast, and were not really expecting a long hike. As it turned out, some walked 100 miles.

The Graves Registration Service Report on the incident ascribed the crash to "navigational error" and said in part: "The action of the pilot flying 440 miles into the desert, however, indicates the navaigator probably took a reciprocal reading off the back of the radio directional loop antenna from a position beyond and south of Benine but 'on course.' The pilot flew into the desert, thinking he was still over the Mediterranean Sea and on his way to Benina."

The bodies were all removed and given military burials at the proper places. Through the years parts of the plane were removed by different groups, individuals, and scavengers. Some parts of the plane can be seen in various military museums, mostly in the U.S. A propeller may be seen in the hometown of the co-pilot, Robert E. La Motte. An ironic thing, it seems to me, is that a pretty good bit of the wreckage is stored at Jamal AFB, Libya.

Adolph Hitler's war, which cost the world 60-70 million souls, must have been a shock to the whole conscience of civilization. It must have sorely touched the Heart of God. It certainly caused untold grief and misery to all involved, and specifically to the families of these good American men. These men wanted to live, just like all of us; they too wanted families...and little children.

One of my high school friends noted recently, something like this: "It's not popular anymore to talk about World War II; it's not taught much in schools and most people would rather not think about it." I respect this man's opinion. Regarding this conflict, I have always said: "The only thing worse than remembering....is forgetting."

We will remember these Americans, crewmen of the "Lady Be Good:"
1st Lt. William J. Hatton, Pilot
2nd Lt. Robert F. Toner, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. D.P. Hays, Navigator
2nd Lt. John S. Woravka, Bombardier
T/Sgt. Harold J., Flight Engineer
T/Sgt. Robert E. La Motte, Radio Operator
S/Sgt. Guy E. Shelley, Gunner
S/Sgt. Vernon L. Moore, Gunner
S/Sgt. Samuel E. Adams, Gunner
Members of 514th Bomb Squadron; 376 Bomb Group, United States Army Air Corps

-------30-------
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WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS IS A GOOD 75 CENT MUFFIN

In 1918 during a speech in congress, the orator kept referring to: "What this country needs is..."

Listening to this long winded "needs" speech, Vice President Thomas Riley Marshall leaned over to a clerk and said: "What this country NEEDS is a good five cent cigar." (Thirty years later we teen-age boys might have told him about John Ruskins, King Edwards, and Swisher Sweets, all good five cent cigars, we thought! LOL.)

Let's get to the point of this post. OUR DOLLAR IS BEING INSULTED! My heart bleeds for our dollar. Whatever happened to it? Why, I can remember in 1944 when I walked the neighborhood, mowing lawns @ 50 cents each, with an old push mower, in the summer heat,  ("uphill both ways," as Bill Cosby says), and getting paid with those wonderful Walking Liberty silver half dollars, one of the most beautiful coins ever designed. That was a lot of money then.

"Okay," you say, "but don't you know times have changed? Everything is up, including salaries."
But doesn't it irritate you to pay two dollars and fifty cents for a little old muffin--one that you could bake at home for twenty cents? Friends, some people in our society are profiting off us.

It is not a matter of whether we can afford it--it is a matter of principle; the dollar is not worth much if it takes two and a half of them-- or more-- to buy a silly muffin. Particularly bad are these expensive coffee shops (about which my old-timer friend says he'll never pay two bucks for a cup of coffee)--they offer little puny pastries of three bites at $1.95 each.

It's no wonder restaurants don't make it nowadays. They not only go up on their prices but go down on the amount/quality of the food. People WILL pay more for good quality.

When a young man in high school, I sold Arrow shirts for $3.95 to $5.00. Ties were $1.50 to $5.00 each. A pair of Levi's jeans was $3.75. Curlee suits were $65.00; Hart, S.& M. suits were $95.00; Hickey-Freeman suits were $125.00. Socks were $1.25 pair; tee shirts were 3/$5.00. A Stetson hat could be bought for $20.00. The best Stetson, a 7X, was $50.00. And on we could go...

Now shirts are shown at up to $218.00 each; mens' Levi's jeans go for $50 to $60; suits run up to two grand, the Italian ones of course. Oh, and neckties I have seen at $98.00 to $118.00 each. Tee shirts, the better ones can run $20 to $40 each. Stetson hats can cost $400 or more. Are you ready for this? Socks @ $25 to $40 a pair.... And let's not forget womens' clothes and blouses at $80-$90 each.

Admittedly, I have quoted prices from supposedly top of the line catalogs...but if you think I'm far off, go out there and do some pricing.

My first new car was a '57 Chevrolet Impala Hardtop, gold and white, @ $2700. Now I know a man who recently had to pay $3100 for a set of hearing aids. Which do you think took the most work to build?
A whole new post could be written on who is getting rich off old folks, with prescriptions running sometimes $250 to $500 each.

Well, let's stop there. It's just kind of "the principle of the thing" that gets me...and my heart bleeds for our GREAT DOLLAR, now gone. But, hey out there, couldn't somebody give us a 75 cent muffin? Please....

----30----
Sent from my iPad

"QUILTS" RESPONSE----FROM A FRIEND OF SEVENTY YEARS

This response is much appreciated by me, especially coming from a friend of seventy years, and a writer himself although he won't admit it.

With our one brother each, we played marbles, spun tops, built mud houses with our putty knives, made rubber-guns, walked on stilts, played baseball and football, fought WWII, dug foxholes, read "Joe Palooka in the Army" comic strips, read comic books, fished for "translers" with gum on a string, and made WWII model airplanes. We watched from the shade on hot summer days--B17's, B24's, and finally B29's circling around the outskirts of Clovis. Here is his "quilt" response, a little piece of Americana in itself:

"Hi Mil, In the late 30's--early 40's at ----Thornton we had chickens in the back yard and the garden as well. But no cow---but Dad being the horse lover that he was, always had a couple of horses. Two of his favorites were Streak and Buddy---his roping horses. This was the same time you were writing about your family at ---Reid and we were only one block apart.

Times were tough but we didn't know it because everyone was in the same situation. But I don't want to get side-tracked from the quilts.

I remember that Mother would take A. and me to El Rancho Milling to buy chicken feed. She would say "Okay boys, what material do you want your shirts made of?" A. and I would ponder and finally pick out a pattern that we liked---actually it didn't make any difference to me---I really didn't care whether I had a shirt or not. Then Mother would buy two 50 pound bags of chicken feed that was sacked in colorful prints. When the feed was gone, the sacks were washed and then Mother would make us beautiful shirts to wear to school or church. She was a superb seamstress.

Now the interesting thing about this story is that the scraps from those feed sacks were always saved---nothing went to waste. And yes, many years later after Mother had saved scraps and made quilts, A. and I would look at those beautiful quilts and say, "Remember my shirt out of this print?" Mother's quilts were a story book of memories.

We would say, "Look at this, Mother made a dress out of this!" Oh, what fond memories those old quilts told! And we still have a quilt or so that Mother made....and we can still pick out of those old familiar prints.
Mil, if it is usable...use whatever you desire...have a good day,

Your old friend,

B.J.

Mil's note: Yes, I remember--his mother was an expert seamstress, and a canner of great skill also. A good title for B.s response would have been his line above: "MOTHER'S QUILTS WERE A STORY BOOK OF MEMORIES." Thanks so much, B.
----30----
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Sent from my iPad

I NEVER MET A QUILT I DIDN'T LIKE

There is something magical, homey, reassuring, secure, beautiful, and SPLENDID about quilts! If ever an inanimate object can give off positive vibes, a quilt can. We see in their creation by hand, the loving vibes are sewn right in.

The very economy of construction in the early colonial/frontier days, using memorable remnants of old shirts, dresses, pants, flour sacks, or whatever---speaks of family and love and togetherness, and promises warmth on many years of winter nights to come.

In my estimation quilts are right up there with Mother, home, the flag, apple pie and Chevrolet.

There is an old tradition that, in quilting, the makers should build one mistake into it---to remind us that it is a metaphor for life: not perfect, but beautiful still, if you do your best.

Thoughts, Stories, and Items about Quilts:

-------In the late 1930's when I was very small, we visited my grandparents at a big two-story farmhouse in rural West Texas. It had heat in only the kitchen and living room, and probably no insulation. In a COLD upstairs bedroom they tucked Little Me into a bed and put a hot brick wrapped in a towel at my feet and covered me with quilts. You know, I made it OK.

-------In later years my grandmother got that new farm house close to town. She had a frame rig in one bedroom that was hooked to the ceiling and lowered for quilting parties. (Remember the song: "And 'twas from Aunt Dinah's quilting party I was seein' Nellie home...?") Though I never was there to see, she had ladies over to quilt; four or eight? I don't know. Maybe they had "tag team quilting!" LOL. On the back room of her new garage, in the corner, she had an old cane bottom kitchen chair stacked half-way to the ceiling with her reserve supply of "company quilts."

-------My mother, at marriage, received six or seven of these quilts. We used them for years, and I inherited one.

-------When you are a child and your have the flu or cold, and you lie under a quilt on the couch for a few days, you inadvertently memorize the pattern on your quilt, and many years later those memories can come back.

-------My wife's mother was an incredibly talented and speedy seamstress. She by-passed all the padding and stuff and just sewed together dozens of fabric squares out of her (apparently huge) remnant box; then she sewed this to a new attractive blanket, giving thickness, two sides, and saving a lot of time.

-------Here's one for you: The writer saw a great closeout on quilts (in a catalog), and ordered two queen size ones @39.95. The patterns, I'll grant, were a little foreign-looking. Guess where they were made?  It was Russia! And pretty good quilts too!

-------My son gave me a Bear quilt throw, of which I am very proud, and which I keep by my chair for naps.

-------Quite a few restaurants around use quilts on their walls for atmosphere and nostalgia.

-------Quilting is alive and well. I counted seven shops in our city which sell patterns, fabrics, how-to books, and finished quilts. We have come a "right smart" distance from the plain old squares in quilts: now all sorts of patterns, pictures, adages, logos are available, including wedding and memorial themes.

--------Here's an interesting item: There is a NY Times Best Selling author, Jennifer Chiaverini, who has perhaps a dozen novels out in the "Elm Creek Quilt Novels." I'm not sure how they are written but I think she incorporates quilt patterns into her stories. Worth checking out!

Well, guess this is enough for now. I want you to send me a story of a couple of paragraphs with your feeling about or experiences with quilts. Ho-hum..... I think I may go get in my easy chair, cover up with my Bear Quilt, and read that Faulkner book I have been putting off. (He does make me sleepy.)

But, you're right--something poetic is needed to end a quilt post. Let me try: "I raise my cup of Hot Apple Cider to by-gone days of childhood, cold winter nights, snowstorms, winds whistling around the corners of the house, old tree limbs thumping against the roof, snug evenings around the fireplace, and finally, warm quilts to snuggle under!"

By Mil, 11-12-11

Sent from my iPad

THIS BUNDT...IS A HOME RUN!

Fall is in the air! The leaves are turning red and gold, falling from the trees, and with the nippy winds at their heels, are blowing over yards and down streets! Fragrant fireplace smoke is in the air, catalogs are arriving daily advertising smoked bacon and hams. Even I find myself writing posts about "Tomato Preserves" and "Quilts," (coming soon!)

So why not a post on one of the great Paula Deen's best recipes: a "Caramel Coffee Cake?" This may seem to be a strange post coming from a baker who gave up baking in an earlier post (see "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Oven.")

The fact is--I can no longer stifle myself.This recipe is unsurpassed. Now, first let me say that at our house "management" controls the portions, and management does not always realize the needs of a "growing boy"--so to speak. I get three of these awesome little rolls, but often my bod hankers for four or more. So I have decided to come out of retirement as a baker, purchase my own bundt pan, and MAKE MY OWN---and have CONTROL.

Now what you have all been waiting for, the recipe:
1. Get a good BUNDT pan and spray with Pam.
2. The night before, late, place in pan 15/16 these little frozen Rhodes dinner rolls; they look like golf balls.
3. Sprinkle over rolls 1 small pkg. Butterscotch Pudding, not instant, repeat--NOT instant.
4. Sprinkle over that 1/2 cup packed brown sugar.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
6. Pour over this one stick of unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
7. Cover with a sheet of "Pammed" plastic wrap.
8. Let rise overnight.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
10. Let cool 10 or 15 minutes; then loosen edges and center of pan with knife.
11. Turn carefully over onto cake plate; let set for a few minutes for juices to run onto cake.
12. To serve, pull apart with fork into individual rolls.
13. Yum-Yum!!

Note, some stores do not seem to stock regular Butterscotch Pudding, only instant. So when you find it, get a whole case. LOL.

Ignoring this recipe is a big mistake, trust me. Call me when yours is ready and I'll drop by and do a free taste test for you. (Decaf, please.) Also why not submit your favorite Fall Recipe to Mil?! (Oh, and four please.)
--30--

Sent from my iPad

MAKE SOME TOMATO PRESERVES! WE DID!

Good posts should be prefaced with good introductory remarks and background. Let me try to supply same!

Back when I was a mere boy during that awful and pervasive conflict, WWII, we were not all that far out of the depression. Times were improving somewhat, economically, but a dollar was a dollar, and they were still somewhat scarce from the 30's.

In the small Eastern New Mexico town of Clovis, we lived on a corner lot. That means a little more room for a "Victory Garden" which almost everyone had then. You could raise livestock in town in those days, and we had our own cow, chickens, rabbits, and the aforementioned garden; thus we had our own milk, butter, (meet the churner: me), and vegetables.

My Mother would buy cherries, grapes, apples, and peaches in bulk and make jellies and preserves.
And Dad, who grew up on a sandy, dry, isolated, cotton farm in west Texas near Punkin'
Center (don't look for it on a map: it "ain't there"anymore), remembered his mother's biscuits, made with hog lard ("nothing like them!"), and eaten with TOMATO PRESERVES!

We grew a lot of tomatoes in that "Victory Garden" there on the corner, so Dad used to make for himself, each year, a batch of tomato preserves. Other than to taste them once or twice, I avoided them. I mean, cherry, grape, fruit jelly was fine, but tomatoes were for hamburgers and stuff like that; they were "salty" food.

The years went by and a couple of years ago my wife and I were out at Corrales at a vegetable
market and I saw and bought one jar of tomato preserves, just out of curiosity. We ate those preserves within a week-- they were good on everything. We couldn't find anymore for sale--there or anywhere locally.

In circa 2004, wanting to grow tomatoes, but having no open space, (see two previous posts on this subject), I ordered five Earth Boxes. For all this time we have had wonderful tomatoes; you know, vine ripened. The other day, it just hit me--I'll find a good recipe and we'll use up some of these extra tomatoes--I'll find a good recipe on Henry, my I Pad, and make some jam/preserves, whatever.
See what I found:

Posted by Sarah Restauri on blog: Home Grown.org/ "Canned Tomato Jam." Look up this recipe; I like her writing, and it being copyrighted, I won't give it, other than to say it uses
tomatoes, ginger, cinnamon, salt, lime juice, sugar, and crushed chili powder. She uses
exclamation marks with recipes "only if they are tops"; and she uses one with this recipe!

We, (my sous chef and I), made a half recipe, two and one half pounds of tomatoes, cut up, seasoned, and cooked for a couple of hours. There is a lot of water in tomatoes. Not to worry,
they WILL thicken. In fact they came out really nice and thick, more like jam than preserves.
Read Sarah's ideas for using them. We put cheese spread on a Ritz cracker, with a dab of tomato jam! Wow, things DO sit good on a Ritz. We put it on eggs, meat loaf planned for tonight! I guess it could be called a thick "sweet salsa," I, being a creative male chef, have discovered the ultimate:
SWEET AND SOUR FRITO DIP!"

We are wondering how, in those cold non-tomato-growing days of winter, can we make this; even wondering about buying and using canned tomatoes. Amazon has jam now, periodically. If you find it in town, please call the writer. Oh yes, a couple more things: Sarah recommends a heavy iron
enamel-coated-interior French pot, Le Creuset; also she puts up jars (canning), which I must learn, I guess. Maybe my sous chef knows how. Our medium-sized orange Le Creuset worked great and looked great!

Try a half recipe, or even less, unless you are a wimpy-experimenter cook. Did I say: It was marvelous!!! Thanks, Sarah!

By Mil
Sent from my iPad

JUST WHAT IS GUMPTION?

Hope this writer has enough GUMPTION to be able to explain it's meaning! (LOL)
A much-loved college professor of Economics used to intrigue me by saying something like this: "It doesn't matter how smart or how educated a person one is, if he doesn't have GUMPTION." I will never forget his saying that, and the seriousness with which he said it.

That was not the first time I had ever heard it, either. As a boy I heard it from time to time, and there was something a little archaic-sounding in it perhaps like the old colloquial expressions, so favored by rural Americans: "much obliged," "right smart of," "fair to middling'," "he comes from a sorry family," etc. At any rate, the word has always fascinated me, and has seemed a little bit mentally elusive.

The origin of the word is somewhat cloudy; it was first known to be used in 1719. On doing a little research, I find that it is quite a fascinating word to many people and there are many sources to explore.  At the end of one lengthy research page was the question:   "What made you want to look up 'gumption?' Please tell us where you read it or heard it." Makes one wonder if there is a "GUMPTION CLUB" out there somewhere!

Anyway, here are a number of different sources and definitions. (It seems that a lot of these are what the people perceive the word to mean. There may be duplications.)
1. Bold of enterprise
2. Guts, spunk
3. Common sense/horse sense
4. Sound practical judgment; Eg. "I can't see the sense of doing it now." "He hasn't got the sense God gave little green apples." "Fortunately, she had the sense to run away,"
5. Capacity, shrewdness, and common sense.
6. The quality of being sensible and brave enough to do the right thing in a difficult situation.
(AHA! Now I see it! Our problem in the USA is that our congress people and other leaders
lack GUMPTION!!)
7. Courage. Eg. "It took a lot of gumption to speak up for yourself like that!"
8. Synonyms given are: Common sense, levelheadedness, prudence, sense, sensibleness, wisdom, initiative, and resourcefulness.
9. I thought I saw: "an artist mixing paints." We won't go there today.

Stop and think for a moment: If you wanted to talk to someone about a matter about which you desired a wise opinion, there might be one or more people you would be comfortable talking to
and would value their input. Very likely, if you think about it, they would be persons with.......GUMPTION.

On reading this, and remembering my early impressions of the word, my own definition is:
common sense, wisdom, insight, and perceptiveness.

One merciful thing: I suspect that if you don't have it, you don't know it.
By Mil, 11-16-11

Sent from my iPad

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE SOME "DEFILED" EGGS?

I suppose "deviled eggs" have been around the South since time immemorial. Some folks even
think they were the "manna" mentioned in the Old Testament. This writer has been eating them since boyhood, and not only that but has also learned to make them--man style-- with mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, etc. 

The trick, of course, to getting them "off the ground," is to get the darn eggs to peel properly. Accordingly I soak them in cold water and start peeling at the small end of the egg.

Now our Northern friends have a different name; they call them "stuffed" eggs. (What would you expect from folks who put oysters in crumbled-up biscuit crumbs and call it "Thanksgiving dressing;" where's the cornbread?? Just kidding, friends.)

Anyway, back to the deviled eggs.... I was writing a friend on Henry, my beloved little I Pad; (he is a great little guy, but thinks he can spell better than I.) In my note I was relating the old joke about the Methodist lady, attending as a guest, the Baptist Fourth of July picnic held at the City Park. Everyone was having a gloriously good time, noisy, happy, and exciting; the Methodist lady, referring to the Baptist schedule of wonderful meetings, said: "I always wanted to be a Baptist but I just wasn't physically able."

My story build-up included a description of the food at the picnic: mounds of country fried chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, red beans with ham hock, corn bread, fried okra, sliced cantaloupe, sliced tomatoes, and...DEVILED EGGS!   But Henry, my egotistical and over-eager little I Pad changed my spelling, and it came out:........................"DEFILED EGGS."

Now, most families have an unwritten list of sayings, private jokes, and quotes that they have accumulated over the years. We have added a new one at our house, courtesy little Henry:  "Please pass the Defiled Eggs."

By Mil

(Note: Some adjustments have been made to Mil's Place. It should be easier now for readers
to comment.)

Sent from my iPad

"OLD BLUE THREADBARE ROBES"

Why is it in literature ( or on TV) when someone is ill with the flu, sitting on the end of the couch by an inhaler, sniffing, coughing, and sneezing into a handkerchief, mumbling incoherent words, eyes watering, staring at the floor with a "why me?" look, being most miserable; that they are always wearing "an old blue threadbare robe?"

Can't any of these people afford a new robe from Macy's or maybe even...Walmart?

Yet these people present such a cozy picture of warmth, security, leisure, self-
pampering, idleness and freedom, accountable to no man, relaxed, glassy-eyed from their medicine, remote in hand, all set for the day...in spite of their abject misery.

But wait, go back with me 60 years to childhood. (Adults are grown-up children anyway, aren't they?!) The little boy has a sore throat and a cough and his mother announces: "Today you have to stay home, you're sick." And the little boy, actually somewhat of an actor, says: "Oh no, shucks, do I really have to?"

So he puts on his old blue threadbare robe, gets out his Lincoln Logs, his Tinker Toys, his dominoes, his Old Maid cards, puts them in the middle of the floor, all the while sniffling, coughing and sneezing, the smell of Vicks in his nostrils, sipping on his Delaware Punch ( a  grape soda pop in the 40's, favored by sick kids...) After a while he may get bored and look for his "Dave Dawson, RAF Spitfire Pilot" book, work some on his model airplane, or take a break and listen to "Would  You like to Be Queen for a Day? On the radio at 1 p.m.

Life is tough for sick kids...or adults...in blue threadbare...robes.


by Mil

Sent from my iPad

EXPLORING THE RIDDLE OF RHYTHM IN PROSE

My readers, being very literary, will enjoy hearing about the course I have been taking---
from The Great Courses, titled "Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft," taught by Dr. Brooks Landon, who has taught a "sentence- focused- prose- style" course for thirty years at the University of Iowa.

This course goes far beyond what we studied in English Comp. 101 or 201. Some of the lecture titles are:
"Proposition and Meaning"
"Grammar and Rhetoric"
"How Sentences Grow"
"The Rhythm of Cumulative Sentences"
"Coordinate, Subordinate, and Mixed Patterns"
and the one on which this post is based: "The Riddle of Prose Rhythm." Clearly, like old age, this course is not for "sissies."

This "rhythm" lecture particularly caught my attention and interest. Now, most of us have read quite a few books in our lifetimes, and these have been on numerous subjects. Here's a question for you: what writers and what books can you call to mind that you remember as being "rhythmical?"

Our esteemed Professor Landon says he cannot DANCE, but can detect or create rhythm in prose. He, in one illustration, hearkening back to his Boy Scout days, uses the Morse Code "dot-dot-dash-dash-dash-dash" in several variations to show the feeling of rhythm in a prose
paragraph.

This rhythm in prose is somewhat new to the writer ( though maybe not totally so) and I hate to disillusion my readers, but to me prose was prose and poetry was poetry (one I could understand, the other I couldn't! (LOL) Good, beautiful, writing I could understand, but Dr. Landon's concept of rhythm was somewhat new to me...and fascinating.

Turns out that this concept has been around for awhile. In the famous "Scholar's Edition" of Brittanica, 1875, 9th Edition, it said: "... The rhythm of nature is the rhythm of life itself. This rhythm can be caught by prose as well as poetry, high prose as well, for instance as that of the English Bible;" and continuing, "in the melody of the bird...the inscrutable harmony of a bird-chorus of a thicket, in the whisper of the leaves of the tree, and in the song or wail of wind and sea."

Ursula K Le Guinn reminds us in "Steering the Craft," "the sound of language is where it all begins and what it all comes back to. The basic elements of language are physical; the noise words make and the rhythm of their relationship. This is just as true for written prose as it is with poetry."

Virginia Woolf said: "Style is a simple matter; it is all rhythm. Once you get that, you can't
use the wrong words."

Albert C. Clark's lecture, pub. by Qxford, 1913, "Prose Rhythm in English": Clark held, "We must go to Cicero for the origin of prose rhythm. Nature, he tells us, has placed in the ears a register which tells us if a rhythm is good or bad, just as by the same means we are enabled to distinguish notes in music....THE RHYTHM OF PROSE IS BASED ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS THAT OF VERSE."

Aristotle even weighed in on the subject of prose, laying down a "golden mean" law that prescribed "Prose should not be metrical nor should it be WITHOUT RHYTHM."

In E.A. Sonnenscheim's 1925 study titled "What is Rhythm," he defines it: "Rhythm is that property of a sequence of events in time which produces on the mind of an observer the impression of proportion between the durations of the several events or groups of events of which the sequence is composed." ("Okay, I think I've got it now." Mil) ("Whew."--Dr. Landon)

It would be impossible to convey to you all the ideas I'm learned in this lecture #13, but hopefully
it has sparked your interest and given you some ideas and perhaps a desire to follow this idea further. Let me know if you have some interesting examples of prose "rhythm," you would like to share.

What really inspired me to write this is a quote from Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway"---
"Quiet descended on her, calm, content, as her needle, drawing the silk smoothly to it's gentle
pause, collected the green fields together and attached them, very lightly, to the belt. So on a summer's day waves collect, overbalance, and fall; collect and fall; and the whole world seems to be saying 'that is all' more and more ponderously, until even the heart in the body which lies in the sun on the beach says too, 'That is all.' 'Fear no more,' says the heart, committing its burden to some sea, which sighs collectively for all it's sorrows, and renews, begins, collects,
let's fall. And the body alone listens to the passing bee; the wave breaking; the dog barking, far away barking and barking."

Did you find rhythms in that beautiful prose passage?
"Maybe."
"I think so"
"Who cares, it was beautiful!"
by Mil
Credit to: The Great Courses, and
Dr. Brooks Landon

Sent from my iPad

DO YOU OWN A "RANDALL?"

Many of you readers will "mull this over" and think about it for a few moments and will say: "No,
mine is a Dell," or "mine is an Apple," or you might even say it is a "Blackberry" or "Raspberry"
or one of those fruits. No, we are not talking about those type things-- there is more to life than
tweeting, twittering, texting and googling. (and please don't say: blogging, LOL.)

When you get up on a cold frosty late October morning, and the leaves are turning golden, and
the compelling fall-angled-sun is shining, and you finish up three cups of coffee and your plate of biscuits and gravy, put on your red plaid Pendleton wool shirt, grab your binocs and hang them around your neck, and saunter outside for a hiking, fishing, bird-watching, or photographic trip,
what do you carry on your belt? Hope you don't say a flask of-----, or a cell phone.

What we are after here---and you seasoned outdoorsmen are right with me, I know--- is what
kind of cold steel are you wearing? You need a utility, survival, general purpose, defensive-type
knife. Now I'm not too big on that last purpose. Knife-fighting turns me off. I always say "If a .38 won't stop it, I don't want anything to do with it." But, but, if there's no .38,
a knife is better than a fingernail file. Be realistic. What about bears?

So, we arrive at the thrust (!) of this post. What you need is a "Randall," one of the toughest,
finest-crafted, and most beautiful of any knife ever made in the world. Most people, for lack of a better term would call it a "hunting knife." Actually, since the first one was made in 1938, they have been carried for all purposes such as wars, in airplanes, sporting uses, emergencies, and even space.

Average soldiers in WWII and Viet Nam carried them when they could get them. The Model 14
"Attack" had an optional sawtooth treatment on the top side which was said could cut through
the thin aluminum skin of a downed helicopter in Viet Nam. Randalls were so popular that
the GI's/Grunts ordered through the mail by simply addressing letters to the "Knife Man, Orlando."
General James Gavin of the 82nd Airborne carried one in WWII; Captain Ronald Reagan had one, General Westmoreland was seen to carry one, and Frances Gary Powers was wearing a
small Randall "Trout and Bird" model when he was shot down over Russia.

Randall-Made Knives was founded by Walter Duane "Bo" Randall, Jr. The factory and showroom (and a museum of over 7000 knives) is located in Orlando, Florida. (Your Randall
will come to you with a very cool logo etched just below the guard: "Randall-Made Knives.")
"Bo" started his knife-making by deciding that he himself would make a tough knife, and he
made his first from a piece of axle spring. From there word got around and his business grew,
as noted earlier, as WWII caused a giant surge of interest.

Now the company makes 28 models for different applications. Nearly all models are hand forged instead of factory stamped, one of the few manufacturers to do so. Randall uses a 17 step process for making knives, which usually takes over 8 hours to finish.

When you examine one, the steel seems obviously almost indestructible. One of the most
beautiful handles (I call them) is the natural antler. The Micarta, which I believe is a resin/
cloth laminate, is also tough as steel. Other handles are available in various kinds of exotic
hardwoods, and probably even ivory if you could furnish a piece. Who has ivory?

The company worked with the astronaut program and designed a survival knife for astronauts
called "The Astro" Model. When the Liberty Bell 7 Mercury space capsule was recovered from the ocean in 1999, Gus Grissom's Randall "Astro" was recovered inside. Despite 40 years of salt water at 1500 feet, the knife was still serviceable after a good cleaning. Two "Astros"
are in the Smithsonian today.

The price of a "Trout and Bird" Randall in 1965 was about 65.00. Today it would be several hundred. Various sizes and models can run from 450-750 or more. They are available though some sporting goods dealers immediately and if you want to get one a little cheaper, place your
order directly to the company and there is a five year wait.

My recommendation for us rank and file people is to get a decent size, that is, one that can be used for most general purposes and you will feel okay to wear it on Saturday, even while mowing the lawn, so to speak. Don't get carried away and order a Roman Short Sword (28")--
that won't do.

And remember you guys, one of the best side benefits of owning a Randall is that people
will say: "Isn't that tough, rugged guy... CARRYING A RANDALL?!!"

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NORTHERN NEW MEXICO: "THE FARAWAY"

On a photographic trip in 1968, I was exploring northern New Mexico for the purpose of getting
some great photo shots for competitions in which I was engaged. (A most scenic, interesting, and
delightful trip, particularly in October, when the air is nippy and the leaves are turning-- is to go to Taos, turn eastward and take the state highway which winds through mountainous country
and reaches Eagle Nest. From there go to Red River, Questa, back to Taos, and down to Santa Fe. There are a lot of pictures to be had in this area!)

Georgia O'Keeffe referred affectionately to the northern New Mexico country as "the faraway."
My photo club partner and I were thoroughly photographing "The Faraway" that day!

On reaching Ranchos de Taos on our return, and driving around I saw the church, St. Francis,
Ranchos de Taos. It cried out to be photographed. I twisted a red filter onto the bottom lens of my Rolleiflex camera lens--otherwise the blue light of the sky would cause the sky to "wash out"
in my picture and there would be no contrast between the light colored adobe and the sky.
Little did I know at the time that I was photographing what would later be named one of "The
Fifty Most Extraordinary Churches in the World." (Google for an interesting trip!) Since my photo was made in 1968, I have discovered this church has been a subject for Paul Strand, Ansel Adams, and others. Georgia O' Keeffe painted parts of the church: "Bell/Cross Ranchos Church,"
1930. O' Keeffe: "Anyone who doesn't feel the crosses doesn't get that country."

She also has a partial view of the back or side of the church titled "Fragment of the Ranchos de Taos Church," 1929. She said in some of her writings that she found a partial view of something often to be more powerful than the whole thing.

This is certainly borne out in the lessons we learned in photography: "Crop, crop, crop, with the lens and in the darkroom for more impact."

A strange thing I have never figured out, is why Strand, Adams, O' Keeffe and others chose the square-looking backside of the church for their pictures. I much prefer dealing with the front, though there are nice angles and shadows at the back and sides.

In "The Fifty Most Extraordinary Churches in the World," the view of St. Francis is also from the back and rather lackluster, I thought. The Library of Congress photo of 1934 is almost
identical to mine.

In another post in the future, I am enthusiastically looking forward to telling you more about this trip across northern New Mexico and showing you my "SHEEPHERDER ON HIGHWAY"
photo.
See below: "St. Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos," 1968, by Mil.

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RUPERT, THE LITTLE DEER, IS A LITTLE DEAR

Remember my recent "Tribute to Animals" post? Well, something has happened that bears out
my premise and warms our hearts again. This tiny deer, now named "Little Rupert", whose mother was fatally injured by a car, was delivered by Caesarian section at a wildlife hospital
when his mother could not be saved.

Little Rupert, at just six inches tall and weighing a little over a pound, is so small he can fit in an adult's hand. He now lives in an incubator in the intensive care unit at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire. It is a nice appropriate-sounding hospital for little deer, don't you think?

Les Stocker, the hospital's founder, said "Rupert's mother had very severe injuries. We brought him out and got him breathing, and then he went into an incubator on oxygen. He is now being fed by a tube."

Staff members believe that Rupert, now five days old, will make a full recovery. Mr. Stocky said:
"Deer are very, very, tricky, but this one has spirit. He's an extremely feisty little guy and quite pushy."

Oh, the MIRACLES OF CREATION!!

---

"PLEASE DON'T DROP MY CHANGE"

Do you ever wonder about the IQ's of fast- food drive-up managers? All they have to do to make the world a better place is to tell their window employees: "When you give change, first put the COINS in the customer's bare sticky palms, and then add the bills."

Don't you get it? Then we wouldn't have change sliding around and falling off between the car and the window. Try "wedging out" through six inches of door opening, under your mirror, bending down (at my age?), picking up the change (my picker-upper is at home) with short fingernails, and IF you miraculously recover the coins, unfolding yourself and banging your head on the mirror...while that nut behind is continuously honking!

So what are your options?

(1) Well, the ingenious window-guys are crazy about the "helpy-selfy" plan, which we just discussed. "The bad news is--you'll have to get it yourself; but guess what the good news is? Lucky you, a bonus-- the last guy didn't get his. In fact it has been piling up all morning." This actually happened to my wife last Monday.

(2) They could apologize and say, "Here is your 35 cents." But now they say it is deducted from their paychecks.

(3) You could drive off forgetting it, the graceful and irky thing to do. Now that won't work. I am a child of The Great Depression. I remember, until I could no longer bend over, I would pick up a penny. (Have you seen hard times?) There was a most-excellent documentary 25-30 years ago, put out by the U. of Colorado I believe, titled "You Are What You Were When." If you can find, watch it.

(4) You COULD drive forward, get out, and walk back and bend over under IMPATIENT HONKER'S window (he has pulled forward) and deal with his epithets and his mirror while he casts aspersions on your ancestry. Not.

So....life goes on...they keep putting coins on the slick bills...they keep sliding off...managers sit in their chambers, smoking cigars...

You are saying, "Now Mil, don't tell me you frequent those places?" Okay, you got me, but only when it is "my turn to cook."

By Mil
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COCK-AND-BULL STORY: A TRIBUTE TO ANIMALS

A rooster has taken up residence at Bob Turner's Ford Country. See Leslie Linthicum's most excellent and well-done Albquerque Journal article of September 8, front page.

Apparently the bird recently showed up at the auto business establishment, looking beat up, sans feathers, and generally in bad shape. Speculation has run so far as-- maybe he is a retired "rooster pugilist" (or whatever). The sympathetic employees won his trust and friendship by "egging him on" with apples, bananas and (healthful) grains. He now roosts nightly in a nearby pine tree--good plan-- and trusts his new-found friends enough to come down mornings and figuratively shoot the bull with them and have alittle...er..roostership. Ok, fellowship. Then he preens his new weight gain and improved looks a good bit in the glass store-front window.

This warms our hearts in the nicest way. This story and other recent animal events set me to thinking about the importance of these fellow travelers with us on the journey of life.

Looking back on U.S. history and maybe also the world, don't you think we have made strides in the past 50-100 years in our care and consideration of animals?

They play a big part in our lives. How poor we would be and how boring it would be to have no fellow creatures in the world. How about children, with their live pets, stuffed toys, and rabbit house shoes. Then there are the guide dogs. There are guard dogs, sniffers, trackers, mascots; there are tteam names. Biggest of all are the pets for the old and all of us.

Relating to my suggestion that we are making progress in our sympathetic and merciful treatment of these "friends," did you see the story recently of the whale in mid-ocean slowly suffocating due to entanglement in a vast fishing net. These everyday garden-variety fishermen took turns cutting the net, while the whale seemed to sense they were helping. On regaining his freedom and recovering he literally swam near the boat and jumped six or eight times, blowing, as if in gratitude to the men and in joy for life.

These kinds of things are happening all the time these days: (1) stranded whales on beaches being helped; (2) oil spill birds and creatures cleaned, nursed, and released (3) burned and injured forest fire deer and bears treated(4) pest bears anesthetized and transferred (5) injured or abused animals brought in to vet all time (6) Adopt-a-Pet programs (7) advocacy for humane treatment of food animals (8) stricter laws against animal abuse than we have ever had (9) extensive use of veterinarians (10) pet medical insurance

I have known of instances where folks spent a considerable sum in trying to cure and save their pets.
If you don't feel that you are particularly concerned about what happens, for example, to homeless/abandoned dogs, just look into their lonely, hurting, puzzled eyes. Maybe they are wondering "Why am I here?"

There is so much more which could be said, but in closing, let me remind us of something I
figured out many years ago: Anytime we have CONTROL over a family member, loved one,
employee, or an animal---THEY ARE OUR SACRED TRUST.

By Mil

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"ER...WHERE DO THE FLYING BUTTRESSES GO?"

One of the most interesting experiences "the wife" and I have had is watching "Cathedral," a DVD series of 24 thirty minute lectures on the world's great cathedrals. Produced by The Teaching Company as one of The Great Courses, this one is taught by Dr. William R. Cook of New York State, Geneseo. While I doubt that we go to the "same church", nonetheless here is a brilliant, lovable teacher whose English delivery and diction are impeccable. So is his obvious knowledge of his subject. The course is beautifully illustrated with many drawings, diagrams, and photographs taken by Dr. Wood and his "intrepid" student, under tricky
lighting situations.

In one photo Dr. Wood is shown high up on a facade, about where Charles Laughton hung out and you can barely see him--he is so small and the building so large. From seeing his favorite cathedral at Amiens at age 17, in 1961, he has spent his life studying, visiting, and loving cathedrals.

This writer has always wondered how such buildings could be planned, engineered and constructed during the "primitive" 12th, 13th, 14th and later--centuries, when science, medicine, plumbing, transportation, textiles, and things in general were...as I said, so primitive. How did they keep them square and plumb? And when you are stacking stones upon each other, they can't lean. How do you go higher and higher and lift the spire up there? Where do you find craftsmen who can carve those many, many stone sculptures up under the entrances? There is a word for those porches, but I' m still learning a new set of terminologies.

Years ago I read "The Education of Henry Adams" wherein he stated that in all the world he had never felt (my memory) "the sense of reverence, beauty, unity, and truth" anywhere as much as he had in Chartres and Mont-St. Mihiel Cathedrals. In fact he wrote a book on the subject. Now I have seen these and understand what he was seeing.

According to our teacher, the cathedral at Chartres has the most stained glass; it is the most beautiful stained glass of all and the most original extant, dating from first construction. Here during World War II, incredibly most of the stained glass windows were removed piece by piece and stored safely, to be meticulously restored after the war.

While Chartres is Dr. Cook's favorite example of stained glass, Amiens is his choice for sculpture, particularly the facade and porches. To quote: "The facade at Amiens Cathedral may well be the greatest single sculptural display in all Gothic architecture." This I didn't know: there is an incredible amount of "narrative" sculpture at Amiens, and most of the cathedrals; The stained glass is also narrative. These contain Biblical history, legends, and traditions.

Some faiths are not oriented toward icons, statues, or symbolism, but that does not preclude a deep sense of respect, enjoyment, and appreciation of the beauty one sees. Okay, you have been waiting to hear about the flying buttresses. Let's see if I can put this in layman-speak. They are those weird-beautiful things, shaped funny, on the outside that brace the church walls and the roof, without which everything would fold in and down. Keep in mind, these roofs are made of stone, a lot of them anyway. Heavy, heavy! He does a whole lecture on stone roofs, by the way. Anyway, the genius of these things, the buttresses, is that they are done so aesthetically and fit into the total so well.

We are mesmerized and watch four lectures a night, I with the syllabus and the wife taking notes. Then she says: "Let's watch another one!"

Sadly, we have wasted so many years by not ordering some of the 400 or so of The Great Courses from The Teaching Company (find by Googling). Their brochures and magazines are first class; their professors are very carefully searched-out and selected and then rated and evaluated by their viewers. Their quality control addresses all manner of production safeguards and techniques. They guarantee satisfaction.

We have already watched: "The Art of Reading", 24 lectures by Dr, Timothy Spurgin and "The History of Ancient Egypt," 48 lectures by Dr. Bob Brier. Both of these were EXCELLENT. Our next two will be: "Experiencing Rome: A Visual Exploration," 36 lectures and "An Introduction to Astronomy," 96 lectures by the famous Dr. Fillipenko. After this one, watch for my blog: "WILL I SEE STARS?"

-By Mil-

After word: You know, I really enjoyed writing this one!
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MIL'S PLACE: A COMPLETE LIST OF POSTS (BLOGS)

(starting with the most current)
1. DO YOU LIKE SOLANTUM LYPERSICUM ON YOU HAMBURGER?
2. THE OLD RUGGED CROSS: MOST-LOVED HYMN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
3. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RAISINS?
4. RAT-KILLING, AS A CAREER
5. .DO YOU KNOW YOUR BEANS?
6. "CWM RHONDDA"---A GREAT HYMN TUNE
7. "LORENA"--SWEETHEART SONG OF THE CIVIL WAR
8. "ETERNAL FATHER! STRONG TO SAVE
9. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE OVEN
10. WOE IS I? WOE IS HE WHO THINKS IT IS WOE IS ME!
11. "OH! THAT SORITICISM!"
12. "I DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' STEER MANURE!"
13. "HE SKUN A GUY DOWN IN TEXAS!"
14. TWO HAUNTING TUNES
15. "THE LESSER OF TWO WEEVILS"
16. THE TREE OF FREEDOM
SEE www.milmoore,blogspot.com
(Writer's note: Quite a bit of thought went into these. They are all my children, so to speak.
I have research notes for perhaps 20-30 more...they are jelling. Not to "talk down to my readers, but all may not be movie fans; The "stinkin' steer manure" is a parody of the Mexican
bandit in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"---a Humphrey Bogart movie wherein the bandit
says to Bogie: "Badges, badges, I don't need no stinkin' badges!"
To peruse the entire list, click on "older posts" at bottom, twice.
Do I have a favorite? Hard to say, maybe "THE OVEN" and the hymn posts.
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DO YOU LIKE SOLANTUM LYPERSICUM ON YOUR HAMBURGER?

This post is a continuation of an earlier one titled briefly "NO STEER MANURE." Thank you readers; there were quite a few interested comments on that one! You Latin purists, please adjust the above to please yourself. This is being written at this season because you are craving some wonderful vine-ripened tomatoes but failed to plant. For Shame!!! Time now to plan for next spring. I hope you will think of this as "A Humorous Foray Into the world of Tomato Growing."

The tomato probably originated in Peru or nearby, somewhere in South America...many centuries ago. It was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of "the New World." Columbus probably was the first to take them to Spain, about 1493. Early tomatoes were likely a small yellow fruit taken to Mexico by the Spanish, then to SW area of today's USA, then to Phillippines, and from there they spread to SW Asia, and then all over Asia. A study of how they were genetically developed into SO MANY varieties is beyond the scope of this post.

Tomatoes were not grown in England until the 1590's. Strangely "Gerard's Herbal," 1597, took the position that the fruit was poisonous, thus delaying acceptance. This writer can believe only that once the English had eaten tomatoes on their hamburgers, they were willing to chance anything, including demise. We know, don't we?!! (Just kidding readers, hamburgers likely didn't exist until late 1800's or a little later. Therein lies a controversy....for another post.)

So moving on, I grow my tomatoes in EARTH BOXES, (trade name or mark). Order them in February or March, with fertilizer, one bag of that and one bag of dolomite. You will need 2-5 of these open plastic containers. They will cost about $50 each shipped, with fertilizer. (They will last for years.)

Upon receiving them, place porous lattice in bottom on plastic ledges, fill up with "store-boughten" top soil or potting soil, untreated. Note, I have used my same soil 7 years and it is working fine, though I need to tell you that you MUST order the company's fertilizer every year or you are on your own. Probably I should get new soil and change it, but being elderly, I have a case of "Motion Reluctance."

Let me parenthetically insert this; we haven't even planted yet, and there are those of you who are wondering: "But what about tomato worms, those icky green things that are so crawly?" (I have noticed that women are particularly offended by these creatures). Here is what I do: When wife and I are watering and I see bare limbs, evidence of the "creepies," I just say real loudly: "Dear, we are very soon going to be able to fry us up some tomato worm hors d' oeurves; we will have enough for a 'mess.' " The next day, no more worms. They left. Now before you say anything, there WAS such a recipe in the paper once. Really.
Back to work.

Put two tomato plants to the box, roughly size 15X30.... a little to one edge. Cut a square X on each end of your "shower cap-type" plastic weed cover, remove plant from container carefully and insert root system through square and into soil, tamping nicely. Then hook your plastic cover all around edges. Note, my X's show I wouldn't have been a good surgeon. Not to worry! Oh, oh, we've been so busy with worms and planting that I forgot to tell you to mix the dolomite with the soil---dig it in--- and lay a strip of all your fertilizer ON TOP down one side of your box. Not to dig it in, no. Now put your cover on. You can see, dear reader, that I am trying to help you avoid my mistakes.

There is a one inch tube going down into the bottom through your lattice. There is a 4 inch space under your lattice. Fill with water through this tube until it runs out a little hole in the front bottom when full. First day or two, wet the area around the roots also. I plant around May 20-25. With cool nights and spring winds, that works fine for me. In 60 days you will have all the tomatoes you want. Tips: Put wire tomato cages on by 10 days after planting; once a day will be enough watering. BUT, DON'T EVER MISS A DAY. They will wilt. Remember, though, tomatoes need a lot of sunshine. Google " tomatoes" and you will find all manner of helpful hints, though you don't need many with Earth Boxes.

Okay, what else? Five boxes suit me fine. It will cost, I know, but miss one trip to Branson.
Pardon me while I put a little salt and pepper on this tomato...SLURP! SLURP!! Bye, bye,
friends and GOOD LUCK!

--By Mil--
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