MY "DO LAP"

As I have gotten a tiny bit older, I have noticed a piece of loose skin under my chin and neckline that has grown considerably. It is not painful, but neither is it becoming to my facial features. I know it must be obvious to others, so I just make the best of it. As a matter of fact, I have decided to name it and even flipping it with my forefinger sometime (when pondering some "great decision").

I call it: MY "DO LAP!"

NOTE:

It is possible that sometime in the far distant future, my stomach may start to protrude over my belt in a similar fashion. If ever this happens (not likely), I guess I could call it my "DONE-LAP" ( and just say: "THIS IS MY DONE-LAP". Meaning: My stomach has "done lap" over my waistline.)

NOSTRIL- ECTOMY

I know a fine lady who has the most acute sense of smell of anyone in the whole world. She can smell gas in a whirlwind a mile away, going in the opposite direction!

I believe she can smell one before I even think of one!

Is there any thing called a "NOSTRIL-ECTOMY?

She needs "working on" by a specialist!

WE BOTH FLUNKED THE TEST

Recently the Pennington Medical Research Center offered a program of physical fitness for those in age from 70 - 89.  A screening test was required to qualify for participation.

WE WERE BOTH "OVER-QUALIFIED"  !! 

 (WE BOTH EAT A PROPER DIET, AND EXERCISE REGULARLY, ALONG WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY)

 And the doctor still  writes on our file:  "HEALTHY"

"HEY SARGE"

One day last week, Virginia and I had just parked at WalMart store for weekly shopping, and from way across the parking lot came this loud shout, "HEY SARGE".  I had not heard that greeting very often since I was a 19 year old regular army Sergeant teaching R. O. T. C. at L. S. U.  Louis Peters identified himself as one of my former students.

We both laughed and chatted briefly and I thanked him for having such a great memory!  The date of the class was 1946 -  SIXTY FOUR YEARS AGO!

In one or two of my blog stories earlier, I told about my transfer from Camp Pickett, Virginia to L. S. U. Military Department.  At that time R. O. T. C. was a required course for all freshmen and sophomores (male only).  There must have been 5-6 thousand students in the program at the time.

Part of my duties consisted of teaching close order drill on the parade ground, map reading, rifle range shooting, and military science and tactics.  I found this to be very interesting and most of the students were very intelligent, and my students' average grades were B or C.

Both of my older brothers, Wren and Malcolm,  had served overseas in Europe during the war, and I felt very fortunate to land an assignment at L. S. U. and did not have to go overseas.  I also happened to meet a student while I was on duty there.   Virginia and I married August 5, 1947 at the First Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.

I was discharged in 1948, and enrolled as a freshman the very next day.  We built our first home near the campus, and my goal in school was to graduate as soon as possible.  I took the maximum number of hours each semester and graduated in August, 1951.  We have stayed in Baton Rouge ever since.

I still have a few former students who still call me "Sarge", and yes it is nice to be remembered.

VISIT TO WORLD WAR II MUSEUM - NEW ORLEANS

Yesterday, Feb 24, 2010, about 50 members of the X Y Z, (Extra Years of Zest) group in our church boarded a tourbus to New Orleans to visit the World War II Museum.  

We arrived at this beautiful  museum in downtown New Orleans, and were invited to view the great displays of Higgins boats and other memorabilia- some of which we had seen earlier.  We proceeded to the newest addition which was a splendid 4 dimensional movie theater depicting many historical scenes of actual World War II battles.  All these were narrated by Tom Hanks, Ernie Pyle, Edward R. Murrow and others.  

We remembered the actual bombing of Pearl Harbor.  I was walking downtown in El Dorado, when I saw people rushing out of a drug store, screaming, "The Japs have just bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Islands".  I did not know where Pearl Harbor was located, but we soon found out.

Virginia was at her home that Sunday morning in Strong, practicing the piano.  Her parents were listening to their radio, when the program was interrupted with the news of the Pearl Harbor bombing.  They were particularly distressed since William, her older brother, was already in the Army, stationed in California.

The very next day President Roosevelt made his "Day of Infamy" speech declaring war on Japan.  We heard the radio address at each of our high schools.  (Years later we visited Hyde Park, New York - Roosevelt's home- and saw the yellow page tablet on which he had personally written this speech).

Three weeks later, William  and his unit were dispatched to Pearl Harbor from his base in Ft. Ord, California.   Smoke was still rising from the wreckage of the earlier attack when he arrived.

The actual battle scenes revived our own memories of that time, both in the Pacific and European theaters of action.  Virginia's brother William, had served in the Pacific since the end of December 1941.  He served continuously until November, 1944 - shortly after the death of his and Virginia's father.  And then returned to Saipan and Okinawa for the remainder of the war.

We heard the the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion as it was being broadcast on the radio, narrated by Edwin R. Murrow.  I remember hearing the " BOOM, BOOMS" of the bombs as they exploded.

My brothers, Wren and Malcolm entered France a month after D-Day.  They met each other in Liege, Belgium at the time of the Battle of the Bulge.  

This museum is magnificent, with a screen covering the entire side of a large room, from floor to ceiling.  The seats  shake when bombings were taking place in the movie, and "snow flakes" would float down into the audience to depict the freezing weather.  This movie is the most realistic portrayal of war history to be seen anywhere.

I TRULY BELIEVE WE COULD HAVE LOST THAT WAR IF NOT FOR LEADERS LIKE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, CHUR CHILL, GENERAL EISENHOWER, AND ADMIRAL NIMITZ.

A VISIT TO THIS MUSEUM SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

ONE OF THE BEST MEMORIES WE HAVE

It was 2007 when we met my brother Wren and his Virginia in Rome to celebrate our 60th anniversary and their 40th for a few days in a villa in the Tuscany region of Italy.

We took the train to Florence where we rented a car and proceeded to get completely lost while looking for our villa in the "wilderness" of the beautiful countryside in central Italy. Our dear young Italian friends, Betty and Antonio were to drive from their home in Milan to meet us there.

We had directions to the villa, but no map. We stopped and asked many of the residents of the area how to get there, and most of them would shrug their shoulders and say, "No spicka da English", or they simply did not know.

It seemed like hours before we located a tourist headquarters in San Giamingnana for proper directions. (This is an old walled town in the center of Tuscany area). Wren's Virginia parked the car on the street in what was probably a no parking zone, but it was getting late in the day and we were getting a little desperate.

We had left Wren sitting in the back seat of the S. U. V. while the three of us walked about three blocks into the town. By the time we returned to the car, Wren had a strange look on his face. He was in a strange town, could not speak the language, and had become a little apprehensive, and also a little agitated. Time had passed and he had become a little more apprehensive and agitated. It was getting dark and his folks had not returned!

It did take a little time getting the information we needed, but in Wren's mind it took FOREVER!

After soothing Wren's "ruffled feathers", we finally drove into the driveway to the villa, and sure enough there were Betty and Antonio sitting out side the office just patiently waiting for us to arrive! WHAT A WONDERFUL SIGHT!

It was a great week spent in a beautiful country with splendid natives of Italy as our escorts.

MY FRIEND VIRGINIA ANDREWS

I first met Virginia Andrews at Williamsburg Retirement Home in Baton Rouge a few years ago,  when my friend Bill Ferguson was a resident there.  She was leading a weekly class in "Life Writing" that was being offered to the residents.  I was not a resident of Williamsburg, but once while visiting with Bill he invited me to join this group.

Since I had recently retired I found this very interesting.  Bill and I would enjoy sharing our memories in written form each week.  He had led a very interesting life in Europe since the end of World War II.  

Virginia led the group to remember past experiences and skillfully helped us put them down in written form.  She was always positive in her comments and kept us challenged to keep on writing.  One of the highlights of the weekly meetings was each of us reading our story to the group.

Even though Virginia and her family have now moved to Delaware, we keep in touch.  I have continued to write short essays and I share my stories with her by e-mail.  I really treasure her comments.