Randomly Sharing

OK, it's Random 5 Friday and I'm a bit behind getting this posted!  Nancy's meme is always so much fun.  Click on the LINK to see more revealing lists of five! :-)

1.  It is summer vacation time for our grandson who is going into the 6th grade next year.  The decision was made to keep his schoolwork going over the summer, and we started yesterday.  There's a great series of books written by Danica McKellar (Winnie from Boy Meets World) that makes math easy and fun.  They are written with a girls's point of view, but when it says 10 lipsticks, I just say 10 action figures.  Yesterday we learned about factoring.  Actually it was a review for my grandson AND for me, as I have forgotten more about my math classes than would fill a book! :-)  He knew about factoring, but we looked at it together with new eyes, a fresh point of view.  It was fun and interesting.  Then on to cursive, which I hate to say has been 86d from all school curriculums!  He WILL learn cursive this summer!  And later he read to me from an Almanac to keep his reading skills honed and in the process we learned all sorts of interesting facts.  Then we read the preamble to the Constitution.  Our Country's history is far more important than the school system thinks it is anymore, and we WILL hold it in high regard!  It was a productive day.

2.  There is a wonderful series on these days called North America, with amazing photography and wonderful information about animals in North America, as well as the landscape of our beautiful country.  They did a program recently on the deserts, and included a great deal about our new home, the Sonoran Desert.  It was WONDERFUL!  It gave the grandson and me some neat things to talk about, like the spade foot toad and the cactus bee (learn more about it HERE), because anything dealing with animals is one of his most treasured interests.

3.  We went to Prescott this past weekend, and there will be an entire post on this, but my hubby received the Warrior medal and was inducted into the Gourd Society. It was so neat being with many different Native Americans for a couple of days, and rekindled my desire to know more, and have more involvement....especially with the cultures of this area.

4.  My hubby saved a wounded hawk once.  It had been hit by a car and its wing was broken.  He and his friend stopped and took a towel to throw around it so they could pick up the hawk, and then found a shelter to take it to.  Later the woman at the shelter sent us a photo of the hawk, whose wing was healing nicely.  I wanted to go visit the hawk but we didn't get a chance to go there before they had to release it back into the wild.

5.  Esther Williams died this past week at the age of 91.  She was such a wonderful feature of the movies back in the 50s, and such an amazing swimmer!  Read a bio about her HERE.  Once we were at Epcot Center standing in line to make our reservations for dinner at one of the Disney restaurants, and realized that she and her family were standing in line right in front of us.  She gave them her name and we looked at each other.  We made sure to point her out to our very small daughter, so we could explain to her later about who she had just seen.  It was pretty neat getting to see her with her husband, kids and grandkids, going to Epcot just like the rest of us.

Volcanic Heat!

No, it isn't quite there yet...it's running between 103 and 107 here.  I imagine we will see 115 (or more)  before summer is over.  Living in the Arizona desert in the summer can be a challenge!  But, I am joining   Roger's ABC Wednesday today which is featuring the letter V.  Hence my little "stretch."  My husband read this cute little Arizona Truism list to me earlier and I just had to post it.  I think you will really enjoy reading it! :-)  And click on the link for ABC Wed and enjoy many more wonderful posts!

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM ARIZONA WHEN. . . 
You can say Hohokam and no one thinks you're making it up. 

You no longer associate rivers or bridges with water. 

... You know that a "swamp cooler" is not a happy hour drink.

You can contemplate a high temperature of 120 degrees as "not all that bad, after all it's a dry heat."

You have learned to expertly maneuver your vehicle under any traffic conditions using only two fingers; a skill usually learned initially in July.

You know that you can make sun tea outside faster than instant tea in your microwave.

You have to run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so that you can use your fireplace.

The water coming from the "cold" tap is hotter than that from the hot" tap.

You can correctly pronounce the following words: "Saguaro", "Tempe", "Gila Bend", "San Xavier del Bac", "Canyon de Chelly", "Mogollon Rim", "Cholla", and "Tlaquepacque", "Ajo".

It's noon on a weekday in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one single person is moving on the streets.

Hot air balloons can't fly because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.

You buy salsa by the gallon.

Your Christmas decorations include a half a yard of sand and 100 paper bags.

You think a red light is merely a suggestion.

All of your out-of-state friends start to visit after October but clear out come the end of April.

You think someone driving while wearing oven mitts is clever.

Most of the restaurants in your town have the first name "El" or "Los."

You think six tons of crushed rock makes a beautiful yard.

You can say 115 degrees without fainting.

Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way in the summer.
People break out coats when the temperature drops below 70.

You discover, in July, it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
The pool can be warmer than you are.

Most people will not drink tap water unless they are under dire conditions.

Monday Night Football starts at 7:00 instead of 9:00

You realize Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.

People with black cars or have black upholstery in their car are automatically assumed to be from out-of-state or nuts.

You know better than to get into a car with leather seats if you're wearing shorts.

Announcements for Fourth of July events never end with "in case of rain..."

You eat hot chilis to cool your mouth off.

You know that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.

You know that you can get a sunburn through your car window.

You have to explain to out-of-staters why there is no daylight savings time

When someone asks how far you live from a location, it's always in terms of minutes, not miles.

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

You know if you hang wash out after dark it will be dry in an hour!

                                                        *******************
Fun, and pretty true!  Please do come to Arizona...but probably not in the summer! :-)

D-Day 69 years ago

Whenever we visit the V.A. hospital, where my Viet Nam veteran husband receives medical treatment, I love seeing the very old men there, some in wheelchairs, some more ambulatory...the World War II and Korean War veterans.  If you strike up a conversation with them, as my husband often does, you learn about their incredible sacrifices in service to our country.  Sometimes one will have been part of a well-known invasion or battle.  They always touch my heart!  There are so few left.  They are special and important, and we should treasure them and honor them!

On December 24, 2012 one such veteran died after a long life and after years of delighting the world with his talents.  His name was Charles Durning.  He didn't like to speak about his service.  It had to have been such a traumatic time in his life, going through unspeakable things.  But he served with honor.  Here is a bit about his time in the Army in WWII that I found in Wikipedia:

Military service[edit]

Durning participated in the Normandy Invasion of France on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and was among the first troops to land at Omaha Beach. In episode "S03E09" of the television program Dinner for Five, which also included Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise and Charles Nelson Reilly, Reynolds spoke about Durning's service career for him, as Durning did not like to talk about it much. Reynolds revealed that Durning was in a group of gliders who overshot their landing zone and that he had to fight alone all the way back to the beach. Reynolds also stated that his own father was there fighting about 15 yards away and that Durning was probably the most decorated veteran (then) still alive from World War II.^[11] Some sources state that he was with the 1st Infantry Division at the time,^[12] but it is unclear if he served as a rifleman or as a member of one of the division's artillery battalions.

Durning was wounded by a German “S” Mine on June 15, 1944 at La Mare des Mares, Normandy. He was transported to the 24th Evacuation Hospital and by June 17 he was in England at the 217th General Hospital. He was severely wounded by shrapnel in the left and right thighs, the right hand, the frontal head region, and the anterior left chest wall. Durning recovered quickly and was determined to be fit for duty on December 6, 1944. He arrived back at the front in time to take part in the Battle of the Bulge, the German counter-offensive through the Ardennes Forest ofBelgium and Luxembourg in December 1944.^[13][14] Subsequently, Durning was at one point captured by the Germans and reportedly narrowly escaped a massacre of prisoners.^[15] (Whether this was the famed Malmedy massacre is a matter of dispute, since no official record of Durning's name associated with the massacre has been found, and Durning himself did not publicly claim to have been there.)

After being wounded again, this time in the chest, Durning was returned to the United States. He remained in Army hospitals until being discharged with the rank of Private First Class on January 30, 1946.

Durning was known for participating in various functions to honor American veterans. He was the chairman one year of the U.S. National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.^[16] He was an honored guest speaker at the National Memorial Day Concert for many years, televised by PBS every year on the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend.

For his valor and the wounds he received during the war, Durning was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Heart medals.^[17]Additional awards include the World War II Victory Medal.^[18]

In April 2008, Durning received the National Order of the Legion of Honor from the French consul in Los Angeles, awarded to those who served with distinction in France. During the ceremony, Durning spoke about his wartime experiences.^[19]

On May 26, 2013, Durning was paid a special tribute at the National Memorial Day Concert at which Taps was sounded in his honor. The tribute included clips of some of his appearances at previous concerts at which he talked about his war experiences and of him embracing fellow veterans.

at the 2008 National Memorial Day Concert in Washington

Durning was also an actor, singer and dancer and millions loved his roles in favorite movies throughout his career.  He won a Tony for his role on stage in 1989 in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  He was nominated for an Oscar twice.  He had amazing range on stage and screen, and many roles have endeared him to his audiences for always.  Not long before he died, he appeared as Pappy O'Daniel in the wonderful film O Brother Where Art Thou.

On this day, 69 years after the D-Day Invasion, where so many of our brave men fought and saw others fall, I would like to say "Thank You" to all the World War II veterans who sacrificed so much!  I would like to tell them how much I appreciate them, and I would like to honor the memory of those who fell that day, and other days during that long war...and who have since died bearing the memories that were so hard to speak of with them to their graves.  To the few who remain, God bless you!  

And in closing, please enjoy this little Charles Durning clip and smile as you think on what he and so many other brave men gave to all of us....(to see an additional favorite clip of him, click on my Pinterest button on the sidebar and enjoy his "Little Sidestep" song and dance that is pinned on My Favorite People! Board.)

Muse In Early June

Perhaps I shouldn't do a post tonight.  I am still WAY behind on all my blog friends' posts!  I am working my way to the present very slowly.  But I hadn't done a Tuesday Muse in a few weeks, and couldn't resist.  Hope you will check out Nancy's meme by clicking on the link.

The Santa Catalina mountains in spring.

Cedars of Lebanon trees.

"If you're going to go into history, you can't do it with a hate attitude.  You have to remember that times were different then." 

 This was spoken by Deborah Lacks whose mother Henrietta had cancer cells removed without her consent....cells that have touched every aspect of medical research since she died in 1951.  But, Henrietta is buried in an unmarked grave, and no one in the African-American Lacks family has medical insurance, or has ever received a dime from any of the research that has benefited millions.  This was said with a goodness of spirit and generosity of heart that most people do not have.


PLEASE NOTE:  I AM SOMETIMES COMING ACROSS A BLOG THAT IS NOT BLOGGER AND I VERY MUCH WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT BUT CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADD ONE.  MANY TIMES I HAVE HAD TO PASS A POST BY WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING IT AND THAT HAS MADE ME SAD.  I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO THOSE WHO I HAVE DONE THIS TO AND ASK FOR SOME ASSISTANCE IN FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE COMMENTS WHEN THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A PLACE TO LINK IN TO A COMMENT FORM.

Mistress Marie, Quite Contrarie....

How Does Your Garden Grow? :-)

This will be a post not only about the progress of my garden, but will also be a Today's Flowers entry.  Click on the link to have your senses filled to the rim with gorgeousness!!!!

I have two round beds for corn only two of the stalks are much larger than the rest because they are from my first planting.  So many didn't come up I replanted, and now I have twelve total stalks! Oh, and some tomato plants that came up "volunteer" in another bed were replanted along the edge as well.  Maybe this year I will FINALLY have tomatoes!

This is a bed that is just now getting sprouts.  I have the teepees ready for the  cucumbers (two varieties) and the lima beans.  I had success with both last year.

 

Purple hull peas...and a squash or something.....(you see, I had some interlopers!)

Potato plants grown from pieces of sprouted potato cut up.  On the upper left the monarda is big and healthy also.

I did the same thing with a red onion.  Also in the containers are basil, cilantro, strawberries that over-wintered and tiny heirloom tomato sprouts.

Did you ever plant carrots and get squash????!!!!  And tomatoes?  This is the result of my composting efforts! :-)  In AZ the compost doesn't get enough moisture over the winter and sometimes the seeds survive! :-)

Heirloom tomato sprouts I am babying...I want success from these seeds this year!

And a few flowers....

Bird of Paradise in my daughter's yard.

Yvonne's plumeria started blooming again early!

Mine is tall and healthy but no blooms yet!

One of my miniature roses...a gift last year from the kids.

Monarda.

Lantana is a very popular flower here.  These shots were taken at the bank.  I don't have many flowers in my yard and am slowly trying to rectify that!

Thanks for taking a tour of my garden's progress, and enjoying some flowers, too!  Don't forget to go over to Today's Flowers and see more!