In the South Pacific

In the South Pacific
B oot camp completed, I was sent to Morehead Teachers College in Kentucky. The course work was generally Math &Science. After Graduation, With two other Sailors, we were  sent to an Army Base in New Jersey.We blended in wearing Army clothing, taking field trips etc. Our purpose of being with the...
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1621 Views
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December Story Prompt- Week 1

One of the greatest rewards of having lived a long life is the perspective gained from experience. In every culture since the dawn of man the elders shared their wisdom with the young. Sharing this wisdom not only enriches the lives of those with whom it is shared but also provides...
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1625 Views
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Family Pickle

Family Pickle
Family Pickle is as fast and frenetic as New York itself, a show about a family dynasty that flourishes in clamor, a maelstrom of histrionics, laughter, and sandwiches so big that “if you can put your mouth around them then we made a mistake,” says Sandy, who—with wife, Marian—runs the Carnegie...
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1661 Views
2 Comments

The Roads I Have Taken

Wishing one could go back in time and relive some part of one’s life is tempting,  but with a little reflection it is easy to see that changin  perhaps even a small decision or action is loaded with unintended, life changing consequences.   The poet Robert Frost made this point clearly in...
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1481 Views
3 Comments

If you could go back and relive any part of your life what would you do differently and why?

"The best I could do is the best I could do" comes to mind when attempting to answer the question posed. Hindsight is always 20-20, and I can't imagine anyone not wanting to do something over again if given the opportunity, but we know we cannot go back in time; therefore,...
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1965 Views
8 Comments

Christmas Baking

Christmas Baking
Last Sunday I spent the day baking the first of my Christmas baking - 9 Christmas cakes. I started the process a month ago by digging out my special Christmas fruit jar and filling it with dried currants, sultanas, raisins glace cherries, candied orange peel, chopped dried apricots, glace peaches and...
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1661 Views
2 Comments

Sydna's Childhood Memories

   Here are some memories for you:                 During wwII, while living at grandparents house, at 7 yrs. old;  I wanted a dog, so seeing a huge conch shell being used as a door stop-I got the idea to make that my dog and put a rope around it and drug...
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1175 Views
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Holiday Traditions/Food

I was born December 23 so my first cake was a home made red velvet cake made by Mom.  White icing thank you - not that nasty cream cheese stuff.  Always decorated with red and green icing as well.... Decorations on top of the cake would change over the years depending...
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1411 Views
2 Comments

Sand Hills, Watermelons, and Blackberries

A couple of miles west of my home town, Caney KS, after crossing an old iron truss bridge spanning the muddy Caney River on a narrow asphalt country road there was a crossroads.  To the north the road ran a few miles and then fizzled out.  To the south it turned into...
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1668 Views
4 Comments

Holiday Cranberry Salad

Although we never lived near the rest of our family, my mother always made an effort to connect with them durig the holiday season - which was a great thing, since my grandmother was the best cook in the entire universe. (Go ahead; put up your dukes. I stand by my...
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1387 Views
3 Comments

Stuffing ROCKS but it's not a Holiday meal without the Cheesy Carrots

Stuffing ROCKS but it's not a Holiday meal without the Cheesy Carrots
If you  know me,  you know I love to cook, and I'm an eater.   I keep with tradition for the most part, but every few years I have to mix it up with a new side dish or dessert.  My favorite thing on the table at Thanksgiving or Christmas is...
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877 Views
5 Comments

My Memories of the Farm

Yes, Bo, I remember the Farm very well. I remember spending the night with Grandmother and Grandaddy Anthony and then coming home telling my mom about the awful stuff Grandmother had me take before I went to bed. Turns out it was castor oil. I don't remember any sleep overs after...
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1141 Views
1 Comment

From Cousin Bo

Hey Barb ! It's little Dwight Beau (Bo) Hall ! Sydna was telling me about you wanting to share memories we have about the country -  H.C. / Grannie / Bill / etc. You know I lived there from about 7 to 12 years of age and you guy's visited often...
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1366 Views
1 Comment

Daycare

One of my earliest memories of childhood with Barbara was during the summer time when we were out of school. I don't remember how old we were. Mom and Pop both worked and I guess there was a lapse in childcare so we got to go out with Granddaddy "Pop" Dodson...
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1175 Views
2 Comments

Australian Christmas Memories of a New Bride

Australian Christmas Memories of a New Bride
Christmas Memories Being born in Brisbane, Queensland and having always lived in Australia, I find it difficult to connect to the northern hemisphere’s images of a white and snowy Christmas. The festive season is an entirely different type of celebration in Australia, where temperatures on The Big Day can often push...
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1431 Views
2 Comments

Close Encounters in Baja

Close Encounters in Baja
Recently, a friend forwarded a story to me about the 2005 rescue of a Humpback whale. The whale was spotted off the northern California coast, hopelessly tangled in crab trap lines that had begun to cut into her flesh. The divers who rescued her talked about how the 50-ton animal made...
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1891 Views
8 Comments

A Nuyorican Thanksgiving

Holidays in our home meant company, and the preparation of a table weighed with food.  Hours of preparation yielded a large mound of pasteles and a huge pot of arroz con gandules , in addition to a turkey and a roast pork shoulder, a stand-in for puerco asado, roast suckling pig....
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1927 Views
9 Comments

Our Family says: "Let's Eat!!"

Holiday traditions always include great food. Here are some of our family recipes. Your special meals will be remembered by your children and grandchildren. Remember to ask your parents and grandparents for their special recipes. As you publish your family delicacies try some of the recipes of other members. You may...
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1672 Views
7 Comments

A "Different" Christmas

             Not all Christmases are “Tiny Tim,” “Santa Claus,” “Joy to The World” affairs.  Some are. .  .well . . . “different.”  This is the story of one of those.   It was December, 1987.  Anne and I were living in Lone Jack MO where I was the School Superintendent.   We...
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  8 Comments
1431 Views
8 Comments

Christmas is coming, time to start baking!

Christmas is coming, time to start baking!
The Jacaranda trees are in full bloom here in Adelaide, South Australia as spring rushes into December and the start of summer. Last weekend, Santa arrived in Adelaide as the last float in the Adelaide Christmas Pageant, a tradition which has run annually for 79 years through the streets of the...
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1364 Views
4 Comments