A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-18-02

Billie, Molly Pitcher, daisyscarlett

[daisyscarlett]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

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TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog.
MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son.
BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam,
dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony
BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang

TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband
poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son;
BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset);
WVNan's husband; ladtx Aunt Eva.

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 1A: TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

GROUP 2A: TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

GROUP 3A: TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

GROUP 4A: TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

         

GROUP 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett. MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick, Leroy S Mort, Mark17. BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

GROUP 7A: TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam, dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony.BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang.

GROUP 8A: TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx. MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law. BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

                     

Today we are pleased to have One of FR's Finest, Molly Pitcher, as a guest writer. She has contributed three vignettes of some sweet memories of "places from her heart".

Thank you Molly Pitcher. Your words paint a lovely picture of these special places and memories that reside in your heart - memories that are recalled by you often, but especially at Christmas time. We appreciate your sharing them with us!

"PLACES IN THE HEART"

shared by

Molly Pitcher

PLACES IN THE HEART.....it's the title of a movie starring Sally Fields, and that's about all I remember...oh, and it took place in Texas. I hope Sally won't mind my borrowing the title for today's FR's Finest theme. But I want to use that phrase in a certain way, and tie it into Christmas...

Christmas...We think of the season and nostalgia and memories overwhelm us! How could they not? We think of loved ones, family and friends, not seen for awhile.....past Christmases and the trips we took to join our families. We remember our children, when they were young and seeing the season through their innocent eyes. Actually, we carry these memories with us all year round, but at this time of year, the images and awareness of them is heightened...more vivid than most other times.

And that brings me to "Places" because for me, that is a special nostalgia category. This particular category is filed away in my heart throughout all the months, but as Christmas comes, the memories and joys of these locations gain strength and power, and I remember...

I remember the coastal plain on the mainland north of Galveston, Texas, where I was born. When I lived there as a girl in the 1950s, there were few trees or natural objects rising above the flat, low land. My father planted a few trees in our new yard to provide shade as did our neighbors, but the pine and oak forests were away to the east of us on the plain. The land itself lay at about sea level or rose a few feet above it. What did rise above the bayous and land? Why oil wells of course! And refineries, and houses on tall stilts,and the Causeway from the mainland to the Island. That structure did not rise high enough however, because whenever too-tall ships would pass through the Bay, up would go the center section, halting traffic (and restless children) for what seemed like hours.

As a little girl, closer to home, I loved to be outside - even in the steambaths that passed for a Gulfcoast summer.

The restless horned toads in the field behind our house, the fragrant flowers of the oleanders which lined our driveway, and the flat, wide leaves of the banana tree next to our front door captured my attention and study.

And at the end of the street were the tempting dangers of the bayou!

Well, I survived childhood, giving my mother early gray hairs along the way.

My father was transferred in 1960, and we moved away, "up North."

It was years before I was able to return...busy, busy years of school, marriage and young children...

And, when I finally did, the intervening years fell away in a second. My heart recognized its familiar landscape!

Those images had never really left me...were only stored away in my heart.

The second location I carry with me always is Fauquier, Co., Virginia.

That's pronounced "Faw-keer" for all you non-Virginians!

This northern county of that beautiful state lies north of the Rappahannock River, and south of Manassas.

The rolling hills form the Piedmont Plateau, leading to the western mountains, the perfectly named "Blue Ridge."

Here and there the red clay hills are dotted with ash, beech and maple trees...and flowering dogwood.`Hawks patrol the skies.

Blue lobelias and laurels grow along the lowlands on either side of the Runs. Elk Run, Cedar Run, Licking Run, Tinpot Run...all flow into the Rappahannock.

My mother's family farmed property along these creeks for generations....But I've often wondered just how productive that red clay soil was....

Whenever possible I return to these graceful hills. The sight of them renews me...rewards me with their beauty and spirit.

And now my father is buried on one of them, in the middle of an old family plot, watched over by the soaring and vigilant hawks.

In the summer of '93, my husband, our 2 sons and I, made our first big trek to the West & Denver....and the route I'd planned took us along the old Oregon Trail, all through Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, following the Platte River.

We drove as far as Casper along this route, before dropping down to Denver.

But I, planning the trip, and with an agreeable husband, didn't choose the quickest route south.

Oh no! We had to take two little travelled roads down to Medicine Bow - remember The Virginian?? Starting out that morning, I confessed to my husband that this was our true destination and the object of my interest!

The road took us through an intermountain area, called the Shirley Basin.

South of Casper, there was little to see, except some old mining properties, pronghorn sheep, and the Cheney Ranch. The typical western gate and sign graced the entrance to the property. The dirt road led off to the west, if my memory is correct, no buildings visible.

But there was something more of interest along the way, at the juncture of the two state roads: a rest stop... a SOLAR-POWERED rest-stop. Newly built and as modern as it could be, the facility stood....in the middle of what most of us, if not the good people of Wyoming, would call "nowhere."

My family laughed at the incongruity, wondered at the number of visitors, and yes, we admired its operation....so much so that 2 years later, on another Denver trip, we returned there, going out of the way to make the pilgrimage.

Years later, we still laugh at the serendipity! On our way to deserted Medicine Bow, we found the world's most modern rest-stop!

If I were to write a book about our family's travels, I think a picture of this building would decorate the cover, as a symbol of the unexpected finds & laughs of family vacations.

And that is the third, special Place in my Heart.

Do you have such favorite locales?

What are they? WHY are they?

Tell us and share your heart!

Molly Pitcher

Our thanks to you, once again, Molly Pitcher, for being a guest writer today.
.....daisyscarlett

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 12-16-02 Christmas Is...FReeper Memories 12-17-02 FReeper Pets on Parade

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer! 1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar. 2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up. 3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit. 4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it. 5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[LadyX]

Thank you, Dubya, for providing the link to the effort of this remarkable young woman!
Gladly signed the petition, and encourage all to do so as well.

[RadioAstronomer]

I love Wyoming. :-) I grew up in Casper and graduated from the same high school as Vice President Dick Cheney. :-)

Thanks for the ping.

[Diver Dave]

Well Miss Daisy, I'm late, but I made it back and read through the whole thread.

What a great collection of Places of the Heart this has been. I've laughed and cried along with everyone.

There have been some graphics graphics, but there have been some beautiful pictures painted with the words of so many. I feel like I've traveled through the entire United States once again with the contributions today.

Thank you everyone for making this a very special day.

[jwfiv]

Thanks, Miss Daisy...it's been a good day, hope you rest well...sweet dreams to you.

[Diver Dave]

Today's stories take me back to the time when I was 5 years old. We lived in Spokane, WA. Right in the middle of the residential area where we lived was a place called the Garland Business district which was about 4 blocks from our house. There was a drug store, grocery, appliance, Dutch Boy paint store, a couple of taverns and a "dime store" along with a few other business.

The dime store would always have a Santa sitting in a large chair near one of the front windows and all of us kids from the neighborhood would go to the dime store to tell Santa what we wanted for Christmas.

In the evenings, after the dime store closed, Santa would go outside and climb on a float that was built by the Garland merchants and travel through the neighborhoods.

The float had a sleigh for Santa and three reindeer pulling the sleigh. The sleigh and reindeer were outline in neon lights and flood lights shined on the sleigh. Music was playing through the loudspeakers and Santa had a microphone and you could hear him hollering "HO HO HO, Merry Christmas for blocks. When he passed by our house, we would run out to the street and run beside him 'til he reached the corner. Little kids, big kids, Moms and Dads came outdoors in the cold to greet Santa.

The idea and concept went over so well, the city fire dept. had a sleigh built and every year through the time we left Spokane in '87, Santa has traveled every street in Spokane spreading the message of Merry Christmas to All and to all a good night. I imagine that it is still an annual event during the month of December.

[Diver Dave]

One more story about the "Dime Store."

When my brother and I were 5 years old, we were each given a dollar to go do our Christmas shopping at the dime store.

I got a present for each of my 3 sisters, my brother, Mom and Dad, Gramma and Grampa and 2 aunts.

The only present I remember is the one I got for Mom. It was a small figurine of a little boy dressed in blue with a lamb. I don't remember if it was coincidence or not, but Don got Mom the very same figurine.

Those figurines adorned Mom's knick-knack shelf until she gave it back to me a couple of years ago. It now sits on the knick-knack shelf of our house as does the other one at Don's house.

[daisyscarlett]

Good night Molly Pitcher. Thanks to your help today, Billie got her baking done, I finished wrapping gifts and shopped for holiday groceries and Lori and Dansy got to rest up and try to shake the "bug" they have.

It was a great thread, albeit a two hanky one...

DaisyScarlett

[daisyscarlett]

Gosh Dave, what a neat thing in Spokane...Santa riding in a sleigh...Love it...have never really seen a real sleigh with a real Santa in it before.

My town had four dimestores-Grant's, Woolworth's, Kresge's and one other whose name I forgot. We used to go to "town" and shop in the dimestores too. But there were perverts around then, too. I remember once, I was about 6 or 7, really young, (we were probably with an older sibling) my friend and I were looking at toys and a man in a raincoat came up to us and flashed us. Well, we had no idea what that was all about but we did have enough sense to go tell the salesclerk that "that man over there does not have any clothes on under his coat". And guess what, the clerk did not believe us and chastised us for "making up stories about that nice man".

And what a neat twins story of you and Don buying your Mom the same figurine...Thanks for sharing...as always...

[daisyscarlett]

THE KING IS BACK..THREAD FOR THURSDAY IS HERE..

[MistyCA]

Hey! Where have you been????? :)

[MistyCA]

thanks for the ping, DD. I haven't had the chance to read the entire thread, but I plan to. What I did read so far was very heartwarming. Thanks, Billie. Thanks, Daisy. You get many kudos and a few feathers in your cap for this one. :)

[Pippin]

Good Morning, HOTD!

Thanks for the picture! :6)

Have you seen the Two Towers yet?

[Pippin]

You have mail! :^)

[Pippin]

Good Morning, Lonestar!

I know what you are feeling at Christmas time as well as other times. My dad injured his head severely in the late 80's and ever since he has displayed symptons of Altzheimers, a condition foreign in his family, but since he as the doctors discribed "bruised his brian" he now has the same problems with being confused and lost. and short term memory was the first to go. He too, don't understand that it is Christmas, he's that confused!

May God bless you and your mother and my father this Christmas season and all through the year!

[lodwick]

Thanks for the petition link.

[lonestar]

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[FreeTheHostages]

At a convenient place (yesterday's threads), I note I haven't yet received the Clinton Legacy Cookbooks, but according to another thread here they were mailed out Monday. So I should receive them, as the mail's now going here in DC, today or tomorrow. I've got envelopes addressed to each of you all ready to go and I'm going to put them right back out in the mail to you Priority Mail. My theory is that doing this will give these books a good chance of arriving by Christmas Eve. It will be close.

That's just the update. I already mailed to people who won calendars (Pippin) or the Cheney book (SweetLiberty) Saturday, and Pippin (who lives in nearby Maryland) received it in the mail Wednesday. So at the rate mail is moving around here, worst case scenario is the book will arrive just a little after Christmas.

[FreeTheHostages]

Are you really a RadioAstronomer? That would be SO COOL.

[GailA]

That is excellent news. I like getting presents in the mail.

[jwfiv]

Hi, FTH, thanks for the update re: the cookbook.

Looking forward to it, like waiting for that Red Ryder BB-gun to arrive in the mail.

Wishing you the best of days, FRiend.