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A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-18-02
Billie, Molly Pitcher, daisyscarlett

Posted on 12/17/2002 11:23:00 PM PST by 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.

<
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





TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: christmas; freepers; fun; military; surprises
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To: daisyscarlett
Yummy ! Thanks....
61 posted on 12/18/2002 8:08:45 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: Molly Pitcher; daisyscarlett
I don't have time to post my own thoughts and memories but I do want to tell you how much I enjoyed the efforts of you two lovely ladies ...... :-)

Molly ~~~ your descriptions are so vivid I feel as if I were by your side. Wonderful writing and heartwarming thoughts! Thank you!

daisy ~~~ your presentation is just perfect! Truly beautiful!



62 posted on 12/18/2002 8:08:57 AM PST by kayak
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To: WVNan
Yes. The people are very libertarian. My parents go way back past the founding of the state. They're both registered Republican. They both go to a (theologically strict) church. Yet they both shrugged and had no problem with the "civil union" law because their point of view is: what individuals do is not the government's business. Very strong libertarianism. Remember, Vermont was a separate republic for 14 years before it even joined the union. And we pretty much were playing the French against the British and doing a lot of drinking while shooting during the revolutionary wary. We've always had a touch of Australia in our attitude, if you will. So a part of it is a really strong core of libertarianism.

As to why it's so liberal, that's a recent phenom of the last 40 years. Vermont used to be very agrarian and grassroots conservative -- scrabble poor conservative. Never so much as New Hampshire (which was where the richer landed gentry, the fancy-pants conservatives lived, and where we stole their land to form our state). But when the farms died out, tourism and colleges became predominant industries in our state. That brought in rich liberals from places like -- gasp -- Connecticut. So very many people who live in Vermont now weren't born there.

Finally, Vermonters just don't like national parties. We have, at least in the past, always tried to find consensus with our neighbors. Partisanship and suing people was considered rude -- or at least not being a "good neighbor" -- if you carried it too far. Sure, you weren't a proper Vermonter if you didn't get upset about some issue and do a little protest of one with your sign on the corner of where the 2 main streets in your town intersect. Sure, there are lots of angry letters to the local paper. But in the end, people tried to get together on a resolution -- as you might expect in an agrarian community where people have to help each other.

A good example is environmentalism: Vermont Republicans always thought that environmentalism done right was a good thing. My Dad helped to right Act 250 and he was big in the Republican party. He'd always vote Republican on everything in the state senate except on environmental matters. The national Republican party people called him up one day and threatened to campaign against him in the primary at the next election if he didn't start towing the line. I know they did: I heard my father's end of the telephone conversation. He said gleefully: "You just do that!! People here don't like the national professional politicians, I'll clean up if you do that!!" And that's exactly what happened.

Now, you can say that's a good thing or a bad thing. But that's the kind of discipline-less libertarianism that runs rampant in the state.

Looking at the last 40 years, you could argue that that kinda attitude let Vermont wide-open to wholesale liberal immigration by people who played politics in a more hardball fashion. And that my father's less disciplined and neighborly approach fell by the wayside. Oh, don't doubt my Dad's conservative credentials: on most issues, he definitely was. But he didn't play political hardball.

The Vermont of my childhood is no more. Bernie Sanders is personally popular -- I don't think most Vermonters agree with him politically. It's not *that* bad. And combined with the liberalism there is still the libertarianism. But it's pretty bad. I guess the good news is that the state never did have much $ and you can't make a really good living there (that's why I live in DC but will retire in VT) on just brains and hard work. Passable, but not really good living. Calvin Coolidge once said, "Our people are Vermont's best export." It's true. The bright young people have to leave. And the rich retired people come. And the place gets less and less local.

This political revolution can easily occur in a state as small as Vermont -- about a million people. Remember, you can't build above a certain altitude in the state, so there's a lot of land that's not habitable. The place is only so big and the economy is only so stable. When liberals with $ come here, they're listened to.

Vermont's being sold out from under us.

BTW, thinking about the road to grandmother's house. I would have to say that the walk to my public library was precious to me. I loved that beautiful library.
63 posted on 12/18/2002 8:17:48 AM PST by FreeTheHostages
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To: WVNan
P.S. When I see your name now, I think of us as the tomboy Nancys. :)
64 posted on 12/18/2002 8:20:11 AM PST by FreeTheHostages
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To: LadyX
Beautiful post at 47 - it felt like I was riding along with you. Thanks much.
65 posted on 12/18/2002 8:20:26 AM PST by lodwick
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To: daisyscarlett; dansangel; Mama_Bear; Billie; Molly Pitcher
An excellent idea for today's thread, a wonderful thread of memories you share with us, Molly Pitcher, thank you.

Thank you, Hostesses...)

The place that is first and deepest in my heart is my Grandpa's 80 acres of cotton farm in West Texas, outside a dusty little town called Maple. It is sacred to me, my Jerusalem. Hot summer days, snowy Christamases...yellow watermelon...exploring Grandpa's sheds and junkpiles...walking the furrows, a treasure of dirt clods, dark and rich soil, little puffs of white in the rows of green. The sight of Grandpa out on his John Deere, far off on the flat horizon. Grandma's voice, and her kitchen.

I dream about it once in awhile, being there...it is always changed a little, but still feels the same, like home.

66 posted on 12/18/2002 8:28:43 AM PST by jwfiv
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To: daisyscarlett; Molly Pitcher
Daisy and Molly,

Thank you both for this beautiful thread. When I read your words, Molly, I pictured in my mind how this thread should look, and when Daisy's plans for being gone this week changed and she could help with this week's presentations after all, she took your words, and created this, one of the most elegant and beautiful Christmas threads I've ever seen.


67 posted on 12/18/2002 9:13:07 AM PST by Billie
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To: Billie
Howdy, Billie!!! :^)
68 posted on 12/18/2002 9:15:06 AM PST by Pippin
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To: daisyscarlett
Good morning. Can I interest you in some of Meek's cocoa with cookies?

Good morning/afternoon (-:

yes, I'll have a cookie, thank you (no cocoa today...I'm full of coffee..) (-;
69 posted on 12/18/2002 9:21:28 AM PST by firewalk
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To: daisyscarlett
A Christmas Place

The year is 1937 and the world is gray. At the end of a muddy, rutted, dirt road deep in the rolling hills of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee you will see a gray clapboard cabin. Beyond the cabin the road drops into a creek swollen with winter rains. It doesn't matter, for nothing travels this road except horse-drawn wagons.

The cabin sits on a foundation of stacked limestone rock; a pillar of rock at each corner. If you are so minded you can throw a cat under the house and it will land on it's feet in the back yard. An L-shaped porch wraps around the front and side of the house, and the tin roof sags between the poles too weak for the load of it.

Inside the front door is a small alcove with a set of stairs leading up to an attic floor. Underneath the open stairs is a double bed that fills the remainder of the space in the alcove. The floors are made of a single layer of planks and when the wind whistles under the house, it pushes up between the boards so that one's feet are always cold. Beyond the entrance is a large room with an open fireplace made of giant slabs of limstone. The fire is the only color in the room except for the quilt on Mom and Dad's bed. The room serves as bedroom and living room. To the side of that room is a kitchen with a wood stove, a couple of tables, and a pie safe. Water is drawn from a well outside the kitchen door.

It's Christmas Eve and the family; Mom, Dad, Jo, Bill and Nan are sitting in front of the open fireplace. Mom is large with child again. She is shaking a popcorn popper over the flames. The children are stringing popcorn onto threads, diligently working to decorate the cedar tree that Dad has cut earlier and set in the corner over by the kitchen. They have already cut snowflackes from folded pages out of the Sears-Roebuck catalog and placed them on the tree. It is a peaceful scene as the children dream of the wonders of Christmas. They look forward to morning when there will be apples and oranges and peppermint candy in the stockings they have hung on the mantle. They know there will be no toys.

All is too quiet for a house full of small children. Suddenly comes a STOMP, STOMP, STOMP on the wooden boards of the front porch! The children are startled and frightened. Then, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! The door threatens to remove itself from it's hinges. The children run to hide behind Mom as Dad goes to the door. In a moment he returns followed by an apparition in black who is shouting, HO! HO! HO!

Dad says, "Children, look who's here. It's Santa Claus!"

The children have never seen Santa Claus. They have heard of him and how he delivers toys to children on Christmas, but he has never stopped at their house before. The loud, frightening person stomps over to the chair by the fireplace and sits down. He pats his knee and says, "Come children, sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you want for Christmas."

Bill, not wanting to show cowardess, ventures closer. Jo is measuring the distance between fear and curiosity. Nan is cowering behind Mom with undisguised terror. The man in black has a red face, making it an added color to the fire and the quilt.

After Bill and Jo have gathered courage enough to get close to Santa to express their wishes, Mom and Dad insist that Nan must go and tell Santa what she wants for Christmas or else she might not get anything in her stocking. Eventually avarice gains the upper hand over fear and Nan moves a few steps beyond Mom's chair and whispers, "I want a doll."

As Santa prepares to leave, Bill remembers something he has heard about Santa. "Santa, where are your reindeer?"

Santa replies, "I left them across the creek. There's not enough room for them on your roof." Then he stomps across the planks and booms out the front door hollering, "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!"

The silence in the room is more pronounced after the noise of the nocturnal visitor. The children are amazed and speechless, and Dad meets no resistence when he orders them to bed. They get into pajamas by the fireplace and run to the bed under the stairs as Mom brings warm bricks wrapped in cloth to tuck at their feet.

Christmas morning breaks cold and crisp with ice forming on everything, including the water standing in the bucket on the kitchen table. The children run to the fireplace and grab their stocking from the mantle. Yes, Santa has left apples, oranges, peppermint sticks and nuts in the stockings. The children are happy as they tackle the unfamiliar task of peeling oranges. Dad comes in and says, "Look! There seems to be something under the Christmas tree!"

He reaches under the tree and brings out some packages wrapped in newspaper and tied with colorful ribbon. He reads from the packages, "This one says to Bill," as he hands Bill the gift. The girls watch as their brother tears open the paper to reveal a toy truck. Wonder of wonders! Now they are excited to receive their own packages. Jo finds books and paper dolls. Nan, who asked for a doll, was overjoyed to open a miniature trunk containing, not one, but two tiny dolls. It was the first Christmas gift she had ever received and one that she would treasure for the rest of her life. But the greatest gift of all is the memory of a night when Santa Claus himself crossed the creek and manifested in a little country cabin in Tennessee. Merry Christmas to all!


70 posted on 12/18/2002 9:40:48 AM PST by WVNan
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To: Billie; WVNan; Molly Pitcher; kayak; SpookBrat; MistyCA; lodwick; Mixer; humblegunner; dansangel; ..
Hey, Y'all!

In an earlier post on today's thread I commented about one of my most memorable places we went to, now here's another place I remember with fond memories, I was hesitant to name this place since it is not in the US, but, since we did spend Christmas there several time when I was growing up and my mother was born and raised there, I need to mention it.

I told you about my dad's birthplace and parents and family. But we would alternate our visits between my dad's people and my mom's folks.

Mom was born in a small town in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, called St. Walburg.

A small town who's main source if income was grain crops and beef and dairy products. It was founded in the early 20th century by mostly people from Minnesote, North Dakota and other northern states. There were also Germans, Ukraininas, French, English, and even Jewish people there. but the town was predominately Catholic, such as my mom's family.

Her parents migrated there from Minnesota at separate times in around 1903. They met and married in 1911 and raised 6 children in different towns in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. My mom was thier youngest child.

When I was growing up in the 1960's we used to go one year to Tennessee and the nexy year to Saskatchewan. so we got to know both sets of grandparents and Aunts and uncles.

Though, my mom's dad died before we were born, so I only knew my grandmother.

I can remember all the fun we had in Saskatchewan. I loved to hear about the antics of my mom and her siblings. There were not as many cousins to play with as my mom was the only one in her family to marry and have children. So we played with each other and explored the area around were my grandmom's farm was. We went acouple times to spend Christmas with Grandma Fuchs, as we would call her, and our Aunts and Uncles there. We would always have to bundle up there as winter in that part of Canada was wicked and when it snowed it didn't fool around with a few flurries here and there, It would start to snow in around October and stay til April.

A week before Christmas our uncles would take us kids out to find a Christmas tree, that evening we would spend in setting it up and decorating it. they didn't have a regular stand so they used an old wagon wheel that worked just fine!

On Christmas Eve we always opened our presents.

What I loved most about my mom's family was the closeness they had/have to each other, the sense of humor of each member.

Though ther are only my mom and one of her sisters and two of her brothers left, the memories keep the others alive!

71 posted on 12/18/2002 9:42:09 AM PST by Pippin
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To: WVNan
Hi, Nan!

What a beautiful story!

I just wiped tears out of my eyes from posting my memories of Christmases in Saskatchewan, Canada. Then I read your story and had to wipe them away again!

Merry Christmas!

72 posted on 12/18/2002 9:45:25 AM PST by Pippin
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To: FreeTheHostages
I can see that Vermont and WV are very similar. Same kind of folks, same kind of "mind-your-own-business" folks. Small population. vulnerable to exploitation by $$.
73 posted on 12/18/2002 9:46:22 AM PST by WVNan
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To: Molly Pitcher
Wow! Your description of the Galveston Causeway really took me back. I remember that old drawbridge as well and when the new causeway was built. (BTW, did you know there's a new causeway in the works?) Do you remember the railroad bridge that runs parallel to the causeway? I remember crossing over the bay via train on one of my field trips from school. It was very exciting for a 7-year-old.

We also had oleanders in our yard and made leis from the blooms. This was before it was discovered that oleanders are (gasp!) poisonous. How did we ever survive?!

Thanks for your writings today. They were so enjoyable.


74 posted on 12/18/2002 9:48:14 AM PST by ru4liberty
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To: lodwick; Molly Pitcher
Thanks for the Galveston sunrise. I was happy to learn more about Galveston..did a google search and found some great pics of the oil rigs and shrimp boats. Musta been fun growing up there in the "good ole days" when we were not so paranoid about letting the kidlets go outside "to play" independently.

Merry Christmas!
DaisyScarlett

75 posted on 12/18/2002 9:50:30 AM PST by daisyscarlett
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To: daisyscarlett; Molly Pitcher
Bravo. Thanks for what you do, and you write beautifully, Molly!
76 posted on 12/18/2002 9:52:00 AM PST by MistyCA
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To: WVNan
Oh, Nan - thanks for transporting us with you to a different time - - when there were few sniveling Gimme-Gimmee/I WANT critters the old Santa would have given a lump of coal..:)))

May we all capture and appreciate the true spirit of giving, and gracious receiving, and honestly honor the One Who was Born on Earth that we could know Love..

77 posted on 12/18/2002 9:53:49 AM PST by LadyX
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To: dutchess; kayak; Mixer
Good afternoon!

dutchess sorry about your kitty! Yikes.

Kay, thank you so much....note to you soon....

78 posted on 12/18/2002 9:54:15 AM PST by Molly Pitcher
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To: ladtx
Thanks for posting the names of the brave men lost today in VietNam and for posting "Fiddler's Green"...
79 posted on 12/18/2002 9:54:16 AM PST by daisyscarlett
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To: Pippin
Thanks for pinging me to that memory, Pippin. I enjoy reading the thoughts and feelings that you share. :)
80 posted on 12/18/2002 9:54:25 AM PST by MistyCA
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