Maxine at her best!

It's bigger than you think!

Comparing a photo with the actual monument site... you will have to agree with me... the Iwo Jima monument is bigger than you think... A lot bigger! Lou and I love to visit DC and everytime we go there, we see something new ... This one particular time, we went in early spring... it was a nice day for a walk... we didn't have to wear jackets, but we did wear long sleeves. We took the Metro as far as we could to get to the monument. Then we took a short hike... even walked past the USA Today building... we came up to some stairs and were slowy walking down them... into the monument grounds... We paused to take the site in... and then we noticed a young soldier sitting on a concrete wall... it appeared as if he was meditating or maybe praying... his head was bowed and we heard him murmuring... a prayer or two perhaps... And, so as to not to disturb him, we walked back up the way we came and found another way into the site... As we walked closer to the monument... we both felt the power of the pose... the closer we got to the site... the smaller we felt...You really must see this monument in person in order to feel the full power of the sculpture and what the artist is trying to convey... Freedom isn't free... you must earn it, one step at a time...MMM

A Snowy New Years Eve 2001

Yes, before moving "down South", we lived in Upstate New York... and the winters could be brutal...We live in an area that was prone to "whiteouts"... where it snowed so hard and you couldn't see in front of your car... very dangerous to drive in...
The top picture is of our house, before we re-sided it with vinyl siding... it is a beautiful picture with all the fluffy snow... the sun was out and the light on our house was just perfect for a picture...we had just cleaned out the driveway and thought this would make a great picture postcard. The middle picture is of Lou, using the snow thrower... he always started out at the beginning of the driveway and worked back toward the garage. He would make a swipe with the machine, and I would follow after him, cleaning up the "scrumbles" with my shovel... In the smaller spaces, I would go in first and push the snow out so he could get in the area with his machine.. we don't miss those snowy days... we love being in the sunshine...and living "down South".... Both Lou and I are from the "South"... he is from Southside Chicago and I'm from Southern California... so, we fit right in... down South...
The third picture is Mizey, "supervising" our project... It doesn't matter what Lou and I are doing, Mizey is right there too...being nosey and watching what we are doing... it's his job... and he does it well... nary a complaint from Mizey...just woofing and tail wagging and smiley brown eyes... woof! woof! MMM

Oh Dear!... I let her eat paper!

We were at Niagara Falls, NY, and I was watching Baby Rose (our first grandchild) while Mark and Terri were off seeing the sites... Lou took the picture. It appears, Baby Rose was amusing herself with something... I not really paying attention because I am smiling at the camera... We had a lovely time at Niagara Falls... what an awesome place to see... when you are overlooking the Falls... you can feel the power of all that water flowing over the rocks and falling down into the Niagara River. But, then again, we always had a lovely time while at Niagara Falls... it is an awe-inspiring, breathtaking place to be... I confess, I was really nervous when I was watching Rose... I was not use to being around children... having never had any... not that I didn't want children... it was just a fact of my life ... At any rate, as I remember this mis-adventure, Lou had wondered off to find Mark and Terri... it was time for us to move onto another venue at the Falls. Rose was fiddling with a piece of paper while I was pushing her around in the stroller... All of a sudden, Rose had the paper in her mouth, and really going at it... at that time, she didn't have any teeth, so she was gumming it... slobber all over the place, and then, she ate a small piece of the paper... I was horrified... and ashamed that something happened on my watch! I was so afraid Rose would become sick... As soon as Terri came back... I blurted out that I let Rose eat paper and I was so sorry about it... Terri just looked at me and... smiled... reassuring me that Rose would live to see another day... babies like to put things in their mouths... it is a way of finding out stuff... and Boy, did I feel so much better... So, now, being a lot more experienced, when I'm watching the grandkids... I am in Heaven on Earth! We have seven "grands"... 5 from Mark and Terri and 2 from Marshall and Sharon. Each time we see them, it is such a delight... I enjoy every minute with them... as if our lives would end at midnight... MMM

Let's see... "where can I take a nap today?"

So, I wonder where Mize is? Probably off somewhere in the house... doing his second favorite thing... taking a nap...In this posting, I am including some snaps of Mize in various spots in the house and in some of his favorite positions... The one that looks the least comfortable to me is when he is laying half off his pillow... Anyway and any rate, Mize is so much fun... even in his senior years... he is now 11 years old... and still has some puppy in him...We found Mize at the pound at Fort Drum... We wanted to get a dog, and we already had a name for him before we even found him... We gave him my maiden name, Mize. We had him neutered and then called Dad... Lou told Dad that Mize was the only Democrat in the house... Dad was a little taken aback, but none-the-less, he saw the humor in it... and was delighted he had a name sake. So, this morning, while I am creating this posting, Mizey has squeezed himself between Lou's desk and the window sill... taking a nap... snoring of course...I guess it is like being in a cave... looks mighty uncomfortable to me... I'm on my way to Curves and when I return, I will take him for a short jaunt up to the pond so he can check his "P-mail"... and I know Mizey will leave a few messages (squirts) and maybe a stinky package too!

MMM

Thoughts for living our lives...

Credenda From "The Gift of Acabar" Written by Og Mandino and Buddy Kaye.

Turn away from the crowd and its fruitless pursuit of fame and gold.

Never look back as you close your door to the sorry tumult of greed and ambition.

Wipe away your tears of failure and misfortune.

Lay aside your heavy load and rest until your heart is still.

Be at peace; already it is later than you think, for your earthly life, at best, is only the blink of an eye between two eternities.

Be unafraid; nothing here can harm you except yourself.

Do that which you dread and cherish those victories with pride.

Concentrate your energy.

To be everywhere is to be nowhere.

Be jealous of your time, since it is your greatest treasure.

Reconsider your goals.

Before your set your heart too much on anything, examine how happy they are who already possess what you desire.

Love your family and count your blessings.

Reflect how eagerly they would be sought if you did not have them.

Put aside your impossible dreams and complete the task at hand no matter how distasteful.

All great achievement comes from working and waiting.

Be patient. God's delays are never God's denials.

Hold on. Hold fast.

Know that your paymaster is always near.

What you sow, good or evil, that you will reap.

Never blame your condition on others.

You are what you are through your choice alone.

Learn to live with honest poverty, if you must, and turn to more important matters than transporting gold to your grave.

Never meet trouble half way.

Anxiety is the rust of life; when you add tomorrow's burden to today's, their weight becomes unbearable.

Avoid the mourners bench and give thanks instead for your defeats; you would not have them if you did not need them.

Always learn from others.

He who teaches himself has a fool for a master.

Be careful. Do not overload your conscience.

Conduct your life as if it were spent in an arena filled with tattlers.

Avoid boasting, if you see anything in you that buffs you with pride, look closer and you will find more than enough to make you humble.

Be wise. Realize that all men are not created equal, for there is no equality in nature, yet no man was ever born whose work was not born with him.

Work everyday as if it were your first, yet tenderly treat the lives you touch as if they will end at midnight.

Love everyone, even those who deny you, for hate is a luxury you cannot afford.

Seek out those in need.

Learn that he who delivers with one hand will gather with two.

Be of good cheer. Above all, remember that very little is needed to make a happy life.

Look up. Reach out.

Cling simply to God and journey quietly on your pathway to forever with charity and a smile.

When you depart it will be said that your legacy was a better world than the one that you found.

A tale of the cakes...

The picture on the left is of Grandma Mize... Leona was her name.... taken between 1940-1950... Leona Crary Purcell Mize... 1900-1963

A tale of the cakes… a little rivalry is good for the family, and there was always some sort of cooking/baking competition between Mom and Grandma Mize. Every month, Mom would buy the newest issue of “Ladies Home Journal” and “McCall’s Magazine”. She would religiously read all the articles and if there was a recipe that caught her eye, she would try it out on us. I’m taking a guess and thinking this was back in the late 1950s… maybe early 1960s and Mom found the German Chocolate cake recipe in one of the magazines I mentioned before…the recipe was all the “rage” (fad)… The cake is a three layer cake of chocolate with a wonderful icing of sugar with coconut and pecans. When birthdays came around, we would request it as our cake. Since Grandpa and Grandma Mize lived in the area, of course, they were always at our family birthday parties. This one particular year, Mom made the cake for one of us... I really don’t remember for whom, but I do remember the next time Grandpa and Grandma Mize came for a visit, Grandma Mize brought a three layer dark chocolate cake she “invented” and appropriately named it, “Best Ever Chocolate Cake”. So, here is the recipe for Grandma Mize’s cake:
2 ½ cups of flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 cup milk
1 tsp vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shortening
½ cup cocoa
1 cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening with the sugar and eggs; blend cocoa and flour with soured milk. Mix all together; add hot water and blend. Pour into 3 cake pans that have been greased and floured...Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Frost with your favorite flavor... Grandma Mize would use a dark chocolate frosting she made... sorry, don't have that recipe.

That's my story for this posting... MMM

I'm standing next to a dinosaur thigh bone

It's Friday, or TGIF... and my husband would say, "Toes go in first." Anyway, sometime in the 1990s, Lou and I drove from Upstate New York to California. We were on a trip to visit my family, Dad and my brother Gary. One of the places we visited along the way was the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah... actually, half of the "park" is in Utah and the other half is in Colorado... we were in the Utah part... An awesome place to visit... one should put it on their "bucket list". There is a museum with all kinds of bones to look at...and then one can take a guided tour out to actual digs... and they will let you dig too. Lou took my picture next to this thigh bone... I'm 5 feet, two inches tall, so imagine what the creature was like when it was alive. And, while I am thinking about dinosaurs, I'm remembering when I was attending college... I had to have 9 units of science... and I took a class for 1 unit... it was an 8 week class and met on Saturdays.. One of the places we went to was Cabrillo Beach, in Southern California... where there were huge limestone beds, and yes, if one chipped away at hunks of limestone, and gently cracked a piece open, you would find petrified fish in them...While we were in LA, we took a little side trip and went to see the LaBrea Tarpits... and the pits are still active, bubbling up gases from down deep in the earth.. So, I can cross off looking for dinasaurs from my "bucket list"... been there and done that! MMM

The tree in front of our house in Upstate New York

I always loved this tree... it was in front of the house we lived in... West Carthage, NY. It is a maple tree... and it was beautiful throughout the year... one the trunk, just above the snow, Lou attached a squirrel... and it always looked like it was scampering up the tree. Winters could be brutal in this part of the world. There were times it was so cold, even the hairs in your nose would freeze... and that is really cold. One could always tell when soldiers from the South were stationed at Fort Drum... when driving to work, you would see all these cars that rolled over in a farmer's field.. because they were driving too fast for the icy conditions. The area around Fort Drum is mainly dairy farmland. When I talk about Fort Drum and upstate New York... everyone envisions New York as one big city. In the spring, summer and fall, when I went out on the deck that was at the back of our house, I could hear the cows off in the distance, lowing... moo... moo... what a peaceful sound. My story today is this...One day in early spring, while driving into work, I saw some cows standing around a cow... in a circle. I noticed there was some steam coming from the center of the circle... just then, several of the cows moved out of the circle and I was able to see that a baby calf was laying on the ground... it had just been born... and it was an awesome site to behold. Yes, I said behold... because I was awe struck to be in this place, at the right time to see this site... I thought to myself.... this is probably what the Wise Men felt when they found Baby Jesus in the manger... to behold such an awesome site... and these thoughts have been with me ever since... MMM

Wednesday and is this the way to Amarillo or what?

I'm posting one of my favorite little movies that I received via an email. It was made by some English soldiers from the Royal Dragoons while they were stationed in Iraq. As part of our mission, Army Libraries provide recreational reading, and of late, we have provided listening also with the purchase of "Playaways"... books in iPod format. We send out paperback book kits, each kit has 20-25 brand new paperbacks with recreational reading and also self-help nonfiction such as study guides for CLEP exams, ASVAB to name a few subject types found in the kits. Prior to deployment, we coordinate with Chaplains and give out kits to be packed up with their gear. Down time is important for soldiers.. to rest, relax and get their mind focused for the next assignment. At Fort Stewart, we assist soldiers with managing and navigating through their AKO accounts; helping them connect with online safety courses they are required to complete prior to deployment. We see lots of Reservists and National Guard units in for training. And they sometimes need lost of help. Back in January 2005, there was a day we had 993 come through our doors, and 90% were going to be deployed that weekend. Many of them never established an AKO account, or even looked at their MyPay account. We went beyond the call of duty because we did not want these soldiers to leave Fort Stewart with unfinished business. Soldiers were doing online banking to set-up automatic payments to their families for child support; mortgage payments, insurance, car payments.. it was an amazing day... And I am so proud of my staff... circulation desk and administrative...each of them stepped up to the plate and delivered... making sure our soldiers left with their affairs in order.

MMM

Tuesday, the day after Monday

As it has been in our entire relationship, Lou and I have to be even... So, back to my comments on the Wax Museum in NYC on yesterday, there was a foto op for me...and I would have backed up closer to Wolfgang's hand, had there not been people watching us set up the picture. I was a little... shall we say, shy, to do this pose... None-the-less, Lou and I had a good laugh at each other and with each other when it was all said and done. More craziness is promised for tomorrow...

MMM

It's Monday, the start of a new week. Let's see... what to write about... so many stories and lots of time to write them. My husband with Marilyn Monroe at the Wax Museum in NYC...

A dream of his was realized when he saw Marilyn, standing there, big as life... a foto op popped in his head... this is the result... Lou has a great sense of humor! lol We found a very inexpensive place to stay on Staten Island, at Fort Wadsworth... for a fully furnished townhouse - $85 per day... 3 bedroom... 3 minute walk to the bus that takes you to the Manhatten ferry...We took our oldest son, Mark, his lovely wife, Terri and our oldest granddaughter, Rose. We stayed 4 days, and on Friday, on our way back to the Columbia, SC and then onto Savannah, GA area, we spent several hours in Philadelphia. Being retired military, we take advantage of staying at military lodging... can get some really good deals.

MMM

My first posting

My very first posting today. Been thinking about doing this ever since I began reading my daughter-in-law, Terri's blog. Naturally, I'm kind of nervous about the whole thing. I do have some fun things to share with the world. My first thing is that I actually had an opportunity to meet Hillary Clinton... not that I would ever vote for her! She came to visit Fort Drum for the first time back in late 2000. We rehearsed for about two weeks so we would be comfortable with her. She was escorted by MG James Campbel, the Commanding General of Fort Drum at the time. I watch her walk toward the Library/Education Center. She looked like she was gliding... I think First Ladies to go "First Lady Finishing School" when they first arrive at the White House where they are taught how to walk and talk, etc. She toured the Education Center first and then came to the Library. I gave her a tour of the facility. Besides providing recreational reading, the Library at Fort Drum had 48 patron computers with Internet access. As an Army Library, it is part of our mission to provide our Soldiers with reading materials during deployments. I showed Senator Clinton a sample of a paperback kit we mail to our Soldiers. I gave her the Library's copy of her book, "It Takes a Village". As I presented the book to her to sign, she noticed the binding was torn. Thinking in my head, "OMG! the binding is broken, what am I going to say"...I told her that the book was checked out so much, the binding broke. She smiled and signed the book.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it! MMM