Fair Winds and Following Seas!

 

On January 21, 2022, Spud was promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade (LTJG, 02). He had been an Ensign (ENS, 01) for two years. His promotion was right on track.

Old rank of Ensign 

 New rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade

The Colonel, Spud's fiancée and I attended the ceremony which was held aboard Spud's ship, the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) in the wardroom because of inclement weather. 

Ship's crest, photo and rank images from the Internet

Spud gave us a quick lesson on how to board the ship before we stepped onto the gangplank. We had to walk partway up the gangplank, face the U.S. flag on the fantail, pause for a few seconds, continue up the gangplank and ask permission to come aboard before stepping onto the ship. A ship's bell was rung when The Colonel came aboard and his presence was announced over the ship's loudspeaker. He was the highest ranking person on board at the time.

Spud took us to the wardroom and soon after we arrived, it began to fill up with other sailors who wanted to be present for Spud's promotion. There was little room left when Spud's Captain and Executive Officer arrived.

The promotion ceremony was a short one. There was to be another sailor being promoted along with Spud, but she was ill and could not attend. After the ship's captain said a few words, Spud raised his right hand and renewed his oath of office.

The Colonel, Spud's fiancée and I pinned Spud's new rank onto his uniform.

When he had his new rank on, Spud then said a few words to those in the ward room. 

Spud's new rank.

Proud parents and fiancée.

Spud's captain granted him permission to give The Colonel, Spud's fiancée and I a tour of the ship. We climbed up and down narrow, metal stairs and stepped over bulkheads as we toured the ship (sorry, no pics of inside of the ship). Before we toured the ship's deck, Spud had us put his new rank on his jacket. It was still windy and a bit damp out.

After the promotion ceremony, we all headed back to the house so that Spud could change into civilian clothes before we went out for a celebratory lunch (we had the most delicious ramen bowl meal I have ever had...nothing at all like the ramen we all had during our college days). While back at the house, we gave Spud his promotion gift.

The Colonel's dad was in the navy during the Korean War, and when Spud sent us a picture of himself aboard his ship, The Colonel remembered seeing a picture of his dad taken 68 years earlier aboard his ship. The pictures were strikingly similar. That's when The Colonel had the idea to make the gift for Spud. He enlisted Yam's help to "meld" the two pictures together and then had the results printed on canvas. Spud was thrilled with his gift.

Both Spud and his Gpa have their work uniforms on and there is a ship, a destroyer in the background of each picture. Spud's Gpa passed away about a year before Spud entered the navy. He would have been so very happy for and proud of him. He would have loved Spud's gift too.

The Colonel and I were extremely delighted to be able to attend Spud's promotion. Next rank is Lieutenant, those two years will fly by!

Fair Winds and Following Seas to the new Lieutenant, Junior Grade! 

My Blue-Eyed Brother

Michael Anthony

May 2, 1966 - January 12, 2022

About three weeks ago, I made a trip back to Indiana. It had been just over two years since I had last been there. I was going back for my younger brother Michael's funeral. He had battled heart disease for many years. He was 55 years old.

Michael was my only blue-eyed brother. His eyes were a beautiful, icy blue.

He graduated from high school in 1984 and joined the U.S. Army and served with the 101st Airborne stationed in Germany.

I remember getting a large envelope in the mail back then. It had come from Germany. Inside was an 8x10 photograph of a beautiful German cow. My brother Michael had taken the photograph, had it enlarged and surprised me by sending it. I collected cow statues and things at the time. What a very thoughtful thing Michael did. 

I have another very fond memory of Michael. We were at a country/western bar-dance hall (I cannot remember the name) and he taught me the Texas Two-Step. Michael was a very good dancer and a patient teacher (I love to dance, so I was a quick study). When we danced, it was as if we were both weightless and glided across the dance floor. It seemed like we were one being, seamless in our movements. I had never experienced dancing like that before and probably never will again. Thank you Michael. 

As you could probably deduce from the hat, shirt and jacket Michael is wearing in the first photo, he had Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He loved to ride and had motorcycles for many years.

Michael and his wife Lisa were married for 32 years. They have two beautiful children, Jessica and Sean.

Michael and his family would come down to Florida and stay with us. They visited us while we lived in Key West and the Panhandle. We also took a trip to New Orleans together.

About 2-1/2 years ago, Michael became a grandfather. He liked to be called Pop-Pop. His son's wife gave birth to a boy and they named him Thorton Michael. He was Michael's most beloved grandson.

Michael's funeral service was lovely. Many family members and friends came and paid their respects. My dear friend, Kim came. It was so good to see her. Her younger sister was a friend of Michael's. It was very touching to hear the heartfelt words spoken about my brother. As we get older, move away and get busy with our own family lives, we sometimes miss parts of our siblings lives. It was wonderful to hear how my brother's life and love touched others and to see how many good friends he had. My sweet, blue-eyed brother.

All but one of my siblings was able to attend Michael's funeral. Two sisters drove up from Georgia, one brother drove in from Iowa, another brother still lives in Indiana and did not have far to drive, another sister drove up from Florida when she learned of Michael's death to help out Lisa and I flew in from Florida. Lisa had us all stay with her. She said she felt Michael's spirit was with us while we were all together. Michael would have wanted it that way too. It was so good to see my siblings again. I love you guys!

My youngest brother played the bagpipes for Michael when everyone arrived at the cemetery. Among some of the songs he played were the U.S. Army song and Notre Dame's fight song. Michael was a big Fighting Irish fan.

There was a gun salute as well, as Michael was buried with full military honors.

My two brown-eyed brothers saying their goodbyes to Michael.

We all went back to Michael and Lisa's house once the graveside ceremony was finished. Lisa had mountains of bar-b-que and all the fixings catered in and it was all ready when we arrived. It was good to sit, talk, visit and eat. 

It feels sad and strange to have one of the eight gone now. When one of your siblings passes away, it makes your mortality so much more real. I love you Michael, say hello to Mom and Dad.

Our family chain is broken

and nothing seems the same,

but as God calls us one by one

the chain will link again.

-Ron Trammer @ loveliveson.com

(Many of the photos were copied from Michael's Facebook page and those of his children. I ask for permission now as well as forgiveness for their use) 

Happy New Year!

 

Ode to 2021

 

Ode to 2021

The year was somewhat uneventful,

and somewhat forgetful.

Not much to write, about this life of mine,

which accounts for the blog posts, numbering nine.

I did write about water being wide, paint being dried,

Wordless Wednesdays (actually, no writing involved), Throwback Thursdays,

Darien, Georgia's history and a Liberty Tree,

the placing of my headstone, before my life's end

and making good on a promise to a friend.

I wish everyone a blessed and happy new year,

full of health, prosperity and good cheer.

I do have my doubts and the future looks a little dim,

That is why I place no trust in man, but only trust in Him.

The Water is Wide Indeed

The last time (April of this year) The Colonel and I took another vacation to Savannah, Georgia (one of our favorite places to visit), we also took a day trip to Daufuskie Island. South Carolina.

Daufuskie Island is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina and is located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah. It is 5 miles long by nearly 2-1/2 miles wide. The island is surrounded by the waters of the Calibogue Sound, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. It is accessible only by ferry or barge.

We woke up early in the carriage house we were staying at in Savannah and drove about one hour to the ferry dock. The ferry's departure was set for 7am. The ferry ride to Daufuskie Island took roughly one hour. The water was not choppy and the ride was comfortable.

We pulled alongside the island's dock, disembarked the ferry and began the walk to the island on a long pier. As we were walking, two of the passengers who rode with us, a middle-aged black woman and her young son, walked near us and were met with hugs and kisses from an older black woman (she was the mother/grandmother of the passengers). We smiled at them and the older woman said welcome to Daufuskie Island (more about her later).

There are not many cars on the island and most people get around via golf cart or bicycle. We choose the golf card route. The island is after all 5 miles by 2-1/2 miles in size (I do not think my legs or backside could handle all that bike riding). We picked up our fully-charged, electric golf cart and after a quick instruction on its operation, we were off to explore the island (with map in hand).

Most roads on the island are unpaved and are shaded by ancient, moss-covered oak trees. It was beautiful and quiet as we toured the island.

Daufuskie Island is home to just over 400 full-time residents. There are environmental preserves, private communities, resorts, Gullah houses, a winery, a lighthouse, art and history galleries on the island. Daufuskie Island was named an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places due to its Gullah and Civil War history. The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of the the United States. They still maintain some of their African culture and have a distinct creole language.

These are some of the Gullah cottages on the island.

There were a couple of churches on the island.

There were two school buildings on the island. One was the first little school for the African American children on the island and then the bigger school was built to take its place in the early 1930s.

The bigger school house is the one that was immortalized in Pat Conroy's book, The Water is Wide. He was a teacher there for a year (!969-1970). Below are some pictures of Pat Conroy from the time he was a teacher at the school. The pictures were hung in the school's windows. The Colonel and I wished to go in but the building was closed. The school building now houses an art shop/studio and a coffee shop,

The Colonel and I walked up to the the back door of the school and ordered some coffee through the window. While we were waiting for our coffees, I saw some books for sale. Pat Conroy's book, The Water is Wide and another from the local named Sallie Ann Robinson. 

Sallie Ann Robinson is a cookbook author, a celebrity chef and a cultural historian. She is a native of Daufuskie Island and noted for her knowledge of the Gullah traditions and history. Sallie Ann was also one of the students that Pat Conroy taught when he was on the island. The character Ethel in Pat Conroy's book, The Water is Wide, is based on Sallie Ann. Remember the black woman I spoke of earlier, the one we met on the pier coming onto the island?...she was Sallie Ann Robinson.

The Colonel and I had watched the movie Conrack (based on The Water is Wide) before our vacation. It was one of the reasons we wanted to visit Daufuskie Island, so it was exciting for us to actually run into one of Mr. Conroy's students and to see the school building where he taught.

The Colonel and I zipped up and down the island in our electric golf cart, ever mindful of how much power reserves we had. The little red bars on the dash kept us informed. We stopped by the winery and the lighthouse.

If you look closely at the above photo, you may see the light of the lighthouse.

We took a lunch break during our travels around the island. We wanted to eat at Lucy Bell's but it was closed so we ate at Old Daufuskie Crab Company at the Freeport Marina. The food and service were good and we had a nice water view. 

After lunch, we hopped back into our golf cart and visited other parts of the island. We saw the Oyster Union Society Hall. The oyster business was huge on the island and the canned oysters were shipped to many cities in the U.S. The oyster business declined in the 1950s due to pollution from the Savannah River.

We visited a couple of the seven Gullah cemeteries on the island. All Gullah cemeteries are near water. The Gullah belief is that the water will carry the spirits of the dead back to Africa.

We walked a little path to a marshy area of the island and saw some old tabby ruins along the way.

We also stopped by a beach on the island.

It was nearing time to head back to catch the ferry to the mainland, so we got into the golf cart and started back. According to the map, we were a long way from the dock. I looked down at the red bars that indicated how much battery power we had left and it showed about three bars. The man at the golf cart place said that when the bars flash quickly, you are nearly out of power. 

The Colonel had every confidence that we would have enough power to make it. I, on the other hand was feeling my blood pressure climb when ever I looked at the bars. The Colonel had the pedal mashed to the floor and it seemed to me that we were crawling at tortoise-like speeds. Every few seconds I would glance at the power bars...now there were only two. We still had more than half of the island to go. I kept looking at the map and then looking at the bars...one bar left. I was sure we would run out of power and miss the ferry.

The Colonel remained calm. The red bar began to flash and we still had a little ways to go...it began to flash quickly...where was that dock? Finally, with a red bar flashing out a rapid S.O.S. we pulled into the golf cart place and the man who worked there looked at the flashing bar with disbelief. He had never seen one of his carts that low on power after it had been used for the day. Whew...I was just glad to be back at the dock.

People were lining up on the dock awaiting the ferry. One woman had an interesting pet perched on her shoulder.

I forget now what the opossum's name was but I do remember it was a female. The woman said she had been orphaned as a tiny baby so she raised her.

The ferry ride back to the mainland was uneventful. 

The Colonel and I enjoyed our visit to Daufuskie Island very much. One more thing checked off the Bucket List.