Wordless Wednesday

Halloween Haints

Halloween, our favorite holiday, is nearly here. The Colonel saw a new Halloween decorating idea on line and wanted see if we could do it for ourselves. There were no instructions accompanying the photograph of the decoration but we both hold college degrees and felt very confident in our ability to execute the project.

We were going to make ghosts to set out in the yard. We wanted to make one for our yard and one for My-Favorite-Father-In-Law's yard. He also likes decorating for Halloween.

The material used in the ghost fabrication is chicken wire. The Colonel and I stretched out the roll of chicken wire and using wire cutters, cut the roll into four 6-ft pieces.

We then took two of the pieces and "stitched" them together with tiny zip ties to create a tall tube.

We placed the chicken wire tube over a bucket so that it would stand as we began forming our ghost. We used a piece of rope to mark the shoulders. The Colonel then cut the excess wire away (we would use that to form the head) and we closed the top end of the tube.

Sculpting with chicken wire is not easy. I pinched and pulled on the wire and eventually a ghostly human form took shape.

The Colonel worked on the head as I worked on the body.

When we were satisfied with the form of the ghost we took her out into the yard to be painted.

We were pleased with our first attempt. We placed her in various spots in the yard to see what she would look like.

The Colonel then painted the yard ghost with glow-in-the-dark spray paint. We later checked her out in the dark garage. She glowed perfectly.

It was time to sculpt another ghost with the remaining chicken wire. The second ghost took less time to make (we knew by then what we were doing). She was taller than the first ghost and she looked older. I got the feeling that they were mother and daughter ghosts.

The Colonel and I liked the older, taller ghost and decided to give her daughter to My-Favorite-Father-In-Law. He was thrilled with her. We placed her in the front yard and used landscape staples to anchor her in place.

When we returned home we placed our ghost in our front yard. She looked great. I especially think seeing the fence through her is a great effect.

This is my other Halloween yard decoration...a pole-dancing skeleton. I couldn't resist. It is lit up at night with a spot light.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A Little Birthday Lagniappe

My birthday is September 9th...it is now the 13th. The Colonel ordered some gifts for me that are still in route...he ordered them in time but you know how the postal service can be.

One of the belated gifts arrived today (one more to come). As The Colonel pulled the package out of the mailbox and handed it to me I could tell it was a book.

"I hope you like it."

"Of course I will like it."

I didn't like it...I LOVED it!

It was a book written by Gene Wilder (June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016).

My French Whore is Gene Wilder's first novel. It was written in 2007.

I am currently reading another book and this will be the next one I read. I am looking forward to it.

Like many fans of Gene Wilder, I was saddened by his death last month but remembered the films he starred in that made me a fan in the first place.

My favorite of course is Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

Who can ever forget those big, blue eyes and wild, fly-away hair?

Then there was the "Waco Kid" from Blazing Saddles.

Blazing Saddles was the first R-rated movie I saw. I was in high school and my parents were out of town so my Aunt Mary was taking care of my siblings and I.

"Aunt Mary can I go see a movie with my friend tomorrow evening?"

"Is it a movie that your parents would let you see?"

Knowing full-well that it was an R-rated movie and my parents would not have let me go, I answered...

"Yes, it's a Western."

Another all-time-favorite is Young Frankenstein.

The movie's director, Mel Brooks was a genius! I recently watched Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) with Yam. What Mel Brooks took away from those movies and then used in his movie was pure, comedic genius. I highly recommend watching both movies and then watching Brooks' movie (or vice versa). I think you will agree with me...Mel Brooks = Genius. 

Back to My French Whore...

The Colonel said he was reading on-line about Gene Wilder's death and came across this book. He knows I am a huge Wilder fan and decided to get me a copy for my birthday.

He finds a lot of  used books on-line and they are often very reasonably priced (even with shipping).

The Colonel handed me the package from the mailbox. I opened it.

"The book seller listed this book as used but never read."

"I love it, thank you!"

"Since it is a used book, I wonder if it was signed by Gene Wilder. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Yes."

"The book seller did not list it as an autographed copy."

I opened the book and turned to the title page and what did I see?

The Colonel and I could not believe it. There was Gene Wilder's autograph on the cream-colored page.

"I don't think the book seller even knew it was signed. I am sure they would have asked a higher price for the book if they had, especially because Gene Wilder is now dead."

"You would think so but I am glad they didn't."

"Me too."

I love the way The Colonel always gets the perfect gift for me...Gene Wilder's autograph is just a little lagniappe (an extra gift) on the side.

Sometimes the universe hands out a lagniappe too. The Colonel and I had lunch at one of our favorite spots. When you pay your bill there is always a big container near the register and it is full of candy. Anyone can grab a piece (only one). I like it when they have Tootsie Pop suckers. The candy The Colonel picked out was none other than Willy Wonka's Everlasting Gobstoppers.

Note: 9/16/16 - Today my last birthday present from The Colonel arrived. Another example of him always getting me the perfect gift!

Mad Anthony's Fort

The Colonel and I not only stopped by the grave site of "Johnny Appleseed" while in Fort Wayne, Indiana, we also visited the fort of "Mad Anthony" Wayne.

Anthony Wayne (1745-1796) was a United States Army officer, statesman, and member of the United States House of Representatives. He began a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to brigadier general and the nickname "Mad Anthony". He later served as General in Chief of the Army and commanded the Legion of the United States.

Fort Wayne was the successor of several previous military outposts at this location. Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes built the first fortified trading post on this site in 1704 called Fort Miami.

The French came to the area known as Fort Wayne in the 1680's. Fort Miami was occupied until 1760 when it was surrendered to the British after the French and Indian War.

Fort Wayne was established by Captain Jean Francois Hamtramck under the orders from General Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Indians of the area. The fort was named after General Wayne, who was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne may not have chosen the name himself, as the fort was dedicated the day after he left it.

The fort was officially occupied by the army on October 21, 1794. It is a basic stockade with few buildings.

Wayne's army (normally consisted of about 100 men and their families) arrived in the area on September 17, 1794 and Wayne selected the site for the new fort. He wanted a strong fort built, capable of withstanding not only an Indian uprising, but also a possible attack by the British from Fort Detroit. The fort was finished in one month and was capable of withstanding 24-pound cannons. It was placed under the command of Major Hamtramck who had been commander of Fort Knox in Vincennes. The fort was officially dedicated on October 22, 1794 and is considered the founding of the modern city of Fort Wayne.

In 1798, Colonel Thomas Hunt took command of the fort. He had a new fort built several hundred yards north of the original. The first fort was demolished about 1800.

During the War of 1812, Fort Dearborn (in present Chicago) was evacuated and its residents tried to reach Fort Wayne, but were massacred by Indians before they arrived. Fort Wayne was next besieged by the Indian forces of Tecumseh. General William Henry Harrison (who later became the 9th president) arrived on September 12th and broke the siege.

After the war, a town began growing around Fort Wayne. A third fort was built in 1816. The fort was officially abandoned on April 19, 1819, and its contents shipped to Fort Detroit.

In 1796, "Mad Anthony" Wayne died of complications from gout. He was buried at what is now Erie, Pennsylvania. In 1809, his body was disinterred and boiled to remove any remaining flesh. As many bones as possible were placed in two saddle bags and relocated by Wayne's son, Isaac, to the family plot in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

Legend says that many bones were lost along the way which now encompasses much of modern U.S. Route 322 and every January 1st ("Mad Anthony's birthday), Wayne's ghost wanders the highway searching for his lost bones.

John Chapman aka "Johnny Appleseed"

Before The Colonel and I left Indiana after my mother's June funeral we made a visit to Ft. Wayne. I had never been to Ft. Wayne and was looking forward to some of it's historical sites.

The Colonel knew that John Chapman aka "Johnny Appleseed" was buried somewhere in Ft. Wayne. We have all heard about Johnny Appleseed (thanks to Walt Disney) but what do we really know about him?

John Chapman or Johnny Appleseed (1774-1845) was a legendary planter of orchards in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. First hand accounts said there were 15,000 trees growing in his largest nursery along the Maumee River just twelve miles from Ft. Wayne.

He was a real person, was a friend to all of God's creatures and a missionary for the Swedenborgian religion, a Christian denomination.

Johnny Appleseed was a smart business man. Moving ahead of the waves of westward bound settlers, he purchased property, carefully sowed apple seeds, and had seedlings when settlers arrived. His seedlings were very valuable because apples were a symbol of permanency.  He sold trees for 3 cents if you planted them and 6.5 cents if he planted them for you. Johnny was also very generous often saying, "Pay me when you can."

Material things meant little to Johnny except when they could make a child smile, give a pioneer family the means to improve their diet or increase their cash income from apples, cider or Applejack. Cider and Applejack were used as currency in Colonial America.

Johnny Appleseed lived a life of service in harmony with nature that impressed Native Americans as well as fellow Americans. He was a proud patriot. His thoughts were of God and the afterlife and his greeting was often, "I have good news from Heaven!" Johnny was a good salesman and people loved him.

After a little driving around and asking for the location of Johnny Appleseed's grave site The Colonel and I finally found it.

Johnny Appleseed is buried atop a hill and on that hill are planted apple trees (the same type of apples that Johnny planted).

The Colonel and I were thrilled to have been able to visit Johnny Appleseed's grave site. The visit made us curious about Applejack (mentioned on the informational board at the base of the hill). We had not heard of it before and had to learn more and possibly taste the alcoholic beverage that played such a large part in Colonial America's economic history. 

Well, The Colonel did some research and found that Applejack is still made. He also discovered that we could purchase some in Fort Myers.

In his research, The Colonel found out that Laird's Applejack was the one to try. We drove south to purchase a bottle. 

A little history lesson on Laird's Applejack (on the bottle). It was first made by William Laird in Monmouth, New Jersey in 1698. Around 1760, George Washington discovered this unique beverage, asked for and received the Laird Family recipe and soon introduced Applejack to the Virginia Colony.

Well, of course after reading the history of Laird's Applejack The Colonel and I were that much more interested in tasting it...I mean George Washington drank the stuff!

Just opening the bottle and getting a whiff of the Applejack prompted us to break out the smallest of glasses...this stuff was going to be strong. 

The initial taste was of strong alcohol and the amber liquid mildly burned the mouth and throat as it went down. There was then a delicious, delicate apple aftertaste.

I liked trying this Colonial American beverage. It is not one that I will drink frequently so the bottle will last for a long while. Who knows, maybe if there is a Zombie Apocalypse I will have to revert to the colonial days and use the remainder as currency. 

Orphaned at 54

I remember a rare occasion when my father and I went out to eat, just us. I cannot remember where my mom, younger sister and brothers were. I was around 20 years old at the time.

Dad had me drive to a nearby town to eat at the restaurant called Grindstone Charley's. They had good pork tenderloin sandwiches and steaks.

We sat down to dinner.

"Dad, was it scary after Grandma and Granddad died, even though you were an adult?"

"Yes, a little."

When my father died in 2012, I did not feel any fear. I felt sadness but was glad that his suffering from pancreatic cancer was over. I still had my mother then too.

Months before my father died my mother had a bad reaction to a medication. This caused her to sustain several mini strokes and a condition called vasculitis. It was nothing short of a miracle that she survived. At the time, we did not know that she was at the beginning of her trials with vascular dementia.

Dad passed away and Mom's short-term memory was failing. At times she did not remember Dad dying. Later when her memory worsened she did not remember that she had been married or had eight children. Then she began not to remember her children at times.

Not only had the vascular dementia effected her memory, her body was becoming more frail too. The mother my sisters, brothers and I had known was beginning to retreat behind a curtain. Every once in a while she would peak around that curtain and we would see her again.

 It was a long, and at times, rough road for Mom, the family and Dorothy (Mom's live-in Visiting Angel) during the last four years of my mom's life.

As with my father's passing, I was getting emails, texts and phone calls about Mom's health from my sisters and brothers. Mom was under hospice care at home and the nurse had said Mom had "weeks to days" left. When I heard that she had days left, I made the trip back to Indiana. I arrived on the evening of June 10th (my son's 23rd birthday).

I stayed at my younger sister's house, as Mom's house was already full of family members. I went to Mom's house the next morning.

I walked into her bedroom. I kissed her on the forehead and said, "Hello Mom, it's me, I'm here now."

Her eyes were not open. I would not see her pretty, dark-brown eyes again on this side of Heaven.

I sat down in the chair beside the adjustable hospital bed and held my mother's hand.

"Mom remember we would say I love you and squeeze hands three times as we said the words?"

Holding my mom's hand I said I love you and squeezed her hand three times.

I felt Mom's hand give me the faintest squeeze.

For two days I would make the trip from my sister's house back to Mom's. Taking turns sitting in her bedroom with her and other family members.

I was told that Mom had had a bout of terminal restlessness before I arrived and during this bout she had tried to get out of bed. She said she could see my father and wanted to go to him. She also said she saw her parents, grandparents and her younger brother Anthony or "Tony Boy" who had died when he was twelve. Tony was born with spina bifida and was hydro-cephalic. He was paralyzed from the waist down. Mom said he was as smart as a whip. When Mom saw Tony during her terminal restlessness he was running towards her on perfect legs and beckoning her to come with him.

My mom's last breath was at 5:18 a.m. on June 13, 2016. That day was the Feast Day of Saint Anthony.

Now that I no longer had a parent living, I remembered the dinner with my dad all those years ago. I did not feel fear at being orphaned. I felt sadness at never seeing my mother or hearing my mother's voice again, but I rejoiced in knowing her pain and suffering were over. She was in a far better place now.

It was now time to think about the funeral. The Colonel and I had worked on the details of both my parent's funerals before my father died. There were only a few details left to work.

Mom would have a Latin Mass at Holy Rosary Church like my dad did. She would have the same type of casket too. A casket made by monks in southern Indiana.

Mom's viewing was held on the evening of  Wednesday, June 15th. It was held in the same room at Flanner and Buchanan Mortuary that my dad's was held. The family had a private viewing for an hour before others came to give their respects.

Many friends and other family members arrived throughout the evening. My dear friend came too. It was so good to see her again.

Mom's Visiting Angel/Companion was at the viewing (as well as the funeral). We thanked her profusely for all she had done for Mom. She had become like a family member to us.

The Colonel was not at the viewing. He was at the airport picking up our daughter and son who both flew in from different parts of Florida. Bad weather and delays had played havoc with their arrivals (and departures) so we did not see them until late that evening at my sister's house.

Mom's funeral was the next morning. After a little sleep, we all woke up, ate breakfast and began to get dressed. We followed my sister and her husband to the church. We arrived just before the hearse.

Our son was one of the pall bearers. All pall bearers were the grandsons or great grandsons of my mother.

As my mother's casket made its way inside the church, the second-largest free-swinging bell in the State of Indiana named "San Salvador" began to toll. The 7,000 pound bell's ring could be felt within the walls and under foot.

The bell tolled as the pall was placed on the casket and the priest blessed the casket.

My sisters, brothers, their spouses, The Colonel and I followed behind the casket, down the aisle. Grandchildren and great grandchildren followed next.

We took our seats and the Latin Mass began. Like my father's funeral, there was much singing of beautiful music sung in Latin. Again, I felt like I was present at a royal medieval funeral but this time one for a queen.

When the priest blessed my mother's casket with holy water and incense, the smell of the incense made me think of medieval times again.

The priest who said the mass said very lovely things about my mother. Next, Father Cochran, who had been to several of my parent's themed lawn parties in the past, stood up to speak about my mother. He said she was now attending her best lawn party and its theme was Paradise.

The funeral was over, the bell tolled once again as we exited the church. The pall bearers carried the casket back to the hearse.

Everyone headed to their vehicles, placed the funeral sign on their rear view mirrors, turned on headlights, flashers and lined up to follow the police-escorted hearse to the graveside ceremony.

It was a beautiful day for my mother's funeral. The police-escort had gotten us to the cemetery in good time and without incident. The young pall bears were once again ready to carry the casket to the grave site.

My youngest brother played the bagpipes for Mom's grave side ceremony just as he did for our father's nearly four years ago.

Father Cochran gave the grave side service. When he asked that we all pray the Hail Mary, it brought many of us to tears.

When Father Cochran was finished we all thanked him for his kind words and filed past Mom's casket and place flowers on it.

The beautiful grave side ceremony was over and everyone was beginning to get hungry. My younger sister was holding the wake at her house. She had ordered plenty of food for everyone. The caterer was setting up all of the delicious Italian food as we came through the door.

The house was full of family, friends and food.

Father Cochran came to the wake. He enjoyed the food as well as sitting and talking to everyone.

When the wake wound down and as people began to leave, everyone was pressed encouraged to take some food with them. We still had so much food left. I do not think anyone minded taking the food home, for I do not think anyone wanted to cook that evening.

During Mom's viewing, funeral and wake her children were surrounded by family and friends. When one does become an orphan that is truly the best way it is to be accomplished.