Planting Flags

After the flags were placed (Sat 23 May 2015).

Memorial Day should be a solemn day of reflection of those who paid for our country with their lives. Instead, it has become the inauguration of the summer season of hedonism and a long weekend of indulgence. There was a parade on Monday (the "official" holiday) where lip service was paid to surviving veterans, marching bands played patriotic battle songs, and every conceivable children's sports organization marched. It had very little to do with memorializing dead soldiers.

When I moved here a few years ago, I discovered a call for volunteers to place flags on the graves of veterans in the town cemetery (i.e., decorate the graves, hence the original name: Decoration Day). I've done this three of four years (I missed one year due to rain).

Most of the veterans buried here survived their wars and died later.

It was really tough this year to place the flags in the ground because the dirt was dry as a rock. Should've brought a screw driver or something.

I love this cemetery. It is so peaceful, like a park. Fascinating head stones and markers. I feel sad when I see a stone marker obviously intended for a couple but only one spouse is listed. I wonder what happened: did the surviving spouse remarry? did the family just never get around to updating the marker? Of course, in some cases, it is possible that the remaining spouse is still alive. I wonder about the story for each person.

Rest in peace. I hope that God loves you.

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Link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

Written Sunday 31 May 2015

Falcon

Falcon (circled in red) at work.

My colleague, Tony, at work, told me today about a (Peregrine) falcon that hangs out on a ledge across from the window where people use go because you can get cell phone reception. He said he was at the window recently and looked out and saw the falcon looking back at him.

Later in the afternoon, the thought of spotting the falcon motivated me to make a cell call. Lo and behold, the falcon was perched right where Tony said. And as I made the call, the falcon looked right at me.

I am rather sentimental about falcons because my brother Mark was a falconer when he was at the US Air Force Academy. The falcon is the mascot of the Academy. And today (May 23rd) is Mark's birthday. Happy Birthday Mark!

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Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_falcon
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=325924&depNav_GID=1655
http://www.usafa.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9425
http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/school-bio/mascot.html

Written Saturday June 6, 2015.

The Rape of Europa

Cover of Blu Ray disc of  "The Monuments Men" movie.

I recently borrowed from the local public library the Blu Ray disc of the movie, The Monuments Men. If not for an unwritten (as of today) blog post by one of my nieces (Lissa Rose), I probably would not have seen this movie. But one day as I was browsing through the shelves, I came across this one and remembered her "post." Curious about the plot, I was surprised to read the movie is based on a real life group of Allied soldiers that are tasked with trying to save Europe's artwork from the Nazis as WWII was winding down.

The Rape of Europa by Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre (1750)

Several years ago while puttering about in a NYC bookstore, I came across an intriguing book about the attempts to recover Europes's artwork at the end of WWII.  At the time, it was a story that I had never heard (although, the subject is somewhat dealt with in John Frankenheimer's classic 1964 film, The Train (starring Burt Lancaster). The book was provocatively titled, The Rape of Europa. The name of the continent of Europe is derived from the Greek mythological character, Europa.

Although I did not purchase the book, a few years later I found a documentary movie (on DVD) of the same title and story. While the documentary was fascinating, it was a bit dry and I confess that I nodded off towards the end.

George Clooney's movie was engaging. Perhaps because of the big name cast, I was quite aware that I was watching a movie. The acting and dialogue was choppy. Nevertheless, the subject matter carried the day. There were a couple of items about "The Monuments Men" movie that I found noteworthy.

There was a seduction scene involving Matt Damon 's character which didn't end in bed or adultery. Instead, the character stayed faithful to his marriage vows despite persistent attempts to sway him. This kind of virtue is unfortunately rare in today's Hollywood product.

Another point that jumped out at me was the reason given in the movie for the effort of the Monuments Men: to save the culture of Western Civilization from being destroyed. There was great fear that the Germans might deliberately destroy the artwork they had looted, or that the art would be destroyed during the fighting, or that the Russians would steal it. With hundreds of years of paintings, religious artwork, statues, etc., the culture of Western Civilization would be cast adrift and perhaps change who we are. That resonated with me because of all the changes happening in our society today as well as what is happening in the Middle East. I am afraid our society is losing its soul, in part because it is jettisoning its heritage; old thing are seen as having little value or relevance. The preservation of our culture is still a worthwhile and necessary action.

As a result of watching "The Monuments Men," I rewatched the documentary DVD (and dozed again toward the end of the first sitting. Really works better to watch it in several chunks). I also borrowed the book from the library and am about halfway done.

Ironically, the day before I got the movie from the library, an article was published in the NY Times about some missing artwork from WWII that was recently returned as a result of the Clooney movie.

So if you're not up to studying history, you might find watching Clooney's "The Monuments Men" to be a quick study and a somewhat rewarding movie.

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Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monuments_Men
http://themissytimesandmore.blogspot.com/2015/01/coming-soon-monuments-men.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Train_(1964_film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rape_of_Europa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(mythology) 
http://www.rapeofeuropa.com
http://www.monumentsmenfoundation.org
http://www.monumentsmenfoundation.org/news/returning-the-spoils-of-world-war-ii-taken-by-our-side OR http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/06/arts/design/returning-the-spoils-of-world-war-ii-taken-by-our-side.html

Written Wednesday May 27, 2015

Aye! A message from Popeye.

May 3, 2015 Letter from Fr. Gene Hattie via email on May 5th.

See my Fr. Hattie Page for more information on how to communicate with Father and how to donate to help "his" orphans in Nsumba, Uganda.

Below is my transcription of the above letter. Since it was actually scanned into two separate parts (top and bottom), I had to paste both parts together into a single "letter." I have also taken the liberty of inserting a bit of color for the background in order to recapture the sense of Father's original Aerogram stationary that he used when he was in Uganda. Finally, I have "corrected" any typos and/or light keystrokes. Note: he literally types these letters on a manual typewriter before someone scans them to jpg files. Overall, I have tried to remain faithful to the text and the presumed meaning of the original correspondence.
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My Dear Old Faithful :       Peace of the Risen Christ!

     You never say die, do you? Your Grandma and Mom have taught you well and the orphans are the lucky ones, aren't they? I really wish that the donors did as well as you do. I've been encouraging them to join the 'Band Wagon' again, but they just don't seem to listen. I'm referring, of course, to your kind & generous Gift sent this time. You've been a very faithful donor/friend for a long time.

     We had lovely Easter & Holy Week services, marred by the fact that we had 2 Funerals on the day before Holy Thursday. Both of the deaths were unexpected. One of them had spent 40 years in Peru and three years in a Japan(ese) Concentration Camp.*

     Everyone here is trying his/her best to make me use a walker, but I am just as strongly resisting the idea. Once I do that, I'll become dependent and will never be able to walk without it. I've fallen so many times that the pressure is great to make me give in, but I am stubborn enough to refuse. When I see the movements of so many restricted by one, it makes me more determined to avoid one. So, I am extra careful not to fall again. I always ask them how they would like to use one and am greeted with silence.

     I'll be going to N. Canton in mid-July to my sister's house to celebrate my 93rd birthday.** Wish me luck.

     My greetings & love to your wonderful Mom. She is the one who made you who and what you are & she can be very proud of you.

     Be sure that All of you are in my daily Masses & prayers and in those of the Sisters and orphans. Till next time, many thanks for your kind & generous Gift of $xx.xx

                Tons of love & gratitude,

          Fr. Gene, SJ

P.S. I have to see the Eye Doctor. It is becoming more difficult to type with only 2 fingers & one eye closed.*** Try it on your Computer sometime.

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* For more details about Fr. Benjamin Morin and his remarkable life, see
http://www.jesuits-chgdet.org/news-detail?TN=NEWS-20150424115857

** Fr. Hattie's birthday is July 18th. So be sure to get those cards to him early enough to reach him in MI at the beginning of July before his trek to North Canton for the big celebration.

*** See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye

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Links:
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/p/letters-from-fr-hattie.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typewriter

Written Monday May 25, 2015 (Memorial Day)

Spring is in the Air

As I was walking home from the town center, I was overcome by the beautiful signs of Spring all around me. I was compelled to try to capture such wonders via the miracle of a cheap cell phone camera.

Town Hall

I love contemplating the sky and the clouds...trees too.

Blooming!

Budding tree.

Almost home....

I think this is a bush.

Tree out front.

I think this is a birch tree.

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Written Wednesday 30 December 2015 (when everything is gray).