Memorial Day 2018 (sort of)

Fairview Cemetery (looking East)

As in recent past years, my way to mark Memorial Day (aka Decoration Day) this year consisted of walking to nearby Fairview Cemetery to place American flags on the graves on military veterans. I was there from 8:45 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. The weather was dry, hot (near 90F) and rather humid. This year I started out with a few names in Section 15 (near the front of the cemetery) but then grabbed a few more bundles of flags and meandered around seeking graves that were missed by those before me.

As I write this, our town's parade and speeches are wrapping up. I used to attend this but it became too unbearable for me due to the over politicizing and pandering to blind patriotism by the politicians and frivolous parades consisting of unaware and ignorant civic groups eager to leave for picnics, BBQs, and the beaches.

Memorial Day originally stated off as a somber day of remembrance of  the Civil War dead. It was a day when Americans went to the cemetery to decorate the graves of our war dead (not veterans). Today, Memorial Day has merely become a holiday marking the beginning of the summer season. What to do? At least say a prayer for peace and contemplate how you might be a force to avoid adding to the toll of war dead.

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Links:

http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2017/05/flag-planting-at-fairview-cemetery.html
http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2
http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2018/may/26/real-patriotism-on-memorial-day-means-losing-fewer-soldiers-in-meaningless-wars/

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Written Monday 28 May 2018

Shoeless Joe Books

Front dust jacket (of  my hard bound edition).

The other day, I finished reading another of the Baseball Card Adventure series books, Shoeless Joe & Me. I love reading these juvenile fiction books right before bed. They are simple and usually not too stressful.

The description from the dust jacket (front flap) reads:

"Since Joe Stoshack first traveled back in time through a baseball card to meet Honus Wagner, he knew he had a special gift. So when sports card shop owner Flip tells Stosh all about his hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson-about the scandal that destroyed the star player's career-Stosh gets an idea. If he travels back in time with a 1919 baseball card in his hand, he just might be able to prevent the infamous Black Sox Scandal from ever taking place. And if he could do that, Shoeless Joe Jackson-one of the greatest players in the history of the game-would finally take his place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, where he truly belongs. 

But can Stosh prevent that tempting envelope full of gambling money from making its way to Shoeless Joe's hotel room before the big game? Put on your caps and get ready for Joe Stoshack's fourth amazing baseball card adventure!"

I bought my copy at a used book sale earlier this year. My sister Carol had been talking about Shoeless Joe Jackson and so I picked it up with her in mind.

I had the chance to pick up other books in the series but they were the soft cover editions (Scholastic Press). I would much rather hold a hard bound book. I also got a kick out of the actual book with the title embossed into the cover.

If you look closely, you might be
able to make out the title embossed in the cover.

Early in April, I read another children's book about Shoeless Joe:  Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy.

My copy was a soft bound edition.

It was in this charming book (loved the illustrations) that I learned the Joe had played  a substantial part of his major league career in Cleveland! I sent this one off to my sister and my Mom to enjoy and pass it forward.

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Links:
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2017/11/who-invented-baseball.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_Card_Adventures
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoeless_Joe_Jackson
http://dangutman.com/dans-books/baseball-card-adventure-series/
https://philbildner.com/books/picture-books/shoeless-joe-black-betsy/
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Written Saturday June 30, 2018.

Fidelco Open House

Why do I have a post about Fidelco guide dogs? Am I going blind? (No, I don't think so. I hope not).

My employer encourages us to volunteer so this is what I picked (on my own). I first became aware of Fidelco soon after I moved to Connecticut many moons ago. American Youth Hostel organized tandem bike rides and hikes with the blind. And many of these people had seeing eye dogs (guide dogs) from Fidelco.

The weather today was unfortunately miserable: rainy and cold. My morning (9-noon) assignment was parking duty: directing visitors where to park in the field of tall wet grass. The drizzling rain was steady. Although I had an umbrella, a kind young mom insisted on providing me with a larger one (which I eventually used).

At noon I broke for lunch before switching to my afternoon position. I ate my  meal of BBQ pulled pork (or was it chicken?), mac-n-cheese, cornbread, and cole slaw while listening/watching representatives of various Lions clubs present Fidelco with stunning donations.

I then moved inside where there were various tables (booths). My assignment was the Hartford Marathon table. Out job was to collect names of those who might consider running or volunteering on behalf of Fidelco at the October event. 

I was fortunate to "work" alongside a young woman (Dakota) who delighted me by sharing her love of dogs and her career aspiration to be a guide dog trainer. Things got even more interesting when a young blind woman with her guide dog, USMA (as in US Military Academy [litters are named based on a letter of the alphabet and the puppy raiser for this particular dog had attended West Point and the litter letter was "u"]). This young lady was so enthusiastic about running up mountains and trails that she soon had Dakota and me (both of us having great excuses for not being runners) eager to take up jogging. She was hugely inspired by the book, Born To Run (by Christopher McDougall).

When I left home this morning, I was feeling anxious and depressed and uncertain. However, by the end of the event, my faith and hope had been restored by so many wonderful people and the magnificent and well trained dogs.

Below is press release for the event:

Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation
Bloomfield Campus

This fun, family event featured:

• Dog Demonstrations
• Blindfold Walks ($5 suggested donation)
• Police K-9 Unit Demos
• Self-Guided Tours and Scavenger Hunt
• Caricature Drawings by Christopher Eastwood
• Face Painting by Haley & Zachary Weinberg
• Info-Shred - Secure, on-site document shredding while you watch. ($10 per box).
• Tea Cup Auction, and, of course, 
• Fidelco pups!

Other participating exhibitors:

• Woodside Studios
• Marc Youngquist
• The Dog Bone, LLC
• iHeart Radio/WFSB
• Harvey & Lewis Opticians

Fidelco merchandise sales and more!

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Links:

https://www.fidelco.org/
http://www.chrismcdougall.com/born-to-run/
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Written Monday 28 May 2018