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You don’t live here anymore

December 30, 2024 1:09 pm / 3 Comments on You don’t live here anymore

A Story That Triggered Life Changes by the Rooster.
Circa 1983 while a student at New Hampshire College.
(Present day Southern New Hampshire University)

Homeless

I have lived in a 50/50 relationship with my wife for fifty-nine years, there is little we don’t share. When reading over this assignment, my wife was the one who provided the electricity for the lightbulb. “Remember when you came back from Connecticut one year and your family had moved and no one told you?” Wow, did she clear out some cobwebs and get the memory going.

I was sixteen years old, it was 1959, and I had just spent my yearly summer in Connecticut with my father and his family. Since age ten I would be put on a bus or train during long holidays from school. I would spend Christmas Day in New Jersey and be gone the next morning and not return until school started again. This would happen during the spring and Easter vacations as well.

I would spend the summer of 1959 working in Shade Tobacco fields. Tobacco Valley in New England ran adjacent to the Connecticut River from Portland, CT up to Brattleboro, VT. Many kids over the age of fourteen earned money for school clothes then by working the Tobacco fields. That was one long hot summer that I can still vividly remember.

The school year before that summer, we had spent living with my maternal grandmother. We had returned to the old hometown from a short stint in Wildwood, NJ. My mother and grandmother were not two people who should have tried living together. My stepfather and two half-sisters also resided there. It was chaos the entire year, I was ten years older than the half-sisters. I was relegated to living in an unheated attic which I didn’t like and did not have a great relationship with my stepfather.

Apparently, there was some kind of Brew Ha-Ha amongst Granny, her daughter, and the stepfather during that summer. I would never learn the particulars of what went on and only knew that it was not pretty. Some time mid-summer my mother and family bought a home thirty miles away. I was not told of this, and when summer ended, and school was about to start I returned from Connecticut to my grandmother’s house. My mother and her mother would remain estranged for many years. I thought I would quickly be welcomed back by my grandmother. She played a significant part in my life growing up to that point.

On that day I returned, I would knock on the door and be greeted with hostility by my grandmother. I was not invited in, I was told the (others) had moved, and she had no idea where, and much less, did not care. Go stay with your Aunt and Uncle I was told. Dragging my suitcase, I walked the half mile to my favorite aunt’s. This aunt was my father’s sister-in-law, and I was welcomed with open arms. I was told my Uncle would find out where my mother moved to the next day.

My Uncle and my stepfather’s father were members of the Masonic Lodge together. Through that relationship, my Uncle contacted him and got the address of their new residence. Two days later my Uncle would take me to their home. There was no warm and fuzzy reunification. Something on the order of “Oh, you’re back” was my greeting. During my last three years of school, I never felt like part of the whole family from that point on. My mother always had night jobs, usually three to eleven. I avoided the stepfather whenever I could.

I would work at several jobs, never not employed, attend high school, play football, run track, and return to CT for those holidays and summers just as before. I had gained my independence, I had a new vision, a new outlook, and I could only wonder where it would take me. I just wanted out. My idea was the United States Marine Corps, and it would take me to Parris Island, SC during the summer of sixty-two, just two weeks after high school graduation. Now I can only look with anticipation at where this class will take for me sixty-six years later.

I should have mentioned the Sand Fleas of Parris Island. I will save them for future writing. One Sand Flea could generate an entire story, should that creature be swatted by a recruit at Parris Island.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and following the Rooster.

Finally a Post

November 17, 2016 12:37 pm / 2 Comments on Finally a Post

I look at the calendar and see November 17, 2016. I check back to my WordPress account and see my last post was written on October 14. So much has happened in the short expanse of time and nothing has gone to print.

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I reside in the middle of nowhere. Like, nowhere is there high speed internet. The best I can do is a Verizon Mi-Fi with the closest tower five miles away as the crow flies. I’ve mentioned this frustration numerous times in the past. Thank the good Lord my daughters are within 3.5 and 11 miles and afford me the opportunity to use their internet to download mail and to post blogs. Still, I hate having to leave my home writing venue to do this.

11/11/2016

Earlier today while my wife was at the Lions Hall making the cream for the Mac & Cheese to be a part of the Lions Beef dinner this weekend I started to do some online things. Just checking my email was a lost cause. It was Soooo slow that I packed up everything and headed to the 3.5 mile internet connection. Thank you Kathryn, Jeff and Abby. Libby (100 lbs. of Yellow Lab) has been well taken care of this afternoon.

Eighty seven emails were taken care, Blog follows were read and comments made where
pertinent. Now it’s time to review my journal and bring family and friends up to date on what’s been happening in the world of the Rooster.

Working backward today is Veterans Day. Congratulations to all who serve and did serve.

What Americans Don’t Understand About Their Own Military

http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2015/05/what-americans-dont-understand-about-their-own-military/112042/

11/10/2016

Yesterday was the 141st Birthday of the Marine Corps

http://www.military.com/marine-corps-birthday

A Family is separated

Last week my granddaughters husband was deployed to the sand. He and she are both Air Force Captains and graduates of the USAFA.

I’m including a couple of blogs my granddaughter posted, should give you some insight into their lives. Thanks for your service kids.

I Am the Storm

NOVEMBER 16, 2016 / C12SAMB

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Today, for about the 100th time, I was asked by a senior leader “How do you do it all ?” What he was referencing was me being active duty, Z being active duty and currently deployed, having 3 young kids, and being pregnant with our 4th. I laughed it off and he pushed, he wanted an answer, as did the 3 other senior leaders I was standing with. I told them we just do it (thank you Nike). It’s what we’ve always known and we don’t have a choice. We have to be great at our jobs both as parents, a couple, and officers in the military. That didn’t seem to pacify them. Here were three men, each having a minimum of 15 years in the military, wanting to know the secret recipe to having a successful family and career.

So here’s the secret recipe that I gave and it can be applied to everything in life.

1. We know that God has a plan and as long as we do our best it will come to pass. He also doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle.

2. We love deeply. We love ourselves, each other, our kids, our lives. Important note: Love and like are not the same thing

3. We accept everything we are given graciously even if it’s not what we had in mind. This is not always easy and at times, well most times, it takes a while to get the graciously part.

4. We will never sacrifice our family. “BUT Z is missing the birth of your child” they said. True, but Z has to deploy at sometime, he’s going to miss stuff. He also has to deploy to upgrade and to move bases. If he turned down this deployment that timeline would have been delayed and there is a high chance we would be stationed apart in the future because he couldn’t move with us. A small sacrifice to avoid a larger one. We also have done a lot to still incorporate Z intot he family even though he’s not physically with us.

5. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and we don’t dwell on the hard. Are we in a constant state of survival mode? Some days yes. But what you see as survival mode is our normal.

So when I saw this quote I thought, I am the storm. I dictate how my family will live. I can control what I can and everything else doesn’t matter. So be a storm in life. That doesn’t mean be destructive without regard for others. Take control of your life and live.

-S

Veteran’s Day

NOVEMBER 12, 2016 / C12SAMB

This is the first Veteran’s Day that isn’t about getting as many free deals as possible. This one is about being thankful for the sacrifice of my husband and those like my husband. They give up precious family time to defend our country and all those who reside within its boundaries.

So…how’s it been as a 31wk pregnant mom of 3 kids 3 and under and a husband who is going for some months?

It’s been ok. Z’s mom was awesome and flew out to help with the kids so we could have some last minute couple time. It also allowed me to drive Z to the airport and not take church friends away from their families. M was adorable, she’s super smart (not just saying that because I’m her mom). She knew Z was leaving and gave him a huge hug and kiss. She is a great oldest child and big sis.

A and D have no idea what’s going on. A will notice in about a week that Daddy is gone (pray for me once that happens).

So what’s changed? I now keep my phone volume turned up at night or really any time I’m not at work. My home is also not as picked up as usual.

Here’s to a successful week 2.

-S

So now I feel better having gotten something on paper, so to speak. I close this post out and hopefully will get to something else I wish to share in the next 24 hours. As for right now, I’m off to Jersey Mikes for subs and then Walmart for batteries to light the Christmas candles herself is going to be putting in the window. And yes, I said Christmas Candles. We happen to put Christ in Christmas and if it offends you go read someone else’s blog.

Potential Storm Brewing

June 6, 2016 4:11 pm / 7 Comments on Potential Storm Brewing

No, not the one down in the Gulf of Mexico soon to invade Florida, that would be Hurricane Colin. This storm would be on the Eastern Shore of Maryland if I didn’t get the house ready for the return of the Mrs.

After being up north, Connecticut, My Lady returned last week. In the nick of time all the Honey Do’s were wrapped up. Fresh sheets were on the bed, the table was cleared of clutter and I escaped any thought of a storm. The Hoover did a great job as well.

Things did change immediately upon her arrival. Healthy Eating 101 was back in style, no more subs from Jersey Mikes. Hey, they were quick, and I love the shredded lettuce. The cat would once again get to drink from the spigot, it took me the entire three weeks to break the feline from jumping up while I shaved. Simon says, “turn on the water. Please!”

Google Images

Notice the placement of the clothes pins, equal distance apart. Oh yes, part of the hanging and folding ritual. Folding is a true art form. The center line fold sets the demarkation point for placement on the bed. The Tri-fold for the pillow cases shall be exact. Must be something she was taught back in nursing school in the early 60’s. She was never in the military. She could starch a pair of Utilities back in the day though. Gotta be an old Marine to understand that one.

The first thing this morning I got the Sheets and Pillow Cases on the line. The chickens provided some much-needed oversight.

I consider myself a multi-tasker. Love the Zagg keyboard on the iPad by the way.The late Pat Conroy and I have something in common, no, not writing skills, though I wish. We also lived in Beaufort, SC at one time. We carried our four-month old daughter to the pool in a Schmidt’s, quart beer case for a late night swim . We had a piece of screen over it so the Skeeters wouldn’t eat her up. That was back in my Marine Corps days. Mr Conroy’s dad was a Marine also. Wow, two things in common. The book behind the coffee cup is WordPress for Dummies. My Journal, two years continuously in September I proudly state, is under the iPhone. The shoe horn is used to fit everything in my bag, quickly due to herself’s pending arrival.

In chatting with the wife a few days ago she said, “I’ll bet there are all kinds of electronics and wires all over the dining room table.” “No” says I,” Just the normal place setting.” Liar, Liar, tongue’s on fire

Gotta get the place looking like it did when she left three weeks ago. Otherwise there will be one heck of a storm brewing

Well, I survived and it’s been great having her back home, if only briefly. She will return to CT soon and give my sister a helping hand as she mends a broken hip which was surgically repaired yesterday. We’ve solved all the world’s issues on our front porch while enjoying a cold glass of wine. I’ve gotten some gardening done, Pickling Cucumbers for one. My Lady shall be canning come September. And once again “The Hallmark Channel” graces the TV. Other than a Nat’s baseball game, it was not on during those three weeks.

Homemade Refrigerator Pickles