Well. I suppose that changes the menu somewhat---

15 years ago

Always plant 4 cauliflower every year but almost never get to harvest any, it always gets too hot too soon and they just won't head properly. Its been a quite cool spring and I was pleased to see small heads forming several weeks ago so I tied up the outer leaves to blanch the heads. Checked on them a few minutes ago and 3 were forming nicely and about 5" across but the one one the end was almost 10" across and so I guess we will be eating fresh cauliflower this evening.

Reflecting yesterday on how many in my generation were so lucky. Our generation was called the "The Greatest Generation" but I consider myself to be one of the luckiest.

Many if not most of us served in W.W.2 without firing a shot. Some of us were in line to wade ashore on the invasion of Japan when Harry Truman's decision to drop the atom bomb saved us. How lucky is that?

That meant we had the G.I bill, which meant we could go to college anywhere with no concern about out-of-state tuition and without going deeply into debt. Our kids and grandkids would think themselves very lucky if they could say that.

We grew up in the great depression but that hurt our elders worse than it did us. They had begun their careers and businesses and made plans in the roaring 20's and then hit the brick wall of the depressed thirtys.

We didn't know nearly as much about sex as teenagers today which you might consider good or maybe bad luck but at least some of it remained a mystery and wasn't beamed at us constantly from television and movies. We were lucky to have lived in a time when there were more ups than downs in the economy.

Lucky us, gas was cheap, air travel was fun, doctors still made house calls, neighbors were neighborly.

That all saying, there were those that didn't make it through the era and 5 of my classmates from high school didn't make it home from the war. But deep in my heart I shall always feel that I'm one of the luckiest generation with my wife and best friend of 60 years and great kids and grandkids and 5 great grandkids.

Well I've done it again, what started out as a menu change ended ended up as a long winded rather strange what?-- a sermon, perhaps a diatribe, no that doesn't fit anyway a lot of words to say little.

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Comments (4)

Josh
15 years ago
Gandle, I'd love to be your neighbor and chat over your garden fence. I was born in 1935 but because my Dad was Regular Army we missed the full effects of the depression...in fact my folks made a trip in 1934 from GA to IL to attend the World's Fair so yes, gas was cheap...LOL Dad was on Tinian and Saipan during WWII which was all too close to the Japanese mainland...and, yes, was very fortunate the war ended so soon thereafter. He retired with 22 years service but went into business rather than college (3 kids to support) but insisted we kids get the best education. I believe my parents were more resourceful and sturdy than my siblings and I...just as you amaze me with your tales of dealing with your frightful weather ...lol Enjoy your cauliflower...I'm nibbling on cold asparagus which I have no idea where it was grown...josh
oakleif
15 years ago
I'd love to be both of your neighbors and chat. I was born in 1940 and grew up in Mayberryish. Our yard was fenced and i loved to swing on the gate till i got caught everytime. Remember butter rationing and the blocks of margarine with the yellow dye to stir in. Grandmother knit wool socks for the soldiers. My aunt made bandages and fixed first aide kits. Remember also the the fire siren going and going forever when the war was announced to be over. Our generation was a lets pull together people. We did'nt have alot but we had what we needed. There simply was'nt instant gratification. You wanted something badly enough you saved pennies, worked for everyone in the family till you had enough money along with the wonderful feeling of pride that you could get your treasure and know you earned it.

Had to see my doctor this morning and being the same age we always have a little conversation aboyt something. This morning our subject was "before electricity" Just think we've evolved over thousands of years to sleep at dusk and awake at dawn, after electicity thousands of years of evolved sleep patterns were thrown out the window till now there is no real dark,which may very well be why so many people have sleep problems. So-o-o-o i guess i'll go take my brand new Requip pill and see if my legs will stop whatever they're doing so i can go to sleep.
Goodnite all, sweet dreams.
vickie
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andie_rathbone
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Some of us were in line to wade ashore on the invasion of Japan when Harry Truman's decision to drop the atom bomb saved us. How lucky is that?

Gandle that is almost a word for word quote of what my dad said. He was sitting in the Philippines waiting for the dubious privilege of invading Japan.

Even growing up in the 1950's was pretty idyllic, if you discount our "duck & cover" drills in grade school. We ran all over the neighborhood & our parents never seemed to worry about where we were running. And yes - cheap gas!! I remember gas wars when the price got down to something like 17-cents/gallon.

However, upon reflection I remember hearing a speaker at work sometime in the 1980's who was talking about this "good old days" phenomena. He pointed out that the USA was the only developed country to come out of WWII with its industrial plant intact & therefore, had a tremendous advantage over everyone else in the world. We could enjoy hogging the world's natural resources for cheap & then took an historical accident & made it a condition for life.

I guess now it's time to pay the piper.
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15 years ago
My dad was waiting on a ship in the Pacific, too, as the bomb fell. He always remeinded us that if it hadn't been, he would have been one of the "expendable" troops sent in the first wave. And I so very much agree with Andie - that piper won't be denied. Batya

Well. I suppose that changes the menu somewhat---

Comments (4)

Josh

oakleif

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