Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

I struggled which direction to go with my reflection on Dad's Vietnam Reunion.  Many of you know how I feel about this, without a doubt.  But it's had me thinking for hours.  I came to the conclusion, that I need to preface what I will always support...Our Military. 

My girlfriend, Tricia, best described our trip to my Dad's Vietnam Veterans 589th Engineer Battalion Reunion as, "Fascinating".

Truthfully, there are no words to describe it.  But that's a darn good one.  Many of these men and women have finally started talking about their experiences in Nam.  And it's really no wonder it took so long:

That was what greeted us at the Veterans Memorial Museum in the Vietnam Room.  Knowing that my own Father experienced this firsthand really does something to me.  Frankly, it makes me insanely furious!  A few years ago, not long after September 11th, I got him a Vietnam Veterans hat for Christmas.  He'd never had anything like that before!  He's worn it, or one like it, ever since.  I refer to the current War because he said in some ways, more Nam Vets began coming forward and thanking our current soldiers.  Why?  So that they would not feel the way the Nam Vets felt. 

All soldiers deserve our respect and a homecoming full of thanks, love, appreciation and compassion...from us.  All of us, regardless of our opinions on any war!  It is because of these men and women that you are entitled to an opinion at all.  Never forget that.  It is because of these men and women that many other countries were liberated from evil.  Yes, sadly many lives are lost on both sides.

I had the honor of meeting the family of one of these soldiers:

Photo taken at the Veterans Museum  - Vietnam Wall

Norm Goodman served with my Dad's Company in Nam.  He never made it home.  Two of Norm's sisters, a brother and his wife were present at the Reunion.  At first, I struggled with how to talk to the family, but knew I truly wanted to.  Then I realized, you just talk.  They are amazing people!  I can only imagine what a wonderful reflection of Norm they are.  I am certain, they are very deserving of the honorary membership to the Battalion they received this year!  Now that...is how you treat a Veteran! 

POW/MIA tablesetting at Saturday night banquet.

So think before you speak.  If you can't express your opinions thoughtfully and filtered with respect when addressing a Veteran, those currently enlisted, and the families of both...prepare to one day meet the leather of this American Girls Boot.  And if I can't do it, I'll send Toby...

Because when you disrespect one, you disrespect all.  Show some RESPECT.   

The "young man" in that picture, he deserves it.  The "young man" in that picture is 20 years old, just set boots on the ground and is about to change his life -and ours- forever. 

That "young man" could be any soldier, past or present. 

But this "young man" IS MY DAD!

And I am damn proud!

Welcome Home Day!

Some of you may have noticed a new blog on my sidebar:

Agent Orange Legacy:  Children of Vietnam Veterans

I stumbled across this recently when I had one of those "A-Ha!" moments.  You all know this guy:

Well, Dad's already had a heart attack, recently diagnosed with Diabetes and arguably PTSD.  Although he's been told he doesn't have PTSD, we all think he's a tad bit "off" ...in a good way!  :o)

We've been told that Diabetes can be hereditary.  I have also been told that PCOS is hereditary.  Now these things have boggled my mind.  You know I come from an huge-HUGE family.  Why-Oh-Why, can't I find these in our family tree????

I lean towards the theory, the "A-Ha!", that Agent Orange, my Dad's direct contact with it from his years in Nam...and well, there you have it!  Monsanto, hell...they've GMO'd US!!!  Do you think they will try and patent that also?

I haven't been following this blog all that long and am just now tapping into it, as well as other resources they link to -particularly Monsanto and all the horrible things coming from it and it's evil -AGH!  I know you know what I simply can not put into words. 

However all the evilness aside, I was entirely THRILLED to learn this:

"The U.S. Senate recently passed a resolution to honor veterans who served in Vietnam by designating March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day."

Borrowed from Agent Orange Legacy - Children of Vietnam Veterans

And I second that!  Frankly, it's about damn time!  Pass it on folks!

A very long overdue, Welcome Home!!!

How cool is that?

Sweet Potato Crisp and Turkey Bones???

With Thanksgiving wrapped up and a whole heck of a lot of Sweet Potatoes left behind, I decided to share a story and a recipe about the very special "Lady With All The Earrings".

That is what alot of people called her.  We just called her Grama.  This would be my Dad's Mom and she passed away a few years back but she's still making us laugh!

Grama raised TEN kids.  Can you imagine trying to feed ten kids breakfast, lunch and dinner?  It's no wonder Grama was a little goofy!  She must of had a hole in her head to allow that kind of crazy into her life!  As a matter of fact, she did have lots of holes...in her ears!

As a tribute to each of her kids and grand kids, she would add an earring.  She started this much later in life, so luckily only my younger cousins were traumatized by this.  Us older kids, she just spanked us for holding on to the sides of the swimming pool  ;0)  I'm kidding of course, maybe.  Also, us older grand kids would never have dreamed of calling her "Granny".  Only the younger grand kids did that!  Never sounded right to me. 

There were somewhere around 39 holes in her ears, you can count them if you like.

So how DID Grama pull off a Thanksgiving Day Feast?  Well, she would get up super early, force all the kids out the door and then get to work.  She would do the turkey first and then let it rest while she made all the sides.

Under very strict orders, the kids were told "DO NOT touch that bird!"  Did I mention everyone was afraid of Grama? 

As the day wore on, ten kids got hungry!  They would run through the kitchen and snitch a little piece of that bird when Grama wasn't looking.  Can you imagine the devastation nine hungry boys and one little girl can do to a bird?

Suffice it to say, when the dinner bell rang hours later and the family of 12 gathered around the table with all the lovely side dishes piping hot and the kids knowing what they had done...

Well, Grama knew too.

And she served Turkey Bones for dinner.

She lifted the lid off that roasting pan and simply said, "Eat!"

I have been fortunate enough to inherit what is believed to be "The Pan". 

When Grama passed away, the night before her funeral...I roasted a Turkey.  My brother and I picked it clean.  "The Pan" went with us to the funeral.  It followed us to my Aunt's home afterwards. 

With full bellies from all the food that family and friends had brought, I asked my Brother to go and get "The Pan".

We gathered everyone together.  They were grumbling at me that they simply couldn't eat another bite.  I told them all that, "I knew Grama would have wanted them to save room for this."

I lifted the lid and simply said, "EAT!"

Tears, extremely LOUD laughter, hugs, kisses, and memories flooded her wonderful kids.  It was the coolest tribute to a super cool and hip Grama.  My family loved it. 

So here is a great side dish to go along with those Turkey Bones!

Grama's Sweet Potato Crisp

40 oz. Sweet Potatoes (canned or cooked from fresh) -Drain and Mash
1 Egg
2 T. Sugar
1/2 stick Butter
1/2 t. Cinnamon

Mix and Mash together and place in small casserole dish.

Topping

1 stick Butter, Melted
1 C crushed Ritz Crackers
1/2 C chopped Walnuts
1/2 C packed brown sugar

Mix and sprinkle over potato mixture.
Bake in 350 oven approximately 30 minutes


Now, if someone would please hand my Dad a Kleenex, he's got snot all over himself!

At Ease Soldier!

This weekend, we had my Dad and Connie up to celebrate birthdays.  You may already know that I call my Dad "The Tin Man".  It's not just a blog nickname.  I call him that because he had a heart attack and lived to tell.  Of course The Tin Man always wanted a heart.  Well, I feel like my Dad got his new heart, just like The Tin Man.  It was over ten years ago that my Dad got his new heart.

Something you don't know about my Dad, he is a Vietnam War Vet.  My Dad, a Soldier.  For years, Dad didn't always talk about it and of course the Vietnam Vets weren't always welcomed home the way soldiers from other wars were.  It wasn't until recently, that alot of our boys from that "Conflict" have received their due.  Try telling them it was a "Conflict" and not war.  I would never tell my Dad he wasn't in a "War".  He fought, friends died.  And thank God, my Dad lived to tell this one too.

Every year, I call my Dad on Veteran's Day.  I thank him!  I always want him to know how thankful I am for him as our Soldier.  This year, here's how I let him know:

I wrapped him in a big hug!  Now ya know my Dad is a bit of a crier.  And yes, like he tried to talk it out at the end saying "They take bets", we do.  We take bets on how fast we can get him to cry.  Terrible, isn't it?

The timing may have been a bit off as his Birthday was in July, but ya know the garden just threw me off a few months this year and I didn't get it done in time.  It took him a bit to realize what it was and seeing as how I only had 2 minutes of record time on my little camera, we had to push it a little to get him to the part that would just bust him up.  Terrible...  ;o)

So the quilt is done in all red, white, blue and gold.  Half-Square Triangles arranged in a Depression Block pattern.  

My MIL did a fantastic job with her long arm quilting!  Thank you, Jan...you make a wonderful partner in crime!  

I did my best to throw Dad off by saying, "We" were still working on his Birthday gift.  Pretty sure he assumed Pig Pen and I were building him something.  Little did he know the "We" was my MIL and I.  Sneaky, huh? 

The back of the quilt is the part that sealed the deal.  I special ordered the Army Crest fabric and of course, The Tin Man.  This is what made his little lip quiver:

My note to him: 

Nicholas G. Kallas – 589th Engineer Battalion – Vietnam 1967-1968

Every Veteran’s Day, I call to say Thank You. It’s not just on that day that I am thankful for the soldier that you were…it’s every day.

When I was little, you gauged things by if I could wrap my arms around you. This is how I will wrap my arms around you every day.

I hope it keeps you warm, surrounds you in love and comforts you. You deserve that and so much more for being our Soldier, my Dad, my Hero…my Tin Man.

“At Ease, Soldier!”

I love you, Dad!

And I extend this to all our Soldiers.  Thank you!  I may not know these Soldiers personally, but I do know my Dad.  Like him, you may not ask for the honor, you may not even agree with your orders, but you do it any way. 

And that is honor.   

Your honor, our honor. 

It doesn't matter how you vote, what your political views are or anything else, Our Soldiers are there for us.  I for one am thankful for that.  

Here is a photo of my Dad's reunion held just this past month.  He got to see his "brothers" after 40 years!  Pretty.Darn.Cool.

To all the Soldiers and Vets out there, this hug is for you too.

Tinkerin' With The Tin Man and Hittin' Pay Dirt!

We actually managed to blow this Popsicle joint for the weekend!  Pig Pen actually "went away"!  This is a monumental event...and we had a blast!  On the way home, he even said, "We should go to Shipshewana some weekend." 

Who are you, what is your name and what have you done with my Pig Pen??!! 

-Thought running thru my little head.

We took a ride down state to see the Tin Man and  Der Mama.  (aka Dad & Connie)  Now on that ride, Pig Pen and I got to talking.  Hold your hats folks....We -  Are -  Gettin' -  Chickens!!  Well, in the spring anyway.  And I didn't even have to bribe him!  He is already plotting away the specs for the coop!  I will leave him to the smart end of the tape measure...

So on this weekend getaway, we went to Arthur, IL and surrounding areas.  I am surely going to win the "Bad Blogger of the Year Award" because I only took TWO pictures. 

Isn't that horrible? 

But we were in the most amazing Amish country and we were totally engrossed in gawking at the most perfect gardens we all wish we had and simply enjoying the day.  Pictures were the farthest from my mind.  Bad Blogger, Bad!

Now here is the good news though...Tin Man only lives 30 minutes from Heaven!  I will do better next time!

So here's the Pay Dirt Part-
Ya know, when you are a little freaky...
back asswards...
and all hillbilly like...- Like us...well we sorta just fit right in down there! 
I found so many things that are hard to find, expensive to buy or that most folks just go..."Whhhaattt??"

Here's the heapin' hill of awesomeness:

We hit up several bulk food stores and Farmer Markets.  Here is one shot of The Tin Man!

And the other shot from the day...the glorious sky!

We did some antiquing too.  I love old stuff!  My only exception to that rule is of course, my darling Pig Pen!

Sadly, we had to re-enter our own atmosphere.  It rained all night.  About 1.25 inches.  The garden is muck, but I had to get some of the weeds.  It was a long day and I'd had enough! 

Here is the garden with all the weeds.  

The helping hands are "My Squatters".

More on them another day!

And here is just the small hurtin' I put on those buggers.  There are always weeds and always another day!

Hope ya'll had as great a weekend as we did!  Thank you Tin Man and Der Mama for a really awesome weekend!  It was so wonderful to spend some time with you's!