Memorial Day Memory

Memorial day 2012 seemed like any other day, however, we took our walk up the
mountain and then I called Lauren.  I told her a story about a Decoration day,
which preceded what we now call Memorial day.  On that day, people decorated graves of men who died in the early wars, starting with the American Civil War. It was
in 1935 and I was age 10.  I remember that day because my father took us to wave
flags along the route to Greenfield Cemetery located off Greenwich St. Hempstead
where we lived at that time.  My father was appointed Deputy Sheriff, a political
plum and he was assigned to help maintain order at such events. When the parade
was passing in front of us, he opened a space where I could get a good view of the
main marchers coming into view.  Along the route came an open touring car with a
number of blue clad uniformed men. They were old soldiers of the Union Army who
were part of the day's celebration. Veterans, just about as old as I am now.  My father wanted me to get a good look at these men because they were the
few remaining survivors of the bitter war between the North and South.  I can almost see them now with their quaint blue caps and uniforms that are only pictures
in American History books. They were sitting upright, waving American flags at the
bystanders and smiling.  These old timers who fought the terrible battles of a war

between the States just about 70 years before and while a small ten year old holding on to his father's hand looked wide-eyed and somewhat mystified not realizing he was watching living history in the flesh, not actors in a play but real, live people who were the last of an Age.

Big Day in Texas

Aubrey deserves a mention in today's posting since she is taking one big step for woman and one small step for womankind.  However, it remains to be seen whether
or not she can keep her eye on the ball at the University of Texas and keep the

pace that she set at Bowie High School. Of course, I couldn't resist getting into the act with a picture of yours truly in the 1942 Colonial yearbook at Hempstead High just 70 years

back albeit a trifle fuzzy. Times have changed in dress codes.  In 1942, all the
boys were required to wear ties and jackets for their yearbook pictures.  I'm not
sure what Bowie will require, but I'd bet 4 to 1 that everything goes.  We'll have to wait and see.  My father was a stickler for proper dress and even required me to wear a shirt and tie during the regular school year.  Of course, the teaching staff had to be dressed properly, no jeans or way out clothes either
for males or females. The School Board at Mineola was also very restrictive in
dress and that was a mere 50 years ago when I joined the staff.  Perhaps it made
a difference in school deportment when everyone was dressed up rather than shod in sandals, shorts and unkempt hair.  We'll have to let the researchers work on that aspect of academic achievement. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark (what's his name) didn't seem too fussy about proper dress and look at their accomplishments
but you might also add, they never made a great social or academic splash while
at school.

Big weekend for Amy and Casey plus all the Gravagne fans.  Steven and his wife, Liz, are staying with us for a few days for the wedding on Saturday.  This afternoon, we're attending a big before wedding BAR-B-QUE at the Romeros, Casey's
parents, in fact I hear Annabelle calling me to leave the computer and get going.
So, a fond farewell to all of my readers.

When Iris Eyes Are Smiling

I thought I would give all my readers a real treat by including a photo I took with my Iphone this afternoon.  The iris smells even better than it looks and we've placed a vase full in our bedroom.
I received a 17 page booklet from CIBT the visa company to help me navigate through
the application for a Russian visa.  However, here's the good news.  I don't have to get a Russian visa if I use the ship's tourist agents to see the sights of all
the ports we visit, including St. Petersburg.  This will save me a great amount of time and rubles as well.  Now all I have to do is contact the tour planners and make arrangements for the individual tours.  Our experience has shown that it is best to take the morning short tours when everyone is fresh and friendly rather than grumpy after a long day of sightseeing.  Fortunately the Royal Caribbean can make arrangements for small groups in vans or even vehicles for two people and a

guide.  I plan to check this out before we leave the States. Gradually everything is falling into place.  Of course I'll have to look under all the mattresses for
whatever loose change I can muster to pay the freight for this journey, but as in all our recent voyages, the tooth fairy comes through and every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven.(from the movie of the same name)

I finally made contact with the RC Tour Planning Department, which wasn't too helpful since the planner had a difficult time describing the tours in English so
I politely thanked her and turned to the online program for Tours.  I was able to sign up for 6 Tours for the ports we will visit during our Baltic Adventure.
We stop at the following ports; Copenhagen (we visited before), Helsinki, Stockholm ( I stopped at 50 years ago on the way to Russia) Tallinn, Gothenburg,
and 2 days in St. Petersburg with one day devoted to the Hermitage Museum.  It is
quite an ambitious schedule but I eliminated all of the walking tours that might be too hectic for Annabelle.  Now my remaining task is to schedule a flight back
from England when we return from the Baltic.

Commencement 2012

Just returned from Commencement ceremonies at The Pit, UNM basketball arena which
also serves as the venue for other activities.  We took Steve, Anthony and Jeron to
watch Pam get her Doctorate.  It brought back memories of a date 50 years back when I walked the walk at Columbia to get my doctorate.  When the band struck up Pomp
and Circumstance, I couldn't help reacting to the moment with a surge of excitement
with a few tears along the way.  The keynote speaker was Sam Donaldson who is a native New Mexican and who broadcast news on ABC for more than 4 decades.  Although
it was difficult to hear most of his talk because of the noise in this arena which was primarily used for sports activities, I did catch one thing that seemed to
encompass the theme of his presentation, " Don't seek a career that you love, but
seek a career that you are good at. The field that you are good at will lead to a
career you will certainly love.  I thought that advice was appropriate for the
individual at commencement. Later in the day, we joined a celebration at Pam and Rob's place.  Casey was back from Kuwait, big Amy, little Amy. Steve, Anthony, Jeron were all there to celebrate the big event, including my 87th birthday.  After a long and sometimes painful journey, Pam made it in style and now she can

continue her normal life.  Hurrah! Drs. Gravagne and Rosenbluth in the kitchen.

The Pit at the University of New Mexico, May 12, 2012

A Horse, A Horse, My Kingdom For a Horse

The Forest Service opened the Cieniga Trail this week and today we joined the parade of hikers and horsemen testing out the paths.  Since we haven't trod this trail for at least two years, it was quite a challenge.  The upward grade seemed much more difficult than before but now that we're a few years older, that's probably the reason.  We made the hike with not too much energy to spare and after dodging piles of horse poop here and there we struggled back to the Toyota and

made a beeline to the ranch for a much needed rest. Although the weather was cloudy today and the temperature a trifle cooler, there was no rain in the forecast which makes it for a very dry Spring.  On the way back from Costco this afternoon we played one of our Hawaiian CDs that we usually listened to in Maui.  I thought of our wonderful times there, the snorkeling and hiking on the Maui Meadows and our friends 

Kerry and Paul Ramm.  We certainly miss their company.  Perhaps, one of these days, we'll get to see them again.

Go Aubrey! Just received word from Austin that granddaughter Aubrey was awarded the prestigious St. David's scholarship for a student who plans to major in a health service career.  She is very interested in BioChemistry.  The scholarship provides the student with $6,000 per year for 6 years to include two years of graduate study.  We are very proud of Aubrey's achievement in school, especially her upper 2% standing in the graduating class at Bowie HS of 800 strong.  Speaking of graduations, Pam (Gravagne) White is getting her Ph.D from UNM this

coming Saturday (May 12) after a long hard road.  Pam stayed the course and completed her requirements in style and we'll be there to cheer her all the way to the stage.  Despite many obstacles, including her age (65), she reached her objectives by due diligence and sheer determination.  I can vouch for her hard work because we were on site to witness her steps to the degree.  

Wildflowers Abound

Although we're still waiting for a decent rainfall to help our flowers thrive, when we awoke this morning, a blanket of Indian Paintbrush was spread over the dry
and parched front yard.  It's amazing how well some of the desert flowers bloom
with little or no moisture.

Gathering of the Clan

The photo was taken during a hike in the mountains.  We had a wonderful time with
Jenny, John and Peter from April 25 through April 30.  The weather was delightful
and we were able to enjoy a number of activities including several walks, trips
to Albuquerque and Santa Fe.  Along with some excellent meals at Monroe's and Maria's, Annabelle was at her culinary best at the ranch. Hopefully, we will be
able to repeat this event in the not so distant future.

In case you want to watch a great DVD movie, check out this one " The "Grandfather", a Spanish film with English subtitles. It has an excellent theme
as well as very good acting.  Somehow, our movie productions have relied more on
special effects than a good, solid story supported by actors who are convincing.
This movie will keep you interested throughout and leave you with a feeling that
the time spent was very worthwhile.