The Bluegrass Bunch

[Randy]

That's my opinion. I saw a friend at the restaurant this morning and he is a pastor. He also is an ex-marine if there is such a thing. I contend though that there is no such thing as an ex-marine. They have pride of country and in the corps that is unbeatable. Anyway, I usually reload my wallet after I give away a few of the cards, but in his case, I gave him all that I had so he could pass them on to others. I'll reload my wallet before I run off again today.

 

[curbhopper]

I could never go through boot camp so if all I can do is mention,"Thank you".... I'm not falling off of an airplane or an aircraft carrier or the rest of this. If I can give a simple "Thank you" to remind folks how much they really do - do ~ a sandstorm, frigid at night, SO hot. I certainly don't know where they all are. This gentle man may not know the power he has given to many. I know nothing of his background but he sure has made a dent in my life for making these cards. Curbie

 

[froglady]

Thanks......I just ordered my cards. One donation I can be sure is for a great cause.

 

[curbhopper]

oh, Frog,that is so nice. I gave my son-in-law one (and former Marine) he cried. Course I had to make monkeyshines ~ "SON you were NOT taught to cry in the Morons!" I gave him a bunch to hand out to folks. We were at a traffic light one day and there was this guy begging for money in a median strip~ 'Homeless Veteran'. Hubby said,"DON'T YOU DARE!" so I gave the fellow a card (with money under it.)I listen like a doorknob.) The fellow may not be a veteran but .......he had USMC tatooed on his arm. If folks give one card and that card goes to someone else and it's passed along. Sometimes, you just don't know what a small thing does for someone else's dignity, aspirations, imagination. I am a firm believer in encouragement ~ My Mom used to say to me,"You won't know if you don't TRY!" ~ I graduated college 1 month before my sister (6 years older than me). I believe in encouragement. Curbie

 

[froglady]

Curby, I'll probably have to send another donation soon) I've run out of fingers and toes counting just family that I will be sure to give a card and wish I'd had some with me when we ate out a week or so back......saw 3 young men in uniform about to enter the restaurant just as we were leaving I sure would have handed 3 out to. Man that runs out local bar lost his Marine son and he'll get one too. Marie

 

[Randy]

Marie, there is another card available from the same source that is a card for the family. I gave a card to a mother this afternoon whose son is in the Coast Guard. I asked her to be sure that her son got the card and she said she would. I didn't have one of the family cards with me since I gave them all to a friend this morning. But I will see her later and make sure her family has one of the cards. There is a fellow in our church that I gave one of the cards to and he told me he was only in the Coast Guard. He was asking for it, so I gave him a lecture on what role the Coast Guard has played through the years. One of my friends was in the Coast Guard in WW2 and he was assigned to a troop transport involved in the island invasions in the South Pacific. He drove one of the landing barges (LCVP -landing craft, vehicle, personnel) full of marines to the beaches and helped bring the wounded back. Harry never told me what he had done, but our pastor told me what he had been through.

 

[curbhopper]

Randy, I ordered some for families today. Here near DC and with us having a boat, you do not do monkeyshines with the Coast Guard. We get pulled over and there are no 'shiners'. The Coast Guard is an amazing operation, just like all the rest. My heart will continue to go out to them, as well as cards. ~ Curbie

 

[Randy]

Right on, Miss Curbie!

 

[Bluewolf]

That's my opinion. I saw a friend at the restaurant this morning and he is a pastor. He also is an ex-marine if there is such a thing. I contend though that there is no such thing as an ex-marine. They have pride of country and in the corps that is unbeatable. Anyway, I usually reload my wallet after I give away a few of the cards, but in his case, I gave him all that I had so he could pass them on to others. I'll reload my wallet before I run off again today.

I personally feel there is no such thing as an "Ex" anything

If you truly learned honor,integrety,duty to man and country..your job
is never done

Even in my failing health..I would do all I could do to "protect and serve"
it's just been "bred" into me

I have had to on occasion as a "silly villan" have had to "own up" to my responsibilities...they were minor incidents... but still alot of folks wouldn't do it

 

[curbhopper]

"protect and serve"
This is so un-military-ish but there seem to be personalities who will stand and 'fight'. Somehow, I know it was my Mom who taught me that ~ she was a bit fiesty. I am a very quiet person (except for singing and laughing) but if 'push comes to shove', if I can't shove someone far enough away, I'll cry We all serve and I do believe...we protect in our own ways. ~ Curbie

 

[curbhopper]

Oh......I'm supposed to announce that (and I witnessed it) MTMailman started seeds this morning. They are in the window sill and he wanted folks to know ~ "I don't know how to do this. How do you do this?" I do not 'start' seeds. I throw them in the pot in the yard. It was like 20 questions:"How do those other people do it?" randy has a greenhouse "THAT'S what we need! A greenhouse!" put the seeds, in a cup and hope they grow...."Do I put rocks in?" oh bother... Curbie and Gardener

 

[Randy]

Gotta start someplace. A window sill is pretty hard to beat for a beginning and you get to see what happens early on. I will always see in my mind when my mother would scrape away the earth very carefully to see how the beans planted were doing. Then she would carefully cover them back up. Once up, she would say they opened their arms up to the sky.

 

[curbhopper]

Opened their arms to the sky ~ how sweet is that. TADAH! HERE I AM! Look what spring has sprung. We had this long conversation about how many seeds to put in a cup. Goofy me said,"Ya know what we did as kids? We took half an eggshell that we had a soft boiled egg in and planted seeds in the eggshell and put them back in the carton to germinate." do we have eggs? I really annoy myself by mentioning things like this to him but then we just plunked the eggshell with the 'kidlettes' into the ground. I hid the eggs ~ Curbiez

 

[Randy]

Sounds like a smart decision to me. Sounds like Miss Curbie has met her match with MTM and vice versa.

 

[curbhopper]

Ever see the commercial (I don't know what it's for) where they ask "Who rules the world? Men or women?" The guy says,"MEN" and the lady says,"Men are just here for the entertainment. Ask your wife." It always tickles me b/c it sums up many couples. Yep, MTM and me ♥ ♥ ~ Curbie

 

[Randy]

I sure don't feel like a ruler. more like a rulee. LOL

 

[curbhopper]

I know the feeling , Randy Some of our seeds sprouted. I can't wait to show MTM. "You're having spaghetti and meatballs with a side of zinnias and marigolds." ~ Curbiez

 

[Randy]

I got home too late to have dinner with the family, but lasagna was on the menu.

 

[curbhopper]

Did you get leftovers? This always tickles me b/c it has happened for many, many years~ even when I taught.... I tend to pick up the 'runts' and the 'straglers'. My co -worker at school said,"It must be the perfume you wear." I don't wear perfume. Parents would tell me their life stories ~ I had papers to grade but I'd listen. There is this fellow in Our Hood who everyone thinks is a bit crazy.I was filling up the dog bowl with water outside and WHO came along....Jack. I got another lecture about how times have changed and nothing matters any more. So, of course, Mz. Psychiatrist says, "jack...it's all what you make it. it changed so you have to change....change is good....we have seasons for all the right reasons." He said,"I love talking with you b/c you make such great sense." I could hardly contain my laughter. I asked Jack how old he is (I hate when people do this) ~ "How old do you THINK I am?" 12. He's 54 Jack is a lonesome soul so I am priviledged to have him think I know what he and I are talking about. Just knowing that I carry no prejudices (race, color, creed) seems to make him feel comfortable. That's good for him ~oh yeah...curbs make sense. they try to keep you in line ?

 

[Randy]

I seem to pick up stragglers too. I think the most interesting one I helped was a Russian lady who was a WW1 veteran. She joined the Russian army and told them she was a guy. I don't know how she ever got away with it as long as she did, but when she was shot several times with a machine gun they figured out she was a gal. That was back in 1956 when I got involved with her. She was wheelchair bound and I pushed her around a lot. Her name was Vistorine Eugenie Livanoff. Some time back, I Googled her name, but didn't come up with anything. One day she disappeared and checked out of her hotel and I never saw or heard from her again.