Indigo Butterflies

Thanksgiving Day 2008

Here are some photographs I took on Thanksgiving Day 2008.  Nope.  No family photos here, but a small sample of what nature gives us to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving Day morning was a cool one and I snapped some photos of the frost.

 

 

Later on the skies became clear brilliant blue.

There are a few more photos in this group over on Flickr.  Just click on this link if you'd like to check them out.

Environmentally in the Bag!

Like millions of other people around the world, I am trying to do my part and be more environmentally conscientious.  I decided some time ago that one small thing I could do was take reusable bags to the store instead of using plastic ones.  While my intentions were good, I must admit that I kept forgetting the bags in the car or even at home.  The bags I had were nice heavy canvas, but they were bulky and honestly they were a pain to keep up with.  But then...

While I was in Washington DC, my friend Meredith gave me an Envirosax bag to carry my stuff around town and take to the grocery store.  I love, love, love with this bag -- thank goodness she told me to keep it!  

The bags roll up to about 1.5 inches by 4 inches (so I keep mine in my purse at all times), but it will hold the equivalent of two plastic grocery bags.  The handles are also long enough you can put them over your shoulder if you want.  They are made of tough ripstop fabric and are waterproof.

I've been using the bag Meredith gave me for a bout a month and I'm a huge fan now.  In fact I just ordered a set for myself and some to give as stocking stuffers this Christmas.  They come in great colors and designs from florals and retro graphics to solids.  

You can check them out for yourself at ENVIROSAX.com. 

Veteran's Day

This Veteran's Day has been on my mind lately for a few reasons. 

One is my recent visit to Washington DC, during which I visited the Vietnam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial.  Each of these places has left an indelible impression on me.

Another is that my father, SMSgt. Herbert C. Milligan, Jr., was a veteran of the Vietnam War.  He was an Air Traffic Controller at Da Nang Air Base in Vietnam from 1966 - 1967.  He never spoke of Vietnam to me.  But he loved the US Air Force and was proud to have served his country for 20 years.  This photo is dad at Da Nang in late December 1966.

 Next, is that I am reading The Good War: An Oral History of World War II by Studs Terkel.  After reading only a few chapters of this book I could easily see how it won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize.  The stories and history that Terkel brought to life in this work show us the realities of World War II and what it was like for those who experienced it.  I have shed more than a few tears while reading this book and will likely shed more before I am through.  Although Mr. Terkel had a long and full life, he will certainly be missed.  Louis "Studs" Terkel passed away on October 31, 2008.  (The image of the book cover is from Amazon.com)

And, yesterday I was scanning Citizen-Times.com Asheville's Home Page on line newspaper for Asheville, North Carolina and ran across an article on a World War II veteran.  The article was Our Stories: Dad's silence about World War II.  It tells the story of a family tracing the steps of their father, Henry D. Donatelli, through the Ardennes Forest that runs through Belgium and Germany during the War. (The photo below is an Army archive photo borrowed from the quoted article in the Citizen-Times.com)

About their trip to the Ardennes Forest, Todd Donatelli said "I can say something shifted in us as we stepped on that soil and walked through the woods where my 20-year-old father walked and fought, through the woods where a certain innocence was certainly lost. I think I have a deeper appreciation for the paradoxical man whose children were everything he lived for and who struggled desperately at times to be present to them." 

Another line from the article that will remain with me always, is one in which Todd Donatelli quoted his oldest brother while they were at his father's graveside, “It is in moments like this that we realize we don't send young men and women off to war. We send whole families.”

I think it bears repeating "...we don't send young men and women off to war.  We send whole families."

Please remember...

Hospital Food.....for Thanksgiving?

Well, we've passed the point of no return.  No....I'm not referring to the presidential election (although I would like to congratulate President Elect Obama).  I mean Halloween.  It seems like once Halloween comes and goes, the rest of the year flies by.  Turn around once and it's Thanksgiving; turn around again and it's Christmas; then, BAM, New Year's Day!

Thanksgiving will be here soon.  Families will be gathering and there will be lots of food to prepare.  As with most families, there are certain foods that must be on our table or it isn't an official holiday.  You might as well just call the whole thing off!  For us, one of those holiday staples is "Green Rice Casserole" (for those of you who are squeamish about casseroles, you might want to go check your status updates on Facebook or something because I'm about to give the recipe).

When I was a child, we lived in Sedalia, Missouri for a while.  My mom worked in the X-Ray Department of the hospital there and they served this casserole in the cafeteria.  Mom tried it one day and liked it so much that she asked them for the recipe.  Now it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving or Christmas without it.

GREEN RICE CASSEROLE (from Bothwell Hospital, Sedalia, MO)

6 Cups Cooked Rice

13 Ounces Frozen Diced Onion

1/4 Pound Butter

26 Ounces Evaporated Milk

25 Ounces Undiluted Cream of Chicken Soup

1 1/2  Pounds of Old English Cheddar Cheese, shredded (no substitutions -- the cheese makes the dish)

2 Pounds Frozen Broccoli

Steam broccoli until tender/crisp.  Saute onions in butter until tender.  Combine evaporated milk, soup and cheese in a large pot over medium heat and stir until the cheese melts.  Add rice, broccoli and onions.  Mix well.  Divide equally into two 9" x 13" greased (I spray with non-stick spray) baking dishes and bake at 300 F for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. 

Give it a go.  I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours does.

As a footnote, my mom lost her recipe and tried to fake it for a couple of years.  It just wasn't the same. So a few years ago, I looked up Bothwell Hospital and called and spoke with one of the ladies in the cafeteria.  As luck would have it, the lady remembered my mom and was glad to give me the recipe.  After more than 20 years, they are still serving this dish.  All members of my family now have a copy of the recipe and I have framed a copy for my mom so she can't lose it again. (She thought it was funny, but keeps the framed recipe on the kitchen counter!)

My Non-Political Reminder.....

A friend of mine sent me (along with many others) an e-mail this morning, with the following story as a non-political reminder to think about the future when casting my vote.  I immediately thought the story was too long and I didn't have time to read it.  But, I'm glad I did take the time.

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl

tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year

old grandson.  The old man's hands trembled,

his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table.

But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and

failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

 'We must do something about father,' said the son.

'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two,

his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction,

sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions

when he dropped  a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son

playing with wood scraps on the floor.

He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?'

Just as sweetly, the boy responded,

'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food

in when I grow up.'  The four-year-old smiled and  went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless.

Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.

Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and 

gently  led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family.

And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed

to care any longer when a fork was dropped,

milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

According to Snopes.com versions of this story have been circulating on the internet since at least 1999.  They also note that in some form or another, in some variation or another, this folktale has existed since 1535.

The longevity of this story speaks to its relevance and validity.  I hope that we are thinking of the future and not just the here and now when we cast our votes today.

Thank you to Danny for this thoughtful reminder.

Photos, Photos, Photos Everywhere....

I was supposed to be in Washington DC to help my friend, Meredith, get unpacked and settled in her new apartment, which I did...somewhat...  But I spent a lot of time on my own, while Meredith was at work, roaming the city and visiting museums and memorials, since I'd never been to DC before. 

Washington is a beautiful city.  Everyone I met was friendly and ready to talk to a stranger.  And while DC is big it felt manageable and comfortable, not overwhelming.  The Metro was clean and easy to navigate, even for someone like me, with no experience on subways.

I'll have to make many more trips to see everything I would like to, but I did see a lot and took a lot of photos.  So you'll see Arlington Cemetery, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Museum of Natural History, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Library of Congress, and others.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to visit Meredith and roam around.  She is my oldest friend, but it had been more than 15 years since we spent any real time together, but we fell right in step and never missed a beat.  I guess that is the way it's supposed to be with true friends.

Oh, and don't worry, two more of Meredith's friends came into town the last couple of days I was there and between the lot of us we got Meredith pretty well settled in her new apartment.  We certainly had fun doing it too!  We even had our own pool tournament.  You can click here to see some of those photos.

I also had the opportunity to get to know Meredith's friends Judy and David.  We had a blast; they are great people!  And thanks to Allan for all the tips on places to go and see, especially that often overlooked gem, the Library of Congress.  It is absolutely beautiful.