A recent discussion about the weather of the PNW has prompted this post (I am on a bit of a roll this morning with thoughts I've had the past couple of weeks). My grandmother was known as "Neenie" to her 6 grandchildren. She cracks me up when I think of her. I can still hear her laugh. She wasn't a grandmother out of a movie or a book, or especially "grandmotherly" but she was my Neenie and she helped raise me as far as I am concerned and taught me many life lessons. I could go on, but the reason the weather brought up memories of my grandmother--well actually my grandparents-- follows:
Once again, I found myself in a discussion about how I liked our move to Washington. Invariably, the weather came up. Even the locals are quick to remind me that this summer was abnormal with temperatures 10 degrees lower than the norm and historically cold in the weather books. *sigh* This does little to make me feel as though summer has not gone missing! But getting back to my response of how I like the area--I do love it. We are getting to see a part of the world that I never in my mind thought we would. We have exposed our children to natural landscapes and monuments and culture that they never would have experienced without this move. We both believe the world is our playground and each place is another experience in the play. Our adventuresome souls will not be squelched by rain. In fact, I recently took one of my walks in the rain and it was wonderfully fresh and invigorating. Rain will not stop us.
But, all that being said, this move has made me feel more like a Southerner than any of our other moves. I like heat. Most humidity doesn't both me. I was watching the Clemson football game and everyone was in t's and shorts and it was a sunny 86 at 6 pm while I was huddled under a blanket in long sleeves while the leaves are already beginning to turn. I feel as though I am in an alternate universe to everything I know. AND THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT. It's a statement of reality that goes back to my grandparents. To this day, my grandparents do not have air conditioning and they live in Columbia, SC. Almost every summer I was sent to SC to stay with my grandparents and I lived in 90-100+ heat with 90-100% humidity and loved it. You live a different pace of life. We got up early, enjoyed the semi-cool mornings, played, picked our veggies, ate lunch, rested, then got up later in the afternoon and played until the sun set. All without AC. See, I grew up with heat in my bones. Heat from the south makes the most decadent tomatoes of anywhere in the world. Heat grows corn that as sweet and succulent. Heat ripens peaches and nectarines that drool down your chin.
So, while I am loving every experience of the PNW, you will have to forgive my moaning about the weather--it's only because heat is apart of who I am in. It reminds me of my summers with my grandparents and it's strangely come to make me realize I really am a southerner--although for years, I wasn't sure. For me, that's not a bad thing.
All that being said, bring on the rain. I'm ready to take it head on. :)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
A tribute to military wives
As I head out on my long-ish Saturday runs in DuPont, I invariably pass a line of American flags somewhere on my route that commemorates the soldiers of 5-2 SBCT that gave their lives in the War Against Terror. The first time I came upon the flags, they stopped me cold in my tracks. I had heard about a running group called, "The Run to Remember" as I have mutual friends with some of the founders, but this line of flags was a stark reminder that each week the wives, friends and family members run and train in honor of their lost soldiers.
The Run to Remember club was founded by a lady who lives in DuPont. I have actually heard of her over the course of the last year, although she does not know me. We have a mutual friend and I am always struck in awe of the way this girl has coped with the loss of her husband. He died two weeks (I think) after the birth of their third child. This amazing woman has gone on to cope by running it out. And she has pulled together the wives and friends and comrades of other women who have lost. These are amazing women. And they always smoke me on my run!:) You go girl!
These families are called "Gold Star Families" in the military. Those whose soldiers and sailors have given the ultimate gift for freedom. We do not think about these families often, but not a day goes by (I imagine) in their lives that they do not remember what it is that it has cost them. Most of them are incredibly proud, patriotic and strong. I cannot imagine a life without the Sailor. When I have tried to imagine it, my brain shuts off. Would I live my life with my brain shut off if this happens to us, or would I run?
At various points in the Sailor's career I have been thanked for my service, my sacrifice and I have never known how to respond other than an awkward thank you. The free cup of coffee, or the extra discount on services is much appreciated, but in light of the sacrifice that combat arms make each day, I find our service easy to give and not that much of a sacrifice.
Remember a Gold Star family in your thoughts and prayers today. If each of us had a weekly reminder on our walks and runs of what soldiers and sailors have given, we might not be quite so divisive in our daily lives.
The Run to Remember club was founded by a lady who lives in DuPont. I have actually heard of her over the course of the last year, although she does not know me. We have a mutual friend and I am always struck in awe of the way this girl has coped with the loss of her husband. He died two weeks (I think) after the birth of their third child. This amazing woman has gone on to cope by running it out. And she has pulled together the wives and friends and comrades of other women who have lost. These are amazing women. And they always smoke me on my run!:) You go girl!
These families are called "Gold Star Families" in the military. Those whose soldiers and sailors have given the ultimate gift for freedom. We do not think about these families often, but not a day goes by (I imagine) in their lives that they do not remember what it is that it has cost them. Most of them are incredibly proud, patriotic and strong. I cannot imagine a life without the Sailor. When I have tried to imagine it, my brain shuts off. Would I live my life with my brain shut off if this happens to us, or would I run?
At various points in the Sailor's career I have been thanked for my service, my sacrifice and I have never known how to respond other than an awkward thank you. The free cup of coffee, or the extra discount on services is much appreciated, but in light of the sacrifice that combat arms make each day, I find our service easy to give and not that much of a sacrifice.
Remember a Gold Star family in your thoughts and prayers today. If each of us had a weekly reminder on our walks and runs of what soldiers and sailors have given, we might not be quite so divisive in our daily lives.
Thar She Blows
I recently read a blog from a friend who commented on the sheer destruction that the mountains surrounding the PNW would wreck, should they blow. I tend to take doomsayers with a grain of salt, so I initially laughed this post off. However, this weekend, we took a jaunt down to visit Mt. St. Helena's....and now I've come to realize that my friend might be on to something. At one point on our trip we were on an observation point that I could turn and see not only MSH, but also Adams and Rainier. That doesn't include Baker and Hood and a couple of other smaller volcanoes that provide a lovely ring of fire in my new homeland. And then, as you turn to view the visage of MSH, the evidence of her destruction still exists. 30 years later, the trees are still blown over from the blast, the path of the lava has cut out a swath where little exists and very few new things grow. MSH herself is awesome that she is a bear rock of a mountain unlike the others. Weyerhauser (sp?) has done an impressive job of re-forestation, but everywhere you look, it's an eye-opener that many were very, very, very lucky that MSH is incredibly remote to many people. The toll of 57 lives could have been a greater. And people, that lovely lady is still smokin' and belching. She was steaming smoke while we were there from her crater.
I kind of had this impression that MSH had gone back to being a dormant mountain--done with her bellyache and fire and no, I am quite wrong. Even as she sits there, you can _feel_ that this mountain isn't done with her business. She's not sleeping. She's just waiting. It is a very disconcerting experience. And when we look at the beauty of Rainier everyday, it's hard to believe that this mountain would cause far more destruction than MSH. Not only is Rainier bigger, but it's on a path that could take out Auburn, Lacey, Ft. Lewis and parts of Olympia. I'm not too sure about Microsoft either. The impact on life, commerce, military/government, geography and weather would be stunning. And the scary thing that is if you look at the probabilities, we could potentially see Rainier go in our lifetime. That's a bit of an eye opener. They are all impressive without a doubt, but those mountains are linked and none of them are quiet. I am also told that if you look at Yellowstone, it is a supervolcano quietly rumbling beneath the earth's surface that is well overdue to blow. Should Yellowstone go, the entire west coast will go with it and we will be plummeted into a new ice age.
If this is survival of the fittest, then I'll be one of the first to go. In the mean time, I am sure some of the striking beauty and mysterious engagement of these mountains is the silent menace that few of us consider. Denial is surely not a bad thing and a few extra "Our Father's" probably doesn't hurt either. :)
I kind of had this impression that MSH had gone back to being a dormant mountain--done with her bellyache and fire and no, I am quite wrong. Even as she sits there, you can _feel_ that this mountain isn't done with her business. She's not sleeping. She's just waiting. It is a very disconcerting experience. And when we look at the beauty of Rainier everyday, it's hard to believe that this mountain would cause far more destruction than MSH. Not only is Rainier bigger, but it's on a path that could take out Auburn, Lacey, Ft. Lewis and parts of Olympia. I'm not too sure about Microsoft either. The impact on life, commerce, military/government, geography and weather would be stunning. And the scary thing that is if you look at the probabilities, we could potentially see Rainier go in our lifetime. That's a bit of an eye opener. They are all impressive without a doubt, but those mountains are linked and none of them are quiet. I am also told that if you look at Yellowstone, it is a supervolcano quietly rumbling beneath the earth's surface that is well overdue to blow. Should Yellowstone go, the entire west coast will go with it and we will be plummeted into a new ice age.
If this is survival of the fittest, then I'll be one of the first to go. In the mean time, I am sure some of the striking beauty and mysterious engagement of these mountains is the silent menace that few of us consider. Denial is surely not a bad thing and a few extra "Our Father's" probably doesn't hurt either. :)
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