I have a favorite veteran, who was born on this day in 1893. My great uncle Cap was a vet. Every veteran's day when we were with him, we'd pile in to the car with aunt Mary (the Mary Mary Quite Contrary Gallery's namesake) and we'd head out to the cemetary. At the time I don't think I really "got it", but those ceremonies, and walking the cemetary, placing little flags near headstones, stays with me even 40 years later. It was a proud day for Cap. I think about Cap and Mary often. They were the only people I knew that were born in the 1800's. I always thought that was so cool. They weren't fancy people. Cap was a janitor. He used to let us stand on the giant dust mop and he'd push us around the school floor. I especially liked to help sweep the Dorchester science lab. In fact, I loved it so much that I bought the lab when they dismantled the school for distruction. It sits in storage, waiting for me to come up with a project to re-build it. And I will. Someday. And the thoughts of my favorite vetran and his dust mop will remain. I have some great photos of uncle Cap; on where he's sitting with other soldiers, in France, drinking wine. The bar maidens are standing behind them, giggling. Another is of Cap on his motorcycle. I have a photo that used to hang in Cap's wood shop. It's about 3 ft. long and is of his entire platoon. When we were little, we'd go to the shop and scour the photograph, looking for uncle Cap. I can still find him today. Probably my most favorite was of him and other men standing in front of an airplane. It was the first mail delivery made to Dorchester. He was there. I often wonder what he and Mary would think about our world today. Everything is so fast-paced. Sadly, it's pretty impersonal too. I don't think they'd like it very much. They were well suited for a sip of Kesslers and an evening of Lawrence Welk. I am blessed that I got to grow up with these people, and to have so many clear and happy memories with them.
November is a sad month for me. And today, 5 years ago, was the beginning of the end for my mom. She'd been fighting such a hard battle with cancer, and on uncle Cap's birthday, her mind slipped away and she never spoke to us again. She hung on for several days... this Friday will be the anniversary of her death, but the laughing, smiling, chatty Betty, who sipped wine and talked to me, left on Veteran's Day... uncle Cap's birthday. It's a bittersweet day, I guess, because I have both happy and sad memories, and the national holiday is a consistent reminder, which is a good thing since I've been so busy that I honestly didn't know it was Halloween, until Halloween morning (thanks Tami). It's also sad because my baby nephew Jake never knew her, and sometimes I'm afraid that his brother and sister are so busy that they don't take time to remember their grandmother. So, today I am specifically thankful to our Veterans, for uncle Cap and for the holiday that reminds me what a wonderful mother I had, and what a great lady this world lost on November 16, 2007.
Today, take a moment to thank our Veterans, and to tell your mother that you love her.
Have a super day. Stay warm.
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