Dreaming of early gardening

I have written before that January drags  on and is a long month while February seems  short (even with 29 days)   Before we get days of cold and rain,  most of us will be demanding March bring us flowering plants  and trees.

I miss being able to   dig in the flower beds and start a vegetable  garden.   My memories may be imperfect but I think we used to expect to plant Irish potatoes by Valentine Day.      I can see myself hauling a load of chicken fertilizer to the garden and after beds were made setting out onion plants.  I can't place the dates we planted English peas, beets and similar vegetables. 

Cantalopes     and watermelons required too much space for the garden, but you  can be certain that  when weather permitted, Dad had them planted. Garden corn  was planted early, too.

Of course it was all subject to    rain and temperature.

Tragedy strikes

The Gulf coast of Louisiana was struck by hurricane winds and suffered two deaths and much  damage Monday and Tuesday.  Our sympathies go to those who were struck.


Our intent had been to call attention to another type of tragedy   -- the vote getting ability of  Donald Trump. Just think  -- Voters in the general election  may have to choose between Trump, Hillary and Bernie.  I cannot deny it any further  -- I am not with either one.  I am not  expecting actions that restore our economy, but please give us an  honorable judge..

2003 Coalition Members

Some  nuts claim United States went into Iraq on its own.  It is easy to show we were were not alone.
 



Who were the coalition members? See list from 2003.


President Bush assembled a Coalition that had already begun military operations to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction, and enforce 17 UNSC resolutions.

The Coalition also liberated the Iraqi people from one of the worst tyrants and most brutal regimes on earth.

Contributions from Coalition member nations range from: direct military participation, logistical and intelligence support, specialized chemical/biological response teams, over-flight rights, humanitarian and reconstruction aid, to political support.

Forty-nine countries are publicly committed to the Coalition, including:
Afghanistan
Albania
Angola
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bulgaria
Colombia
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Georgia
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Mongolia
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Palau
Panama
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Rwanda
Singapore
Slovakia
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Spain
Tonga
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uzbekistan

This number is still growing, and it is no accident that many member nations of the Coalition recently escaped from the boot of a tyrant or have felt the scourge of terrorism. All Coalition member nations understand the threat Saddam Hussein's weapons pose to the world and the devastation his regime has wreaked on the Iraqi people.

• The population of Coalition countries is approximately 1.23 billion people.
• Coalition countries have a combined GDP of approximately $22 trillion.

Getting rich in a hurry

My sister Eunice  may remember this.  Dad had five brothers and  one sister -- Aunt Jane  had three girls and lived in Waldo.   One day dad was reading a letter from his sister.  She said that she was paying Sally (about our age) five cents an  hour  to work in the garden. Sally ran back and forth checking how much wealth she had acquired.

Daddy said a nickel was not much.  Eunice said it was  less than we were paid -- which was nothing.

Whom to vote for

I got caught between Blogger and Google  this morning.  No matter-- February has 29 days, long enough to get politics by the bushel.  It appears that much of the  nation  is enthralled with Trump, Hillary, or Bernie.  That does not give me anyone to  support.  I never thought I would be considering Hillary Clinton for president.

Odds are I will not be here when the next  term ends;  I can only hope and pray this nation will defeat terrorists and build an economy. The candidates for president do not excite me.  Hillary should be in jail; Bernie would have us living as communists  ant Trump  -- who know. There is  a little hope for Cruz or Rubio. 

Iwo Jima

My memories of Iwo Jima are going fast..  Anyone who would be interested in my experiences should read my February blogs of the past five years.  I remember the flag going up and being brought down, then raised again for Joe Rosenthal tt take his famous picture.

We made  friends with Marines who were going to invade.  I hope I never forget a boy who said "we are supposed to  take the island in five days but we'll capture it in three.".

Thoughts of Tokyo Rose

My busted ribs and bruised back hurt me so much last night that I could not find  any
 position  that would allow me to sleep.   My thoughts varied; some going back to WW!!. If there are  any veterans of that time  who remember Tokyo Rose let me hear from you..

We learned that many English speaking girls were Tokyo Rose.  Our first contact was with a girl who gave  us the date to attack Iwo Jima, changed it twice, and finally gave us the  right date.

Washington's birthday

Today, February 15, is observed as George Washington's birthday.  Honored as the general who led America to victory over England, Washington was elected the first president.  After being elected to two terms, Washington refused a third.  How many men of weaker character would have sought to be dictator if Washington had not refused a third?

February is special

February is a brief month but contains several special days.  Sunday is Scout Sunday and also happens to be Valentine's Day. For Christians Wednesday was Ash  Wednesday, beginning Easter services. For a few still living, it is the anniversary of the invasion of Iwo Jima. 

I would like to quote a couple of paragraphs from a devotional given by our daughter in Israel:

Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten season, a time of reflection and repentance. A time to stop and look at all the dust that has collected, a time to see how dirty our own hearts and souls are after a hot summer of no rain. We pause to look inside our gutters that are clogged with long held onto grudges – we bend down to see how the sidewalk is coated with our acts of selfishness and pride. Lent is the time where we sit in the midst of our flaws and our weaknesses and our mistakes, and recognize that we, alone, are powerless to change things.

Rather, we look forward to the hope that Easter brings: the hope of a first rain that will come as a downpour and wash all of our sins and dirt away; the hope that reminds us that we can never be so covered in dust that the love of God can’t make us clean again.

Trump without free ads

Donald Trump boasts that he leads the contest for Republican nomination for president and he has had to spend  little money in contrast to JEB Bush, who has spent millions.

Television networks in particular have made this possible.  Let's suppose that all television agreed to ignore all events that included Trump; would Trump be boasting now?  No, he would be crying  about how  unfair it would be to force him to get one word published.

Not  a bad plan, eh what?

Mrs. Clinton is out talked

I never thought I would see the day that Mrs. Clinton would be out talked by anyone, especialy Bernie Sanders.   This political  campaign is going to see some strange things on both sides.

Should I keep this blog going?

Should I try to overcome my physical problems enough to keep this  blog going?   I  have been writing very little lately,  and I do not hear from anyone about the Pickens.  Few of us are left but family members sometime  provide information. The attack on Iwo Ima came February19 and was completed March 26, 1945.

We train for Iwo invasioon

Invasion and capture of Iwo Jima was not projected to be difficult or require much time. We crew members of the USS Pickens were excited to be an important contributor to training the Marines. Boats  wouldl be put in the sea and Marines would climb down cargo nets into the boats. They would land on a small island, perform exercises and return to the ship.

It was amazing how much better our boat crews got and how much better the Marines performed at the end of their  week or two weeks.

UGLY !!! UGLY !!! UGLY !!!

When I became acquainted with the names of the sixteen qualified contenders for Republican president, I was impressed and very satisfied.  Not everything was perfect but was excused as "that's politics."  No longer can everything be accepted.

Some CCC reporter started a story that Carson was with drawing and spread the lie even to voting areas. Folks, this should have been stopped by Cruz, and since it was allowed to go on results of the election are invalid.

From this moment on  all results will be questioned. Cruz will be doubted as for honesty.

I remember the Arizona

I had no more than turned on the computer than I heard screams of joy -- some college had signed a football  recruit -- Alabama had taken a  player  supposed to go to LSU.

November 1945, the  Pickens arrived  at Pearl Harbor to  begins training Marines to board boats and land on shore of an island similar  to Iwo Jima.  We would spend weeks in training exercises for the operation.

My memory includes entering Pearl and gazing at the up-side-down battleship Arizona. As  long as my days last, I will remember the site and what it represented.

I threaten to leave schoo

I can remember only once running away from school and home. I had a nighr to consider but stayed  committed.  You would likely have done the same thing.

Schools initiated a practice of having first graders  lie on a rug and drink milk each afternoon.  I was a small third graders so teachers decided I should join the practice.. I agreed  to walk round with    the milk but determined I would never be embarrassed again. The  teachers dropped the practice.  Had this continued  I was going to leave school and home.

November pushes aside January

Two  minutes ago   January 2016  ended.  This was a long, draggy month for me and by contrast February will move quickly.  I spent so much time seeing doctors and being seen by rehabbers.   I hope January will be different.


I have one medical appointment and trust that I will escape with  only one more. That depends on  the condition of my hip, which I am positive will improve enough to let me walk.