Another Rhyming Memory

 

 

 

When we were growing up, our favorite uncle was our mom's

youngest brother, Robert. Of course we called him Uncle Butch!

He was the coolest teen and he spent a lot of time with us.

He had an awesome fast car that we got to ride in

(although that sometimes got him into trouble...)

He secretly smoked, which in those days was considered cool.

He taught us how to dance to Elvis records.

 I remember doing the bop in our socks while Elvis sang,

"You ain't nothin' but a hound dog."

And he taught us some little rhyming ditties that have stayed with me to this day!



 

 

I think of this one every year around Halloween time:

 

The night was dark and dreary

The moon was full of blood

 



And on the road lay dying...

 



 

(Uncle Butch would shout this last line and scare the pants off us!)

 

A poor POTATO BUG!!!

 

We would all squeal in delight, and beg him to do it again!

Thanks for the fun memories, Uncle Butch! Love you lots!



RHYMING MEMORIES

Now here's something that's been running through my mind for the last couple of days ~ the very first poem I memorized so I could recite it in class.

I was in the first grade at Lincoln Elementary in North Las Vegas. Our teacher was Mrs. Mounce and I remember her as being VERY SCARY!  She wore her hair in an elaborate updo the was sprayed into a silver helmet. She owned a mink stole of which she was so proud, she wore nearly every day even in the desert heat!  After lunch she made a big production of rolling her stockings down below her knees and twisting the tops into a knot. And, scariest of all, she took her false teeth out several times a day at her desk to powder them from a blue and white tin of Polident! My dad thought she had taught school for so long she didn't like little kids anymore.

I remember the big long hooked pole she used to open the upper windows. She never actually SAID it, but if anyone misbehaved while she performed this daily task, the look she directed at the guilty party made it clear she wouldn't hesitate to use it!

Posted around the tops of the blackboards along with the usual alphabet were Victorian images of nursery rhymes and poems. My most favorite was a little girl playing with a kitten and this poem:

Pussy cat, pussy cat,
Where have you been?   
I've been to London to see the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat,
What did you there?
I frightened a small mouse
 under her chair!

 

 

 

I spent some long afternoons going over and over it with the "proper" pronounciation.  "Been" had to rhyme with "Queen." My brother made fun of that until my mother explained that is how they would have said it in London. I don't think I had any clue what or where London might be but I so loved playing "London Bridges Falling Down" at recess I knew it must be a special place. I can even recall feeling a bit smug and superior to my dense brother!

 

I remember Mrs. Mounce calling me to the front of the class when it was my turn to recite. My mouth felt dry and my stomach had butterflies. But I got every line out just like I had practiced it! And I remember the pride I felt when she put a shiny gold star on my class chart!

 

That was 1958 and I still remember every line of that old poem.

I may have misplaced my car keys yesterday, opened the pantry three times because I forgot what I was looking for, and missed an appointment I totally spaced...

But those rhyming verses have stayed firmly planted in my mind for all these years! Go figure!

 



                                                                                                  

WW II MEMORIES - FRIED POTATO SANDWICHES

World War II Memories - Fried Potato Sandwiches

The Battle of Okinawa was the last major ground battle between the armed forces of the Empire of Japan and the United States in the South Pacific.

The Battle of Okinawa lasted 83 days from the landing of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps on 1 April 1945 until 22 June, when the island was declared secured. The defense of the island was divided into three strong Japanese lines where hidden guns, machine guns and bunkers covered approaches and fields. Soldiers on the ground fought a grueling battle to occupy the island. The U.S. Navy provided support from the ocean and was attacked repeatedly by Japanese Kamikaze aircraft, sinking and damaging a significant number of vessels. Most of the island's structures were destroyed and the landscape was left a barren, muddy morass. It was a battle in which more than 12,000 American and 100,000 Japanese soldiers lost their lives. The losses were the greatest of the Pacific campaign.

The island was considered crucial to establish three airstrips and support facilities from which to launch a final assault on the mainlands of Japan. After securing the island work on these major projects and the business of occupation by the U.S. forces began. But because of the heavy losses during the Battle of Okinawa, the decision was made to release the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force the surrender of the Empire of Japan on August 6 and 9 of 1945.

On 9 October 1945 Typhoon Louise struck Okinawa, with devastating results.  Winds of 92 miles per hour and 30-35 foot waves battered the ships and craft in the bay and tore into the Quonset huts and buildings ashore. A total of 12 ships and craft were sunk, 222 grounded, and 32 severely damaged. Personnel casualties were 36 killed, 47 missing, and 100 seriously injured. Almost all the food, medical supplies and other stores were destroyed, over 80% of all housing and buildings knocked down, and all the military installations on the island were temporarily out of action. Over 60 planes were damaged as well, though most were repairable. Although new supplies had been brought to the island by this time, and emergency mess halls and sleeping quarters built for all hands, the scale of the damage was still very large. If the war had not ended on 2 September, this damage, especially the grounding and damage to 107 amphibious craft (including the wrecking of four tank landing ships, two medium landing ships, a gunboat, and two infantry landing craft) would likely have seriously impacted the planned invasion of Japan.


There were still renegade Japanese hold-outs in the caves and underground mazes of the island, the natives were distrustful of the U.S. troops and there was a lot of repair and rebuilding to be done. This was the situation my father and his troop mates were greeted with in the Fall of 1945. 

Another letter home...

3 November, 1945
Okinawa

Dearest Dottie,

Here I am again, boring you to death. I didn't get any mail today, but I'm not bitching 'cause I got so many the day before yesterday. I missed the show this evening. We've been  sitting here making coffee and frying bacon and potatoes. We usually do that after the movie, but we had company this evening and didn't go. I'll be quite the cook! I can get up in the morning and fix breakfast. Wouldn't that be something?

I'm sure acquiring  a funny taste in food over here. One of my favorites is potato sandwiches. You fry potatoes real crisp in lots of grease, sprinkle them well with salt, and then make a sandwich of them. They are almost like french fries, but not quite so crisp. Real Good!

Can't you almost smell the bacon and coffee and taste those hot, crispy potatoes?

We don't have any trouble getting food here. We just go down to the mess hall and steal it after dark - it is a pretty good set up. We have better chow here in the tent than the mess hall. The chow there is really rotten!  No fresh meat at all except once of twice a week.  They had real potatoes the other day and almost caused a stampede in the chow line. We stole about half a case that night and have had fried potatoes ever since.

(2)

You can't imagine the way dehydrated food tastes until you've ate it for a while. We had dehydrated carrots for the first time today, and I took some not knowing what they were. They tasted like nothing I've ever ate, and if I told you what it tasted like, you would blush - so I won't say anything!  

The only thing I'll miss when I leave this island, if I ever do, will be the bull sessions every night. They sure get good! Sometimes I almost die laughing, and other times I almost cry when they get to talking about something that reminds me of you. I'd never tell anyone but you this, but I actually cried one night when I thought of you. I guess I'm just a big boob, don't you think so?

 Honey, did you get the pictures I sent to you? I hope so, 'cause they cost me quite a bit of money considering what I make. They (censors) may feel the pictures in the envelope and open it. I don't know if they allow them to go home now or not. I hope so. If you get them, Honey, send them to mom for a while, but tell her to send them back.

(3)

I  just finished reading a book called "Not Too Narrow, Not Too Deep." It is the book that they made the picture "Strange Cargo" from. The book is a lot better than the picture. I don't know if you saw the picture of not, but it is about ten men that escaped from Dante's Island and made their way to America in a small boat. On the trip they pick up a man who converts them all to Christians, or whatever you may call them. It is really interesting.

MGM 1940 film released  in 1940
It was the 8th, and last, pairing of stars
Clark Gable and Joan Crawford.

First novel by Richard Sale, published in 1936.

Original envelope

There seems to be some dispute about the 147th going home.They screened all the men out below 60 points, and there are still 90 and 100 point men here waiting to go home, and they are bitching.

Honey, I hope you still love me. It would break my heart if I ever found out that you didn't. You are the only thing I live for anymore. Everything else seems in the far past. All my plans and hopes are built on our getting married and having a home of our own. If anything  ever happened that we weren't married, I would be like a man without a country! I would just as soon stay over here.

Well, I'm getting pessimistic, so I guess I'd better close for now. Please think of me once in while when you have nothing else to do, and remember, I love you with all my heart and soul, always!

Yours truly and forever, 

ブボブ

(Japanese calligraphy for Bob)

Please write soon, Darling.

I love that he is just a 19 year old kid far away from home...thinking about food and movies and missing the love of his life! Wonder if they knew how much trouble they would have been in if they were caught stealing from the supplies? Wow!! 

The point system he talks about was developed during World War II.  Points were accumulated based on length of service, whether you were in a combat or non-combat zone, any injuries suffered and any awards earned. It was controversial (as he mentions) because some commanders by-passed the system if they felt their troops were suffering from "combat fatigue," what we would call PSTD today. The only way they treated it then was a shot of whiskey, a little rest and a good pep talk before returning to duty. 

I am so intrigued to peek into the mind of my father as he wrote these letters home!

WWII Memories - The Ring

The next series of blog postings will be about my mom and dad and their courtship during WWII.  Found some old love letters my dad wrote to my mom and these are the basis of these postings. You know, it almost felt like I was doing something wrong - reading these private letters. But they are both gone now and I love the family history; my family history, and the stories they tell. I put them into date order and will share them with you.

So I will start with the letter as written, then tell a little more...

THE RING

5-26-45

Tyler, Texas 

Dearest Dottie;

Well, I finally got the ring ready to send. I've been looking all over town for 2 months, and finally found one that I like. I hope you like it as well as I do, and will put the love into it that I do.

I've got the other one, too. Just as soon as I get my furlough. Can't write a very long letter, but please answer soon.

If the ring doesn't fit, take it to a jeweler and have it sized. I got the size that I thought was right, but I may be wrong.

All My Love, Bob 

 My mom and dad met in Cedar City, Utah where she lived; and dad's family lived in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He enlisted in the army at 19 years old on February 27, 1945 and reported to Fort Douglas, Utah.

Fort Douglas was the home of the elite 7th Bombardment Group (B-17's) and the 9th Service Command Headquarters, which had been moved there from the Presidio in San Fransico for protection after the attack on Pearl Harbor. My dad entered as a heavy equipment operator as he had drove big rigs for his father since he was about 10 years old.  His dad had made a special set of wooden blocks that attached to the pedals so he could operate those big trucks before his legs could reach!

Claude R. Herrin (Bob) cir. 1945 - Outside family house in Las Vegas, NV

Mom was working at POW processing center in Ogden, Utah. It was one of the first such camps designated by the Department of Defense in the United States and handled Italian and German prisoners. She kept a few treasures made by the men from those days: An Indian Head nickle re-tapped and etched into a hobo with a beard, bowler hat and cigarette and a carved peach pit.

Bob Herrin and Dorothy Goddard cir. Winter 1944 - In the snow on Mt. Charleston, NV

Love this picture of two young kids in love having a good time in the snow.

The Ring - Black Hills Gold in original box

This is the ring that dad spent two months searching for and hoped she liked and knew the love it represented!  Black Hills gold forms the signature leaves and a heart on either side of the setting.  The original box is a fancy satin lined celluloid now yellowed to an soft ivory. The ring nestles in dark blue velvet.

Copy of the original letter written on USO stationary 

The letter had been written on USO red, white and blue stationary, provided free to all the servicemen.

As mom's mental facilities softened, she was certain that her wedding rings were lost!  She hadn't seen them for years...But after she had moved to Montana, I was looking on a shelf in her kitchen. In a dirty little crystal cream pitcher, jumbled in with old keys, screws, and other debris, I found them! I knew the ring box was in her cedar chest so I wiped them down and returned them to the blue velvet slot. Back where they had started! They were eventually returned to her, but I don't know if she recognized what they were anymore...

They were passed on to me after she died and I treasure them so! The symbol of their love and devotion for 60 years! The shank on the ring is thin from many years on my mom's finger, I now wear it every day on the index finger of my left hand...and I remember them both.

Secrets of the Sacred Order of the Make-Do's

You may not be aware there is a group of very impressive innovators 

SACRED ORDER OF THE MAKE-DO'S

ELITE GROUP OF MASTER IMPROVISERS WHO USE EVERYDAY ITEMS IN EXTRAORDINARY WAYS TO INITIATE ENGINEERING PROJECTS, PERFORM REPAIRS AND FEATS OF AMAZING MAINTENANCE!

 THESE ITEMS INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: ♦WD-40 ♦ DUCT-TAPE ♦ CARDBOARD, ♦BAILING WIRE ♦ PLASTIC LIDS♦ STYROFOAM ♦ PACKING MATERIALS ♦SCRAP LUMBER ♦ AND ON OCCASION, CHEWING GUM

Membership has been bestowed on a very select few. They find new and inventive ways to use common objects. The kind of uses that makes you want to slap your forehead and exclaim, "Why didn't I think of that?"

The S.O.M.D.'s Credos include the following:

YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE -WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. 

IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE ♦IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM♦IF IT AIN’T BROKE, JUST KEEP MESSIN’ WITH IT♦SAVE EVERYTHING – YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL COME IN HANDY♦INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR ROOKIES♦THE FEASIBILITY STAGE OF ANY PROJECT IS BEST PERFORMED WITH COLD LIQUID REFRESHMENT♦ A TRIP TO ANY HARDWARE STORE MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST TWO RETURNS♦ HIDE OR LOSE ANY RECEIPTS FOR UNUSED ITEMS PURCHASED♦MEASURE ONCE, CUT TWICE♦POSTPONE ANY “TO-DO” PROJECTS UNTIL THE REQUESTING INDIVIDUAL EITHER CRYS OR THREATENS TO CALL THE SO-CALLED PROFESSIONALS♦

While not at liberty to divulge Divine Secrets, affiliations or current submissions under consideration for Merit Badge Awards, I can share some past accomplishments with you. These may help you in your own quest to solve common household problems.

 NEED TO HOLD A NAIL IN PLACE AND AVOID SMASHING YOUR FINGERS?
MAKE DO
BY STABILIZING THE NAIL WITH A COMB!

   NEED TO FILL A BUCKET BUT IT WON'T FIT UNDER THE TAP

MAKE DO 

BY PLACING A CLEAN DUST PAN UNDER THE FAUCET AND DIRECTING THE STREAM INTO YOUR BUCKET!

HAS THE TOE STABILIZER IN YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF FLIP-FLOPS TORN THROUGH THE BOTTOM?
MAKE DO
WITH A BREAD SACK FASTENER!

WANT TO AVOID SCRAPING YOUR WINDSHIELD ON FROSTY MORNINGS?

MAKE DO

BY PLACING A MICRO-FIBER CLOTH ON THE WINDSHIELD THE NIGHT BEFORE!

HATE IT WHEN CO-WORKERS STARTLE YOU FROM BEHIND WHILE YOU'RE BUSY AT YOUR COMPUTER?

MAKE DO

BY PLACING A SMALL MIRROR OR A PAIR OF SHADES TO REFLECT THE VIEW!

 HATE THE MESS MADE WHEN DRILLING HOLES IN THE SHEET ROCK?
MAKE DO
WITH A FOLDED STICKY NOTE PLACED UNDER YOUR WORK AREA!

HATE THE MESSY PAINT DRIPS THAT RUN DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CAN OR FLOW INTO THE LID GROOVE?

MAKE DO

BY PLACING A LARGE RUBBER BAND TO WIPE YOUR BRUSH OFF!

NEED TO DRY A PAIR OF SHOES YOU JUST WASHED BUT THE THUMP-BUMP-THUMP DRIVES YOU CRAZY?
MAKE DO
BY SHUTTING THE SHOE LACES IN THE DOOR!

HATE WHEN YOUR STRAW KEEPS FLOATING UP OUT OF THE SODA CAN?

MAKE DO

BY INSERTING THE STRAW THROUGH THE PULL TAB!

TIRED OF BREAKING YOUR NAILS OR PINCHING YOUR FINGERS WHEN REMOVING OR ADDING A KEY TO A JUMP RING?
MAKE DO
BY USING A STAPLE PULLER!
(WHERE WAS THIS HINT WHEN I NEEDED IT LAST WEEK?)

DON'T WANT A POT OF BOILING PASTA OR POTATOES TO BOIL ALL OVER THE STOVE TOP?
MAKE DO
BY PLACING A WOODEN SPOON OVER THE TOP OF THE POT!

DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TOWEL BAR SPACE IN YOUR RV OR CAMPER? HAVE TOO MANY WET BATHING SUITS?

MAKE DO

BY PLACING A GOOD SIZE TENSION ROD ACROSS THE SHOWER SPACE AND HANG AWAY!

Okay, now you slap your forehead and say, "Why didn't I think of this!"

lol

Thanks to friend Maureen Lynn for sending these to me!

♪♫ A Sweet Appalachian Lullaby ♪♫

Not long ago my daughter Tammy's FaceBook page showed that she had listened to "Appalachian Lullaby" and it brought back so many sweet memories!

Those memories start with how that gentle, peaceful song came into our family...

 In the summer of 1992 I took my Sister Dear on a trip to Asheville, NC to tour the Biltmore Estate.
We had been visiting with my sister-in-law in Macon, GA, and then left for our drive east through the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had such a wonderful time and saw so many beautiful sights along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was nice to just gossip and giggle and have some "sister" time!

 We had reservations at a historic 1890 Victorian place called The Applewood Inn Bed and Breakfast. From the moment we checked in we felt like it was a special experience!

Our hostess was very gracious in the true Southern hospitality tradition.
You could see that the beautiful carved woodwork had been lovingly restored and maintained. The Inn was filled with period appropriate furniture and fixtures that would have been right at home in a museum - and yet you were invited to set down and have a cup of tea!

We were shown upstairs to our room complete with a 4-post bed, draped ceiling and a corner fireplace. It seemed like a room from a fairy book story. It all felt so warm and welcoming.
After settling in and freshening up a bit, we went out to get a bite eat and then came back for an early evening. In the the parlor that evening we met a couple who were also guests; young honeymooners who were planning to hike some of the Blue Ridge trails nearby. Our hostess gave us our information for our tour of the Biltmore the next day and told us what time breakfast would be served. She said there was another couple who were arriving later that evening and they would be joining us a the breakfast table. She then bid us good night and we all turned in.

We came down for breakfast the next morning and were shown into the dining room which was all set with a lace tablecloth, antique china and silver. There was a young lady who greeted us by name and invited us to sit anywhere at the table.

Now just as an aside I wondered how this young lady we

were just meeting for the first time could address us by

name...later that morning I accidentally wandered through

the service pantry looking for the side door to the drive.

There, posted on a message board, were notes about

each of us! Our names and a brief description ~

how clever was that to make you feel at home?

 As breakfast was served we were invited to introduce ourselves to one another and share who we were, where we were from and what we were planning to do in Asheville.  The guests who had arrived late last evening were a young married couple, Tanya Goodman and Michael Sykes, who were southern gospel musicians from the Fayetteville area. They were so excited telling us they had just received the Grammy Award the past year for Best Music Album for Children! It was for this collection of original songs "A Child's Gift of Lullabyes."

They presented each of us a signed cassette of the album. Neither Sister Dear or I had grandchildren yet, but as we listened to it in our rental car, we talked about how wonderful it would be to share with the next generation. We enjoyed the trip, the tour of the Biltmore, our stay at the Applewood Inn and the gift from new friends!

Our beautiful granddaughter, Amanda was born in 1994 and this cassette was passed on to her mama and daddy along with a little cassette player. I bought another one for our house and this song was played every night and every afternoon as she drifted off to sleep.  We all knew the words and melody to every song!

The original was played so much it actually wore out and had to be replaced. It was renewed again when our sweet Emily was born.  I have purchased this album for many a new mom-to-be...truly a well-loved piece of work! Of course today it is on a CD...

Today there is still a little player with this cassette in the guest bedroom,

and I have peeked in to see both of my girls listening with a dreamy 

smile on their faces!  

Each and every song is a treasure ~ but this is our favorite!

You can listen to the "Appalachian Lullaby" on this link!

We all love it so and all the sweet memories it brings back!

Gossip

I watched the movie "Doubt" again last night. The 2008 movie starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Viola Davis and Philip Hoffman is based on John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize winning stage play "Doubt: A Parable" and brings up many disturbing and thought-provoking issues. And like any good work of art, it evokes new insights each time you revisit it!

Last night I was struck by one of the sermons Father Flynn preached about GOSSIP:

A woman had casually repeated a bit of unkind gossip she had heard about a man she really didn't even know. She knew her action was wrong and it started troubling her...so much that she had a dream one night of a large hand hovering over her and pointing an accusing finger at her.
She decided that this must be the hand of God pointing out her transgression and she needed to go to her priest, confess and seek forgiveness.
After admitting her hurtful deed, she asked to be pardoned for her actions. The priest gave her an usual penance. She was to go home, take a pillow and knife and go up to the roof of her apartment. Once there she was to open the pillow with the knife and then return to the priest. She did as she had been instructed.
The priest asked her what had happened when she did as he had told her. She told how even the slightest breeze took the feathers and blew them everywhere! The priest then told her, "Now go back and retrieve each and every feather."
"But I cannot do that!" she cried. "I have no idea where the wind may have carried each feather! It would be impossible to retrieve them all!"
"Ah," said the priest, "Such is GOSSIP!"


Such an amazing allegory! We must guard against even casual GOSSIP ~ one never knows how far it may grow and we will never be able to get it back!

A Wee Bit O' Magic!

So it's St. Paddy's Day again and thought I'd share a memory of a funny friend and the Wee Bit O' Magic he would create for his three small children.
Now you know with a name like Patrick he was well versed in Irish stories and wanted to share that enchantment with his kids.
Oh, and he also had a bit of the Blarney in him...

Of course leprechauns figured in a lot of those stories. He spun wonderful stories of their comings and goings. He told the kids how they would sneek in and out of people's houses at night. But on St. Patrick's Day, they brought their gold with them! Anyone lucky enough to catch a leprechaun would be rich beyond their wildest dreams! He would help his kids set up various traps to see if they could capture their own leprechaun and that famous pot of gold.

All kinds of crazy contraptions were made and armed for the evening. It was so much fun trying to think of the best way to catch one of these elusive creatures! The kids would go to sleep with visions of their victory first thing on the morrow!




Next morning, sure enough some of the traps would had been tripped! But, alas, all they could find were these gold nuggets of gum! Daddy would explain how when these clever little green guys were really scared, they spilled some of their golden treasure. But to ensure that no one could ever get their hands on their precious gold, they made the gold turn into bubblegum!

Ah sad, but truly sweet!

Did I mention this was the same guy who ran toy motorcyle wheels through sparkling dust to make tracks on a child's pillow to prove the Tooth Fairy had been there?

Well, end of tale. Hope you all enjoy St. Patrick's Day ~ the one day we all get to be a little Irish!

Go Make a Difference

Once again, a celebrity has died, and the media makes some sort of saint of them! Really? I don't get it!

Seems they took the gifts and talents they were given and threw them away for fame and money and bad living. Sad? You bet!

But why are there people hanging around to view a funeral of someone they never knew?
They are burying Whitney Houston today and strangers are gathering around to get a view...

They leave flowers and gifts that will never be enjoyed by a living person.

They cry and wail like their best friend has passed.
Now THAT is sad!

I always wonder why these people don't take that energy and concern and make go make a real difference in the world?

There are so many LIVING people in need of a helping hand. There are hungry waiting for something to eat. There are homeless waiting for safe shelter. There are desperate waiting for a hand up. Children waiting for a loving touch. Elderly waiting for a visit.

What if only one in ten of those people hanging around decided to go make a real difference in the world?

Mother Teresa once said, "God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through." And even Dr. Suess told us, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not!"

Go out and make a difference in the world! That's the only thing that will matter in the end!

Give What You Have

No man is so poor as to have nothing worth giving. Give what you have...To someone it may be better than you dare to think. ~H.W. Longfellow~

Watching Hopkins 24/7 this morning and the medical students were expressing their profound thanks for the people whose bodies had been donated to their program. They said there was no way to learn all they needed to learn without hands-on experience these bodies give them. And they took a moment to remember these were a human beings, not just anonymous remains. One student team even said a prayer for their "person" and his family and friends. Made me think of Byron's brother, Bruce. Being a teaching tool in a medical university was his final contribution to the world!

Bruce was the third of the seven Robinson boys. From the beginning it would appear that he always marched to his own drum. Mom reported he was often sad and moody. He seemed to prefer his solitude. Difficulty in school caused him to be retained a year. After one of his outbursts of anger, he could be found "camping out" in an old car . In later years, as the adult brothers would fondly recall childhood adventures and mischievious deeds at the old family homestead, Bruce would claim no such happy memories.

He had some good qualities: He was a hard worker and was willing to teach his skills to others. He loved his children. He was a true horseman and loved everything about ranch living. He started a lot of enterprises that had great potential.

But his life was troubled: He married and divorced twice. He had three children whom he abandoned before they reached adulthood. He started the family business, but walked away before it was a success. He struggled greatly with financial matters and was convinced the world was out to defeat him. Bruce always seemed to be chasing that golden carrot that was dangling just out of his grasp...and wasn't too happy about it either!

Bruce's last few years left his family puzzled and sad. He and his female companion drifted from place to place in the Northwest. They never had anything of their own and ran from a few brushes with the legal system. There were a number of people looking for them to settle money and business matters. And his poor mother worried constantly about him. She once said, "Bruce starts up the river of life, and then not only quits rowing, but throws the paddles overboard!"

Then Bruce called with the news of bone cancer. Without any money or medical insurance he depended on the state hospital for treatment. The end was painful and involved. When it was over, the hospital told Bruce's companion that because he was "a ward of the state" his body would be donated to the medical program there for study. She has no legal standing to protest...and Bruce made his final contribution to the world.

His final years may have been fruitless in so many other ways, but it is comforting to think that final gift has made a difference in the lives of the medical students and in the lives of the future patients they went on to serve.

And it would be nice to think those students said a little prayer for Bruce and for his family....

R.I.P. Bruce!