Family Veterans Day Salute

My annual Veteran's Day post, with a few new photos of the vets in our family.

To all veterans, whether you chose to serve or were drafted, thank you. As the mother of soldiers and airmen, I know a little of what it took and what it still takes from you. And to all the families of our veterans, thank you too. You also gave much.

Above, son Derek with his daughter Haley, after she joined the Army National Guard. She's works full time in the Guard. 

Haley with our great-grands Ellie and Ryland.

Below, Derek at his promotion ceremony, where he was promoted to Sgt. Major. (He was Command Sgt. Major when he retired in 2016). Today he's grandpa to those two little ones above!

One of my favorite photos of Derek, when he was in Iraq: 

Had to keep practicing that golf swing, even in the desert!

My father, who served in England during WWII, and met my mother there:

These photos are from post-World War II. Dad is in the front on the first one. He was sent to Germany for a few months after the war ended.

On the ship coming back to America after the war.

Dad and friends, goofing around--Dad is in the center bottom of the photo.

 Post-war Germany, so much damage. How sad is this? And yet wars continue. Mankind never learns from the past.

Dad at Dachau, where he helped with the post-war cleanup. No matter how grim, he was always able to find humor it seems! We did find a stack of photos taken inside one of the camps (I think it was Dachau, but cannot remember now). I could only look at the first two--they were too terrible.

Dominick Connelly, my father's great-grandfather, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving as a drummer. He was imprisoned once at Harper's Ferry, or in that region, and I believe he might have been injured once too. My sister Judy discovered that Dominick was sent to Andersonville, where he somehow managed to survive the terrible conditions.

My mother's Uncle Sidney Wilson, a British soldier who was killed in 1917 in World War I, before she was born.

And her Uncle Sydney's brother James Wilson, killed in 1915, just a few weeks after this photo was taken:



We believe at least one of the brothers was in the 1914 Christmas Eve truce, when soldiers from both sides joined in a game of soccer or football. 

Back in the US:

My grandfather, William I. Connelly Sr, who served as a lawyer for the Coast Guard during World War II.

Dad again, William I. Connelly Jr, who served in the Army Air Force in England during World War II.

My husband Larry, a Vietnam War Marine Corps veteran, above. 

My late son Jonathan Ford who served 10 years in the Army before a medical issue forced his early retirement.

Above is my son Aaron Ford who served 4 years in the US Air Force;

and below is our son Tommy, who also served in the US Air Force.

Larry and Tommy at Tommy's graduation from basic training in San Antonio.

Below is grandson Clayton who served in the US Navy.

And granddaughter Beth, still on active duty in the US Navy. She's second from the right.

Last but not least, granddaughter-in-law Desiree, who serves in the Army National Guard full time. Desiree is third from the left.

To all our soldiers, my profound gratitude and respect.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Still Blooming

36°f/2.2°C, clear. Sunset about 5:30 was just stunning.

It has been another long, hard day of sorting and storing. Two totes and a large trash bag of stuff went to Goodwill when Larry went to his doctor appointment.  All the stuff from the booths--Fall and summer items--are in labeled totes and put in storage. I sorted out more Christmas things and put some aside to go to the thrift. I still have 2 totes and a table full of merchandise to price. That will be my next job. 

I did take some time for garden wandering. So many flowers are still in bloom! I will try to get photos tomorrow,  but I did pick this bouquet.

I picked a tiny squash, and was stunned to see half a dozen green tomatoes hanging on the trellis. We will pick them tomorrow, along with a surprising amount of chili peppers still hanging on. I thought the deer had destroyed those plants, but they are loaded with bright red peppers. The garlic I planted last month looks good too, as do the leeks. 

As I put the bouquet on the desk, I noticed these two small photos that I don't think i have ever posted before.  These are my favorite photos of my mother and father. I think Mom was in her late 60s or early 70s here, and Dad was probably about 65 when his was taken.  Mom was crocheting, i think; she took it up when her hands didn't work well enough for knitting. And Dad? Someone must have told a funny story! Mom was born in 1927, and died in Secember 2005. Dad was born in 1922 and passed away just 10 months after Mom. Both were in poor health the last 5 years of their lives.

Now it's evening, and I am ready to stop for the day, with ny favorite drink, a cranberry mimosa. Tomorrow I start physical therapy,  so wish me luck!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Christmas in the Booths

First frost this morning, but it did not seem to kill anything. 32°f/0°C at dawn, warmed to 62°f. 

A quick look at my work in tge Ravenswood booths. Adding Christmas doesn't mean lots of tinsel and such---mostly it means adding a bit of decoration and highlighting all the red and green items already in thd booths, ljke this mid-century pinch bowl, and the cake stand from the 1960s.

Last year i hit on the idea of using cupcake containers to display vintage ornaments. They worked pretty well. (The Bigfoot ornament isn't vintage, just fun!).

Part of an estate buy back in August,  I finally got all the Shawnee Corn King dishes displayed. I should have had them out sooner, as they are really out of season now. But maybe someone will buy a few as a Christmas gift for a collector. I can hope!

Rae Dunn is not vintage, but people collect it, so i added this kettle found at a thrift recently.

Of course, not everything is Christmas-y in my booths.

I brought this table in last week, and I had a cute pink Christmas tree on it, but it sold as soon as I put it out! So I added the card display in its place.

Once again, photos of the display window are just difficult with the glare, but here is one side.

And here's the other side. I will try again if I get there  one day in the morning, when the window is in shadow.

Mr. Easter Island Head changed his witch hat for a Santa hat. He almost sold Saturday, but the guy really wanted a pair, and I just have the one.

I would miss him anyway.

That's some of it anyway. Today I organized the rotes and got most of them put away. Then I had ro pack a large set of china I sold on ebay: service for 6 plus 2 casseroles, a serving bowl, 2 platters, cream and sugar, butter dish, and 2 platters. Packing them up took up my entire afternoon, but i was happy to see the set stay intact--it was made in the 1920s by Haviland Limoges, in their Theo pattern, just so lovely. Here is one of the pieces.

Time for bed! It's been a long day, but a good one.