BIRTHDAY CONTINUED

My birthday continued into last night. Donna and Terri invited me to dinner. I did not realize they were going to do Happy Birthday.

I was greeted with Happy Birthday as I arrived. Imagine Terri’s crescendo! Drinks followed by a home cooked meal by gourmet chef Donna.

After dinner, Happy Birthday cake. Unexpected. Home baked brownies topped with whip cream. And two candles: One an 8, the other a 2.

Happy Birthday sung again!

Gift, a bottle of Beefeaters.

Received an e-mail from Joseph. Biblical. He thanked me for letting him participate in the “Feast of my Nativity.”

Joseph is 69. Ailing from a back surgery more than a year ago. Not perfect yet.

Joseph is 69. Short and thin. A white beard and mustache. Needs a cane. His cane is a rod. A six foot wood pole.

I refer to Joseph as John the Baptist since he began using the pole.

I spent yesterday doing nothing. Laid around all day. I was beat! Moving and unpacking had taken its toll. Shot!

My new neighborhood is a delight to behold. Cute single family homes. Greenery everywhere. Trees arching over the roadway.

Decided I would try to walk again. The peaceful surroundings called out to me.

I walked this morning. Early. Out of bed, into shorts and sneaks. Before I said, screw it!

The walk delightful. Once around a block. All of 10 minutes. I am starting off slow. Want to succeed this time.

Three popular Key West events on going or imminent.

Mel Fisher Days began thursday and end today. The event is to commemorate Fisher’s discovery of the Spanish galleon Atocha.

Mango Fest next saturday July 15. Bayview Park. All kinds of activities and mango foods. Sponsored by the Key West Police Athletic League. The League supports and participates in all kinds of children’s activities.

Finally, one of the best. Hemingway Days! Ten days of Hemingway fun beginning July 18. Including the Running of the Bulls, the Hemingway Look Alike Contest, and Sloppy Joe’s Hemingway Birthday Party.

The things I learn from William Hackley’s life. His diary for this day in 1856 records Hackley paying the rent on his Key West home. Paid for six months with a $450 Treasury warrant. Works out to $75 a month.

Can’t rent anything for $75 a month anymore! Hackley’s rent today would be at least $3,000 a month.

Hemingway. One of Key West’s most famous citizens.

On this day in 1918, Hemingway was 18. World War I three years old. The United States not yet in the war.

Hemingway wanted to participate. He joined the American Red Cross and was stationed in northern Italy as an ambulance driver.

While serving on the front, a mortar shell went off near him. Hemingway was seriously injured. Spent quite a while in the hospital because of shrapnel wounds. One leg especially beat up.

During his hospital stay, he fell in love with a nurse. A serious romance. After he returned home and was arranging for her to follow him, his loved dumped him for a lieutenant of royal lineage.

While living in Key West, Hemingway worked on his manuscript A Farewell to Arms and had the book published.

The book  reflected on northern Italy during World War I, the experiences of a Red Cross ambulance driver, his love affair with a nurse, and the tragic ending of the love affair. The nurse love died in the book.

Hemingway’s actual war time life experiences formed the basis for his first best selling novel.

In 1962, the movie PT-109 was filmed on Munson Island in the Keys. Pt-109 was the war time story of John Kennedy and his heroic experience following the sinking of PT-109.

A lot of local background.

Munson Island was owned at the time by Sheriff John M. Spottswood. Subsequently to become a Florida State Senator.

Kennedy was visiting Key West if my memory proves correct for a meeting with Great Britain’s Prime Minister MacMillan. Spottswood was close to Kennedy. He suggested a good place to shot the movie was Munson Island which he owned. Munson Island became the place.

Munson Island today is Little Palm Island.

Spottswood had five children. He was the patriarch of the family. A Key West icon. His children all successful today and respected community leaders. I only know one. Robert and his wife, Elena. Two fine people.

Cliff Robertson played Kennedy in the movie.

I met Robertson 12 or more years ago at the Mel Fisher Museum. The Museum was kicking off a national fund raising campaign. Robertson was honorary chairman.

The good looking young vital man of PT-109  days was now aged. Never the less, dapperly dressed and sharp of wit.

A Trump observation. He is out of his class at the G20 meeting in Hamburg. In over his head. Especially with Putin.

Enjoy your day!

 

30 comments on “BIRTHDAY CONTINUED

  1. Trump may be in over his head but he is handling himself fine. He has been well received and so far successful.

    • Well received? You mean the speech he gave behind bulletproof glass in front of right-wing, nationalist villagers bussed into Warsaw by the strong man-led government, or well received by the massive, violent protests in Hamburg for the G20? Or was he well received by missing the climate portion of the summit, or well received when Merkel (the new leader of the free world btw) and Shinzo Abe announced a new trade deal, not involving the U.S., that covers about 40% of the global economy and is comparable in scope to NAFTA? What about the reception he got from Justin Trudeau when the Canadian PM tweeted out pictures of all the amazing work being done by friends working toward mutually beneficial interests and Trump was nowhere to be seen in any of the photos? I guess we have different opinions on what well received means.

      • aaaaaaah Ferrell, lighten up on Patrick, it’s just his rupfan way of tone-deaf sarcastic humor. He knows he doesn’t have a case and is just clueless that he’s: A) not funny, and B) makes himself look like a 3rd grade idiot.

        • I would add Patrick has chosen the extremely unenviable task of supporting the Trumper which is darn near impossible given the utter hypocrisy, broken promises, and narcissism seen during the last six months. God help us and the world in the next 42. It will be interesting to see if we all are still here to blog and comment then.

  2. BTW, belated Happy 82nd to Lou. Really enjoy your blog and I am very glad life is treating you well and you are a healthy 82. Beefeaters is a great gift, enjoy it, in moderation of course. :).

    • Patrick – Great idea, we’ll all benefit. Maybe you’d want to stick around a little, check in once and a while, maybe learn something useful. Lou’s insights and comments are almost always spot on, and accurate.

      • I consider myself a pragmatist and thus I am not a fan of all liberal ideas. The problem I see is when one side, be it left or right, puts party and ideology above country. We have seen a lot of that recently and look where it has got us.

        I can easily list the few things I agree with the Trumper on or at least what his administration has done. Very few but they exist. The issue is all the mean, nasty and downright hypocritical stuff. Much of the criticism the right leveled at Obama should be leveled ten-fold at Trumper. The Head of the Ethics Office just resigned in disgust. And he was bipartisan, working for Bush and Obama and he called both of those Presidents upright, professional and with impeccable ethics standards. So, where is the outrage from the right and their paid media hitmen, the indignation that we may have serious ethics breaches that need investigation? Silence, of course. Party and power first.

        • Completely agree with you. There are all kinds of things that should be called out on all politicians, governments, etc., regardless of affiliation. What I object to with Patrick and occasionally others, is the partisan effort to simply disrupt decent discussion by bomb trowing like “Trump may be in over his head but he is handling himself fine. He has been well received and so far successful.” statements, with little regard to reality or truth. Lou presents a statement of fact and or his opinion on something, and along comes Patrick (and sometimes others) with an absurd, factually false, or sometimes totally off topic, responses. Lou’s blog is a breath of fresh air, yet the reply’s to his perfectly good statements and opinions are often second rate garbage. Good bye Patrick, you are doing the right thing!

    • I don’t revel in jack shit. I work my fingers to the bone so baby boomers like you can enjoy their final temper tantrum. My only solace is that you’ll all be dead soon and the U.S. can join the rest of the world.

      • I’m always amused by the notion that once all the old (conservative) people die off, the world will be “saved” by and for all the young (liberal) people.

        Turns out that as people age, many tend to become more conservative, through life experience and accumulated intelligence.

        So you will just have to keep waiting, generation after generation, for the utopia you envision.

        • I’m not so sure about that. There have been major societal changes as old, corrupt generations die off. Look at slavery, pretty entrenched for centuries, ended in utter bloodshed, but the times did change. With the global climate in a major crisis that the current oldsters ignore as an “Act of the God Man” (which, btw, is an INSULT to GOD who gave us this garden we are soiling) or simply so their oil stocks keep rising. believe the future will be very different than the past century.

          Watch Star Trek, the old ones, where people of all stripes need to cooperate to succeed. We are heading there but it is a struggle due to the rampant corruption, hypocrisy, and idiocy of the powers that be. But Death does come.

          • Things do change.

            Slavery. That has been going on since humans came along. In this country the northern states stopped it in the 18th century while the southern democrats continued the practice until a republican president was elected. Not that Mr Lincoln was completely against that institution and the argument can go on whether the war was fought over secession or slavery. The southern black politicians of the 19th century were of the republican persuasion.

            Weather has been changing since the Big Bang and will continue to do so. The big question is whether man has much to do with any of the changes. In the past changes there weren’t many humans around and the changes happened quickly and dramatically. According to the really smart fellas we are over due for another big change. Yellowstone is overdue for another eruption that is thought to change the climate for a century and the earths poles are overdue for another reversal. [ reduction of our solar filter/magnetic field] and no one is sure what that will entail.

            Our country has done quite a bit to improve the environment. Remember the EPA was Nixon’s baby. Our country is continuing to improve the environment[ in some respects] while other developing countries increasing pollute and have no intentions of spending the money to make improvements. All the Summit wants to do is get America to pay as we always do while countries like China don’t have to do a thing until 2030.

            We do need people to cooperate to get anything accomplished. This country needs to start with our do nothing congress. I’m talking about both sides. Basically its called compromise, a lost art.

  3. Well, I like the warm responses, so, I think I might stick around just to irritate micheal and Ferrell. I can’t remember having a temper tantrum and many things should have killed me by now, one very recently. But, I’ll be around for awhile longer much to your dismay and hopefully see America be America and not ‘the rest of the world’. I can only hope when some get older their minds will open.

  4. OH, you had the temper tantrum when you found out Mr Trump was elected. That makes sense. Glad you cleared that up.

    It is about the issues. Spin it the way you like, thats whats done when an argument can’t be presented. Its hard to take serious a modern day liberal.

    I’m still hoping that once some age and experience is gained the eyes will open and the light bulb will turn on.

    Its easy to be liberal when young and idealistic. With life comes wisdom and experience causing most folks to become conservative, I can’t think of many that have gone the other way.

    • I didn’t have a temper tantrum, I increased the amount of money I donate to Democratic candidates and groups. Here’s the argument: We live in a global society driven by technology ranging from aviation to telecommunications that removes borders and facilitates cultural and commercial exchanges. Nationalism has a place, but it doesn’t have anything to do with skin color, religion, politics or gamesmanship. It has to do with a shared sense of community. I’ve had the opportunity to travel extensively. People all want the same thing: productive work, a sense of value, and the knowledge that they’re safe. Protectionism and identity politics is over. You’re currently witnessing its demise. Example: Look at Trump at the G20, refusing to wear the pin, and opting to push his America First rhetoric in the lamest way possible–the classic American flag lapel pin. First off, if that’s your attitude, why even engage with the G20? Second, how do you think phrases like “America first” and “identity politics”fall on German ears? If I was a German, I’d be in the street too because that’s vile, dangerous bullshit with a clear outcome we’ve seen before. In terms of age, do you mean to tell me you don’t think the hippies helped shape politics and that the Reagan era was the backlash from older folks? You don’t think younger folks got Obama elected, and now Trump is the backlash? Pretty soon all the people driving the backlash are going to be dead and that’ll be it. As for conservatism coming with age, again, hippies. They still vote Democrat. Also, you suck at communicating. And finally, once the political and economic (already happened) power shifts, we’ll still provide you with your miserable old ass with Social Security and Medicare because we’re nice people, not because you deserve it.

      • Still clueless. Hippies don’t always vote democrat. Most that I grew up with and those I hear are now conservatives and’ I are one’. You think you’re ‘nice people’ but demonstrate the opposite.

        Maybe I do ‘suck at communicating’. Thats OK. I’ve been public speaking for decades and continue to be asked to talk to other veterans groups and cancer survivors. I imagine personal knowledge and experience drives that and I’ll continue to do it as long as I’m asked.

        As far as I’m concerned, and all us other ‘miserable old asses’, are entitled to Social Security and Medicare because we were required by the democrats to pay for it. You being ‘nice people’ has nothing to do with it.

        If you’re so disappointed with this country, why stay ? Seems like you’d be happier elsewhere.

          • Also, since Democrats forced you into SS and Medicare, you should put your money where you ideology is and tear those checks up, and self-fund private insurance.

        • Hold On Patrick ! – you’re the one who sounds like you are disappointed with this country. I don’t hear Ferrel, or anybody else here, belly-aching about this country !!!!!!!

          Stop twisting things !

          • and BTW – I don’t think you are so much a conservative as you think you are – you are just an angry old man who mouth’s some conservative rhetoric and wants to hide behind the Conservative label because no one else best represents your negative missives. In truth, unfortunately, you could be best described as a Republican (big R).

  5. Talk about twisting/spinning. Its all you know.

    I’m not the one disappointed with this country. I’m not angry, I’m enjoying life in the greatest country on earth and pretty much always have. I have no intentions on leaving.

    When I pay for something I expect to use to it and expect it to used as it was intended. I do continue to pay for private insurance since medicare isn’t a coverall as you should already know.

    You finally did get something right. I am not as much of a conservative as you think I am. Had you been paying attention, I’m personally liberal but a governmental conservative. I doubt you’d understand.

  6. Patrick, I think you are delusional, mostly about yourself and seem to make way too many judgmental assumptions (“wisdom and experience causing most folks to become conservative” – ?????). That’s at best a self serving (and partisan), overreaching, presumptuous and factually wrong rant – Lou himself being a good example of this point, and is tacky of you to insult him that way on his own blog.

    Who you actually are, is for others to judge. As someone else on this blog has said before, you are not a very good judge of yourself.

    I don’t care to comment about what you pay for or how you use it. Besides, I don’t see why you think anyone is challenging you on that, or why you even bring that up. It seems like something out of nowhere that you’re using to change the subject, or perhaps you need to adjust your meds.

    Go ahead and create your own self defined and meaningless labels to describe yourself, but Republicanism (and as you seem to practice it) today seems mostly like just “calling” this the greatest country on earth, yet constantly complaining on how bad everything is and insisting of a need to fix (change/destroy) every part of it, to “make it great again” – then actually doing nothing else but keep complaining about what ‘others’ are doing.

  7. This has gone on far too long. Its impossible to have a decent exchange with someone with such reading comprehension issues.
    Sorry Lou.

    • That’s it. People who don’t agree with you, or don’t validate your poorly made points, must have reading comprehension issues. How typical. How lazy. Also, how does it feel to know that, in the context of this blog, your’re most closely aligned with Diana/Lynn, someone barely capable of writing or reading a sentence? Perhaps we should reduce the dialogue to tweet-length thoughts. Sad!

    • That’s it. People who don’t agree with you, or don’t validate your poorly made points, must have reading comprehension issues. How typical. How lazy. Also, how does it feel to know that, in the context of this blog, you’re most closely aligned with Diana/Lynn, someone barely capable of writing or reading a sentence? Perhaps we should reduce the dialogue to tweet-length thoughts. Sad!

  8. I wanted to say something about Cliff Robertson before and should have. Glad you got to meet him. He was a great guy, quiet, unassuming, funny and did a lot for aviation and shooting sports. He was also traversing NY airspace on the morning of 9/11/01.

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