Celebrating the Liturgical Year: Holy Week

The last three days of this week -- Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday -- are known as the Sacred Triduum and comprise the core  of Holy Week, the most solemn week of the liturgical year, following the last days of Christ, from Judas' machinations prior to the Last Supper, on through the Passion, death, and finally, the great feast of the Resurrection on Sunday. 

T0day, specifically, Wednesday of Holy Week, is traditionally called Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday, commemorates Judas' spying of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, before giving Him the kiss of betrayal the next day.

So called because today marks the day in the life of Christ that Judas bargained to become the spy of the Sanhedrin, the Church celebrates the Tenebrae service, the remote beginning, actually, of the Sacred Triduum.

From Fisheaters:

Today and during the Sacred Triduum, the Matins and Lauds of the Divine Office are often sung in a haunting service known as the Tenebrae service ("tenebrae" meaning "shadows"), which is basically a funeral service for Jesus. During the Matins on Good Friday, one by one, the candles are extinguished in the Church, leaving the congregation in total darkness, and in a silence that is punctuated by the strepitus meant to evoke the convulsion of nature at the death of Christ. It has also been described as the sound of the tomb door closing. During the Triduum, the Matins and Lauds readings come from the following day's readings each night because the hours of Matins and Lauds were pushed back so that the public might better participate during these special three days (i.e., the Matins and Lauds readings heard at Spy Wednesday's tenebrae service are those for Maundy Thursday, the readings for Maundy Thursday's tenebrae service are from Good Friday, and Good Friday's readings are from Holy Saturday's Divine Office).

For the record, here's our Holy Week routine (then and now):

Spy Wednesday

*Spring cleaning:
Remove all the extraneous decorations around our statues, take down any winter decorations, including the Palm Sunday picture we hung on Sunday. Take our winter blankets off the backs of our couches; clean out the wood stove and store the wood basket until next fall. Sweep, mop, clean the windows, etc.

* Pretzel making (see below)

Tomorrow: MaundyThursday

*We'll finish up the cleaning

*We have our supper between 2 and 3 pm to accommodate fasting for Maundy Thursday Mass later this evening.

* We have morphed over the years from having a traditional lamb and herbed potatoes dinner to a new family tradition these last ten years ago: lamb(beef) curry (which everyone just likes better than lamb) and our own hot cross buns (a non-sweet version) -- and wine.

An adaptation of Maria Von Trapp's Austrian tradition, we serve everyone at the dinner table a glass of wine (or Sprite with a drop of wine) and by Dan's plate we place a basket of hot cross buns (actually in our house they are old-fashioned rolls with a cross cut into the top before baking). After we pray grace, Dan makes the sign of the cross over each bun and hands it down the line until each member of the family has one. Then we eat our rolls and drink our wine while Dan reads the Gospel of the Last Supper. After which we dig into the rest of the meal. Then all attend Mass in the evening, after which everyone who can will take turns at all night adoration.

Good Friday

Friday is a quiet day. As much as we are able, we speak in quiet voices and as little as possible, in memory of the solemn events in Christ's life on this most solemn of days. We used to take turns each year, Dan and I, one of us getting to go to the Tres Ore (three hours of prayer conducted by our pastor between noon and 3 pm) at church, while the other stayed home with the Littles -- with their own little version of a holy hour. When everyone is home, we'll have the remainder of the Hot Cross buns with a simple clear broth vegetable soup that the staying-home parent will have prepared. Then we'll watch The Passion. 

Holy Week is much much easier these days with all grown children! Dan and I get to participate in all the services without juggling youngin's. Woohoo! But. Oddly, enough -- and I never thought I'd say it -- I do miss all the activity and preparation and teaching that was involved in the week. Few times during the year allow for such concentrated passing along of the spirit of our Faith. Now that we have Dominic and Monica on-sight (living upstairs), we'll get a little taste of that, though, with their little girls. Maybe just the right amount of a finger still in the pie! (God is good, isn't He?)

Holy Saturday

This is always another day of preparation for us, a bit less solemn than the preceding days of Holy Week, though, as we take down the purple coverings from our statues and pictures and begin decorating the house for Easter. Sometimes we watch Jesus of Nazareth while we work on this day -- or park the Littles down to watch it to keep them out from under foot (Yep. I admit it. But what a great distraction, huh?) We  wait until this day to bring out our spring wreaths for the doors and take our lawn furniture out of the barn, and  deck out Our Lady's niches -- indoor and out -- with flowers and ribbons. If we have Littles around, we make sure everyone's bathed and hair washed by bedtime. Well ahead of time, we get out everyone's Easter clothes and make sure they're pressed and ready to go for Easter Mass. This is Easter Egg coloring day, too (usually supervised by an older sibling) and any remote prep like baking goodies is done on Holy Saturday.

* Then we attend the 10:30 Paschal Vigil -- many of our gang arriving quite early for choir practice.

Easter Sunday

 ...begins for us at midnight with Midnight Mass, following the Paschal Vigil,

* In years past, Dan and I would split Masses, only bringing children who were fairly guaranteed to behave for midnight Mass. When we were especially blessed, my sister (Thank you, sis!) stayed overnight and held down the fort with the Littles while we Bigs attended the Paschal Vigil and Midnight Mass; then she took the "big-enough" Littles with her to morning Mass.

* When we got back from midnight Mass, Dan and I would lay out all the Easter goodies and decorate the dining room table, with a place set for each child with their own special treats. And then,  at long last, bedtime for us...

* ...and God willing, the children would let us sleep in! It's such a blessing nowadays having so much less to have to accomplish for such a large gang. We do get more sleep. But, then again, it's so sad nowadays having so much less to have to accomplish for such a large gang. Bear with me while I say once more: don't miss a minute of it. Appreciate every little baby temper tantrum along with every big happy Easter smile over finding a colored egg. They grow up so fast! And there is so much joy in teaching the children the joy of this season. The long climb up through Lent and the victorious arrival at the Ascension of Our Lord is harder maybe with a house full of children, but the rewards are commensurately greater, too! 

NEXT WEEK

Tons of updates and pictures to add to the time capsule here at AWTY.  Shots of the grandbabies -- Fr. P helping out with Tenebrae -- the finished upstairs project -- the new RV -- the flowers blooming all over the property... Stay tuned!

 

Sunday Musings: Then and Now

Sr. Evangeline Marie

On her First Holy Communion Day, eleven years ago, seven years old.

On the Feast of the Annunciation, Anna's reception into the Congregation of the Mother of God (CMD)
in Omaha, Nebraska. Now she's Sr. Evangeline Marie, named for St. John the Evangelist -- who, incidentally, was the patron saint of our #3 son, now known as Fr. Philip Marie, CMRI. So we got our
St. John the Beloved back! (Not like we ever lost him of course -- but you know what I mean!)

 

What Thou Art to Me

As the bridegroom to his chosen,

As the king unto his realm, 

As the keep unto the castle,

As the pilot to the helm:

So, lord, art Thou to me.

As the fountain to the garden,

As the candle in the dark,

As the treasure in the coffer,

As the manna in the ark:

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

As the ruby in the setting,

As the honey in the comb,

As the light within the lantern,

As the father in the home:

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

As the sunshine in the darkness,

As the image to the glass,

As the fruit unto the fig tree,

As the dew unto the grass:

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

-- Br. Henry Suso

* Above poem Sr. Evangeline Marie shared with me a couple weeks ago. (We trade poetry. This child is my kindred spirit in many ways -- but so so the better person. Not a mini-me, a better me.)

Another side-by-side:

Receiving the brown scapular
from Fr. Anaya.

Receiving the habit of the CMD novitiate
from Bp. Pivarunas.

Small Photo Album of a Big Day

 

One of the shots from the very beginning of the ceremonies, following the Mass of Our Lady for
the Feast of the Annunciation. Pictured here, Louisa Fisher, who is now Sr. Stephanie Marie --
and our Anna, our youngest daughter, who is now Sr. Evangeline Marie! This photo reminds me
so much of another one I'm going to have to find and share this week some time...

And the four postulants who entered as novices into the Congregation
of the Mother of God on Thursday: Sr. Margaret Mary (Bohman),
our Sr. Evangeline Marie (Davis), Sr. Stephanie Marie (Fisher), and 
Sr. Mary Imelda (Lehnan). Four more bright stars that heaven looks
down upon here on earth. Please pray for them as they continue their
discernment!

Official family photo after Mass. Only missing Paul's family (though he's there right next to me), and 
Kevin who is in Germany with his wife and daughter. (Gosh we miss him at these ceremonies!)

Just us and nine of our ten. Dan n me in the back in the middle, then L-R: William, Michelle, Gabriel, Catherine, Sr. Evangeline Marie, Sr. Maria Antonia, Paul, Fr. Philip, and Dominic. We may have to photo-shop Kevvy in between Gabe and William or something...

And just a few from the celebration afterward -- though, fair warning: I may splash some more of the candid shots on here later in the week -- just because it's nice to have them in my little internet time capsule for posterity. (And because I kinda like these people's faces. ;) )

Uncles. Fr. Philip with Cathy's little girl, Chloe; Dominic with
his younger daughter, Clara. In the background, L-R: Jesus!
Cathy, Sr. Antonia, Louis, and one of our oldest friends, Murena V.

Part of the gang at the post-ceremonies breakfast.
Clockwise from Gabriel at 7: Paul, Dominic, Dan, Michelle, 
Frl Philip with Chloe, Ben leaning over his girls, Daria, Ella,
and Claudia, then Cathy, Sr. Evangeline Marie, and William.

These beautiful girls, the oldest of friends. They have literally
all known one another since birth! Sr. Dominica (Short) Cathy, Sr.
Maria Antonia, Sr. Evangeline Marie with Chloe, Murena V.,
and Colleen C.  BFFs forever!

Two-fer (or Toofer) Tuesday

 Did you know that cavities can heal? Your dentist, for obvious reasons, may not tell you about this, but I can vouch from personal experience. You have to catch them before they get too deep, as you might imagine, but mineral pulling has healed cavities for me, personally -- and a couple of our kids, as well. No kidding! Wish we'd known it when we were first starting out! Now, though, it's a part of our dental hygiene; along with daily brushing and (occasional flossing), we "swish" two or three nights a week -- and more often if we suspect we're getting a cavity. (click on the above link for the specs.)

You can add some extra oomph to your mineral pulling by adding tea tree oil. Or used alone in a small glass of water, tea tree oil is the best antidote we've ever found for canker sores (also called mouth ulcers)! The things you find out, huh? I wonder if this is one of those "old wives' tale" cures that doctors and dentists discarded in favor of chemical antidotes? One way or another though, we can vouch for how well it works! Also, as an added bonus, tea tree oil, mixed with a little coconut oil will quickly heal acne spots -- and skin tags! (If you're my age, you know about skin tags. If you're not you don't want to know...) Most tea tree oil tinctures are very strong, so you want to mix them with something -- and be cautious around your eyes (ask me how I know!) But, anyway, passing along a couple sure cures that I wish I'd known about many years ago in the hopes that someone else can benefit! (click on the above link for the specs!)

William (aged 8) Sans Toofers

They're all grown in now, exceptionally straight, God bless him! No braces
needed for this one, anyway! 

Simple Woman Monday

Looking out my window... Rainy and windy, but not too cold. A good day to stay in and play with my granddaughters and blog.

I am thinking... I'd better go clean all the clothes off my bed or I won't have anywhere to sleep tonight.

I am thankful... that Dominic and his family arrived safely Saturday and with scads of help from friends and family, were able to unload their moving truck and get somewhat settled in before nightfall Saturday.

One of my favorite things... Baby giggles!

I am creating... Goodness. Nothing right now except lists! A busy couple weeks ahead. But I'm looking forward to getting my paints out again and painting in the quiet of the RV once it's all set up!

I am wearing... Favorite ratty old gray skirt again. (What's with that? Seems I'm always wearing it on Simple Woman Monday!) A green and white flowered blouse I've had for 15+ years (How weird is that when you realize you have clothing older than your youngest child?) -- and a kelly green sweater.

I am reading... the original All Creatures Great and Small, partly because I'm Mom-testing it for language (and whiting out the occasional old farmer's uncareful verbiage in the text) for a Sunday Afternoon club teenager -- who watched the PBS series with us -- and only had her appetite whetted for more James Herriot stories. Which is also why I'm reading it. I forgot how much I loved these books! (But the new series is great! And so far, spic and span clean!)

I am hoping... everyone arrives safely for Anna's and the other postulant's ceremonies (white veils, CMD) on Thursday -- and that everyone has a good time visiting and safe travels home!

In my kitchen... Just used up the end of the St. Patrick's Day leftovers in a kind of impromptu casserole -- with colcannon, corned beef, sour kraut, and swiss cheese. It was yummy!

Shared Quote...

A moment from my day...

Breakfast with Margaret while Mama and Papa
zipped into to town to return the moving truck.

Closing Notes... This particular version of Simple Woman Monday  prompts I gleaned from the original Simple Woman website -- which I mistakenly thought had dropped the linky cooperative. Her site only does the big share with the links every other month or so now I guess, but she's still out there. Her next cooperative will be, I think, on April 5th. The blogger world has shrunk tremendously, so there are only a handful of participants these days (unlike ten years ago when there were scores!), but it's still fun -- and a way to meet fellow-bloggers and readers of blogs. 

No links this week, but the original Simple Woman Daybook can be found here.

Five Random

 1) Happy Feast of St. Joseph! 

We have four Josephs in our family: Dan's Dad, Joseph Daniel; our oldest child, Paul Joseph: our next to last child, Gabriel Joseph; and our youngest grandson, Quintus Joseph. Needless to say, Jesus's earthly Dad is a great favorite here!  Blessed feast day, everyone!

2. Storage Bins. (happy sigh) I found online a source of inexpensive, sturdy, matching, bins -- with a label pocket -- that fit perfectly into the tops of our closets, four across. We are taking spring cleaning to new heights this Lent, let me tell you! The ones we found are here -- but, goodness, there are bazillions to choose from!

3. Speaking of ordering online. The bins we ordered are from Amazon... (Grimacing -- getting ready to duck) Almost anything can be a hot-button topic these days, but in relation to many current topics, in our opinion, the boycotting of Amazon  is a warm button. Or a hot button only when you're talking about particular aspects of this Megalodon in the Big box/Big tech dinosaur kingdom. We have not canceled our Prime channel (though we zapped Netflix and Disney), and we do shop through Amazon occasionally. We absolutely understand folks who have written off  this company in every way, but this is one we chose not to take the hard stand on. Our thought process: As for the video service... We very rarely -- even when it's not Lent -- utilize their channel, but when we do, it's to find an oldie but goodie. In a related analogy: we have an issue with some of the book sold by almost every publisher in business today -- and even the online (and not online) used bookstores sell unsavory items -- but we don't buy the unsavory titles. (And, needless to say, if a company sells a larger percentage of filth than average, we stay away from them!) It's the same with Amazon for us; they have a percentage of garbage - which we don't watch.  And there are no children living with us that we have to worry about any more -- so that is part of the ability to make that decision. (Granted, if we still had teenagers at home, we would consider discontinuing this service, just to keep them well out of harm's way!) So the video aspect of Amazon is a non-issue for us, personally, on a practical level. And I guess I just don't personally feel like our tiny contribution is make or  break enough to tip us toward boycotting. Yet. (The time may come!)

As for using the online cart at Amazon.... We've come to understand that the Amazon shopping outlet supports hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of vendors that depend upon the visibility their companies receive through the Amazon search engines. Very often we find an item on Prime and switch over to the company's website and order therefrom, but it's not always possible; a lot of businesses only sell through Amazon, and small businesses have suffered enough lately; we take every chance we can to patronize them.

But here's the pancake (as Anna would say): Amazon as an entity exhibits zero or less morality and wields way too much power; it has become tantamount to a monopoly and gets a cut of all transactions, but, honestly, for the ease of product comparison, selection, and shipping, I don't begrudge them that small profit for services rendered. Does some portion of this cut, though, ultimately go into 'charitable' giving or video productions that would make my blood run cold? Possibly. (Sigh... Probably...) But, I have found that this is true for almost every big box company and general business I've researched. You can find some kind of issue with almost every single one! Even ones you wouldn't expect! Here's just a partial list of recommended boycotts from various conservative groups: 

Etsy, Realtor.com, Ebay, Paypal,  Jeep, General Motors, Chrysler, Fiat, Dodge, Expedia, Airbnb, Marriot,  and pretty much all the rental car companies. Oddly enough Lipton Tea is a troublemaker, and Proctor and Gamble's been a known evil forever! Sadly Nestle, Nutella, Frito Lay, and Land O'Lakes make the no-go list, as does Kroger foods, Corona beer, Coca Cola, and Pepsi Cola. Starbucks we all knew was the devil (figuratively) long ago... But did you know about Sonic? Then there's Red Lobster and Papa John's and IHOP. Getting into phones: Verizon, and T-Mobile are on the boycott list, and time Warner. Disney (of course), Hulu, Netflix, Comcast, Viacom, and DreamWorks round out a small portion of entertainment ghouls. Some of the financial giants to avoid: JP Morgan Chase Banks and Bank of America, Capital One and Charles Schwab, First National of Omaha, and Deutschbank. You'll find problems with Discover Card, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.  Walmart doesn't get a clean bill of patriotic or moral health; neither does Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Costco, Kohl's, K-Mart, Sears, Best Buy, Target, Ikea, JC Penny, Barnes and Noble, Overstock.com, Office Depot, Home Depot, Lowes, Crate and Barrel, or Dollar General..... And the list goes on and on and on and on... 

You get the idea... If we were to jump on everyone's boycott bandwagon, we'd be growing our own cotton, spinning and weaving it, then sewing our own clothes. Etcetera. And there just are not that very many small businesses from which to glean all our needs. It behooves all of us to be careful, conscientious consumers -- and refuse to give money to the companies we know use it for evil means. But there is a limit. And we each have our own. It's not a hill we die on or even argue over. I don't think any of us has the perfect solution. We just muddle through. (What a world!) But one thing we know is foolproof: going out of our way to patronize businesses that have a conservative bent -- that if they aren't overtly Christian, they are at least sympathetic to Christian ideals and care about keeping our business. Here's a list of some of those.

4. Hush Puppies. Just thinking about them. And not only because Guard Dog Dawsey is being such an annoying soul of vigilance now that the weather has cleared up and the joggers are out, but because it's a Friday in Lent -- and what better delicacy to go with seafood? 

If you've never had these, you have to try them!

North Carolina Hush Puppies

Ingredients:

1 Teaspoon Sugar

1/4 Cup Water

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Flour

1 Egg beaten

1/4 Teaspoon Salt coarse

1 Cup Cornmeal

1/2 Cup Buttermilk *note

Directions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.

2. Then add egg, buttermilk, and water.

3. Drop by spoonful into hot deep fat. Fry to a golden brown. (If a deep pot is used, the hush puppy will float to the top when done).

5.  And last but not least, Dan and I are the proud owners of a 39' fifth wheel camper --- that gets delivered on Tuesday! But, before that happens, Dominic and Monica and their two wee girls are moving in tomorrow! And laying flooring upstairs next week. And then family starts rolling in on Wednesday for everyone to attend Anna's entrance ceremonies on the Feast of the Annunciation on Thursday...! So, I will be thin on here next week. (Not like there's anyone to notice! Snort!) But I'll be back next weekend with photos! Crazy busy week coming up, but so much to be thankful for!

Leprechauns Aren't Real -- I Don't Think...

 The Cloche Diorama that we change with the seasons.

See Gerald's hat?  (That's Gerald, the Irishman and his sheep, Shawn, guarding the wee captured fairy.)

Got up this morning and his hat, which had been firmly planted on his head yesterday, was knocked off this morning. Nothing else moved or affected, including the little cardboard figures leaning against the cloche. Hmmmmm.....

In Other Words...

"Charity Begins at Home"

All other hospitality or generosity to others is important -- but family comes first. We got the best advice years ago from our parish priest in regard to some indecision we had about extending ourselves to help out another family in need. He said: if it destroys the peace of your own family, don't do it. Find another way to help -- or just pray. Which is sometimes the best thing we can do anyway. As parents, our first responsibility is to our own spouse and children. 

Happy Feast of St. Patrick!

Things to Do on this Irish Feast Day

* One story of St. Patrick, easily read aloud to children here.

* The official Catholic Encyclopedia entry on St. Patrick here.

* You can find a list of easy St. Patrick's Day crafts and coloring pages here.  And a bunch more ideas listed on AWTY for things to do on this day.

Catholic Cuisine, as always, has lots of great recipes and ideas to celebrate the feast day.

* You can go here to find out what "Reek Sunday" could possibly be -- and what it has to do with Croagh Patrick,  and go here to see  how you can participate in "St. Patrick's Purgatory."

* Then go here to find out why blue is really the color of St. Patrick and Ireland!

* Find some teaching aids for the day here.

* Run over and look for St. Patrick's Day activity on the Leprechaun cam in Tipperary.

* Make some leprechaun traps to catch a leprechaun  (or mice!) at your house!

* Color some St. Patrick's Day pages.

* Play leprechauns; have one child wear an Irish hat or green bow tie and hide a treasure (real or represented by a drawing) that the other children have to find. The finder gets to be the Leprechaun next.

* Have some corned beef and colcanon. Make some blarney stones for dessert.

'Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!'

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends!

For St. Patrick's Day shenanigans spanning many of the years we've been blogging....  click here.:)

Click and print for an easy coloring page.  .

Poetry Corner: From Ireland in Honor of St. Patrick's Day

 

There were ten little Steps and Stairs,

     Round through the old bush home all day

     Romping about in the old bush way.

They were ten little wild March hares,

     Storming the kitchen in hungry lines,

     With their naked feet, doing mud designs,

     "All over the place like punkin vines."

There were ten little Steps and Stairs.

There were ten little Steps and Stairs,

     In their home-made frocks and their Sunday suits,

     Up through the church with their squeaky boots,

While the folk went astray in their prayers,

     They hustled along, all dressed and neat --

     Oh, they bustled a bit as they filled the seat;

     From the first to the last, the lot complete,

There were ten little Steps and Stairs.

There were ten little Steps and Stairs.

     But the years have shuffled them all about,

     Have worked 'em all hard, and straightened 'em out

With the burdens of grown up cares;

     But every dear one has a tale to tell

     Of the knocks that missed and the blows that fell,

     Of the laughter and lessons learned that well --

Among ten little Steps and Stairs.

-- John O'Brien, Around the Boree Log

Our Steps and Stairs in about 2008

The last time all our Steps and Stairs were together at Fr. Philip's ordination ten years later.

Sepia Saturday: Down to the Sea in Ships

Sea Fever

                                                  BY JOHN MASEFIELD

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over. 

     *  RIP Chief Warrant Officer CE Chenoweth, USN Retired (1932-2018)
 

My Dad aboard aircraft carrier, USS Midway, where he served from Sept 1951 - December 1954.

Built in the Newport News, VA, shipyard and commissioned a week after the end of World War II (Sept 10, 1945), the USS Midway was the lead ship of her class and the largest ship in the world until 1955 Bragging rights trivia for all sailors who served aboard her include the fact that she was the first ship built that was too big to fit through the Panama Canal and ended up the longest serving aircraft carrier of all time. To serve on the Midway was a particular honor given her renown and accomplishments (over 20 medals and citations in her career) -- but her massive size naturally garners the most attention. Measuring in at 1001' long at the waterline, the Midway displaced 45,000 tons of water at commissioning (64,000 tons by decommissioning), and for all that weight, she could travel at a whopping 33 knots (app 38 mph); she could carry over 4,100 men and approximately 137 aircraft, and was appropriately gunned and armored.  In active operation for 47 years, the Midway saw action during the Vietnam War and served in the Persian Gulf and in Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s as a flagship. After a long full life, she was finally decommissioned in 1992, and now serves the public as a museum ship at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, CA. (Bucket List!) But you can walk through a digital tour here at the ship's website.

That's the ship. Now about that young man standing on deck: my Dad, called 'Chuck' by some, Dad by seven us, but mostly, he was known as sir.

He ended up just short of a thirty year career, my Dad, as a communications officer in the US Navy,
signing out with the rank of CWO4, as high as he could rise as a noncom. And let me just say right up front in case anyone doesn't already know: there's no one I admire more than my Dad. He wasn't perfect, but how could I not be his greatest fan? Though I've only in recent years realized it, I am my Dad's mini-me. (snicker) Not only do we have the same curly hair and good metabolism (I don't take that for granted; thank you, Dad!), but I'm a student of history just like he was and share his love of the written word. As far as I know Dad never went in for creative writing, but not only was his career centered on communication of a practical kind (electronic and radio, aboard ship most of his Navy career -- and then later as a 911 operator), but he was a master report-writer, understood the value of internet communications (when young people were only just beginning to figure it out), and he was an inveterate reader -- always in the middle of a book (or two), just like I am. I have the same tendency to be a couch potato just like him, too. I love old movies and documentaries. And I tend toward the same impatience with folks who aren't on the same page as I am. yeah, sorry -- but I admit it; it's true.  Do please know our temperament is not confrontational about this impatience, though. We are not ogres, truly, and both my Dad and I tend toward being introvertish (except in writing). But my father was an authoritarian and the master of his own house, a man who took his responsibilities seriously and expected everyone in his orbit to do likewise. Though it cramped my style as a kid, as a mother of ten children now, I totally get it. I also understand now more than ever -- when I didn't as an adolescent -- the rare beauty of my Dad's not ever being apologetic about his beliefs -- with anyone  at any time -- or shy about making his own family toe the line the same way the sailors in his charge were expected to do. Gosh how our world lacks this courage and conviction now! And how we benefitted from it as his children.

Me n my Dad, c. 2008

Any small part of these traits that I inherited from my Dad are treasures. He thought hard, he prayed hard, he discerned well, he committed to his beliefs, he never backed down -- but he was a gentleman to all, a man of his word. And you'd better darn-sight listen to his word and jump to it! I'm glad I did. For the most part, anyway. (wink) I'm happy to have his temperament, one that flies in the face of modern mushiness. I look at the photo up there, my Dad in his early twenties on the deck of the Yorktown, arms crossed, expression resolute but amicable, and I can see exactly who he was -- and who he came to be -- and I remember how he lived and how he died--  in the arms of the Church, with the love of his family, and the respect and admiration of all who knew him -- and I hope that I can be even a shadow of him slanting into the future. I hope I've passed the best of him down to my children.  Arms crossed, unbending, confident, smiling -- where he stood and all that he stood for was good. 

* I write this for the sake of  this sailor's grandchildren and great grandchildren who will never know him -- but also for Sepia Saturday, whose interest is always the human side of history -- and this week it's also boats and ships! Hop aboard and see where this best of all history blogs takes us this week!