A while back, I mentioned my wife still has her childhood teddy-bear: “Teddy”. I also mentioned I think of Teddy as guarding our bedroom / bed during the day. The other day, I was making the bed (well, straightening the bed) and my thoughts wandered back to the court scene from the movie: “A Few Good Men” and Colonel Jessep’s (played by Jack Nicholson) lines: “You want me on that wall. You need me on that wall!” I chuckled to myself as I put “Teddy” on station. | |
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Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. | |
— Winnie the Pooh | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | Precious Life |
2019 | Nothing Is Too Difficult For Me |
Patterns Of Caring | |
2018 | And May Never Be |
2017 | Don’t Forget |
2016 | I Was A Percentage Man |
2015 | It Waits Patiently |
2014 | Unknown |
2013 | Explaining Love? |
2012 | Echoes of 1% |
2011 | Salaam, Egypt!! |
Where Do You Learn? | |
Archive for the ‘Family History’ Category
You Need Me On That Wall
Posted in Family History, Movies, Pictures, Quotes, tagged A Few Good Men, Colonel Jessep, Family History, Jack Nicholson, Picture of Teddy, Quotes, Winnie the Pooh on January 31, 2021| Leave a Comment »
A Soul Passing
Posted in Faith, Family and Friends, Family History, Pictures, tagged 378777, Attitude, Beierly Family, Ceal Beierly, COVID-19, Faith, Family and Friends, Joseph Beierly on January 12, 2021| 6 Comments »
As of today, there have been 378,777 COVID-19 related deaths in the United States. This post is about one of them… | |
Last week, while we (the nation) were going through a violent civil insurrection in the nation’s capitol, Joseph Beierly was engaged in his own personal “insurrection” battle. Sadly, he lost his battle. | |
I met Joe back in 1962, through his older brother, Ralph Beierly who was in my grammar school class. Ralph had five brothers (in order: Dave, Frank, Ray, Ralph, Joe and George) he lived with and two half-brothers who were already grown up and no longer living at home. Joe was the second youngest of those still at home. Joe / Ralph’s parents took me under their wings and it was not unusual for me to have dinner at their house more than once a week. | |
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At some point, you realize the older and younger siblings of your friends (like your own brothers and sisters) become “real” people, instead of “big” or “little” brother / sister of… (whomever). Sometimes this realization is sudden. Frequently, it is not. For me, this happened with Joe while we were on a “road-trip” to Canada. Joe and I had gone up to Lake Shasta to water ski and hang out on another friend’s pontoon houseboat for a week. Unfortunately, my other friend had a family emergency and had to secure the houseboat and return to the Bay Area, so Joe and I were left high and dry for the remainder of the week. | |
At the time, Joe was working for a telephone manufacturing company which was doing something in Canada and offering U.S. staff the opportunity to relocate if they wished to. Joe asked if I would mind spending the remainder of the week driving up to Canada to “check out” the new location to see if he was interested. With nothing else to tie us down, I agreed to split the costs and off we went. | |
Joe drove up to Seattle and then we boarded a ferry to Vancouver. That’s pretty much it. We saw a lot of greenery. Joe and I rode our first car ferry. (Why a car ferry? Just because neither of us had ever been on one. We drove back.) We listened to a lot of music during the drives. A couple of nights we camped and a couple we stayed in “inexpensive” (cheap) motels. We mostly did just enough to keep the trip going. Then we’d park and chill. Did I mention we brought along seven cases of beer for the week we expected to stay at Shasta? As I recall, we got through five of them and I let him have the remainder when we got back to S.F. | |
What did I learn about Joe? Mostly he had grown up to be his own man while I was away in the Army. He was a bit of Dave (he enjoyed working with his hands). He was a bit of Frank (he could be a charmer when he wanted to be). He was a bit of Ray and Ralph in music tastes and how he treated other people with respect – irrespective of their job / station. Like his dad, he had a way of looking at things logically and figuring them out. Like George, he had a “little brother” attitude: “You may be a bit older, but I’m nippin’ at your heels, and I’ll catch up soon.” But mostly, what I realize now is that he had what I call the Beierly “give it try” attitude. “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll fix it or try something different.” | |
I’m not sure if Joe ever got offered or accepted that job in Canada. (I don’t believe he did.) The next thing I heard he was in the Navy. I was a bit surprised by that because Joe wasn’t one to take “instruction” from his older brothers (a mind of his own), but he took to the Navy like a fish to water. Joe got married (to Ceal, the proclaimed love of his life). He made a career of service. And he raised a family which he openly cherished. We were both raised Roman Catholics. I’ve tended to fall off the wagon periodically, but Joe became a working Christian (“by their acts you shall know them”). Unfortunately, with my living in Europe and his living around the world (and / or way over on the East Coast), I never got a chance to ask him about that. I would check in with Ray before and after football season and Ray would tell me about Joe’s kids this and Joe traveling there and Joe helping these people with that. All the things “family” talk about when you’ve known each other long enough to not have to say anything and you’re sure there’s always time to kick-it again in a few months. | |
And now, Ray and Joe are both gone… | |
The world is a better place for them having been here. My world is a little less sunny for their passing. And once again I mourn the loss of a brother by another mother… | |
COVID-19 is just a virus. It doesn’t care about how many lives it takes or the families and grief it leaves behind. 378,777 of our fellow Americans have died… This post has been about one of them. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | Implications |
2019 | Just To… |
2018 | Still Going… |
2017 | Great Risk |
2016 | Robbery |
2015 | Humanity Plus |
2014 | Dinner For Two? |
2013 | Exercise For Those Over 50 |
2012 | Tearful Joy!! |
Except When He’s Left | |
2020 Tree And Ornaments
Posted in Family History, Pictures, tagged 2020 Christmas Orniments, 2020 Christmas Tree, Family History, Hallmark Channel Movie, Peanuts, Pictures on January 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Each Christmas season, our tradition is to get our Christmas tree the first full weekend of December and to take it down the first full weekend after January 6th (aka: the “Feast of the Three Kings” or “Epiphany” or “Little Christmas”). We have a secondary tradition of purchasing a representative decoration for each year. Sometimes they are religious (angels, stars, etc.), sometimes they are Christmas but humorous and sometimes they are topical (StarTrek, StarWars, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, etc). Anyway, we are getting ready to take the tree down next weekend, so I thought I’d post a few pictures of this year’s tree and ornaments… (You can click on the image to see a larger version.) | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | Still Looking |
2019 | Too True |
2018 | Simon Says |
2017 | Next Cell |
2016 | Important Knowledge |
2015 | Are You Still The Exception? |
2014 | In Answer |
Days Are Passing | |
2013 | Opportunity |
2012 | Appropriate Qualities |
2011 | A Place To Hang My Hat |
Happy 36th Anniversary, Hil!!
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Family History, Included Video, Music and Concerts, Philosophy, Quotes, Videos, tagged Family, Happy 36th Anniversary, Included Video, Philosophy, Quotes, Robert Browning Hamilton, Stevie Wonder, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life -- music video, YouTube on December 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made . . . Trust God; see all, Nor be afraid. | |
— Robert Browning Hamilton | |
[Happy 36th Anniversary, Hil | |
You are my sunshine!! | |
Love Always, Your Kev XXX 00 X |
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— KMAB] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Sampling 3:16 |
Happy 35th Anniversary, Hil!! | |
2018 | Happy 34th Anniversary, Hil!! |
2017 | Happy 33rd Anniversary, Hil!! |
2016 | Happy 32nd Anniversary, Hil!! |
2015 | Happy Anniversary Hil!! |
2014 | 30th Wedding Anniversary |
2013 | Number 29 (And Counting) |
2012 | Hammer ‘N Roses |
Happy Anniversary | |
2011 | I Can Hear It Now |
Remembrance Day – 11 November 2020
Posted in Family History, History, Pictures, tagged Bronze Medallion, History, Pictures, POW Camp, Remembrance Day, The Great War, The War To End All Wars, World War I, WWI on November 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »
We remember… | |
The two images below are of mementos from my wife’s family side. The medallion was given to her family for her father’s uncle who died in World War I (“The Great War“, “The War To End All Wars“). The second image is of a Christmas card from 1917, which Hil’s grandfather (her mum’s dad) sent home while he was a prisoner of war (POW) in a German camp. | |
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A token of service for a life given and a signal of life for continuing hope. | |
Sacrifice and service… We remember… | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Veterans Day – 11 November 2019 |
2018 | Veterans Day – 11 November 2018 |
2017 | Veterans Day – 11 November 2017 |
2016 | Veterans Day – 11 November 2016 |
2015 | Veterans Day – 11 November 2015 |
2014 | Veterans Day – 11 November 2014 |
2013 | Veterans Day – 11 November 2013 |
2012 | Monkey Business |
Veterans Day – 11 November 2012 | |
In Others | |
2011 | Veterans Day – 11/11/11 |
Deeply Confused (Still) | |
2010 | We are not from fearful men and I Am Not Afraid!! |
Veterans Day – 11 November 2010 | |
2009 | Narrowly missed first weight goal, but still happy… |
Stand Up, Shout Out
Posted in Family History, General Comments, Included Video, Philosophy, Videos, tagged Comments, Diana Ross, Family History, I'm Coming Out -- music video, Included Video, Philosophy, Vevo, YouTube on September 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
I’m Coming Out |
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Comment(s): This was my wife’s favorite song while she was in San Francisco (the spring we met) in 1984. I gave her the “Diana” LP as a going away present when she left to go back to the U.K. We still have the LP in our vinyl collection. (LoL) It’s seen a few miles in its day! | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Birthday Gifts For Our Daughter |
Feeling Age | |
2018 | Seeking To Make A Difference |
2017 | Happy BD, Bec! |
2016 | BD Quotes |
2015 | Princess |
2014 | Optional |
2013 | Happy Birthday, Rebecca |
2012 | Be Not Old |
2012 National League Western Division Champions!!! | |
2011 | What Kind Of Work Do You Do? |
2010 | Another Loser… And Come November |
But When The Smoke Had Cleared Away…
Posted in Family History, History, Included Video, Videos, tagged Comments, Family History, Hank Williams, History, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, North to Alaska, Sink the Bismarck -- music video, The Battle of New Orleans, YouTube on September 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Sink The Bismarck |
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Comment(s): This song followed the black-and-white movie from the same year (1960). At this point in my life (early to mid-1960’s), I was still heavily influenced by country-music on the AM radio and 45’s which told stories. Johnny Horton was famous in this song genre which included: “The Battle of New Orleans” and “North to Alaska“, and both were also movies – the former with Charlton Heston and the latter with John Wayne. With the coming of the “British Invasion” vs The Beach Boys, I lost most of my taste for country twang. Yes, I had exceptions for “softer” country like Johnny Cash (“A Boy Named Sue“) and “traditional” like Hank Williams (“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry“), but I had pretty much switched to Rock, R&B / Soul, and some ballads. In the mid-1970’s, I had a roommate (in Germany) who was a college DJ from Dallas, Texas. Over many nights of cards, beer and German white wine he introduced me to the finer distinctions between Western, Country, Hillbilly and Nashville music and I really never looked back. When I got back home, my family and friends were surprised to see ABBA, Motown, Hendrix, Dylan, Cash and Nelson all sitting side by side. And, of course, the 1970’s brought Disco… So, yes, I’ve a long list of songs to reminisce through… | |
A final note: if you haven’t seen the three movies, I recommend them – particularly “Sink the Bismarck“. Hmmm, maybe this will prompt me to re-watch and review the movies, too. LoL! | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Ooh, Shiny |
Day 4: Surprised | |
2018 | We Are Approaching Default |
Running On History | |
Day 37: Blended Not Juiced | |
2017 | Today Is Not Lost |
Day 8 | |
2016 | Paying Attention |
2015 | An Awful Ordeal |
2014 | What Are You Doing? |
2013 | Lives > 1 |
2012 | Strange To All The World |
2011 | Unnecessary Stagefright |
Back To Me…
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Family History, Included Video, Quotes, Videos, tagged Family History, Favorite Lines, Happy 36th (Return) Anniversary, Included Video, Quotes, Savage Garden, Truly Madly Deeply - music video on August 28, 2020| 1 Comment »
Truly, Madly, Deeply |
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Favorite Line(s): | |
I love you more | |
With every breath | |
Truly | |
Madly | |
Deeply do… | |
Comment(s): Just 36 years ago (today), my future wife came back to me from Liverpool. We had met a few months earlier while she was visiting San Francisco on her holidays. We were married a few months later and I love her more “With every breath“… — KMAB | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Love Like This… |
2018 | Open Hearts Find Strength |
Day 32: Planning The Future | |
2017 | Thinking Out Loud |
2016 | Fighting Change |
2015 | Get Change |
2014 | Trapped (Again) |
2013 | Someone Else Believes |
2012 | The Practical Value of Science |
2011 | Seize Gladly The Difficult Task |
A Constitutional Conversation | |
2010 | The Fierce Urgency Of Now… |
Hangin’ Out
Posted in Family History, Pictures, tagged Backyard Hammock, Backyard Images, Family History, Gnomes, Images of Home, Pictures, Pictures of Home on August 26, 2020| 4 Comments »
A few weeks ago, we finally got our back yard area worked on. We had a fence repaired. A wind storm toppled it and it was propped up with some supports ever since. We got the path on the north side of the house re-done. We’d had it done, but it didn’t slant away from the house, so it tended to puddle, or worse, tilt water towards the house. And, we got two small patio areas added – one with some left over bricks we’d had for years, and one with some paving squares. Here are some before, during and after photos… | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Seeking Nobility |
2018 | My Family Calls It Hoarding |
Day 30: Done & Dusted | |
2017 | Rogers’ Rules (Hexadecimal) |
2016 | But, It’s Such A Simple Mistake |
2015 | Crawl Towards The Light |
2014 | Sweet Songs |
2013 | The Wife Of An Ordinary Man |
2012 | Three Words |
2011 | Know Anyone Like This? |
2010 | Apoplexy?? |
When Breaking Up Is Hard To Do… | |
Sibling Awareness | |
I’d Rather Live In HER World
Posted in Family History, Included Video, Lyrics, Philosophy, Quotes, Videos, tagged Gladys Knight & The Pips, Included Video, Lyrics, Mid-Night Train To Georgia -- music video, Philosophy, Quotes, YouTube on August 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Mid-Night Train To Georgia |
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Favorite Lines: | |
I’d rather live in his world |
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(live in his world) | |
Than live without him | |
in mine | |
(Her world is his, | |
his and hers alone) | |
[Why I agreed to move to England back in the 1990’s when my Hil got homesick. — KMAB] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | And #IncompetentTrump Is A Failure At Both |
2018 | To Excel At Your Craft |
Day 12: Waiting | |
2017 | Like When You Can Order Others To Fight For You |
2016 | Holding Fast |
2015 | Alms Or Balms |
2014 | A Day At The Beach |
2013 | Pillows |
Steppin’ | |
2012 | Invincible Summer |
2011 | Being Objective |
2010 | First Things First… |
Northwest Passages – Intro | |
Northwest Passages – Day One | |
Northwest Passages – Poetry | |
Northwest Passages – Evening One | |
Northwest Passages – Morning Two | |
Violating Guidelines
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Family History, Pictures, tagged 4th of July BBQ at Carm's, COVID-19, Family History, Family Photos, Gemutlichkeit, Pictures of Carm and Me, Pictures of Me, Pictures of Mom - Carm - and Me on July 5, 2020| 2 Comments »
Yesterday was the 4th of July, so Hil and I broke the rules (“guidelines”) and went out to my sister’s house for a BBQ. We know it’s poor form, but sometimes you risk more than you should to be with family (Gemutlichkeit) – if only because these moments will be fewer in the future than they’ve been in the past. It doesn’t make it “right”, but we ate outdoors and, when inside, the rooms had the exterior doors and windows open. Fortunately, it was a beautiful sunny and warm day with a steady, cooling breeze coming off the Bay. Oh, yeah, and except for the time it took to take these photos, we were mostly socially distanced. Anyway, here’s three photos commemorating our throwing caution to the wind… (And one for history.) | |
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Me in my “flag” cap… | |
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With the hostess… (2020 version) | |
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And with our mom (who now lives with my sister). | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | I Walk Faster (Too) |
2018 | Modern Day Behaviour |
2017 | On Misogynist Tweets From #DumbDonald |
2016 | Cowboy Boots & Missing Teeth |
Or Electricity | |
2015 | Oh, To Be Vulnerable |
2014 | Neglected Horror |
2013 | The Price Of Illusions |
2012 | Once Again |
2011 | And The “Market” Isn’t Always Right |
Happy Meeting Day 36 (And Counting)
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Family History, Included Video, Videos, tagged Family, Happy 36th (Meeting) Anniversary, Happy Meeting Day - 2020, I Wanna Hold Your Hand -- Music Video, Included Video, The Beatles, YouTube.com on May 19, 2020| 2 Comments »
Thirty-Six years ago I met the love of my life… And holding her hand still makes me happy inside. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Happy Meeting Day 35 (And Counting) |
2018 | Happy Meeting Day 34 (And Counting) |
Storytelling | |
2017 | Happy Meeting Day 33 (And Counting) |
2016 | Picture Perfect |
2015 | Life Showed Compassion |
2014 | And Then I Met Her |
2013 | Defining Maleness |
The Run Continues | |
2012 | All Set |
2011 | Not Always |
Nearer My God To Thee, By George
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Family History, Pictures, tagged COVID-19, Doreen Carter, Family, George Carter, Images, Pictures on May 15, 2020| 6 Comments »
Early this morning, my mother-in-law, Doreen Carter passed away from COVID-19 back in Liverpool, England. She was predeceased by her husband, George Carter, by some twenty-years. They are survived by their three children and five grand-children. Below are some photos to remind us of her journey through life… | |
And more recently… | |
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Way back in 2011, I posted a conversation I had with “Nana” Carter: Things I’ve Learned From Life – Nana Carter | |
Her thoughts on “Life’s Lessons” may give you some insight into our loss… | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Laugh With Me |
2018 | Both Sides, Mr. President? |
2017 | Republicans Better Wake Up |
2016 | Truth Telling |
2015 | To Be Effective In The Modern World |
2014 | A Little Cover |
2013 | Binding |
2012 | Lift |
2011 | Another Good Movie, Another Excellent Book |
miSFits | |
I’m Just Not Sure | |
Not A Wink On Guard
Posted in Family History, Pictures, tagged Family History, Picture of Teddy, Teddy on March 17, 2020| 4 Comments »
This is Teddy (the one-eyed bear)… | |
Teddy has been with my wife for as long as she can remember. Originally, “saved” to be passed down to one of our own, Teddy was reclaimed by my Hil for want of “proper” attention. For most of the last 15 (or so) years Teddy has been the proud daytime resident of our bed – tucked to the waist under our sheets and propped up against the pillows on Hil’s side of the bed. Occasionally, slipping between both sets of pillows with an arm extended on either set. Our ever vigilant guard bear… | |
Teddy is a fierce survivor! As you can see (if you click on the image to see the larger version), Teddy has lost his left eye, had major reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder and has worn a fair bit of fur off of both arms and feet and under his chinny-chin-chin. | |
All things said, he’s a good little bear who doesn’t demand much by way of food or drink. He gets by on lots of love and the occasional snuggle. | |
And each day he performs his duties: by daylight he guards our bedroom and by night he watches over us as we sleep. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | The Importance Of A Deadline |
Chaos Is Not Really A New Remedy | |
2018 | History Will Judge Harshly |
Father Time, Perhaps? | |
2017 | Odds Are |
2016 | Prayer, Too |
2015 | History, n. |
2014 | See It Sometime |
2013 | Precious Friend |
2012 | It Couldn’t Be Done |
Feeling Surrounded? | |
2011 | Surprise! |
When I Grow Up I Want To…
Posted in Career, Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Family History, Included Video, Philosophy, Quotes, Videos, Work, tagged Career, Cleaning Windows -- music video, Comments, Included Video, Jobs, Ladders, Philosophy, Quotes, Supervision, Taxes, Van Morrison, YouTube on October 12, 2020| 3 Comments »
Cleaning Windows
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