Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

It’s been a successful year, we can say

ALL PRESENT and ACCOUNTED FOR

The above expression has a nostalgic ring, for those with military experience When in Cadets I had the honor of being Adjutant during parades at Yale, it was my task to call out commands for parades on the “lower green”, a parade ground adjacent to the University and part of the city; It had been in use since before the Revolutionary war, a statue of Nathan Hale was near by. People from all over Connecticut gathered each Sunday for these parades. Prior to my arrival the Glenn Miller Air Corp Band led the pass in review march. One of the commands was “Sound Off”, after which each Group leader yelled back, “‘All Present and Accounted for Sir“, some 15 Groups (16 wide and 18 to 20 deep) would form up on one side. The first time I was startled to see the sea of men respond as if glued to my voice. Parades were in accordance with the Infantry Drill Manual, a protocol that predates our nation. My “roll”, written in the manual, began as a rapid stiff legged walk from the far right of the gathered troops to front and center on the far side. It seemed the term should be “or” not “and” accounted for, as the missing were not physically present. This expression comes to mind during holidays as so many close friends have departed. Comrades in battle, or life, are always accounted for and present, family members now gone are present during this season, as our thoughts relive times past.

This season includes a special agenda; Mary and Darrell will see Drs. Three months ago Mary was given an injection in the lower part of her back, below scare tissue from an old operation. That didn’t help much, but still hopeful Dec 18 am she will have an injection from above the scare tissue, hoping this will trickle down and relieve the constant pain, spoiling her Golden Years. Darrell will see Dr Flannigan, who cleaned left neck arteries prior to heart valve replacement about four years ago. The lower left leg reveals deficient blood circulation, apparent after removing heart bypass plumbing from inside the left thigh. That region healed fine, but the left front lower area has a clogged drain. Dr Flannigan had said “we also do knees”, so it’s hoped he can clear the clog – without amputation.

Mary’s grade & high school side kick Marjorie (my sister) will be here for Christmas. They used to push my Model-T, and are sure to sprinkle conversation with nostalgic cheer. Our folks said I arrived at our home by stork, but Marjorie arrived by train. The night of her arrival I was awaken by sounds of commotion. From the back window I could see a box car, illuminated by work crew spotlights, had ran off the spur track from the flour mill and smashed our chicken house. I watched dad and uncle Lee darting about casting long shadows, they were chasing chickens. The chickens roost had been shoved from under them, perch less they fell to the ground in pitch darkness, a rude awakening from a sound asleep. Rightfully befuddled they were still emerging from the chicken house, squawking their indignation. When chased they noisily flittered and fluttered until caught and put inside the hastily repaired pen. The next morning I learn of Marjorie’s arrival. That year Wall Street crashed in New York, the effect reached us but I was too young to notice -- mom continued washing clothes by hand, used home grown eggs, and dad still cranked his old Model-T, thankful to have a job.

Things have changed, people don’t wash clothes by hand, use home grown eggs or hand crank their cars. We live in CA now, our property was once an orange grove, on what was once beach sand. Ever so often an earth quake reminders us our home is on a sliver of land sliding north, having once been the west coast of Mexico. But that was long ago before Columbus sighted land, and called the natives Indians. He’d taken a short cut to India, convinced the Earth was round, all he had to do was following setting sun which orbited the Earth each day. Map makers were not yet globe makers, sailing ship captains did not like to venture beyond sight of land, water west of Spain looked just like water east of India, just blank space on a map. Most sea captains believed the earth was round, the moon was round, the sun round and both traveled about the earth, so the earth must be round. But it would have been beyond his comprehension to be told he was on a space ship, one of several, that orbited the Sun.

Columbus was funded by venture capitalists, and duty bound to carry bibles and priests with orders to save the natives -- who didn’t know they had soles to be saved. Columbus probably celebrated Christmas, but might not have known about Santa and his reindeer, Columbus grew up in Italy and Mediterranean people didn’t travel over snow or burn yuletide logs. We in CA have a fire place: . . where our kids hung their stockings with care. I was St Nicholas and sure to be there, with camera I sleep on the couch aware, I’d soon record nostalgia to share.

When the kids left home, mother didn’t give up mothering, she became mother hen to the Garden Gove Art Guild, chicks more senior were in her charge, a kind of inverse mothering of which she is rightly proud. When their school annex hen house was no longer available, she move her flock to the Garden Gove Historical Society site. I’ve been relieved as back office help but have been ordered to tidy up with white shirt, tie and coat for their annual Gold Brush Awards dinner.

This year I completed a many years endeavor; a history of the 19^th Bomb Group part 1 from WW I thru WW II. It’s being printed and bound by Koerperich Bookbinders Selden KS. The cost of ink was a shocker, a delivered book costs $175.

Big Bang 15 billion yrs ago, our Galaxy & Earth 5 billion yrs ago, first life 3.5–1.7 billion yrs ago, Humans 200,000 BC

In 2006 I started writing: “Change”, then “TUIT”, now “In Search of Values” in four parts: Part 1 Human Origins (-15 billion to 170,000 BC) from big bang to human emigration from Africa. Part 2 Human Beliefs (3000 BC to 1500 AD) from first societies to Columbus finding new world. Part 3 Human Knowledge (1500 to 2000) from Kepler’s Earth orbits the Sun to Internet. Part 4 Human Survival (2000 to ___) , changes required to solve critical problems. Part 1 & 2 are partially complete.

First Societies, to first writing to first written beliefs.

Granddads Farm & Periodic Table 1856; Harvesting wheat 1900, Main Street Oberlin 1935. High School 1939

When my grandfather was born Buffalo roamed his homestead to be and periodic table was being completed. Knowledge is recent Belief ancient. KS school board required “intelligent design” be taught as an option to science; retrograde. Earths population grew from 2.5 in 1950 to 6.7 billion 2004. Terrorists were blowing themselves up for a free ticket to paradise. Humans were heating the world and consuming it’s resources. The problem is people; each generation is born knowing nothing and molded to believe anything. I decided to start with the big bang beginning and follow man’s Search for Values.

Don & Warren Kump & Darrell, topic change. Post W2, DNA & H Bomb, History, Getting a Round TuIt. CD Label In Search of Values.

Truncated to one sheet, much of what we know is recent, unknown to our parents, see www.lanbob.com

Best Wishes

Darrell & Mary.