I trained in the Navy during the Vietnam war. I wasn’t in the fighting, thank heavens; but, pretty much saw all of its results and tried to fix as much as I could.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about war again. It hasn’t changed much – except: It just feels… “closer” somehow; and I don’t remember so much anger – at least around me. It seemed to me that we were a bit more united fighting the same battle, doing our jobs and just putting one foot in front of the other. Maybe there was, but I just was too busy to see it – or – maybe this is different.
If I forced myself to blur out all the big picture around and just look at the life right in front of me, I could love my job. Things seemed to… “matter” more; contact was easier and… more welcomed; actions were… more appreciated and less suspicioned; the occasional accidents, unintentional “slights” and even mistakes were less… uhmmmm… “exploded” upon.
My job is different now… a bit less “meaningful” and “urgent” in a way. It seems inside me though, that I am the same. I still care the same; but, I do have fewer opportunities these days to express it. Are we that much different now… really? We can still be nice…
can’t we?
Please… have a Merry Christmas!
Christmas – 1941
Christmas – 2024
From DJmed.net – Pediatric House Calls
[About this time every year things get a bit hectic around the homestead and we need to take a little hiatus. Hope you and everyone you care about have a perfect holiday season—wherever you may be! See you again in the new year.]
Is it just me or did this year’s end-of-year holiday season just jump out and pounce on us about two months early?! It’s caught me a bit off guard this year; but, to tell you the truth, I’m going to breathe a sigh of relief when “this ones'” done, and we can start fresh on another one.
Here in “The States” it’s a designated end-of-year holiday commemorating the gratefulness that the “original European settlers” felt after finally pulling in their first year’s crops in a new land. Now, with over 500 years behind us and 2024 sensibilities, it’s easy to forget all the ancestral beginnings in favor of just being glad the “elections” over!
I hope you won’t mind me giving about the only quote I can remember from my youth which might be a bit appropriate for the occasion:
With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge
of our deeds, let us go forth and lead the land we love, asking His blessings and His help,
knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own. (JFK, inaugural address)
Please… have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving – 2024
From DJmed.net – Pediatric House Calls
[About this time every year things get a bit hectic around the homestead and we need to take a little hiatus. Hope you and everyone you care about have a perfect holiday season—wherever you may be! See you again in the new year.]
When I wrote the “out of site but not out of mind” post a week or so back, I realized that it had been over THREE YEARS since I went on “hiatus” from weekly blog posts for reasons I really didn’t want to share in the “blogosphere.”
And, I’m not sure I can even now; but, something inside pushes at me saying that it might help the… emptyness?… the regret?… the void?… go away.
It has to do with this man. He’s my dad. James Ray Jarrett, M Ed. — World War II veteran, master carpenter-educator, Farmer, Church Leader, Everyone’s Friend… Builder of houses and Toys… Doting Husband… frustrated patient. Read more →
I can’t believe that it’s been this long since I’ve uploaded a post on this site – truly!
Obviously I’m still interested in the site. After all, I keep paying the fees each year; but, the personal situation that I blamed in the last post for not uploading as frequently as usual, alas, has not relieved but only taken several morphs over the past year or so.
I still do have hopes for returning to the weekly posts; and, perhaps most discouraging to me, I continually find information that I believe all parents should know and I should write about but don’t have the where-with-all to do it at the time.
We just keep on keepin’ on though, don’t we? YOU hang in there, and so will I and we’ll get back in the swing of things.
…
In the mean time. Remember that there’s a grundle of topics already written about that are easily found with the search button (up there in the corner somewhere – and all down the right side-bar).
Please forgive the hiatus in posting. Personal issues make it difficult to create content currently; so, please peruse the hundreds of postings made during the past several years, or use the custom search box to find topics you like, until I resume weekly posts.
[About this time every year things get a bit hectic around the homestead and we need to take a little hiatus. Hope you and everyone you care about have a perfect holiday season—wherever you may be! See you again in the new year.]
[About this time every year things get a bit hectic around the homestead and we need to take a little hiatus. Hope you and everyone you care about have a perfect holiday season—wherever you may be! See you again in the new year.]
[About this time every year things get a bit hectic around the homestead and we need to take a little hiatus. Hope you and everyone you care about have a perfect holiday season—wherever you may be! See you again in the new year.]
[About this time every year things get a bit hectic around the homestead and we need to take a little hiatus. Hope you and everyone you care about have a perfect holiday season—wherever you may be! See you again in the new year.]
[About this time every year things get a bit hectic around the homestead and we need to take a little hiatus. Hope you and everyone you care about have a perfect holiday season—wherever you may be! See you again in the new year.]
Thanksgiving – 2024
A New Year, Yippie!
A New Year, Yippie!
You can’t escape from Santa
A New Year, Yippie!
You can’t escape from Santa
