If you would like to read an excellently written obituary about John McCain, I have the link from the BBC for you. You may read it just here. If you want to read a really good book, I would suggest this one: "Faith of My Fathers" written by John McCain and Mark Salter. There is a newer book by them that just came out this year: "The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights and Other Appreciations". Appreciations...I appreciate those in politics who work very hard and who do not always follow in the mainstream thinking of their own political party. As an American, I mourn his loss to this country and to the world.
"Eternal Father, Strong To Save" is a hymn that I have chosen here in his honor. Of course, it will be sung at his funeral, it has been associated with the U. S. Navy since the 19th century. (The lyrics were written by an Englishman, William Whiting in 1860.)
From my title, you all are thinking that I am going to give you a real dressing down, don't you? No! It is just my way to tell you of something that I just learned. I have heard the expression "reading the riot act" for years and knew the meaning of it (easy enough) but why do we say that?
Doing some research on my family tree recently, I discovered an ancestor born in 1714 in London. There was a link that said that there were riots in London during that year, so I typed this into a search engine: "London riots in 1714".
If you want to read about the Coronation riots, you may do so just here. Pretty fascinating eye-blinking history, if you ask me. As a result of these riots, Parliament passed the Riot Act 1714. Whenever a group of 12 or more were unlawfully assembled, they had to disperse or face punitive action. This was the wording that had to be read out to those that were gathered: Our sovereign lord the King chargeth and commandeth all persons, being assembled, immediately to disperse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habitations, or to their lawful business, upon the pains contained in the act made in the first year of King George, for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies. God save the King. If those who were assembled did not disperse within one hour, then the authorities could use force to make them leave. If there was serious damage to places of worship, houses barns or stables, the punishment was death.
The ancestor I was researching? He worked in Smithfield Market in London, and his father worked there also. The photo above is the clock in Smithfield Market, which I am sure must have built in the Victorian era but the market itself has been there since the 10th century. I wonder how far back my ancestors have been in London? Interesting, isn't it? I keep telling y'all I have that English heart! And Hey! Behave yourself or I will read you the RIOT ACT! (Again!)
Want to see some fantastic photos of birds? You should see the pictures that were entered into the Audubon Photography Contest for 2018. You may see them just here! (Let me know if you have the time to look at the photos and what you think. I love the one with the bird in the stream holding that leaf...for some reason, that one really stood out for me.) Will you see any of MY photos there? Not hardly! Although, I must tell you that I took a photo one year of two baby blue-grey gnatcatchers in my backyard and that photo is proudly displayed at the home of my in-laws in England. Hey, I should have sent it off to Audubon that year! (And if you are thinking that Richard must have taken that picture, he was at work, so I promise that one is mine. Honest!) I am glad that we were able to take my English in-laws, Joan and Peter to Florida when our son, Christopher was just a wee lad. We went to the Gulf Coast side of Florida and we all enjoyed a bird sanctuary there at Indian Rocks Beach. Joan and I both got t-shirts that said "I'm For The Birds". Recently, our son went back to the same area and I am happy when he told me that the bird sanctuary is still there. It is called the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary and it is FREE! (Of course, you will want to support it if you visit, either by donations or by purchases.) I have a link for you just here. Christopher visited the sanctuary in honor of his Nana, who died in March of this year. It is not easy to get a good photo of a bird. They FLY, for Pete's sake, and they move very quickly when they are on the ground or on a limb of a tree or bush but here's the thing, they are beautiful! So, it is well worth your time to notice them and to observe them. Not sure what bird you are seeing? It is quite easy to identify them now with the aid of the computer and digital cameras. Back in the day, one could only identify them from bird book guides with photos and that, my friends, was not an easy thing to do!
We very much miss the lakes that were drained at Panola Mountain State Park. We miss them very much. The work is still being done there, so we are in hope that we will have the lakes back again in the spring of 2019. Here's hoping! Hope... “Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard - And sore must be the storm - That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me. This poem is by Emily Dickinson. I am sure you know it.
It amused me to see this ad on TV and recognize the song. Well, really, I only knew the music...I never could understand the words! I just looked it up and apparently "Going Up The Country" has been called the unofficial anthem of Woodstock, the big music festival in 1969. I just happened to have the closed captions on when the commercial came on, so now I know the lyrics! The lyrics were written by Alan Wilson, the lead singer of Canned Heat, an American blues band. (Sadly, Alan Wilson died just one year after Woodstock at the age of 27.) The music was adapted from a blues song written by Henry Thomas. (I just researched Mr. Thomas and now, I want to make a film on HIS life! Okay now, I see that I will have to do another post JUST about the blues...look out for it!) Is anyone else just now finding out about song lyrics that everyone else knows? Anybody? Or is it just me? Let me know! "I'm going up the country, baby don't you want to go?"
(This looks like a wide open road but it is really a bike/walk trail at Panola Mountain! That is the most going up the country that I am doing!
Between 1990 and 1994, Korea returned 208 boxes of human remains which were later determined to contain the remains of 400 U.S. Servicemen. Through sophisticated DNA testing many of them have been identified. One of them, Corporal Terrell J. Fuller was from my hometown of Toccoa, Georgia. I am proud to say that yesterday he was given a burial in Toccoa with full military honors. His body was flown from Honolulu to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Toccoa by car, he had a military escort. If you click on his name at the first of this post, you may read more about him from an excellent written obituary. It appears that he had been a prisoner of war. In 1954, Fuller's name had appeared on a list of soldiers who had died in custody. Another soldier has come forward and stated that he remembered him as a fellow POW. Corporal Terrell J. Fuller was laid to rest on Aug. 11, 2018, on what would have been his 88th birthday. He is buried in Stephens County Memorial Cemetery. It is same place where my grandparents are buried, my father's parents and it is serenely beautiful. Corporal Terrell J. Fuller, may you rest in peace, surrounded by those from your hometown.
On a personal note, I wonder how many have Terrell as a name in this area. One of my cousins had that name as a middle name on my mother's side and on my Dad's side, his brother has Terrell as a middle name. There was a well known doctor by that name (Dr. Terrell, it was his surname) and he must have been very well loved. My cousin died at a young age but my Uncle John is in his 90's. I must also mention to you that my mother's first husband died in Korea. I will never forget seeing the American flag so carefully folded and his Purple Heart in our cedar chest. Roy Hollifield was killed July 7, 1952. He was only 24. From the Korean War, 7691 Americans still remain unaccounted for.May all those who have died in service be honored and remembered.
Have you heard? There will be a new film about Laurel and Hardy! Why goodness me, the universe is paying attention to what I would like to see on the screen! The actors who have been chosen to play them... John C. Riley as Oliver Hardy (the chubby American one) and Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel (the thin English one). Please forgive me for using those physical descriptions! You MUST see how closely the actors resemble the men that they have been cast to portray. You may see them just here! There, isn't that amazing! What perfect casting, don't you think so too? Now, the film is centered on the very last part of their careers, when they both toured the U. K and Ireland in 1953. Their love of performing and their genuine fondness for each other was evident on this tour and their audiences were greatly supportive. On a personal note, since I call myself Georgia Girl With An English Heart, you must know that I would be a fan of Laurel and Hardy! Stan Laurel being English and Oliver Hardy as a native of Georgia, so you know I love them! Why, I think I even have a photo of them at the bottom of my blog, if you care to look. Also, I have had a video on here of them dancing. I know you want to see it again! (That is Chill Wills and The Avalon Boys who are doing the singing...I love the song! You might recognize the one seated, the one who is doing the yodeling...that is Chill Wills! He was in a lot of Westerns during the 1960's. His voice was even used for Francis, the talking mule!)
Folks in England must really like Laurel & Hardy a lot. I photographed this at a garden near Eastbourne! Can't wait to see this film! I read that the director feels that Laurel and Hardy are his "heroes", so I am sure that he will do a good job by them.
One of our local TV stations here in the Atlanta area is called "11 Alive". It is on Channel 11, of course. I wonder if anyone that hears that is reminded of John F. Kennedy. "11 Alive".. I saw that today because it was on Aug 2, 1943 that a Japanese destroyer rammed an American patrol torpedo boat (called a PT boat.) It was PT 109 and two crewmen were killed. Eleven survived and one of them was Lt. John F. Kennedy. First, they stayed in the water for five hours clinging to the debris. Then, they swam to a small coral island. (With Lt. Kennedy towing a badly wounded man as he swam.) Kennedy went back out to sea, hoping to flag down a ship...he didn't see one, so he swam back to the island but with the strong currents and his bad back, he became ill. After he recovered enough, the PT 109 crew then swam to another island (which he thought was Nauru Island but in fact was Cross Island.) It was there that they met up with two natives and Kennedy carved a message onto a coconut shell. The message was : "Nauru Is. Native knows posit. He can pilot. 11 alive need small boat". The men were rescued. John F. Kennedy had the coconut shell preserved in wood and plastic and he kept it as a paperweight on his desk in the Oval Office. It has always been a source of amazement to me to read of those who survive when others might just give up. Can you imagine what it must have been like to have been in the open ocean like that, not knowing if you can make it to an island, and even if you reach shore if you might encounter the enemy? Kennedy always tried to downplay the experience but he never, ever forgot the men he served with nor the men who rescued them.
"Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye" by Kenneth O'Donnell and David Powers is a book about John F. Kennedy that I can recommend to you. Written by two of his closest friends and advisors, it is a book to read and remember. Also, you might have seen the film "PT 109" starring Cliff Robertson as John F. Kennedy. I knew that it was from the 1960's but I was curious, so I just looked it up. It was released in June of 1963 and President Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, just five months later.
