Just Another 'Pittance in Time'

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but it appeared to me that following 9/11, we experienced an upswing in patriotism in Canada.

Okay, maybe "upswing" isn't quite the word ... the majority of Canadians always have been patriotic but pre-9/11 it was a very different kind of patriotism. A quiet patriotism that we held in our hearts and shared quietly with one another but that we seemed to feel no need to shout from the rooftops.

As I said, that seemed to change after the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001.

More flag-waving, more open expressions of pride in our country. And more poppies. Definitely more poppies.

Remembrance Day seemed to become revitalized and take on a larger, broader meaning. And I was am a big fan of this change.

Sadly, though, I am wondering if that more open expression of pride and appreciation for our country (and those that serve in its name) is starting to ease off just a bit - at least in connection with Remembrance Day.

I hope not. I pray not.

LEST WE FORGET

On Dreaming

Once upon a time, I asked Lex if he would ever fly again. The question was asked while he was still actively serving, but a few years after he had strapped on a Hornet for the last time. It was beyond clear how much he loved and missed flying so I asked if he would ever consider flying a bugsmasher.

No, he replied, he wouldn't. Something to the effect that having once partaken of government-sponsored crack cocaine, there was no going back to mere commercial flight. I remember thinking that the only cure for that kind of drug must be complete withdrawal.

And it seemed like a reasonable enough response at the time - even though not in my frame of reference (I would jump at the chance to fly any aircraft, bugsmasher or not), I could accept that from his point of view, there simply was no going back.

There was a time and place
Not far from here and now
Maybe a brighter day
Maybe they had it made somehow
Living for there and then
Under a psychadelic spell
No one was listening
Still they had so much to tell 

But isn't it how funny how time changes things?

Whatever happened to the dreamers
They always look beyond the sky
Saw a world they could believe in
But only when they close their eyes  

A mere few years later, Lex took on a weekend job flying tourists and other assorted types in dog-fights, with the occasional learn to fly jaunt thrown in for good measure. And it wasn't long after that, when he took on the challenge of learning to pilot taildraggers.

Next thing I knew, he was back in the fighter pilot game.

There were the politcians
Men of the cloth, painters and poets
Starting a revolution
Without even knowing
Making the world around us
Making heaven and hell
Saying so much about us
Still they had so much to tell  

You left us much, much too soon, sir.

But you left us living your dream. And for that, I will be forever grateful.

Whatever happened to the dreamers
They always looked beyond the sky
Saw a world they could believe 
only when they close their eyes
Where are they nowThey've all left town
Bringing the clouds    

Why are we on our own, why are we on our own  

Nothing's ever been this way before
A dream is just a dream and nothing more
Nothing's ever been this way before
A dream is just a dream and nothing more

But that I can follow your example and, no matter what, never give up on my dreams.

Stress Reliever

My apologies for the light blogging since my return from Boston but things have been more than a little ... shall we say stressful ... here in Free Falling land.

Although I had a blast in Boston, my body, apparently, had a different take on the subject.  Meaning that I, not unexpectedly, felt myself starting to crash shortly after my return home.  Which was okay, I was expecting that and more than willing to live with it.

What I wasn't prepared to live with (although apparently I didn't have much say in the matter) was my husband's completely unexpected dismissal from his employment shortly after my return.  And not just any employment, but the job he's been at for the past 15 years.  Dismissed as in walk in to work one morning and hear the words "You might as well go home". Go home. With no notice.  No pay.  No nothing.

And, yes, before you go there, you're absolutely right - his (former) employer can't do that.  And he won't be allowed to do that although that is exactly what is happening at the moment.   And, just to put the icing on the cake, that job loss also resulted in the loss of our health insurance.

Can you say Fun, Fun, Fun?  Well, I can't. 

In addition to the fact that I've grown rather partial to paying our bills, we have very high drug costs.  Mostly because of me.  And those same drugs are what allow me to keep working.  So now what?

Yeah, I did mention it's been a bit stressful around here, haven't I?

And so now we reach the point of this post ... yes, believe it or not, there almost is one.

Moseying back through the blog the other day, I came upon this post.   This, which I hadn't played since my return from Boston.  Something made me click the Play button.  And I was so glad I did.

I have just discovered what I'm sure is destined to be my prime stress relievor at the moment - and, yes, I do realize that might make me a very pathetic individual.  But whatever works, I say. 

There's something about just singing along and belting out "I just wanna get you out of Teterboro.  We want to leave but they won't let us go.  Just heard on the radio, we're stuck in Teterboro" which is very, very good for the soul.  Go ahead.  Try it.  I will wait.

It might help, of course, that the Kit Kat was initially as taken with the video as I was and comes a'running the moment she hears the music.  For to sing along with her dear mother.  We do rather enjoy laughing at ourselves.

And so, for now dear friends, I can't but leave you with Mike and his feelings on Teterboro.

Which will have to take the place, at least for the moment, of my other blogging - that which I can't quite convince myself to do at the moment.  There's the whole issue of the white versus red poppy on Remembrance Day (there's no doubt a place for both but not in the same month and certainly not on the same day, says I),  Canada's sudden surprise unexpected (that's sarcasm by the way) decision to stay on in Afghanistan in a "non-combat" role until 2014 and the Supreme Court of Canada's latest decision setting out the fact that that we have no right to counsel during police interrogation.

Such is life. For the moment I appear to be the proud holder of an open-ended multiple return trip to Teterboro. Until we meet again, then ...

Yet Another 'Pittance of Time' ...

Yes, I realize you've seen it before.



As you no doubt will again.

... If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep though Poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
- John McCrae

'Lest We Forget'

Why do I keep posting the same video year after year on Remembrance Day?

Because it touches and moves me.

It reminds us all what the day is really all about and how easy it is to fall into forgetting that and getting caught up with our own petty lives. We would all agree that the father in the video is a world class jerk and yet, I think we must ask ourselves, has that ever, in some way, been us?

Ladies and Gentlemen, A Pittance of Time



... If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep though Poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
- John McCrae

'A Pittance Of Time'

Lest We Forget.


Well worth recycling, I think. Don't you?

In Flanders Field written by: John McCrae

My oldest, the Blue Jay, really wanted to post 'In Flanders Fields' for Rememberance Day.

So here she is ...

In Flanders Fields the Poppies blow
Between Crosses row on row,
That mark our place and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Love and were loved and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The tourch be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep though Poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
- John McCrae

I hope you all enjoy my poem. Write to me back and tell me what you think. If you go to the New Minas Baptist Church you will see a picture of poppies.

Happy Rememberance Day
Blue Jay

"A Pittance Of Time"

One of my favourite videos. Of all time.
Because it really says so much.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


And appreciate the fact that we actually have the ability and the choice to give those two minutes to honour those that have done and continue to do so much for us.

I probably feel a special connection to this video because Terry Kelly is from Nova Scotia. And I have watched him perform many times.

The video site which tells the story of the incident that motivated this song and video. And Terry Kelly's site.