Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sacrifice and Valor - an unexpected reminder

I just pulled a record (to verify a degree) for a family member of a man who graduated in 1937. One of the things I noticed on this record was a stamp which said: "Died on January 26th, 1946, serving to protect his country during WWII". I decided to do a little more research into this man's life and this is what I found: (http://www.cmohs.org/)

KEARBY, NEEL E. (Air Mission)

"Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Near Wewak, New Guinea, 11 October 1943. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Wichita Falls, Tex. G.O. No.: 3, 6 January 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy, Col. Kearby volunteered to lead a flight of 4 fighters to reconnoiter the strongly defended enemy base at Wewak. Having observed enemy installations and reinforcements at 4 airfields, and secured important tactical information, he saw an enemy fighter below him, made a diving attack and shot it down in flames. The small formation then sighted approximately 12 enemy bombers accompanied by 36 fighters. Although his mission had been completed, his fuel was running low, and the numerical odds were 12 to 1, he gave the signal to attack. Diving into the midst of the enemy airplanes he shot down 3 in quick succession. Observing 1 of his comrades with 2 enemy fighters in pursuit, he destroyed both enemy aircraft. The enemy broke off in large numbers to make a multiple attack on his airplane but despite his peril he made one more pass before seeking cloud protection. Coming into the clear, he called his flight together and led them to a friendly base. Col. Kearby brought down 6 enemy aircraft in this action, undertaken with superb daring after his mission was completed."

For this, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor. He died later, when his plane was attacked by 3 others.

His plane was named after his wife, Ginger.

For more information

Thursday, April 24, 2008

The smell of Jasmine in the air


One of my favorite things about my walk home from work is the smell of Jasmine in the air. Along the pathway, someone planted a beautiful Jasmine plant and the smell of the flowers is intoxicating. It reminds me of honeysuckle.

Smells always rekindle memories for me. Some of my favorite smells include:
  • Lilacs (my favorite smell EVER!)
  • Fancy
  • Fresh, really ripe strawberries
  • Rain
  • Freshly baked bread
  • Oak Creek Canyon (yes, it has a very special smell)
Incidentally, honeysuckle reminds me of my little sister, Jess.

So, there's my justification for the Jasmine plant now growing on my porch! :-)

Friday, April 18, 2008

People Watching

That's what I did on my lunch break today. It's actually quite remarkable what you can see in people by just watching them interact.
  1. Confidence
  2. Sense of Humor
  3. Insecurity
  4. Sadness
  5. Caution
  6. Carelessness
  7. Happiness
  8. Infatuation
  9. Disrespect
  10. Care
... to name a few.

A few other noticeable items:
  • The girl trying to walk normally with a broken flip flop
  • The couple debating about whether right or wrong can be determined (she said yes, he said no)
  • The guy who biffed catching the football because he noticed the pretty girl with the broken flip flop
  • The squirrel calculating how/when to snag the cookie crumb on the sidewalk, without getting trampled by the mob of students heading to class
  • The four people, in 20 minutes, that I overheard say, "Thank goodness [or some variation on that phrase] it's Friday!" Amen to that!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Look how he's grown!




And then, one of my favorite momma horse, too. :-)

Friday, April 11, 2008

A reminder - Love

"Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness." C.S. Lewis.


I love this quote. The word love has been cheapened in our culture and even through our language.One of the most common errors of our Christian culture is forgetting that "Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness." We will grasp a greater understanding of what love is and what it means, by reading the Word of God (the Creator of love).

Tuesday, April 01, 2008