D-DAY LATER, CHROME . . .

This was a week of cold mornings (a couple of times to use the heat . . .) and then fairly hot in the later part of the day (using the a/c) easing up shortly after 7 p.m. It is still technically Spring but it feels a lot like summer to us.

Outside the flowers still are providing vibrant colors and inside, Dino is relaxing in the shade in the family room in the late afternoon. The plant in the cement . . . amazing:

If you click on the above you can see the "tree" I planted in the crack in the cement. This was something that "blew" me away when I spotted it. It might be a shrub or some other weed, but it has taken hold in the crack by the pool. I water it, despite the drought,  and may have to put up a fence around it for protection . . .

Dates from the Tree People . . .

The following shows the dates for birthdays and/or anniversaries from our relatives in our tree. I recognize a lot of the surnames but have personal knowledge of just a few:

But, none-the-less we offer our best wishes to all!

World War II

Of course the celebrations this week have to do with "D-Day" and the 70th anniversary of that "longest day". We were amazed at seeing and hearing from some of the participants in that event via a variety of TV shows. At least one veteran -- in his 90s -- parachuted to the beach similar to the way he jumped  70 years ago.

We heard the reporter say that over 100 million soldiers worldwide took action in WWII and that there were 70 million casualties. The war was the deadliest ever.

Today there are approximately one million veterans of WWII living with an estimated 550 per day passing away. That would mean we have a little over a thousand days left for survivors.

Gail's dad, while not in the D-Day activities was in the Pacific part of the war for the final days up until the ending. My father told me that he tried to re-enlist during WWII but due to a service related accident and the loss of a kidney was not permitted.

I know that we have many many WWII veterans in our tree and to them I can only say thank you for their service and often sacrifice.

WDYTYA? Good News!

Who Do You Think You Are has been around for a few years. Last year TLC took over the show and this is their second year to present it:

I enjoy every episode of this show and look forward to seeing it again starting in July on TLC. You might check the listings in your area so that you can view it as well. I always learn something about the methods used to uncover genealogy not to mention interesting facts about the celebrities featured.

There are a few other genealogy related shows that will appear also during the year and I'll try to give a heads up for them as well.

So What is on Our Nightstand Currently

We just (last night) finished reading the book by Penny Marshall -- "My Mother Was Nuts" and we were pleasantly surprised. The book kept our attention all the way through and as usual we got to "know" a celebrity that we have often seen on TV.

So we are now doing a change-of-pace book:

We both love dogs and I for one have always been a fan of Rin Tin Tin, so we look forward to finding out the details of that dog. Growing up I watched all the TV episodes of Rin Tin Tin. We have not started to read the book yet, that will start tonight and we'll let you know our appraisal later.

And Finally, California Chrome

At this moment as I write, the Belmont Stakes have not been run -- but about to . . .

I am delaying publishing this post until AFTER the race. I'm not necessarily a huge horse-racing fan, but the chance for a Triple Crown winner got my interest.

In college, I lived in Arcadia, California about two blocks from Santa Anita Racetrack. For diversion during the school year and the racing season I would almost everyday take a break and run over to the track for their ninth race of the day.

The admission for that race was free and it usually included a wide variety of horses. I would usually pick the longest shot on the board and place a $2 show ticket. Many times I won, but either way I was only out the $2 if I lost and it was a fun diversion.

So, I am going to go into the other room to watch the running of the Belmont Stakes -- hopefully we will have seen a Triple Crown winner in California Chrome . . .

Well -- it was NOT to be. I have only seen a couple of Triple Crown winners and I (along with a few others) had hoped to see another. Tonalist was the unofficial winner, California Chrome finished out of the money.

That was a bit of our week! We hope you had a good week, see you all in a few!

It still is Saturday night and that means burgers tonight . . .