Touring the Valley

Random Thoughts

Illustration: "Dante and Beatrice before the Light." (ca 1450), Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia

I knew some guys who had a garage band, but they didn't have a garage, so they rehearsed in someone's living room. They couldn't think of a name for the band, so they jokingly called themselves the Living Room Four. I misunderstood, thinking they had said Living Room Floor. I still think they should have used that name.

One of my high school teachers told us that the best way to improve our writing was to write something every day. I write every day. I don't know if my writing is getting better, but it is getting easier.

There were things I worried about in elementary school. I worried about failing an arithmetic test. I worried about wetting my pants. I worried that lunch in the cafeteria would be disgusting. I didn't worry that my friends and their families would be dragged from their homes and sent to another country.

In college, I took a class called Journalism 101. The teacher was adamant about knowing how to ask good questions at a press conference. Nobody in the White House press corps ever took that class.

Remember Me

Toward the end of her life, my grandmother had difficulty recognizing familiar people. One afternoon, her sister came for a visit, and they had a long conversation about the good old days. Later, Grandma commented, "That woman sure knew a lot about my sister!"

On another occasion, the whole extended family was at a party (someone's birthday, I think). Hubby and I were talking to Grandma. Suddenly, as she looked at him, her face lit up with recognition. "You're Bob!" she exclaimed.

"That's right," he agreed.

Then she turned to me with a smile. "And you're Bob's wife," she said.

Yep.

An Old Friend Returns

Pandy is just about my age. This little bear was my childhood protector and companion, who for some reason was left behind when I moved out of my parents' house. Forty years later, I was sorting through boxes of junk in my mom's house, and was thrilled to find Pandy mixed up with a bunch of old papers and tchotchkes. I tried to clean the once-white fur, but the discoloration seems permanent. Well, we all show a little wear and tear with time. Now my panda pal watches over me once again.

WASPs

Recently, an "executive order" from the head of the Republican administration removed information about the Women Airforce Service Pilots from Air Force training courses.

Here are links to some web pages and articles that describe this part of American history.

UPDATE:

Following a widespread public outcry, the Air Force announced it would reinstate videos about the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs to the basic training curriculum.