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Monday, December 6, 2010

DECEMBER 7TH...

DECEMBER 7, 1941
THE BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR
Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese torpedo and bomber planes on December 7, 1941, at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time. The sneak attack sparked outrage in the American populace, news media, government and the world. On December 8, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the American Congress, and the nation, to detail the attack. In that address, the president asked Congress to pass a declaration of war. Congress obliged, voted and passed the U.S. Declaration of War on Japan, on the same day. That was America's formal entry into World War II.
I was 4 yrs old in 1941...
AND this is a REPOST  from last year.
These are my ration stamp books...
during the war, a lot of things were rationed...
Sugar, shoes, gasoline....

My mother said she traded shoe stamps for sugar stamps with my Aunt Bonnie..
Mom had only one little one to buy shoes for...Aunt Bonnie had two.
Mom would bake cookies with that sugar and take Aunt Bonnie half of them....:O)
**
and.....Mom was a ROSIE THE RIVETER, working in air defense plants and helping to build airplanes.
Isn't that just amazing.

I can remember we all tore the aluminum off gum wrappers and
pressed them all together, forming a big ball of aluminum...
the balls were then taken to a place where they were melted down
and the aluminum was used in the making of aircrafts.
Tin cans were also saved, mashed and taken to be used.
*
This memory just blows me away...
would our country do that now to help our nation?
The top photo is my step-dad, the one I loved so much, that's me with a flower pot looking little hat...
and my Uncle Otis...they were brothers and served in the army at the same time.
I can't remember just what we were doing that day...I think it was some sort of honoring the
veterans of WW2...The date on the back of the photo is 1946....
*
My dad on the bottom left, leaving for war...
Going overseas, the ships were so crowded, some of the men had to sleep on deck....
My dad was one of them...with all the water rushing on board and him staying wet for so long,
he got very ill. He spent 2 1/2 years in a hospital in India...
The doctors there removed one lung and half of the other.
Dad spent another year in BROOK GENERAL HOSPITAL in SAN ANTONIO.

What a man....he lived to be 86 yrs. old !!
GOD BLESS THEM ALL...EVERY ONE!
****
TOTALLY CHANGING THE SUBJECT HERE...
I've been seeing these fabulous STRIPES all over the place...
*
 I just HAD to try it...
Spent the whole entire day...this time, I didn't even hurt myself while trying to craft...
well....maybe MY FEELINGS...:(
COUNTRY LIVING magazine had this cute photo..
AND...BLONDIE did one and hers turned out SOOOO cute !

** The article told me to use a PAINTERS DROP CLOTH...
but, OH NO....I had to use my new love....BURLAP..

Since BURLAP is nubby...not nearly as smooth as a drop cloth, I didn't get
as nice and even paint job as I should...but..
.
THE NESTER says "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful"...
and I believe it.......do you?
There is not much in my whole life that is PERFECT....
**
The following photos show how I might use this crafty thang.....
**
I used a yard of burlap...and I have NOT CUT IT YET...
It would look pretty cute on my little round breakfast Bistro table...for a change...
**
.......looks pretty cool on a country bench....
**
It would look pretty cute on my dining table...a COUNTRY FRENCH look when I might want a COUNTRY FRENCH look...
(REMEMBER....it's not cut and hemmed or even pressed here....)
*note...as I am a TableCloth person...it is so so hard for me to leave my table "nekked"....wonder why that is ??
Now, I THINK, if my dining table was a beautiful white, with white chairs, I would LOVE leaving it without clothes !!
"O, Mr. Sweeeet............"

(2010...I DO have white chairs now and LOVE my natural wood table...what's with that??)
It would even look cute right down the center of my Country French tablecloth...
***
OR....
I might cut it to make PILLOWS .........
altho, for pillows....I am thinking I might like the DARKER burlap...
and then again...
I most likely will never try this again....
*SIGH....i am just not very crafty..
doing them makes me more EDGY than relaxed....
*
I'd rather BUY it from someone that IS crafty ....I'm just sayin'......
***

Ole ST. NICK looks like he is ready for CHRISTMAS.....
....me, too, Santa...
*******************************
Back in 2010...
and linking with
RUBY TUESDAY
2ND TIME AROUND
TABLETOP TUESDAY


MERRIEST CHRISTMAS!

29 comments:

Robin@DecoratingTennisGirl said...

Sweet Beeej,
I am not sure, but I don't think I saw one thing in this post over a couple hundred calories! Are we on a diet tonight??? Your round table is darling and so are YOU!

Robin@DecoratingTennisGirl said...

p.s. Dan, the kids and I visited Pearl Harbour. Very sombering experience :(

Donnie said...

That was a very good reminder of what our parents went through. I was born in 1945 so it was about over. Thankfully. I think our youth would rally- look at our military now. So many young ones willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for us.

I loved your crafty looks with the stripes. I like to think I can make things but I prefer to buy them too. Take care.

Lisa Sall - Sall's Country Life said...

I love your memories of WWII. God Bless your Father and Uncle for their service! It's sad to say, I don't believe there are too many Americans that would make the same sacrifices and rations today (I would). I also visited the monument at Pearl Harbor, very sombering and recommend it to all Americans. Thanks for sharing...enjoyed your stripes too!

Lisa Sall - Sall's Country Life said...

I love your memories of WWII. God Bless your Father and Uncle for their service! It's sad to say, I don't believe there are too many Americans that would make the same sacrifices and rations today (I would). I also visited the monument at Pearl Harbor, very sombering and recommend it to all Americans. Thanks for sharing...enjoyed your stripes too!

Meri said...

Lots of red (white and blue) in this post. Such interesting history. My mom gave me some of the ration books from her youth, though she hasn't talked too much about the experience. Would the country respond with as much self-denial and war-effort-zest now as it did then! Interesting question. My intuitive response is that the media coverage of wars and political chicanery has made people a little less willing to support a war effort, particularly over a long period of time.

Ralph said...

I would hope that the country would sacrifice together in such a scenario today. Yet I wonder? Perhaps deprivations in the 1930s meant people couldn't have all the material blessings they wanted, and since so many didn't have things, but a collective spirit that no matter what, they were all Americans - together. A thoughtful post, let's hope that should we have to get together that we will - we can all disagree about the trivial things, but work together as if our survival counted on it. Time will tell, prayers that we all will work together to quash the common enemy...

Chubskulit Rose said...

This is a very touching post. It's amazing that you still have those stamps.


Building Blocks for RT

Sue said...

I remember this from last year and I read it all again...it is such a wonderful reminder of a generation that is leaving us too quickly.

As for changing your mind about what you like now that you didn't before...blame the blogs...I have things in my house now that I never dreamed I would before!

Sarah said...

Thanks for this beautiful post, BJ. We all need to remember these times.
As for the stripes ~ fabulous! Makes me want to do one of these. ;-)

Julie Harward said...

I think your crafting looks just as good as the magazines and I love it on the burlap!
And yes, God bless them every one of them...I am so grateful for all that they did for us and for our country.

Anonymous said...

Love the piece of history you've shared. Your stripe cloth came out awesome. I love the red, of course :)

Mark Collin said...

I was only 11 years old on that Sunday listening to a radio comedy program. So what did I know about this:

"Stimson testified at a Pearl Harbor inquiry: 'From some of the comments quoted in the public press, one would get the impression that the imminent threat of war in October and November 1941 was a deep secret, known only to the authorities in Washington who kept it mysteriously to themselves.' The president did not keep knowledge of World War II’s longer beginning from the American people, but he did hope to avoid scrutiny of the fact that, long before war was declared, he was fighting what Edward Corwin called 'the war before the war,' acting as Commander in Chief, amassing an Army, deploying weaponry, supplying American allies."

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Dec. 7th, 1941 - 'A date which will live in infamy'

Thank you for remembering today's date, Dear One. I wonder if when there are no people left, who were alive then, will anyone remember? Especially all the sacrifices, which we on the "Home Front" made?

And could the "Home Front," do so, again?

Theresa said...

Hi there dear BJ! My Dad served in WWII also! He was in the Navy on the USS St. Croix! I loved hearing stories about those days! We are a spoiled bunch these days, aren't we! The sacrifices they all made were huge! Sweet story about your Mom swapping stamps with your Aunt:) Families are like that!

Your striped creation is gorgeous! You are a crafty chick:) Have a blessed day my friend! HUGS!

Kathleen said...

I'm back! What a week!
Hope all is well there and I loved your repost!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

I loved your pictures from WW2, such great and awful memories. Thanks for sharing.

Love your linens, and you always decorate everything so beautifully. Love it all. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, marty

Anonymous said...

Morning BJness! Oh, so many ideas! I love your strips and you've shown it well. Love the round table and the stripes on the right and around the bottom!!
I place my tiny hand over my heart when hearing these stories of those before us serving our country. Weren't you the cutest little thing and I loved your flower pot hat!! :)
Oh, I'll have to go and check out Lynn's - I want to play too! :)
Thanks for telling me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Dena said...

What an amazing post BJ! Thank you for sharing that with us. I think that we all need these reminders. Especially these days. I also have to say that I love the song you have playing.

Hugs,
Dena

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for sharing!..I love this post honoring our Veterans.
December 7th,...we can never forget!
-Jo
-LazyonLoblolly

Jeanne said...

Dear bj, your Pearl Harbor post is awesome. We need to remember that day in our history. I was two when it happened. Your pic is so darned cute. No wonder your so pretty, even now when we are getting aged. Chuckle.
I mean it!!!
Your red stripes are terrific and as always you have the best post.

Warm hugs and love to you and yours.
Jeanne

Beca said...

I love your post on Pearl Harbour. So very interesting. I know your so proud of your father for his service. Great post!

Debby said...

Wonderful pictures and what a great memory of what happened today and other things that we as
Americans should not forget. Thank you for posting this.

momstheword said...

Thank you for posting this! My dad was a Pearl Harbor Survivor. He was very young, only 18, and he said that he went from a boy to a man that day.

He is now gone, along with many of the veterans of WWII, but thank you for remembering them today! I neglected to mention this Day of Remembrance on my blog, as I did it on facebook instead.

momstheword said...

O.k., so I just couldn't leave it at that. I went and got my stuff about my dad and posted it on my blog as well. Thank you for honoring the memory of your dad, my dad and all the other men and women out there who fought then (or are fighting today).

The Pleasures of Homemaking said...

I went on a tour of Pearl Harbour many, many years ago when I was a teenager.Even then I remember being very moved by the experience.

Your French Country stripes turned out really good on burlap! I think that was Jen's article in CL?

Manuela

Salmagundi said...

I, too, still have my war ration books. Mother must have saved them because they were so important to them at the time. It makes me think about what we should be doing to help contribute to our current war efforts. See my post today about the cardboard hangers on the Christmas ornaments during WW2. I have a lot of memories about that war, too, even though I was young (like walking the 2 miles to town as there wasn't any gas for the car!) Hope you are enjoying everyday of this glorious season. Sally

Anonymous said...

My father in law was stationed in the army AT Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. He was in artillery throughout the entire war. He's got the medals and the schrapnel to show for it.
Amazing. He'll be 93 in a few months...

Holly Lefevre said...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Pearl Harbor and the things that "we" had to do then to help the war effort. I love my country and am proud that my grandfathers, and great uncle served (and currently many friends). The first time I went to Hawaii, I insisted on going to Pearl Harbor..an amazing experience.

Love your stripes - you did an awesome job!