Sunday, May 27, 2012

A Setting for America

In case you missed this post on Memorial Day 2011, I am re-posting..  Enjoy your barbeques, parties, and celebrations!  Say a prayer for our troops, for if it wasn't for them, there would be no celebrations.  Read to the end for an update and a moving tribute from Cammie to her Mom!!

There have been many movies based on the Vietnam War.  A lot of us were touched by this and other wars in a personal way, and so it is with the movie We Were Soldiers.  This movie was based on the first major engagement of the Vietnam War, documented in the book We Were Soldiers Once...and Young by Lieutenant Gen. (Ret.) Hal Moore and reporter Joe Galloway.  It depicts the Battle of la Drang, in which 450 U.S. soldiers from the U.S. 7th Air Cavalry were dropped in the la Drang Valley to attack enemy North Vietnamese and are surrounded by 2000 enemy soldiers in what would become the worst battle of the Vietnam War.  Mel Gibson stars as Lt. Hal Moore and Chris Klein stars as John Lance "Jack" Geoghegan, a young infantry lieutenant who was killed during the battle while tending to a wounded fellow soldier, Willie Godboldt.  Jack Geoghegan, age 24 at the time of his death, was the only son of John & Camille D. Geoghegan.  He married Barbara Weathers on June 13, 1964 and his daughter, Camille Ann (Cammie), was born the following June, 1965.   Tragically, Cammie was only five months old at the time of her father's death.  Cammie is my next door neighbor and a dear friend.

Barbara, Jack, and Cammie Geoghegan, 1965
Lt. Geoghegan and Lt. Moore, portrayed by Chris Klein and Mel Gibson, talk and pray together before their deployment to Vietnam.  Geoghegan (Klein) wears a baby bracelet with the name of his daughter, Camille, on it.
Cammie and her Dad.

We Were Soldiers is a tribute to the loving fathers, brothers, and sons who sacrificed their lives that day and reflects their loyalty, valor, and love for one another while under fire.  I was invited by Cammie to view the premier of the movie in our hometown.  It was a very emotional experience for me, and it's hard to explain the feelings of loss I felt for my friend.  Fortunately, her mother, Barbara, went on to remarry John Johns, a devoted stepfather who honored Jack's memory.  Johns was also a military man, and became a Brigadier General in 1975.  I have had the pleasure of getting to know Cammie's mother, stepfather, and her sister and brother.  They are an amazing, loving family.
Barbara, with Cammie's two girls--Stephanie and Julie.

Cammie's mother is portrayed by Keri Russell.

Cammie, with her husband, Ray Olson, their two girls--Julie and Stephanie, and their dog, Reesie.

A beautiful oil painting of Cammie's paternal grandmother hangs in her dining room.  I can see the family resemblance.

Also in Cammie's dining room, a curio cabinet holds precious photos and memorabilia.  Her dad's picture is on the center right.
Her lovely dining room has a mirrored wall that makes the room so classy, and I love her gorgeous chandelier.

Another view...
So I just would like to say Thank You to all those who have served, are serving, and the families that have given their loved ones to protect our country and freedoms.
Feel free to sing along!  'And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died

who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up, next to you,

and defend her still today.
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land!
God bless the
USA!!'

My own father served in World War II, as Chief Petty Officer in the navy.  Although he didn't speak much about his experience, I know that he was loyal to his country, and would have made the navy his career, if my mother would have agreed.  She did not want to leave her family, so he left the navy and they were married.

To read more about Cammie's dad, click here and read her mother's personal story.

A few years back, Cammie journeyed to Vietnam with other sons and daughters who had lost loved ones.  Read about their journey here.

If you haven't seen the movie We Were Soldiers, take some time to watch it.  You'll be glad you did.  Make sure you have tissues nearby!  :)  Thanks for visiting, I always appreciate your kind comments!!

UPDATE!!

Take the time to read Cammie's  tribute to her mom on the Sons and Daughters in Touch website by clicking here!!



Thursday, May 17, 2012

A Floral Setting for Lunch

Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day.  I enjoyed a nice brunch with my family, and Monday was my 29th wedding anniversary!
This week I set a table outside by the pool.  Come on in and join me for lunch!

It's a beautiful day to be outside!
A table for four awaits...
I started with a beautiful table topper and napkins to match that I found at an estate sale. 
 I combined flowers from outside and anniversary flowers and used a crystal vase.
Instead of candles, I used two small silver overlay containers for smaller arrangements to ground the table.
When I found these silver chargers at GW, I was thrilled!
Sebastiani Cabernet is a favorite.  A rich and substantial red wine, it has strong fruit flavors with hints of cola, berries, plums, and earth.
Blue glass salad plates are edged with silver overlay.  I won them at an auction.
Another view of just the salad plate.
Plates are Rosenthal, Bavaria.
Sterling is Modern Victorian by Lunt.
Now that college boy is home, the basketball goal is back, not so great for photos, but I'm thrilled he's home and still brings his friends over for fun in the pool!
I'm not sure of the pattern of these stems.  The gold rimmed ones were purchased at an estate sale and the gold-etched wines are from Tuesday Morning (years ago).  Those white specks are part of the etching, not water spots lol, the pattern of the etching didn't really show up well in the photo.
Thank you for taking the time to look!  I always appreciate your kind comments, I don't always have time to respond, I'm working on being better at that!  Have a great week-end, and come back soon!!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

A Garden Setting

Child number 2 is now home from his freshman year at college.  The year seems to have flown by!  We spent the day yesterday in the car, packing him up, and bringing him back home.  He will transfer next year to Virginia Tech, so off we went to Blacksburg to look for apartments.  Unfortunately, they had closed for the day, so we had a quick dinner, and started on our journey home.  My dilemma is always what to do with all the "stuff" they accumulate in a year.  Right now, it is still in the SUV, and will stay there until I can get everything into the laundry room and cleaned up. Next week Child number 1 will be back in town, for a while, anyway.  She has been on tour with a Children's Theatre group as an actress in their productions.  They have been to many states and I believe it has been a great experience for her.  She will also be in a play in Williamsburg in June called "Curtains", so if you are coming to Williamsburg, check out the production by the Williamsburg Players.  She will play Bambi.
Now, on to tablescapes.  I had planned to do this tablescape earlier, but I never got around to it.  So here it is, a garden tablescape.
My husband asked me why I wanted to use this old table, but I believe it still has charm, with it's uneven boards, and rustic feel.  I used three short runners and added cute little garden-themed pots.
I just bought some herbs to plant, so I popped them into these containers and used them as centerpieces.  The actual plants don't match the words, but we can always pretend... 
My herbs of choice are cilantro, basil, and parsley.
Salad plates were made in Italy and I purchased them a while back at Home Goods.  The dinner plates are Fitz and Floyd.  Each place had a bulb placecard holder with a tiny bouquet, which added a bit of color.  I decided not to use chargers because the table is narrow, and there wasn't much room.
Since rain threatened, we did not eat at the table, so I didn't write on the placecards.
Each plate has a different design.
I used a simple silverplate pattern along with a plain stemmed iced beverage glass.
I found these napkin rings at an estate sale.  I had every intention of spray painting them with oil rubbed bronze spray paint, but never got around to it.
Water glasses or as I like to use them, red wine stems, are Fostoria Pagoda.
I hadn't planned to use candles, but I remembered these little garden chair votive holders, so I used them on the table.
A few more pictures . . .
Thanks for stopping by!!  Drop in anytime, you are always welcome at my table!!  As always, I appreciate your kind comments,
--Betsy