Jim and my mother are both doing well and are enjoying their annual five-month winter break in sunny Florida. This week, they will be departing on a week-long Caribbean cruise with my sister Eileen, her husband Clark, and all five of their children. We recently had the privilege of having all of them at our home for Thanksgiving (minus my niece Emily who is finishing up her senior year in college in California), and it was such a pleasure to have the 14 of us squeezed around our dining room table, listening to Jim share his experiences of serving as a US Navy blimp pilot during World War II.
His role was to locate enemy submarines off the eastern seaboard of the United States, in an effort to keep the harbors and naval convoys safe. He also told us that if he flew low enough over the beaches, he'd be able to wave to the beautiful women that might be out sunbathing. Rascal!
Not only is his mind sharp as a tack regarding his experiences during the war 70 years ago, he is also a whiz at crossword puzzles and only completes them in ink. And whenever my mother brings him along to play Bridge or some other card game - he'll usually skunk everyone and come in first place.
Jim, we are so glad that you have joined our family. Even if we kicked you out of the house and you had to stay in hotel over Christmas in 2004 when the triplets were premature newborns because you had a cold, and we couldn't risk exposing them to anyone who might be contagious, we love you to pieces!
