Sunday, December 28, 2008

Millionaire Cookies





Chris's family visited on Saturday. While they were here, Maureen and Shawn made Millionaire cookies using Mom's recipe. Last Christmas, Maureen had contacted Megan and got Mom's recipe from her. She then surprised me on Christmas Eve. She told me to close my eyes and open my mouth and see if I could identify what she was giving me. It took less than a second to say "Mom's Millionaires". So thanks to Megan, another generation of Murphys are enjoying Mom's signature cookie. Yum!!!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Heavenly Voice

If you haven't heard it, listen to Celine Dion sing "Oh Holy Night". You can find it on the CD "These Are Special Times". Her voice is out of this world. Speaking of out of this world, Maureen's cousin had a Jesuit priest celebrate Christmas Eve mass at his house. During his homily, the priest was talking about different Christmas songs and said that Karen Carpenter singing "Little Alter Boy" sounded like an angel, and if angels didn't sound like Karen Carpenter, then he didn't want to go to heaven. He followed that by saying it was probably blasphemous, but he was a Jesuit and could get away with saying things like that.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

There's no snow here. It's a nice sunny day with warmer days in the forecast - near record highs. I had bought a new TV with built-in DVD player for Mom's room. After lunch I played part of one of the DVD's I gave her this morning. Here are excerpts from one of the songs by the Gaither Vocal Band and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound:

So don't weep for me
When I cross over death's sea
My pain will all be gone
And I will have a brand new song to sing

If you get there first
I'll join you on the second verse
And for eternity
You and I will have a brand new song to sing

Pat and Steve were here for dinner last night. I had said Tuesday in a previous posting. Steve will come back for a while Saturday afternoon.
Truman

White Christmas

For those of you who are not experiencing a white Christmas - you can enjoy ours! Most of this snow fell a week ago, but we've had a few dustings since then.
Merry Christmas!

More Santa and Crying Kids

Thought we would add our contribution to the "subjecting our kids to the terror of Santa" collection. This is Whitney at 1 1/2 yrs. old with Steve playing the part of mean ol' Santa. Steve kept telling Whitney, "It's only Daddy", and Whitney, through her tears, kept saying, "I know, I know!"

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Nettie Maria Hagerman


Poppop,


Here is a picture of your grandmother...my great, great grandmother Nettie Maria Moulton Hagerman. A friend of mine is HOOKED on Ancestry.com and has posted things for our family tree as well. I'm sure you have seen this but since it is Christmas, a "visit" with family is fun!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Santa Claus postings and comments have been very enjoyable - a good example of how a blog can create the opportunity for dialog among family members. Of course, I remember the Cleveland trip and the search for the Venus Paradise Pencil sets. And I remember being thankful that we found them. How disappointing it might have been if we couldn't have. I don't remember how they were advertised, but it sure was effective.

I'm looking forward to seeing Pat and Steve Tuesday. They hope to arrive about 4:00 so we can have dinner together before going to see Mom. Megan, Steve and Whitney have plans to be in Ohio from the afternoon of January 8 until the afternoon of the 11th. Scott says he and Maureen may also come that weekend.

Have been enjoying Skype. It's working OK with Florida and Nebraska, but Mike couldn't see me during the conversation we had. Maybe it will work better next time. To partially help the timing problem (when to call?) I've been signing on at 7:30 most evenings for about five minutes to see if anyone wants to get on line. When I say most evenings, that's after I usually get back from visiting Mom. On Saturday I stay there until the Lawrence Welk show (starts at 7:00 on PBS) is over, and I could be later getting back her on some nights.
Truman

Saturday, December 20, 2008

More of kids with Santa




Sarah, you asked for this. Nothing changes does it? Parents still feel its necessary to torture their children with Santa

Friday, December 19, 2008

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Had a nice visit with Mike on Wednesday. We talked about a broad range of subjects, and at one point remarked about words Gloria Gaither had written to Finlandia. If you recall the melody, you should like the words:

I then shall live as one who's been forgiven
I'll walk with joy to know my debts are paid
I know my name is clear before my father
I am his child and I am not afraid
So greatly pardoned, I'll forgive my brother
The law of love I gladly will obey

I then shall live as one who's learned compassion
I've been so loved that I'll risk loving too
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges
I'll dare to see another's point of view
And when relationships demand commitment
Then I'll be there to care and follow through

Your kingdom come around and through and in me
Your power and glory let them shine through me
Your Hallowed name, oh may I bear with honor
And may Your living Kingdom come in me
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor
And may You feed a hungry world through me

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Melissa and Dave are expecting!

We've received wonderful news, and Pat and are to be blessed with another grandchild! Thank you Lord! Melissa and Dave are having a baby girl due in mid May and they have decided on this lovely name: Molly McKenzie Murphy. Pat and I welcome this baby into our family with unconditional love for her and for her parents. 2009 will be another terrific year, with our first grandson due in early March and then our first granddaughter in May. Oh boy, how marvelous!

Blessings to you and yours!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Tornado special

For those of you who are interested, the Discovery Channel is going to feature footage from the May 29 tornado that hit Kearney earlier this year. The Storm Chasers special will air at 10pm ET on Sunday. And here is a link to our local paper with video and pictures: http://www.kearneyhub.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20213930&BRD=268&PAG=461&dept_id=577571&rfi=6
For those who have been to Kearney, the first 5 minutes or so in this video shows the storm chasers traveling North on 2nd Avenue, with the camera focusing toward the Northwest, which is where you would find our house.
Steve wasn't home during this storm, but Whitney and I were, and spent the duration of the tornado in our basement. Even though it was daylight outside, it got eerily dark. We were blessed that we didn't sustain any major damage, but all of our neighbors can't say the same thing.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Today is another anniversary - much different from November 29. (I am moved by the heartfelt comments about that posting,) I'll review December 1, 1943 and some of what happened during the weeks prior and following that date. Mom and I were engaged right after I was commissioned in February of 1943. She went back to DePauw, and I went to a gunnery school at the destroyer base in San Diego and from there to the U.S.S. Aulick, DD569 in Pearl Harbor. It took a while to get there, because I spent some time in Seattle awaiting transportation to the Aleutians where someone thought the ship was. But that's another story. The Aulick was in dry dock at Pearl undergoing repairs for damage suffered when it hit a reef in the South Pacific. The repair process went on until the ship was deemed ready for sea again, but a full power trial revealed a problem with one of the main reduction gears. It was decided that the Bremerton Navy Yard was the best place for correcting the problem. I honestly don't remember how we communicated when ship locations and movements were supposed to be secret, but we decided to get married during my leave. And we did on December 1. It was a nice, sunny day in Portsmouth. Mom's Maid of Honor was Caroline Friel,an old friend, and my Best Man was one of my brothers-in-law, Harry Hollingsworth. We spent two nights in Columbus, two more in Mansfield and then on the train to Bremerton where we stayed at the Enetai Inn until 12/23. (Never have been able to understand why one destroyer was so important to the war in the Pacific that departure couldn't have waited until after Christmas.) It was an 8-hour run from the dock to the open sea, and there was a violent storm in progress when the ship left the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The ship was battered and suffered significant damage again - just after a Navy Yard stay. So shortly after arriving in Pearl Harbor, we learned we would be heading back to the states for a period of time for more repairs. So, had it not been for the storm, the Aulick would most likely have proceeded beyond Pearl Harbor and stayed out there for who knows how long. Although it made me very sick for about eight hours, that storm most likely had a significant impact on the structure of our family. I was surprised today to hear our anniversary announced over the PA system. Such occasions are not usually so noted. Ernie told the operator.