Leap Year

 

          Happy February 29th. Time for the calendar to catch up LOL. I feel bad for all the babies born today, they hardly ever get to celebrate their birthday on the actual day. They have to chose either February 28th or March 1st. Poor little froggy kids.

          Well, no prompt today since it is leap day. So I get to just go on my own. I am off to work tonight, hoping it will go quickly and smoothly. Payday is tomorrow :) I used mine and my son's tax returns to pay off most of our credit cards, so now monthly bills will be less. I just need to behave and not get too spendy. I would love to be like my brother. He has everything paid off. Of course he doesn't have a student loan or a mortgage LOL hopefully by the end of the year I will be doing good with finances.

What's a Mistake People Often Make About Me?

 

          People often assume I am not listening. I am always listening, I just do not choose to react to everything I hear. I always wanted super hearing like the Bionic Woman LOL I have even been tempted to get one of those TV ad hearing aides so that I can hear even more LOL. Great hearing though can be a curse. Sometimes I hear stuff that is hurtful and then I am sad and depressed. I still listen though.

          Okay, stuff to do today. Top of the list is WAKE UP. I took some melatonin and drank some Sleepytime tea, and now I can't get it out of my system. I want to go back to sleep for a bit, but I have stuff to do first. I have laundry to do, meals to prep for work, and I got two pineapple tops I want to plant so I have to go get me some potting soil and a planter. Spring fever is hitting me hard LOL.

Four Items for a Time Capsule

 

          Four things to put in a time capsule. I think the first one would be a cell phone that has pictures and messages on it. It would give a visual of the person who used it for the future. I would also add some seed packets, because they might need those in the future LOL I think I would also add in a video game cartridge so they can see what people spent a lot of time doing. Finally, a coffee cup LOL because I have no clue what else to put in a time capsule LOL.

          Yesterday Staci and I had fun at SeaWorld. It wasn't very crowded thankfully. The weather was nice, though my nose got a bit rosy. We found the Axolotil plush of the month she wanted and played a game where she one another plush LOL so she was happy. I did not snack and my foot swelling went away, so I was happy too. Hopefully we will be able to go again soon. Not sure with spring break coming up. Might be too overwhelming.

          Today, I think we will just putter around home. I do not have anything pressing to do outside this place. I could use a day of relaxing. Already have the back door open and I can hear birds :) I am happy.

My Encounters With the Police

 

         Today's prompt asks about my encounters with the police, well I do not really have anything specific. I am boringly good. I think I have gotten two speeding tickets my whole life. Sometimes I see them at work. I call them on my neighbors when they get too loud late at night LOL. My brother's best friend is the Police Commander in Reno. Thankfully I have never had to deal too intensely with the police. I think they are great though. Sure, there can be some that are bad, but for the most part, I think very highly of the police. Without them, this country would be a mess.

          Today my daughter and I are off to SeaWorld. I bought us annual passes last week because it came with free annual passes to Aquatica. Can't beat that deal. Over the summer the water park will be very nice to explore. We have had SeaWorld passes before, so I know what to expect there. It is a very pretty park to walk around in. I love the flamingo area and Staci likes the dolphins. I wish she were younger, because they have an amazing Sesame Street area to play in. I am looking forward to getting lots of steps in walking the park. I definitely need them.

          Yesterday I took a nap, and when I woke up, my left foot was swollen. No pitting edema, just swollen. It is freaking me out a bit. No pain or redness, so doubtful a DVT, but I am going to be watching it. I so need to get some pounds off of me. My body is starting to suffer the effects of being overweight now. I need to get my eating under control. I do great in the morning, it is the late night snacking that is getting me. I get tired and make poor decisions. I need to change before something bad happens.

What Do I Miss Most About My Hometown.

 

          Okay I totally missed the last few days of blogging because I was tired and working LOL. So, I am going to combine the prompts. I am not sure I have a hometown per say, I lived in a few towns in Arkansas. I was born in Malvern, spent a few years in DeQueen, went to college and lived in Little Rock in my 20's, and last time there I lived in Hot Springs a year before moving and settling in Florida. So, if anybody asks where I am from, I just say Arkansas. It is a pretty state. Lots of green trees and flowers to enjoy, The weather not so bad, got to experience tornado alerts LOL and rain. Whole state freaked out over snow LOL. It was a slower pace there, very much family oriented. In the small towns everyone knew everybody. I love the accent there, mine gets very pronounced when I am tired. It is a very relaxing state, plus the sweet tea was delicious.

         

          Second prompt was three celebrity crushes. Dean Cain is my number one crush. He is just about perfect in every way. hmmmm after that I have to think about it LOL nobody really comes to mind. Sometimes it depends on what I am watching who I like LOL I tend to like macho guys who are funny and like animals and kids.

Ohhh Dwayne Johnson "The Rock" fits that description, so I will pick him as number two.

Now for a third...I'm going to go with Victor Webster. He is hot, likes dogs, and does romantic movies on Hallmark Channel LOL. 

          Last prompt, today's prompt, is my best character traits. I would say I am pretty smart, loyal, and can solve problems. My kids think I am funny and loving. I am also very protective of those I love, I can mess with them, but heaven help anybody else who tries to.

Dream Backyard

 

          I didn't like the prompt for today LOL it was write about a defining moment from my childhood. I could think of nothing LOL. So, I am doing my own. I finally was able to plant grass seed out in my backyard yesterday. I am hoping it takes so that I have grass again. The first year I was here I had a nice backyard, I want that again. I had flowers around the fence, I had flowers hanging from hooks, my two trees bloomed, it was very nice. It did not survive though. I am hoping to get it back. It is all just trial and error for me LOL this homeowner business is hard.

Things That Make Me Happy.

 

          Things that make me happy: My kids (duh) LOL. My pets, my home, my new car, Spring days, Autumn mornings, days off, Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Mickey Mouse, finding a great series to binge watch, holidays, flowers, seeing my lawn freshly mowed, getting things accomplished, hearing birds, hearing wind chimes, extreme weather, finding a recipe both kids like, and a great nap LOL.

          

Something I Am Looking Forward To

 

          I am looking forward to Spring. I am not a fan of cold weather when I am home. At work, I like it chilly, but when I am home I prefer to be able to open up the back door and enjoy the weather. I love seeing the grass grow, flowers bloom, birds chirp, and the sunshine. I always have big aspirations of starting a garden LOL I have yet to succeed. That doesn't stop me from trying though. Each year I get at least one thing to survive LOL. It will eventually add up to a garden.

          Today I do not have a lot planned. Perhaps I will convince kids to go with me to Disney Springs. We haven't been there since before Christmas. I love all things Disney, but I am taking a bit of a break so that I miss it. Plus I can save my money just a bit LOL

What I Am Looking For In A Romantic Partner

 

          The answer is nothing LOL I do not want a romantic partner. I have been on my own now for over 20 years. I am too set in my ways. I have zero desire to share my world with somebody else at this point. At one time I would have wanted this guy, Alan Ritchson, because he is about perfect. Tall, handsome, Christian, funny, protective, smart, and likes kids. He is the perfect package. Now, however, I like my independence.

          This morning is perfect example of why I like being single. I did not have to wake up and get pretty. I can tumble out of bed and wear what I am comfy in. I do not have to make somebody else coffee, it is all mine. I do not have to plan dinner or entertainment. I do not have to worry about another person, well other than my kids, I am carefree. All I have to do is deal with me. That is so much easier.

          So, today I have school, grocery shopping, and that's it LOL. Yesterday we finally moved my daughter out of my room and into her own room. I was waiting for her to decide to go. So, my room is all pretty and back to just my flamingo decor. Her room is still overrun with plushies, but it is her room. I told her when she figures out how she wants to decorate, to just let me know.

My First Crush

 

          My first crush was Billy Zabka back in the 1980's. Oh I was in love with him. He played the good looking bad guy on so many movies, but in real life he was a sweet guy. I even wrote him a fan letter, and He wrote me back!!! It was a postcard with a picture of him on the front and him thanking me for being his fan. I had that postcard for years. I wish I knew what happened to it. At one time I knew everything about him, which wasn't easy as this was before the internet LOL. I even managed to come up with his address and phone number in Woodland Hills, California LOL. I called his number once and a lady answered LOL. I hung up. Thank goodness no caller ID back then. At 18 years old I even convinced my mom I wanted to move to Los Angeles just so I could meet him. First night there, somebody tried to break into my hotel room. So after a visit to Universal Studios, I went back home LOL Los Angeles wasn't for me. I had to still love him from afar.  It is nice to see him have a career resurgence with his Cobra Kai series. He still is as handsome as ever.

What Would I Do If Money Was Object?

 

          If I had unlimited money, I would be a stay at home mom LOL. You would not find me going to work just to stay busy. Oh no, with all that money, I would find fun stuff to do. I would keep my house and maybe buy the ones on each side of me. One for my daughter and one for my son, then put a pool in back and connecting dogs runs for the pets to visit any of us. Oh, and we would have more pets LOL. I would totally redo my backyard with a screened in enclosure overhead and astro turf so I did not have to mow LOL. Front yard would get new landscaping too. Inside all the rug would come up and floors tiled. We would get annual passes to all the theme parks just in case we wanted to visit them. I would have meals delivered so I could eat healthy and not have to cook. I have thought about all of this stuff many times. No bills, no working, just enjoying my life with my pets and my kids.

My Favorite Books

 

          Okay, if I had to pick a favorite series of books, it would be the Cherry Ames series. I mentioned before that I spent a lot of time in a library growing up, they had a lot of old books, and one of the series I found was Cherry Ames. Set in the 1950's I think, she started out as a student nurse, then senior nurse, and then moved on into all sorts of areas LOL. If I read them now I would be laughing so hard at the rules nurses had to follow back then and all the changes in the profession regarding drugs and treatments. The books were fun and portrayed nursing as this amazing and adventurous job LOL they lied. I still bought into it back then, and I became a nurse. What a fool I was LOL I have solved no medical mysteries, never helped develop a new drug, never wore all white, never traveled the world, and never, ever fell for a doctor LOL.

          

          

Dear Past Me

 

          I wish I could tell past me not to care about what others say about me. I listened to their lies way too much. They told me I was overweight, so I believed them. Looking back at pictures from back then, I was in no way overweight. I was a normal healthy girl who got her boobs before anybody else LOL. I thought everybody was talking about me or laughing at me. How self absorbed, most people could care less about others. They have their own issues they are dealing with, but I assumed that if they were laughing or talking, it was about ridiculing me. So I because even more introverted. It took me decades to figure out they did not care enough about me to think or talk about me that much. It was all in my head, but it affected me way into adulthood. I am trying to help my daughter not fall into that trap.

          Well, I have Spring Fever and unfortunately instead of being able to go outside, I have to work. Hopefully it will go by quickly and uneventfully. I accomplished a lot this week and would like to continue to do so. My kids might be moving my daughter into her room this weekend, so I will see how that goes. I might be able to re-arrange my room afterwards and redecorate hers LOL. That is always fun.

If I Could Meet Any Fictional Character.

 

          If I could meet any fictional character is a good question. I read a lot growing up. My mom worked, and while she worked, my brother and I would stay at the library all day long. I read lots of old books. I think the ones I liked the most were the Nancy Drew mysteries. Nancy, Bess, and George were awesome role models. They were smart, adventurous, pretty, popular, and wore the cutest outfits LOL. At least in the books they sounded like that. The books were what helped develop my mind into wanting to solve mysteries. I like to figure things out. I know I will never solve any crimes, but my mind does do well with figuring out situations and solutions. I still love a good mystery.

          Happy Valentine's Day. Another year on my own. I really do not mind being single. I doubt I would be good in a relationship. I have been on my own for too long now. A relationship would require time, effort to look pretty, cooking, splitting my time between them or my kids, and trust. I do not trust anybody. Learned that lesson the extreme hard way. I do however feel envious of the couples who have been together forever. Part of me wishes I had a marriage that lasted over 30 years now. A man who I could be growing old with, thinking about grandkids, planning retirement with. Somebody who was just a part of me. It is way too late for that now.

          I have been so responsible this week LOL yesterday I managed to get weed killer down in the front, side, and back patio. I also threw some watermelon and cantaloupe seeds out in my side corridor yard LOL it is so wet over there it is squishy. Maybe some of the seeds will take hold and I will get some melons LOL. Last night I finally, after 6+ years, hung some curtains in my living room. I cheated LOL I used a shower rod between the sides of my sliding back door to hang them on. They look decent and block a bit of the morning sun. I am hoping they will help with the summer heat.

          Tonight, Staci goes to her church group, then her, Lee, and I are going to the movies to see "Madame Web". Hopefully it is good. Before all of that, I need to do laundry and grocery shop for the weekend. Back to work. At least it is payday on Friday. My bank account took a beating paying off all those credit cards. Now I just have to keep them paid off :) 

The Biggest Lie I Have Ever Told

 

          I do not like to lie. One can always find truth in what I say. It usually is so much more fun to tell the truth. The one lie I do tell, is that I am fine. I do not feel fine most of the time. I feel stressed. I feel scared. I feel like a failure at a lot of things. I feel lonely. I feel sad. I feel helpless a lot, but I lie and say I am fine when asked. Most people are just saying "How are you?" out of politeness. They do not really want to hear how the person is doing.

          Okay enough of that. Today is Mardi Gras. A time to celebrate and indulge because tomorrow starts lent, and the asking of forgiveness and traditionally giving up something for the next six weeks before Easter. At least that is what I think it is. So today I am making jambalaya and getting a king cake. I am wearing purple, and will hunt up some beads in a bit. Okay, we do not go all out and get drunk, but we will do a bit to have fun today.

          Yesterday I finally mowed the backyard. It now no longer stresses me LOL. It looks so much better. I just need to spread the weed killer so that can get working. I even discovered that two of my flowers I planted back there have survived and are blooming. One has purple flowers and the other has blue. I am hoping my jasmine comes back and my hibiscus that I got for Mother's Day last year. I tell my kids if they want to get me a mom's day present, get me a flowering plant for the backyard.

Am I a Country Girl or a City Girl?

 

          I think I am a bit of both. I was born in a very small town in Arkansas, but I live in a big urban area. I love the easy pace and friendly people atmosphere of a small town, also love that they are less expensive, but I need my conveniences. Small towns do not offer much to do. Not that I go out a lot, but I like the option to be able to. 

          Oh dear LOL I got up to go do something, and totally forgot I was writing this on Sunday LOL this is now Monday morning LOL. Man, I was tired yesterday. I did get a bunch accomplished though. I trimmed tree out front big time. I can now walk under it. It had lots of small branches that did not look very lively, so they are all gone. Then I raked up a big portion of all the leaves that had fallen off the tree, as well as a lot of dead grass. So, now my front yard looks bunches better. I even managed to do a wee bit in the back I took out this decorative area, that never really got decorated, so that when I mow I do not have to mow around it. Should be easier.

          Man, last night was the Superbowl and it was crazy. It went into over time, and in the last five freaking seconds, the Chiefs scored and beat the 49rs. That sucked big time. I so wanted the 49rs to win for my brother's sake. He has been a fan since the late 1970's.

          I guess I don't have to do today's post now LOL that's okay, it is a weird one. Asks what is my most prized possession. I do not have anything. I learned as a mom, never get attached to anything, especially if my kids can break it LOL.

          This week is the beginning of Spring here in Florida, so I am getting more work done on yards today. I have school work, and I plan on making Frito Chili Pies for dinner LOL. I also got curtains to hang up in living room to help block some of the sun front heating up the house so much. I am hoping I can manage hanging them LOL. 

Happy Lunar New Year

 

          It's the year of the dragon. Both of my kids love telling me that fact LOL. We are celebrating today by splurging and getting Chinese food from Panda Express. My son is off to get it now, then afterwards going into his work to see if he can get a promotion. That would be awesome for him. More money and more hours.

          I missed blogging yesterday, I am always off kilter when I work. So I am combining the prompt from yesterday with today. They both sort of work together. Yesterday's was what was my childhood nickname, it was Punkin LOL. My dad's side of the family always called me that. Once, when I was an adult, I convinced my dad's friend that Punkin had died after joining a weird cult LOL. He could not understand how I was not sad about "her" passing LOL. Today's prompt is: did I ever get lost as a child? Once again, my dad comes into play. When I was about 3 years and my brother a baby, my dad took him and me, without my mom knowing, and I think took us to Oklahoma. My mom even called the FBI to report that we had been kidnapped. I have no clue how long were "lost", but it is an interesting tidbit about my history LOL.

My Favorite Winter Recipe

           

          This has to be pumpkin pie. I make it every year. This recipe is so simple and delicious.

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

 teaspoon salt

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions

Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Whisk pumpkin puree, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth.

Pour into crust and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until a knife inserted 1 inch from the crust comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool before serving.

What Personal Achievement Am I Most Proud Of?

           That is an easy question LOL my kids. I think both of them are phenomenal. My son is 28 years old now and has never been any trouble. He never did drugs, drank, or rebelled. He does not smoke, he went to and graduated college, he has a job, and he helps me any time I ask. He is smart, compassionate, and respectful. My daughter is 14 years old now, and seems to be on the path to doing just as well. She shows no interest in frivolous things like makeup and boys LOL she is just a natural beauty who is very shy. She is very talented with sewing and drawing, and makes up these amazing back stories for all the characters she creates. I keep telling her she needs to write them down. She is smart and sensitive, cares for others, and also is willing to help whenever asked. They are both amazing individuals that I am so proud of.

What Is Your Relationship Like With Your Sibling?

           I have one full brother, and a sister and brother who pretend to not know they are illegitimate LOL my dad had a fling when I was a teenager and got a married woman pregnant twice LOL. I follow the girl on Facebook. She looks just like my dad in drag LOL the boy just looks like a younger version of my dad. It is all very obvious, but they are in denial because they do not want to hurt the man who thinks he is their father, which I can understand.

          Anyway, I have one brother who is stuck with me LOL. He is three years younger, but looks older thanks to moisturizer. He lives way too far away for us to be really close. We do talk weekly, usually in our cars driving to work. We fought a lot when we were kids, but outgrew that. Probably about the time he got big enough to kick my butt LOL He has one biological daughter and girl and boy who claim him as their dad since he dated their mom 25 years ago LOL. We do not have as close a relationship as I would like. He is really cool and I think would be fun to hang out with. He is very smart and charismatic, people love to hang out with him. He has met and become friendly with lots of important and famous people. He is just one of those people that is naturally liked.

          I am so tired. I took some melatonin and drank some sleepytime tea so I would get a good night sleep. No luck, my pets woke me up at 7am. My sleep aids have not worn off yet, but I am up for a few. I have a civil war test to take. So not ready for that. I keep having to tell myself that I do not need an A. I just need to pass class in order to maintain deferment status on student loans. As soon as I am done with school stuff, I am heading back to sleep.

What Objects Tell The Story Of My Life

           Oh my goodness, I have no idea how to do this post. I have no objects that represent my life. The only thing of permanence I have are my kids, and they are not objects. They do represent me. The only thing I know I am, and good at it, is being a mom. It is what I always wanted to be since I was a child. So, I make sure to do it well. My kids are happy and kind, they know they are loved, and they never give me any trouble. No drinking or drug problems, they are respectful, and caring. To me, they are perfect. The best blessing I could have ever had in my life.

          My pets are also pretty awesome, but again, not objects. Beyond my kids, I care about animals. It hurts me deeply when I cannot help them all. Animals are innocent and most are subject to the abuse of people. I hate that. I know animals in the wild care for themselves, but the ones who have been domesticated cannot. For the ones who hurt them, I hope they have a special place in Hell.

          Well that went dark fast LOL okay. It is Monday and things to do. Today is finance class and start trying to figure out my civil war test for tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it. I am not a test person. I always second guess myself and mess up the answer. I also want to decorate my tree for Spring/Summer and make tacos LOL. Then work on my daughter's room a bit. Hopefully this will be a productive day.

How Do I Normally Spend My Weekends

          Okay, well my weekends are pretty boring. I work LOL usually Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. By the time I get off Sunday morning, I am tired, but I still have responsibilities. So on Sundays I do laundry, grocery shopping, mow my yard (front or back, sometimes both), and clean up around the house. Kids can sometimes get messy when I am at work. Then I pass out in my chair and sleep LOL.

          This weekend a bit different, as I have Saturday and Sunday off. Yesterday I did my part of my normal Sunday stuff, but then instead of sleep, kids and I went to the movies and saw "Argyle" it was great. Funny and action packed, with lots of twists. Afterwards I passed out in my chair all night LOL woke up this morning and saw weather calls for rain. My front yard is a disaster, and I do not want a citation for it, so I hopped up (even before coffee) and mowed front yard after pulling up a bunch of weeds by the roots. It sprinkled a bit, but I got it finished. I figure later I will do grocery shopping and maybe redo my daughter's bedroom. She has decided she is ready to move out of my bedroom and into her own.

          Yesterday got a piece of totally cool mail. Gooseberry Patch has chosen another one of my made up recipes for another cookbook. This will be my second one. I don't even remember the recipe, but I called it "Buttery Spiced Walnut Cookies" and it is going into their upcoming "Harvest for Sharing" cookbook. I get a free copy of the book in June. I am very excited. That makes two now. 

My Favorite Childhood Vacation

           I have absolutely no recollection of any childhood vacations. I do not think we went on any. My mom was a single parent who could not afford them. I know my favorite vacation was in 2005 I think. My son and I went to Disney World for the first time. It was just him and me. We stayed for a week at Pop Century. Anything that could go right on that trip did :) We had a great room by the pool, the weather was perfect, the resort was so much fun. We got to go on all the rides. We have character dining experiences where they gave my son so much attention. He got to meet Stitch, his favorite character, and got him to autograph a hat for him. We still have the hat LOL. The whole trip was phenomenal. He and I did not want to come home. Now, we live just 10 miles from the resort and can go whenever we wish :)

My First Driving Experience

           Okay, the prompts for this month are a bit wacky LOL says to describe my first driving experience. That goes back long ago. I did not get my license until I was 20 years old. I also did it backwards. I wanted to drive, but was afraid to, so in order to force myself I bought a car. It was a red Nissan Sentra I named Shandy. I figured if I had a car, I would want to drive it, and it worked. I practice on some back roads by my apartment. Just small trips until I felt comfortable enough to go take my driver's test in Carson City, NV. I picked going there over Reno, NV because I figured less people on the roads to watch out for LOL. I passed and got my license. I still too nervous to drive home LOL. Once I finally got up the courage to go on the actual streets I remember the first challenge leaving my apartment was a four way stop. Me and three other cars arrived together. Now I know the rule is yield to the one on the right, but all of us had somebody to the right, plus me freaked out about being on the street. Finally somebody went, then another and another until my turn. I was scared to death because: I was new driver, I was very shy, I hated being in public, and I was afraid I would mess up. 

          Well, I didn't!!! Thus began my emergence out of my safe little bubble of a life. Out of my car, I was still afraid of anything, but inside my car, I was daring and adventurous. I loved driving. I took road trips places all the time. It was such freedom. I became a new person inside my car. Slowly it started to seep into my non-driving world. I actually started interacting with people and made friends. Driving a car helped me overcome a lot of crippling social anxiety. Even now, thirty-five years later, I still enjoy having a car. I no longer like driving distances LOL but I am comforted just having a vehicle. When it is taken away from me to go to the shop, life sucks!!! That used to happen a lot. In fact my mechanic just sent me a text a couple of days ago asking if I was okay since they hadn't seen me in months LOL I said I was fine, I had just gotten a brand new car LOL.

          This year my daughter can get her learner's permit to drive. Oh boy. On one hand, maybe it will help her like it did me, but on the other hand, she is my baby, and I don't want her in any accidents. There are crazy drivers here in Florida. Thankfully she is in no rush to drive :)

A Lesson I Learned From My Grandpa

           This is an unusual prompt, but kind of interesting for today. Just about an hour ago I discovered my great-great-great grandpa was a private in the Civil War. Unfortunately he was on the Confederate side, but as I have learned in my Civil War history class, not everybody was fighting by choice. Some were there because they were forced by family, friends, the general population. I would imagine most did not want to go to war. He was in the 16th South Caroline regiment I, or something like that. He fought alongside Hood against Sherman and his march to the sea. My ancestor made it out of the Civil War alive thankfully, or I would not be here today. I found a picture of him, he looks about 19 years old and innocent, so I am guessing right before the war. So many records to go through. I am planning on using him for a school project.