Welcome! If you have found this blog, congratulations! You may very well be the first. Leave a comment to prove it! I have started this blog for several reasons. I have some things to say, I need a place to say them but the Washington Post won’t publish my letters. Mark Twain said the first sign of senility is writing letters to the editor, so maybe it’s just as well that I do this rather than that… in order to fend off senility that is… The second reason is for my sons, Scott and Kevin.
Scott, my oldest would have been 27 this Sunday, Veterans Day, November 11th, 2007, except he was killed in Iraq last August. He was a husband, a writer, a poet of extreme talent, a thinker, friend, son, brother and a voracious reader. Scott had an opinion on everything and was willing to passionately share it with anyone who would listen. His poetry was intense and powerful. He wrote for the spoken word and his poems were always better when he performed them. His poem, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, ends with the admonition to all of us who care about our lives and events that shape them to, “Don’t ever put down the pen!” Thus the name and thrust of this blog. I will try to honor his instruction.
Kevin, my second and youngest son, is a tall, devilishly handsome, sensitive and funny theater geek/ninja. He is happiest haunting the catwalks focusing lights and writing lighting cues for stage productions, but you might just as easily find him sitting in his tree stand cussing those wily bucks who won’t entertain him. He also reads voraciously although he does not write (that I know of) and can generally fix anything audio/video. His room is a mess, and he drives a pick-up truck. He has two deer to his credit with the truck. The writings here of mine are a great excuse for Kev to say, “Oh Dad…. what are you thinking?”
And lastly, for my lovely and courageous wife, Martha, who for nearly 37 years has put up with me and smiled sweetly when I pontificate and suddenly forget where I was going. Marti as she is known to friends and family is an artist, like me, like Scott, like Kevin. She paints abstracts in oil, makes paper castings, cuts up her old paintings she doesn’t like anymore and makes new art with them. She is a gardener, an outdoors type and can be found usually pulling weeds in her shade garden or digging holes for new plants. Never let her loose near a nursery you will be stuck for hours. She makes absolutely without question the best damn pie in the world. But best of all, she is my friend and lover and I am always amazed at that!
So that’s that. I will soon post an essay for Veterans Day and off we blog! Please feel welcome to leave comments and suggestions. Be nice, rather be polite. Any nastiness will not be tolerated, except to illustrate how stupid some people can be if given the opportunity.
Ed
November 9, 2007
Hello all!
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Thank you for starting this blog. The world needs to know you and your family so much better. Hooah!
Comment by Greta — November 9, 2007 @ 10:51 pm |
Wonderful!! I’m so glad you have joined the blogging world. I hope you find it to be as therapeutic as I have. At least, maybe it is at least fending off senility! lol It can be very addictive though, so be careful
Thanks for the introduction to your family. You have every reason to be enormously proud of them all.
Comment by beth — November 9, 2007 @ 10:57 pm |
BTW, you photos are fantastic!!!
Comment by beth — November 9, 2007 @ 11:05 pm |
I’ve been thinking of you, Marti, and your family. Loving thoughts. Hoping you are hanging in there with faith and courage. Talk later. LJ
Comment by Lynn J. — November 9, 2007 @ 11:29 pm |
A beautifully written first post – and a great name for a blog. I’m so sorry about Scott’s death. I hope you will share some of his poems here.
Comment by Carol — November 9, 2007 @ 11:47 pm |
Welcome to the deranged world of the blogosphere, Ed.
Best wishes and lots of prayers for you and your family!
(Beth from Blue Star Chronicles sent me)
Comment by Beth — November 10, 2007 @ 12:04 am |
Welcome to the blogosphere.
Comment by jane — November 10, 2007 @ 12:57 am |
hey uncle ed. love the blog and ya’ll – wish we were able to come for thanksgiving – congrats on entering the world of online writing!
love you!
Comment by ruthanne — November 10, 2007 @ 5:55 am |
Ed, Great idea to create this BLOG – we look forward to what you post on it… one comment from the sentence “He was a husband, a writer, a poet of extreme talent, a thinker, friend, son, brother and a voracious reader. Scott had an opinion on everything and was willing to passionately share it with anyone who would listen.” … he was also a nephew and cousin that is missed each and every day – all through the day. Scott continues to have an impact as we share about him.
We love you so much and know that as tomorrow approaches, we are sending bunches of love and hugs and prayers your way. Susan
Comment by Susan — November 10, 2007 @ 6:09 am |
Uncle Ed, Aunt Marti, Kevin, Christy… Scott… I love you all so much. Never, never forget that. Why the Post won’t publish your letters, Ed, I will never understand! I’ll see you at the cemetery tomorrow. I’ll bring the Macallan.
Comment by Suzy Q — November 10, 2007 @ 8:05 am |
Ed, I think this was a super start for your blog. BLOG ON! Hugs to you, Marti, and Kevin. It’s been too long since last we had the chance. Please let Marti know my email and if she has the time an email would be appreciated. I look forward to checking this with frequency. Linda
Comment by Linda Davis — November 10, 2007 @ 8:11 am |
Hi Ed, Marti and Scott.
It’s about time you found a venue to share your thoughts and ideas. Some are brilliant, some entertaining, all worth considering. J.Daniel and I send our hugs. Love you all. A.
Comment by Adrienne — November 10, 2007 @ 9:29 am |
A beautiful post, a wonderful blog, better than any edited letter in the Washington Post. Your love and respect and vision of your sons is poetry, and a gift to us all. The editors would surely have left some of that out – and we are richer for it. Your photography is a wonder, no doubt because you bring the same eyes and respect to the world, that you bring to your sons…. and the blog title is perfect. This is great.
Comment by Suzanne Sutton — November 10, 2007 @ 9:36 am |
Thanks, Edward. I didn’t realize tomorrow is Scott’s birthday. We will honor him with a walk to our beautiful Veteran’s Park close by. On Halloween we have a drink with the ancestors outside by the fire, fixing each of them their favorite. We had a beer for Scott, but perhaps he prefers Scotch? I am sorry to miss Thanksgiving. Maybe next year. Be well. You are all in our thoughts often. XXOO Molly
Comment by Molly Grady — November 10, 2007 @ 10:57 am |
Ed, I do not know you personally, but my daughter worked with Christy at Comcast in Savannah. I think of Scott often, along with others I have known personally to have lost their loved ones; one from the squadron I am a part of. I work for the AF in Wyoming. I, also, am distressed you have not heard from out 2 top leaders; Cheney, I really understand, as he is fast becoming a Billionaire as a result of this war. My prayers are with you and your family. God Bless!
Comment by diane — November 10, 2007 @ 11:47 am |
Keep on keeping on, Ed.
Comment by B.E. @ Wasche Shire — November 10, 2007 @ 3:22 pm |
Ed I found your blog through Bug. I was thinking today of what a privilege it is to honor men like Scott. He really understood what serving others was all about. From the sweat drenched red clay of boot camp at Benning to a 3rd ID soldier in the sands of Irag he gave a priceless gift to his friends, family, and country. He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. Man what an act of grace and courage! I am weeping with you and Martha today for your loss. God knows your pain and is the only one big enough to swallow up Scott’s death and wipe away all of our tears.
Comment by Gary Boys — November 10, 2007 @ 10:25 pm |
Today is November 11th. I said prayers and sang happy birthday to Scott and cried. Scott was truly a gifted young man who always followed his own path, and I will remember him always. My love to all of you!
Comment by Josie — November 11, 2007 @ 3:42 pm |
Dear Marti and Ed:
I never knew Scott but I know his parents and can imagine him. I would love to read his poems.
God Bless
Sally
Comment by Sally OConnor — November 11, 2007 @ 3:54 pm |
Your blog is absolutely wonderful !
Thank you for sharing…and I hope y’all start to heal soon.
Comment by jo — November 19, 2007 @ 8:23 pm |
Ed,
It will be Marco’s birthday Dec.8.
Hope that wherever the two of them are, they met again.
Luigi
Comment by Luigi — December 5, 2007 @ 7:26 pm |
Hello Ed,
I’ve been directed to your blog by Sue Burch, a dear friend. My family serve with MTW and she and John have been wonderful mentors to us. I’m so grateful she had sent us the link to your writings…looking forward to more! By the way…what is your take on the Kevin Sites HotZone coverage? http://hotzone.yahoo.com/
Comment by Pamela McGinty — December 16, 2007 @ 5:40 am |
Dear Ed, My Sister in Law, Mary Ann, passed this on to me. I am sitting here at my desk with tears in my eyes. What a terrible waste of good people is this war! Please keep writing. I think the pen is mightier than the sword, because writing will live on. Blessings to you and your wife and Kevin. Thank you to Scott for his willingness to give his all so that others have the freedom to disagree.
LD
Comment by Linda DuRant — January 3, 2008 @ 11:11 am |
Ed,
I don’t know now if it was an old email link or what led me to your site, but I’m glad I forgot what I was doing and took the time to read. Keep it up. Cindy and I greatly enjoyed your hospitality on Thanksgiving. Thought of you guys as we spent Christmas day at Bill and Ailcey’s. I’m sure it was one difficult Christmas. I can only imagine. Life has become so ridiculously busy, I rarely take the time to read or address anything but the most pressing issues especially when sleep deprived. (I got called in at 11pm and got home at 4am). Glad I took the time today. Hang in there, hugs to Marti.
JB
Comment by John Beauregard — January 3, 2008 @ 2:08 pm |