Please Don't Eat the Daisies

How I am saving my sanity!

Since I can't stand watching the news lately.
Too much Trump -
so I soothe my brain with TCM movies instead - -

Love the films now
even if I hated them before
and I really appreciate the memories that float along with the film.

This week TCM showed "Please Don't Eat The Daisies"
 in a day-long salute to Doris Day.
I remembered the book and the film - - -
along with the 1960s humor - - - - -

Loved it all -
reminded me of better days.

Special thanks - for a lifetime

Writing about Harry Catchpole brought back my memory of another soldier who was on Omaha Beach on D-Day.


When I met this other elderly Maryland gentleman he told me he had just returned from a trip to France and a visit to an American Military Cemetery in Normandy.

"I have been there before. I go as often as I can because I have so many friends who are buried there and 
whenever our Army group gathers in Normandy- I go.

I will never forget the morning of June 6, 1944. We came across the water in the dark and as it got lighter we came closer to France - to the shore. The front of the landing boat dropped down and we ran into the cold waves hoping to reach the beach. 
So many of us never touched land again."

He drew in a deep breath - his eyes filled with tears.

"They stayed behind - but I came home.

I have had a family, a good job and a fine life.

They missed all of that."

He was quiet. Then he wiped tears off his cheeks.

"I have never forgotten any of those boys - 
I come back to thank them."

Harry, D-Day and memories.

Ellouise - circa 1944

D-Day - June 6  this year is remembering and honoring the 75th anniversary of that battle.

In 1944 I was 8 years old. I am grateful for my vivid memories of that day.

My daddy was in the Army Air Corps and he was stationed in India. When was sent the air base so far away Mama moved with her three daughters into a 12 family apartment house on Hawthorn Lane in Charlotte, NC.

 Each family living in the 'Virginia Apartments" had a member somewhere overseas and all were hoping this meant that the war in Europe was coming to a close. And then  hoping the end of the war in the Pacific would soon follow. There was excitement in the adult voices as
they talked about the D-Day invasion while they studied the newspapers. Radios blared out the news story from every apartment. People were nervous but it was a hopeful day.

In 2013 when I was in Georgia visiting my  sister Kathy introduced me to  a very special friend of hers ---- Harry Catchpole.

She told me - "I want you to meet him, Ellouise. Harry is a WWII veteran. He was stationed in England and served as a clerk on General Eisenhower's staff. He tells me and  Johnny incredible stories about the preparations in the office to get ready for D-Day.  He had to wait for the 2nd day to be sent over to Omaha Beach."

Harry remembered it all and he shared so many personal stories. Listening to him was a rare opportunity to meet history outside of a book-page. Meeting Harry was a very important  - - a privilege to know someone who was an eyewitness to history.

Harry enjoyed sharing the experience. And he remembered it all.

Harry is no longer "among us"and we cannot reach out to him to bring D-Day alive for us as we honor this important day.


Meeting Harry was an inspiring connection for me because talking with him furthered my belief in asking questions and discovering history from eyewitnesses ---- when that is not possible for me I pursue letters and other personal documents to capture an unknown first hand story.

I  do what I do with bits of women's history - remembering unknown women whose lives  have been forgotten and lost in the shadows of history. For some reason I have wrapped myself in the purpose to find and tell their stories for as long as I can.