Gratitude is the word of the day to the incredible soldiers:

past and present

Having a tough at Father’s Day?

Several ideas to aid in making it better for you

June is Fight the Filthy Fly Month (Officially)

Tips, tricks and fun information on ridding yourself of the flies

Eyes on Freedom

Remembering Soldiers with Gratitude Even Past Memorial Day

May 27, 2013 by BoomerStyle in Eyes On Freedom, Opinion

Giving Thanks to the Servicemen in Our Family

Dawn Bonner

Especially this time of year, my thoughts

of how good life is today are at the forefront. Yes, the corrupt politicians, the

fallacies of the laws and the lawmakers who don’t follow their own rulings get on

the last nerve. Yet today, in my gratitude, is a true appreciation of what soldiers have

given up in their best efforts to make life better for others.

Edward Willis Clarno

My first thank you goes to my cousin, Private Edward Willis Clarno who fought in

World War II and the Korean War. PFC Clarno was taken prisoner with the 23rd

Infantry on Feb. 15, 1951.

For many years PFC Clarno was MIA. His

parents didn’t find out what happened to their son until years after his

disappearance. A soldier, who witnessed their son’s death, sought them out in order

to share with them their son’s fate.

The soldier said Clarno had suffered a bad

head wound and was given no food or water by his captors because of these

wounds. Starving to death, Pvt. Clarno foraged and found something which looked

to be an onion. He ate the onion, which

poisoned and killed him. It is believed Pvt. Clarno died 15 miles from Pyongyang,

Korea. His remains have never been found

to be returned to our family.

He was the only child of Ruby and Paul Clarno.

Thomas Mayhue Bonner, II

My next thank you is to my ex-father-in-law, Thomas Mayhue Bonner, II, who fought in

World War II. He was on the U.S.S. South Dakota; Bonner [tongue in cheek] says it was

the ship that won the war. He does have the honor of the Peace Treaty being signed on

his ship. Bonner doesn’t talk much about his war days; although, after triple bypass

heart surgery a few years ago, my son, Jacob Bonner, said his grandfather started

telling war stories, which his family had never heard before. There may not be any more

stories from Bonner, as literally a few weeks ago, he died. The doctors and nurses

brought him back to life. But, his grandson said the war stories have stopped. The things

Bonner shared are priceless, hope they are recorded for posterity and historical value.

Richard Brockman

Thank you to my cousin, Richard Brockman, who is proud to have

served and a proud Marine. He shared the Marine quotes included in this article. The ribbon on his uniform is a World War II Victory

ribbon for the Marine Corps.

Roger Rhodes

Thank you to my uncle, Roger Rhodes, who fought in the Vietnam

War. He doesn’t talk about his war battles. However, one thing that is known is one of the comrades he was serving with died in battle

and Rhodes’ son, Troy Ronnie Rhodes, was given his middle name in memory and honor of the fallen soldier.

Dan Young

Thank you to my brother-in-law, Dan Young, who also served in the Vietnam War. He,

like Bonner, is proud of his service to his country, yet we don’t hear of what he went through during the war, either. He talks of the countryside, the people, and of the gifts

he sent home to his family from the exotic other world.

Douglas Jacques

Thank you to my ex-brother-in-law, Douglas Jacques, who also served

in Vietnam. His parting gift was to be sprayed by Agent Orange. Our government denied it for years, but Jacques’ health and that of his

platoon didn’t adhere to the denials. Their health to this day is still affected by the gruesome ‘Mikey’ experiment.

Daniel Whitney

Thank you to my fiancé, Daniel Whitney, who almost died by drowning

twice while in the service. He, fortunately, didn’t have to go into battle. Although, they thought and hoped they were going to battle during the

Carter administration’s Iranian Hostage Crisis. Whitney said they were itching and

begging to go take care of the situation; he also said the tension at Camp Pendleton was mammoth, like the voltage from an electric fence.

Andrew Young

Thank you to my nephew, Andrew Young, who just got out of the service. He did two

tours of Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He saw battle, he saw death; he does tell of a few stories of his fallen brothers. He is currently going to college and has thought about re-

enlisting.

Their Bravery is Inspirational

Tears come to my eyes, thinking of how brave these men are. To go into service when there is a war going on, to offer up their sacrifices — even, making it through boot camp

is huge — my God, just thinking of what one does in boot camp scares me. Let alone,

facing your mortality the way they did.

The Bonds They Created and Care for are Beautiful and Amazing

Bonner and his wife were lifelong friends with his Navy buddies and their wives. Their families got together at the very least, a minimum of once a year, every year. My aunt

and uncle, the Rhodes, recently went to a reunion of Army buddies and their families. Even in this day and age of fast pace and loose relationships, they are brothers who still

keep in touch regularly. My nephew texts, talks, and emails with his Marine jarheads and he continues to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive they started while serving

together. Whitney still remembers boot camp as if it were yesterday. He also remembers the name of every jarhead Marine he served with. He can’t remember other names, but

the names of those he served with; it seems will never leave the grey matter.

To the Next Generation

My son, Sean Davern, who just turned 18-years-old and is graduating high school soon,

has aspired to go into the service since he was 13-years-old. As a mom, it scares me. Although, my dad has shown me comforting statistics that our young men actually have

a higher survival rate when they go into the service than they do staying home and going to work or college.

My Gratitude and a Wish

Today, my gratitude goes out to all of the men and women who go to service for our country. They do so because they have higher aspirations and a desire to be bigger than

themselves and not of themselves; to lend their talents, their bodies and minds to a higher ethical, moral, and idealistic nature. To make us all better than we were before

they went into service.

If there was a genie in a bottle who would grant me a wish, it would be these men and

women receive the benefits that our lawmakers receive – the healthcare, the pensions, and the pay. And, that the lawmakers receive the pay, the pensions, and the healthcare

our servicemen and women receive. It is my contention the people who go into the

military are more deserving of the benefits received by Congressmen and women and our Senators than our politicians are.

My friend, Sandy Murphy, has a sign on her refrigerator which would be wonderful to

plaster everywhere, like the handbills all over Manhattan. It says, I Don’t Care what the Reason is, No to the Next War.

And, she has a bumper sticker that says: I’m already against the next war.

Great News this Memorial Day for Families of Missing Soldiers

This Memorial Day brought some peace to a few families around the nation, thankfully. USA

Today on May 26, 2013, shared a story, One hero home, 83,000 to go. It told of a man, Lt.

Col. Don Carlos Faith Jr., who was blown to bits in Korea and 60 years later his bone fragments were found and identified. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Remains of American WWII soldier reportedly found on Pacific’s Northern Mariana Islands is a story Fox News reported March 26, 2013. The Joint MIA/POW reported

finding remains of a man lost 70 years ago in World War II. He has yet to be identified, but they are working on it.

Stars and Stripes ran this story on May 1, 2013, Remains of 4 Vietnam War MIAs to be

buried at Arlington. Four sailors, who were reported missing after their plane took fire were found recently, identified and will be buried together. What a great Memorial

weekend for their families.

Who knows, perhaps one day, Pvt. Clarno will be laid to rest with his parents in the

beautiful little cemetery in Parkers Prairie, Minn. What a trip that would be.

Famous Quotes about Marines

Letter to My Marine Group from a Proud Mom

Resources and Sources Used to Find Information on Edward Willis Clarno

Prisoner of War Medal for Edward Willis Clarno, Military Times Hall of Valor

List of Men who Men who Gave Evidence of Edward Willis Clarno’s Death, Korean War POW/MIA

Network. Thank you to the men and to the Korean War POW/MIA Network for their dedication and tireless work.

Other men who disappeared the same day as Pvt. Edward Willis Clarno, compiled by Korean War

POW/MIA Network

U.S. Accounted-for and Unaccounted-for from the Korean War Sorted by Name, (You can leave a manorial here)

Korean War Project, Dallas, Texas Databases, Everyone in Pvt. Paul Clarno’s 23rd Infantry

Division. This is a huge database of all the troops who served in the Korean War. There is information on Agent Orange, message boards of people looking for soldiers, KIA/MIA/POW/WIA Databases, Looking for Units, Finding The Families: The Search for Korean War MIA/POW Family

DNA Samples Finding The Families: The Search for Korean War MIA/POW Family DNA Samples, Postings for Reunions, Remembrance Entries, POW Camps and more, much, much more.

U.S. Fallen Warriors website, Pvt. Edward Willis Clarno’s information found here; this site

contains over 130,000 records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, or War on Terrorism. These include the records of persons who were missing in action or prisoners of war

in either the Korean War or the Vietnam War.

Other Sources Used for this Story

More Information on the image by Photographer Petty Officer 2nd Class Jennifer L. Jaqua

Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office for World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War,

Cold War, Iraq & Other Conflicts

Contact Information for Service Casualty Offices: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy

Tagged 23rd Infantry, Contact Information for Service Casualty Offices, Dallas, Fox News, Hall of Valor, Korean War, Korean War POW/MIA Network, Korean War Project, Memorial Day Memories, Military Times, Prisoner of War Medal, Texas Databases, U.S. Accounted-for and Unaccounted-for from the Korean War, U.S. Fallen Warriors website, US Air Force, US Army, US Marines, US Navy, USA Today, Vietnam War, World War II

Marine’s Halo Crosses St. Michael Protect Us Medals for Marines

U.S. Army Halo Crosses U.S. Army St. Christopher Protect Us Medals

U.S. Navy Halo Crosses U.S. Navy St. Christopher Protect Us Medals

Air Force Halo Crosses U.S. Air Force St. Christopher Protect Us Medals

Coast Guard Halo Crosses Coast Guard St. Christopher Protect Us Medals

Spiritual

When Father’s Day Hurts

May 26, 2013 by boomerstyle in Spiritual

Our Father’s Love

Krista Dunk

Even though holidays and celebrations are

meant for joy, sometimes they bring sadness and grief. Father’s Day can be one

of those days when upsetting feelings arise for some of us.

While others are celebrating and spending

time with families, you or someone you know could possibly be filled with emptiness,

pain, or even anger.

Reasons for Sadness or Grief on

Father’s Day

You’ve Recently Lost your Dad You don’t Feel your Dad Deserves

Celebrating You’re a Single Mother and the Father

of your Children is Absent in their Lives

You’re a Father who has Lost a Child Some Other Loss Occurred during this

Time of Year

Each of these situations is painful. Each of these situations can cast a shadow on what

should be a happy time. Whether it’s you who feels sorrowful or someone else that

you know who silently hurts on Father’s Day, how can joy be found?

Finding Joy on Father’s Day

“I have loved you with an everlasting love…” –Jeremiah 31:3a

Focusing on what’s missing or lacking is our tendency. What if, instead, we focus on a

vital, loving relationship that’s in our lives; one that can never be taken away? God, our

Father, specializes in filling in the gaps in

our hearts. He wants to be the Rock we establish our lives on so that no earthly

disappointment or void can steal our joy.

To truly know the love of our Heavenly Father is greater than any earthly affection,

and helps us overcome wrongs and loss we’ve experienced. He will never leave

you or forsake you, and is with you always. In fact, He knows each tear you’ve shed,

has all the days of your life written in His

book and knows the number of hairs on your head. He sees you now, and has cared

for you since before you were born. Although He’s invisible to the physical eye,

He is more real than anything seen.

Accept the love of your Heavenly Father this Father’s Day. You can take part in the joy of

the day by celebrating Him and the love He so freely gives you.

Remember these Words from Romans

And, I am convinced nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death

nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about

tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can

separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed,

nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is

revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

If you are sad on Father’s Day or know of

someone who is filled with grief, please share this article with them. Here are more

articles that can possibly give you or a dear

one solace on Father’s Day.

More Articles and Prayers if You are Having a Tough Day

1. A Prayer for Father’s Day by retired

Episcopalian Priest Harry Allagree

Short Excerpts: For those whose fathers

have increased the joy in their lives…

For those whose fathers have recently been lost or who are facing the imminent loss… We pray, too, for those men who, for whatever reason, have not been good fathers…

We remember to you single fathers and single mothers who struggle to be both parents…

2. Fathers Remembered If you’ve recently lost your father, send a photograph to

Legacy and they will post it on their Facebook page and in their photo album of Dads and Grandfathers remembered.

3. You can create a Legacy to Remember by making a Memorial website with a photo album of your dad, grandfather or son who has passed. Invite your family and friends to

it, as well, so all can help by adding memories and photos.

4. Grief and Father’s Day Lessons is an interview with Glynis Sherwood, counselor, for Metro News Father’s Day issue by journalist Kelly Putter. The last part of the article has

wonderful inspirational ideas for making a tough time easier.

5. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote the Five Stages of Grief. The official website shares many

resources for sources of grief and how best to process them. There are many take-offs on her work, what better way than to go to the original.

6. 14 Bible Verses regarding bad parents for comfort and remembering Our Loving

Father.

7. Grief and Loss Support: Don’t know what to write for a condolence note? Wife dealing

with the loss of her husband? Child dealing with the loss of a father? Support groups, resources and words of advice for all kinds of loss.

8. Honoring Parents who don’t Seem to Deserve Honor by Rabbi Simon Jacobsen, a

transcript of his radio show.

Resources: If you’d like to see more of CocoMariposa’s work and the mixed media

collection, Five Stages of Grief, visit her Flickr page. The series is amazing. She said, “This Piece [Five Stages of Grief #4] is very busy, the confusion represents me, how I

was feeling when I was very depressed. All the Bubbles are the many various thoughts I had every day, dealing with four deaths; in particular the death of my father. On the

right side is a stomach, holding an unborn thought of peace. This thought of peace can’t be born, because of negative thoughts of my father dying. Although this piece may not

be as strong as others I’ve done, it was the hardest ‘peace’ for me to do. This is why I haven’t had any pieces up in a while. This piece is all about facing ones demons, and not

letting go of one’s hopes for true inner peace and happiness.” CocoMariposa, artist.

If you’d like to know more about columnist, radio host and business woman, Krista

Dunk, you can visit her website here or here. And, Biography here.

Tagged A Prayer for Father's Day, Bible Verses regarding bad parents, CocoMariposa's work, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Episcopalian Priest Harry Allagree, Father's Day, Fathers Remembered, Finding joy on Father's Day, God's love, Grief and Father's Day Lessons, Grief and Loss Support, Grief on Father's Day, Honoring Parents who don't Seem to Deserve Honor, Jeremiah 31:3, Krista Dunk, Legacy to Remember, Memorial website, Rabbi Simon Jacobsen, relationships, Romans 8:38

A View from Robin's Nest

June is Fight the Filthy Fly Month

April 25, 2012 by boomerstyle in A View from Robin's Nest

The Flies Have It

Robin Hoselton

June is Fight the Filthy Fly Month, and June 21st is St.

Leufredus’ Day. St Leufredus, a monk who lived around A.D. 738, is the patron saint against flies. Legend says

that one evening St. Leufredus stopped at a house to pass the night. The saint found the flies so troublesome that he

couldn’t sleep; but when he bent his head in prayer, all the flies flew away.

Flies have no redeeming quality other than being a menu item for frogs, lizards and flycatchers (the bird, not the

bug zapper!). Some flies are resistant to insecticides but the following natural controls may curb their population:

Fly swatter – Did you know the reason this old standby

has holes is to minimize the air current that warns the fly, to reduce air resistance and increase the speed of the swat?!

Those yucky fly strips work well also. Although

getting their feet stuck in glue might not be a serene way to die, flies carry typhoid, cholera,

Salmonella, bacillary dysentery, tuberculosis, anthrax, ophthalmia, and parasitic worms, so I

figure it’s justified.

Greek columnar Basil keeps it flavor all season and it is a great deterrent to keep flies away.

Baited flytraps that lure flies in with baits or pheromones may be a tad more discreet than the

hanging strips.

Basil in flower pots inside the home works as a natural repellant as does planting mint and basil

outside around the house. Supposedly, these plants smell disgusting to flies. I wonder how scientists

know this?

A home remedy using Chardonnay involves

poisoning. A saucer is filled with white wine and dish detergent. The flies drink the wine and eventually die from the detergent.

Screening windows and doors and keeping tight covers on garbage containers denies

flies access to breeding sites. For the same reason, pet owners should not get lax about

poop patrol.

Obtain large cell bubble wrap and cut approximately a 2 foot x 8 inch section for each doorway into the house. Roll the bubble wrap into a long roll, tie each end and middle

with a string or ribbon, then hang one roll of bubble wrap above each exterior doorway. It can be taped with double stick tape where the door meets the upper jam. Apparently

this works because the plastic reflects light and the fly’s compound eyes perceive a predator.

Two Ways to Keep Flies Away from Your Picnic Table

1) Get a small tin with a lid (like a cough drop container), cut a piece of sponge to fit inside and saturate with lavender oil. Cover and let sit for 24 hours, then remove the lid

and place on the table. Replenish the oil after each use.

2) Insert 20-30 cloves into a sweet, ripe apple and place on the table.

In spite of its short life span—22 to 25 days from egg to death—the housefly’s

descendants have survived since the Cenozoic era began 65 million years ago. So if these methods fail, you could always adopt a bunch of frogs. Then you’ll really be going

green!