4:48 p.m. - 2005-09-19
more story
The following is worthy of a rant but I think once you read it, you will do your own ranting....
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How ironic is this??!! They don't even believe in Christ and they're getting their own Christmas stamp, but don't dream of posting the ten commandments on federal property?
USPS New Stamp
This one is impossible to believe.
If there is only one thing you forward today.....let it be this!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of PanAm Flight 103!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military barracks in ! Saudi Arabia!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on 9/11/2001!
REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks!
Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a commemorative first class holiday postage stamp.
REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp when purchasing your stamps at the post office.
To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors.
REMEMBER to pass this along to every patriotic AMERICAN you know
---------------------------------------More of my story........
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Dean and Terri were planning to get married in the Fall of 1965. In Indiana, the age for men to be married was 21. Dean's birthday was 8-21-44 so he knew they would have to wait. Dean worked for the South Bend Tribune as a courier who delivered the ads to the stores for their approval before printing. Terri worked for a moving and storage company as a secretary.
Around New Year's of 1965, a friend of Terri's had eloped to Michigan and got married by a Justice of the Peace. Michigan was only about 9 or 10 miles from where Dean and Terri's families lived. They didn't think their parents would approve of eloping.
One day Raymond asked Dean why they were waiting to get married when they could go to Michigan and get married at a Justice of the Peace. Dean and Terri talked it over and decided they would get married in April instead. But, first Dean had to find a better job because the Tribune paid minimum wage and they couldn't live on both the salaries the way they were.
Also the Tribune would not allow the courier to be married for some reason.
They wanted to pay for the wedding and reception themselves. They decided to have Terri's mother and sisters and Dean's 2 younger brothers attend along with a best man and matron of Honor. Dean's parents did not attend and Raymond had to work. Terri had been saving $25 a week ever since she started working and had $1000 saved up. They rented an apt which had a community building they could use for the reception. They took Dean's stereo over with records. Terri's parents paid for ice cream. Dean's mother made the wedding cake. Dean and Terri bought the decorations and mints, made the punch and put it all together.
They did get married on the morning of April 10, 1965 in Michigan. They spent the rest of the day getting ready for the reception that evening. Nearly everyone who had been invited attended and Dean and Terri opened their gifts and thanked each person individually as they went around the room afterward. Dean and Terri left about 10:30 P.M.
They spent their wedding night in Elkhart, In. They got up very early Sunday morning to drive to Niagra Falls, Canada. It was lucky they left so early because that was the date of the famous Palm Sunday tornado that went through later that morning and caused an amazing amount of damage.
On Monday morning, they woke up in their motel in Canada and turned on the TV. All the national newscasts were about the big tornado in South Bend, In. They did not have a telephone in their room. They frantically got dressed and went out to find a payphone. Terri said she was so frightened but when she called her mother; Patsy Jean was frightened because she thought something had happened to the newlyweds. They sorted out the information and realized that everything was fine on both ends of the phone call. Dean and Terri continued their honeymoon in Canada until Wednesday and then went home to their very own apartment to settle in as a married couple.
Meanwhile Ginny and Bonnie continued in college and high school. Ginny was planning to be a teacher and Bonnie was developing her artistic abilities.
1966
About a year later, Dean and Terri bought their first house and had fun redecorating and having more space. They especially enjoyed Halloween and the holidays in their own home.
In 1967, Dean was approached by a friend who said he and his wife were moving to the Florida Keys where his wife's family owned a motel. They wanted to know if Dean and Terri would move also. They discussed it and decided they were in a position to try it out as they had no debts, except the house and no children. They sold the house and most of the furniture to a couple who took over the mortgage payments and they made plans to go.
The other couple had a newborn baby. The two men went to the Keys first so they could find jobs. The other couple had family in Islamorada and would be staying there. Terri traveled with the woman and 2 of her friends and helped care for the baby on the trip. They drove straight thru to Florida and arrived in the middle of the night. Dean had just rented an apartment and they quickly got Terri's luggage and went to be alone again. They had been apart for this anniversary and were anxious to talk and reconnect since this was the first time they had been apart as a couple in their marriage. Part of the problem was the couple's inlaws did not want to give Dean and Terri a place to stay and did not have any job for Dean either.
Dean continued to look for a job and finally got an offer a day after Terri arrived. However, it was on Marathon and they had to move to that key. They were able to get back most of their rent deposit thanks to a realtor who was originally from Indiana. She also found them a duplex to live in and even bought furniture for them (the duplex belonged to her son in law). Dean started a job as a meter reader for the Electric Coop. Terri found a job a couple of days later at a bank on the key. They soon were settling into a new place with great weather.
After about 2 months, they became aware that they were not getting anywhere. They didn't fish as most of the people did. They worked their jobs and took their laundry to an outdoor laundromat, bought groceries, visited with a few couples they had met to play cards on the weekends. They drove to Key West to an outdoor theater about once a month as a treat.
In late June, they decided that this just wasn't working out. All the things the other couple had promised them such as a place to stay inexpensively, a job, etc. had not panned out. In fact, they hardly ever saw the other couple. So, they decided that instead of spending any more money; they would wait until their next payday and go home. And that is what they did.
On the way, Dean was offered a job running a gas station by a man who offered to teach him everything he knew and then he said Dean could buy him out in a few years. The couple was afraid to take a chance. All they had was a few dollars to get them home. Dean was also offered a job as a prison guard at one of the road labor camps. It meant that they had to live on the grounds and the couple was not sure that was a good idea because Terri would be home alone during the day. Terri didn't drive at that time so she would not have any way to have a job.
Finally they got back home and moved in with Dean's parents for a few days. Both of them found jobs right away and found a furnished apartment. Money was tight but they were glad to be home again. They moved a few months later when Terri was offered her old job with the Van lines and moving company again.
By this time, Ginny had graduated and was engaged to a man who was a high school History teacher. He had decided to go back to school to become a doctor. They felt Ginny could work while he was in school and then when he was an intern; she would move with him whereever he was training. Bonnie was in high school but wanted to get away. She became involved in the McCarthy Presidental Campaign in South Bend and decided to quit high school and travel with the Campaign around the country. Needless to say, Raymond and Patsy Jean were not very happy about that decision. Bonnie only had 3 weeks of high school left to get her diploma but she was 18 years old and nothing could be done.
When Dean and Terri had returned to Indiana, they had searched for jobs. Dean took a job working for a gas station owner to have some cash coming in. It was long hours and not much pay. Raymond approached Dean one day and asked if he ever thought about becoming a policeman. Dean didn't think he had a chance but he applied and to his great surprise; he was hired. He worked very hard at attending the police school and was delighted to be sworn in late in 1967.
1968
This meant there was more stability in Dean and Terri's life. They had insurance now and expected their jobs to last as long as they wanted to work. They started discussing having a family. Terri went off her birth control pills and was pregnant within a few weeks. They were thrilled.
In the meantime, Bonnie was away from home, still traveling around the country for Mccarthy campaign, Ginny was teaching and planning her wedding and Mary was in school too. By this time, Patsy Jean was retired. She still worked for the proof room on occasional weekdays and Saturdays.
Dean and Terri enjoyed the pregnancy. Terri had a little big of sickness but it was usually in the evening, not the morning. She continued to work and looked forward to wearing maternity clothes. She didn't tell her employers until June when she started wearing the clothes because she wasn't sure if they would let her work while she was pregnant. She was now the Rate clerk and did the charges for local and long distance moves for Allied Van Lines. She had to weigh the semi trucks, go out into the storage area, handle phone calls, so estimates over the phone, and so on. It was a busy job.
Terri's due date was the end of August, right around Dean's birthday. She planned to work until July. Finally she was big enough and tired enough to want to stay home and get ready for the baby. They had a used crib, used stroller and she even wore some of her mother's old maternity clothes. She also purchased a few items of her own. She bought cloth diapers because at that time, disposable diapers were just coming out and they were too expensive for Dean and Terri. She also purchased Playtex nurser bottles with the plastic envelopes which were disposable.
The due date came and went. Terri had contractions often that lasted over an hour but then they would stop. Her doctor told her she was dilating slowly but the baby wasn't ready yet. Dean was a patrolman on the midnight shift so he was gone 6 nights a week.
Finally Terri woke up one night about 3:00 A.M. She was surprised that she was sleeping on her stomach because she hadn't been able to do that for weeks. She called the doctor when her water broke. Since she was not having any contractions; he told her to stay home until they were 5 minutes apart. She hung up the phone and had her first contraction, 5 minutes later, she had another one and it continued like that. Finally she called for Dean and the radio room operator put out a call. Dean and Terri had a police band radio and she heard the call go out. A few minutes later, she heard car tires screeching outside the house. Sure enough, Dean has driven the squad car into the yard and ran into the house. As Terri was explaining that the contractions were about 3 minutes apart and quite strong; Dean couldn't focus and was talking to another policeman who had arrived.
As Terri was bending over due to the severity of the contractions; Dean continued to talk because he was trying to clear his head and get his gun and gear taken care of. Finally, Terri told Dean they had to go NOW! She was 3 weeks past the due date at this time.
Dean drove with lights on to Memorial Hospital and when they finally got to the ER door, stopping every few seconds due to the contractions; the door was locked!!
They drove around to the other door and once inside, they ran into another officer who asked what they were doing there! Finally a nurse came out and took over and got Terri taken to the maternity floor for prepping/ She put Dean to work filling out insurance information.
As Terri was led into her labor room and told to change her clothes into a gown; she felt like the baby was going to drop on the floor. But the baby didn't. Finally she was in a bed, Dean was in the room and the nurse said. "well, I;'m going to give you a little med to move this along,"
She left the room and about 2 minutes later, Terri told Dean she felt like she had to push and could not hold it back. Dean got the nurse, she checked and said Terri was dilated to 8. It was now about 4:30 A.M. The nurses told Terri her doctor wasn't there yet and they were going to wait for him. After a couple more strong contractions; the nurse checked and said "We can't wait, get her to the delivery room".
In those days, the fathers would not allowed in the delivery room and they didn't even put mirrors up for the mothers. Terri moved over on the table, they put another iv in her hand and the next contraction came. The intern came in, checked and said "With the next contraction; you can pull a little."
Terri told him the contraction was starting; she pushed, felt like her body was splitting in two and then heard a cry from the baby. At that time, her regular doctor walked in. The intern told her to wait while he checked the cord and then let her push and the baby popped out. It was 4:45 A.M. The intern told Terri if she was ever pregnant again to come directly to the hospital as soon as the contractions started because the next birth would be even faster.
As they worked on Terri, she got a quick look at her baby before they took him away to be checked over. She was still in the delivery room when a nurse came in to tell her that the South Bend Police Dept had just called and her told them all the vital staistics. Terri asked what Dean had said. The nurse said, "Oh, we haven't told him yet!". Then they wheeled Terri out, Dean was there and they went to the nursery to see the baby. It was a boy, 6 lbs. 8 ozs. His name was Daniel.
By the time Terri was in her room and getting settled in; it was about 6:00 A.M. Dean and Terri talked quietly about the baby and how happy they were. Terri asked Dean to call her family and his family to let them know the good news. Terri called her workplace at 8:00 A.M. to tell them she had finally delivered a baby - 3 weeks late. Of course, that evening several people came visit and to see the new addition to the family.
Two days after that, they took their baby boy home. Patsy Jean had promised to help Terri the first 2 weeks with the baby. But, because Terri had been late in delivering; Patsy Jean had committed to working at the Tribune for someone's vacation, so Terri was on her own.
Dean had to return to work at night, sleep during the day so Terri learned how to be a mommy all on her own. Daniel had colic!
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Laugh for the day!
A 6 year old and a 4 year old are upstairs in their bedroom. "You know
what?" says the 6 year old. "I think it's about time we started cussing." The 4 year old nods his head in approval. The 6 year old
continues, "When we go downstairs for breakfast, I'm gonna say something with hell and you say something with ass." The 4 year old agrees with enthusiasm.
When the mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6 year old what he wants for breakfast, he replies, "Aw, hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios."
WHACK! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor,
gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot
pursuit, slapping his rear with every step. His Mom locks him in his
room and shouts, "You can stay there until I let you out!" She then
comes back downstairs, looks at the 4 year old and asks with a stern
voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man?"
"I don't know," he blubbers, "but you can bet your fat ass it won't be
Cheerios."
