A Land of Enchantment
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 11:47 PM
To: Friends & Family
Subject: A Land of Enchantment, Mermaids and 'Dragons'
They live underground, and far out to sea, and there is a big one rumored to be coming in soon from the north… the ‘Dragons’… they are monstrous… they swallow one whole, they rip and tear and thrash they tails, bearing water and waste to the lands that lay in their path…
They are sleeping now, the dragons, today they are just stories of distant past and future fears that collect dust as more time passes without their immediate presence… today, this is simply a land of enchantment, a place where the bay waters shimmer in rainbows of emerald green and aquamarine, the sun climbs high in the winter sky and the warm sea breeze gently kisses the shore. Quaint, delightful, welcoming … affordable… this little gulf coast village of the name Dunedin, offers a strong sense and feeling of ‘coming home’.
It is a place that envelops like a warm familiar embrace; the mood is gentle, the townspeople… open and friendly. Restaurants with outdoor seating abound; dogs are welcome. Downtown on Main is dressed for the holidays with tinsel wrapped street lamps adding flash and sparkle amongst the abundant flora; interesting, weird and wonderful offerings entice one to linger in front of store windows… I step into the first… a calmness takes over… it is a vintage store with linens, china, jewelry, books, hats and scarves… I have stepped back in time into my mother’s home… I move onto the next and am struck by the menagerie of …. well… the exotic…. mermaids in particular… lots and lots of mermaids… made of glass, clay, some made with tin, many are painted, in pictures, on calendars or take form as a stuffed toy…
We explore the side streets and discover small cottages hug the village lanes that surround Main. A few larger homes are to be found but they don’t dominate. These mostly modest homes are well kept, their gardens perfectly manicured… there is an obvious pride of ownership exhibited. It sparks a thread of envy… desire… oh to be the person who lives there….
We have spent considerable time walking this little village, following brick roads through the surrounding neighborhoods… strolling the shoreline, stumbling upon brewpubs and the most wonderful fruit and vegetable stand. We discovered the marina at the end of Main which serves as an anchor to the little downtown, providing safe harbor to an assortment of sail boats and yachts… we have enjoyed ‘brekkies’ at an authentic British café and delighted in finding authentic ‘colonial’ fare at the grocery store… birds custard, HP and chutney, PeriPeri condiments, curry sauces and English tea and chocolate covered biscuits. There are islands here too, Honeymoon and Caladesi … we have yet to explore them… tomorrow maybe. The town is infused with a Scottish heritage, the founders being of Scottish decent; the school band is a pipe band and there is an annual Highland Gathering… 
I am struck by how familiar this town feels, so different and yet oh so similar to the coastal towns where I grew up… I think I could live here… I really think I could live here… except…. except for those ‘Dragons’… the Sink Holes come with little or no warning, they are sudden and all consuming… the Hurricanes… well at least there is always news of their impending arrival… one has time to plan… and then there is the threat of floods… and the insurance that one must pay to protect. Our Congress up north has recently given passage to an exorbitant and potentially devastating increase in the rates… it is the biggest dragon of all, threatening the very existence of coastal towns all across America… They live underground, and far out to sea, and there is a big one rumored to be coming in soon from the north… the ‘Dragons’… they are monstrous… they swallow one whole, they rip and tear and thrash they tails, bearing water and waste to the lands that lay in their path… Tis these ‘Dragons’ that give me pause.
Dunedin is a small village on the gulf coast of Florida, she has cast a spell on me and I find I am being drawn into her enchantment… I think Alan is falling in too. We are scheduled to leave here Monday but have already made plans to return… who knows… maybe we can find a way to slay the Dragons… maybe we can find our ‘happy ever after’ in this quaint little village, this land of enchantment that we have found by the side of the sea.
We are off to Disney next … so very excited to let the inner child in me out to play. Wishing all a wonderfully festive holiday season… Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
A special call out to my niece, the most wonderful and beautiful Lisa Ann Patterson, all the best for a fantastic and memorable wedding day sweetie… so very sorry we could not make it over … I know it will be a lovely occasion and I look forward to seeing the pictures.
Love and hugs
Ann Morrison
Hallowed Ground
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2013 7:40 PM
To: Friends & Family
Subject: Hallowed Ground
It started as we drove back on base after visiting the commissary at Corry Station yesterday, something started tickling the back of my brain… little visual cues that didn’t quite register to a full thought but kept pulling at my attention… green… a deep green… dotted with rows of white…. and the flutter of red, white and blue… lots of it, in a place I typically didn’t remember it being; We have driven through this intersection several times since arriving at NAS Pensacola…. but something was different…
‘Alan, would you slowdown a little please….’
‘Why… I’m not speeding… something wrong?’
‘No, no…. it’s just that… could you turn around … could you go back please… will you… … go back to the intersection…. Ah… there it is…. stop, stop… can you find a place to stop please Love.’
‘What here? I can’t park here… authorized vehicles only…’
‘Yea… maybe go around the corner … there, there… turn into that driveway… ‘
We pulled in slowly and stopped…and then I realized what had pulled at me…. Alan saw it too… we both were struck by the reverence invoked at the sight.
Fields and fields of neatly rowed white headstones, all exactly the same size and shape, the grass reflected a bright green as the sunshine bathed the area; a light breeze was giving flight to numerous American Flags adorning the cemetery. It was the flags that had caught my attention, I had seen them as we drove by, not recognizing what I was seeing through the gap between the hedge and the canopy of trees. NAS Pensacola is home to one of Americas many National cemeteries; this is hallowed ground, when one steps onto the lawn, it is natural to tread lightly, carefully, so as not to disturb.
I started to ask the question…
‘why do you suppose…. …ah… of course, Monday is November 11th , Veterans Day…. the reason for the flags’
On November 11, 1918, an armistice ending World War I went into effect. In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…". Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but after World War II and the many subsequent wars that took the lives of many Americans, the word "Armistice" was replaced with the word “Veterans"; on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
My heart becomes heavy when looking out across the field before me, so many men and women, each headstone a reminder of the many who have served in defense of this great nation; their time on this earth now done.
As we slowly make our way back to the car my thoughts turn to my father; this not a uniquely American holiday, while more often now referred to as “Remembrance Day” this is a day still recognized across many Commonwealth nations. I carry faint memories from my childhood, of every November travelling to the center of Durban, South Africa for the parade; my father and Uncle Ron were both veterans of WWII. Images slip together in my mind, my mom, aunt and siblings gathered on the sidewalk to watch these ‘Men of the Tin Hat (MOTHS)’ marching in formation down the main street of the city; the air seeped in solemnness and reverence as wreaths are lain at the foot of the WWI & II memorials…. bright red poppies peek out from the lapels of men’s jackets… a distant bugle plays ‘The Last Post’ signaling the end of the day, a call to those who are still out and wounded or separated that the fighting is done, to follow the sound of the call to find safety and rest… with the setting sun, flags are slowly lowered.
As I mentioned in my last note, NAS Pensacola is also the home of the Blue Angels. Their 2013 season was cancelled under the government sequester but funds have recently been made available to support a 2014 season. As luck would have it, on this same day, the day of our visit to the cemetery, they are scheduled to initiate their first practice as a team since being grounded… and we have front row seats. Their jet engines roar to life, they take flight and soar to the skies in precision formation. It is a strangely emotional moment for me… watching them, I am overwhelmed in my feelings of thanks and gratitude. Our visit to the cemetery provided an appropriate sojourn of remembrance but the living are also to be honored and remembered this holiday weekend. Active, retired, they do and have done their part to protect us, they are and have always been our frontline to national safety and security. To borrow a line from a well-known movie “they stand on a wall, and they say 'nothing is going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch'… and for that I am eternally grateful.
The Angels do a last fly-by and start their turn to land and return to the ramp… it was time for us to head back to camp. Yes, hallowed ground… this is indeed hallowed ground…
To Alan Morrison, my ‘many zippered flying god’, to the men of VMA331, to the Flying Razorbacks, past and present, to all those service men and women who I know personally who have, who are today, who have children who are serving or have served in our armed forces… you have my respect, you have my appreciation and gratitude… and most importantly, you have my thanks…. thank you, thank you so very much….
Hugs to you all
AM
P.S. Happy Birthday USMC!
Painted Skies
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2013 10:38 PM
To: Friends & Family
Subject: Painted Skies
So…. when was the last time you took time to step outside, found a place to sit still, relax and take in your surroundings; where you let the noise of the day simmer to a light hum and you stopped moving, long enough at least to breath deep and look up at the sky? In the busy busy world of family, work and organized play it is sometimes easy to forget to take a time out, to indulge the senses, to appreciate this wondrous, vibrant, vastness of space that we live… to let our minds flow free.
I am one of the lucky ones, in recent months I’ve had the chance to step away from the noise, the typical day-to-day responsibilities of life in the fast lane and spend a little more time than most contemplating my surroundings; but it has me wondering, why didn’t I do this more often? It only takes a moment and if one surrenders oneself completely, the effect is often one of awe, serenity, a momentary calmness and tranquility of mind and soul; even in the most tussled of days when the wind blows strong and the earth shudders as she gives way to energies being spent from the sky.
Today it is a Fall sky that presents; I find myself marveling at the effects of the waning sun; the hues match the season, ribbons of red, yellow and gold painted in dramatic staging across the horizon, silver lined clouds lend texture to the visual as colors are reflected and bounced off the sand and sea beneath. The effect on my mood is tangible… I feel a lightness and warmth grow within and I am suddenly overcome with a desire to hug those close to me and tell them how much I love and appreciate them. You should try it… you might be surprised at the perspective found by taking a few moments to indulge in those things that typically add only a backdrop to your day. The earth has her moods to be sure but the sky is our first clue on how our day will be influenced. Today, for me, the fullness and splendor of color was a reminder of the harvest life has bestowed on me, friends, family and fortune … all very appropriate to consider I guess given November brings us a day of Thanksgiving.

Life stays busy on the road. We are currently parked at NAS Pensacola… one of my favorite RV locations given we are literally steps from the beach. This is also the home of the National Museum of Naval Aviation, the Blue Angels and the Pensacola Lighthouse. We visited many lighthouses on the west coast but this one is the first that affords the opportunity to step outside onto the narrow overhang surrounding the light, offering a view from 177 (see through) steps high above the ground. Pensacola’s historic downtown is an interesting visit too… love the old Floridian style homes, the waterfront restaurants and let’s not forget the Pensacola Brewery. We plan to tarry here a while.
Alan, pup and I have recently returned from a quick (car) road trip to Texas (TX). It was a USMC reunion that pulled us to San Antonio but it also provided opportunity for a quick visit with son John and his fiancé Cynthia in the small southern TX town of Beeville. Time with family is a rare treat. So looking forward to Thanksgiving when all the ‘boys’ will be here together in Pensacola. San Antonio is familiar to us, we have visited many times before, but the opportunity to catch up with the VMA 331 group is always special. Never get tired of hearing those stories… young fighter pilots… the adventures… the imprudence of youth, the bravery… and the ‘I’d rather be lucky than good’ on any day landing on the Indy. Such fun! Special wishes of a speedy recovery and well-being to you Mike. We missed you at the reunion.
Well, dinner is almost ready, the nighttime is settling in … time to refocus on the day-to-day.
Love and hugs to all. May you all take time to enjoy your own painted sky sometime soon. Happy Thanksgiving… by the way.
Ann