Christmas Letter 2021

 

Well, how’s that for a Christmas picture? After having a heart attack on September 5^th   and one stent “installed”, I began attending cardiac rehab. Three times a week I am hooked up to a little machine while I exercise. How my heart is functioning is watched by nurses who also take my blood pressure and pulse while exercising. I have no clue what the ups and downs on the chart mean, but it’s comforting to know that someone there does.

 All this makes me think about heart “attacks”. Isn’t our heart always under attack? Being a sensitive person, I know that is the case for me. A sappy movie or even a commercial, can easily bring tears to my eyes. My heart can ache when someone I know is going through something horrible. My heart feels like it’s being chiseled apart when I lose a loved one. I am reminded of the Tin Man who said, “Now I know I have a heart, because it’s breaking.”

This world has given us many attacks on our hearts—seeing cruel acts of behavior, seeing how our country keeps picking at each other, constantly at war with weapons of words, illnesses, accidents, tragedies. Our hearts are always under attack. Constant attacks can harden our hearts or make them weaker, not functioning properly. We cannot survive a diet of negativity. We need hope, love, joy, and peace (the 4 advent candles).

I’ve had a lot of emotional heart “attacks” in my life. The definitions of attacks are mostly negative in nature, but this definition, “a period of being strongly affected by something”, made me think. How many heart attacks have I had that are good in nature? --When someone says, “I love you”, when a grandchild gives you an unsolicited hug, when anyone gives you a hug, when someone gives you a sincere compliment, when children sing in a Christmas pageant, when someone brings you a meal or flowers or visits you. When I think of it that way, I have had many good heart attacks—unexpected moments of comfort or love that sneak up on the heart. I’ll take the good type any day, of course.

 I am glad I know a Great Physician who monitors all the attacks, good and bad, on my heart. He helps me maintain a healthy heart. I’ve tried to make physical changes in my life for a healthier physical heart but as I was reminded in September, we all won’t live forever. The lessons we need to follow for physical wellness can similarly be applied to our emotional wellness. Some like the Grinch, need emotional open-heart surgery.

 Here is my correlation of our heart’s physical needs to mental needs.

 Maintain good nutrition – be fed by reading His Word

Exercise – walk and live by His Word

Watch your weight—unlock the chains of guilt that are weighing you down (I love Dickens—in “A Christmas Carol” the ghost says, “I wear the chains I forged in life. I made it link by link, yard by yard…”)

Monitor your heart – Pray for guidance and forgiveness to keep on the right path

Have a good doctor –Look to God, the great physician, for advice and comfort and healing

2021 was better than 2020, but life has changed. Masks and hand sanitizer have become staples and we are always stocked up on toilet paper (though, I don’t think we ever ran out in 46 years). We got to have family gatherings and some people went on vacation (though not us). We sold one rental building—halleluiah! and after 14 months of unpaid rent (just out of spite!)  we finally had the squatters move from our other rental. The “Beatles” –George and his nephews, Paul & John (no Ringo) have been working for almost 3 months repairing and rejuvenating the atrocious mess the house was in. We are so thankful for the wonderful help Paul and John have been. We can’t wait to sell it in 2022 so George can finally officially retire from being a landlord on call 24/7 no matter where we are.

 

Our grandkids are growing not just physically but intellectually too (always amazing us) and they are growing in number—another one due in March thanks to Ben & Jess. They are such a variety of personalities. It will be interesting to see where life takes them all. I am sure God has special plans for each one of them.

Grown kids are doing well—Tiffany has been teaching 17 years now in Hartford! Ben and Jess bought a house! Dad has had his up and down medical issues but still is living in his home and attending his card games regularly.

 My most exciting news is having my book, “A Fish in a Tree” published. Silas sparked my creative juices when he told me he saw a fish in a tree. I have learned so much about the publishing process and have met some wonderful people online—my publicist, illustrator and editor. They were all great to work with. Now I am in the process of learning the marketing aspect. Phew, it’s hard to “sell yourself” but people won’t know about the book unless I put it out there. (www.dcwashingtonbooks.com or on Facebook: Deborah C Washington, Author; I’m trying Instagram but not a fan.)

This isn’t the first book I imagined being published, but I am glad it was, for my grandchildren and hope many children enjoy it. I hope it’s just the beginning, we know we all aren’t getting any younger!

In this Christmas season, when we remember the first heartbeat of a Savior born to guide us toward pure hearts and a life everlasting, we pray your heart “attacks” are the special, joyous kind in the new year. May your heart be touched by sweet blessings and happiness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for a fish in a tropical storm

We were told to get ready for Hurricane Henri as it made it's way up the coast to hit Connecticut.

As it got closer, we were pleased to learn that our preparations were more of a practice run. The storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. We got a mega amount of rain and some winds.

I took advantage of the situation to spoof the weathermen who stand in the middle of a storm and do a little promo for my book, "A Fish in a Tree". 

 

Barkhamsted Veteran of the Month Ceremony

 

On August 1st, my husband, George Washington, was honored at a ceremony as Barkhamsted Veteran of the Month. He was the third veteran honored in this new initiative that was launched on July 4, 2021, originally suggested by Joe Jackson of the American Legion National Committee. 

On the first Sunday of each month at 6:00 PM, an American Flag is raised at the Barkhamsted Senior Center and flown for one month in honor of a local veteran. At the end of the month, the flag is retired, folded and presented to the veteran or their family.

The Riverton Grange #169 launched the Veteran of the Month initiative in partnership with the Town of Barkhamsted, Barkhamsted Senior Center, American Legion Post #159, Barkhamsted Lions Club and Northwestern CT Cyber Lions Club. The Royal Coachman Tavern at the Old Riverton Inn underwrites the cost. Dave Roberts is the master coordinator between all these organizations and master of ceremonies. We are thankful to those organizations for this program and for bestowing this honor upon my husband, We were fortunate that the rain held off until the very end of the ceremony. 

We were touched by the number of friends and family who came to the ceremony. We were honored that our state representative, Mark Anderson, came and said a few words. It was a great celebration of George's military service to our country. Usually I am the photographer and have had to rely on others for the photos I have included below. For those who could not make it, I have transcribed here the words that I shared at the ceremony. 

"First thank you all for coming tonight to honor our Vietnam veteran, George Washington.

When George was 17 recruiters came to Northwestern Regional #7 and he decided to enlist. George took the Air Force test and entered the Air Force on August 20, 1965.

He completed basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. Following that he was trained as an Air Traffic Control operator at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi.

He spent the next two years at Dover Air Force Base as an air traffic control operator, where he learned that was his dream job. Years later when he tried to pursue this career, health restrictions prevented him from becoming a controller, one of his biggest life disappointments. On a side note, his bucket list included going up in an air traffic control tower again, which with federal regulations seemed impossible but in 2019, 50 years after having left the service, we were pleasantly surprised when this wonderful controller allowed us the privilege of going up in the air tower at the beautiful Groton-New London airport. It was a treat for both of us. George enjoyed seeing how technology had changed the job.

Back to George’s service: On June 29, 1968 he was sent to Pleiku, Vietnam. He served there as a radar control operator until June 28, 1969.

For his service, George earned the following awards:

Republic of Vietnam Campaign

Vietnam Service Award

National Defense Service Award

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

Air Force Good Conduct Award

Air Force commendation

Republic of Vietnam medal of gallantry with palm

CT military service award

Parachutist wings

My husband will proudly tell you that is he a Vietnam Veteran…..now. Fifty years ago, it was a different story. All previous wars or conflicts, men arrived home with fan fare and open arms. Not only did the Vietnam veterans not receive a warm welcome, some were treated with great disrespect and ridicule. Those arriving home from Vietnam put on their civilian clothes and tried to blend into the scenery unnoticed. Many of them, only in their early twenties, were made to feel ashamed for having served their country, risking their lives, experiencing death of fellow comrades and all the horrors of war.

50 years after coming home from Vietnam, George decided he wanted to return to Vietnam. I had high anxiety about such a trip, but our son jumped at the chance of a lifetime for this father/son trip. So, in 2018 Ben & George went to Vietnam to see how the country had changed. When they returned to Bradley Airport near midnight, family and friends greeted him with welcome home signs giving him the welcome he deserved decades earlier.

Despite the stigma and sometimes cruel disrespect George received upon returning home from his service and despite suffering medical issues from Agent Orange that deem him a disabled veteran, George is always proud to say that he served our country, and he greatly appreciates acknowledgements like this that finally welcomes him home and thanks him for his service. It is not too little, too late for all these veterans. We thank the Royal Coachman Tavern and all the organizations listed on the back of your program for doing this for those who served our country.

Thank you, George, for serving our country and thanks to God for bringing him home safely so we could make this life together and be here with our children and grandchildren and other loved ones today."