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In the past few months have you been asked, “Are you all in?” Perhaps someone is asking you about a business deal, an innovative idea, or a challenging adventure. While this question was rarely asked during the 1940’s, the all-in concept was fully embraced in WWII. Recently I discovered what that really meant. Last week, I was in Maryville, Tennessee, my hometown to track down articles published in their local paper during 1943. Several of my father’s letters written from New Guinea that year had mentioned important newspaper clippings. Curious, I wondered if I could find any of them. With […]

November 26 is a special day for my family because of something that happened many years ago. No one was more surprised than my mother, Virginia Vassey. In February her fiancé, 34-year-old Rol Jett had been drafted and had to report for duty on February 28th. That meant that their March 28th wedding was cancelled. They could not believe this was happening; Rol was too old for the army or so they thought. Their future had looked so bright at the beginning of the year as they had planned their wedding, but now it was clouded with a looming war, […]

“A rose is a rose is a rose” especially if it happens to be the Peace Rose. But, do you know the story behind this popular flower? Surprisingly, I knew little about this rose which is recognized as one of the world’s favorite hybrids with more than a hundred million plants sold world-wide. But my interest and understanding expanded when I was in East Tennessee celebrating my 50th college reunion with several girlfriends. As we each shared stories, one friend talked about a program she had presented on the Peace Rose. While I knew she grew roses and had started […]

What did you do this Memorial Day? Did you visit one of the national cemeteries and help place flags on the graves of fallen service members? Or did you attend a local event in your community? Perhaps you were in Washington, DC, and attended the rainy National Memorial Day Concert on the west lawn of the Capitol. Most likely you gathered with family and friends to enjoy activities and welcome the unofficial start of summer. Picnics, BBQs and music venues have always been popular ways to celebrate this three-day holiday, but in the midst of your fun and relaxation, did […]