my attemps at slide shows

Today my son Steven and his wife, Stephie took their little girl to have her picture taken. I was surprised that they gave them a cd with the picture and the rights to have them printed somewhere else. Lianna is now 4 years old and will be starting preK this fall. Time sure flys.

I can't take pictures as well as some of my fellow bloggers. So I used some of my old pictures that I took and then used the CD for the newer picture. All the pictures of Lianna in her little green dress are from today.

I would like to hear comments from anyone that has taken the time to view the show. There is also a slide show of my wife Sandra. Both have music background so turn up the sound.

I'm Blue

I am very blue right now. No, really, my shoes are blue, my shirt is blue, my hands and arms are blue. A full gallon of blue that I had forgotten all about popped today. My DIL came and told me there is some blue stuff all over the floor in the back room. Went to check what in the world she was talking about. My heart sank to my feet. Blue paint all over the floor.

After using an old blanket to wipe up some of it and and then newspaper I was blue. Sure glad it was water based paint. But my floor is blue between the tiles. Guess I will have some new painting clothes now. The shoes were old but oh so comfy. Glad the dogs didn't want to come and see what was going off. I chased off my grandaughter. She really wanted to help.

Sure was a nice shade of blue. Long ago, before kids, I painted my house blue with dark blue trim. I guess the can had been there since the late 70s. Oh well, when the blanket drys off and the papers are dry I shall put them in the trash.

That was the week that was

I think the passing of President Hinckley effected me more then I expected. I have just felt at a lost as what to post on this board. All in all, I had a full week. The day after the passing of President Hinckley I received a call from one of my sisters telling me my oldest brother was in the hospital and had been for some time. He had told his wife not to tell the family as he did not want to bother anyone.

Well, when he quit eating she called my sister and she called the rest of us. Three of my sisters and myself went to Corpus Christi to visit him in the hospital. Well, they are sending him home, there is nothing they can do and he will be under hospice care now. He has cancer of the pancrers. Also he had fallen and broken his hip plus his ulcer started to bleed. Well, the bleeding has been stopped but his hip will not be repaired as he is to weak to operate without fear of dying.

We visited for a day and then they told us they were waiting for the paperwork so they could send him home. That is what he wanted.

Also, it is February, the month I received my transplant. It seems like I have had this liver all my life but it will be 11 years Feb. 15, 2008. I got the call to come in on Feb. 14, valentines days, that they had a donor and that thing looked good.

Every year about this time I think of that and say an extra prayer for the family that extended my life, allowing me to see my sons grow and become men. I have become a grandfather. To this day, I wonder, "Why me?"

I have meet so many good people, made new friends, grown in the Gospel and now I find myself wondering, "When will I be with my wife again?" Mixed feeling, I want to see my grandaughter grow a little and I want to meet my new grandbaby that is due in June. I want to see my other son get his degree from Brigram Young University. BUT, I miss my wife.

Lee

All IS WELL

To my friends from the internet. As you know, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

It is with a heavy heart that I received news that the President of the church has passed away. To my friends that are not LDS we revere him as a prophet of God and the leader of the Lords Jesus Christ's church. My heart is heavy and I feel a great lost. I know the Church will go on, the work can not be stopped by this. But we will pause and grief for a little bit.

Lee

Surprise

In my life, some strange things have happen to me. Two things that stand out in my memory are as follows.

My ship was entering San Juan, Purto Rico. As luck would have it I had the first in port watch. I was to be the messenger of the watch. I had to stand at the quarterdeck and when the OOD, Officer Of the Deck, need to get a message to someone I was the one to go find them and give them the message and report back. This was not always the easiest thing to do as the ship was large and the men were not always at their work station or quarters.

This day was like most other when we enter port, I was in my best whites and when the word was passed that the OOD was transfering his station to the quarterdeck I had the watch. (duty) The dock hands were still tying off lines and one was stringing a phone line over. Just as he finished with the phone, it rang. As messenger if was my duty to answer the phone so I did. "Quarterdeck, USS Canberra, Seaman Rivera". the party at the end of line then shocked the deck from under me. He said " I am looking for Lee Rivera, a crew member on your ship. Could you get him for me?" Now what are the odds that out of a crew of 1200 people, the one answering the only land line to the ship would be me? And the odds of my having the duty that day at that time? So I told him I was the one he was seeking. He acted if that is what he expected. No surprise in his voice just an invitation to join has family for dinner the next day. I had no idea who he was or how he got my name but I said OK, he said he would pick me up at the gate at 7PM next evening.

It turned out he was a preacher and he picked me up, took me to his home up in the hills. He had a great view of the ocean and he had a female member of his church to keep me company. We took a walk around and after eating we watched a little TV and later he took my back to the base. Never did find out how he got my name or why he called. I think now someone was watching out for me and didn't want me to get in trouble that day.

Another time, we had pulled into Tripoli, Libya. To tell the truth, i didn't like going ashore in Arab countries. To different from what I am use to. so I stayed aboard. I had been there before and couldn't recall anything I wanted to see or do again in Libya. I was up in on the 05 lever (fifth story of the ship) relaxing with my buddies, we were listening to records and drinking coffee. It was were we worked and was air conditioned. Navy didn't care if we were hot, but the computers had to be kept cool. So the phone rang and it was for me. I took the call and the office was telling me I had company waiting to see me. Well, I didn't know anyone in Libya so I thought they were putting me on, seeing if they could get me to walk down to the office. So I said, OK, I'll be right down. Well after a few mins they called again and said if I was not coming down the visitor was going to leave. Well, I went down, expected to be laughed at, and to my surprise, my brother in law was there. He had gotten hurt at his base in Turkey but they didn't have a hospital so they few him to Tripoli. He had read in the base paper that my ship was coming into port so he thought he would come see me. Well, I took him down to my compartment that I shared with 35 other sailors and changed into the liberty uniform. We then went back to the air base where he was and hung out there. Life has always had surprises for me.

History Lesson

1961, the United States has a new president. John F Kenndy.

President Kenndy inherited a plan for the invasion of Cuba at a place called the Bay Of Pigs. The CIA had recruited Cuban refuges from the U.S. and other central America countries and trained them for an invasion, giving then supplies and even some aircraft. The plan was that this force of free Cubans would land and setup a Free Cuban government. They would set up a radio and ask the people of Cuba to rally to them in the over throw of Castro and his government.

A big part of this plan was that once the free Cubans and set up their radio they would asked for help from the United States to help in their fight to free their country from the communist. The United States would recognize this new goverment as the new goverment of Cuba. At that point we would fly air support from carriers and provide gun fire from ships of the U.S Navy that were just over the horizon. There was also embarked Marines on ships able to hit the beach if needed.

I was on board one of those ships. The picture above is us, at that time. When the people of Cuba did not rally to the Free Cuban government President Kennedy chose not to give the order to launch the air strikes and for us not to close on the coast to give gun fire support. The invasion forces were left on the beach without support, supplies or hope. They were captured by the Castro forces and put in prisons.

The outcome of the failure of the Bay Of Pigs Invasion was seen, by the USSR as a sign of weakness. They believe that while we had the weapons to in pose a victory we did not have the will to do so. They came away believing that President Kennedy was a weak president and that they could push him around with out fear. It is one of the root causes of the later, 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

After some thought, I wonder if they (The USSR) were right. I look back at Vietnam and now Iraq. We have the weapons, the forces but do we have the will? Or will the masses say, enough let them fight it out among their self. Will doing that lead to a strong Arab Union that armed with nukes can then control the region and leave the free countries of the world at a disadvantage? Will we then have to pay a higher cost at a later day? Not in dollars but in the blood of our youth.

In 1962, we showed we could impose our will. We forced the USSR to remove her nukes from Cuba. The world was worried that an atomic war was at hand. In fact, fingers were on the buttons but when push came to shove, we had the might, right, and will to do what is right.

Stepping off my soap box.

hope no one saw that.

Okay, a little bit of my faith is showing. I find myself asking myself this from time to time. Not much going on today, I feel cold and tired. Not use to this damp cold weather we are having. Well, cold for south Texas.