{"id":2878,"date":"2020-11-24T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=2878"},"modified":"2021-10-14T16:16:04","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T20:16:04","slug":"58-nuggets-of-normalcy-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/58-nuggets-of-normalcy-thanksgiving\/","title":{"rendered":"#58 \u2013 “Nuggets of Normalcy” – Thanksgiving Style"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Who said, \u201cThe six best doctors in the world: The Sun, Rest, Exercise, Diet, Self-respect, & Friends.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  2. In what TV show did we hear the following? \u201cWhat a sight, ladies and gentlemen. What a sight. The ‘copter seems to circling the parking area now. I guess it’s looking for a place to land. No! Something just came out of the back of a helicopter. It’s a dark object, perhaps a skydiver plummeting to the earth from only two thousand feet in the air… There’s a third… No parachutes yet… Those can’t be skydivers. I can’t tell just yet what they are but… Oh my God! They’re turkeys!\u201d?<\/em><\/li>
  3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following?
    You may say I’m a dreamer<\/em>
    But I’m not the only one<\/em>
    I hope some day you’ll join us<\/em>
    And the world will be as one<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n
    <\/div>
    Blog #58 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>

    Listen to the audio of this blog, read by Andy Adkins. Click the \u201cAudio<\/strong><\/em>\u201d button below.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    Published: <\/span>October 14, 2021<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve been using this term \u2013 \u201cNuggets of Normalcy\u201d \u2013 for a few months now. I\u2019m sure it may mean different things to different people. Stay with me here… I’ll eventually get to the point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When you\u2019re in \u201cquarantine\u201d (whatever that means to you) in the middle of a \u201cpandemic\u201d (whatever that means to you), you want your world to go back to being \u201cnormal\u201d (whatever that means to you) as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is not<\/em> a normal Thanksgiving holiday by any means. Masks… social distancing… hand sanitizer… all things none <\/em>of us worried about this time last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah, I\u2019ve tried the \u201cZoom dinner get-togethers\u201d and the \u201cZoom Happy Hours.\u201d They just don\u2019t cut it for me. I guess it\u2019s better than nothing, but I yearn for that social normalcy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not the only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thanksgiving over the Years<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"Lt.<\/a>
    Lt. A.Z. Adkins, Jr.
    Dachau, Germany (1945)
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    My dad was a WWII veteran (80th Infantry Division)<\/a> and became a lawyer after the war. He and my mom met on a blind date and one thing led to another and well\u2026 it\u2019s now just me & my sister, Anne. We lost our parents when they were way too young. But that\u2019s what smoking cigarettes will do to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Anyway, growing up, I still remember many wonderful Thanksgiving feasts my mom and dad prepared. Actually, my mom did the cooking; my dad’s contribution was usually, “Damn, that smells so good.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our get togethers often included extended family (cousins, aunts, & uncles) and sometimes close friends. There would always be a big turkey (I liked the drum stick), sweet potato casserole (including chopped pecans and an oven-browned marshmallow topping), green beans, rolls galore, mashed potatoes and my dad\u2019s favorite \u2013 mom\u2019s creamy turkey gravy. Wow, I\u2019m drooling as I think about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Oh yeah; I can\u2019t forget my mom\u2019s sumptuous pumpkin pie and pecan pie. Still my two favorites, and I still use my mom\u2019s pecan pie recipe\u2026 except now I add a little<\/em> bourbon when it first comes out of the oven. Wow! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Navy Thanksgiving<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    For me, Thanksgiving in the military differed slightly <\/em>from home. I\u2019m sure my veteran friends remember one or two special Thanksgivings while away from their home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thanksgiving Day 1944 found my dad in an English hospital, recovering from a knee injury he received when a roof fell in on him during an artillery barrage a month earlier in Sivry, France\u2014I\u2019ll write about that one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I spent four years (actually, 3 Years, 11 Months & 29 Days, But Who\u2019s Counting?<\/a><\/em><\/strong>) in the U.S. Navy. Three of those Thanksgivings were away from my home in Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Interesting though (and I had to look over the letters I wrote home to double-check), I spent the holiday at home between \u201cA\u201d school graduation (Aviation Boatswain\u2019s Mate-Handler<\/strong>; Lakehurst, NJ<\/strong><\/a>) and before leaving for NAS Agana, Guam<\/em><\/strong>, (’73-75) my first duty station<\/a>. I arrived in Guam on November 26, 1973, a few days after<\/em> Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While stationed in Guam, we worked Port & Starboard shifts, 24 hours on and 24 off for 15 months straight. I honestly can\u2019t remember if I worked Thanksgiving in 1974 or not\u2014it\u2019s all such a blur. Though I do remember having a full turkey dinner either then or at Christmas. That would have been my first Navy Thanksgiving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And yes, I find that as I get older, I have the CRS syndrome<\/strong> (\u201cCan\u2019t Remember Shit\u201d). Am I the only one here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Shipboard Thanksgiving<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"Navy<\/a>
    Navy Thanksgiving (USS Theodore Roosevelt), Indian Ocean
    Nov 23, 2017
    Photo credit: MC3 Rachael Treon
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    My second and final duty station (\u201975-77) was USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong>, CV-63, an aircraft carrier. I worked on the flight deck in the V-1 Division<\/strong> \/ Crash Crew<\/strong><\/a> while on Westpac \u201975,<\/strong> then transitioned to Yellow Shirt<\/strong> (Aircraft Director) after a year in the Bremerton Shipyards<\/a><\/strong>. I was fortunate to spend two Thanksgivings aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em>: one on a cruise and one in shipyards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While at sea, we certainly had a Thanksgiving feast which was also a kind of celebration for us. How do I remember? It was the day after we left PI (the Philippines<\/a>) to head back to the states after 6 months on Westpac ’75. Even though it was hard to leave our overseas home port, we all looked forward to getting back to the good \u2018ol US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The trip from PI to Hawaii took about two weeks. Once again, we established the Alert 5s<\/a><\/strong> and once again, we\u2019d launch them several times to greet the Russians. But no matter, we were on our way home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fire Department Thanksgivings<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    After I left the Navy, I joined the Gainesville Fire Department<\/strong><\/a>\u2014a natural progression from being an aircraft crash & rescue firefighter to a city firefighter. I\u2019d remain in the department for about 2\u00bd years until I graduated from Santa Fe Community College<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    More than once, I took duty for another firefighter so he could spend the holiday(s) with his family. I was single, and even though my parents still lived in Gainesville, I thought it important to take duty for someone else on holidays. Besides, one of the best things about working at the fire department was food: plenty of it, and almost every firefighter was a superb cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes, a certain cook (not <\/em>me) let everyone at his station know who was “in charge.” For example, (this wasn\u2019t <\/em>me\u2026) one time the crew complained about the food. The next shift, baloney sandwiches were served, or as we used to call them, \u201cHC & cheese<\/a>\u201d sandwiches. Lesson learned – the crew didn\u2019t complain anymore about the food after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There were also times when I was dating my soon-to-be wife, Becky. She\u2019s a RN (now retired) but worked shifts, as did I, in the university hospital ICU (Intensive Care Unit). But on those holidays when I worked, and she didn\u2019t, more than once she came down to the fire station and brought me a sampling of the dinner she\u2019d prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I can honestly tell you, “I married that cook.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thank goodness on those holidays at the station with a lot of food, as far as I know, we didn\u2019t have any fires or emergencies. I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d be able to strap on my firefighter equipment, I\u2019d eaten so much. But then, I was in my 20s and in great shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Family Thanksgivings<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve been married since 1981, have two great kids and two grandsons. I am truly blessed in many ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I remember plenty of Thanksgivings with my family since the Navy. Many were either at in-laws or with family here in Gainesville. All were superb and continued the traditions of wonderful food, good company, and (sometimes) good football. Thanksgiving weekend was also when the Gators play the Seminoles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"University<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    While I started college (before <\/em>the Navy) at Florida State University <\/strong>(\u201cSeminoles\u201d – my mom\u2019s <\/em>alma mater), I finished (after <\/em>the Navy) at the University of Florida<\/strong> (\u201cGators\u201d \u2013 my dad\u2019s <\/em>alma mater). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For all my growing-up years, I always wondered why that <\/em>weekend seemed a little more \u201ctense\u201d in the Adkins’ household than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Anybody else grow up in a “split-alumni” household?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This Year \u2013 not<\/em> a normal Thanksgiving<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    This has been a strange year, no doubt, for anyone and <\/em>everyone. Thanksgiving won\u2019t be normal by any means. So in times like these, look for those \u201cNuggets of Normalcy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve been thinking about the \u201c4-Fs,\u201d as I call them: family, friends, food, & fellowship. Five if you watch football. But those 4-Fs haven\u2019t really changed over the years. I found out, as many of you did, that when you leave home, your family grows, no matter where you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Navy introduced me to a new family & new traditions, but the 4-Fs remained. When I got married and moved away, new friends and workmates became family. I still call a lot of these folks, \u201cmy family away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The 4-Fs are Still There<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s the beauty of this time of year. The 4-Fs are still around. They’re not that difficult to find if you take the time to look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sure, our Thanksgiving meal will be smaller than normal with fewer people. We\u2019ll call, Zoom, FaceTime, HouseParty, FB Messenger Kids\u2026 whatever we can do to spend a little time with our extended families. Perhaps we might even \u201ctoast\u201d over video. It will be<\/em> strange, but we know we are all in this together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Over the last few years, Becky & I would either visit or have Thanksgiving dinner with her mother, who is 99 years young. She\u2019s only 20 minutes away in a long-term care facility. Unfortunately, because of COVID, we can only visit her through a \u201cplexiglass box.\u201d We certainly understand the precautions the facility is taking and we totally agree with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Still, this is not a normal time, so we try to make it as normal as possible. We won\u2019t share a meal this year with Marion, but hopefully, we can help celebrate her 100th birthday early next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As you and your family & friends sit down to feast (whatever that means to you) this Thanksgiving holiday, take a moment to not only be thankful for your blessings, but to also thank a veteran and our active duty service men and women. Many of them are not \u201cat home\u201d with their families. But almost all will be able to enjoy the 4-Fs: “military” family, friends, food, and fellowship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stay safe, my friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,<\/em>
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"NEVER<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (\u201973-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran\u2019s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE<\/strong> copy HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Previous posts mentioned in this blog:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n