Kitty Love For Our Veterans

Hi everyone, Katie here.

It's Veterans Day in the United States today. And Remembrance Day or Armistice Day in other parts of the world. Waffles and I would like to pause in remembrance and honor of the men, women and animals that serve our country to protect our families, our homeland and our freedom.

It takes a very special individual to give of themselves through service. Today we are holding two very special US Marines close in our hearts– Glogirly's dad and her stepson, Gabe.

One of the most touching things anyone has ever told her came from Gabe, on the day he graduated from Basic Training at the MCRD in San Diego, the very place her father was a recruit some 70 years ago. He told her that he'd learned a great deal about the men that came before him. The men that served in WWII. The men that volunteered without hesitation, but with courage. They were the heart of the Marine Corps. To him, they were the REAL heros. "Like your dad."

~ Semper Fi ~

The Marine Corps adopted Semper Fidelis as its official motto in 1883 (Semper Fidelis is also the title of the official musical March of the Marine Corps).  Translated from Latin, Semper Fidelis means "Always Faithful."  U.S. Marines use an abbreviated verbal version, "Semper Fi," to voice loyalty and commitment to their Marine comrades-in-arms. 

Cat Daddy Day

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Glogirly, Waffles and I want to wish all the daddy's out there a very Happy Father's Day.  Whether you are a fur-daddy, a people-daddy, a friend, mentor or teacher... we honor all of the "daddy's" that have touched our lives, protected our hearts and told us that everything is going to be ok.

WAFFLES:  Happy Catdaddy Day, Gloman. Us men gotta stick together. 

And a special message to Glogirly's daddy...if you're listening:

"You're little one misses you. So very, very much."

♥

It's Petties-Time!

Click our button to nominate your favorite pet blogs & shelters for the 2013 Petties!

These are some of the most prestigious awards out there for excellence in pet blogging. If you like coming here to hang out and laugh with us, would you please consider nominating us for a Pettie? 

It's super easy. There's a bunch of categories like Best Cat Blog, Funniest Blogger, etc... For every blog nomination, you ALSO get to nominate a 501c3 shelter or rescue for a chance at $10,000!  That's a LOT of green papers for homeless kitties!

You can nominate daily so that means you have a chance to nominate all of your favorite blogs. And you can nominate blogs in as many categories as you want. 

You'll need the URL of the blog you're nominating (ex: www.GLOGIRLY.com) and the name of your favorite shelter or rescue.  

Happy Nominating!

Kitty Love For Our US Marines ♥

Katie, "Is He Home Yet?"

Hi everyone, Katie here.

It's Memorial Day weekend here in the US. The actual holiday is observed tomorrow, but all over the United States, our thoughts turn to three-day-weekends, barbecues and wand toys. ...ok, we were already thinking of wand toys long ago. We also remember those that have served and continue to serve our country. Those that through their actions, commitment and loyalty, preserve and protect our freedom. A freedom that's so intangible, we almost forget about it.

Looking Up To My US Marine

Here at the Townhouse, our thoughts turn to two very special veterans. Each served their country as a US Marine.

And although they served decades apart, their strength of character and selfless compassion makes them brothers.

Glogirly's dad served in the Pacific Theatre of WWII. He fought on the islands of Saipan, Tinian and eventually Iwo Jima. He didn't talk much about what he saw, what had to be done. But he was proud. He was a man of true character. Strong. He was also a man of compassion. He was, and will always be, Glogirly's hero.

Gabe, Glogirly's stepson, recently returned home from his four year tour of duty in the US Marines. Gabe's dedication and commitment are something we are all so very proud of.

When he graduated from Basic Training, at the same Marine Corp Recruit Depot in San Diego that Glogirly's dad trained at some 70 years ago, he told Glogirly how much he admired the men like her dad. He said they were the real deal, the true heros. That brought a tear or two to her eyes. And an admiration for Gabe that will never falter. Semper Fi.

Kisses for my US Marine

Oh, and did we mention he loves cats?

left: Gabe  

right: Glogirly's Dad  

lower: Gabe & Waffles

Black & White Sunday

We're participating in the Black & White Sunday Blog Hop hosted by My Life In Blog Years.

Remembering My Veterans

Sunrise at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego, CA

photo by Gloman, 2008

Hi everyone, Katie here.

It's Veterans Day in the United States today. Glogirly and I are pausing to honor some very special people in our lives.

Although I never met him, Glogirly has told me all about her dad. He died just a year before I was born. He was Glogirly's hero. And until his last breath, she was his "little one." He was buried with a photo of the two of them in his breast pocket. She wrote, "I love you forever, Daddy. ~Your Little One" on the back.

Glogirly's Dad, Calvin Harms

Glogirly's dad was a United States Marine during WWII.  He was only 16 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked and with his mother's permission, enlisted in the Marine Corps the very next day.

He fought in what's called the "Pacific Theatre." That is, he fought in a number of battles on the Pacific islands of Saipan, Tinian and eventually Iwo Jima. He was wounded on Iwo Jima when enemy shrapnel blasted into his foxhole. His foxhole buddy saved his life by throwing his own body on top of him. To Glogirly's dad, the real heros were the "boys that never came home."

Her dad rarely talked about that time, in fact after he told her that story he apologized...he had never meant to share that part of the war with her.

After her dad died at the age of 79, Glogirly found his address book.  It was comforting to see his handwriting.  There were many names she didn't recognize, but she called every single person in that book to tell them personally that her father had passed away.  The most memorable phone call was with a man named Coy Shue.

Coy Shue & Cal Harms, US Marines 4th Division, 1942

Coy Shue was her dad's best friend during the war. They served together in the 4th Division of the US Marines. Glogirly had never met him, hadn't even talked with him until that phone call. He told her how much he had admired her dad. How he had been a great friend...how much they'd laughed. He was deeply touched by the call and he told her to never forget..."Your father was a hero."

Not long after that call, Glogirly received a letter from Coy's wife. She wrote to thank her for that phone call. She wrote that it had meant the world to her husband and would be something he'd never, ever forget.

Glogirly's dad isn't the only US Marine in the family. Gabe, Glogirly's stepson is a US Marine based at Camp Pendleton, California. Glogirly and Gloman are incredibly proud of Gabe.

Gabe wanted to do something very special with his life. He wanted to make a difference and serve his country. If Glogirly's dad were here he'd be SO proud.

He is just finishing his fourth year of service and we're all very excited to announce he will be coming home for good in just a couple of weeks.

I'm all ready for the big homecoming!
Yes, ladies...he's cute.
And yes...he likes CATS!

To all our veterans, we thank you for your service to our great country. You are ALL our heros.

~Semper Fi.

Dear Dad,

Your Little One misses you.

Christmas Countdown - 2 Days Left

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Oh my Cod....only TWO days left! I'm glad you liked (ok LOVED) the photos of my in my kittenhood yesterday. Thank you for reminding me I'm STILL cute as can be. I know I am. It's just fun hearing it again and again. And again.

Back to the countdown. This week I've been highlighting people (and pets....Monday was about Fin after all!) that have influenced me and Glogirly. With Christmas getting closer and closer, Glogirly can't help but think about her dad.

He has influenced her and shaped who she has become more than any single person. He is and always will be her hero. I've introduced you to him before in a special Fathers Day post. Glogirly has a heart full of memories and stories. But whenever anyone asks her to describe her dad, one of the first things that comes to mind was his humility.

Glogirly's dad lived his life seeing the good in everyone, the opportunity in every challenge, and the fun in every chore. He was very humble. He grew up poor, on a farm, ran away from home when he was sixteen and never finished high school.

Young Calvin, Glogirly's Dad

When Pearl Harbor was attacked, he went straight to the military recruitment office and enlisted in the US Marines.

He defended our country in what's called the Pacific Theatre. He fought on the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima, where he earned his purple heart. He rarely spoke of that time. He said it was the boys that were left behind, "they were the heros."

Cal

When he returned home to Minnesota, he finished high school and then studied electronics. He met Glogirly's mom when he was driving streetcar for the city of Minneapolis. She was 15, he was 21. They married two weeks after her 16th birthday.

Glogirly's parents on their wedding day

Eunice & Calvin

He drove a semi-truck for a living. Sold pots and pans door to door. He did whatever it took to take care of his family and was grateful for every long haul and every sale.

Some people would have a hard time believing a poor farm kid who quit high school and went out on his own would amount to much. Glogirly's dad proved them wrong.

Soon he landed a job with Sperry Univac. Univac brought 'Cal', his wife and Young Glogirly to all parts of the country. Most families would have had a hard time moving so frequently. But to them, moving was an adventure.

One of his first assignments with Univac was at Vanenburg Air Force Base in Santa Maria, California. He managed the computers that launched some of the first missiles into space. The most important thing to him though was coming home to his wife and new baby girl. He was very humble about his work. "A good job that he was very grateful for." A poor farm kid who quit high school.

His next assignment with Univac was in Washington DC. He worked inside the Pentagon, in the Defense War Room. This was during the Vietnam war. Each morning he delivered a report to the Secretary of Defense indicating the location of all US military personnel in the world. Glogirly's dad managed the Univac supercomputers and gathered all of this data. When he described his job, he said he "worked with computers." "Got to move to some nice cities." A poor farm kid who quit high school.

From Washington, the family moved to Houston, TX where he worked in Mission Control at NASA. He managed the Univac supercomputers that maintained communication contact and monitored the physical conditions of the astronauts during many of the Apollo missions. He was right there in Mission Control, looking up at the big screen, when Neil Armstrong took that first, famous step. When he described his job, he said he "worked with computers." When asked about NASA, "yeah, we brought our boys home safe." A poor farm kid who quit high school.

Young Glogirly & her Dad in their Houston backyard.

That's a Snoopy astronaut replica she's holding;

the original went up to the moon with the Apollo 11 astronauts.

Gloman delivered the eulogy at his funeral. He described Cal in much the same way, sharing his love of family and fascinating career. Afterwards, so many people said to Glogirly that they had no idea her dad had did all of those amazing things. They all knew of his love for his family. But most people there only knew a small snippet of her dad's history. Some never knew he was a Marine. Some were amazed to hear about NASA and the Pentagon.

Cal

Glogirly's dad was a very humble man. Just a poor farm kid from the country. And Glogirly's hero.

Glogirly Greatest Hits - VOL. 2

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Gloman is away this weekend so I'm safe from the pink harness and leash. Glogirly just doesn't have the heart. I think my play-it-pathetic strategy is working. In fact, she's being extra nice to me today.

She sings to me. Sometimes she just makes stuff up. She thinks because I'm a cat I don't know the words to our favorite songs. That's okay. It's the thought that counts. Even I can appreciate that.

Her favorite is You Are My Sunshine. She even plays the melody on the piano for me. Ordinarily I refuse to sit on anyone's lap. Especially hers. But when she plays me this song, I let her hold me at the piano. I sort of have to...since she changes the words to Your Are My Katie, My Only Katie...

She told me it's a special song because her dad used to sing it to her. He'd sing it to her mom too. It reminds her of happy times as a little girl when her dad would get silly with her. And it reminds her how she still misses him.

See, I don't always write with a sharp tongue.

I'll save that for tomorrow.

Remembering Dad

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Six years ago today, Glogirly lost her dad. She still smiles every time she tells me about him or recalls one of his stories.

Glogirly loved and admired her dad so much. She says that he is still her greatest influence. The thing she admires most about her dad and his life is the amazing positive attitude he had about everything. No matter how great the challenge, no matter what the odds, even when his heart was breaking, he saw the good. He saw the good in everything and everyone. And that's how he lived his life each and every day.

He never saw his glass as half empty. It was always half full. Like his heart, there was always enough for him, enough to share and enough room to invite more people in.

I know how it feels to miss someone.