Saga of a Little WhiteHouse - page one- feb 11
Smith Family Fairfield Connecticut - Love Story
The watercolor here is one of the little house that gramps bought for gram when they married - she was 4'10" and he 6'4" and for all 50 years there, gramps exulted in the fact that his arms and legs went out the doors and windows...couldn't care less... the little dolly house charmed him like the dolly he bought it for , and with additions to the family , additions to house happened in all directions - and so the poem and I hope you enjoy the read ! elle
Smith Family Fairfield Connecticut - Love Story
The watercolor here is one of the little house that gramps bought for gram when they married - she was 4'10" and he 6'4" and for all 50 years there, gramps exulted in the fact that his arms and legs went out the doors and windows...couldn't care less... the little dolly house charmed him like the dolly he bought it for , and with additions to the family , additions to house happened in all directions - and so the poem and I hope you enjoy the read ! elle
The moon was full, the hour late, When the phone call came
Your Father's family homestead Has been consumed by flame!
The folks are safe, the fire put out; but don't, just yet, come 'round -
Since we're all adjusting To the house done down to ground.
Not quite a hundred years ago, On a finer day,
Jim Smith, "The Chief", had brought his "Else" To live and love and stay!
His six-foot-four, her four-foot-six, Borne lightly in his arms,
Would work, and bear, and laugh and fight And farm the little farm.
For fifty years and more 'tis known, For love of God and Man;
For one fair daughter, eight fine sons, Who helped to till the land.
For fifty years and more 'tis known, The house a family forum
For joy and woes unnumbered, And often quite a quorum!
So much so, in later days, Each morn the flag was raised
At the "Little Whitehouse", And all about it praised.
But that skips the story, So let's resume the tale,
And take it back to early days Such memories don't pale:
The house was small; times were hard, Days it fair would quake,
Oh! the din and doin's that such a brood could make!
The Homestead’s still, a palace - Since from Eire came he,
To training first, in Sheffield per America's entry fee!
Immigration laws had changed, the streets were lined with hordes
Of unskilled starving workers, And so they said, "No more!"
It isn't fair to them or us, A new rule must be made!
From now on, new arrivals must have a decent trade!
Young and brave and work-proud! New goals and free from want!
New home in fair Connecticut; New work with grand DuPont
The Fairfield Coated Fabrics plant Was part Big Jim's construction.
His finely trained steamfitter's skills Enabled grand production
Not one weak joint, not one down day At Fairfield's plant, for sure!
He steamed and worked and wrought, until Becoming too mature
And Big Jim Smith, a work-proud man, was called upon once more
"It's just the new addition, Chief - They're tearin' up the floor!"
"The plant you built so long ago - Well, Chief, they've lost the plans,
Drawn to show the fittings set, Installed by Jim Smith's hands!
And now they can't connect the pipes from older wing to new,
And since your work installed them, We thought we'd come to you!"
And so, at age of eighty-five, With hair of snow, and cane,
He led a workman's entourage, To save the day again!
"Start your workmen, here!", he points, "And fifty feet due west,
but there you'll find an angle joint, Turns South for all the rest!"
And strolling through the plant that day, Each steam pipe mapped anew!
And when the men went by his word, Each bit of it went true!
Each fitting where he said it was, And so the job completed
The new addition - and the boss - no longer overheated!
If Big Jim Smith felt too retired and obsolete till then,
From that day on 'twas not the case - His memory served his men!
His Irish barrel-chestedness Now swelled about the house
Bringing smiles of pride and joy To his adoring spouse!
To run the show at work that day, Took Chief's good mem'ry back
To years of sweat and labor, Time of awful lack!
"The Roaring Twenties’ " promises inspired large investments
And even larger families - Then came the Big Depression!
Work alone was not enough To keep his family thriving,
So make the garden large enough To earn some extra living.
And so, with home-farm underway, Jim could work his trade,
And, even at the worst of it, A week's pay honest wage.
And now, "meanwhile, back at the ranch", Was industry as well,
And quite a crew came running - Elsie rang the dinner bell!
Jim from work, and daughter, Em, near seven sons at table,
The seventh, grown, would join them, too, whene'er he might be able!
Good corned beef and cabbage Tho' sometimes lean of that!
But grace o'er all, all the same, 'And please remove your hat.'
And, in the evening, such a brood Was Grandpa's built in choir!
To sing the holy lyrics And best you never tire!
Picnics in the summertime, Father in at Christmas,
Years flew past, the children grew, And a change in business.
Hitler to be put to route, And later on, Korea:
Jim and Elsie's sons, a Patriotic panacea!
Eldest of Jim's early days, was Tom, too old to serve.
Joe was ill and stayed at home, and youngest, Bob, reserved-
For Korea later on; but that still left five sons !
With those Smith boys marching, our flag not tread upon!
Army heroes, three would march; and one USMC,
Dad, the one air corpsman, and so proud to be !
And home again with grateful hearts, And hearts aburst with pride!
And little Elsie waiting there, And Big Jim at her side!
The joyful vets homecoming, though, had come at awful cost!
Famous fighting Sullivan Brothers Had recently been lost:
In Patriotic Brotherhood, They'd asked to serve together-
A happy, fighting Irish show they'd made, in finer weather!
But then the game went serious, Their ship under attack-
The bomb barrage so brutal, Not one of five came back!
Their parents stunned forever, A grieving country ceded,
"Such a tragic happening Must never be repeated!"
Siblings nevermore would serve same field of combat duty,
The new law for large families, Saved many, absolutely!
The five fighting Smith Brothers home at last, To study war no more!
They left home boys, but came home men, From the work of war!
Full of new maturity To make their grownup lives
And work for peace and plenty, And all in need of wives!
Fairfield girls, look out this year! Our boys are back and fine!
Elsie's rose and lilacs, And love this year, divine!
Our bachelor heroes laughed, In search of love and marriage
A driveway full of 'hot-rods' Replacing Big Jim's carriage!
Postwar weddings in a row, And livings to be made
And life was on to grand new work, Hitler's plan unmade!
Gram's eldest, Em, now on her own, a wife and mom to four-
at summer trips to "Auntie Em's" No day was a bore!
Gail, "theGolden Pipe-curls Girl", "52-pick-up"Billy,
And Donna "Midge", with beauty that was cool, and not too frilly...
And, still there was their Lynn to come, like Gail, a valentine!
Come pitch in and help with chores; Let's get this place to shine!
Then out to games with Ginger-pup, Or help to feed the sheep
And fun with roadside veggie stands - We earned an angel's sleep!
So, Em was "set for life",they'd say, And getting in her stride,
Her seven younger brothers near and Working side-by-side:
Bill Smith did construction In the Battle of the Bulge
Sarge, he brought 'em back alive - A grateful tear indulge!
Next, the AlCan Highway Got his workman's hand
New roads and worlds and lives - This country's getting grand!
Young Jim had ways with critters, so the game preserve was his
And Animal Control, as well, at local and state biz.
His gardens and their produce became a second focus
He's got so famed for all of it! It must be "hocus- pocus!"
"Charlie" found his stride in work, behind "The Chief's" fine start
At DuPont's coated fabric plant And brought it up to art
American involvement,now, In space exploration
Was in the headlines every day, To fascinate the nation.
E.I.DuPont, with science strength, Was honored and invited
To manufacture spacecraft parts The whole town was excited!
And NASA's work for Charlie Smith? The Gold Mylar production:
"Lunar Landing Module Wrap Stops hurtful heat conduction!"
"One small step for Man" took place, We shared a private pride,
Good and simple folk rejoiced At so profound a stride!
Tho',"Don't be makin' such a fuss!", Was Charlie's stock reaction,
Forever after, memory Brought secret satisfaction!
Henry, Army MP Veteran, found his finest place
in Fairfield's Police Force And Sunday Cycle Race!
He grew to fine Detective work and civic work in town.
There doesn't live the man who could ever do him down!
Joe's the one we pray for, Born with health so frail-
Leukemia took him from us Too young to leave a tale.
But not before he married, So there were children three
To say he'd graced this earth awhile Before eternity!
Al, with All-American Entrepreneurial inclinations
Does success and failure Without exasperation!
He's good at family conscience - Lest, busy, we forget
Who shored us up when times were hard And made us better, yet!
Youngest, Bob, was gifted with a fine mechanic's hand
On any point of logic, He'll talk "to beat the band"!
Rain or shine, each Sunday found A quorum of the brood
At the Turnpike homestead For ball and talk and food.
The front-porch overflowing with the casual convention -
Rocking chairs to charm the way through all "bones of contention!"
We were just rapscallions, then The grownups such a din!
"Good Talk", a world of wonder where our stars had popped us in!
"And who's up next for Governor?" "And the city mayor?"
"Is it prince or crook we're voting In to boss the players?"
"And who's the Home-run leader, now, In our New York Yankees?"
"Will they beat 'dem bums' again Or send us for our hankies?"
In summertime we'd take our turn At Grandma's house to stay
Creating summer memories That warm us till this day.
The rooster's crow alarm clock And feet on icy floor...
A warm and smiling breakfast And soon right out the door.
My morning walk with Grandpa White-haired and with cane
Along the flagstone backyard path That led to wooded lane.
The special-ness of morning! Grandpa's hand for mine!
How blessed and graced to know it ! A special trusting time.
"Where we going, Grandpa?" " Off to Praying Rock.
There we'll say the Rosary And with our God we'll talk."
Uphill, the winding pathways Led to a Grampa's tree,
And "Praying Rock" placed at its foot...A help for bended knee.
A simple cross carved on it's trunk, A prayerful perfect place!
To know the Lord's own sweet delight And thank Him for His grace!
The Holy moment passing, Once more we'd take the path
Away from woodsy silence, To Grandma's welcome laugh!
End page one -
Imageclick for the conclusion of the Saga of a Little WhiteHouse
Compassion & Intellect feb 20
Someone sent the card to me as an artshow ad, and it started my own thought on the subject of such a basic dichotomy. I took it off my postings board and began to carry it, then folded and glue-stick-ed it, so that it worked like flipping a coin. I left it in my wallet/datebook, loose, so that I could not predict which side would show itself to me in the course of a day. It has been a moment's help, over and over again. May you will find it useful, too!
FEBRUARY 2
Compassion & Intellect for this day of commemoration in my home state Connecticut, for the Sandy Hook slayings of children, and its aftermath.
Compassion & Intellect for this time of refugees and illegal aliens and transgender issues. My copy of the "coin" to flip stays on my desk or nearby - then I put it away for a while and bring it back out again and start over, with the clarity it brings and power to do better!
Someone sent the card to me as an artshow ad, and it started my own thought on the subject of such a basic dichotomy. I took it off my postings board and began to carry it, then folded and glue-stick-ed it, so that it worked like flipping a coin. I left it in my wallet/datebook, loose, so that I could not predict which side would show itself to me in the course of a day. It has been a moment's help, over and over again. May you will find it useful, too!
Instructions for use of Compassion & Intellect
Copy or Print Image from this page - to 8.5x11inch card or photo paper
Cut to make four cards, fold at midline, gluestick to make four double-thick cards
Use and share with friends - a basket of them on your desk is fun!
If you are handy, cut them in rounds to make a coin to flip, but not necessary.
NOTES ABOUT IT ALL AND A MISSION
It is odd to many people to try to understand martyrs and those who sacrifice. What intellect could take compassion to the lengths of the saints? Saint Damien the famous leper colony saint of Molokai Hawaii said , "I make myself a leper with the lepers, to gain all for Jesus Christ. " - Saint Damien Joseph de Veuster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien#Canonization
It is interesting to note that his work came to the world at the same time as The Red Cross, and other international compassion projects reacting to the horrors of the American Civil War.
I am just an artist / redcrosslady / happy wife and later widow / happy mother now empty-nested I cry when I am asked to make ANY sacrifice - I like to make art, and cranberry sauce and happy days and nights - and everyone growing and thriving - and yet we all deal with the duality of the intellect / compassion balance and pray to make the right choices when it is our turn at it.
The Syrian refugee issue is top news today - and that is why this posting at the holidays. My plea for thought on this dynamic that rules this moment.
Or on this Sandy Hook Massacre memorial day - so many ways we could go when reminded of the children lost that day here in Connecticut and on other days in losses all over the world to mindless hate. We must act with compassion and intellect to gently but firmly at least keep our children safer.
Where is the conflict when it is clearly right
to secure the perimeter of a school
to recapture decency in every way in the school environment
to act to prevent repetition of murderous attacks of all kinds
to drop deadly force altogether, for effective modern technological ways?
to make the pods for ALL the planes not just a few VIPS?
to install the affordable, no-brainer elevator-car-like escape pods in the skyscrapers?
These tasks are key and it's been there to do and no one is even talking about it - not even after Sandy Hook or Nineleven, and the agony of the scores of those who are permanently marred by the loss of three thousand on that day because safety issues were NOT considered. Someone is stonewalling it - lobbies for those who would have to pay to get it done? It took me a total of maybe 4 hours to get my insurance company to pay for Silver Sneakers fitness subsidies in our county.....but no one will spend even that much time to send around notes and quick emails and work for fifteen minutes getting an online petition begun. Why, do you suppose? Hmmmmmmm.....and the Compassion/Intellect coin is handy again to have nearby.
We ARE at a funnyspot in evolution - we forget that so much of our goals were to secure the safety of the populace, always, in all leadership - the path for it changed and updated and we did not, so we are lost. But we can do it - it's not so difficult.
Happy Holiday and may both Compassion and Intellect in your level of healthy balance glow till next holiday! ...and lots of happy moments to empower our best work.
! Elle Smith Fagan December 14, 2015