Listening to music while doing research

never hit home so profoundly.

This morning, after waking up around 3 again, I was researching for "Stories behind the Stars" on a soldier who died on the beach of Normandy, and while reading snippits on after action reports, his exact situation  as relayed by a fellow soldier, was told in the song "Until the last shot's fired" by Scotty Hastings and it gave me goosebumps.

In June of 1944
I waited in the blood of Omaha's shores
Twenty-one and scared to death
My heart poundin' in my chest
I almost made the first seawall
When my friends turned and saw me fall
I still smell the smoke, I can taste the mud
As I lay there dying from a loss of blood

Say a prayer for peace
For every fallen son
Set my spirit free
Let me lay down my gun
Sweet mother Mary I'm so tired
But I can't come home 'til the last shot's fired

Yeah, needless to say, I'm carving out more time to write the stories behind the stars on the walls of the missing.

 I should have ample time this week, because I'm dog sitting the dog we used to steel for company from the neighbors' house :-)  She moved away right around the time Mike passed, to her new family, so I've been missing her and the imprompty doghugs, but she visits regularly, and every once in a while, I get to keep the pup. Like this week. Not being able to go places with dogs, other than for walks, it willl be fun to sit, research and have company while doing it.  I also plan to go on trips with him. I have a blanket on the back seat for him, and the little attachment for the seatbelt to keep him safe, and a full tank of gas, so I won't be tied to the computer all week, but early mornings and after dinner? Yeah..... it's be fun!

Yesterday friends "dragged" me to an event celebrating the liberation of this part of The Netherlands, with a local re-enactment group for the 30th Infantry. There was also a detachment of WAC re-enactors. I'd never seen that before or realised they existed, so that was really interesting. Loved the "girls" from the motorpool, but had to giggle at the long painted nails and no grease or dirt on clothing, hands or faces. Because, not sure if I was a messy mechanic, but when I was working on the Mustang, or helping Mike with his truck or bike, it would take some serious scrubbing at the end of the day to be able to go back into work the next day :-)  

If one is into re-enacting, and there's a significant other, it's actually quite a great way to both do what you like, and still do things together and it definitely would cut down on some of the friction I've seen around us when one partner has a hobby and the other doesn't.   I only had my phone with me, not my camera, so the pictures are not really what I would like, but you'll get an impression..... It always amazes me, how detailed the props can be. Not sure what/if these are reproductions of items, or if all are actually from the era, but it sure is an eye opener :-)

The other re-enactments we've been to were always "out in the open" as in, a meadow, wooded area or on the heath, but this one was staged in an actual farmhouse. The farmhouse was rebuilt by taking existing buildings slated for demolishing, taking them apart and puzzling them back together on this person's property. The buildings are filled with household and farm items from the time, and it really gave the impression that the soldiers were housed anywhere they could be, without interrupting the daily goings on...... SO COOL!!  And, we had homemade in the original oven, pie..... The place called Nonke Buske, will be closing for the season after the last weekend of October, so I'll be making a point to visit before than. It's only a 20 minute drive from the house, open on weekend and it's in the middle of the woods, and somebody's way of sharing history. There's a small entree fee, but well worth it!