PrunePicker

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Gentle cynic.

My last blog quoted Eric Hofer's "The True Believer". The quote was:

Three types of persons are mentioned in the quote; (1) The religious fanatic, (2) the fanatical atheist, and (3) the gentile cynic.

Some of the people that I love are atheists. I thought that reading this quote might cause them to rethink their belief. I do not believe that we know enough to believe with certainty, in either God or no God.

The term gentle cynic caught my eye. I have looked up the definition of gentle and cynic. I believe that the term states my religious status.

I recently turned 90 years old. I have been exposed to the Christian message since the age of five. Many wonderful people have tutored me. I have read the Bible. I have studied the Bible. I have been well churched. I have even attended a Billy Graham rally. I have attended many classes and church retreats of several days. After 85 years of thought and study I am an unbeliever. I do not believe in the basic tenets of Christianity or any other religion. I am at peace with my religious status. I believe that I am as happy as one can reasonably expect.

My 85 years of religious study has left me with a strong affinity (love) for Christians and Christian music. I love gospel music. I am a bluegrass music fan. Bluegrass music is as often as not, Christian music. This does not bother me, one whit.

I pray. (a lot)

Monday, August 10, 2015

Some thoughts on religion.

I came across the following in The True Believer by Eric Hofer.

The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a God or not. The atheist is a religious person. He believes in atheism as though it was a new religion. He is an atheist with devoutness and unction.

Interesting. This statement agrees with my thoughts on the subject. Many atheists, that I have met, are true believers. Personally I find it difficult (impossible?) to be a true believer.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Northeast Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society, Meeting of 8/9/2015

Our own Lourine Buff was the guest speaker. She gave a very entertaining and informative talk about her trip to the National Genealogical Society meeting in Saint Charles, Missouri. Made you wish you had gone.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

ARK-LA-TEX Genealogical Association. Seminar of 8-8-2015.

I attended this all day seminar in Shreveport and enjoyed it immensely. The one speaker was Charlie Gardes. He is a professional genealogist in Houston. He spoke at length on several topics. Including the Civil War and German Genealogy. His days work was received enthusiastically by some 70 people.

Charlie Gardes.

Charlie and the Seminar Moderator Jim Johnson.

Whoops! I did not mean to be in this picture.

The enthusiastic seminar attendees.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Rhonda remembers me!

I sure missed Rhonda while I was in the state of Washington for two weeks. Rhonda came into my life eight years ago when I started going to Jefferson Corner. John and I drove to Swartz to visit Rhonda and her Mom, Rosa today. They now run a convenience store (Harts Corner) in Swartz.

What do you know? Rhonda, remembered me.

She served John and I a wonderful meal. John said that it was so good that it was sinful.

Black-eyed peas, twice baked potato, pork chop, and brisket. Garlic bread and a delicious desert.

Rosa would not take any money. She sure is nice. Thank you Rosa. Our two meals were easily worth $30. She has pulled this on me before. I have to go to a system of not eating her food until she has put my money in her register.

I slipped in a selfie taken with a conventional camera.

John is resting after his wonderful meal.

Stop by for a good meal and a nice visit with the folks at Harts Corner.

Patches remembers me!

I left Patches (the cat who came out of the woods) for two weeks. She delivered kittens about a week before I got home. She recognized me and hopped up on my lap. I like that cat.

Ready for the countdown to the next milestone in my life? In 1,808 days I will be 95. Do I have 1,808 days in me?

Monday, August 3, 2015

Ajax Cafe.

The Ajax Cafe is long favorite place to eat in Port Hadlock. Known for furnishing funny hats.

Even had music on Saturday night.

Olympic Music Festival.

The Festival is held in an unique setting. In a pre World War barn and farm. You can sit outside the barn doors at a reduced price. In the barn there are a couple of seats on bails of hay. Sarah Chang is a world renowned violinist. She was the featured artist. Mark met us at the festival.

We were huddled along the barn in the shade. Holly thought violin music went great with rolling down the hill, We all enjoyed the program.

Port Townsend Farmers Market.

After Matt, Janelle, Winter, and Holly arrived we went to the Farmers Market. Great fun.

Good grub.

Breakfast at the Clubhouse.

I went to the Board sponsored breakfast at the Clubhouse Saturday. Another opportunity toi see old friends.

Entrance to the Evergreen Coho Resort.

Hard at work.

The grill failed (cockpit trouble?) so pancakes were cooked in the kitchen. Tremendous recovery.

Happy customers.

Dear old friends, Lore and Bill Friel.

Kathy Schilling

Herm Schilling

The Schillings put me up a night and drove me to the airport on Sunday. Love em!

My niche in the Blogosphere.

My blog is about me, my family, my interests, my opinions, and my daily activities. My name is Chuck Monson. I am a native born Californian. I worked in the oil exploration and production business and am now retired and living in Ruston, Louisiana. I am a 91 year old widower. I blog because I really enjoy it. Posting gives me a schedule and is a wonderful make work project. I like pictures, both the taking and looking at them. I really like old historic pictures. I enjoy a good photograph. I like putting pictures and text together in a way that is hopefully interesting to others and that will be interesting to me in the future. I like to be silly now and then. It is also putting my memories down on paper. My blog serves as a diary. I have used it for a reference quite a few times.

I do mix it up. Some of my blogs are “what I had for breakfast”, some are just pictures, some are items of genealogical nature, and there are items from my family history. I have a history of the Munson/Monsons in America. The study of this history has led me to the discovery of much American history that had previously been unknown by me.

I have had a lifelong interest in history, archeology, philosophy, religion, politics, architecture, technical subjects, music, food, and sports. I spend time every day reading blogs and posting to my blog. I do not pontificate on religion or politics because I do not consider myself wise enough to try to persuade others to my beliefs. My beliefs are quite nebulous anyway.

I was started on blogging by my late son, Christopher David Monson. Chris wrote the blog "snaggletoothie of the Loyal Opposition" There is a link to his blog above. I look at Chris's blog often. I have read most of his posts.

My adult years.

I married Jackie Lois Ireton in 1944 in San Luis Obispo, California. I met her on a blind date when I was taking amphibious training at Moro Bay. We have been blessed with four children, nine grand children, and nine great grandchildren. They are an exceptional group. I love them and I am proud of them.

I was an army combat engineer (infantry with shovels) during World War II. I served in the Pacific. I was wounded on Peleliu Island helping the marines on Bloody Nose Ridge. I was shot in both legs just above the knees. The wound locations indicate that I was not running away.

I received a BSME in 1950 from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. Jackie received a PHT. (pushing husband through.) I retired from oilfield work in 1985. Jackie and I moved into a fifth wheel trailer and enjoyed the RV lifestyle until Jackie's health failed. We traveled across the continent 3 1/2 times. We spent a summer as volunteers at Acadia National Park. For 17 years we helped build an Escapee RV park in Chimacum, Washington. Jackie passed away in 2007. We had been married 63 years. We were married on June 3, 1944. I still live in our fifth wheel trailer. It is parked in the yard of my daughter Kerry's home in Ruston, Louisiana. It is by far the nicest RV park that I have ever lived in.

My teen age years.

I was born in 1925 in Pomona, California. Pomona is on the east edge of Los Angeles County. It is halfway between Los Angeles and San Bernardino and halfway between the mountains and the beach. I thought that it was great to be an hour from snow covered mountains and an hour from the ocean surf.

In my days of growing up, Pomona was completely surrounded by orchards and truck farms. Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, peaches, apricots, olives, persimmons, and walnuts. Watermelons and strawberries. During the depression I had many meals from the orchards.

They say that you cannot go back home. That is true of the Pomona Valley of my youth. Because it is no longer there. Most of it is now covered with asphalt and stucco buildings.

My ancestors.

I am getting more and more into genealogy. I have a trove of information on the Munsons/Monsons. My father is buried in California. His father by adoption (He was an uncle.) is buried in Kansas. His natural father is buried in Kentucky. So I have two grandfathers. I have a grandfather and four great grandfathers buried in Kentucky, one great buried in New Jersey, and three greats buried in Connecticut. I have two greats buried in Rattlesden, Suffolk, England. I have been led to believe that my ancestors before that came from Denmark and Normandy.

Captain Thomas Munson was the first Munson to move to America. He was baptized in Rattlesden, England in 1612. The baptismal font is still in use. He served in the militia in the Pequot Indian Wars in 1637. He served in the militia all his life and reached the status of Captain. His signature is on the founding document for New Haven, Connecticut.

In 2011 I visited New Haven and took pictures of his gravestone. In May 2012 my oldest daughter Nancy Ann escorted me to England and France. We visited Rattlesden and I took some pictures of the Captain's baptismal font.

Why is the old prune picker living in Ruston, Louisiana?

In 2006 my wife Jackie was in poor health. Jackie had kidney failure and was on dialysis. She had heart problems for some time with A-fib. She had fallen and broken her hip. She had broken ribs and vertebra just moving around normally. My family thought that I needed help caring for Jackie. My daughter Kerry and her husband John offered to park our trailer in their backyard in Ruston and help. Jackie and I accepted their kind offer. My daughter Nancy accompanied Jackie in an airplane flight from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington to Ruston. My son Mike took time off to help me pull our trailer for five long days to our new home. We were and are grateful. We enjoyed our new home very much.

Unfortunately and sadly, Jackie passed away in six months. I had sold our truck and was permanently parked. I was ready to give up full time RVing anyway. It is very pleasant in Ruston and I am close to family. So that is why I have been living in Ruston, Louisiana since October 2006.