31May23: Memorial Day used to rotate on the calendar….

Dad’s second from the left, top row. This is the only full Thomas family photo, taken in 1934 when Dad graduated high school.

The 31st of May was my Dad’s birthday. It also used to be Memorial Day till Congress passed a bill making it just one of those three day holidays that now just welcomes in the summer months and is a commercial holiday to sell crap.

Dad was a builder who was so quality-focused there was only a .25 inch/6,35 mm variation from one side of the basement wall to the other. Detail was important to him and he could drive you crazy worrying about something so small no one but he could see it, like how straight drainpipes were hanging from the gutters. That nature was helpful to him in his job as a chief of police.

Dad never missed an election, even voted by absentee ballot his last year of life, 2008, dying, in fact, after elections were done Election Day, in his sleep. Born in 1916, Dad would have been 107 today. Like Mom, he is sorely missed.

Traditional Memorial Day on May 31st, too, is missed. It’s become a sad joke on the memories of those who died for their country.

Memorial Day – Wikipedia

30May23: Coban serves as kitty amusement, too!

“What?!”

Andy does a touchup on his face first….

“Just wait, Douglas! I had a treat and can’t play till I’m spic and span!”

“Scrunchy and mouthable. I like it!”

Andy enjoys Coban after Doug takes it off his arm.

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Andy caught his second miller yesterday. He patted it till it wobbled away. Andy let it take off to behind the recline, where he followed to continue his abuse of the poor insect. He doesn’t eat them, just beats them to a frazzle. Good kitty!

29May23: “The Fallen Sparrow” wasn’t what Andy expected…

“John Garfield (the cat?) and Maureen O’Hara…I just want to see the sparrow!”

“What does this ‘canary‘ have to do with sparrows? Wish she’d stop that caterwauling!”

“This movie is a bust. No sparrows, no kitty!”

Andy checks out.

Of course, he comes back a short time later for a catnap.

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“The Fallen Sparrow” isn’t about sparrows, of course, except metaphorically. Andy got it wrong.

Garfield was intense, probably acting at the best I ever recall him acting. Too bad he died of a heart attack at 39 because he easily was one of the top actors of his time.

As for Maureen O’Hara…whew!.. she was very good in this film, too, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen! She almost stole the scenes she was in, as long as she wasn’t acting against Garfield. The two were intense, easily as matched as Bergman and Bogart in “Casablanca” or Bogart and Bacall in any film. [“If you want me, just whistle. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.” – my favorite scene from “To Have and Have Not”!]

The film was shown as part of a film noir series on TCM Channel, though it had a spy aspect, noting the Garfield character fought Franco’s fascist nationalists as a member of the Lincoln Brigade. Captured, tortured by a Nazi who flew in from Berlin to Spain once a month, he escapes to America, suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. He gets – mostly – over PTSD at a rest ranch in Arizona, returns east to spend the rest of the film trying to unravel the murder of a friend… and to find and kill the torturer he can identify only by the fact he drags one foot when he walks.

But no sparrows! Andy got that much right. On the other hand, it was very entertaining. I always enjoy a Garfield film and will remember Mauree O’Hara for being her most beautiful in this film.

The Fallen Sparrow – Wikipedia

28May23: the littlest thing…

Andy’s on the alert again!

See it?

Andy does and he’s prepared to go on a RAWR!

27May23: Gad! When will the millers die out!?

Andy’s losing interest in the miller invasion.

Mostly…wait! There goes another one!

Andy’s got one more hunt in him.

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I don’t recall Andy catching many millers. They are good practice and exercise for him, though, so I guess I am ok with the dang insects showing up each year. Naw! Not really, They are nasty.