“Dear Benjamin,

Thank you for your E-mail. As you know, I have been retired for five years. I retired on October 30, 1992. Since I have held a number of jobs during my working career, I will write chiefly about my last one with the Federal Aviation Administration.”

(Grandpa then goes on to list the various duties of his job, and the training required for it, and the pros and cons of the job. Ben’s questions must have included one on advice, and here is Grandpa’s response.)

The most important factor is to enter a field that has a great attraction for you. To be happy in your work, do what you want to do. If you work just to make money, your work will be drudgery.

After you are in the job, try to increase your competence to perform that job in every way possible.

Work hard. Do the very best that you possibly can in performing the job, evey if it means working overtime without an expectation of extra pay or rewards. …

Have integrity. In other words, “when in doubt, do the right thing”. At times, this is difficult, because it may seem that taking the “right” course of action is not in your best interests. In the final analysis, however, being a person of integrity will be recognized by other people, both on and off the job, and will pay off in both material and non-material ways.

Have a happy personality. Be out-going and friendly.

Always strive for perfection. Of course, it is impossible to achieve that, but try to come as close to it as you can. In the Federal Aviation, we had a “Zero-Defects” program. No one completely achieved all of the objectives of the program, but we all tried to come as close to it as humanly possible.

(and then Ben asks Grandpa about his “dream job”)

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to fly. How I was able to achieve that goal was a combination of striving, fate, and pure blind luck. At age twenty-two, I had been farming for five years. I was pretty well reconciled to a future of farming. Then, on December 7, 1941, the United States got into World War II and very soon I was classsified as 1-A by my draft board. Well, I wasn’t going to wait around to be drafted, so I enlisted in the Army Air Corps, (the original Air Force) That is what started it all. I began to see my dreams realized, and the continued to be realized until I retired from the FAA on Octber 31, 1992, at age seventy-four. In short, I wanted to fly, and I got to do it ‘IN SPADES.”

Well, Ben, that’s a very brief account of my working ( it really wasn’t work to me ) careet. I hope you can use my story.
Love,
G.P. Fred

I have been reading the book  “”Making Do and Hanging On,” with the subtitle “Growing Up in the Apple Country Through the Great Depression”, by Bruce Foxworthy.  I feel honored to learn about the challenges that the generation that grew up during the 30′s  has to share with us.  The history of Entiat is very young, and Mr. Foxworthy’s family epitomized the kind of people  that lived by principles of hard work and honesty that living in a beautiful but harsh environment required.  I can say that I have met no more friendly and giving people than those from that generation, and from this valley.  As we and our children’s generation are entering our  own hard times ahead, I hope that we can thrive and come out even stronger than before.  In a way, (as I was telling Ruthie last night) I am kind of looking forward to a  Depression.  

You are all invited to attend a program at the Entiat Public Library (or the Entiat Grange if need be)  featuring Bruce Foxworthy on Tuesday, April 14th at 7:00 PM.  He stopped by the library the other day to donate a book to the branch and we arranged a date for him to speak.  The next week, Tuesday, April 21st at 7:00 PM we are hosting Carl Allen who performs Woody Guthrie songs of the Depression era, as well as the song Roll On, Columbia – Washington’s State  Song.

That was the day that changed the world.  There had been plenty of warning.  It was decided that the little town would go under.  Many of the people planned to go up above on  the hills. Every day for months the people saw one house, then another travelling up the road.  People would say, “There goes the mayor’s house!” or ” I saw the old Albin place going uphill today!” Homes became  empty lots, and the little town lost many of the places that were fond to those townsfolk. In spite of the news of the  coming flood, there were some who wanted to stay in the homes they had built.  They thought that life could continue, albeit a little differently below water.  Hadn’t they heard of the great cities of the deep? If Atlantis could thrive, why not a little town?  There was arguing, and debating and even amongst families,  one decided to stay and one to leave.  Little Lily was from one of those families. Her brothers wanted to be with the above river people on higher ground.   “We can grow apples still, Lily. We will do just fine.” One even said he would go even further and live upriver. ”I will buy a horse and find where all the lost  mountain trails lead to. Do you want to go with me, Lily?”  But Little Lily just wanted to live where she always had, in the house her father built down by the shore.  And so she stayed.

She had prepared in body and spirit. First, she learned to swim for great distances underwater. Little by little, her lungs increased in size. She could hold her breath for minutes, then hours, then days.  As she swam, she discovered caves under the water where there had once been other homes. And in those caves were tools, and drawings.  The caves were dry in places and were filled with unusual kinds of creatures. They weren’t really obviously animals or plants, but kind of like coral mushrooms. They were similar to mushrooms in the way they had a stalk and a bulbous top, but more like coral in the way they were brittle and beautifully colored.  Lily wondered if they might be good to eat. She tasted one little one, and it was  crunchy, sweet and tart but salty with a taste similar to something like pickled berries. She felt a little burst of energy , and decided it wouldn’t hurt to try another. She found them very tasty, and but the most amazing thing was she found that she could swim faster and stronger after having eaten a few  these underwater morsels.

On she swam, deeper into the cave she had entered.  Now she noticed great limestone stalactites, and stalagmites that reminded her of the pillars and chandeliers one might see in a great palace or cathedral. Deeper and deeper she swam toward a kind of phosphorescent green light that she saw shining in the distance.

Don’t you love the way he gracefully picks the plums from the tree? The trick to growing a good Italian Plum tree is so simple. Plant one or find one where it happens to be, and when the season arrives, pick the fruit. The birds will eat a few, but happily, bugs don’t seem to like them very much. We have found that the fruit is most easily preserved by drying it. A simple commercial dryer works great. This year we are experimenting with putting sliced fruit in the greenhouse on a piece of screening. On a hot day, the temperature in the greenhouse gets up above 120 degrees. The texture of the finished dried fruit is nicer than in the electric dryer.  Later in the year I will use the fruit in fruitcakes and breads, or just as a snack with nuts. I’m interested in more ways to use it. Sometimes I wish I had a cook living with us so I could just grow the garden and fruit trees, harvest and preserve the produce  and someone else would make delicious meals or treats with it.  Anyone interested??

Pops said he knows just what it feels like to be pregnant when he wears the pickin basket.  I appreciate that he tries to imagine what it must feel like.

My mama was and is a beautiful shining star.  This mother’s day I want to once again share her wisdom with you, my children and loved ones.  I feel a great joy in sensing that she is aware of her beautiful grandchildren and now little great grandchildren.   These words have been directed just as truly to you as to each of us.  The best I can give you is written here.

“My darling children,

If anything should happen to me there are a few things I should like to suggest you think about.

First, you can never know how very greatly God has favored me in giving me not one but five of the most lovely and talented children I have ever seen. I feel very humble and yet very honored that He should consider me the one worthy of being your Mother.  Always honor Him and know that the answer to every problem you may have is to be found in the Bible if you read it wanting to accept His word for what you should do rather than your own.

Try to make all your decisions on information you can assemble and then of your own free will decide the best course of action.  Dream and spend some time alone – reassembling your thoughts, verify your ideals, and establish the best method of achieving what you want of life.

I have great confidence in all of you. You must love others but be self sufficient and able to carry on alone, should the need arise.  Remember – God says, “Lo, I am with you always” You must be able to adjust to any and all situations.

Have compassion for all who are less strong than you – give them some of your strength. Use your talents fully.

Believe that everything works for good if you believe in God. Don’t dwell on sentimentality or reminiscing – it isn’t healthy. Be realistic – if you find it difficult – look to helping little children and you will soon forget anything but the present.

Let the search for beauty and excellence be your goal – in whatever field you putsue. See beauty in nature, in people- don’t let anger or hate corrupt you or make you ugly.

Fear nothing – yet use judgement. Live fully in order to be understanding of others and thereby enjoy their company and help them with their problems.

Try to exercise every day in the sun – a healthy body is most important to success.

Do not be tempted by others to smoke, drink or participate in other vices. Popularity with such persons or groups is only fleeting and cannot injure anyone but yourself.

You have been very ‘spcially endowed, but know that there is an obligation attached to the awarding of your talents. You must use them for good purpose. I am very proud of all of your present accomplishments.

I ask only that God take care of you and that you will know He is ever near and that I, your Mother, love you all as much as is humanly possible.

Love each other, help each other – and remember I would kiss each of you goodnight if I were with you tonight.

Your Mama”

Mama keeps her starter in the ‘fridge in a mason jar with a handy plastic lid that screws on tight, but opens easily. She pours her entire starter into two bowls, and adds flour (some of which she grinds from whole grains), and water to both. She lets them both sit out and bubble, on top of the stove. She then stores one batch (the mother) back in her jar, and makes the dough with the other, (the baby).

We used part of our dough to make a delicious eggplant and roasted and home canned tomato pizza!

Hopefully later this summer, when the tomatoes and other fruits and veggies are ripe for harvesting, I’ll get a lesson on canning!