SO Darned Cute

Email from Ellie to Mom (Monkey):

I can't believe how quiet he is!!!

We do not necessarily expect it to last. But so far, anyway, he just sleeps and coos. He is SO darned cute. :)

Love you lots and lots,

Ellie

Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

Maybe we can skype again tonight. Pop slept in, and had to rush off without even breakfast. 

So are you still waking T up every 3 hours? I keep wondering if all of a sudden he'll wake up and say, "Hey wait a minute---I"M HUNGRY!!!!!" and start screaming for food every few hours. I hope it lasts, that's all I can say! He sounds exceptionally easy to care for so far. I might just have to sit around and bark orders at you guys!

love you lots,

mama

Like John or Like Mr. Hyde?

Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

Hi honey,

Pop would like to skype with you too, but has to go to work in a few minutes. If you get this, call,ok?

love you, get some rest,

mama

Email from Ellie to Mom (Monkey):

sorry we missed you guys. theodore was really good last night, but we were exhausted. got 2 hours, then had to wake him up for feeding after 3 hours and then again after 3 hours. so we got a decent amount of sleep! pretty good for a second night... everyone keeps saying "he wont be like that at home" though which sounds ominous.

dans snuggling him now.

:)

love you lots,

ellie

Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

I can't believe how easily he's comforted!!!!!! Either he'll be like John was--easy---or when you get him home he'll change to Mr Hyde and become a monster. More likely in between... Do the nurses leave you alone at night, or do they come in periodically to do checks? Sorry for all the questions and comments--better get used to it when I get there. Just nod your head and say, "umm hmmm"

mama

Educational Histories

Email from Ellie to Mom (Monkey) and Faffy:

Hey guys,

For purposes of law school applications...

What colleges did you attend and what years did you graduate, and what med schools did you attend and what years did you graduate?

Thanks,

Ellie

Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

Well, I went to UW for 3 years, 1976-1979. Never graduated. Went to John Burns School of Medicine in Hawaii from 1979-1980, took year sabbatical, then finished my last 3 years at West Virginia University's School of Medicine (where pop was professor) graduating in 1984.

I'll tell pop to write to you about his education---his are much more straightforward, but I don't know dates.

Love you. Tell Theo to come home, would you?

Mama

Email from Faffy to Ellie:

Hi, Elle,

Swarthmore, BS '68

U of Tenn, MS '70

UW, MD '75

Love, 

Pop

I'm Getting Excited!!!!

Email From Mom (Monkey):

Hey Ellebelle,

Tried to text you, but I guess you'd already gone to bed. Why'd you call? I just saw you'd called, but hadn't left message. You ok?

love you,

mama

Email From Ellie to Mom (Monkey):

yep, all is ok. tell you what, if something big happens (like.... labor... hehe) i will text you. so you'll be in the loop.

:)

love you!

i was calling to say dan has discovered a lime zucchini orzo that is AMAZING.

nothing important, in other words...

--elle belle


Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

Yeah, that's what I was worrying about of course. I'm getting excited!!!! I hope it's next week!

love you,
mama

(Pretty Cool, Eh!)

Forwarded Email from Mom (Monkey) to Family:


Two Stories - BOTH TRUE - and worth reading!!!!

STORY NUMBER  ONE


Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned  Chicago.  Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic.  He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.


Capone had a lawyer nicknamed 'Easy Eddie.' He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire  Chicago  City  block.

Eddie lived the high life of the  Chicago  mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld.  Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.  Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al 'Scarface' Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a  lonely  Chicago Street  .  But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

/'The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour.  Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.' /


 STORY NUMBER  TWO


World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.


He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington  in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he  looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the  fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to  clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet.  He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago  is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was 'Easy Eddie's' son.


(Pretty cool, eh!)