Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Day 1811: Bert was a marine.





"Bert's Sister, Evelyn & Bert", collage, old photo & digital













Want music?

 




Click here for Shawn Mendez, Attention.
then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?








I really loved Bert, all of my life & still.



I was an only child, and only around adults.
Bert was special, a fun grown-up!
Married to Bea, they were the Ken & Barbie of their day.


Bea & Bert
 
Bea was beautiful & my Dad's cousin from Indiana.
All had moved to SoCal about the same time.


Bea & me age2


Bert had been a Marine & had colorful language.
I remember the adults chastising him about it,
and I think he tried, but it was ingrained.
Bert would take me with on errands, even to a ball game. 


me age 5 & Bert

I would have gone to the moon with him, anytime.
Once my Mom was driving down Sunset Boulevard,
I at four, was perched on the front seat, no seat belts then.
I remember her making a U-turn and I casually asked ...
"where in the hell are you going Mother?".
I do remember her pulling to the curb & running into a store.
Later I found out that she was in hysterics but didn't want 
me to think that what I had said was funny.
And later I do remember Bert had a jar where he put money
when his language was improper. I think they called it a cuss jar.
I remember it, it had change & bills in it.




Bert gave me a discarded baseball from one of the games.
He wrote Bert + Jacki on it.
I treasured that worn out ball with the faded writing forever.
I took it with me to boarding school at age 8
later to Australia, later on high school & college.
Some would ask who Bert was, I would smile & say "special."

. . .
Bert was a graduate of Wabash University, a mechanical engineer.

Bert (center) & crew at the brickyard

He returned to Indianapolis 500 several years as pit crew chief.
A beloved auto mechanics teacher at a LA high school for years,
he would take his boys to national auto competitions for Ford.


1984


Bea & Bert were a special part of young WW's life too.
They've been gone a long time now ... but I miss them still.
So grateful,  great memories last a long time.




92 degrees, sunny, Santa Ana, CA 













A smile for Tuesday ...









No comments: