Saturday, January 12, 2013

Standing Into Danger

Recently I've also had some inquiries about the name of my blog "Standing Into Danger,"
especially from one curious and clever blogger in Georgia.

Kay at http://georgiagirlwithanenglishheart.blogspot.com/
sleuthed out more behind my blog's name than I had revealed in the past.
Kay writes such interesting blog posts,
and she is passionate about world War II and its veterans.
As am I.


Chambers Cove, Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland

When I wrote my first blog post on August 14, 2012, I had no clue what I was doing.
But there was no doubt in my mind that I would call my blog "Standing Into Danger."
I was leaping into the unknown by retiring;
I was Standing Into Danger!

I had read in the 2012 September issue of O Magazine 
Oprah's thoughts on retirement, "What I Know for Sure" (p. 204):




"I never want to retire from life.  
  From growth.  
  Or from the renewing of my mind."
                                    Oprah Winfrey





Those words succinctly stated what I hoped my retirement would be.
I wanted to write about my journey as I entered this new and exciting phase of my life.  
I wasn't sure where my journey would take me, but I was wide open to the experience.
And I would speak my truth, even if it meant Standing Into Danger! 

I didn't post again until October 19, 2012.
Pourquoi?
I had lost my blog!



No matter what I did, I couldn't find it!
Absolute proof I had named it correctly.

Blindly, I had run aground and had sunk
on a  rocky reef called "Clueless."


Gull Rocks, Westport
White Bay, Newfoundland                                      






I tend to leap without looking,
more often than not ending up in a spectacular wreck!
I'm always Standing into Danger!

Nautical Signal Flag:  Uniform U
You Are Running into Danger!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Uniform.svg&page=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_maritime_signal_flags

I spent many, many hours trying to find my blog,
embarrassed and frustrated hours.


And if I hadn't tried to post a comment
on my friend Ron's excellent blog,
http://fromsophiesview.blogspot.com/,
I might never have blogged again.

But I commented.
And up popped my Fundy Blue icon
of the wake of Chad and Sisters Two!

The Boat, Not the Wake

Now Ron is a clever and curious blogger, too.
I knew he would find that unknown icon and track it down,
and he would find my pitiful first post.
There would be no hiding for Fundy Blue!

More hours of frantic searching:
OMG!  Right there:  gmail> more> blogger!
How stupid can one be?


While I was writing pitiful post #2,
Ron had tracked down pitiful post #1:
"WELCOME to the world of blogging, and I can't wait for
more Louise words of wisdom from Colorado!"

Right!
I'll get right on that, Ron!  
Words of wisdom from Louise who lost her own blog.

And not much later, there was Ron's hubby Jim:
"I was told that I had better check out this new blog......
you know how husbands can be at times!! lol"
Jim:  http://jabacue.blogspot.com/  

Things got a lot better with the support of Ron and Jim
and the wonderful antics of Sophie!

Then along comes Kay:
"I looked up "Standing Into Danger,"
and there is an interesting book by that name by Cassie Brown.
Is that the connection?
Do tell!"

So I told!

There absolutely is a connection between
Cassie Brown's book Standing Into Danger and me.

It has to do with the wrecks of the USS Truxtun,
the USS Pollux, and the USS Wilkes
on and around Chambers Cove in Newfoundland.
It was one of the worst US naval disasters of World War II.

My connection to the story began in the summer of 1972
when I was working as a geologist on a fluorspar project
out of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland.

  


               Not too many pictures of me that summer.
               We usually worked alone on the barrens.




But sometimes I worked with Ken Slaney,
who told me the tragic story of 
the USS Truxton, 
the USS Pollux, 
and the USS Wilkes
off Lawn and St. Lawrence
on February 18, 1942.

Ken also told me about his grandfather
and the other brave Newfoundlanders
who fought to rescue 185 American sailors
during a terrible storm 
under incredible circumstances.

Two hundred three died.

I have carried the story
in my heart for over 40 years.




U. S. S. Truxtun
I have been working sporadically on a novel and an upper elementary picture book 
tied to this naval tragedy event for a long time.  Now I finally have the time to write!

More to come in the future.
Meanwhile I write, write, and write!

12 comments:

  1. Well, I'm certainly glad you found your blog and have become part of my circle! :) Keep on writing, writing, writing...and share your progress with us along the way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the encouragement, Martha!
      I am happy you are one of my blogging circle too!
      I will be sharing my progress as I go along.
      Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

      Delete
  2. Yes, I'm glad you found your blog too! And I'm glad I found you through Ron.
    Keep us "posted" on your books - they sound fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Terry!
      I'm glad I found you through Ron too - and thanks also to the magnificent sunset we both photographed and posted.
      I'll keep you posted. I hope you, your family, and the critters are warm.
      I'm still hugging either the fireplace or my space heater.

      Delete
  3. Hi Louise! I have to admit that I'd been wondering where "Standing Into Danger" came from so thanks for this post. Happy Retirement to you! Very exciting and I look forward to reading your writing one day!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Audrey!
      I appreciate the encouragement so much. Writing can be lonely!
      I hope you and your family are enjoying a warm and relaxing Sunday!

      Delete
  4. Hi Louise! Yes, now that you are retired you will be able to write that book(s)....complete it. I thought you were a geologist! Don't ask how, but I did. Ron's cousin Anita Regan from Wolfville is one as well as is her husband who teaches at Dal. I believe she is three years younger than Ron, so you may not have been around....I know you weren't now!
    Isn't it funny/strange/wonderful how 'things' stay with us for years. I can tell you have a lot to write, so I won't keep ya! Have a great week Louise.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am a geologist! You probably came to think that when I went overboard explaining how the fairy rings formed in your rocks. But just because I'm a geologist doesn't mean I can't write. I've been writing on and off since I was quite small. You have a good week, too, Jim!

    ReplyDelete
  6. C'est MOI!~~~~~Jim has been teasing me again~~~~Ron this and Ron that~~~~~~sometimes you just want to hide! Anyway, I just re-read some of my old comments on your older posts and I just realized I said the very same thing....what's that all about anyway. You'd think I had a better imagination or at least realized that the comments were similar....oh well!
    Archaeological digs so very cool and all on your own even cooler.....such a contrast from your school teaching days with all those children.
    The tragic story you touched on must be a difficult one to hold onto. Putting it down on the page may help you a lot.
    I sense you are getting a good handle on this blogging thingie, Louise.

    Ron

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the positive feedback, Ron!
    I appreciate all comments, similar or not. They're like carrots keeping me going!
    It is very good to write about things that haunt you. I would rather write than just about anything.
    Onward and upward to better photographs and blog posts this new year!
    Honestly, I wouldn't be blogging now without your encouragement.
    A big, big thank you to you!
    Have a good week.
    Oh yeah, I didn't know Anita Regan. Did she do geology at Acadia? My sister, Barb MacBeath may have known her.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, I can't believe that I am just reading this post from you. Thanks so much for mentioning me and your kind words about me (nosy old Parker is what they would call me in England!!) You MUST write this story, it was meant to be! I LOVE the way you write, you can tell that you live life in exclamation marks by your writing!
    I truly LOVE being called curious and clever, you are the FIRST person on Earth to ever say that about me, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
    Love,
    Kay

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well, Kay, I don't know what's wrong with all the other people on this Earth, because your cleverness and curiosity are readily apparent to me! Thanks for the encouragement! I am writing. Have a good day!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.