Nothing Like a Rock

6:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 36 Comments


While blog touring for Swept Away, I wrote a guest post for Annalisa Crawford's blog about the British Cemetery on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina (read that post here). In doing research for that post, I learned there was another British cemetery- this one on Hatteras Island in Buxton, North Carolina.

In a nut shell, during WWII the British Navy patrolled American waters to keep our shores safe. Unfortunately, several British sailors paid that ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Their bodies couldn't be shipped back home, so the island residents buried these heroes and tended to the graves throughout the passing decades.

During my vacation to the island this summer, I made sure to visit the Hatteras cemetery.

Located in a small clearing near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse were two graves enclosed by white picket fencing. Just like the Ocracoke site, the graves were neatly cared for and decorated with Union Jacks.

The difference between the two? The Hatteras site's headstones were covered in small trinkets, stones, and seashells. My nephew, Jay, was sight-seeing with me. He has an interest in grave yards and the differences in burials in varying cultures and time periods, so he had an explanation.

He told me it was a Jewish custom to place pebbles or stones on graves, and his guess was people were tweaking this tradition in order to show tribute to these heroes by using shells and trinkets.

I thought this was interesting, so I came home and looked it up.

Jay was right. It is a Jewish tradition to leave pebbles and stones- like at the end of Shindler's List. 

Ah-ha, now the ending makes total sense.

The Hebrew word for pebble is tz'ror which also translates to bond. A pebble or stone signifies a permanent, steadfast bond.

That sure makes more sense to me than flowers.




Speaking of excellent tales that involve graves...

C. Lee McKenzie's new book about a group of young adventurers is an A+ read! It's about a group of friends who find a mysterious crypt that may hold a clue to a treasure. This is a godsend to the boys because one of their crew is about to be shipped off to boarding school. This is a delightful story about the solidarity of friendship and the thrill of adventure.

Sign of the Green Dragon

Now, for my good things!

Thanks to our hosts LexaL.G, and Tonja Drecker for this weekly good things check in! 

1. It's so hot here in West Virginia, the lawn didn't need mowed this week.

2. I've been a horrible blogger this summer, but I've been a good reader. Now, I just need to get them all reviewed!

3. I'm headed to Akron, Ohio for the Ohio Expos this Saturday. I was born in Barberton, Ohio- a town not far from Akron- so I'll get a chance to see some of my family while I'm there. I'm sure I'll have pictures to share next week.

36 comments:

I'm Back!

2:25 AM Elizabeth Seckman 45 Comments


It's the family roadster all packed up and ready for fun at the beach. Of course with the a mini-van full of kids, we have to tow the trailer to carry all of our gear. 


See? No room for much more than bodies. And blankets. 


After almost twelve hours on the road, we arrived at our cottage. This was the view from the top deck. See the very faint sliver of ocean between the tree tops? I realized if I could see the waves from the deck, it wasn't my kind of swim day. 

Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for my guys, the winds over the coast were coming in from the southwest, so the waves were mostly calm both weeks. 

The only downside to calm waves was that bored boys have time to pretend they're sharks and see how often their mom will fall for a leg grab as a shark bite and book it to shore. 

Most running I've done in years.


And this is my husband and his salvaged boogie board. 

He rescued it from the trash and taped it up with Dollar Tree duct tape and painted it with toenail polish. It's this sort of behavior our kids try to hide from their friends and acquaintances. 

I would have told him to spring the $15 for a new board, but he was too proud...and small doses of mild parental humiliation helps build character in children. 

And there was that issue of them pretending to be sharks. 

Now, for my good things!!

Thanks to our hosts LexaL.G, and Tonja Drecker for this weekly good things check in! 

My mom and her husband came down from Alaska for a visit. They're taking a year to tour the lower 48 states in their camper. Being a retired vagabond has its advantages. LOL. She loves it when I tell people that. Not. Truthfully, it's just payback for the time she made me try on a bra on over my shirt in the clothing aisle of Murphy's Mart when I was twelve.

Imagine what my kids will do to their father one day. ;)

Another good thing...that's really a great thing...

Autographed copies of Brandon and Bryan's (the Beer for the Shower guys) books!! You know what they say about squeaky wheels...I whined and they sent me oil, AKA awesome reads. I can't wait to dig in. If these stories are half as good as their other books, I'm sure to be turning pages happily.

If you're in the mood for irreverent humor with a dash of action- you can get your own copy here. 


45 comments:

Vacation

6:18 PM Elizabeth Seckman 0 Comments



But I am physically on vacation. I'll be back July 15th.

Enjoy some sun...it's summer time!!


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