(Women’s Army Corps members at Randolph Field, 1944, a public domain image via Vintage Printable.)
Last summer, I was learning more about blogging, and I wrote a short 4th of July story to go along with my first experience using Polyvore. I loosely based the characters on my grandmother and her best friend, Nell and Kay, a brunette and a blonde. Last week, while looking for pictures to accompany another post, I found the one above, and it reminded me of the story I wrote last year.
These were real women soldiers in Texas during World War II, stationed at Randolph Field, which is now known as Randolph Air Force Base and is very near my childhood home in San Antonio. I grew up hearing the training planes flying over my house, and I babysat for the children of many pilots and their wives. My dad took us to air shows at Randolph AFB, and when I was in junior high and high school, I attended many Fourth of July celebrations there, first with friends who had military parents, and later, with Ryan and his family.
In my story, Nell and Kay attend a party at the local army post, which would technically be Fort Sam Houston, but in my head, I was envisioning the sites and sounds of Randolph.
I’m not there this year, but I have many happy memories from those days, and this picture reminded me of that time. I hope you have a safe and wonderful Fourth of July, and are celebrating with your loved ones today!
(My strappy sandals from Sundance Catalog.)
As I’ve taken more pictures of my daily outfits, I’ve realized that I often wear the same shoes over and over again. I have several pairs (or more than several, to be honest), and I’m trying to put them all into heavier rotation. I’ve been on the search for a pair of strappy sandals for years, and since my feet are larger, I usually have trouble finding some that fit well and are comfortable, too.
When I saw the Beach Boulevard Sandals in the Sundance Catalog, I thought I’d give them a try. I was a little dubious when they first arrived, but the leather straps (made in Italy) are soft and comfortable, and they stretch just enough to prevent any rubbing. I’ve never had an issue with blisters while wearing these, and they’ve quickly become my favorite pair of sandals for the summer.
Which means I’m wearing them too much, I guess.
(A homemade sign in my front yard.)
Thousands of demonstrators supporting women’s health gathered on the grounds of the Texas Capitol yesterday to mark the beginning of the legislature’s second special session. I desperately wanted to attend, and so did a close friend of mine, but we both have young children (she is nursing an infant), and we weren’t sure we could manage them in the sea of people and the heat. We both worried about getting stuck downtown, whether we brought our children or not, but we wanted to show our support somehow, in some way. Finally, we decided to get together at my house yesterday to let our children play safely while we followed the events at the Capitol via Facebook, Twitter, and the local news.
(Felt flower pins to wear in support of Texas women. I’m wearing mine every day throughout the session.)
I did what I do best these days: organize a small get-together of women, and I invited a few other mothers and their children. I made signs, orange flower pins for us to wear, and provided enough food to keep us fed all day long. All total, there were four mothers, seven young children, and two babies due in October. Not too shabby for a last-minute event. The little ones played outside and inside, ate, napped, fussed, and laughed, and we tried our hardest to keep up with the events downtown. We found a live feed of the demonstration, so we were able to hear most of Senator Davis’ speech, and we did what all mothers do best: multi-task.
Even though we weren’t with the rest of the demonstrators, it was wonderful to spend the day with other mothers and children whose lives have been directly impacted by healthcare in Texas. We talked about our experiences and shared our thoughts, and I felt as exhilarated as if I’d spent the day on the grounds of the Capitol downtown.
(My friend soothing her baby and staying up-to-date on the day’s events.)
(Watching the little ones play.)
(Trying out a new toy.)
We had a wonderful day, and I was so thrilled to share it with so many lovely women. This session has just begun, and I’ll be wearing my pin and watching the entire time.
