Jerry's Box

 

JERRY’S BOX 

2026 this is written to memorialize this old wooden box, Jerry’s box.    With hope that someone someday will be interested and keep this. 

 

I’m just an old wooden box to anyone who sees me, nothing special, most would think junk. If that’s what you think you are so wrong. If I could talk, I could tell you about my life , how I have been rescued from discard a couple times to still be here, and how I was very particularly hand crafted by a skilled carpenter for his young grandson for the boy’s 5^th or 6^th Christmas in 1942-43.  The boy has been gone since December 2020 and the grandfather long before that in 1978.  Here is my story. When you open me a copy of my tale is inside with a few select photos.  There are no photos of that Christmas.  Back then few photos were taken, it was an arduous process and involved film, getting it developed into photos, primarily black and white, and an expensive process. 

This photo is the boy, Jerry Morrison in 1941, about 4 years old swinging happily on the farm.  Jerry’s parents were divorced and his mother moved back to La Crescent to live with her parents with Jerry and his sister Diane. 

But his paternal grandparents, Gerald W Morrison Sr and Emma, remained part of the children’s lives.  They lived on Liberty St. in La Crosse WI.  

Gerald Sr was a skilled carpenter and handmade Jerry’s box with detail and care for Christmas. Dimensions at   24 ½ inches length, 11 inches width and an inside full depth of 6 inches.   While every carpenter had a tool box, this for his grandson would hold his toys, his possessions and was expected to last a long time. Maybe one day it would hold tools. 

Jerry did not receive many Christmas presents.  Money was tight but the wooden box thrilled him, something of his very own.  To him it was absolutely grand.   Someone would paint it years later on, but back in its day it was just plain lovely wood.   It was a place he could keep things, all his.  He did not have to share it. 

This photo is from 1944 on Jerry’s 7^th birthday.  Standing behind Jerry is Gerald Sr., next to him Effie and Frank Morrison, great grandparents.  Diane is in front of Effie.

Jerry’s world was tossed upside down in 1950 when his mother decided she, Jerry and Diane, would leave and go to California where Lyman who would be her 2^nd husband was working.  Jerry was devastated.  The box did not go with them.  It was left behind.

 He did not get on well and returned to La Crescent on his own.  It was not easy and he decided to join the Air Force in 1954.  Lots of water under and around the bridges and life went on.  Over the years after he married Pat they would come back to La Crescent and visit his cousins and aunts.  They were living in northern California where they always thought they’d stay until 2004 when Jerry decided California was going downhill. They decided to move to La Crescent anticipating 2005 when Pat retired.  For various reasons including that his mother now a widow who did not live with them but had been moved up north depended on them and was willing to move back home, so La Crescent was the choice.  Jerry and Pat bought their La Crescent home in 2004 and moved finally fully in 2005.  The boy was back where he’d grown up and life was good.  

One day in 2005 visiting with Milo, his cousin, surviving spouse of his late cousin Jeanette, they were out in Milo’s garage.  There shoved back on a shelf Jerry spotted something that rang a bell.  A wooden box, hinges on the sides.  Could it be?  Milo grinned and pulled it down, said, “look familiar?”  Milo recalled how Jeanette had saved it when the old house was being demolished and had said it had once belonged to Jerry.  It had long been forgotten about.  Although it was painted the boy inside him knew it was his own box, there in front of him, 55 years later.  Now it was a treasure!  He proudly took it home, bragged to Pat and put it down in his own shop, his mancave.  There it spent the rest of time. In 2020 Jerry became ill and in what would be his last months, his sister Barbara was visiting to help out.  She brought the box into the house.  It went downstairs where it lived and stays.    

Pat hoped maybe someday someone would want it and want to know about how it was made and what it had meant to that boy.  But as of this writing no one is interested.  The treasures we have are but useless junk to others today. 

I hope whoever finds me saves me from the burn pile and finds a place for me, perhaps another child might be as thrilled as the boy, Jerry.  I still have my latches, hinges and inside drawer.                         I was built to last.  And oh, if I could talk……

 

Today, September 16, is the final update,  the box is going to Denver, with Barb, Jerry's sister who was here visiting.  She remebered it.  Marty spotted it and wondered about it and when I told them, Barb said she would be happy to take it, along with its stopry and the photos inside since no one else wanteed it.  I am pleased because it will be treasured for awhile longer,  and maybe one day one of Barb'd greanfdons will take it over.  They are noiw teeners and unlikely interested but she will have it and  they will know about it.  It is on a journey across states in their car to its new home in Colorado.  

Barb and Marty

A Yeah Me Achievement

 

OLD GLORY POSTED

Yesterday was July 4.  250th birthday of US. I had no invites to celebrate and thought of years past how we 'd enjoy the day and usually always watched fireworks that night because I loved seeing them.  But now just me.  Still I  put the flag out and she proudly held colors.  

It was also Saturday, so I go to Saturday eve mass, and as often had lector duty yesterday. I was dressed and ready feeling festive with red wedgie sandals, red jacket and blue dress and wearing my beaded flag earrings.  These earrings were made for me so long ago I. Career days by Kitty Bath, one of my staff.  Kitty could be a problem for her supervisors, a frustration to handle at times, but she had a good heart.  Of course I wasn't dealing with the issues,  that was the supervisor's responsibility,  I was higher level management.   Ah but anyway Kitty had a hobby of beading, teeny beads like these. She found it relaxing.    I have these and two other pair, roses which she gifted to me. I wonder what ever became of Kitty.   Last heard she'd moved to WA state.  

My beaded flag earrings

Anyway suddenly as has been happening here all week, boom!  Thunder, the sky turned dark grey and opened up pouring out buckets of rain.   I looked at the weather app and it showed us in the midst of a storm.  Maybe it would let up some soon.  Well that did not happen.   It just kept pouring.  I did not think about the flag.  I was concerned and decided I'd better change clothes before mass and get closed up shoes too.  

No let up imminent in the rain..  I knew I would have to use an umbrella too getting from the car into church.  I figured we'd have a low turnout with it being the 4th and people having their celebrations but I still left early to get a close parking space.  Old glory was OK when I left but getting some rain despite the eaves of the roof.  

But when I returned after mass, OH NO,  The flagpole had been blown loose from the holder and the flag was on the driveway. It had quit raining by then so I stopped in the driveway, opened the garage door and picked up the flag.  Brought her into the garage and laid her over the gardening cart to dry.  Darned, I noticed the flagpole holder had been bent too.  I could deal with that later.  Came in and had my dinner but kept thinking about that pole holder.  So out I went, taking a hammer, always my tool of choice, I tried pounding it back up but that wasn't working.  Neither could I adjust it by hand.  Now I would just have to wait, maybe get help from a friend, maybe would need a new holder.  I was mad at me for not taking the flag down soon as the rain started.

Today right after having my morning pills and coffee out I went and looked at the damage again.  As though it could have fixed itself overnight!  Hmmmm.  Would I have to ask for help.  I try to avoid that because I do not want to be a pest, though my good friend tells me not to even think that way.  I tried a big rubber head hammer, nope nothing.  Hmmm.  Finally, using pliers I managed to unbend it and get it back up into position!  That was a "Yeah Me" and "Thank You, Lord" moment.  And today the flag is again hoisted and proudly waving!  But the least hint of rain and down she comes.  I have lights for the flag but I'm not leaving her up all night.  Don't want to push my luck!

Not a fun chore

I don't know when exactly I began to resent and grumble about making the bed aftelaundering the sheets.  But I notice it now.  I really dread tackling the queen size bed.  It is simpler in summer with cotton sheets instead of winter's flannels, but still something I do not look forward to doing..  Nevertheless there is only me to do this so I do.  

Way back when in my career days, seems like a land in a far far away time now, I began to launder bed sheets on Sundays and I still do.  No particular reason, just a habit.  

I don't know why I make such a deal out of this.  After I learned to alternate my sleepin on the two sides of the bed,, I only launder and face this chore every two weeks..  The right side of the defacing it  has always been my side, way back when Jerry was alive and there was a we instead of just a me.  I still prefer that right side.  But I have adjusted to one week o. Each side, that saves the laundering.  I was talking with another widow friend and griping that it didn't seem worth washing sheets weekly anymore but that had been my routine for 60+ years and I just rotely continued.  She said, "sleep in the middle" but I couldn't adjust to that.  She also suggested I alternate sides.  And that's what I've been doing, one week my side and the next week the other side, which 5 years later is still Jerry's side to me.  54 years of marriage are not erasable.

Metal bar at foot

This bed has many features which zi seldom use but which Jerry liked.  It has a massage feature and can elevate head and or foot.  I just leave it flat.  Only rarely do I hit the massage control.  There is a steel bar at the foot of the bed.  This is a major pain pulling the top sheet and summer thermal weave blanket through.  Still these sheets are easier than winter's  flannels.  And lifting the corners of each side of the foot of the bed is another challenge.  But that has to be done so I can have carefully tucked in corners.

Corner to be tucked

So I grumble along.  Nobody here to hear my griping anyway.  Once it'll done I always am relieved. At least for another 2 weeks until the next time!

Somewhere I posted to Facebook a nice quip about the gift of making a bed.  I need to look for that and remind me.

But for now, done for another couple of weeks! 

All made and ready again

FOUND IT:  The Daily Ritual of Making One's Bed as a Gift and Blessing

Titles are generated by AI from Meta

Yesterday my daughter Grace was packing up to head back to her home after spending Christmas with me and she looked into my bedroom and said, “Do you do that everyday?” I replied, “Do what everyday?” She said, “Make your bed and put all those pillows on there?” I said, “Yes I do.”

“Why, she responded, you are the only one who see’s your bed?”

“Oh dear I make my bed every morning because it’s a gift that I get to open at the end of everyday. A gift that not everyone has. So while I’m wrapping my bed in the morning and I’m unwrapping it at night I’m reminded of what a great blessing my bed really is in my life.”

When we stop viewing what we have as little, insignificant or not enough, then we get to see what we do have as gifts we get to enjoy, great blessings in our lives and provision for our needs.

I’m thankful for my bed

Build solidly and Beware online

 Posting this Gospel message here today because it is one that sustains me.  My lifelong rooted faith upholds and guides me, often my grounding.  This is from our great Bishop robert Barron and the reminder is that storms are going to occur.  Life is not going to be abreeze and I know mune has not been.    

Friends, in today’s Gospel,   Matthew 7:21–29,  Jesus gives us the parable about building on rock or on sand. On what precisely is the whole of your life built?  ------- Your heart is your deep center, the place where you are most authentically yourself. That is your point of contact with God. There you will find the energy that undergirds the other areas of your life: physical, psychological, emotional, relational, and spiritual. If you are rooted in God at the level of your heart, then you will be following the intentions and commands of God, and you can withstand anything. But this does not mean that if we follow God’s commands, the winds and floods will not come. In Jesus’s parable, both builders, the one who follows the commands of God and the one who doesn’t, experience the rain and the floods that symbolize all the trials and temptations and difficulties at the surface of life. But if at the very center of your life you are linked with God—that power that is here and now creating the cosmos—then the storms and floods will come, but they will not destroy you. I am miffed at myself for being stupid while renewing my passport online.  I have no imminent travel plans and could have waited longer because it expires in December but thought I;d get it done the other day.  Trouble is I went on line and thought I was on the government site but it was a copany known as HelloGov. I got duped.  Entered my credit card as requested and did not read fully,  this was for their intermediary fee, I have since learned.  Turns out they charge more than the passport renewal fee.  It took me all day because I still had to get an official passport photo taken.  I was dumb to think I could take my own using my phone.  Then the site referred me to UPS drop off in town which does not take photos.  So over to LaCrosse. Stopped at the UPS store and no they do not take passport photos.  So I went over to Wagreens where we've had them taken in the past.  I later learned our local post office also takes photos now.  Finally all this and completing the forms online and had to print the forms to mail in with my expiring passport.  Had to scan and send them first so they could verify and me being dumb still did not realize this was a private intermediary company.  Finally all packaged and dropped off at Fed Ex box in town, oh part of the fee was for Fed Ex.  Aaanyway it took the day.  Not until the next day when I saw the separate charge by HelloGov to my credit card did I learn they are a middleman.  What a bunch of BS ....I am going to ne extra cautious now online.  They have received the packet and are reviewing it to send along to US agency, I doubt this expeedites anything and it certainly is not worth the extra $ 226 they charged me when the passport is only $212.  But I learned all this too late so wasted $226.  I try to console myself that it's only money but it galls me.  Online is great but this experience alerted me, BEWARE.. I know others have been scammed by many things so this was a relatively inexpensive reminder to me, still I threw away $226.

Hoping this does it for winter snow

 

Today March 18

This picture taken from the front doorway step shows my cleared walk and driveway once again.  This morning when I got up and looked out I saw we;d gotten another couple inches in the dark early morning hours and I thought "Damn snow again."  It's been a long winter and the Ides of March turned ugly.  We has an all day snow off and on that day, Sunday just as the weather forecast warned.  They have been very accurate in the forecasts this year.  Yet I keep hoping they will be wrong or that the front will shift and just have us on the edge instead of amidst it.  But so far, my hopes have been in vain.  Snow  continued through Monday morning.  Well, at least, I told myself I didn't have to go out anywhere ib it.  I talk to myself a lot when I'm cooped in especially.  I'm the only one here so I have to listen to me.  

The two following pictures are from March 15.  In the first one also taken from my front door step I could sing, "somewhere out there, a driveway waits to be cleared...someday, someway...."   The guy I hire to snowplow me came Monday AM after it stopped.  But he makes such a mess with his Bobcat that I am considering a change next year.  Earlier he'd torn up the lawn which I'd fixed right before snow struck again.  My good friend helped and then put up poles to mark the driveway.  Just intime for the Ides blizzard.  

Somewhere out there buried under the Blizzard f Ides was my walk and driveway.  I was thinking how this wintry b;ast has affected my language and thoughts.  I know earlier in the winter I would look out and see the snow that fell overnight when I got up each morning, and I'd think or say, "oh more snow."  Then it progressed to " shoots snow again."  Then "oh crap snowed again."  Until this final March dumping when I began to say "Damb snow!"  So I'm hoping we have turnedd the corner into spring, I am ready!

 

Pooh Wisdom When Someone you love is dying

Lately there have been several memorable, heart breaking post to FB featuring wisdom with Winnie the Pooh.  Not sure who the author is but it is quite touching to use the Pooh.  The following is one from today.

 When someone you love is dying,       

you begin to understand a kind of helplessness no one ever prepares you for.

You watch the strongest person you know
grow tired.
You see the hands that once held you steady
start to tremble.
You hear the voice that once felt unbreakable
soften into something fragile.

And suddenly, you realize love can move mountains,
but it cannot stop time.

You wish it could.
You pray it might.
You bargain with a universe
that does not answer the way you want.

But time keeps moving.

So you stay.

You sit by their bedside, memorizing every breath,
every small squeeze of their hand,
every quiet glance that says more than words ever could.

Your heart breaks not all at once, but slowly—in a thousand silent moments.

You learn that strength is not fixing what cannot be fixed.
It is not pretending you are not afraid.
It is not holding back the tears.

Strength is staying.

It is loving them through what cannot be stopped.
It is whispering “I’m here” even when you know there is nothing left to fight.

You begin to understand that sometimes the bravest thing you can do
is love someone all the way to the edge of goodbye.

No matter how hard it is to watch.
No matter how much it hurts.
No matter how powerless you feel.

Because in the end, love is not about saving them.

It’s about making sure they never feel alone.

And that kind of love—even when it cannot stop time—is the most powerful thing you will ever give

Groundhog Phil Saw his shadow

 Punxatawney Phil is a PA tradition.  The movie Groundhog Day, made the tradition  known to those who live elsewhere in the country. 

thisd year Facebiook is flooded with hil posts.  Everyone wants to get in on the legend.  I grew up knowing about him.  But Feb 2 was also Mom's birthday and we used to ask her if she saw her shadow.  Well every year I am curious what he has to say and this year it was not good news.

BREAKING: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and called for six more weeks of winter. He is now fleeing the scene on foot. Some of the posts show bears chasing Phil, another has a wolf right after him, and others show Phil arrested.

Even here on the MN WI border, people think they have a groundhog, but none replace Phil. The rest are just wanna be's.

Even my SIL a CA born and raised who lives in Denver now sent me a text with Phil on it. Kind of amusing to those of us who are long with this tradition.

These facts were taken from an interesting FB page I follow, PA Thing:

Did You Know? 10 Facts About Punxsutawney Phil

1. Phil is “over 100 years old.”

According to legend, he drinks a magical “elixir of life” every summer that adds seven more years to his lifespan.

2. His predictions go back to the 1880s.

Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney was first officially observed in 1886, and the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club formed in 1889.

3. The tradition comes from Europe.

The shadow legend is based on an old European weather belief tied to Candlemas, later brought to Pennsylvania by German immigrants.

4. Phil has seen his shadow far more often than not.

Historically, Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter much more frequently than an early spring.

5. There are missing years in his record.

Phil’s prediction was not recorded for nine different years for unknown reasons.

6. Phil has no known offspring (until recently).

For most of his history, Phil was said to have no descendants at all.

7. His favorite food is dandelion leaves.

Especially in early spring, dandelions are reportedly his meal of choice.

8. Phil is much larger than a normal groundhog.

He reportedly weighs about 18 pounds in fall and measures roughly 22 inches long.

9. A baby groundhog is called a “kit.”

In the spring of 2024, Phil’s wife Phyllis gave birth to twins named “Sunny” and “Shadow.”

10. Phil is Pennsylvania’s most famous animal.

He has his own club, his own library, and a world-famous ceremony held every year at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney.

The explanation of this photo of Phil included that he was arrested while trying to flee but just dug himself in deeper. (That's a take on his heritage, groundhogs burrow in for winter.

Just one last mention about Snow Moon

 This from something I folow on FB,  it's a PA thing...

The February “Snow Moon” Has Deep Winter Roots

The Snow Moon reaches peak illumination tonight, February 1, 2026, at 5:09 p.m. EST, but it will already look full to the naked eye tonight, Saturday, January 31. This year’s Snow Moon is also a micromoon—the only one of 2026—appearing about 10–14% smaller than average because it’s near the farthest point in its orbit from Earth.

Where the names come from:

Snow Moon – First recorded by Captain Jonathan Carver in the 1760s, this name reflects February’s reputation as the snowiest month in much of North America.

Hungry Moon – Used by the Cherokee and other tribes, it refers to the scarcity of food during late winter, when hunting was difficult and stored supplies ran low.

Bald Eagle Moon (Eagle Moon) – Attributed to the Cree people, marking the season when eagles begin returning or nesting.

Groundhog Moon – Linked to certain Algonquin traditions, anticipating the stirrings of groundhogs as winter slowly begins to loosen its grip.

So when you look up at tonight’s moon, you’re seeing more than just a bright winter sky—it’s a full moon shaped by centuries of seasonal observation and survival wisdom.