Winston Churchill and his Love of Cats and Me!

Here is the story of my family home, Winston Churchill and a famous cat called Jock!

Winston  Churchill’s mother was Jennie Jerome, a beautiful American who actually has great ties to CNY.  The Jerome Family farms were in CNY and the land that my family built its house on was part of the Jerome Farm…home of Jennie’s grandmother.  

Thoughts of the Jerome farm led me to ponder the fact that for Christmas one year I gave my brother the gold watch dad had given me...he had found the old gold watch in the family garden as a young man...a garden that would later become the family compound of homes.  Repaired and running, I thought it was a great family history piece and a great present.

Churchill was supposed to come to speak at a family reunion in Syracuse once, but had to turn back
because of the presence of U Boats. He did send a telegram to the family group assembled…a piece of history I learned from the Wood-Eaton sisters who visited me years back in Eaton.  They were relatives and were to be at the reunion and remembered the trip well.   The woman had come to Eaton to visit their great grandfather Allen Nelson Wood’s house, the house,,,the house I live in.  Isn’t it strange how life is full of so much serendipity?

Mr. Wood was named for Allen Nelson Wood...Nelson for Lord Nelson a hero his family honored with the name for many generations…and then suddenly my grey cat Rascal jumped in my lap…hint …one of Winston Churchill’s most famous cat’s  (grey) was named Nelson to honor Lord Nelson.

Churchill was a cat lover, actually an animal lover.  Winston and his wife Clementine signed their love letters to each other with little drawn pictures…he a dog (Pug) she his cat...and their daughter the PK or puppy-kitten.

His cat stories are famous and many can still picture him speaking with a drink in one hand and the grey cat next to him. One story I love is... after one of his famous speeches (he had a lisp as well as drank) a woman MP in Parliament said, “Sir, you are drunk!”  His replay was “Madame that may be true, but in the morning I shall be sober whereas you will still be ugly!”

His favorite cat in later life cat was a ginger-marmalade colored cat he called  “Jock”, named after Sir John Coville his secretary who gave it to him.  Churchill loved the color and the cat so much that after giving his home Chartwell to the National Trust… he stated in his will that it should always have a ginger colored cat in residence…and to this day it does…and always named appropriately “Jock”.

Great piece of history don't you think...

Please help us get the funds to spay and neuter this years drop offs go to our go fund me page or mail a check to 4 Community Cats inc. a charity 502 3 c.

https://gofund.me/7356f605:

Some Fun History and Mr. Wood's House,,,,

Picture I took on a trip to London
of Churchill's statue with
Big Ben in Background

I thought of some fun that might make you readers smile, especially since so many people on TV have been talking about Winston Churchill's wise words so.. here the story of home and a famous cat called Jock!

Winston  Churchill’s mother was Jennie Jerome, a beautiful American who actually has great ties to CNY.  The Jerome Family farms were in CNY and the land that my family built its house on was part of the Jerome Farm…home of Jennie’s grandmother.  

Thoughts of the Jerome farm led me to ponder the fact that for Christmas one year I gave my brother the gold watch dad had given me...he had found the old gold watch in the family garden as a young man...a garden that would later become the family compound of homes.  Repaired and running, I thought it was a great family history piece and a great present.

Churchill was supposed to come to speak at a family reunion in Syracuse once, but had to turn back because of the presence of U Boats...he did send a telegram to the family group assembled…a piece of history I learned from the Wood-Eaton sisters who visited me years back in Eaton.  They were relatives and were to be at the reunion and remembered the trip.   They had come to Eaton to visit their great grandfather Allen Nelson Wood’s house, the house I live in.  Isn’t it strange how life is full of so much serendipity?

Mr. Wood was named Allen Nelson Wood...Nelson for Lord Nelson a hero his family honored with the name for many generations…and then suddenly my grey cat Rascal jumped in my lap…hint …one o f Winston Churchill’s most famous cat’s  (grey) was named Nelson to honor Lord Nelson.

Churchill was a cat lover, actually an animal lover.  Winston and his wife Clementine signed their love letters to each other with little drawn pictures…he a dog (Pug) she his cat...and their daughter the PK or puppy-kitten.

His cat stories are famous and many can still picture him speaking with a drink in one hand and the grey cat next to him. One story I love is... after one of his famous speeches (he had a lisp as well as drank) a woman MP in Parliament said, “Sir, you are drunk!”  His replay was “Madame that may be true, but in the morning I shall be sober whereas you will still be ugly!”

His favorite cat in later life cat was a ginger-marmalade colored cat he called  “Jock”, named after Sir John Coville his secretary who gave it to him.  Churchill loved the color and the cat so much that after giving his home Chartwell to the National Trust… he stated in his will that it should always have a ginger colored cat in residence…and to this day it does…and always named appropriately “Jock”.

A special history, a Stray, and Winston Churchill's love of Cats

Here the story of home and a famous cat called Jock!

Winston  Churchill’s mother was Jennie Jerome, a beautiful American who actually has great ties to CNY.  The Jerome Family farms were in CNY and the land that my family built its house on was part of the Jerome Farm…home of Jennie’s grandmother.  

Thoughts of the Jerome farm led me to ponder the fact that for Christmas one year I gave my brother the gold watch dad had given me...he had found the old gold watch in the family garden as a young man...a garden that would later become the family compound of homes.  Repaired and running, I thought it was a great family history piece and a great present.

Picture I took on a trip to London
of Churchill's statue with
Big Ben in Background

Churchill was supposed to come to speak at a family reunion in Syracuse once, but had to turn back because of the presence of U Boats...he did send a telegram to the family group assembled…a piece of history I learned from the Wood-Eaton sisters who visited me years back in Eaton.  They were relatives and were to be at the reunion and remembered the trip.   They had come to Eaton to visit their great grandfather Allen Nelson Wood’s house, the house I live in.  Isn’t it strange how life is full of so much serendipity?

Mr. Wood was named Allen Nelson Wood...Nelson for Lord Nelson a hero his family honored with the name for many generations…and then suddenly my grey cat Rascal jumped in my lap…hint …one o f Winston Churchill’s most famous cat’s  (grey) was named Nelson to honor Lord Nelson.

Churchill was a cat lover, actually an animal lover.  Winston and his wife Clementine signed their love letters to each other with little drawn pictures…he a dog (Pug) she his cat...and their daughter the PK or puppy-kitten.

His cat stories are famous and many can still picture him speaking with a drink in one hand and the grey cat next to him. One story I love is... after one of his famous speeches (he had a lisp as well as drank) a woman MP in Parliament said, “Sir, you are drunk!”  His replay was “Madame that may be true, but in the morning I shall be sober whereas you will still be ugly!”

His favorite cat in later life cat was a ginger-marmalade colored cat he called  “Jock”, named after Sir John Coville his secretary who gave it to him.  Churchill loved the color and the cat so much that after giving his home Chartwell to the National Trust… he stated in his will that it should always have a ginger colored cat in residence…and to this day it does…and always named appropriately “Jock”.

Great piece of history...please help find this new stray cat a home or its owner!

Cats, Winston Churchill, Eaton...Me...

Thanksgiving time is always a time of reflection and remember and for me.  I saw a news segment that reminded me of London, it also reminded me of my latest present from some friends.. a poster.   The poster was a copy of a historic poster put out just before Britain’s anticipated entrance into WWII in 1939.  Humorously, the poster was never publically displayed and recently was found and has become a new symbol...one I love… “Keep Calm and Carry On”.  What could be more British...perhaps only thoughts of Winston Churchill!

That brought me to Churchill’s mother who was Jennie Jerome, a beautiful American who actually has great ties to CNY.  The Jerome Family farms were in CNY and the land that my family built its house on was part of the Jerome Farm…home of Jennie’s grandmother.  

Thoughts of the Jerome farm led me to ponder the fact that for Christmas one year I gave my brother the gold watch dad had given me...he had found the old gold watch in the family garden as a young man...a garden that would later become the family compound of homes.  Repaired and running, I thought it was a great family history piece and a great present.

Picture I took on a trip to London
of Churchill's statue with
Big Ben in Background

Churchill was supposed to come to speak at a family reunion in Syracuse once, but had to turn back because of the presence of U Boats...he did send a telegram to the family group assembled…a piece of history I learned from the Wood-Eaton sisters who visited me years back in Eaton.  They were relatives and were to be at the reunion and remembered the trip.   They had come to Eaton to visit their great grandfather Allen Nelson Wood’s house, the house I live in.  Isn’t it strange how life is full of so much serendipity?

Mr. Wood was named Allen Nelson Wood...Nelson for Lord Nelson a hero his family honored with the name for many generations…and then suddenly my grey cat Rascal jumped in my lap…hint …one o f Winston Churchill’s most famous cat’s  (grey) was named Nelson to honor Lord Nelson.

Churchill was a cat lover, actually an animal lover.  Winston and his wife Clementine signed their love letters to each other with little drawn pictures…he a dog (Pug) she his cat...and their daughter the PK or puppy-kitten.

His cat stories are famous and many can still picture him speaking with a drink in one hand and the grey cat next to him. One story I love is... after one of his famous speeches (he had a lisp as well as drank) a woman MP in Parliament said, “Sir, you are drunk!”  His replay was “Madame that may be true, but in the morning I shall be sober whereas you will still be ugly!”

His favorite cat in later life cat was a ginger-marmalade colored cat he called  “Jock”, named after Sir John Coville his secretary who gave it to him.  Churchill loved the color and the cat so much that after giving his home Chartwell to the National Trust… he stated in his will that it should always have a ginger colored cat in residence…and to this day it does…and always named appropriately “Jock”.

Here is one of his most famous speeches....

January, Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt- No Ordinary Time, Doris Kearns Goodwin and a reason to read history!

doris

Springwood at Hyde Park 

The cold of winter and the lure of the “ole woodstove” bring on my study of history as usual.  I have finished from this fall until now... a number of books going from the Great Depression on to the Neal Deal and WWII - from 5 by Churchill, two by Eisenhower, 2 on Johnson, and the gem of them all “No Ordinary Time” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

With January 30^th coming this week – the Birthday of Franklin Delano Roosevelt,  I scheduled reading the book to coincide with it.  The book is a complete look at the Roosevelt years brought forth in an intimate way. It is the story of all the people surrounding the President and First Land as well as the story of a fight not only to end the “Depression” but also to end the world conflict.  Leaders like Winston Churchill, King, Hopkins, and Stalin come to life, as do all the characters involved both official and family life.  Doris uses a huge amount of research that weaves the story using the actual words via diaries, press articles, and personal interviews... as well as glimpses of the official record.

Seeing Eleanor as her true self is a stunning glimpse into a woman who drove herself and in part her husband to improve not on the United States but the world.  She often is called is eyes and legs in her travesl…but the book shows that she was also an antagonist that harped at him for causes he otherwise would have let go.

The title actually came from a speech Eleanor gave not the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  The speech came when Roosevelt ran for an unheard of third term.  He maneuvered to get the delegates to put his name up for nomination without actually declaring to run or going to the convention.  The conventioneers resented the fact that he did not come in person and when he wished to have Henry Wallace nominated for Vice President... the convention erupted trying to push a number of other candidates beccoming quite an unsettled and raucous scene. 

So in typical fashion he asked Eleanor to go and speak to them.  Up until that time no other First Lady had addressed a Democratic Convention.  With noise and “carryings-on” they put her to the podium after all the names had been placed in nomination to speak.  As she spoke the convention quieted and she appealed to them to give the President the man he wanted…with the world at war  “this was no ordinary time”.  When she finished, Wallace was unanimously selected.

The book is a New York Times Best Seller, the winner of a Pulitzer Prize and a worthy study that should be read by all… especially the baby boomers and younger folk so that they can get a true picture of those days in America. A time of poverty, strife, segregation, New Deals, rationing, the industrial War effort, women to work, and most of all the intimate story of the man that held it all together.

Quoting the New York Times _”Men will thank God on their knees a hundred years from now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. “

Even if you don’t agree with his policies reading the book will give you the ability to see that his Presidency was a gift to the people of not only America, but the world at war!  Read or listen to it.  A rare history book that will have you crying with the Nation at the end.

Below is my video of Springwood at Hyde Park where you can visit the Presidents home, Library, and Eleanor's cottage at Val-kill....a day trip visit from CNY a great place to visit with the family.

This week, the Government shut down, World War II, Patton, and The Lost Children!

What a week…. government shut downs…people burning themselves…. unarmed mentally ill people being shot in their cars ... instead of having their tires shot  out… boats of refuges trying to escape war capsized...  everyone on edge?????

I have been doing this year’s calendar for Eaton and decided to do it on the events and pertinent dates of World War II, the second war to end all wars… which of course never end.

I actually have finished my list of 7 books to read on the war from Eisenhower’s Crusade in Europe, Ambrose’s Eisenhower and the 5 volumes of Churchill’s…  I came away horrified that we still go to war without realizing the cost.  It appears our wars are more civilized now… war is not civilized.

Eisenhower’s book in his own words concentrates on the alliance of the Allied countries,  trying to keep all of the leaders happy, his work to win the war with the fewest losses, and at its ending … forming a world body to prevent war ... or to have countries work together toward that cause.  

Churchill on the other hand deals with it as facts and figures.  This or that ship went down… sunk… with 2,000 men drowned. 

Thousands of men on boats went down unable to be rescued in the cold waters of the North Atlantic… thousands.  In the book “The Grand Alliance” he talks with our general in charge of transporting troops to Europe and says the ship Queen Elizabeth can carry them… to paraphrase - "Our General asks how many troops at a time could she carry safely."  Churchill claimed... "If you get rid of the lifeboat worry (which could only save 8,000) you could carry a Division or 16,000 men…"   "and if it is sunk?"  It was basically the price of “War”.

Churchill seemed to be speaking of soldiers like the little plastic soldiers we post -war kids played with as children behind book forts. The more soldiers you had ... the most power you had.  We failed as children to realize each of them represented a young boy or man going off to war. (Today a woman.)

So to finish the calendar I decided to put in quotes on each page, mostly by soldiers or generals.  Some are famous like Patton’s - “When we get to Berlin I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake!” 

Some are to voice of reason; my favorite is Einstein’s… “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”

Then I remembered a song by Gordon Lightfoot called “The Lost Children”.  Few people remember it …but this Viet Nam era song says it all.  I include the song and music video with words after it!

Down the hall their voices ring, their feet are on the run
Phantoms on the winter sky, together they do come
Faded lips and eyes of blue they're carried in the wind
Their laughter filled the countryside but they'll not laugh again

All the games are ended now, their voices have been stilled
Their fathers built the tools of war by which they all were killed
Their fathers made the uniforms showing which side they were on
And the young boys wear the middle name for guns to prey upon

You've seen the fires in the night, watched the devil as he smiles
You've heard a mother's mournful cry as she searches for her child
You've seen the lines of refugees, the faces of despair
And wondered at the wise men who never seem to care

Goodbye you lost children, God speed you on your way
Your little beds are empty now, your toys are put away
Your mother sings a lullaby as she gazes at the floor
Your father builds more weapons and marches out once more

Down the hall their voices ring, their feet are on the run
Phantoms on the winter sky, together they do come
Faded lips and eyes of blue they're carried in the wind
Their laughter filled the countryside but they'll not laugh again

Thoughts on cats ...Winston Churchill, History.. Eaton & Me

This week has been interesting with its weather to say the least...and I really wondered what to blog about until a deep fog fell over Eaton tonight.  The fog always reminds me of London, it also reminded me of my latest present from some friends.. a poster.   The poster was a copy of a historic poster put out just before Britain’s anticipated entrance into WWII in 1939.  Humorously, the poster was never publically displayed and recently was found and has become a new symbol...one I love… “Keep Calm and Carry On”.  What could be more British...perhaps only thoughts of Winston Churchill!

That brought me to Churchill’s mother who was Jennie Jerome, a beautiful American who actually has great ties to CNY.  The Jerome Family farms were in CNY and the land that my family built its house on was part of the Jerome Farm…home of Jennie’s grandmother. 

Thoughts of the Jerome farm led me to ponder the fact that for Christmas this year I gave my brother the gold watch dad had given me...he had found the old gold watch in the family garden as a young man...a garden that would later become the family compound of homes.  Repaired and running, I thought it was a great family history piece and a great present.

Picture I took on a trip to London
of Churchill's statue with
Big Ben in Background

Churchill was supposed to come to speak at a family reunion in Syracuse once, but had to turn back because of the presence of U Boats...he did send a telegram to the family group assembled…a piece of history I learned from the Wood-Eaton sisters who visited me years back in Eaton.  They were relatives and were to be at the reunion and remembered the trip.   They had come to Eaton to visit their great grandfather Allen Nelson Wood’s house, the house I live in.  Isn’t it strange how life is full of so much serendipity?

Mr. Wood was named Allen Nelson Wood...Nelson for Lord Nelson a hero his family honored with the name for many generations…and then suddenly my grey cat Rascal jumped in my lap…hint …one o f Winston Churchill’s most famous cat’s  (grey) was named Nelson to honor Lord Nelson.

Churchill was a cat lover, actually an animal lover.  Winston and his wife Clementine signed their love letters to each other with little drawn pictures…he a dog (Pug) she his cat...and their daughter the PK or puppy-kitten.

His cat stories are famous and many can still picture him speaking with a drink in one hand and the grey cat next to him. One story I love is... after one of his famous speeches (he had a lisp as well as drank) a woman MP in Parliament said, “Sir, you are drunk!”  His replay was “Madame that may be true, but in the morning I shall be sober whereas you will still be ugly!”

His favorite cat in later life cat was a ginger-marmalade colored cat he called  “Jock”, named after Sir John Coville his secretary who gave it to him.  Churchill loved the color and the cat so much that after giving his home Chartwell to the National Trust… he stated in his will that it should always have a ginger colored cat in residence…and to this day it does…and always named appropriately “Jock”.

Here is one of his most famous speeches....