Dylan Nursery School, May 23, 2016

Today I accompanied my Daughter Joyce as she went to my Great Grandson Dylan's Day Care. They have a program where relatives and others are invited by the students to come to school and read to the class. Dylan invited his grandmother Joyce to come read "Dragons Love Tacos". We arrived and were escorted to Dylan's room and were introduced to the class. The students were either sitting on the floor or sitting in their little chairs. I was given one to sit on and after some careful lowering my stiff joints gentle down I finally made it to the seat of the little chair. Joyce introduced herself and told the children what she was going to read. She read the book holding it up so the class could see the photographs and she would often point out things in the photographs. She did a super job and the children enjoyed the story. Next we all moved to tables on the other side of the room where the children were given a frosted cup cake to eat. It was fun watching the children eat their cup cakes. Some of them very carefully removed the paper cup, others tried eating it without taking it out of the paper cup. One little girl very carefully pinched off a bit at a time. Now I saw a couple of boys that managed to get the cup cake in their mouths in two bits with their mouths very full. Joyce and I were even given a cup cake.A couple of the children (twins) were celebrating birthdays so they were given special cupcakes with a lighted candle which they blew out. Next we all went out side to a beautiful play area well supplied with toys to ride.Part of the play area is grass, part is a soft rubber like material and a smaller section is asphalt. Following a period of play the class was dismissed and the students were picked up.

 Grand mother Joyce reading "Dragons Love Tacos" to Dylan's class

 Great Grand Son Dylan eating a snack.

 Great Grand Son Dylan eating a frosted muffin

That muffin is good

 Dylan checking to see how much is left

 Eating muffin

Dylan Enjoys the last bit of his muffin 

Dylan playing on a slide

We took Dylan home where his other grandmother was waiting for him. I had not seen Dylan's new home and he gave me a tour. He showed me his fish and his room. We went out side and he has a beautiful yard to play in. His little sister Macie showed me her beautiful playhouse.

Dylan's beautiful new home. 

Macie's Grandmother put on Macie's shoes . 

 Macie playing in her back yard.

 Macie standing in front of her beautiful wood play house house

Macie inside her play house. An adult can stand up inside

this play house.

Grand mother Joyce inside play house with Macie.

This was a very enjoyable day visiting Dylan's nursery school, seeing Dylan and Macie's new home and their back yard which is spacious and beautiful..

Remember what I always say. God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill.

World War Two Enactment Weekend

I started this posting  about the World War Two Encampment Weekend  held at Old Bethpage Village Restoration but after getting there and seeing what was going on I decided to do an informational posting just on the Old Bethpage Village Restoration project. That has now been done so I will post about the Encampment Weekend. 

Old Bethpage Village Restoration Welcome Center

Welcome Sign Showing locations of displays

Volunteers in period uniforms act out various Army duties during the 

enactment. This lady is handing out information about an upcoming air 

show.

Mounted machine gun on vehicle

 Tracked vehicle pulling  "Long Tom" gun.

 Grandpa Guarneiri with great grand daughter Casidy standing by  great 

grand son Charlie in stroller.

Long Tom 

 To begin with spectators were permitted to walk all over the field
and get up close to all the vehicles and talk to a volunteer who would
explain the vehicle and answer questions.

                                 

Great Grand Daughter Casidy Takes a try at the jeep.

 Medical Vehicle

 Of course the pin girl up is ever present

 Medical tent. here a volunteer displays some of the instruments used.

Soldier's tents.

 More medical supplies on display

Sherman tank

 Trailer typically pulled behind a jeep.

 Typical jeep with tools fastened all over it.

 Company Headquarters Tent.

Field kitchen for cooking meals

 Chaplains tent 

 One of seveeral vendor's tent selling all sorts of ball caps, t-shirts
and other "stuff".

 Six By with mounted machine gun

My daughter Grand  mother Joyce and great grand daughter 

Casidy resting.

 Reenactment involved several armored vehicles and troop advancing
on and enemy fortified bunker and capturing it.

 Mock enemy fortified bunker

 Jeep and heavy duty wrecker

Some vendor offerings. These ammunition boxes were for $18.00.  

 I helped a little boy talk his mother into buying one for hm. She kept telling him 'but $18.00". What in the world would you do with it and she looked at me. I saw my chance so I told her every little boy need a box to keep his special stuff in such as a special rock or a special twig or all sort of little boy secret stuff. A little boy needs a box and this is a very special kind of box. Mommy bought the box and the little boy went away smiling and carrying his box.

Fire truck

 Command vehicle

 Volunteer Nurse giving great grand daughter Casidy a band aid

I asked her to look up for a photograph as grandmother Joyce 

looks on.

Following the mock battle they conducted a parade of all the equipment. 

Following that they lined all the equipment up again so the spectators who 

may have arrived latecould get up close to them. I found it interesting  that 

this equipment seemed so ancient when compared to today's equipment. It 

was state of art then but very old now. Never the less if required it could be 

quiet useful today in many situations. 

I want to point out again that all the people and organizations that put on these enactments are volunteers who spend a considerable amount of time preparing for and conducting these enactments. They feel that it provides a recognition to the service of the military who actually fought in the war and more importantly for the population to not forget about their dedication and service to our nations. Of utmost importance is for our younger generations and children to know about this period our national history. 

If you are ever in an area where one of the many, many different reenactments are presented make a point to go see it and take some young folks with you.

I want to thank all the volunteers, organizations and sponsors who make this kind of presentation possible. Thank you.

Remember as I always say God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration

This posting started out to be about the World War Two Encampment at Old Bethpage Village but after getting there and seeing what was going on I decided to do an informational posting just on the Old Bethpage Village Restoration project that is there and is the largest activity there. 

Welcome Center

Welcome Center from parking lot

Entrance and parking lot

The following information  I gathered from various materials posted in and around the Old Bethpage Village Restoration site which is abbreviated as OBVR and came into existence in 1963. At that time Nassau County acquired a 165 acre farm located on the Nassau and Suffolk county border. This property was known as the Powell property. Following World War Two this area was undergoing very rapid growth and many of the historical landmarks were being lost. So a plan was put into place to restore and preserve this important part of Long Island history. It is important to note that this restoration is intended to represent a rural village of the mid-19th century.  The colonial settlers many of  whom were Dutch and English founded small areas which served as centers for business and community activities. Normally these area would contain stores, meeting houses and of course taverns. Agricultural activities generally were in outlying areas. This activity was during the 1640s time period but by the 1700s the English had gained control over Long Island, townships were established and any land that was not developed they took control of and the economy  while still agricultural turned to various trades that were dependent on sea and land. The population still enjoyed an unhurried and quiet lifestyle which visitors can get a sense of if they take the time to tour OBVR in an leisurely manner.

Map of the Old Bethpage Village Restoration

                    Map of the Old Bethpage Village Restoration. Notice at the top of the map is an open field                                                   where the World war Two Encampment takes place.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Enlargement of sections of the map to make it more legible.

Of course elections were a necessary thing in 1848 and here are a couple of posters from that time.

Election poster for 1848

These were your candidates for the 1848 election.

Remember what I always say God lovs you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill