Author Archives: Charlie Hudson

About Charlie Hudson

Off with my combat boots and onto writing best describes Charlie my two careers. Born in Pine Bluff, Ark., and raised in Louisiana, I count myself as a military veteran, wife, mother, freelance writer, and author. What was intended to be a quick two years in the Army became a 22-year career instead, and somehow in the process, I discovered that I was an inadvertent pioneer by serving in several positions that had previously been held only by men. By the time I was in Desert Storm and later Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, women in leadership assignments was more widely accepted. My love of writing never left me though whether it is a short article that highlights an animal rescue group, penning the stories of a female police detective in the Florida Keys, or presenting issues about aging that Baby Boomers need to address, or working on a corporate proposal. When my husband, Hugh, also retired from the Army, we relocated to South Florida where we can both enjoy the underwater world in dive sites all around Key Largo. We do break away though to still travel, and especially visit the Washington, D.C. area where son Dustin is a professional dancer and lives with his wife, Samantha.

Speaking of Amazing Women….

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100 women in almost 40 airplanes making a 2,684 mile race from Grand Forks, North Dakota to Homestead, Florida. Now that isn’t something you see everyday. The small planes, each with a pilot and co-pilot, left ND Tuesday, Jun 20, 2023 and had until Friday, Jun 23 at 5:00 p.m., to make the trip to be qualified to win. Programmed stops were Mankato, MN, Ottumwa, IA, Hastings, NE, Ponca City, OK, Sulphur Springs, TX, Jonesboro, AR, Pell City, AL, and Cross City, FL before arriving in Homestead. This was also the first time in the 46-year history they came as far south as Homestead. The race changes each year to different parts of the country. This is from the initial Press Release we were provided:

“he oldest race of its kind in the nation, the Air Race Classic traces its roots to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby, aka the Powder Puff Derby, in which Amelia Earhart and 19 other daring female pilots raced from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio. This year’s ARC celebrates the 94th anniversary of that historic competition, which marked the beginning of women’s air racing in the United States. Today, the ARC is the epicenter of women’s air racing, the ultimate test of piloting skill and aviation decision[1]making for female pilots of all ages and from all walks of life.”

There were of course weather issues and a couple of mechanical failures, but most arrived, tired, sweaty, yet successful. Since they all had different airplanes (quite a few Cessna 172s), there was a formula used in a controlled course prior to the start of the race to provide a “handicap” that was applied to the final flight information to determine the winner. Ages were mixed with college teams all they way into women in their seventies. Hubby was taking the article because it was definitely one that needed great photographs. There was one team in particular the paper was interested in as the pilot is a member of Rotary. Hubby began following her using the tracking system and with the delays, he had to finish teaching a class when the team was scheduled to land. I went out to snap an easy photo, get a few details and set up a time for Hubby to interview them that evening.

I spoke with several volunteers, mostly women, again in a mix of ages. It takes

One of the all women teams in the 2023 Air Race Classic

quite an effort to put something like this on and to have that many accomplished women in one place at one time is incredibly inspiring.

“ABOUT THE AIR RACE CLASSIC

Air Race Classic Inc. is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with a mission of encouraging and educating current and future female pilots, increasing public awareness of general aviation, demonstrating women’s roles in aviation, and preserving and promoting the tradition of pioneering women in aviation. For more information, go to airraceclassic.org. Follow Air Race Classic on Facebook. On Twitter: @AuthenticARC”

 

 

Got Behind Again……

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So much for a calmer week. I’m not going to get into how the week became so jammed, but it’s not the first time and probably won’t be the last. Hopefully, the extra things thrown in will have positive results and we’ll leave it at that.

Skipping forward to the Food and Drink part, that’s not the usual sharing of a recipe. The oldest (or second depending on how you count a couple of factors) continuously serving family restaurant in Miami Dade County will change hands next week. We’ve know this if coming for a while as a couple of different offers have been working. The Capri in Florida City was opened in 1959 and carried on by the second generation. As I have posted before when it comes to family businesses, it is common for the third generation to be the one that walks away, or in some cases, fails. This time it’s that the third generation did work in the business for a while and have chosen not to continue with it.

COVID was so difficult for businesses and the Capri was determined to try and provide some normalcy during the months of closures and ever-changing restrictions. They complied with each new edict and we patronized them even more than usual in support of their efforts. The government financial support was no where near what has often been lauded although it was of some help. The follow-on inability to get staff is what was an added difficulty. And so, there comes a time when you make a logical choice even if it is not the one you would have preferred.

For all of its years, this was the special occasion restaurant and hundreds – probably thousands – of special memories were made. It was also the “nice” restaurant where celebrities and VIPs were taken when they were in town. While we will very much miss it as a place, we hope the family taking it over will be successful in their own way.

 

Aaargh – Not the Pirate Talk One…..

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Hubby was a big “Bloom County” comic strip fan although it was not one I was familiar with when we started dating. One of the characters – Bill the Cat – often used the Aargh! for exclamations of different reactions – and I don’t know, maybe it was adapted from “pirate talk”. Anyway, I seem to be having somewhat of an Aargh! stretch here when it comes to finding files. Like most people, I have drawers and boxes full and that doesn’t count the thousands I now have on the computer. I have posted about this before and a recent conversation with a friend, plus my annoyance at not being able to locate a couple of fairly important files, is what triggered the thought.

I cannot imagine what I did with the two missing files – well, the two I’m frustrated with at the moment – because I have a specific place where each of them should be. That means I filed them in a temporary place even though I have checked the usual “temporary place” to no avail. Or I inadvertently filed them in a wrong folder/box. The primary issue with files is of course the sheer volume as you accumulate things and what on earth to do with them. I’m not referring to “hoarding”; rather to the normal things we all experience in life. For example, I still have a large number of files from my second career dealing with projects that have long since been over and there is virtually no likelihood anyone will ever ask me for them again. And yet, what if someone does? That collides right into the primary issue when I (and most people) decide to clear some out. There are few things more mind-numbing than starting to go through old files. Some are easy; expired insurance documents I meant to toss is a good example. Beyond that, you often have to think about what to do with each one and about fifty (or fewer) into it, the temptation to toss increases. While that may be okay, sure as the world, that may be the item you do later realize you needed to keep.

When Not Winning Isn’t Losing…..

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Musing content alert. I was watching an episode of “Brokenwood Mysteries” the other day – I watch DVD while I’m on the exercise bike – and it was centered around the murder of the local rugby team coach. As always, there was more than one story line. A somewhat catalyst (although not the true motive) for the murder was the fact the team had lost fifty straight games. In teasing one of the players, his comment was, “Hey, us not winning doesn’t mean we’re losers.”

That sets up the duality of, “It’s isn’t whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game that counts,” as opposed to, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

Competitiveness runs the gamut from individuals who feel no reason to compete/are afraid to, to the far end of those who will do anything to win. The saying (more or less) of, “The first automobile race occurred ten minutes after the second automobile was produced,” speaks to the human nature to compete. It motivates and allows/encourages people to reach for a higher level in whatever. As with most things in life, balance and moderation are key. Team sports teach much to an individual; such as how to do your best and how you can often do more than you think. Training and practice can improve your performance (again in whatever). In many situations though there can only be one winner. That’s the valuable lesson of understanding that not winning is not the same as being a loser.

From another context, the idea of “participation trophies” and not keeping scores comes with the risk of not learning that valuable lesson. I firmly believe in participation acknowledgement and instilling in the “winners” the need to do so graciously.

Whole Fish on the Grill……

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There are certain meals we do that are multi-step and/or time consuming which means we don’t make them very often. Whole fish on the grill is one and I’m not sure exactly why we decided to do it last week. I think it was because it had been a while.

Step one of course is to get the whole fish and the market that does them changed ownership several months ago. There weren’t many changes inside and it was later on a Saturday so the selection was limited. They did have some nice yellow-tail snappers. Next step is waiting for the lady (in this case) to prep the fish as we don’t do that. Prepping the fish when it’s time to cook is a process, too, with seasoning, then putting fresh herbs, and lemon slices. Hubby did dill, parsley, and rosemary as the herbs. Salt, pepper, and a little seafood seasoning for that part. The fish is scored although I don’t remember the reason for that step. Next is prepping the grill to try and keep the fish from sticking. Yes, this step can be by-passed if you do them in foil packets, but that wasn’t the plan this time.

Okay, grill and fish are all prepped and Hubby has the extra special spatula he uses to turn them and did manage to do so with leaving them intact. Now, the whole fish is on the plate and it’s being very careful with eating as there are the bones to deal with. I managed to only get stuck once. It is a delicious meal although not everyone likes looking at a whole fish on a plate. We did small whole potatoes and corm as the sides. I don’t recall the brand, but Publix has the potatoes in a package that has a seasoning pack and they are done in the microwave in like seven minutes. You cook them, then stir in 1-2 TBS of butter and the seasoning mix until the potatoes are coated. They are excellent and easy to do.

D-Day To Remember……

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Someone should be running “The Longest Day” today; the movie that until “Saving Private Ryan” came along was arguably the premiere movies about WW II. I still prefer, “The Longest Day”, but that’s merely an age-and-time thing. I only have it on tape so will record it although I should just go ahead and buy the DVD. Anyway, by telling the story from both the Allied and German perspectives, there are intriguing points made (many historically accurate) and marvelous moments encapsulate the extraordinary day that shifted the war. Yes, it was almost another year (May 1945) before the war was over and thousands died in the battles following June 6th; yet that day was the “beginning of the end”.

The cast of the movie included virtually every major American male actor, a number of British ones, some German, and a few in minor roles who would later become iconic such as Sean Connery.  For those who need a quick history lesson, the planned invasion (Operation Overload) was indeed the largest force assembled in modern history and there was always the issue of crossing the channel at the narrowest point – the logical approach – or taking a greater risk of selecting another path. The German defenses were formidable and in deciding on the riskier Normandy option, a major deception campaign with multiple pieces was developed and launched; all designed to reinforce the belief that the invasion would occur near Pas de Clais. In the movie, as events begin, that continues to be the core issue. When paratroopers make their mostly successful drops (despite the horrific cost at Saint Mare d’Eglise) and members of the French Resistance play their parts, a few German officers draw the correct conclusion. In one of the memorable lines, a highly placed German commander says, “No, no; Normandy is a diversion. The invasion will come where it has always been expected.” He does plan to shift the reserves German tank battalions (Panzers) as a precaution. This is denied by Berlin. Would the outcome have been different had the Panzers been added into the fray? Perhaps; perhaps other factors would have offset that.

In any case, there is another scene I can watch endlessly. The order is given to launch the Allied forces and there is a shot of the armada moving through the pre-dawn hours. On board one of the Navy ships, the Captain stands with one of his officers, looking at the blips on the radar screen. He says something like, “The biggest armada the world has ever seen. You remember this; you remember every bit of this. The world is going to talk about this day long after we are dead and gone.”

Diving into My Gap…..

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Although my goal is to post three times a week, as anyone who follows the blog knows, I have gaps. The lapse is generally due to extra hectic days and this week it was sort of that. I had a couple of afternoons where I had to link together additional tasks or meetings which took me into the evening hours and quite frankly I ran out of energy.

Yesterday was slightly different as I was able to get out to dive. The situation though was it was a crowded boat (it is that time of year) and that generally causes things to be somewhat delayed, then there was a major downpour on the way home, plus a wreck being cleared to further delay things and a couple of other things thrown into the bargain. That took care of me being able to post yesterday,

Surface conditions going out to the dive sites were almost flat and there was basically no current on the dives. While there weren’t many “big things” – that means turtles, rays, eels, sharks, and so forth – there were a lot of fish that I enjoy. Visibility was better on the first dive which was on one of the sections of French Reef, then we moved to the wreck of the Benwood; the genuine WW II wreck I’ve written about before. The visibility was down which is a common occurrence on the wreck because there can be lots of particulate matter in the water from rotting wood, bits of marine vegetation breaking loose, and other factors. Hubby did find a large puffer; always something to enjoy. He apparently also found an eel, but I didn’t know that until later. He had to work the afternoon dive which meant we didn’t get to share a leisurely lunch after, but again, it is starting the time of year when diving is the best and most popular. Oh, they did get hit with that thunderstorm on the way out the the Spiegel Grove and moved out of it as they neared the site for good weather the rest of the dive.

In two opposite of sizes, mature puffers are large and the bright blue chromis are only a few inches long, but are really pretty.

Two puffers from previous dives; don;t remember when.

Chromis are seen on most of the local reefs.

Memorial Day Tomorrow…..

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It will be an early showing tomorrow at the local cemetery for the annual ceremony to have speeches, talk about traditions of the flag, solemnly raise and lower it to half-mast, fire the gun salute, and play taps in memory of all who have died and been killed while in service to the country. Volunteers will then place small flags on the graves of veterans. Three and four generations will share in the experience; some with loved ones in this cemetery; others there to honor veterans they have never known. Hubby is sometimes available for this as the much better photographer than me, and that’s the case tomorrow. He will capture the photos in a beautiful way and I’ll write the story that changes little year to year. The continuity is part of the story with some of the individuals having done this for decades. A friend commented Friday she will not go to this, but rather be out later to privately acknowledge her brother who did not return from Vietnam. Similar events will take place all over the country and at military cemeteries overseas. One of the final tasks of settling our father’s estate was to arrange for the marker from the Veteran’s Administration acknowledging his service in the Navy during WW II. He didn’t see combat in the Pacific as he entered toward the end of the war after the famous major battles. He served on a ship however transporting hundreds of thousands of munitions which were thankfully no longer needed. Some were sent to bases to restock; others returned to supply depots; some were carried out to be demolished. I assume the small town where he lived will have a ceremony; there wasn’t time last year after his passing to get the paperwork through to have the marker sent for installation.

After the solemn events, there will of course be cookouts and gatherings; the holiday also traditionally marking the beginning of summer despite the official calendar day being next month. Even our cold neighbors to the north will have trees leafing and blossoms opening and hopefully pleasant weather.

 

Lamb in Different Forms….

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As I’ve mentioned before, I did not grow up with lamb as a food in the Deep South. I would have read about it books I’m sure and I suppose you could get it in the big city of Shreveport although I never heard anyone mention it. Although I did have a number of different things during my time in France, lamb was not one of them, nor did I have it when I was in my first few years in the Army. I was in Maine with my first husband’s family for Easter so of course it was roast leg of lamb with mint jelly. I was pleasantly surprised even though it wasn’t like I enjoyed it to the point of deciding we should routinely add it to the menu. It seems as if Italy was where we began to see lamb more often in restaurants and have access at the commissary (military grocery stores). Roasting was still the common way to prepare because Hubby was deprived of a grill until we were later assigned to Hawaii. Once again, lamb was not exactly a staple on the island. Being in the Washington, D.C. area was where it was plentiful and grilled lamb chops became the fall back. It really is much quicker than roasting a leg.

A few years ago, Hubby got the idea to use lamb shoulder as a substitute for veal in Osso Bucco because the store hardly ever has veal shanks. It works remarkably well and we always have broth and veggies left over as well as some lamb. That’s when I make a soup adding in another meat; often chicken, turkey, or sausage. We haven’t used ground lamb for anything, mostly because we have it often enough in other forms. When the kids come to visit, we make a point to do lamb chops since daughter-in-law loves them and son can’t bring himself to eat lamb. He acknowledges that dates back to enjoying the cute little lambs that belonged to one of the neighbors who lived close to his grandparents in Maine.

Busy Weekends……

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The next two weekends will be especially busy. Today is Military Appreciation Day with a four-hour event downtown. Hubby always covers it for the paper if he isn’t working because it’s another of the photo-heavy kind of things. I am at the museum since we often get extra visitors and we might have to be open a little later. There are military vehicles and other equipment on display; speeches to be done of course, music and I’m not sure what all activities for families. The potential rain seems to be holding off although it is over 90 degrees. Needless to say, we will not be cooking tonight. Our friends aren’t available to join us for dinner so the plan is carryout from Sonny’s BBQ.

The International Orchid Festival is going on in another place; an amazing event that brings growers from as far away as Thailand (if they are coming this year). The array is incredible and brings plenty of people in. Next weekend is no better as we have the Art in the Park that will be an evening/nighttime event for the first time. That is directly related to the heat and that also means I’ll have to cover the museum at least a few extra hours. There will be lots of activities and some new things they have planned so we’ll see what the reaction is to those. There are some recurring favorites and individual artists or groups can be quite creative when coming up with ideas. If I wasn’t going to be in the museum, I would be partly involved in an activity. If Hubby is available next week, he’ll get some “cute kids” photos as I already wrote an article a few weeks ago to encourage people to volunteers or participate in some other way. If we cover the story beforehand, a photo spread with enhanced captions as the follow-up.