My best “System” Thanksgiving memory was in 1955 while stationed at the Joint RCN/USN Oceanographic Research Station Shelburne, Nova Scotia Canada. Our Ops Officer “Mr. Fred Jones” (“God to us seaman”) invited (told) three of us “Yanks” to “report” to his home in Shelburne for Thanksgiving dinner. “We were scared to death about going to an officer’s home – let alone Mr. Jones. Mrs. Jones (Mona) put on a spread as you might imagine. We were treated like royalty and were even offered a glass of wine (we were all underage). When the meal was over we offered to help clean up and do the dishes. That is when I blew it! I threw out Mrs. Jones’s left-over gravy… I never heard the end of that. Even their children (who had yet to be born) knew of what I did. As evident in these e-mails:
Hello, Ed,
I hope all is well with you. I do not know if you were told that my mother, Mona Jones, died on Dec 19, 2010 on Salt Spring Island. She had a stroke in November, but held on for a month, passing away at the age of 91, one month short of her 92nd birthday. She always enjoyed the stories of your connection to both my parents in Shelburne. I still love hearing them!
Take care,
Linda Jones
Linda, (their daughter)
So sorry to hear of your Mom’s passing. I will always remember her as one “classy lady”. – But she did get “disturbed” when I threw out her turkey gravy – doing dish clean-up (Thanksgiving dinner Shelburne 1955. I was a young “seaman” and your Mom and Dad invited 3 of us young “yanks” to dinner – we were scared to death about going).
My thoughts and prayers are with the Jones family.
Always,
Ed
Hi, Ed,
Thanks for your thoughts about my mother. She will be in our hearts forever.
The gravy story is one of our family favorites.
I hope all is well with you for 2012.
Linda Jones
Mr. Jones was my mentor and my friend. - Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. - Ed Smock
Ed:
I never heard the "gravy story", but that helps explain a lot that followed. In trouble with the San Diego police, being a criminal fugitive from Bermuda, etc.
Our best to you on this fine day. That "ching-ching" sound we will hear in a few minutes will be kids and grand kids. For sure if "ole Mobe" came crashing through the pines (no oleanders here), we would happily set an extra place at the table.
WOW... George, "You are my Brother"...
I'm sure all of you out there have met someone in the "System" and share the closeness of family as George and I do. Let me tell you, never quit letting that person know how much they are remembered. I think the older we grow the more we realize how much these close bonds have meant and still mean to us. They are memories that will stay with us "beyond forever"... I guess this is why we Love the "System"... The "System" is its people. - Ed Smock
