June 26, 2015 – OH so tired thanks to the NY State escaped convicts

Maybe it is not fair to blame the escaped convicts for my lack of sleep last night but for sure I dreamt about them, breaking into the house and taking us hostage.  I was never scared, I was on the phone with the OPP in my dream and then put the phone in my pocket so they could listen to what was happening. That is as far as the darn dream went but it kept me up for quite a while. Here is a web connection about the killing this afternoon. He is the one who cut up his former boss. Scary dude… and they were heading for Canada…  http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/06/escaped-convict-richard-matt-shot-and-killed.html Thank goodness for naps. At 1 pm I crawled back into bed and Denis woke me up at 1 and it was just the right amount of sleep to give me energy for the afternoon. I went to Tea at a neighbors house with another one of the gals this afternoon. What a lovely home on the water. It is a year round house although they do go to Florida in the winter.  Would be a great summer home for someone or I was thinking great for someone who worked in Kingston or Gananoque.  It is for sale too.  Got to know the woman a little better and was invited to lunch on tuesday with the group.  Going to see if anyone else is going that I could drive there with. They have a car full at this point. I could always drive myself too. That frees me up to wander where ever I want. So not much else happened today. Last night I started transcribing some of my little stories I have written in classes. They are not edited or anything and should be. But I might see if one of the short ones might go on here. Just a trial.

The Long Walk Home

Mother as she slipped away would pack to go home. She had no car so she would have to walk. Always going to that favorite childhood place. No satchel but lots of pockets with treasures in them. Twine, you must always have twine and rubber banks to hold things in place. She would leave with childhood excitement, she was going home. She would see her family, oh, the delight and the ponies. They would all be there, but after a while Stella would come up and walk by her side, “Where are you going Norah?’ “Well, I am going home” she would reply.  “Where is home?” asked Stella.  “Gananoque” Norah would happily reply.  “Who will be there when you get there?”  “Mama, Papa, and my sisters and brothers, they are waiting for me.”  “Yes they surely are” said Stella, knowing they had all died long ago.

Stella would tell her that it was a long walk and that Stella was getting tired and wanted to go back to the Heritage Home.. Did she want to go back with Stella? ”Yes” would be her response. So together they would walk back to the home. And somewhere in her mind Norah was able to know she had tried to get back there to her parents and her brothers and sisters. Maybe tomorrow she would make it.

Knights of Columbus War Services envelope / air mail stamp /postmarked Debert NS May 1944/ handwritten 26 May No 7 Addressed to: Dr + Mrs Fergus O’Connor, 193 Earl street, Kingston, Ontario 26 May 44 Hello Everyone: I’m sitting in the middle of my bed with Doylie at my feet + Mary Kennedy beside me. I just got Dad’s letter written on Tues and was so glad to get it. I’m glad that Maurice enjoyed his trip and that you got the potatoes planted. I enjoyed the part in the letter about the Dieu and think it is a marvelous idea. Wish I could hear your speech Pops as it will be a very fine one I know. Doylie is lying here and says to say Hello to you all. We haven’t been doing much of anything but lodge around. 27 May 44 Well, I got detained – this is a very modiddilied up place – if ever there ever was one. They had decided to separate us in 2 groups alphabetically and that means Doylie + i will be separated. It is not definite yet but we are not worrying about it yet as there are good heads in both groups. We went to Mass + Communion yesterday afternoon. Well as I want to get this off, shall close, sorry there isn’t any news but I want you to know I’m still here. You were wanting my new address it is Lieut n/s Sheila O’Connor, No 1 Canadian General Reinforcement Unit, Canadian Army Overseas Love and I miss you all alot – Sheila I found this article about the Reinforcement Units that might explain a bit about them: The term “Reinforcement Unit” had been adopted because it was considered that the name “Holding Unit” was liable to have a bad psychological effect on the troops concerned.⁶³ By the spring of 1944 the Canadian Reinforcement Units were organized in six groups⁶⁴ in the Bordon-Aldershot area under a Headquarters, C.R.U.* “A” and “D” Groups embraced five Infantry Reinforcement Units and No. 1 Canadian General Reinforcement Unit, which served Intelligence, Medical, Dental, Provost, Educational, and Auxiliary Service units, as well as the Chaplain Service and the Pay Corps. “B” Group consisted of Engineer, Signals and Army Service Corps Reinforcement Units; “C” Group, one Ordnance and two Artillery Reinforcement Units; “E” Group, three Armoured Corps Reinforcement Units, and “F” Group miscellaneous static units. The decision made early in 1944 to hold some 19,000 reinforcements in the two theatres of war on the Continent had led to the elimination of “G” Group and the disbandment of one Artillery and two Infantry Reinforcement Units.⁶⁵ Each Reinforcement Unit was organized in a headquarters, an instructional wing, an administrative wing and holding wings. The last named were subdivided into wing headquarters and training companies, etc. The whole system in England was designed to hold approximately 23,000 reinforcements at one time.⁶⁶ Early in 1944, in order to stimulate the flow of infantry reinforcements, the policy of sending formed units overseas from Canada was adopted and the arrival of the 13th Infantry Brigade in the summer of that year led to another change in the organization of the Infantry reinforcement units. “A” and “D” Groups and the 13th Infantry Brigade were all disbanded and a new organization known as the 13th Canadian Infantry Training Brigade was formed. This consisted of four and subsequently five training regiments, each made up of one and subsequently two training battalions and one depot ‘ battalion. The latter was responsible for all administration in connection with the reception, holding and dispatch of drafts, while the training battalion carried out refresher and collective training up to company level.⁶⁷ In January 1945, preparatory to the arrival of the 14th and 15th Infantry Brigades, a 14th Canadian Infantry Training Brigade was also set up, consisting of four infantry training regiments, with the same distribution of depot and training battalions as in the 13th Brigade.⁶⁸ http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/Canada/CA/SixYears/SixYears-6.html