DEAR COACH: Letters Home from WW II

Finally, after 7 years, I've published Dear Coach. It's now available at the Elizabethtown College online bookstore (www.etown.edu) and will soon be on Amazon. Very exciting but sometimes eclipsed by campaign activities. I think my parents would both be happy with the book. I'm looking forward to getting together with some of the letter writers and their families at the College Homecoming on October 17th. We'll read some of the letters that day - the stories are so moving. Here's one of the blurbs that was written for the cover:

"More than just a collection of letters, Dear Coach is the scrapbook of an extended family - a coach and his kids - dealing with a war that forced a generation to grow up overnight. The warmth between Coach Ira Herr and his kids shows the positive impact that caring educators can have on students' lives and how supportive mentoring can reach across oceans and continents to help sustain young people as they face the challenges of adulthood, The book's intimate correspondence, set in the context of a traditionally pacifist Christian college community also offers a glimpse at idealist souls wrestling with the tension between a commitment to non-violence and the need to combat Axis evils." Jim Kushlan, Editor and Publisher of America in WWII Magazine.

campaigning

I'm actively campaigning for congress again. Right now it's mostly fundraising but other exciting events come along, like the Netroots Nation event in Pittsburgh this week. I'll be driving out to be at the WCF (Women's Campaign Forum) booth helping others who are thinking of running for office and going to the candidates night event as well. Beth Becker introduced me to some of the bloggers recently and I'm looking forward to meeting more of the netroots folks.

Home again

Arrived back in New York early on April 26th - good to see the US flag flying on the Queen Mary 2. Back in Elizabethtown Spring was well underway as the dogwoods on the Elizabethtown College campus attest. I took this trip, after a difficult year, to open my mind and heart to new possibilities, new friends, new information, new directions, and new opportunities. I saw the world the old-fashioned way - by sea. The trip was worthwhile in every way.

last day at sea

correction: when I posted last we were 1000 miles from NY. Now we're just22 hours away. Calm seas again.

Transatlantic Crossing

Now 3885 nautical miles from Southampton and only 665 from NYC. Closing days of trip being spent comfortably aboard QM 2 in spite of at least one night of rough seas. Enjoying “old” friends from the Queen Victoria - the captain had a party for the 240 of us continuing on to NY from England (there were 750 on the QV portion of the world cruise). Not spending as much time in the gym/spa here but enjoying the opportunity to play golf on a simulator. Tomorrow I’ll be playing the Maui Kapalua Village and Bay courses! Also spending time going over the close-to-final copy of Dear Coach. Then, of course, it will be time to pack for one more time. Looking forward to seeing friends at home.

Queen Mary 2

On the Queen Mary 2, about half way across the Atlantic (1500 miles traveled, 1700 to go). Have a few QV friends sharing this crossing, and we’ve already managed to get together. Some things about the QM2 are great - like the teak decks, and some things suffer in comparison to the QV - like the Spa. Believe it or not, I prefer the QV spa to the Canyon Ranch Spa here. The gym and trainers aren’t as good as the QV and the beauty spa is outrageously expensive. More later.

Meanwhile, we were enjoying a sunny, reasonably calm trip until last night when the waves picked up to “rough.” Still relatively smooth trip. Before we got past Cornwall, England, they had to evacuate an ill passenger and did so via helicopter. Aside from that the trip has been uneventful. I did win a golf tournament (70 yard shot on the golf simulator), which bodes well for my summer fun. Warm enough to sit out on my deck for a while yesterday. I’m traveling POSH - an expression that comes from long ago trips from England to India, when the desired cabin assignments (for shade) were “port side out, starboard home.” I think that would apply for a transatlantic trip from England to America because the port side is the sunny side on the way west and starboard has the sun on the way back.

Seems like a very short trip - only Monday evening to Sunday morning - hardly time to get to know the ship, but I’m doing my best and walking miles! Will be ready to dig in to politics and marketing Dear Coach on Monday morning.

bye

last post from Queen Victoria - 1 minute 25 seconds remaining on my account. Packed, luggage out for transfer to Queen Mary 2. Will leave QV tomorrow morning. What a wonderful voyage!