Herman Rutgers LeRoy Emmet

I've already written about my father's father, Herman Aaron, in other posts.  Now I want to share a photo I recently found of my mother's father, Herman Emmet.  Yes, both my grandfathers were named Herman!  That seems rather unlikely to me, but that's the way it was.  Herman Aaron died before I was born, but Herman Emmet lived until I was 12.  I remember him as a sweet old man, who would feel my shoulder blades when I was a little girl and tell me he could feel my angel wings growing.   I don't recall ever seeing any photos of him as a young man, though, until I found the photo below while doing a Google search.  This is copied from the yearbook of the 1912 graduating class of Yale University.  I was very pleased to see this photo of my grandfather as a young man of 22.  They also included his autograph below his photo.  I've included the text from the yearbook as well, which includes some biographical information and a few details of his time at Yale, which he was attending 100 years ago.

"Herman Rutgers LeRoy Emmet was born September 26, 1889 in New Rochell, New York.

Robert Temple Emmet, his father, born May 25, 1854, in New York, graduated from West Point, 1876, and is a retired army officer residing at Ashfield, Massachusetts.  Mrs. Emmet's maiden name was Helena Van Courtland Phelps.  

Emmet prepared at St. Mark's School.  He was on the Freshman and Junior Class Crew, the Varsity Crew and Hockey Squads, the Freshman Gun Team, Varsity Gun Team, assistant manager and manager in Junior and Senior years; secretary of the Corinthian Yacht Club, Sophomore year; Fleet Captain Junior year; governor of the University Club Sophomore year, secretary Junior year and president Senior year. He was a Wrangler, a Cup Man, "Chief" of the Mohicans, Cardinal's, Kelly's and Burgundians.  He was active in work for Yale in China.  Delta Kappa Epsilon.  Scroll and Key.  

In Freshman year he roomed with Ely at 242 York Street; in Sophmore year with Ely, Cornwall, G.C. Murphy and Carhart at the Hutch; in Junior and Senior years with Ely in 254 Durfee and 76 Conneticut.

Emmet expects to enter the concrete brick business.  His permanent address is Ashfield, Massachusetts."

Cat Pile!

Last night I looked over to the left of my computer and caught Fieldsie, Zebbie, and Boo all piled on top of Rexie.  I grabbed my camera to document the occaision.  The cats were sleepy and not really in the mood for posing for photos, but I got a few quick shots to show you how cute they were.  Right now the same four cats are cuddled up in the same place again, but tonight Boo is the pillow.  Here is last night's cat pile:

Weeds In Snow

Early one day last week I stepped outside with my camera, into the morning light, and took a few photos.   This one was my favorite, of a clump of dead weeds, looking lovely in the snow:

 
 

When I Was Almost Arrested

I've never actually been arrested, though there was one time it almost happened. I just came across photos from then, so I thought I would post about it. I think it was back (way back) around the summer of 1979, when I was in my mid-20s. I'd gotten involved with a group that was opposed to nuclear power. This was in Charlottesville, Virginia, where I lived at the time. 

We had organized a protest of a nearby nuclear power plant that had some particularly disturbing safety issues. The protest involved marching onto the power plant's property, trespassing, as a way to get the most publicity for the issues. 

 

The day of the protest it was raining. We all got put into police wagons and sat in there for a while, but in the end the authorities really didn't want the hassle of having to process us all, and so most of us were let go. A few of us were held in jail for a few days, but I wasn't one of them.

Here are a few photos I have from back then. The first photo shows our group as we walked toward the power plant, soggy from the rain, but full of conviction. I'm the one in the white shirt. The second, grainy, one was in the local paper, and was taken as several of us were being led to the police van.  (The caption has my original first name of 'Julia'.  I would not become a 'Jaya' for another 24 years.).  And the last one is of some of us lying on the lawn of the courthouse after the ones who had been jailed had been released (without being charged, if I'm remembering correctly).

 

 

Ahhh, so long ago... It almost seems as if it was in another lifetime.

Revisiting (Crazy) Simba

Here are some more photos of my neighbor's crazy cat, Simba, from last summer when he was up in an old tree house in the giant willow tree in my yard. He was growling at me part of the time, but he did let me get some nice photos of him. He may be crazy, but he sure is a handsome kitty, isn't he?

Grumpy (with headache)

I began my day in a good mood, but after a few hours in a meeting at work I was grumpy and had a headache.  I drew these as I waited for the meeting to end.