On The Fly

In this episode - Happy Thanksgiving . . . "The year has turned its circle, The seasons come and go. The harvest all is gathered in And chilly north winds blow. Orchards have shared their treasures, The fields, their golden grain, So open wide the doorway~ Thanksgiving comes again!" -Author Unknown On this Thanksgiving Day, we wish you happiness, tasty memories, the warmth of friends, family, and  healthy life.  Happy Thanksgiving! I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

“J'ai trouvé des trésors” (I’ve found some treasures). These were my first words (via FaceBook Messenger & Google Translate ) to my cousin Marie Claude Papot in La Rochelle, France.  “I have over 60 years of letters, postcards, photos, and notes written in a hand I cannot read, can you help?” “C'est une bonne idée!” Came her response. I’ve dubbed this “Project Translate.” It’s been over a year now since my mother ( Mauricette Ball ) passed away. Frankly, I'm ashamed to say she was the only connection to our French family. During a recent visit home I decided it was time to finally clean Mom’s house. It was obvious after almost a year none of my siblings wanted the responsibility of dealing with Mom’s belongings. Can’t say that I blame them really. All the years my parents lived in that same tiny house in the small Midwestern town of Cuba, IL. she saved everything (tucked neatly away in places you’d never suspect). Turns out I’ve uncovered bundles...