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Two Star Banner
This banner hung in the front window of the home of August and Henrietta Boekman on Pershing Avenue in Buffalo, New York during the WWII years of approximately 1943 to 1945. The two blue stars honored the ongoing service of two Boekman offspring in the war effort, Robert and Ruth. If either of the stars had been turned to gold, it would have signified that they had given their life in that effort. … -more-

Hayley and John Wedding
On Friday, May 3rd, John and Hayley got married. The wedding was held on the beach at Bolsa Chica State Park on a beautiful, Southern California … [Read More...]

Onze on the Family Housboat Trip
Here's a clip of an early Caldwell Onze game. It took place during the infamous Caldwell Family Houseboat Trip in August of 1991.

Onze
ONZE? Onze is a family favorite card game. Similar to Gin Rummy, Onze is played with a sequence of 7 hands that are played with different mixes of sets and runs. The first round (hand) is played

Two Star Banner
This banner hung in the front window of the home of August and Henrietta Boekman on Pershing Avenue in Buffalo, New York during the WWII years of approximately 1943 to 1945. The two blue stars honored … [Read More...]

My Favorite Picture of Me
If I had to pick just one picture of me that I like the best, it would have to be this one. I believe that it was the summer of 1980 after I had joined the Coast Guard and flew back to Virginia to visit Bob and Elaine. I'm sure there will be other stories about this trip, but here, Bob and I were going down to the Chesapeake Bay to go out on a chartered boat to catch Bluefish. We drove down in … [Read More...]

Retirement – Two Weeks In
I'm 2 weeks into my retirement, and I'm thinking that I could get used to this! Although I do miss being around my friends and colleagues, and working together to get things done, I'm now appreciating being around my wife who I love, my home that I love, and the cat that I would love if he would let me. I feel very satisfied. Plus, all those hobbies and activities that I had to make time for … [Read More...]

Growing Up Without a Father
I had an amazingly happy childhood. I never felt poor, or unloved or lonely, but I do remember feeling that I missed my dad. The sad thing now is that I don't have many vivid memories of him being a part of my life, and actually I only have a few memories that include him: He would drive Evie and me up to and around Signal Hill He used to take us grocery shopping to McCoy's market every … [Read More...]

Two Star Banner
This banner hung in the front window of the home of August and Henrietta Boekman on Pershing Avenue in Buffalo, New York during the WWII years of approximately 1943 to 1945. The two blue stars honored the ongoing service of two Boekman offspring in the war effort, Robert and Ruth. If either of the stars had been turned to gold, it would have signified that they had given their life in that effort. … [Read More...]

Growing Up In Buffalo
Growing up in Buffalo (1941 – 1959): A short memoir of Bob Caldwell’s early years At a family gathering on our 50th wedding anniversary, my youngest daughter, Janette, asked whether I had ever been in the army. I was amazed that she didn’t know about my (less than notable) US Army career. Later that weekend, my sister, Francie, shared a book with me titled: Reflections on Life in Buffalo … [Read More...]