tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78499867332624016712024-02-21T01:13:20.246-06:00The Francis D. Sommer Memorial FundLove your life, perfect your life,
beautify all things in your life.
―TecumsehRobert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-79441075048465112032023-05-20T11:20:00.006-05:002023-05-20T11:31:18.199-05:00We're still here!<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBBuRarx3zwEUADY9wb_UxQArrKEooTR3OQKuh66g1EyFXDQtY1DKFwjTG9tVjvWDDnkyAfkxDWDpQk9CLl45IKEijmXcTyohJcvOhnGeoFKDWbjGlpQSsMw7ad8FW7nb8AOBLZsE9k6IsIPv0J26EXZaHEhpwPHNaRNJ_s7iodPUnidhNYMJIA/s648/Francis%20RMNP%202007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBBuRarx3zwEUADY9wb_UxQArrKEooTR3OQKuh66g1EyFXDQtY1DKFwjTG9tVjvWDDnkyAfkxDWDpQk9CLl45IKEijmXcTyohJcvOhnGeoFKDWbjGlpQSsMw7ad8FW7nb8AOBLZsE9k6IsIPv0J26EXZaHEhpwPHNaRNJ_s7iodPUnidhNYMJIA/s320/Francis%20RMNP%202007.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(<i>Francis in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2007. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>He would have turned forty on May 12, 2023.</i>)</span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While this blog has not been active with updates for some time, we continue to support the Kansas City Veterans Administration program for veterans in need of a hand up. Proceeds from the sales of Heather's fabulous collection of Francis's recipes, <i>Cooking with Francis</i>, and Robert's award-winning book of essays, <i>Losing Francis</i>, are donated annually to the Kansas City VA in Francis's name. His spirit remains with us, and we believe flows on </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">to the men and women and families supported by the Kansas City VA, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">thanks to the generosity and love of all who knew Francis, and many who never met him. <i>Thank you, all!</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-48172081901932733762020-03-20T13:35:00.003-05:002020-03-20T13:35:58.631-05:00Francis Fund donations and COVID-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Uplifting news from the Francis Fund and Melissa at the Kansas City VA Voluntary Services Unit:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"As part of the Kansas City VA’s response to COVID-19, we are utilizing Francis’s memorial fund to purchase Walmart gift cards to help out our neediest veterans with food supplies. Our VA Supportive Housing social workers have been using the cards to shop for groceries and other essentials and are delivering to the doors of our neediest veterans — those who were formerly homeless and are newly housed."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />We can't imagine a better use for these funds right now. Thank you, Melissa and colleagues!</span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-92139034888440610182019-12-02T20:44:00.000-06:002019-12-02T23:01:00.143-06:00Outfitting kitchens for vets!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Imagine finally making it through the front door of your new apartment after living on the streets -- and then realizing you can't even boil water because you don't have a pot. Thankfully, few of us can.<br />
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But thanks to the generosity of many, many contributors to the Francis Fund, the Kansas City VA's Voluntary Services Unit, led by Melissa Jacobson, has ordered new cookware and dinnerware for veterans and their families as they set up housekeeping -- finally! -- in their new digs.<br />
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The KCVA has housed 400 veterans through the HUD/VA Supportive Housing program. The items shown here will be distributed among them and replenished as needed.<br />
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The real holiday gift this year, I think, is to all who support this program and now see the great work being done for veterans through the KCVA and its staff and social workers.<br />
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And with a wink to Francis, an accomplished chef -- and much more.<br />
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<br />Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-90229960261537203322019-11-30T22:13:00.000-06:002019-12-01T13:04:38.173-06:00Thank you, Kansas Sierra Club!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We appreciate the recent gift of $120 to the Francis Fund by the members of the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club-Kansas Chapter in memory of Anne H. Sommer, Francis's grandmother, who passed serenely away on Nov. 7, 2019, at 89 years young.<br />
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As of this date contributions to the Francis Fund have surpassed $30,000 -- a figure none of us could have imagined when we named the Kansas City VA's Voluntary Services Unit as a recipient of donations in honor of Francis eight years ago.<br />
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Thanks to the good work of Melissa Jacobsen and her great staff, many veterans have been given a hand up through the generosity of so many people over these past eight years.<br />
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Thank you, Sierra Club friends, for your generosity in supporting a great cause!Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-92076086639136386302019-10-25T10:24:00.003-05:002019-10-25T10:24:51.962-05:00Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home wins the Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i>Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home</i> is the recipient of the 2019 Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award, sponsored by the American Association of University Women - Kansas City.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2p8JdkI" target="_blank"><i>Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home</i></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Q_DxazD7t7jJWM7Bx-ImQr8qAMP5paYJKgw678ljVoks_MqJI3WnP1QwUSQrlP2AMmXCX47rUwOdyTMRVqIqeEcHINSD8K6_Fekqzw3Cf7oeW2NQgQODVeIRqfUBBLrM4OrPuS2-A/s1600/thorpemennlogo3-e1322677355787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></a></span></h3>
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<br />Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-27572042076313477872019-08-01T14:50:00.004-05:002019-08-01T14:55:02.653-05:00‘Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home' nominated for the 2019 Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award.<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home</i> has been nominated for the 2019 Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Robert F. Sommer has written a remarkably compelling book with boldness and startling passion." --Barry Sanders, author of <i>The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism</i></span></div>
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<span class="style_2" style="color: #424242; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; opacity: 1;"><span class="style_3" style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; opacity: 1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span class="style_2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px; opacity: 1;"><a href="http://fomitepress.com/Francis.html" target="_blank"><b>Learn more about<i> Losing Francis</i> and order your copy here.</b></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="style_2" style="color: #424242; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; opacity: 1;"><span class="style_3" style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; opacity: 1;">
</span></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-64729922878536498022019-02-28T16:18:00.000-06:002019-02-28T16:18:00.821-06:00'Cooking with Francis' in the news<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Heather's fabulous collection of Francis's log-book recipes was featured in the <i>Shawnee Mission Post</i>!</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://shawneemissionpost.com/2019/02/18/ray-marsh-elementary-teacher-chronicles-late-sons-culinary-work-military-journey-in-cookbook-77096" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhXSQTRpaavZ8BexWoycOdIb-POcZYrEHnikXW-hCg98eEUrohQn51hhepeurDlqUgTFXAQQFC9MMX3tRrXUtB3_EinQvWF2wO6SMZeoVeb84ktIQXngby6mj_wxaz899jKUBcm1N7g/s320/Cooking-with-Francis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather Sommer with her new book, <i>Cooking with Francis: Gourmet Home Cooking</i>, and Francis's log book for his culinary arts degree. Click the image to read the feature article in the <i>Shawnee Mission Post</i> about her seven-year labor of love.</td></tr>
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<br />Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-238276036384952172019-01-18T10:47:00.000-06:002019-01-18T10:47:40.416-06:00‘Cooking with Francis’: a seven-year labor of love!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's finally here, after seven years of cooking, testing, and writing <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">—</span> <i>Cooking with Francis: Gourmet Home Cooking</i>, by Heather Sommer! </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/heather-sommer/cooking-with-francis-gourmet-home-cooking/paperback/product-23920598.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjhMtkdGnKGFokpzy3Xvsq1OsEsvp0j28iD22fB3BfQo1sJLRwxoFAz97lRT8Wp5ZLhi1xVbmAszT55bsRdyRg8VrnsGsR0VEARFulSOYvcpkXBUOAbJeBbK9dcTBevIXsq05fc4p5A/s1600/Cookbook1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Francis's mother knew how important his log-book was when he was lost — the culmination of his culinary arts degree, over 100 recipes from his classwork and years at a popular Kansas City bistro. She resized (eight gallons of pesto sauce!?) and tested every recipe for the family table, pushing herself, with no formal training, to amazing new levels of understanding food and its sources and preparation and cultural meaning. The result is a beautiful cookbook with recipes for every occasion and taste, and stories to go with many of them. Proceeds will support Heifer International and <a href="http://francisfund.org/">FrancisFund.org</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-23658797483610919032019-01-02T07:06:00.001-06:002019-01-02T07:30:12.791-06:00‘A Must-Read Narrative of US Military Family Life': A new Amazon review for ‘Losing Francis'<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Francis-Essays-Wars-Home/dp/194438846X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520093231&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=summer+losing+francis" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Francis-Essays-Wars-Home/dp/194438846X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520093231&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=summer+losing+francis" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiWMlCt3P2nFDkl7m7gArMFyh24RAytqtmLInY9BrZfNMx8r0Givr1wz9RTzJ8LQ61ii710gu_Xvh-NGlMJeMRrdi0mKSmxmrp21jW5N5-3XJxvs3vR6wN9GeFs8D3Cf2OzX2q3NrpA/s200/LF+Cover_HR.jpg" width="131" /></a>
<b>By William M. Decker</b><br />
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<i>Losing Francis: Essays on the War at Home</i> should take its place among the most important recent narratives of US military family life. In clear, courageous, and eloquent prose, Robert Sommer documents what it’s like for parents and siblings to endure, day by day, and hour by hour, not only their loved one’s overseas tour of duty, but that loved one’s perilous return to a homeland that cannot possibly understand the veteran’s trauma and that is grossly unprepared to address the challenges of re-entry. This is a book that needs to be read by legislators and ordinary citizens who, unless they have a more or less direct link to those we have called upon to fight the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, can form no conception of the burdens our soldiers and their families are asked to bear. <i>Losing Francis</i> illuminates one of the great social invisibilities of contemporary American life. It should be on everyone’s list of 2018/2019 must-read titles.
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-90004285308748362892018-11-19T08:03:00.003-06:002018-11-19T08:20:08.985-06:00Francis Fund Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Zf1ny21wp4pc4aWZFk8N6C98sW0iuNJ7WsiRE8BRlE19f_cT6EqFs0WRh6GmH0FxFPcSYCex8hkYujtiVttgzkoJvuiMl7as-B4IFosK4UINMjTqwD_NLp0EVHStmgs3g479GVe79A/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="1572" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Zf1ny21wp4pc4aWZFk8N6C98sW0iuNJ7WsiRE8BRlE19f_cT6EqFs0WRh6GmH0FxFPcSYCex8hkYujtiVttgzkoJvuiMl7as-B4IFosK4UINMjTqwD_NLp0EVHStmgs3g479GVe79A/s320/002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first donations to the Francis Fund in 2011 purchased "cooking kits"<br />
for veterans in new apartments to help set up their kitchens<br />
with meal-ready ingredients for their first dinners.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The good works continue at the Kansas City VA’s Homeless Program, thanks to the generosity of so many people who have donated to The Francis D. Sommer Memorial Fund for Homeless Veterans in the seven years since Francis’s passing. As of this writing, contributions to the fund have reached $27,937. I often wonder what he would think of all that has been done in his memory. I’m certain amazement would be his first response.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">According to Melissa Jacobson, chief of the Voluntary Service Unit at the KCVA, most of the Francis Fund donations support needs and services identified by social workers managing the Housing & Urban Development/VA Supportive Housing (HUD/VASH) program.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Approximately 400 recently-homeless Kansas City veterans (both men and women, and their children) are housed through this program.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Some specific purchases made through the Francis Fund in support of these veterans include the following:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">100 new mattresses</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">steel-toed boots and other safety equipment, so veterans can start jobs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">microwave ovens and crockpots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">utility assistance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">shoes and coats</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">groceries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">gas</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">apartment deposits</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">workbooks for mental health treatment in community-based programs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">pocket calendars for keeping track of appointments, rent payments, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">thrift store tokens</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">VA social workers, Melissa notes, “are great at finding community-based resources” in support of efforts to give these men and women a hand up, rather than a handout.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />To date, over 175 individuals and community organizations have supported the Francis Fund. There’s, of course, no overhead for administration of these funds because all donations are managed by the KCVA in support of Kansas City-area veterans in need.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Thank you to all who have generously contributed to this important work!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The Sommer Family</i></span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-75485003075839289332018-03-03T10:08:00.002-06:002018-03-19T10:34:47.985-05:00‘Losing Francis' released by Fomite Press<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think of <i>Losing Francis</i> not as a story of our family, or in a sense even him, but rather as a portrait of our nation's journey through a decade of American war.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Francis-Essays-Wars-Home/dp/194438846X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520093231&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=summer+losing+francis" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Francis-Essays-Wars-Home/dp/194438846X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520093231&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=summer+losing+francis" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiWMlCt3P2nFDkl7m7gArMFyh24RAytqtmLInY9BrZfNMx8r0Givr1wz9RTzJ8LQ61ii710gu_Xvh-NGlMJeMRrdi0mKSmxmrp21jW5N5-3XJxvs3vR6wN9GeFs8D3Cf2OzX2q3NrpA/s400/LF+Cover_HR.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Francis-Essays-Wars-Home/dp/194438846X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520093231&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=summer+losing+francis" target="_blank">Available now on Amazon.</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /> </span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-31745096896993055462018-02-22T11:48:00.002-06:002018-02-22T11:49:55.236-06:00‘Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home’ available now for pre-order<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Slated for release by Fomite Press on March 1st, and available for pre-order now.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.fomitepress.com/Francis.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.fomitepress.com/Francis.html" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_e9o1Gsbd5bb5i8wzZnSjBcnjQArlfaCaf-G1sD8MWpb4oRvab4pBeiICVqXRdeGucmy7VmhgErlKeDMLZ7H3FULSWs20GrMc1g5oQ1yPhYcKmpwF8Q1Ms64H1irEkg-5AWOPPw6Ig/s400/LF+Cover_HR.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="style_2">"Both harrowing and lovely, </span><i><span class="style_3">Losing Francis</span></i><span class="style_2"> is a vibrant, indispensable document of life in our time.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="style_2"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="style_2"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="style_2">—</span></span>Whitney Terrell, author of </span><i><span class="style_3">The Good Lieutenant</span></i><span class="style_2"><br /><br />"A compelling and insightful book."</span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="style_2"> —Mark Karlin, Editor, </span><i><span class="style_3">BuzzFlash at Truthout</span></i><span class="style_4"><span class="style_3"><br /><br />"Losing Francis</span><span class="style_2"> will surely take its earned place in the lamentably-large library of great literature of the home front.”</span> —Jeanetta Calhoun Mish, Oklahoma State Poet Laureate 2017-18, author of </span><i><span class="style_3">What I Learned at the War</span></i><span class="style_2"><br /> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="style_2">“Robert F. Sommer has
written a remarkably compelling book with boldness and startling
passion....</span><span class="style_2">
It reverberates and teaches and beyond all else, it rings with hope.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="style_4"> <br />—Barry Sanders, author of </span><i><span class="style_2">The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span class="style_2"><br /><b><a href="http://www.fomitepress.com/Francis.html" target="_blank">Learn more here.</a></b></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span class="style_2"><b><br /></b></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span class="style_2">A portion of all proceeds will be donated to The Francis Fund.</span></i></span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-44705696692849430062018-02-11T17:31:00.000-06:002018-02-11T17:32:20.633-06:007 years today since we lost you, Francis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img alt="Francis D. Sommer" height="320" id="Image1_img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HcB8k1dfNlkDQrP4rfeYd1jDLOZSyhNgRu21b2QKX1Fofey_xSaehcIIZw7BJ6Yqxbp1yVz_G-4jWWSZqzXIiTsMMlKpuMK8FO_mF1tw1jiR8zvIr89Jofxd4bUm9UtElP37TrT84w/s320/Afghan4%255B2%255D.jpg" style="visibility: visible;" width="256" /> <br />
We love you and miss you, Francis!<br />
Forever in our hearts.</div>
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-8220436509840322392018-01-08T09:39:00.002-06:002018-01-21T10:03:14.814-06:00‘Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home' to be released March 1st<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fomitepress.com/Francis.html"><img alt="http://www.fomitepress.com/Francis.html" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="199" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG1kz39_ceM01I4lkPOnCHjTrANJNJ6T7WuEwGyfa9_RX9KJODNTxTEZB4goITWpbwwWKi_JZvESfZBG0KmPI167Sdn2UDYMDvYxKHSCHyT3hQIjeICP-vgXroI_5ghMzIuusH7h0qg/s400/Francis+cover+for+web.jpg" width="265" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fomitepress.com/Francis.html" target="_blank"><i>Losing Francis: Essays on the Wars at Home</i></a> will be released by Fomite Press on March 1, 2018. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Here's what some early readers are saying about this collection:<br /><br />“Both harrowing and lovely, <i>Losing Francis</i> is a vibrant, indispensable document of life in our time.” <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—</span>Whitney Terrell, author of <i>The Good Lieutenant</i><br /><br />"A poignant account of one couple's journey through the shadow cast by the death of their son. Inextricably woven into the story is the nefarious reality of the nation's ruinous recent wars. A compelling and insightful book." <br />—Mark Karlin, Editor, <i>BuzzFlash at Truthout</i><br /><br />“Sommer’s prose often rises to the poetic, his storytelling is poignant yet never sentimental, and his unflinching honesty in relating his son’s life and death leave the reader with a lump in the throat and a righteous anger. <i>Losing Francis</i> will surely take its earned place in the lamentably-large library of great literature of the home front.”<br />—Jeanetta Calhoun Mish, Oklahoma State Poet Laureate 2017-18, author of <i>What I Learned at the War</i><br /><br />“Robert F. Sommer has written a remarkably compelling book with boldness and startling passion …. It reverberates and teaches and beyond all else, it rings with hope.” <br />—Barry Sanders, author of <i>The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i>“Losing Francis is a lyrical indictment of the historical, political, and cultural forces that keep America at war, and then leave its veterans out in the cold.”<br />—Max Rayneard, The Telling Project<i><br /></i><br /><i></i>A portion of the proceeds will support the Francis D. Sommer Memorial Fund for Homeless Veterans. <a href="http://www.fomitepress.com/Forthcoming.html" target="_blank">Pre-ordering will soon be available at Fomite Press and Amazon</a>.</span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—</span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-89973727885312852902017-12-23T13:47:00.001-06:002017-12-23T13:47:40.633-06:00Christmas 2017<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greens from our tree at home. Merry Christmas, Francis! <br />We miss you!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDHj8EqzEjIYfB6OxYiBwhFN7u9yXn1CelsVBeeIP2cisjP0wPD7s3S5jOaLqYg58_u9ju4-qKxr9X2MIaDyR4e64l6UWN-3WlGHTUJdCrrSW2xfBJ4ls2_cn-wJtYwmOS8LDFYGpaw/s1600/Christmas+2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDHj8EqzEjIYfB6OxYiBwhFN7u9yXn1CelsVBeeIP2cisjP0wPD7s3S5jOaLqYg58_u9ju4-qKxr9X2MIaDyR4e64l6UWN-3WlGHTUJdCrrSW2xfBJ4ls2_cn-wJtYwmOS8LDFYGpaw/s320/Christmas+2017.JPG" width="263" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-56295985605301780432017-07-14T08:31:00.000-05:002017-07-14T08:32:27.865-05:00The Art of Grief: ‘Windows and Mirrors’<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thecommononline.org/the-art-of-grief-windows-and-mirrors/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.thecommononline.org/the-art-of-grief-windows-and-mirrors/" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="623" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKXM-BSH6llbNSqv09HoteJsRGT609uMFLZYkmrkZJnTTMgKrEVHaNECTISl3G3cJ8917gjYLVpUm8UySnhYZkqQ8t8S2HQR9MIfLxNwv7qMDPo9erAb0j2fRb9EeweLdlUE5nqRceg/s200/Moats_collateral.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Collateral Damage," oil painting by Lillian Moats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Newly posted at <i>The Common On-Line</i>, <a href="https://www.thecommononline.org/the-art-of-grief-windows-and-mirrors/" target="_blank">"The Art of Grief: ‘Windows and Mirrors,’"</a> an excerpt from my work-in-progress, <i>Losing Francis: One Family's Journey through a Decade of War</i>.</span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-88823604163095795672017-05-29T07:22:00.001-05:002017-05-29T07:22:17.653-05:00Forever in our hearts, Francis!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNL2vZVOg-_IsCPLwXAuAau8qaJKI-8hCe1_YeBi0Xeaj-JKymzd1QRC5lUiSYTIHiP5Wbe63jFC0hr1bk_yyEBTCy8xpLXAOOMDb4i-qKorfi1DVYUg9OxyfYkj_GDK66CeWB0PlYA/s1600/Afghan4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNL2vZVOg-_IsCPLwXAuAau8qaJKI-8hCe1_YeBi0Xeaj-JKymzd1QRC5lUiSYTIHiP5Wbe63jFC0hr1bk_yyEBTCy8xpLXAOOMDb4i-qKorfi1DVYUg9OxyfYkj_GDK66CeWB0PlYA/s320/Afghan4.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sgt. Francis D. Sommer<br />(May 12, 1983 - Feb. 11, 2011)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-7476003155332693752017-03-30T21:20:00.000-05:002017-09-28T07:40:15.349-05:00‘Really awesome!’: Kansas City VA & Francis Fund Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyEB12dBnJIK0KkhSCxGgc7b8y4yEylTbFH2YFZ8dD47GBf6-agNN8J3y8DvjoMXo1weeFFXa8DrGyS8XzWKLOz9o97rNO2ZAmHJD8UQuGRzj3x2JyCKWxcd4vlUDy9COi0Htwdv3HA/s1600/SGT+Sommer+and+Kidz.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyEB12dBnJIK0KkhSCxGgc7b8y4yEylTbFH2YFZ8dD47GBf6-agNN8J3y8DvjoMXo1weeFFXa8DrGyS8XzWKLOz9o97rNO2ZAmHJD8UQuGRzj3x2JyCKWxcd4vlUDy9COi0Htwdv3HA/s320/SGT+Sommer+and+Kidz.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francis in Afghanistan, 2006-7.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had a great call yesterday with Monique at the Kansas City VA's Voluntary Services Unit. She's one of the staff members who's been, along with her many other duties, helping manage donations to the KC VA in memory of Francis.<br /><br />"Really awesome!" is how she described all that we, collectively<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—</span>our family, friends, & the many great folks we've never met who support this effort<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—</span>have been able to accomplish. She reminded me that the Francis Fund, as we like to call it, is the largest such memorial donation they've ever received, now over $25,000!<br /><br />For homeless veterans getting settled in new housing, Monique and her colleague Melissa recently purchased 200 sets of bedsheets, 200 blankets, and 400 pillows, thanks to the Francis Fund. Not used from a thrift store, but new! Imagine what new sheets and a new pillow mean to someone's dignity. And how great a new pillow feels, Monique added.<br /><br />We sometimes tend to think of homeless veterans as men, but it's worth noting that it is </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> often </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">women and children who benefit from these donations. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What an honor it is to share this update with all of the many people who've made this possible. Monique wanted me to know what an amazing circle of people surrounds Francis even now, six years after we've lost him, and how many, many people he has touched.<br /><br />Thank you for all you do!</span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-47244242441592794132016-09-13T21:52:00.001-05:002016-09-23T08:06:42.783-05:00A new essay in Red Earth Review<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> The 2016 issue of<i> Red Earth
Review</i> includes a new essay, entitled "We Were Goats," which recounts a trip to
Louisiana to visit one of Francis's closest Army friends. A
memorable visit with some great people! Click below to read "We Were
Goats," which begins on page 164.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7N9qiDNZka7Wm1CNG1vaFgzazg" target="_blank"><img alt="https://issuu.com/redearthreview/docs/rerissuujuly2016" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9xPCs5JgggG5YBJ9SRYqEN9r0cdgZ9GRG3jFrsYxOtSYq0tKa9IpdnlIM8jLGLH7fxMPRXSdB-Xw7vTOxI10sn7CAIn54WFR51cntIGgFRoJ6L06sl8W-KrfpVJhoLGdGEY9-rQuUQ/s400/FRONT2016RERcoverCORRECTED+copy.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-87623897228208267982016-07-01T21:06:00.000-05:002016-07-01T21:06:23.505-05:00Kansas City Veterans & Families' Writing Group on KCPT-TV<iframe width="360" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0bZA5pbfIt8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div>
I was honored to play a small role in this fine piece.
RFS
</div> Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-40305305017816021602016-05-30T00:00:00.000-05:002016-05-30T20:25:19.383-05:00A day for remembering<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U0ucagVmUMKG_YsTsL6_-SzqPD18JPV_q91IfxTACOuNMARHLLTb4HMpxbwJFzdt_c9REMLgnDout0zsip_YkAVGdagFIAqvo0mptkVdJydgR6xFhWwB_htlkfnseOzJptr7UWeqsA/s1600/Memorial+Day+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U0ucagVmUMKG_YsTsL6_-SzqPD18JPV_q91IfxTACOuNMARHLLTb4HMpxbwJFzdt_c9REMLgnDout0zsip_YkAVGdagFIAqvo0mptkVdJydgR6xFhWwB_htlkfnseOzJptr7UWeqsA/s320/Memorial+Day+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial Day 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>We miss you and we love you, Francis!</i></div>
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-2224974327044783132016-05-12T00:00:00.000-05:002016-05-12T00:00:29.462-05:00Thirty-three years ago today you came into our lives.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5QBHkYqtiVIB4YIm9-1599LzKVlKQ8yvFkRWyUxTdZ9GPPtRG6LIvDJEGSuTatgo2kVE-a1RnWrnTITx0BiPWy2wTiaLkX15vXqP1zEmLkrhf-nD0zf4oQOiGEGB5pjrgCI0yaSaAg/s320/A-Bay2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francis & Heather, Alexandria Bay, 2007.<br />An exceptionally fine day on the St. Lawrence Seaway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"You taught me to hear the earth breathe,
<br />and so it does, & so do we,
<br />... and as we breathe so do you."<br /> <i><br /> (from "Elegy," by Bob Sommer)</i></span></span></div>
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-41927033733390485442016-02-11T01:00:00.000-06:002016-02-11T13:36:11.418-06:00For Francis – Five Years Later<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK3r_ZhevZbZsyLZEbgx2DWdMCtLOasNUg7YkiAZKLhMAJS6ELbT_0kH2tdlfbmBUPG0N9UkjTwcfUXWnvUBFJvwtSeZnZwU4a6EsKjqVOSNFrhk51Cj2GkWU8DWHKOaQJI_1pOfAAQ/s1600/Francis+RMNP+2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK3r_ZhevZbZsyLZEbgx2DWdMCtLOasNUg7YkiAZKLhMAJS6ELbT_0kH2tdlfbmBUPG0N9UkjTwcfUXWnvUBFJvwtSeZnZwU4a6EsKjqVOSNFrhk51Cj2GkWU8DWHKOaQJI_1pOfAAQ/s320/Francis+RMNP+2007.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francis in Rocky Mountain National Park, Sept. 2007,<br />
one month following his release from the Army.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Jewish people have a beautiful word for this day: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yahrzeit</i>, the anniversary of the death of a loved one. No English
word compares. Today is the fifth <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yahrzeit</i>
for Francis.<br />
<br />
When our loss was still new, I quietly feared the time when years would begin
to pass, when distance would grow not only from when I last saw Francis, but
from the intense grief of those first months and years. The pain is like no
other, but as awful as it was, I did not want to lose that intensity. It kept him
close. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
But time is relentless, and indifferent, and the years have sanded the
sharp edges of grief to a smooth roundness that enabled it to embed itself
within, a permanent fixture, ever present but not always painful. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Another
parent who had lost a child told me back then that the pain would become less
intense. I wasn’t sure I wanted that because I thought it would also mean forgetting
him. I was wrong. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the time since we
lost him, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Francis has filled our lives with purpose and with many
friends and experiences and even joy. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">His
passing brought new people into our lives, with whom we share his memory. Losing
him also gave us a sense of clarity about our world. Much has
happened in the past five years. Heather has spent four of them converting and
testing and transcribing all of his 100-plus recipes. She has also become a grief group leader at her church, helping others through the pain of their losses. I have written with renewed purpose about
our experiences while he was in the Army and afterwards. And the need to </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">end our wars and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">preserve
our environment has never seemed more important—especially as
his sister Erin will soon bring his first niece or nephew into the world. His brother Alex will also remember Francis by keeping a place for
him as best man</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"> when he gets married this June</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Additionally,
the generosity of hundreds of friends and family and also friends we’ve never met
has brought our memorial fund for Francis to the unimagined amount of $25,000. Melissa Jacobson
at the Kansas City VA recently shared an instance that exemplified the value of
the Francis Fund, as we’ve come to call it. A homeless woman in Kansas City—a veteran—<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">had</span>
suffered a psychotic <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">breakdown</span> and was brought to the KCVA Medical
Center for treatment. When she was well enough to be released, she still needed home care, but her family lived in Florida. She had no one nearby. Without
support, the cycle of breakdowns and treatment and homelessness would only continue. The
VA Medical Center had no funds to pay for her ticket to Florida, so they turned
to the Francis Fund and arrangements were soon made to send her home. Stories like this have come to characterize the Francis Fund. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">As
I write, I imagine </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">how astounded </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Francis would be to read such stories. It’s a notion that keeps him with me, with all of us, just as he is with us when we
go hiking in Colorado with his friends J and Kim, or I ride the waves of Lake
Pontchartrain with Bobby and Matthew, and later Allison sputters through a story about Francis so funny she can barely finish it; or when Isaac and Matt and other friends send pictures
of their growing kids to us every Christmas, or when Dave writes a song for Francis, or Heather cooks
another of his amazing dishes, or Benny and Leslie share his name with Patrick
Francis, or Bennett makes his photo a screen saver, and so the catalogue of
wonder goes. We will never regain what we’ve lost—but we have gained much, and
that is something.</span></div>
Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-20283946464167893742015-12-25T06:28:00.000-06:002015-12-25T06:28:09.283-06:00It's Christmas, Francis!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUSbC4xwlwja5Ciz7pC8pcNunHb4hWOuFqnpN523G1Bz2udhiblVYr-vjcQt9s3MJbjI5quW6V3_1X8z4eebLnYdXtjeBlk5oG2f-eoGGSK_UO7qjS2tkkd22Bv2LakySi9Sz66ghqg/s1600/0557a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUSbC4xwlwja5Ciz7pC8pcNunHb4hWOuFqnpN523G1Bz2udhiblVYr-vjcQt9s3MJbjI5quW6V3_1X8z4eebLnYdXtjeBlk5oG2f-eoGGSK_UO7qjS2tkkd22Bv2LakySi9Sz66ghqg/s400/0557a.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We miss you and love you, Francis!<br />You are forever with us!</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukP_cxJl0WmmIWfzXF0GMsfrtCG9FiCMSMBvLpBRQ7XtYm7P8dmzGWqtqqyOS6Jxi_RDDMt7bpkoCx1GYe53OR0NJ7Wm0V8XOcF3Q0adFx2qPMeN9cwATmWBqya_86bNsOGYwcoWMzQ/s1600/Francis2+2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukP_cxJl0WmmIWfzXF0GMsfrtCG9FiCMSMBvLpBRQ7XtYm7P8dmzGWqtqqyOS6Jxi_RDDMt7bpkoCx1GYe53OR0NJ7Wm0V8XOcF3Q0adFx2qPMeN9cwATmWBqya_86bNsOGYwcoWMzQ/s320/Francis2+2015.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7849986733262401671.post-30268195881137300922015-11-10T16:12:00.001-06:002015-11-11T12:00:38.713-06:00‘Bread Crumbs and Hatchet Marks,’ a new essay, appears in O-Dark-Thirty as Veterans Day is upon us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bit.ly/1QgRCIc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://bit.ly/1QgRCIc" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUpFPB0w4liPRFad2PdYjI7TRCjTxsHXWEmLonLCn61N904t3Zoroxf-d9EVRapc38o-HE4gPcRGFv5RXIORD4SFPYbX5dzxmwxjHuhX15NOWprYXphWhw77cujYn90wrdTVo5SvHkw/s320/v-4-1_web_cover.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Bread Crumbs and Hatchet Marks" is the most recent installment <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">in</span> my ongoing project to memorialize the years of Francis's Army service and <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">afterwards. Th<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">e</span> essay </span>appears in the current issue of <a href="http://o-dark-thirty.org/" target="_blank"><i>O-Dark-Thirty</i></a>,
the literary journal of the Veterans Writing Project--released just as
Veterans Day is upon us. Click the image to read "Bread
Crumbs and Hatchet Marks," as well as the many other fine contributions to
this issue.<br /><br /> </span></span>Robert F Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671917508741553542noreply@blogger.com0