Happy Birthday Momma!

Today is July 9th.  Eighty-one years ago my mom, Wilma Leigh Prophitt,  was born.  She was the oldest daughter and third child of seven living siblings.  My grandmother used to tell me that even as a child my mom was strong willed.  Somethings never change.  My father and I both learned a fast life lesson in that whatever made my mom happy....made us all happy.  When I was a child she would take us to the beach, play board games with us, handle the local boys green snakes without flinching, take us on learning trips (the planetarium, the zoo, the science museum)...life was always a learning experience...and we learned.  She did not just take my brother and I....she took any child that wanted to go...and would pay their way if they could not afford it.  My mom taught 3-4 year old Sunday School at First United Methodist Church, where WE attended regularly.  You will notice I made the we bold and you are probably wondering why....well...my parents did not just drop me off at church...they took me....and they were actively involved in my religious upbringing.  My mom was a Brownie mother.  My mom volunteered at Belvedere Elementary where I went....my mom was a see all, know all, do all.  My dad worked....my mom was a SAHM....my dad always had to do the electrical stuff at Belvedere for the Halloween Carnival....even after I left Belvedere...they would call him....it was his favorite story to tell.  Then...one day when I was in the third grade...my world changed drastically.  My brother died....and my mom secluded herself into her own world....and only glimpses of the original Wilma were seen.  She had great people skills...so to the rest of the world...she seemed fine.  She quit teaching Sunday School....but she went to one.  She stopped taking us on the little educational trips....but she still was involved....sort of....in my life.  Conniston Junior High was my next school and she was involved there....PTA, etc....but it was different...she did take us to the beach here.  Forest Hill High School was the last stop of my educational career....and she was even less involved there....no PTA membership here....but...she emerged somewhat from her self-made cacoon.  I sang with New Dawn at the time and we toured one summer....she and my dad surprised me at one of the concerts in another town.  My childhood was not bad....I just never understood my mom....and felt I never measured up to what she wanted.  My parents moved to Alabama after I married....and all of a sudden....my mom appeared to me one day....she asked me if she could take my kids....and all the neighborhood kids to the planetarium?  I was delighted.  I was a SAHM in college at the time....and my mom was keeping my three kids for me two days a week.  She took my kids to see all the covered bridges in Alabama, she made perserves with them (something she never taught me how to do), she taught them to sew, to candlewick...she was  AWESOME MOM once again....only now...she was AWESOME GRANNY!  My kids thought the sun and moon hung in her....and I would find myself looking at all of them very confused.  In January of 2005 my dad became sick...and they moved in with us for a short period of time....my mom was working at the time and the doctor did not want my dad left alone.  That short period of time turned into nearly 5 years....one thing after another went wrong...and my dad eventually died in October of 2009.  My mom's world changed drastically ...from the time in January 2008 when my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer....she did the same thing she did when my brother died...she pulled out the cards...and played solitaire.....all the time.  I hate that game.  Everytime I would see those cards...I knew...something was bad.  This time things were different even more so....this time...she played cards because she had dementia.  When my dad died....my mom was placed in a dementia unit....and has been there ever since.  My cousins, Cindy, Amanda, Linda, and my Godmother Francis are the only familiars that visit her.  But....today....Frank and I will go to Adams and celebrate her birthday with her....we will be the only ones who do(Kat wished her Happy Birthday yesterday). Being an only child stinks.  But remember....I told you earlier...she was one of seven children?  Well...two of those families...one brother...and one sister-in-law still live in town....she visited them when she was well.....they never visit her.  Sigh....that is another post for another day.  She will know who we are....maybe.  She won't remember that we came....unless I sign her visitors pad she keeps....she will sing with me.....she will hug and kiss us when we get there and when we leave.  Dementia is a terrible thing...it is a waste of such good minds.  If you have a momma, granny, special woman in your life....call them today and tell them how much you love them.  You may wake up one morning.....and not have one.  Happy Birthday Momma....We love you!

PS....I stand amazed...will wonders never cease...my uncle came to see her today.  He didn't come to see just her...he now has a high school friend there...he went to see him....she was an afterthought...but hey...he went to see her....and sang Happy Birthday to her.  She was thrilled when I got in there.  Her day was a good one....she knew him....and knew me.  Sometimes you just have to settle for winning the small battles.

Stan the Submarine Man

So let me go back to last week when I first arrived at my best friend Jennifer’s house. Jennifer, for those who don’t know, lived across the street from me for three years while we were stationed in England. She was the first girl I got drunk with and that’s how I learned that I’m a very chatty drunk.

Guess what Jennifer had waiting for me at her house?



She knows me well. She knows that I love A) giant cookies and B) lots of frosting. And true, it wasn’t really my birthday but she was celebrating it a week later since she couldn’t be with me on my real birthday.

We went out to The Cheesecake Factory that night and let me tell you, The Cheesecake Factory has a lot to offer. First they give you a book as a menu. I’m not kidding. It’s pages and pages of delicious food. You hardly know where to begin.



I ended up getting the white chili because I love white chili and can’t make it a lot at home because Tom says white chili tastes funky. The white chili at The Cheesecake Factory, I’m proud to say, does not taste funky.

We also ordered dessert because you can’t go to The Cheesecake Factory and NOT order dessert. It’s like, against the law or something.

I got the strawberry shortcake.



And it was amazing.

Then the next day we went to a museum where there was a Titanic exhibit set up. Of course I had to see that. I’ve always been interested in the Titanic, even before the movie came out. Granted, when the movie came out I saw it like 7 times. That’s like nearly an entire day gone from my life because I had to sit and watch Leonardo Dicaprio scream, “I’m the king of the world!” I blame it on my age. I was like 16 when the movie came out so I didn’t know any better. This is why I forgive the teens who go to see those Twilight movies over and over again. I want to say, “It’s okay, you’ll grow out of it,” because if they don’t, they’ll end up like the Crazy Twilight Lady who lives on my street. No matter that she’s in her 30s and goes on and on about Taylor Lautner’s abs. Because that’s totally not disturbing.

Anyhow, no photos were allowed in the exhibit. But we did get these photos:





It was amazing to see all the artifacts that they found.

After that we got to see the rest of the museum.

I became an alien:





And Jennifer got on the news. Some shark wouldn’t piss off and leave her alone.

Then there was a space section and I got totally inappropriate and pretended I was taking a giant poo on the space toilet they had set up.



I sure set an example for children, let me tell you.

I’m sure the parents in there loved me.

Jennifer and her family went off to space.



And then they came back and we played in the water section of the museum.





While they were playing with the water, I found a new boyfriend.



His name is Stan the Submarine Man.

Handsome, no?

I love his arms and the way the yellow in his suit brings out his eyes.

A Blog of Substance

My blogging friend Mary gave me this award and I am so honored that she feels I have substance.  I think that is something I have always strived for....to be a woman of substance.  I got my first diary when I was in first grade.  A little boy in my class gave it to me as a Christmas present.  I wrote my deepest thoughts down in it...you can imagine how deep a 6 year olds thought are....pretty silly to be honest.  I wish I knew where that diary was now.  For real I have been journaling since my brother died.  Sometimes it was just thoughts, sometimes it was poetry, other times it was raw emotion.  My parents took me to a shrink because of the trauma I experienced with his death.  The shrink said I had PTSS(Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome).  He went on to say that is was something usually associated with veterans of wars who had seen men die in combat.  I had seen my brother die and that was close enough.  His perscription for me was to begin journalling.  I did and have never stopped.  It was a great day when I attended a technology conference for school in Birmingham and discovered the world of blogging.  I had to admit that I wasn't sure I'd have anything to say,worth reading, or if anyone would ever read me...much less follow me. But I truly was okay with no one following me: I was doing this for me. My parents were living with me and I was dealing with a lot of old wounds that had resurfaced from my childhood.  Don't get me wrong...I love(d) my parents...but my mom and I had some issues that have never been ironed out.  The blog was for my sanity. Today, I have 43 followers.  I have more readers than that...but some of them do not have google accounts...they just read me daily.  When my dad died in October I took a brief sabatical from blogging.  I just did not have it in me....and then one day I got an email from someone in Ohio that reads me daily...she asked if I was going to start blogging again and told me how much it meant to her to follow my posts....her mother was dying of lung cancer...and her dad had dementia....just the reverse of my story....I suffered from low self-esteem as a kid...heck...I had it even as an adult.  When you are a Type B personality...and everyone (except for your father) is a Mega A personality...you can see why.  So...when I started blogging I never knew that what I had to say...might actually help someone else. I still find it amazing when people tell me how much something I said helped them.

As part of the acceptance of the award, I have to sum up my blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience in five words.  Those five words are:

Family

Friends

Life

Love

Faith

My faith, my friends, and my family are a huge part of making me....well me. I love sharing my faith, my life tales, and love stories with anyone who will sit still long enough to read me.  I feel like...if one person can glean even the smallest nugget from what I have written and it helps them along their way....then I have a purpose.
Now for the big "pass on".  I have a few special blogs that I read religiously every single day....these are the ones I would say have substance.  They are blogs by people who have overcome, who are dealing with at the moment...or who are searching for something.  My blogs with substance are:

He Gave Me A Dream

Random Thoughts from Trina

This is the Year

Sweet Tea

Mary the 1st I am, I am

Marty's Musings

The rules say to nominate some other bloggers and so forth and so on...you know the way it goes...but I feel that if anybody else that I follow wants to participate, grab the award and send it on! I found it quite difficult to chose who to give this award to....I wanted to give it to everyone.  So, please, feel free to accept the award!   Happy Thursday!

Rock Mills Church

Well here is part one of our first Sunday at Rock Mills.  I know it is a little late in coming...but we have been so busy with unpacking that I could not find my reader.  I finally just bought a new one today.  Still have not found the can opener(we bought a hand held one last week)....and a few other little tidbits...but I am sure they will eventually show up.  Our very first Sunday there was a lovely greeting on the sign out front so I made a picture of it for you to see.  Isn't the church cute?  It is so pretty inside too.  The walls are light, the pews are white, there are stained glass windows on all the windows and it is just cute as it can be.  I am delighted to be part of this ministry here.  This past Sunday was, of course. July 4th and one of the ladies (Betty Jean Houze) in the church put together the most stunning flower arrangement for the piano.  I made a picture of it so you could see it in all its splendor and glory. I made sure to get her in the picture so you could see her.  She is such a sweetheart.  She has the spunkiest personality and can dish out to Frank whatever he dishes out to her.  She reminds me of Barbara Jarvis at Waverly and makes me not feel so sad about the move.  I guess I need to get over this because in the Methodist church the preachers are itinerate and moved from time to time.  We have had preachers at First United Methodist for as long as 10 years and as short as half a year.  You just never know.

Can you see that huge red flower mixed in with the blue and white hydrangeas?  Well, let me tell you it is the size of a dinner plate.  It is a red hibiscus and Mrs. Betty Jean grows it out in her yard!  We had hibiscuses when I was a kid in South Florida...but none ever grew to this magnitude.  I can't wait to go to her house and see her whole garden.  She must have the greenest of all thumbs.  It is all I can do to keep a plant from just dying out right.  I actually have 5 right now...that are alive...I won't say they are thriving...but they are alive.

The lady on the left is Beth Kramer.  She is the church pianist.  She is also the secretary for Rock Mills School (K-8).  Her husband Ron just got back from a mission trip in Paducah, Kentucky with Carpenters for Christ.  They both have such sweet smiles...you know the kind that show clear through to the soul.  Beth teaches local kids piano lessons.  Ok....so now you have had a taste of Rock Mills.  I promise I will try and post house pictures sometime this week.  I have some of rooms in progress and finished....and some thinking about it pictures....signing out now...maybe I will find that dag blasted can opener tomorrow.  Happy Wednesday.

The Broken Plane

I'm home, I'm home!

Granted, it's cold and overcast outside in July but still. I'm home.

We had been visiting Tom's family in North Carolina for a week and yes, it was a good time but by the end of it you start to miss your own things.

We thought we'd get home with no problems.

We were wrong.

Yesterday we woke up early so we could get to the airport. We breezed through security for once and I remember thinking, "This is going to be a good day."

Ha.

We get to our gate and see that our flight has been delayed. This wouldn't be an issue had we not had a connecting flight that would take us to Denver. The guy behind the counter had to get us all new tickets so we could catch a connecting flight.

We ended up flying into Atlanta.

We found our next gate.

We boarded our next plane that would take us home.

And then we waited.

And waited.

Oh, and waited on the plane.

"Why aren't we moving?" I asked Tom.

The way we were seated was that he, Natalie, and Tommy were in a row of three and I was across from them. I had been right by the kids for the first flight.

"No clue," Tom said, shrugging. He flipped through a Sky Mall magazine.

I tried to read my book. But I was distracted. Why weren't we moving? Was something wrong with the plane? Was--

"Hi everyone, this is your Captain speaking," a voice popped up on the overhead. "We seem to be having issues with our power steering. We need to have people look at it before we head off."

Okay. Power steering. Yes. Please fix that.

We waited some more.

The captain popped on again. The power steering still wasn't working and he'd update us in ten minutes.

I leaned over to Tom. "What if we're one of those flights that sit out here with no access to food or water?" I remembered hearing horror stories about passengers stuck on a plane without anything for hours on end. What if that happened to us? Would a news crew come in and film? Ack, that couldn't happen, I looked like crap! I ran some fingers through my limp airplane-scented hair.

"It's not like that at all," Tom said, not bothering to look up from his magazine. "The air conditioning is still on and the flight attendants keep asking if we need anything."

Oh.

Luckily the kids were entertained by Spongebob on their DVD player. I flipped open my book and started to read. That's when the couple seated beside me was all, "We need to get out and use the bathroom."

No problem. I shut my book and let them pass.

And yes, they went in separate bathrooms. For a moment I thought they wanted to join the Mile High club. Or really, it would be the Sitting On The Tarmac club in our case.

When they came back the Captain popped on and said the power steering was broken and we'd all have to get off.

"Now what?" I asked Tom, who casually put his magazine away. Why wasn't he reacting? Why was he just sitting there? Didn't he want to know how we'd get home?

"Dunno," Tom said, shrugging.

We grabbed our stuff and got off the plane. Then we were told to go to another gate where another plane would be waiting.

Yay! Home!

Of course they kept pushing back the time when we would leave. First they said 630, then 645, then 725...

And then finally we were on the plane.

"While we were waiting I caught the news and apparently we'll be flying through some pretty bad storms," Tom said simply.

Um.

Why would he tell me, a person terrified of flying, that? He barely said a thing when we had to change planes and the thing he decides to say is about BAD WEATHER?

Our flight was bumpy. When the Captain came on to warn us that it would be "pretty bumpy and that we should all put our seat belts on" I tensed. The plane shook pretty violently, just like it did before it split apart in Lost.

"If we crash on an island, you'll have to be like Jack," I hissed to Tom. I scanned the other passengers and there didn't seem to be another competent male on board. The guy who was seated in my row kept jumping up to go pee and I had to keep getting up to let him pass. How could we be saved by someone who has to pee every half hour?

"Natalie could be like Kate, because she's fiesty, and Tommy could be like Aaron because of his blond hair. I guess I'd be Claire then," I rambled.

Tom blinked at me. "You're strange."

"I'm strange? You'll thank me when we crash and have a plan," I said as the plane jolted. My stomach leaped up to my throat as I gripped the arm rests. I couldn't die this way. Not on a plane with a couple who had bladders the size of a pea.

"Do you want the barf bag?" Tommy asked, dangling it towards me.

"No thanks," I said, a little embarrassed to know that I was freaking out and my own children were not. Tommy was staring out the window in awe shouting things like, "Wow, we're going through a HUGE cloud!" and Natalie was playing with her creepy Yo Gabba Gabba toys. Tom was just sitting there as though he were watching one of his World War 2 shows.

The plane took another dive.

I sucked in my breath.

I shut my eyes and started to think of chocolate and the fact that Big Brother starts on Thursday! Who would be the house witch? Who would be the mousy houseguest who would inevitably win it all?

I must've fallen asleep because the next thing I knew the Captain was coming on saying that we should be in Denver in twenty minutes.

"You okay, Sleeping Beauty?" Tom joked.

"We're alive," I said. "We're alive."

"Um. Yes," Tom said slowly, as though he were speaking to a mental patient.

When we landed I was relieved. We had made it! Yes!

Of course we still had an hour and a half drive to Wyoming. Ugh. Tom and I were both tired so I kept us awake by asking Tom all sorts of World War 2 questions. ("What was wrong with Hitler, what was up with that mustache? Did he actually think it looked good? What was your favorite battle?")

And then we were home.

Ten minutes later we were in bed, vowing to take care of unpacking tomorrow.

And now I'm on here, vowing to take care of the unpacking by the end of the day.

Though Tom said, "Since we'll be visiting your family in a few weeks, how about we just leave the stuff in the suitcase?"

I looked at him and went, "No, the kids have different clothes. Since we'll be at the beach, they have beach themed outfits you know."

Tom rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

Impatience is My Middle Name

I once prayed for patience...and things got worse...so I prayed harder...and they got even worse...and then I realized....God was teaching me patience...so I quit praying for it and went on to something less painful.  We spent the day in Alex City today...and I mean...spent the day.  We had big plans...not gonna happen.  We both were out of refills on our meds...so we had to see the doctor.  I personally believe that the doctors, pharmacists and drug companies are in cahoots with each other.  Soooo....I made us both an appointment.  One was at 1:30...the other at 1:40.  This is right after lunch...so I thought...great...we will be right in and out.  We had some bank business to do....should have taken 20 minutes...took 40....we were going to look for a painting at Longleaf...that took 40 minutes too....we ate lunch...I of course tried to feed the girls...I had on a white top....we ate at Pizza Hut...when will I learn to eat Ranch Dressing when I am wearing white....NOT Catalina!  We did not have enough time to see mom BEFORE the Dr.....so we planned to see her on the way out of town.  We arrived at the Dr.'s office at 1:15...and by the time I filled out all the updated papers and paid the copay...they were calling us...the key word here is US...back to be weighed, blood pressure, etc...taken.  I made Frank stand out in the hall.  What I weigh is a touchy issue with me.  He stood in the hall and laughed.  1:35 we were back in the cattle stall, also known as the main waiting room....where we sat...for an hour before being called back to sit in the room.  Last time I went to the doctor....I sat in the waiting room 2 hours...and then the exam room another hour....before I walked out.  This time was not as bad...we sat an hour....in both rooms.  The doctor came in and examined us....again with the US.  We paid two copays...but only used one room...that should have meant....discount!  Nope...it didn't.  Our doctor is from Korea I believe....he has no sense of humor...and Frank of course was in rare form today....spouting forth pitiful jokes...the poor doctor just looked confused.  NOW for my pet peeve.  I teach high school....I know you know that....IF....this doctor...had scheduled an appointment with me to talk about his child....he would have expected to meet with me at the appointed time.....RIGHT?  So, is he telling me that my time is not as valuable as his?  I had an appointment...but I did not see the doctor until 2 hours after appointed time.  What do you think his reaction would have been if I had done that to him?????????  ANYWAYS....because of the length of time used...we hurried through a couple of other errands and ran to see my mom...who greeted us in her jammies.  She had never dressed for the day.  This is a hard one for me...my mother NEVER left her bedroom as long as they lived with us in her jammies...and now she sits out on the sun porch with strangers...in jammies, no robe, and her black shoes...she is a sight to behold.  Anyway...they made her dress....well they did not MAKE her...they can't...they urged her to dress....and then she came and ate at her dinner.  She ate a bite of turnips...and she loves them, a bite of chicken and dumplings that looked positively delish, a bite of cornbread (her favorite bread), and a bite of peaches (she can take them or leave them.)....that was not even 25% of her meal.  I would be starving again in an hour...she will not eat again until breakfast (her favorite meal).  We left about 30 minutes later...stopped by Mary's, where we were supposed to go and swim...but now it is nearly 6....and headed home.  Wasted day....hung pictures tonight...so the night was not a total wash.  I hate days like this....don't you?

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald....the Real Story

One of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs is called the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  It was one of the first songs of his I learned to play and sing.  The song was so haunting.  Several years later I actually researched the wreck and discovered that it really happened.  In a maritime museum in Michigan there is a rememberance for the 29 lives that were lost on that day in 1975.
The day was November 9th and at 8:30 AM the Edmund Fitzgerald was loaded with taconite pellets at Burlington Northern Railroad, Dock 1. The ship was scheduled to transport the cargo to Zug Island on the Detroit River.  At 2:20 PM the Fitzgerald departs Lake Superior en route of Detroit with 26,116 tons of taconite pellets. Ninteen minutes later the National Weather Service issues gale warnings for the area which the Fitzgerald is sailing in. Captain Cooper on the Anderson radios a freighter (the Edmund Fitzgerald) that he spots.  At 4:15 PM the Fitzgerald spots the Arthur M. Anderson some 15 miles behind it.  OnNovember 10th at 1:00 in the morning there was a weather report from the Fitzgerald. The report from the Fitzgerald shows her to be 20 miles south of Isle Royale. Winds are at 52 knots, with waves ten feet in height.  At 7:00 AM there was another weather report from the Fitzgerald.  This one said that the winds are at 35 knots, waves of ten feet. This was the last weather report that the Edmund Fitzgerald would ever make.  At 3:15 PM the Captain,  Jesse Cooper, (J.C.) of the S.S. Arthur M. Anderson watches the Fitzgerald round Caribou Island and comments that the Fitzgerald is much closer to Six Fathom Shoal than he would want to be.  Five minutes later the Anderson reports winds coming from the Northwest at 43 knots.  At 3:30 PM
there was a radio transmission between the Fitzgerald and the Anderson that went like this between the two captains.  This is documentation of the conversation between Captain McSorley (C.M.) to Captain Cooper (C.C.):
C.M.: "Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have sustained some topside damage. I have a fence rail laid down, two vents lost or damaged, and a list. I'm checking down. Will you stay by me til I get to Whitefish?"
C.C.: "Charlie on that Fitzgerald. Do you have your pumps going?"
C.M.: "Yes, both of them
At 4:10 PM the Fitzgerald radioed the Arthur M. Anderson requesting radar assistance for the remainder of the voyage.
Fitzgerald: "Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have lost both radars. Can you provide me with radar plots till we reach Whitefish Bay?"
Anderson: "Charlie on that, Fitzgerald. We'll keep you advised of position."
About 4:39 PM the Fitzgerald could not pick up the Whitefish Point radio beacon. The Fitzgerald radioed the Coast Guard station at Grand Marais on Channel 16, the emergency channel.  Somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00 PM the Edmund Fitzgerald called for any vessel in the Whitefish Point area regarding information about the beacon and light at Whitefish Point. They received an answer by the saltwater vessel Avafors that the beacon and the light were not operating.  It was estimated that somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00 PM
there was a radio transmission between the Avafors and the Fitzgerald.
Avafors: "Fitzgerald, this is the Avafors. I have the Whitefish light now but still am receiving no beacon. Over."
Fitzgerald: "I'm very glad to hear it."
Avafors: "The wind is really howling down here. What are the conditions where you are?"
Fitzgerald: (Undiscernable shouts heard by the Avafors.) "DON'T LET NOBODY ON DECK!"
Avafors: "What's that, Fitzgerald? Unclear. Over."
Fitzgerald: "I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I've ever been in."
Avafors: "If I'm correct, you have two radars."
Fitzgerald: "They're both gone."
Sometime around 7:00 PM the Anderson was struck by two huge waves that put water on the ship, 35 feet above the water line. The waves hit with enough force to push the starboard lifeboat down, damaging the bottom. At around 7:10 PM there was another radio transmission between the Anderson and the Fitzgerald. The Fitzgerald was still being followed by the Arthur M. Anderson. They were about 10 miles behind the Fitzgerald.
Anderson: "Fitzgerald, this is the Anderson. Have you checked down?"
Fitzgerald: "Yes we have."
Anderson: "Fitzgerald, we are about 10 miles behind you, and gaining about 1 1/2 miles per hour. Fitzgerald, there is a target 19 miles ahead of us. So the target would be 9 miles on ahead of you."
Fitzgerald: "Well, am I going to clear?"
Anderson: "Yes. He is going to pass to the west of you."
Fitzgerald: "Well, fine."
Anderson: "By the way, Fitzgerald, how are you making out with your problem?"
Fitzgerald: "We are holding our own."
Anderson: "Okay, fine. I'll be talking to you later."
They never did speak later...The 29 men onboard the Fitzgerald would never again speak with anyone outside of the ship.  Sometime between 7:20 and 7:30 PM it is estimated that this was the time period when the ship vanished and sank.  At 7:15 PM the Fitzgerald entered a squall while still on Lake Superior; the squall obscured the vessel from radar observation by the Anderson; this was normal when in a squall. At 7:25 PM  the Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared from the radar of the S.S. Arthur M. Anderson, prompting a call to the Coast Guard to inform them of the situation.  At 7:55 PM the Anderson called again and informed the Coast Guard that they had lost the Fitzgerald both visually and on radar.  At 9:00 PM, the Coast Guard, with no available search ships, radioed the Arthur M. Anderson requesting their assistance.
C.G.: "Anderson, this is Group Soo. What is your present position?"
Anderson: "We're down here, about two miles off Parisienne Island right now... the wind is northwest forty to forty-five miles here in the bay."
C.G.: "Is it calming down at all, do you think?"
Anderson: "In the bay it is, but I heard a couple of the salties talking up there, and they wish they hadn't gone out."
After much more conversation and a request by the Coast Guard to return to search for the ship, reluctant to go out, the S.S. Arthur M. Anderson agrees to "give it a try" but claims that that is "all we can do."  At 10:53 PM the first aircraft arrived on the scene from Traverse City, Michigan.  The next day, November 11, 1975
at around 2:00 AM William Clay Ford arrives at the scene of the wreck.
I am going to Michigan with Mary, Kat, and Kat's friend Mandy in 14 days.  The only thing I want to do in Michigan...is see the maritime museum and connect with the Edmund Fitzgerald.  All throughout our history...men have died....at sea, at war, building, and crossing this great country.  Their legacies are a part of what makes us...what we are....a great nation.  A little over a year later, in 1976, the song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is released by Gordon Lightfoot to the public commemorating the shipwreck. This song is still performed to this day at his concerts. In May of 1976 the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is OFFICIALLY identified. In 1980, Jacque Cousteau's Calypso expedition takes place.  Finally, in 1995, twenty years after the wreck, the bell of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was raised, restored, and replaced on the ship by a new bell with the names of the twenty nine men lost. This was the last time the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald would ever again be legally dived upon.