No Words

For love of country they accepted death...  ~James A. Garfield

Coming Home Photos

The Pioneer Woman has been featuring "Coming Home" photos for the past several days...grab your hankies!

Look here:
Coming Home Group 1
Coming Home Group 2
Coming Home Group 3
Coming Home Group 4

Memorial Day ~ Part III

Having read John McCrae’s poem 'In Flanders Fields' Moina Michael made a personal pledge to 'keep the faith'. She felt compelled to make a note of this pledge and hastily scribbled down a response entitled “We Shall Keep the Faith” on the back of a used envelope. From that day she vowed to wear a red poppy of Flanders Fields as a sign of remembrance.

 

 

 

 

 

We Shall Keep the Faith

by Moina Michael, November 1918

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

Memorial Day ~ Part II

Can anyone read this poem and be unaffected?

Memorial Day ~ Part I

Such a moving video for Memorial Day...
Memorial Day Tribute

Memorial Day Is About Remembrance, Not Shopping

By Sarah Smiley

The day after Thanksgiving, I woke up at an ungodly hour to stand in line at Toys R Us and buy my boys a stuffed donkey from the movie "Shrek." On New Year's Day, I ran out to the department stores and bought some make-up to get a "free gift." And, yes, I once dove on my belly into a room filled with so many "clearance shoes" that I couldn't see the carpet below.

Yes, I love a sale.

But each year at about this time, I open the newspaper and see words that make my deal-loving heart cringe: Memorial Day Sale, Memorial Day Extravaganza, Memorial Day Clearance and, absolutely the most shocking, Memorial Day Blowout Sale.

Since when did Memorial Day become synonymous with shopping? Why has the day we've set aside to honor those who died for our freedom become nothing more than a reason to buy a new mattress?

At what point did we begin to associate Memorial Day with everything - "the day the neighborhood pool opens," "the day our family eats fried chicken in the park," "the day I can start wearing white shoes again," etc. - other than a time to remember and honor those who have died for our country?

I don't have these answers, so I set out to do some research and was immediately sidetracked by one site in particular, ArlingtonCemetry.org.

Here's what I learned:

• Each year, just before Memorial Day weekend, every soldier in the 3rd US Infantry, assigned to Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldier's and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, works around the clock to place more than 280,800 small American flags precisely one-foot and centered in front of every gravestone and niche. The ceremony is known as "flags in," and the 3rd US Infantry remains at the cemetery all weekend to ensure that no flag is removed.

• The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - no matter the weather - by Tomb Guard Sentinels, all volunteers from the 3rd US Infantry. 

• Before being granted the privilege to volunteer as a Tomb Guard Sentinel, soldiers are put through a rigorous selection process. Among the many requirements, soldiers must memorize seven pages of the cemetery's history and recite it verbatim, and memorize the history and gravestone location of more than 300 veterans.  

• Select Guards who pass more intensive testing will be given the honor of wearing the silver Tomb Guard Identification Badge. Since the prestigious badge was created in 1958, only 539 soldiers have earned the right to wear one.  

• The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is unique in that it can be revoked, even after the soldier is no longer on active duty, for any behavior that is deemed dishonorable to the Tomb.

Clearly, the United States Military views Memorial Day and its veterans as deserving of more than a 50 percent-off discount. For them, Memorial Day isn't just a day off. In fact, it is a day of great work and dedication.

Yet, obviously, we can't all be at Arlington National Cemetery this Memorial Day. And certainly, the majority of us don't have near the discipline to be a Tomb Guard Sentinel. But we can do our part. We can honor Memorial Day the way it should be honored - with remembrance.

This holiday weekend, save time to remember. It is a time to be thankful. It is a time to be grateful. And save the shopping for another day.

# # #

Sarah Smiley is the wife of a Navy pilot and daughter of a retired Navy pilot. Her syndicated column "Shore Duty" appears weekly in military and civilian newspapers across the country.

Navy Mom?

Youngest DD and I spent the better part of yesterday speaking with a Navy recruiter.  To say DD is excited is an understatement.  And I don't think I could be any prouder of her!  We've got a ton of paperwork to accumulate (medical records, transcripts, etc.), but DH and I are both very happy with her decision to join.  We're just hoping she passes the medical.  Passing the ASVAB should not be a problem as she scored a 92 out of 99 on the AFQT ~ missing only two!

LOVING this poster they had on the wall of the recruiting office ~

Now, I just need to find a ringtone for "In the Navy" by the Village People!!!

Rainy Days

I love rainy days! I especially love rainy days when I do not have to go out ~ would much rather stay home and stitch. Reality sets in, though, and I know I need to go pick up work and then "get to work"!

I did want to show one of my recent finishes ~ Pennsylvania Christmas Sampler by The Goode Huswife. I stitched it on an unknown piece of linen, either 36 or 40 ct (and my eyes were hurting). I lucked out on the frame ~ was browsing at Goodwill and found an ugly gold frame ($4.59) that was THE PERFECT SIZE! Brought it home, spray painted it with Oil Rubbed Bronze (my favorite) ~ saved well over $100 on framing!!!  I will apologize in advance for the lousy snap ~ I absolutely cannot take decent pictures!

Y'all have a great weekend!

Restarting My Blog!

I have been away from this blog for over a year and a half ~ lots of things have been going on...most notably is #1 DD got married this past September and is expecting her first child (our first grandchild) in August!  It took DH and I awhile to get used to the idea (since we're so young LOL), but we're on board now and looking forward to Hayden's arrival!

Trying to get my craft area (especially my cross stitch & quilting supplies) organized.  I'm looking to purchase something to consolidate all my DMC floss.  I found this at Amazon and I think it should work:

Spending way too much time on this already....need coffee!