Category: HOLIDAYS

How to Observe Memorial Day

Memorial Day is about honoring the countless individual acts of bravery and sacrifice. This holiday is also about honoring the brave men and women who make it home. That means keeping our promises to America’s veterans. This Memorial Day, we remember all the Americans who gave their lives in defense of America. They died so that we may be free – and we are forever in their debt. Too many people have lost sight of the meaning of this holiday. If you visit How to Observe Memorial Day you can read the whole article, but here is an excerpt that lists the highlights.

“…gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime….let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude,–the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.”

~~General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

“The “Memorial” in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:

  • by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.

  • by visiting memorials.

  • by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.

  • by flying the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).

  • by participating in a “National Moment of Remembrance“: at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.

  • by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.”

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
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Jack the Cat & Happy Mother’s Day

This is another one of those gems from an email that I had to share:

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom. Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middleone is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother’s Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood. We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack’s ….. . Rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said “chapped.” Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right–their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn’t seem to mind. And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat’s behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother’s Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they’ve been using your chapstick on the cat’s butt.

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Menu for a yummy Easter

I’ve been super busy around here and hadn’t had time to make a new recipe for Easter over at Favorite Ingredient Friday. So, I offer you this menu of recipes for our Easter and you can pick and choose the ones, you like.


hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy

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Very Vintage Valentine Swap

I participated in Heidi’s Very Vintage Valentine Swap. I had fun putting together my partner’s box and here is what I sent: an altered candy box full of Valentine’s ribbons, cupcake stakes, recipes, vintage Valentine postcards and a cute little note board. I also made some crepe paper garland and sequin confetti hearts. She has asked for no sweets so I sent these awesome JELL-O flavors: Margarita, Pina Colada and strawberry Daiquiri. I also included a cute set of heart note cards, a vintage table centerpiece, pink variegated yarn, heart cookie cutters and and a Chinese heart carton full of metal conversation heart magnets. I’m still waiting for my box to see what’s in it.

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Happy Hearts Day

I thought I’d share this picture with you. Obviously there is a butcher with way too much time on their hands.

In this same store I have always been amused by this sign:

Having come from the busy west coast where someone would literally ad verbally tell you that you needed to change lines if you had even close to the limit, their sense of humor was a welcome relief.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

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Happy Birthday Belinda!!

I couldn’t get Gunner to sit still, so I had to borrow Max here so I could wish my good friend and bowling buddy, Belinda Happy Birthday today. She doesn’t have a blog, but she checks my site daily so leave her some warm wishes.

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~*~Resolutions / Goals & Epiphanies~*~

Last year I did an extensive list and find it is now time to review and revise while I put into writing a more extensive GOALS list for myself in 2009.

I like the idea of having even one Epiphany, especially as the New Year begins. Epiphanies can lead to resolutions that help us reach our goals and one of my goals is the follow through it takes to bring those Epiphanies to life.

Here’s a very incomplete, but great beginning to the list of resolutions/epiphanies/ultimate goals I want to address in 2009:

  • 2008 DONE & 2009 STARTED TODAY!! Make most, if not all of next year’s Christmas gifts by hand and tailored to each person’s likes/dislikes


  • 2008 DONE!! Get my kitchen in order ~ I used to (before the nightmare of this house came to life) make my menus a month in advance. This was really helpful to our budget also. If a recipe called for half of an onion on Monday, I’d make sure to follow it with a recipe on Tuesday that called for the other half. During that time we tried at least 1 new recipe per week so I could try to empty the shoebox (my husband just reminded me that there 3, not “1” of these) FULL of recipes that I’d cut out from newspapers, magazines and such. That never worked because I always filled it right back up, but now it’s overflowing and desperately needs thinning out!!!!!!


  • 2008 DONE & 2009 IN PROGRESS ~ Limit my craft & fabric purchases to ONLY the items I need to make things using mostly materials that I already own


  • 2008 NOT WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUT A 2009 PLAN OF ATTACK IS IN THE SCHEDULE ~ Take a walk daily (weather permitting or not) OR AT LEAST use the treadmill, it’s already here after all!


  • 2008 SUCCESS ~ MY DIABETES IS UNDER CONTROL ForceD myself to eat breakfast! And I managed to lose weight too!


  • 2008 WAS MINIMAL due to the continued house issues, but 2009 LOOKS MORE PROMISING ~ Continue my volunteering monthly, even if it’s just a home project for something I already support


  • 2008 WAS A BUST due to the continued house issues, but 2009 LOOKS PROMISING ~ Write some freelance newspaper/magazine articles


  • 2008 WAS A BUST due to the continued house issues, but 2009 LOOKS A LOT MORE PROMISING ~ (Here’s the big scary one I’ve avoided for more years than I care to admit) I will write the novel(s) that have been swirling in my head for years. I have the plots, characters, synopsis and the settings. I’ve conversed with the characters like they are old friends and family, I’ve developed the towns, supporting characters and walked through the houses and buildings like I built them myself. I know everyone’s likes, dislikes, personality traits and idiosyncrasies. I know all the dogs in town and who rides their bike to work or walks. I know how deep and blue the lakes are and how clear the night sky is so much so that all the stars sparkle bright and appear as if you can reach up and pull them down. All I need to do now is capture it all on the blank pages between the colorfully bound covers that I can see so vividly


  • 2008 WAS A BUST but THERE’S ALWAYS 2009 ~ Try to sell my screenplay (inquiry letters are written and the 1st couple dozen, 2ND COUPLE DOZEN rejection letters are making for a great book).


  • 2008 WAS A BUST but THERE’S ALWAYS 2009 ~ Find a publisher for the cookbooks I’ve written

So… I scared myself a little (okay ~ a lot and I mean A LOT) with this list. But the age-old question truly is ~ “How do you eat an elephant?” And the answer will always be ~ “One bite at a time!” Some bites will be smaller than others, but that’s okay too!

Happy New Year, one and all, and may you too see the light to your epiphany!

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