americana by candlelight

There Are all Kinds of Love....

2011-02-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day

I woke up this morning thinking of my Valentine. We have known each other 35 years and been married 32. But my mind wandered to other loves in my life, such as family and friends. And while we think of February 14th as a romantic celebration, I think it is also a day to think about and celebrate all the things we love in our lives.

For me...

my husband, children, family, friends, music, food, sunsets, candlelight...can you guess what else I love?

Happy Love Day

All of You!

Sharing this on Mosaic Monday, click on the sidebar button to see what other Mosaics people have created...

Love is…. Happy Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-07T02:58:00.001-05:00

"Dogs truly are one of the greatest gifts that God ever gave us. They give us unconditional love just as God does and remind us daily that we too can love this way if we choose."

-Joseph Mazzell

I have had many dogs in my life. Hoppy was our first female Shih Tzu, we love the breed and her! Just recently my daughter bought a new Christmas puppy and named her Willow. I have had pictures of Hoppy on a previous post but I wanted to share pictures of Willow. She only weighed 2 lbs. when she came to our home for the first time. Her coat is light brown and will probably get lighter. It really is like having a new baby in the house. She just goes through the developmental stages faster.

I have included a video we took of Hoppy watching her favorite TV show, NCIS. She is especially attracted to Tony. She can be in another room and rush to the TV when she hears the familiar sounds of the show. This episode there was a dog barking but she typically watches when it is just the shows characters. This is not the only TV show she watches. Needless to say she loves Caesar and the Dog Whisperer too. I have never had a dog that paid attention to TV before. She is fun to watch and I wonder if Willow will pick up her TV habits. So far she is only interested in Hoppy’s reaction to TV.

Hoppy loves to watch TV!

I love the quote above and this is why I am honoring my puppies this Valentine’s Day. There are countless times when I have been sick or sad and my dogs are always there for me. They stay by my side, worried until I am better. It is comforting to cry into their soft coat as they lick the tears streaming down my cheeks. Love is truly having dogs that love you unconditionally!

Happy Valentine’s Day and thank you for visiting. Please leave a comment about any of your furry friends….

I will be sharing this post on Mosaic Monday. Click my sidebar button to see other Mosaic entries.

A Little Bit of Christmas...

2010-12-26T20:49:00.001-05:00

This year at Christmas I tried to decorate with more naturals and primitives. The Jim Shore Angel was a surprise from my Sweet Hubby. We were shopping and while I was in another store looking at primitives, he went to the collectible store down the street and bought this Angel. He knew I had to add it to my decorations so he gave it to me when we got home instead of waiting until Christmas!

I love elves and need lots of help to transform my home! This year we awoke, had our traditional Candy Cane Hot Chocolate and Cinnamon Rolls while we slowly went one at a time opening our gifts. It was just my husband, daughter, and I.

We enjoyed a leisurely morning with my daughters new puppy, Willow, and our other little shih Tzu, Hoppy.

I hope you all had yourselves a merry little Christmas!

Posting to Mosaic Monday and Tabletop Tuesday to share my little bit of Christmas.

Thank you ladies for hosting and thank all of you for strolling by...

A Year in Review of Facebook Thoughts

2010-12-10T09:18:00.001-05:00

A cool App in Facebook lets you make a collage of your Facebook statuses. It isn't all of them but you can definitely get a flavor of what was important to me this year. So for all of you not a Facebook Friend I thought I would share...

Some of My Thoughts

2010

A Decorating Frenzy

2010-12-06T08:44:00.001-05:00

This Mosaic I created for my desktop to motivate me. It is pictures of last year's decorations. Each year I change things depending on how I feel. This year I have decided to not do as much. And since I am enamored with primitive country , I tried to decorate along those lines this year.

I think I finished with most of what I want to do this year and will be taking pictures this week to post.

So here is the before:

Christmas 2009

No train or village this year.

A different look is coming of this area.

Dickens Village from Dept. 56

I hope you enjoyed a look at last year decorating frenzy.... look for Christmas 2010's frenzy in a later post.

Happy Decorating!

Posting to Mosaic Monday, the button for this meme is on my sidebar.

Stained Glass Lamps

2010-11-16T10:45:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I visited My Aunt and Uncle in New York and was bitten, it changed my life.

Well, I may be a bit dramatic with that sentence. The bite did not hurt me...except for my pocket book.

I am talking about a bite that created a fervent desire for stained glass lamps. When I entered their home I was greeted with one after another lamps of various sizes, colors, and patterns. Lamps that created a soft romantic ambience to each room I entered.

When I arrived home the madness began and I now own quite a few stained glass lamps. While I do not have many tables left to display them, I can usually find a pole lamp to buy.

Please take a look at most of my collection. Which do you think is my favorite?

I have not shared all of my pieces today. I'll save some for another post. Since I wanted to show you the shades, I did not picture the bases which are hefty and just as pretty. I can't wait to take a picture and share with you my new one. functional as well as pretty and low cost too!

Thanks for stopping by for a little bit of Americana.

Please leave a comment and tell me if you have any stained glass lamps in your home.

Joining:

Three or More Tuesday

Mosaic Monday

Tabletop Tuesday

Thank you to the wonderful blogs hosting these events, find them on my sidebar.

Thank You Dad....

2010-11-11T03:46:00.001-05:00

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick

The last time my Dad visited me here in Virginia we were traveling home from Washington DC and I wanted to hear, again, what it was like when my he was in WWII. It was amazing, being 80, how much he could recall! He spoke of the places he was stationed, the ships he was on, and the unfortunate things that he witnessed. I'm not so sure I ever really appreciated his service to our country as much as I do now. He never saw the WWII Memorial because it was not yet built. I wish he was still with me so I could take him....

My Mom and Dad on their wedding day!

This nation will remain the land of the FREE only so long as it is the home of the BRAVE. ~Elmer Davis

Please

Remember to Thank

Veteran Today!

Craft Ideas for the Thanksgiving Table

2010-11-09T09:22:00.001-05:00

I don't know how many of you saw these craft creations from the A.C. Moore site, here is the link:

They look so easy to make with your hot glue gun, styro balls, and seeds! The instructions are at the above link. I thought these would be cool to share,especially if you do not have an A.C. Moore in your area. As you can see below they were all designed by the same person.

Happy Fall Crafting!

Triple Wreath Door Hanger

Cornucopia Collage

Seeds and Such Décor

All three designed by: Dondi Richardson

Thanks for stopping by, tell me what you think....

America's Worth Fighting For

2010-11-01T13:44:00.001-04:00

A couple of months ago Guitar Man said that we ought to write a Patriotic song. So one morning, since I now do not have long nails, I picked up the guitar and found a chord progression I liked. I showed it to my Guitar man, Alex. He liked it too and thus became the makings of our Patriotic song.

My daughter and I love to sing so we thought since we couldn't get Carrie Underwood that we would sing it for you. Please understand that this was recorded with one microphone hooked to the computer. I hope while listening, you will focus on the words, pictures, and meanings of the song.

It is our wish that you take part in the voting process and the Patriotic cause to return our great country of America to its Constitutional beginnings as intended by the Founding Men and Women of the United States.

The Country Worth Fighting For

   Lyrics and music by Joan and Alex Lopez
    Vocals: Joan and Autumn lopez
    Guitar: Alex Lopez

     On the road I have traveled
    Things that I have seen
    Patriots in all their glory
    America's worth fighting for

    Feel the breeze of the ocean
    Waves cast from the sea
    Stand high on a rock with your freedom
    America's worth fighting for

    Standing alone in the forest
    Giants fought to be heard
    Declaring their right to liberty
    America's worth fighting for

    Climbing to the crest of a mountain
    Challenges each breath you take
    Hold firm to yourself you will make it
    America's worth fighting for

    Friends meet in the city
    Cowboys raise dust on the plains
    The old bell anchors our nation
    America's worth fighting for

America,

Our America,
is worth fighting for....

(copyright protected)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T10:12:00.000-04:00

This is a re-post from last year. Happy Halloween 2010!

Four days until Halloween— I love the fall and love to celebrate Halloween! Unfortunately Halloween through the years has became negative for some people, but not for me. I do not have any pictures of me dressed up for Halloween. When I was young my family did not take many pictures. The only memories I have are the limited ones in my head. I wish I had more but life was different in the 60’s. We, of course, were not as technologically absorbed as we are now. The technology wasn’t as readily available to families at a reasonable price. In my life now I have multiple digital cameras and computers and any other cool gadgets I can get my hands on. Creating visual memories now is so much easier, which will be wonderful for those of you that are living young today.

But back to Halloween. I remember my mom loved holidays. She liked to decorate our porch for trick or treaters. One year I remember an old trunk put on the porch. Inside was a monster type of creature and spider webs. It was awesome even though the picture is a bit blurred in my mind. My most favorite costume was walking around with my girlfriend as a pair of dice. I think my sister Deb might have painted the dice since she was such an artist. The costume was a bit cumbersome. We were afraid some boys would mischievously throw a firecracker in our box but we felt very clever.

When I was a kid we went out trick or treating without parents following along. That changed for my own children and even with adults attending a group of trick or treaters there were children who had their bags stolen. I loved coming up with costumes when my children were young. My son always wanted to be the latest super hero. My most ambitious costume was a ninja turtle, Raphael. Gosh for someone like me who is not a seamstress this costume took a long time to make! My daughter was easier and usually had the witch or princess thing going on. The most elaborate costumes we would see when my kids were little came from a pattern and home sewing machine. Moms put lots of love and time into their little ones costumes.

I have always decorated my homes at Halloween, inside and out. Each year I love scouring the stores for new items to add to my collection. One year I was able to persuade a local store to let me have the Energizer (I think this is right) cardboard haunted house. It broke down each year but it was pretty cool to have sit outside on Halloween night. I even once used it at the school Fall Festival. I scrunched down inside the house and dressed like a witch giving candy to the trick or treaters at the festival.

My friends would like me to come to their home and hand out candy Halloween night. They liked hearing my witches voice and cackle as the children left with their treats. I am not one of those homes in the neighborhood that add every new balloon decoration that comes out each year. My home has small touches of Halloween fright. Like now I have my 6 foot spider near the door. It is sad that I have never lived in a home that had many trick or treaters come. They like to go where they can get the most loot the fastest. This has been disappointing through the years but that doesn’t stop my love or me from celebrating Halloween. Some of the must things to do at this time of the year: find cool haunted houses and I have been through many, and drive around looking at other decorations. I also like to go to malls where costumes of treaters abound in a safe environment.

Four more days, I’ll be a witch and my hubby a wizard. If you listen carefully maybe you’ll hear my cackle….

We Need A Hero

2010-10-26T22:47:00.001-04:00

In America we need a Hero! Someone, man or woman, who will bring this country back to its Greatness! A Hero who loves God and respects America and is willing to be diligent in supporting the Constitution as our Founding Fathers and George Washington intended. Where will we find that Hero; You?

Thank you for visiting and watching my first video.

Listening to Lately

2010-10-21T08:51:00.001-04:00

Note: If you are reading this post on my blog site you will want to pause the music.

For some reason I cannot get enough of

Crosby, Stllls, Nash ... and Sometimes Young.

Their songs are stuck in my head and for whatever reason they are giving me comfort right now.

Do songs ever do that for you?

I love all kinds of music and if I could, I would have a theme song play as I performed my life duties. You know ... like in musicals. If you ever looked at my playlist on my blog you can see I have a lot of songs and I try to pick one for the posts, but then I will change back to my Patriotic favorites.

When I went to YouTube there were many versions of this song. I chose this one to post. I hope you will take a moment to listen. Information about this version is interesting.

Guinevere:

Country Girl

from the

Deja Vu

album

Both of these are in my head lately and I downloaded them to my Iphone from ITunes. Part of why I love Country Girl is that Guitar Man has sung and played this in his repertoire of songs since before we were married. No offense to the Crosby group but I like his version better. But since I have not recorded my Guitar Man yet, and I will someday, this will have to do.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me know what you think. What is your comfort song or what is playing in your head right now?

A Great Fall Dish

2010-10-20T09:47:00.001-04:00

I envy Rachel Ray. I wish I could have such ease while cooking! Her trademark is making those delicious and healthy meals in 30 minutes while talking. The talking and following a recipe hangs me up...

Anyways I do not watch her religiously but I did happen to watch her show as she was interviewing Ted Danson, the bartender from Cheers. Actually, I cannot find my cable remote for my bedroom TV, which means, I cannot delete DVR'd shows. And you know what that means...eventually the DVR fills up and TV watching is "kaput" till you delete. So yesterday I checked the TV and thus the watching of Rachel Ray.

She had a great Fall recipe and in case you missed it. I thought I would share it. The recipe is called:

Pork Chops or Chicken Breasts with "Blue" Butter and Sage

Click on the picture to go to the Rachel Ray site and get the recipe

Served with Sautéed Pears and Red Onions and Obsession-with-Sweet Potatoes Mash.

Doesn't it look scrumptious?!

I do not care for pears but she said you could substitute apples. AND at the last minute she tosses on some brown sugar. Hmm.. red onions, pears, and brown sugar...interesting.

She is in love with these Mashed Sweet Potatoes, an easy healthy side dish. I can't wait to try these!

On top of the chop is Roquefort, sage, and butter. It hadn't had time to melt at the end of the show but that chop will be yummy once it melts over the top.

She suggested making a lot, shaping it into a roll, and freezing it. Then you can cut a piece each time you cook a steak, portabella mushroom, or chicken and want to add some flavor.

Did you notice the size of the bone-in chop? It is gorgeous and she says it is Michel Nischan Pork. Organic and more expensive but it looked nicer than what you find in the meat section of your typical grocery store. I am not familiar with this chef so as I did some checking I found this site where you can find a retail store and/or purchase the meat online.

Do any of you order meat online?

I always worry that the dry ice will be gone and the meat will have spoiled since I did not know how long the ice had been gone.

Click on the picture for site

Fall-in-for-Pork tonight!

Bon appetite!

Thanks for stopping by for a yummy recipe suggestion!

United in Action

2010-09-29T10:02:00.001-04:00

"Unite in Action invites you to come join us as “We the People” gather from sea to shining sea and converge on our nation’s capital for 4 full days patriotic events and presentations culminating with a march and rally at the National Mall."

This was an awesome event. While there I took the "Making of America" class on the Constitution. In the evening I attended the Dinner Banquet with Lori from "As a Mom...A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots" serving as one of the emcees introducing women speakers like Ginni Thomas and Morgan Brittany (from the Dallas TV show). Unfortunately the lights were low and I wasn't able to get their pictures. The Patriotic Quilt was one of the items made by a group of mothers and it was part of a silent auction.

The next day on our way to the Rally we stopped to take a few interesting pictures in DC.

Scaffolding all over the Old Executive Building next to the White House.

Here come the

Constitutionalists

Founding Men and Women

Thomas Paine gave a rousing speech!

And in contrast,

Stephen Baldwin gave a modern day speech with the same conviction!

It was a day of Patriotic song and Americans with a conviction to uphold the United States Constitution. Thank you for joining me and allowing me to share my Patriotism with you. I am posting to Outdoor Wednesday today. I miss being part of this meme. It has been awhile...

Thank you Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.

So Many Events, Where Should I Stay?

2010-09-28T17:22:00.001-04:00

Well I sure have been attending many events in and around DC lately. It started with the Restoring Honor Rally, then there was the Unite in Action seminar, the 9-11 Memorial Event and the 9-12 Freedomworks Event. Then it was an all around the country event where people celebrated Constitution Day with the Reading of the Constitution. This event took place in a private home in a nearby community and it, too, was memorable. Since I have so many pictures...for this post I would like you to see where we stayed in DC for some of the events. Even though I am only 20 miles from our nation's capital, it was easier than fighting the traffic.

We stayed at the Omni Shoreham, a beautiful grand historic hotel in Washington DC, for the Unite in Action conference, 9-11, and 9-12 events.

We were greeted by beautiful bouquets of roses!

If only the walls of the Omni could talk...

The hotel dining room open to the lobby....

The most gorgeous crystal chandeliers and sconces I had ever seen.

Beautiful grounds that held an early evening wedding.

We tried to get these ghosts to talk as they completed their midnight stroll.....ooohhh...

The evening view...

A definite place I would recommend to stay if you ever come to DC.

Thanks for stopping by, come back to see some of the other pictures from the other Patriotic Events I attended.

32 Years ago today

2010-09-16T13:32:00.001-04:00

An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow.

~Author Unknown

My Mom

My Mother-in-Law

Mom and Dad

with

"A Lucky Penny in My Shoe"

The old-wives tale of putting a penny in the shoe of a woman on her wedding day comes courtesy of an old Victorian rhyme. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe." These were all superstitions that were requests for good luck for the bride. However, when using a silver sixpence became impossible to do, finding a penny was easier and so people made a substitution. Now the saying has changed to, "and a lucky penny in the shoe." The penny was intended to be worn in the shoe of the bride to ensure that the newly married couple would always have wealth.

I walked down the aisle to "Sunrise, Sunset" from "Fiddler on the Roof"

We were married in Santa Clara Church, Oxnard, California which is beautiful

I love and miss it....

"The Wedding Song, There is Love" was also sung by a good friend.

He has always taken good care of me.

Thank you for visiting today and allowing me to share my special day...

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~Paul Sweeney

Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day. ~Gene Perret

Wow, where has the time gone....

2010-08-31T08:20:00.001-04:00

Apologizing, I haven't posted in quite awhile. While I have continued visiting my blog roll friends I have not posted to my own blog. I do not know why- Summer? Perhaps. I will say I have increased my participation in "Taking Back America". I am now volunteering in a Congressional Campaign, spent a week at the Leadership Institute Candidate School, and joined various groups to learn as much as I can about local/state politics. I am meeting some nice Patriotic new friends.

I have somewhat neglected my cooking/tablescapes this summer. It has been so hot and with mostly dinners for my husband and I we have been eating out too much again.

My favorite time of the year is arriving quickly...Fall. Although it is still in the 90's here! I have purchased some new dishes off and on so I will have to get busy again with some tablescapes. This is my first year to have grown herbs on my deck and so I tried my hand at Pesto which I love.

I love my Wolfgang Puck Food Processor from HSN, all the tools are in its drawer.

Hmmm pine nuts, love them.

Will be frozen and ready to use.

Had to have some immediately with toasted Asiago cheese bread and tomatoes.

Outdoor activities are difficult for me in this heat so I have not had a chance to take too many outdoor pictures. Looking forward to Fall weather to get out more.

I attended the Glenn Beck Restoring Honor Rally in Washington DC, August 28th. An amazing event and I met some nice people from the nation. I took some pictures. but the crowd was 500,000+, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. I dared not leave my seat after the crowds arrived as it was seriously wall to wall people! We stayed in DC for two nights even though we live close because we did not want to mess with the traffic. We arrived to the Mall at 5:30am and there were many people who had already picked the best seats by staying up all night.

As the sun began to rise, 6:30am, the stage was in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Clouds in the sky so not a good sunrise. View if you were on stage.

Unfortunately they had these bright lights on the stage.

Here is the picture minus the lights. This was at 6:30 am and it began at 10:00 am.

The views from my seat.

I am now looking forward to more events around "9-12". I am glad my husband and I agree politically because we are sharing these events together. We both love our country, believe in the Constitution as envisioned by the Founding Fathers, and are concerned about the direction the current administration is taking America.

So a few pics and a thank you for not abandoning my blog.

My Summer Journal

2010-08-08T12:16:00.003-04:00

Digital collage customized with Smilebox

Happy 4th of July !

2010-07-04T14:48:00.001-04:00

When our children were young we loved doing the July 4th Pet Parades. Each year in bend, Oregon they had a different theme for their parade. I honestly cannot remember the theme for this year of pictures, but my guess is that it had to do with the American Revolution. Ryan was a drummer for the Sons of Liberty.

Like in this picture:

Autumn was, of course, Betsy Ross. If you notice she had to have her gun in her sewing basket to protect her as she did her sewing of the flag. They also had their faithful dog Remington. Who now resides, bless his heart, at the Rainbow Bridge.

It was always fun to think up an idea for the Pet Parade, but as usual I work best under pressure so at the last minute we would be tearing things apart trying to make something that would pull the kids and show up to the onlookers.

It was a fun family event. Although I am not sure my son enjoyed wearing the wig, dirtying up his face, and having a hat came from a large stuffed doll.

I still have the patriotic heart hanging around Remington's neck and the sewing basket. Two hand trucks did the trick to pull the Patriots through their journey downtown and it was handy to have a carpet remnant.

The look on Ryan and Autumn's face tells little about their excitement. They were tired because we would always go to bed rather late, after all, once we put everything together we had to test it out. And the Parade was always early, like 9 am. At the end of the Parade they would be happy to get a ribbon and a popsicle, then it was off to the park by the river for the July 4th festivities.

Ahhh...those were the days...when the children were little.

Now we, Guitar Man and I, spend our 4th waking up late to a quiet house, spend some time on the computer, have a leisurely breakfast, prepare a bar-b-que, attend a Potomac Nationals Farm team game, and watch the fireworks at the stadium. An all-American fourth, burgers, potato salad, chips, watermelon, ice cream, and baseball.

Oh I love this great country!

But I do kind of miss the Pet Parades with the kids and the creative hurriedness of it all...

Enjoy your celebration of America's Independence and share it with those you love...

It's Tablescape Thursday, Patriotic Style

2010-06-30T20:23:00.001-04:00

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States. (From Wikipedia)

Did you know?

July 2nd is the actual day the Continental Congress voted for independence.

Blue Charger: Target

Red Checkered Plate: Home Goods or TJ Maxx (oops, I forget)

Salad Plate/Bowl: Blue Danube China

Glasses: Arby's (years ago)

Mixture of two flatware sets: Home Goods and TJ Maxx

Did you know?:

John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more. "

(From Wikipedia)

Did you know?:

In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the United States and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence and became presidents, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States' 50th anniversary.

(From Wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29

"— And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

I am thankful to be living in the United States of America.

My wish and prayer for America's Birthday is that

"We Stand United"

♥ To make this, once again, a great nation.

♥ To honor a, one of a kind, country.

♥ To hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

♥ To "Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."

Thomas Jefferson

Happy Birthday

America!

glitter-graphics.com

Posting to Tablescape Thursday. Enjoy other tables by using the button on the sidebar.

my outdoor tribute to america

2010-06-30T14:18:00.001-04:00

We had a severe thunderstorm come through this week and brake my flag pole. It's not the first time. So it is resting on the porch now. The 2 bird planters were my husbands Father's Day presents. He loves "Birds and Blooms" magazine and we both enjoy planters and flowers. We thought the planters would look good welcoming visitors.

Here is my Mosaic of our front door and small porch.

The mat says:

Live...

Love...

Laugh...

Another Father's day present.

"Happiness is a Garden"

This is our back deck. In an earlier post I showed you some of our planters. My theme color represents my love for my country. Lobelia is about the only little accent blue flower, but I have used some blue salvia too. The salvia has not done well so we are moving the planters to other parts of the deck to vary the amount of sun. The flowers are a little beat up from the storm but they make my Patriotic heart beat red, white, and blue.

Our little pond trickle, trickles, all day long....frogs playing a never-ending game of checkers, and woodland creatures trying to beat the heat.

Places where we relax....

Thank you for dropping by the week before Independence Day!

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck

I'll be sharing and participating this post with memes:

Outdoor Wednesday

and

Mosaic Monday

(The link button is on my sidebar.)

Tablescape Thursday...Found me Some new dishes!!

2010-06-16T23:43:00.001-04:00

Shhh...I have a secret. I found a new thrift store and it is not well known, so I am hoping that I might find some beauties before it gets discovered. On one of my recent trips...there it was...china with a service for eight, 41 pieces in all. A beauty with a delicate floral pattern. And as some of you know, because thrift store blogging tablescapers have had this experience, I wanted to do the "Found Me Some Treasure" dance! So come on in and take a peek at my find...

The color palette is very soft with blue, pink, and yellow flowers...a garden of happiness on pristine white. They look hardly used and I wondered about the owner. Did they really dislike this china or were they in an unfortunate circumstance? Well I would give them a good home and put some scrumptious meals on them to accentuate their beauty.

Along with the plates there was a sugar, creamer, and a large bowl. The coffee pot is one I already had.

A little Garden theme...

Dinnertime Candlelight...

Shhh...a casual dinner with those I love.

Tablescape Thursday is the place to be each week for table decorations that will make you too do the "Found Me Some Treasure" dance! Click the button on my sidebar.

You're A Grand Old Flag, Flag Day

2010-06-14T18:21:00.002-04:00

The whole inspiration of our life as a nation flows out from the waving folds of this banner.

~Author Unknown

Why would Betsy Ross be chosen to make the flag?

It was usual in that day for upholsterers to be flagmakers. As Betsy Ross prayed in the pew next to George Washington and had already sewn buttons for him, and she was a niece of George Ross, it is not exceptional that these members of the Flag Committee formed by the Continental Congress would call upon Betsy Ross to make the flag.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/94507641

If Betsy sewed the flag, who designed it?

Betsy Ross's daughter, Rachel Fletcher, testified in 1870, the following: "[The committee] showed her [Betsy Ross] a drawing roughly executed, of the flag as it was proposed to be made by the committee, and that she saw in it some defects in its proportions and the arrangement and shape of the stars. That she said it was square and a flag should be one third longer than its width, that the stars were scattered promiscuously over the field, and she said they should be either in lines or in some adopted form as a circle, or a star, and that the stars were six-pointed in the drawing, and she said they should be five pointed."

The Birth of Old Glory [detail],
Percy Moran, artist, copyright 1917.
Prints and Photograph Online Catalog

There are many opportunities to take pictures of the Grand Old Flag so I just had to share some in a Mosaic.

If anyone, then, asks me the meaning of our flag, I say to him - it means just what Concord and Lexington meant; what Bunker Hill meant; which was, in short, the rising up of a valiant young people against an old tyranny to establish the most momentous doctrine that the world had ever known - the right of men to their own selves and to their liberties. ~Henry Ward Beecher

What do the red, white, and blue of the flag represent?

The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose the colors. However, in 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and listed their meaning as follows: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. According to legend, George Washington interpreted the elements of the flag this way: the stars were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors, and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. However, there is no official designation or meaning for the colors of the flag.

Historical information about "Old Glory"

I am posting late to Mosaic Monday. Please click the button to see other participants.

The internet was down and I lost my original draft and had to rewrite my post, but I just couldn't miss honoring the Flag today!

Keep your flag-a-wavin' !!!

Gardening Day

2010-06-09T12:07:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we began filling our pots with flowers. We have decided to do a red, white, and blue theme this year.

If you've been to my blog before, you might say, "No, duh!"

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity. ~John Ruskin

We put the hanging flower basket on the outside of the rail so we could see them from inside the house.

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into. ~Henry Beecher, Life Thoughts, 1858

This is just a beginning of my deck plantings. I have done some other planters and will show you soon.

I am participating in Outdoor Wednesday.

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Luminaries at Fredericksburg National Cemetery

2010-05-30T17:14:00.001-04:00

Each year the Boy and Girl Scouts participate in a Luminaria program, at Fredericksburg National Cemetery in Virginia, to honor American soldiers. In fact, they came up with the idea in 1995.

There are 15,300 American soldiers laid to rest in this cemetery, and since many of the plots contain more than one body, there are 2 luminaries for each stone. Most of the graves are of Union soldiers but there are some graves from World War I and II.

As you somberly walk throughout the cemetery everyone will stop and stand at attention, a quiet moment, as they hear the playing of Taps. It is performed every 30 minutes.Walking around, I pass by people and hear a small part of their conversations about the Civil War or stories of their own military history. It is a patriotic evening and I feel so honored to be on this hallowed ground.

When we had finished our cemetery visit, we stopped at the Visitors Center and watched a 22 minute movie describing the history of the Civil War in and around Fredericksburg. There was also a small museum of Civil War artifacts. It's always mesmerizing to see items of the period and wondering what their life must have been like...

Marye's Heights

About Marye"s Heights

One of the two major monuments

Facts about the cemetery

Various grave markers

Rounded headstones

Square headstone

The night is slowly descending upon us...

And when it finally comes...the lights, representing those brave spirits that gave the ultimate sacrifice for you and me, and for their country...the

United States

America

Across the street from the cemetery there is a restaurant and Civil War memoralbilia store.

The owners of these motorcycles were the crossing guards for the night.

This Memorial Day in remembrance of all the soldiers who gave their life in the servitude of their country...I thank you. I also promise to do my part to see that we remain a great country, upholding our Constitution, as the Founding Fathers intended.

Joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

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