Saturday Share - Memorial Day Edition

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Welcome to Memorial Day weekend...the kick-off, in most folks' minds, to summer.  This long weeken d has become an excuse to take a 3-day holiday, fire up the grill, and imbibe a little with friends, but when it was founded it meant so much more.  It still does for some, including this household.  Click here to read about the history of Memorial Day.

We are not among the "partiers" this weekend.  Today Tim will be working on the church remodel and I will be doing some much needed laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, and making taco salad for the church dinner tonight as well as some kind of dessert for a gathering of church leaders tomorrow.  Monday we will throw something on the grill for us and my mom and her husband and if the weather cooperates do some yard work or maybe uncover the pool....even though it is currently too cold to use it.

Next week will be a busy one for me and I may be missing in action for much of it as far as blogging goes.  The school district I drive a bus in only has classes Tuesday through Thursday, but the private school I also drive for has early dismissals all next week including Friday so I won't be home much through the day.  The following week, the public school kids have to go for 2 hours on Monday and then they are done (is that not the stupidest thing??).  The private school kids go until that Wednesday, but have early dismissals each day.  My summer will officially begin at about 12:30 pm on June 5.

Here are a couple of links I found this week that you might enjoy:

If you haven't discovered Susan Branch yet, do yourself a favor and check out her site.  She is a blogger, illustrator, writer.....and a whole lot more.  Her site is so much fun and I could spend hours there.

Basset Hound Savvy promises to help you overcome the behavioral issues that Bassets are prone to.  My big boy is only part Basset, but I'm thinking this will be the next book I order.

Blogging friend, Rebecca Jo, dishes up her thoughts about the books she reads on My Companions.

Are you a blogger stuck on what to write about this summer?  Heidi Cohen dishes up 50 prompts.  Bless you, Heidi!

Well, duty calls....okay, it's really dirty dishes, but the point remains that I need to get moving.  You all have a blessed weekend and don't forget to offer up a prayer of thanks for the ones who made it possible!

Have You Forgotten?

It happened in the middle of New York City.

It happened at the Pentagon, 

seat of America's military.

It happened in a lonely Pennsylvania field.

It.....HAPPENED!

God bless those who jumped in

and served others in the hours, days

weeks, and months that followed.

Godspeed, to those who gave all.

Freedom Isn't Free

I watched the flag pass by one day.

It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,

And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

With hair cut square and eyes alert

He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,

When everything was still

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That taps had meant "Amen,"

When a flag had draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.

~ Kelly Strong

306.  Soldiers with their warrior hearts who answer duty's call.


307.  Mothers, fathers, wives, sons and daughters who bravely
let their young men go to serve a higher cause.


308.  The old man selling poppies outside the grocery store.


309.  The VFW, the AmVets, the National Guard...and all the other
organizations that make sure every veteran's grave bears a flag.


310.  The men and women who gather for Memorial Day services
and still shed tears for ones who fell 40, 50....60 years ago.


311.  Safe travel for children away from home.


312.  A relaxed, easy weekend at home with the husband.


313.  Rain that held off long enough for a garden to be planted.


314.  God's awesome power displayed in a thunder storm.


315.   Contentment.


316.  Garage sale-ing and shopping with Mom.


317.  Cuddling a 70 lb. dog who is afraid of thunder.


318.  Sunshine after the rain.


319.  Fragrant, fresh-tilled earth beneath my feet and in my hands
as I work in the garden and flower beds.


320.  The farmer's market:  wooden bowls smooth and solid under my
fingers; fresh baked goods; sweet raspberry wine; the earthy smell
of herbs sold by the flat; brightly painted crafts; and foods that 
cause the mouth to water.

Saturday Share

Time to get this 3-day, holiday weekend started...and none too soon.  Yesterday was my last full day of work...also, none too soon.  Those kids are getting crazy!  Tuesday will be a half day for the public school and then I have a week of driving the private school.  My summer vacation officially begins at noon on June 6.  Can't wait!

What are your plans this Memorial Day weekend?  Parades?  Picnics?  Yard work?  Hanging out at home?  Going to the lake?  The beach?  Whatever it is you do, I hope you take a moment to remember the sacrifices made by our military men and women past and present.  Some gave all and all give a lot.  So, do their families. If you know a spouse or children of someone serving away from home right now maybe as a way of honoring their soldier, you could do something nice for the family this weekend?


I was up before 6:00 this morning.  Darn charlie horse shot me right out of bed.  For once I didn't mind...I got to say goodbye to Megan and Cody.  They are headed to Niagara Falls and headquarters (I don't know exactly what you call it) for the Seneca tribe so Cody can make his annual check-in.  Once that's done they'll spend the weekend enjoying the Falls.

We're going shopping for garden plants this morning.  Finally got the garden tilled a couple of days ago.  Mom's husband doesn't want to garden but already has a row of beans and a row of peas planted.  LOL  We looked at Lowe's last night and I got a couple of tomato plants, zucchini, and a couple of orange sweet pepper plants.  Much more is needed.  We'll see if they actually get planted or not.  It is supposed to be around 90 and humid all weekend with the chance of thunder storms.

Finishing the opening of the pool is high on the list of things to do, too.  Especially with those temps.  The water will still be cold, but if we hit those highs it will feel good.

We're doing something with friends tomorrow.  Don't know what or where just yet, but something.

Monday will probably be a day of hanging out here at home and throwing something on the grill.

Here are some links in case you have time to read this weekend:

Do you ever feel confused about what God wants you to do?  You're not alone.  Read a very honest post on Women Living Well.

Did you know you can remove a wart with duct tape?  Read here to see the not so common uses for 10 common products you have around the house.

Phillip Phillips has his own website up and running after winning American Idol.  Love this kid's sound and have been cheering for him from the very beginning....which by the way, won me a $30 iTunes gift card this week from this blogger!

Jessica And Her Coat of Many Colors talks about some very real problems in the modern church.  You might see your own experience here if you've had a bad one....and I'm coming to believe most of us have had at least one.

Remember you are loved with this sweet reminder from Holley Gerth.

And the Pinterest pin of the week:

Only 500 calories for the WHOLE loaf!

And a bonus pin:

Enjoy your Memorial Day picnics and the start of summer,

but never, ever forget the price paid for your freedom.

30 Days of Thankfulness - 11

Today I am thankful for and grateful to all of the men and women who serve or have served in the military to protect our freedoms and way of life.  May God pour out His blessing upon you and your families.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Image found on
Thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com
via Pinterest.

A Real Good Day

So, news of Bin Laden's long overdue death aside ('cause I didn't even hear the news until after I got up this morning), I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning with a smile on my face.  Don't you love when you actually wake up in a good mood?  Most mornings I'm still too sleepy to know what I'm feeling or if I'm even actually awake or just dreaming it.....and if I'm honest, most days I'm just a little cranky until I get moving and get some caffeine flowing through my veins.

Why am I in such a good mood?  Well, obviously the whole Bin Laden thing is helping, but mostly it's just that life is good right now.

I love that Megan is so happy with her new boyfriend.  I LOVE that he is such a nice guy and treats her well.  They went to the NRA National Convention with my mom and her husband on Saturday and had a good time.  My mom was on her good behavior and didn't say anything horribly embarrassing, rude, judgemental, or mean the whole day.  I can report that she was the same way with Tim and I yesterday.  Hmmm....who was that woman and what did she do with my mom??  Oh wait, it was her.  You could tell by how critical she was of her husband (it was embarrassing for Tim and I, let alone him).

Speaking of my first NRA convention....  I had a great time.  Okay, I lost interest in looking at guns after a relatively short period of time.  I mean, I like them and I want a pistol, but after a few hundred they all start to blur together.  Same goes for bullets and grips.  Thankfully, there was plenty of other things to see.

If you look carefully, you might see one of us.
Probably not, but you never know.

With Charleton Heston gone.....
he is the man, the myth, the legend....
the face of the NRA.

The highlight of the convention for me was hearing Ted Nugent speak and getting to meet him.  I won't argue that he's not a wild man.  He is.  However, he is also a straight talker and knows his stuff about gun laws, the constitution and freedom like nobody else.  He's an entertaining speaker who had the crowd on its feet.  Mom and I bought copies of his book Ted, White & Blue and got him to sign them.  The money from all the sales at his autograph sessions go to charity.  Megan and Cody met him on Saturday and she got him to sign a ball cap for her and a "Ted Nugent for President" bumper sticker for me.  She also got me a t-shirt.  I expected to be rushed through the line and you were, sort of, but Ted was very nice and very down to earth.  He talked for a minute with everyone and shook hands.  Yes!!!!  I got to touch Ted Nugent.  LOL

The gun bash on Saturday was fun.  We didn't win anything, but it was fun.  I told Tim that next year we should just write a check for a donation and avoid the middle man.

I had a long conversation with a dear friend (who is also our pastor) last night about the kids.  She gave me some great insight and encouragement on the situation with my daughter-in-law and thanked God with me over the developements with Megan.

Then this morning when I got to work I gave my friend a t-shirt I'd bought her at the convention knowing it was really, really her.  She loved it and was so excited she changed into it.  Making her day made me feel good.

That's it.  It's just a great day to be alive.

Dancing in the Streets

I would not normally rejoice in the death of another human being, but just this once....

WOOOOHOOOOO!  YIPPEEEEE!  YEEEEHAAWW!  DING DONG THE ******* IS DEAD!

It has been many years in coming and to those who question the right of the U.S. to have engaged in war for so many years and the loss of so many Iraqi and Afghani lives, I ask this question:

THOUSANDS of innocent lives were lost in a matter of a couple of hours in a single day in the name of hate.  What about those lives?  Did they not deserve justice?

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OUR SOLDIERS!  WELL DONE!