Seasons change. The lush green carpet
Is a mountain not as beautiful in green and blue…
The Last Vermont Summer…for a while
North and South
Growing up in the far northern climes of Vermont, summer could be summed up in one word, which, oddly enough, is the same word attributed to its winters, only for different reasons.
L O N G E R
There is only one question to ask when living with and through a northern winter…”When will it end???”
No one I’ve ever known would dare ask that same question from the 4th of July through Labor Day, which in the best of years, is a Long Vermont summer.
A better question for summer is “When will it begin????”
But the Longer that lives in the northern summertime, isn’t for how many months, or weeks, or days, it lasts…it is for those Longer days, Longer bike rides, and Longer games in one backyard or another. Longer moments of peace among the winter weary, battle fatigued, cohabitants that are brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. Longer trips looking for warmer weather, with Longer hellos, and even Longer goodbyes.
Summer is a Long way from Long in the north.
At the same time, there is also only one question I know to ask as a northerner living with and through, a southern summer… “When will it end???”
My slow melt begins in April, with signs of ripples in May. Then I start to bubble in June, and by July, I’m roiling out of the proverbial ‘melted pot’. By August, when coincidentally enough, the homicide rate begins to increase, I’m ready, willing, and able to add to the statistic of “Heat induced insanity killings”
It’s only the 9th of July here in Virginia and I’m ready for it to end. I’m Longing for cool days and cold nights. I want to put on a hoodie and go out by the campfire, watch the lightning bugs, and gaze at the stars in the crystal clear, cold cleansed sky.
I’m tired of the inside of my house. I’m heart-sick at the number of times I say no to ‘Grammy, can we go out so I can run through the sprinklers?” because that would mean I’d have to go O U T there to supervise.
I’m disgusted that the longest walk I take all day is from the front door to the mailbox and even then, if I knew someone else I could ask to do it for me, I’d PAY them to do it!
I am glared at by my four legged pal who wants nothing more than to run around the yard, chasing something…anything…as long as she can runl. NO, No, and no, because that means I’d have to go O U T there and participate! Ugh
I Long for shorter days.
I Long for cloudy or rainy days.
I Long for someone to pick up on the fact that I wear a “Let It Snow” night shirt EVERY night hoping it’ll happen.
If you haven’t noticed…I hate the heat. But even if I didn’t…I’d hate T H I S heat!
When. Will. It. End?
Semper Fi
The flag’s on the table, folded precise and exact
Awaiting the moment gloved hands would extract
Its full measure and meaning as they unfurl with great care
This symbol of freedom, for which eagles dared
Open in its glory while Taps haunts the grounds
Open still as the guns salute, 21 rounds
They stand in the distance, these old volunteers
Aged eyes strain to see what old ears can not hear
The sign that it’s time, to raise, aim, and fire
The salute to the memory of this beloved spouse and sire
The brass hits the grass as our tears hit our chests
While the tear stains remain, the brass is gathered in respect
Off to their left, in Marine dress so smart
A man and his bugle awaits his start
To show his respect for a brother not met
To guide him to rest on his longest journey yet
Silently white gloves refold the old girl
But from this moment on, no more to unfurl
Turning on a dime, pacing five steps
Eyes ever forward, toward her he crept
He kneels and hands over this flag and this brass
As he speaks to her quietly, his face sheds the mask
I can see the sincerity, respect, and sadness
For this brother, sight unseen, but remembered none the less
Semper Fidelis he spoke when rising
Semper Fidelis I whispered, not surprising
To the man, marine, husband, and my father
Semper Fi
Always Faithful
I’ll live it
All my love
…your daughter
…but on the bright side
So much time is spent negatively talking about, writing about, thinking about, debating about, and snarking about, our country in the last several years, that many folks forget what it feels like to be proud of who we are, where we live, who we cry for, and what we die for. Perhaps forgotten too, that the generations before us fought and died, lived and dreamed, for the same things we are fighting, dying, living, and dreaming for today. And the generations after us will do the same.
I, for one, am taking a moment to remember that we do have a brighter side.
For this one moment, as bittersweet tears softly track the history of my life in the wrinkles on my face, I’ll remember how they got there. This facial road map of my life’s joys and sorrows distinguish me from anyone else, just as our country’s road map is like no other. And as I look at her wrinkles, I’ll remember how they got there too.
I love my country, wrinkles and all, and invite anyone needing a reminder of what that feels like, to read about and listen to others who felt the same.
The history of a special song, written for a special place, sung by a special woman, needed by a hurting people…
Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best singer of her time, and said that when he and a million other guys first heard her sing “God Bless America” on the radio, they all pretended to have dust in their eyes as they wiped away a tear or two.
Here are the facts… At the bottom of this post, you’ll see the link to the video showing the very first public singing of “GOD BLESS AMERICA“. But before you watch it, you should also know the story behind the first public showing of the song.
The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we’d have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans.
This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to their favorite entertainers, and no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith.
Kate was also large; plus size, as we now say, and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” Kate Smith might not have made it big in the age of TV, but with her voice coming over the radio, she was the biggest star of her time.
Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring . She had hope for America, and faith in her fellow Americans. She wanted to do something to cheer them up, so she went to the famous American song-writer, Irving Berlin (who also wrote “White Christmas”) and asked him to write a song that would make Americans feel good again about their country. When she described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her.
He went to his files and found a song that he had written, but never published, 22 years before – way back in 1917. He gave it to her and she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving Berlin were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed they would not take any profits from God Bless America. Any profits would go to the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Boy Scouts have received millions of dollars in royalties from this song.
This video starts out with the news, then Kate Smith coming into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience. She introduces the new song for the very first time, and starts singing. After the first couple verses, with her voice in the background still singing, scenes are shown from the 1940 movie, “You’re In The Army Now.” At the 4:20 mark of the video you see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a paper; it’s Ronald Reagan, the future 40th president of the United States, and at 69, the oldest president ever elected.
To this day, God Bless America stirs our patriotic feelings and pride in our country. Back in 1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt whether she realized just how successful the results would be for her fellow Americans during those years of hardship and worry… and for many generations of Americans to follow.
Now that you know the story of the song, I hope you’ll enjoy it and treasure it even more. Many people don’t know there’s a lead in to the song since it usually starts with “God Bless America …” So here’s the entire song as originally sung… ENJOY!
Today, I exercise my right to remove the flag from underneath the flag-stomper du jour and wave it proudly in the air.
God Bless America…and all who stomp on her.
On The Duggars
I could not agree more with this if I’d written it myself. Thank you Witch for the much needed slap in the face wake-up to anyone still listening to these ridiculous justifications for Duggar’s actions!
I don’t want to talk about the parents.
I don’t want to talk about how they raised their children in a cult.
I don’t want to talk about Josh Duggar.
He’s a child molester.
I don’t want to talk about his “reform.”
Josh and his parents insist that he is no longer a danger, but Josh and his parents are also the people who hid his sexual assault.
So maybe their word is not so valuable.
Oh wait, I’m sorry, I misspoke. (mistyped?)
Their word means less than nothing and I would be perfectly happy if they would shut the fuck up.
I don’t want to talk about the family’s connection with Hobby Lobby.
I don’t want to talk about the fact that the place that Josh was sent to for “counseling,” the place wherein the family claims that Josh underwent his “reform” was run by a man who is…
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Guarding the Unknown
ARLINGTON CEMETERY
Jeopardy Question:
On Jeopardy awhile back, the final question was “How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns?” All three contestants missed it!
This is really an awesome sight to watch if you’ve never had the chance.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1.) How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?
Answer: 21 steps – It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
2.) How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?
Answer: 21 seconds – For the same reason as answer number 1
3.) Why are his gloves wet?
Answer: His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
4.) Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and , if not, why not?
Answer: He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
5.) How often are the guards changed?
Answer: Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
6.) What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?
Answer: For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5′ 10′ and 6′ 2′ tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30 inches.
They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.
They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.
After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn.
The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.
There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty..
The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.
Among the notables are:
President Taft,
Joe Lewis {the boxer}
Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.
In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, “No way, Sir!” Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
Heroin rears it’s ugly head in suburbia
To my blogging family and friends here on WP…whether or not this has touched you, your loved ones, your friends, your neighbors, or your communities…I ask that you read my dear friend Mo at magnoliabeginnings.org post and the included article from the Police Chief of Gloucester, MA – The little town that will – and see the logic in the approach to combat this disease. Take it even further, if you agree, and find out if your own state and local legislators would be willing to back a program as logical and compassionate as this one. Thank you for reading, bless you for caring…R
R.
Dear Friends,
The experience of writing this blog has proven to me that as different as we all may think we are we are all remarkably similar as well. The problems and concerns that hit me in Boston are also having the same effect on someone across the world. Records gathered from police, courts and the medical examiner shatter stereotypes about who gets sucked into this deadly vortex. It’s not all young adults. The median age of overdose victims is 41. And they’re not the dregs of society. They are homemakers, professionals, students and laborers. (Patriot Ledger) . One person every 8 days dies of a heroin/opiate overdose in my area and the numbers keep rising. I am impressed and encouraged by the actions of a small Massachusetts town Police Chief. I encourage you all to share this story with the hope that the approach will catch on. There may only…
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SOMEONE has to be the Grownup!
This is where they’ll be this time tomorrow…
Would YOU say no?
No, didn’t think so.
Headed to one of my favorite places so Mom can spend time with the ‘girls’…friends of a certain age who haven’t ‘laughed like they used to’ for more than 20 years…think they’ll have fun?
Yeah…me too.
Hopefully I’ll come back with stories to tell and photos to share…along with a sunburn.
Outer Banks…the Mother Duck’rs are coming…you ready?
(Bird) Food for Thought?
An Analogy to chew on…
I bought a bird feeder…I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed.
What a beauty of a bird feeder it was I thought…as I filled it lovingly with seed.
Within a week, there were hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food.
But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.
Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table ……everywhere!
Then some of the birds turned mean.
They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.
And others birds were boisterous and loud.
They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it and refill it, then refill it some more.
After a while, sadly, I couldn’t even sit on my own back porch anymore.
So I took down the bird feeder and in three days, the birds were gone.
I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.
Soon, the back yard was like it used to be …quiet, serene…and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.
The analogy?
Well, let’s see…our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education, and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen. Programs apparently so important to some running our government, that they hide them or piggy-back them on the shoulders of other programs that are paramount to our country’s health and well-being, so that we, the voters, don’t know about them and don’t have a say in their passing.
Illegals (notice I said “ILLEGALS”) came by the tens of thousands.
Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; your child’s second grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn’t speak English.
Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to ‘press one ‘ to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than “ours” are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.
As I said…just my opinion…but maybe it’s time for the government to take down the bird feeder.
If you agree, speak up. Help make it less necessary for the government to step in by stepping in yourself. Donate to your local food banks, volunteer in your communities, donate your time or money helping the homeless, vote to reform immigration, or write your congressmen to stop ignoring the illegal immigration problem by making it less attractive to be illegal.
If not, just continue cleaning up the poop!
A personal note:
I am a huge proponent of immigration.
Just as, I am as huge an opponent of illegal immigration being ignored or treated as though it’s a legitimate path to citizenship based on the number of years you’ve been here (illegally)!
We, like every country in the world, have immigration laws.
We, UNLIKE every country in the world, have forgotten to enforce our immigration laws.
Instead, we make excuses and allowances for those who break the law, for as long as these choices promote one political ideology as humane and the other as intolerant, it will remain so.
I am Pro-America!
That fact alone seems to paint me as racist, bigoted, and anti-immigration.
I am none of those things.
I am Pro-Immigration!
If you want to come here to live in freedom, then do it LEGALLY and I’ll welcome you with open arms!
I am Pro-I don’t give two shits where you came from, but you’re in America now, so be a proud American!
Not African-American, Asian-American, Mexican-American, Russian-American, Somali-American…you are American of “African, Asian, Mexican, Russian, Somalian…” decent. Like all of us. EVERY ONE of us came from somewhere…what we now have in common is being American!
I am Pro-Keep your culture as long as you understand you are adding to America’s, not removing ours to make room for yours.
Add to our Land of the Free and Home of the Brave instead of trying to remake us into your Land of the Oppressed and Home of the Voiceless.
You came here.
I did not go there
You want to re-create your culture here at the expense of MINE by believing I must accept YOURS while you do not have to ACCEPT mine?
Why did you come here?
You want to live and breathe the country and culture you left behind, without embracing the one that took you in?
Why did you come here?
Many say Americans are arrogant and full of themselves.
Maybe we are, but how many Americans would you suppose, relocate or repatriate to other countries and make it their MISSION to change that culture to one that mirrors what they left behind?
The beauty of an immigrant rich society is what is added to our melting pot, not what is taken out.
50 Shades of Gray Hair 
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