Monday, May 31, 2010

American Girls And American Guys

Will always stand up and salute.
We'll always recognize, when we see ol' glory flying,
There's a lot of men dead,
So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads.

Today, the last Monday in May, is Memorial Day in the United States. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country. A lot of people think of it as a day off work or an excuse to have a party. Some think of the bargains they may find at their favorite store. But there is a lot more to Memorial Day than all that.

History says on May 5, 1868, Memorial Day was officially declared by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. He set it to be observed May 30th when the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers were to be decorated at Arlington National Cemetery. It was originally called Decoration Day. It is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving America.

In 1966, President Johnson declared Waterloo, New York the birthplace of Memorial Day. He did this because New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday in 1873. States in the South refused to acknowledge the holiday until after World War I because until that point the holiday honored only those who fought and died in the Civil War. It is believed the date was originally chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

Congress put into law that the holiday would be celebrated on the last Monday in May in 1971. Monday was chosen for many federal holidays. It also ensured a three-day weekend holiday.


According to the Veteran’s Administration, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance to ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a moment of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

When I was a little girl in Albuquerque I had a neighbor who was in high school. My friend and I would hide in the willow tree in my front yard and watch him come and go. We were both a bit infatuated. He was just the right age to be drafted for the Vietnam War. It wasn’t long after he graduated that he got called into duty. He died in a helicopter crash. He was only 20 years old.


One time I went to Washington DC for a work trip. My husband got to go with me. We made a trip to the Vietnam Wall. I looked up my neighbor’s name. It still made me sad that he had died so young. But it made me proud that he took the challenge and defended my right to be free.


Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day especially for honoring and remembering military personnel who gave their lives in the service of their country. Veterans Day is a day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime. We should be thankful every day.

My nephew is currently in Afghanistan. We pray daily for his safety. His brother, just graduated from college, has joined the reserves. He will leave in a few weeks for Basic Combat Training and after graduating from that moves to Officer Candidate School. He should graduate there around the first of December. Then he will probably have to go too. We are very proud of them both.


I’ve finished two full months of knitayear. On day 60 I chose a pale hand painted cotton yarn. The colors are peaceful and I was in a reflective mood. They were calming colors that suited my reminiscing. I was glad to be there with the boys and to have seen my good friend. Day 61 was Memorial Day. I picked a brown camouflage yarn. I’m thankful for the men and women who have served our country. They deserve to be honored because they gave the biggest gift there is, for us to be free.


Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist.
And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell,
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell.
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you.
Ah, brought to you, courtesy of the red, white and blue.

The New 2011 BMW 5-Series M Sport Package Spy Shots




The New 2012 Hyundai Sonata Wagon Spied






The 2011 version of Suzuki Swift Spied

The 2011 version of Swift will be presented later this year for the market as 2011 model.

As we can see from these spy photos camouflage is still very abundant and cover your entire body.
We
available a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, without ignoring the possible incorporation of a mechanical hybrid. The top model will be the Swift Sport in addition to front-wheel drive could also incorporate the four wheel drive wheels.

Are already 5 generations of this car on the market making it one of the most respected in its segment. Suzuki will work for this cambie.carga not, what better way to test a car and knowing how far holds.



Opel Astra GSI Fresh Spy Photos

It is not the first time we've seen spy photos of the Opel Astra GSI, and certainly not the last. Although what is certain is that it is not surprising at all.

The GSI is known for providing aggressive and sporty image. The dual exhaust outlet, their rims, the front or rear diffuser are some of the differentiating features of this release.

Still not clear how many actual handing over of power but it sure will exceed 200 hp.

In these pictures we can see on the limit up a mountain with a heavily loaded trailer, there is no better way to test a car and knowing how far holds.






opel modern cars of 2010

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Sunday, May 30, 2010

Silver and Gold

I used to have a treasure chest
Got so heavy that I had to rest
I let it slip away from me
Didn't need it anyway
so I let it slip away.

Isn’t it funny how somebody else’s junk is so much better than your own? It might be an addition to your collection of interesting objects. It could be what you needed and would have paid full price for at the store. Maybe it’s something that has sentimental value to you, reminding you of something you used to have/do/want. Maybe it just calls your name and you can’t pass up the opportunity.


Garage sales are an interesting pastime in America. Some are held for necessity, some for fun. I held a garage sale once and the only fun thing about it was the company of the other hostess. People were rude. The garage sale started at 9:00am and they were ringing the doorbell at 7:00am. Something is marked ten cents and they want it for five cents. Stickers are switched. Items are stolen. It was stressful for me. It was so long ago I don’t even remember if I made any money for all my trouble. I don’t know if I’ll ever do it again.

Going to a garage sale or a flea market, on the other hand, is great entertainment. It’s surprising the things you’ll find. It’s surprising the things people set out. There will be broken things, all sorts of clothing, usually toys, old movies, books and almost anything else you can think of, including underwear. Who wants to buy someone else’s underwear, much less wear it? But if that’s what you want you can probably find it at a garage sale. Sometimes you wonder just why they are getting rid of something.

My son told me he once ran across a pair of prosthetic legs at a sale. I don’t know if they were a pair or if there were just two of them. He was so freaked out by it he had to leave. I went to one once where the house was open to the public. It was an elderly lady moving to a smaller house and her daughter was hosting the sale. Someone asked to go to the restroom and when they came back asked if they could buy the toilet! She told them she could hold it for them and to come back late that afternoon. I don’t know if they came back and she just took it out of the bathroom or what! Another sale I went to had a bunch of shoes. As we were getting ready to leave a lady came in. She said she needed to see if her shoe was there. Apparently she had tried on one of a pair and forgotten to put her own shoe back on. She left and had been walking around with two different shoes on all afternoon.


Everybody wants to find a bargain. The first house we went to seemed familiar. One of the other times I’d been in Tulsa we had come to this house for an estate sale. This time the sign said huge multi-family sale. I found a few crocheted items and my bargain, two sets of sewing machine drawers. Then we were off to another. We spent well into the afternoon perusing items for sale and finding new possessions.


Saturday morning was the flea market. My good friend Hallie met us. We had such fun. There was so much to look at. We looked, picked up things, laughed and put down things. We spotted different things, each deciding we had found something special. I got some old salt and pepper shakers and a couple of small crystal decanters. I saw a great costume jewelry bracelet and pin I couldn’t pass up. We both got a china cup and saucer. She found a rooster for her collection and some other little treasures. Bryce got an old book and Ty found some crystal decanters. As I was looking at an iron bedstead with the headboard, footboard and the rails the lady in the booth said I’ll make you a deal. Sold! Now to get it all home!


It was a good time, one memories are made of. I found trinkets that I probably didn’t need, but the best treasure of the weekend was spending time with a good friend and my boys. That kind of treasure doesn’t grow old. It just gets more valuable.


Knitayear is progressing nicely. It’s really long and it’s only coming up on the second month! I still am not sure just what I can do with it. It’s a good thing I decided to divide it! Day 58 was a great day. I was excited for the concert, Brooks and Dunn, Friday night and I was excited to find my little treasures at the garage sale. I chose variegated orange cotton. It seemed bright and cheery and exciting! Day 59 was another good day. Meeting with Hallie and hanging out was great fun. She always makes me laugh. The boys were in good moods and seemed to have fun at the flea market too. I chose a white with silver sparkles in it for this day. The white was for the bright day I was having and the silver for the victories I made in the great finds at the flea market. It may have been trash to someone but I felt victorious because of my new assets! Good company, good friends, good times and treasures too…far better than silver and gold.




Workin' hard every day
Never notice how
the time slips away
People come, seasons go
We got something
that'll never grow old.
It's better than silver and gold.

Sports Car












These are supercars - fast, powerful, and sexy.