Category Archives: Flag Day

Flying Proud Hodgepodge

Welcome to Wednesday Hodgepodge where Joyce asks the questions and we come up with some answers.

1. The Hodgepodge lands on June 14th this week, Flag Day in the US of A.

Do you fly your country’s flag at home?

We fly the U.S. flag and the Marine Corps flag at our house. They will be flying proudly on Flag Day.Sometimes, often, or every single day?

When Andrew, our son-in-law, was in Afghanistan and serving in other parts of the U.S. we flew the flags more often. Now we fly them on special days like Flag Day, Memorial Day, Marine Corps birthday, Fourth of July, Armed Services Day, 9/11, Veteran’s Day and Election day.

This is a blue service star flag/banner. It is issued to families who’s sons or daughters are deployed in harms way. Both times when Andrew was in Afghanistan we kept it in our window until he came home safely.

Have you ever visited the city of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia)? Did you make a point of seeing The Betsy Ross House?

No and No but if I did visit I’d want to see her house.

Have you ever made a trip to Baltimore? If so, was Fort McHenry on your itinerary? (where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write The Star Spangled Banner)

No but I enjoy singing the The Star Spangled Banner at every Sounders home game with 40,000 other people and I always am thankful for the Marines and others from different military branches who hold the flag and wave the flag with respect.

2. Red flag or white flag? Which have you encountered most recently? Explain.

Do you mean Red flag warning or white flag of surrender or parley? I see danger, it’s part of my makeup. This makes me very uncomfortable at pool parties or watching little ones at the beach. I might as well have a red flag flying from my head at these venues. I’m sure we’ll be seeing red flag fire danger warnings in Eastern Washington this year. And as far as the white flag goes I don’t surrender easy except for when it comes to sticking to a diet.

3. Are you a stay in the car listen to the end of a song kind of person? What kind of person is that?

No and I don’t know.

4. What are some of the traits or qualities you think a good dad possesses? In other words, what makes a good dad?

I think a good dad cares for, supports, guides and prays for his children.

What’s an expression you associate with your father?

“I praying for you, pray for me. I’m thanking God for everything.” My pop who is 94 still gets down on his knees every night and prays for all his kids, grandkids and great grandkids. Every time I call him on the phone he reminds me he’s praying for me and asks me to pray for him. His English is still sketchy.

5. What’s one rule you always disagreed with while growing up?

My mom was a somewhat legalistic Russian Baptist. Somewhat to say she wasn’t as legalistic as many of my relatives and other Russian Baptists. No drinking, no dancing, no smoking, no playing cards, no going to movies. My parents let us go to movies.

I disagreed with the no dancing and no playing cards. I wore my parents down on a lot of the rules. I went to school dances. One other rule we had growing up was no whistling in the house. Did you know that whistling invites evil spirits into your home? And no, I don’t believe that but it was something passed down to my mother and father.

Is that rule somehow still part of your adult life? Is that a good or bad thing?

I’m still adhering to the no smoking rule and it’s a good thing.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

In about 2 weeks we’ll be seeing our little granddaughter in person again. Our Son and DIL text us photos that we really enjoy. Here are the latest. Addy was 12 weeks old on Monday. The first year of life has so many leaps of development.

Getting so strong and holding herself up.

Sitting pretty with her mommy’s baby shoes on.

Just can’t get enough of these. Sweet Addy May. Looks like she can give you a good left punch.

Click over to From This Side of the Pond on Wednesday to see more Hodgepodge answers.

Flag Day Barns

Before I show you my barns for this week I just wanted to wish everyone in the U.S. of A. a very happy Flag Day! We are flying our flags in a nice breeze here in the Seattle area today!

The photos of the barns this week were taken in April when we were at our son’s home in Eastern Washington. This was a nice fresh barn type structure for horses in Chewelah, Washington. The next photo was down the road a bit and not so fresh!

I’m linking up with The Barn Collective started by Amy and hosted now by Tom The Backroads Traveller.

Flag Day 2012

Happy Flag Day!

Today I’m sharing all the photos I have from Chicago with an American flag in it!

A quote our daughter posted on Facebook for flag day…”The flag of the United States has not been created by rhetorical sentences in declarations of independence and in bills of rights.  It has been created by the experience of a great people, and nothing is written upon it that has not been written by their life.  It is the embodiment, not of a sentiment, but of a history.”  ~Woodrow Wilson

You’re the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
~George M. Cohan

Off with your hat, as the flag goes by!
And let the heart have its say;
you’re man enough for a tear in your eye
that you will not wipe away.
~Henry Cuyler Bunner

I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.  ~ John Thune

When we walked past this tavern I said out loud “It comes in Pints”. They need to adjust their flag!!

Today we are flying our U.S. flag and our U.S. Marine flag. I’m also getting my red, white and blue tub out of the attic to start decorating for the 4th of July.

Yesterday afternoon I had the most relaxing 90 minute massage that was long overdue. Sigh… Do you enjoy massages?

Flag Ceremony at Orange Circle…

While we were in California Katie and I were able to participate in a Flag Ceremony at the Circle in Old Town Orange. Every Wednesday at 6:00 P.M. people gather to watch the flags being lowered and folding of the Flag. Many retired military from different branches were represented.

Before they lowered the flag and folded it properly Mark Wayland acknowledged 5 veterans in the audience that had served in World War II. One of the veterans was celebrating his 90th birthday and his family brought cupcakes for everyone at the ceremony. We got to sing Happy Birthday to him.

Mark also acknowledged a young bride in the audience who’s Marine husband is serving in Afghanistan right now…our Katie. He made her cry but the tears were good tears and then when the big burly Vietnam Vets came over to give her a hug with tears in their eyes we knew they understood and we cried some more. It was great to hear these Harley riders tell her they would be praying for her and Andrew.

Dear’s brother Terry and wife Christina with one of their 3 daughters with Katie and me. Christina got to know Mark while working with the Orange County School Board. She invited Katie and me to attend this ceremony.

This vet with Mark served in WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam War. He comes to the ceremony every week. It was great to meet him.

I got the following information from an Orange County Register article written by David Whiting although my sister-in-law who knows Mark from working with him at the Orange County School board also filled me in about this giving Purple Heart retired Marine.

“Mark Wayland, Marine Vietnam vet, retired firefighter and Orange school board member, looks like a biker with his denim vest and bushy mustache. And he is. So are many of the men in the Circle.

Most are members of the Patriot Guard Riders. In particular, they ride to remember fallen military brothers and sisters and to ensure things go smoothly at military funerals.

With his black Harley Electra Glide decorated with Marine logos parked just 50 yards away, Wayland explains tonight’s mission.

Every Wednesday night, Wayland, his buddies, their wives, friends and supporters gather in the Orange Circle. They come to lower the flag at 6 p.m. and honor, as Wayland puts it, “those who are in harm’s way.”

What an honor to be able to meet these folks and to honor them and others who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Thank you Mark for all you do and may your sacrifices return to you tenfold.

ht: Orange County Register, David Whiting.

Flag Day 2011…

Happy Flag Week and Day to all in the U.S.A.

With grateful hearts to God for our freedom, our flags are waving.

I’m linking up with Mary at Work of the Poet for Ruby Tuesday!

 

Tuesday is Flag Day in the U.S.A. It’s closer to Tuesday where our Son-in-law Andrew is deployed right now so I’ll put my post up early in honor of him. It’s also a great reminder to encourage your prayers for him and all those serving to ensure our flag keeps waving.

Flag Day falls within National Flag Week, a time when Americans reflect on the foundations of the nation’s freedom. The flag of the United States represents freedom and has been an enduring symbol of the country’s ideals since its early days. During both events, Americans also remember their loyalty to the nation, reaffirm their belief in liberty and justice, and observe the nation’s unity.

 

Katie and I met this Marine Veteran on Memorial Day. He still fits in his old uniform…

 

Here’s a fun idea for Flag Day or for the 4th of July. You can be creative and use any other ingredients you want. You could do all fruit and marshmallows or small pieces of angel food cake, too. Strawberries or raspberries would work. For an all fruit platter I’d add a fruit dip made with cream cheese and marshmallow cream. For veggies you could add a savory veggie dip. I used what I had on hand for this platter, plum tomatoes cut in half, string cheese cut in rounds, french bread cubed, watermelon cut in cubes and of course the blueberries.

 

On Tuesday I’m posting a recipe on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook site for an Apple Bundt cake that is easy, moist and delicious. Click over and get the recipe on Tuesday.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Happy Flag Day!

The American Flag
When freedom, from her mountain height
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night
And set the stars of glory there.
She mingled with its gorgeous dyes
The milky baldric of the skies,
Then from his mansion in the sun
She called her eagle-bearer down
And gave into his mighty hand
The symbol of her chosen land.
Joseph Rodman Drake
I borrowed this from Tom across the pond. Thanks Tom for your tribute today to our flag! Tom hosts Sky Watch every week.

 

Inspired by three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day – the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 – was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

To read more about Flag Day click here.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.