Thank you to all who have served our country and for all who lost their lives protecting us!
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory ~ Hymn
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.
I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.
Words: Julia W. Howe, 1861, alt. This hymn was born during the American civil war, when Howe visited a Union Army camp on the Potomac River near Washington, D. C. She heard the soldiers singing the song “John Brown’s Body,” and was taken with the strong marching beat. She wrote the words the next day:
I awoke in the grey of the morning, and as I lay waiting for dawn, the long lines of the desired poem began to entwine themselves in my mind, and I said to myself, “I must get up and write these verses, lest I fall asleep and forget them!” So I sprang out of bed and in the dimness found an old stump of a pen, which I remembered using the day before. I scrawled the verses almost without looking at the paper.
The hymn appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862. It was sung at the funerals of British statesman Winston Churchill, American senator Robert Kennedy, and American presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic is also known by the title, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory.
HT: Cyberhymnal
Memorial Day Weekend
Here in the U.S.A. we are at the beginning of our Memorial Day Weekend with Monday May 25th being a national Memorial Day holiday.
When we were in Southern California for our nephews wedding in 2012 we made a special trip to Riverside National Cemetery where Dear’s father was buried in October of 1985, just a couple months before our Katie was born. Today I’m sharing some very dramatic memorials from the cemetery for this Memorial Day Weekend.
When the Warrior Returns
When the warrior returns, from the battle afar,
To the home and the country he nobly defended,
O! Warm be the welcome to gladden his ear,
And loud be the joy that his perils are ended:
In the full tide of song let his fame roll along,
To the feast-flowing board let us gratefully throng,
Where, mixed with the olive, the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.
~ Francis Scott Key
We thank God our son-in-law, our warrior returned from his perils.
Riverside National Cemetery is the third-largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration, and since 2000 has been the most active in the system based on the number of interments. It was established in 1976 through the transfer of 740 acres from March Air Force Base, which during World War II was called the U.S. Army’s Camp William G. Haan. The cemetery was dedicated and opened for burials Nov. 11, 1978. An additional 181 acres was transferred by the Air Force in 2003.
The dramatic, meandering landscape features a central boulevard with memorial circles, lakes, indigenous-styled committal shelters, and a memorial amphitheater.
Riverside National cemetery is home of the Medal of Honor Memorial and one of four sites recognized as a National Medal of Honor Memorial Site. The Medal of Honor Memorial, whose walls feature the names of all medal recipients, is located at the third traffic circle in the cemetery. It was dedicated in 1999.
Walking up to the Medal of Honor Memorial you see each of the seals of the branches of service. Of course we have our favorite…
Several Medal Honor Recipients are buried at this cemetery.
The Fallen Soldier/Veterans’ Memorial, erected in 2000, is dedicated to all service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The dramatic bronze structure topped by a lifeless soldier is located near the lake at the entrance to the cemetery.
This and the POW/MIA Memorial were very moving…
The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action National Memorial was designated as a national memorial by the U.S. Congress in 2004 through Public Law 108-454. The memorial was dedicated on September 16, 2005. Vietnam veteran Lewis Lee Millett, Jr., sculpted the bronze statue which depicts an American serviceman on his knees with hands bound by his captors. The statue is surrounded by black marble pillars that evoke imprisonment.
While we were at the cemetery we had an unexpected treat. See everyone looking up? March Air Force Base was hosting an air show this weekend and we got a wonderful view of the Patriots Jet Team.
Hope you have a meaningful Memorial Day weekend.
Sign on a Good Fence!
We have a lovely space close to us where you can walk out on these wooden walkways and see nature at it’s best. The fences along the walkway help to keep you where you should be so you don’t disturb the wildlife!
Can you see all the ducklings?
The vegetation is so lush and green this time of year.
We are having another stretch of dry warm weather and I’ve had to water my plants instead of depending on the rain to do that.
Dear was in New Orleans at a conference and I’m very happy to have him back home. We are celebrating at our favorite Mexican dive.
Linking up to signs, signs with Lesley and Good Fences #61 with TexWisGirl!
S is for Snail’s Pace or Full Speed Ahead!
Before I move on to ABC Wednesday, The American Sniper DVD Giveaway winner is announced here.
I’m adding some sunshiny photos from my walk yesterday east of Seattle at Juanita Bay Park that have nothing to do with snails or speed!
Life at this old house is speeding ahead and moving slow at the same time…
Our son’s wedding is just 40 days away. Things are speeding ahead with all the plans and things that need to get done before that day. We are headed to Eastern Washington soon to wrap up some things we need to do for the wedding.
Dear’s last day at his current job is on May 29th. That seems to be moving at a snail’s pace along with the prospects of his next job. The company that bought Dear’s company decided to let his department go. Dear has been at his last conference for this employer in New Orleans and the time he is away has moved at a snail’s pace. There is a possible job out there that needs results from some trials that seem to be moving slowly for us, too. Time will tell if we need to speed up the job hunt process.
The road ahead for us is in the hands of our creator. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)
My soft food diet is moving ahead at a snail’s pace as far as I’m concerned. I really enjoy biting into things that need some good chewing. But…I am very thankful for the ease of this procedure I had before our insurance runs out.
I’m past the speedy part of dropping pounds in my de-fluffing program. Now the pounds will continue to drop off but at a snail’s pace. So…I still need to count out the chips to have with salsa that I allow myself to enjoy at our weekly date at the local Mexican dive. Sad but true, chips will have to wait for a little while longer until my mouth completely heals but I can eat the salsa!
I’m ready to sink my teeth into something like this next dish.
In the meantime this could be included in my soft diet…Sangria!
Lots of the letter S in this recipe!
Sooner than I know and a few days before the wedding I will leave my fasting time behind and embrace the feasting time that a wedding celebration brings. After the wedding we will have family staying on for some vacation time at our home and my sister’s home in the Seattle area. That will be a time of feasting and celebrating, too.
I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday originated with Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and the ABC team. Thanks!
If you came here looking to see who won The American Sniper giveaway on my blog click on American Sniper or scroll down one post!
Rosebud Azaleas
I wanted to show you my sweet Rosebud Azaleas and give you an update about what’s going on around this old house. If you are here for the giveaway you will need to scroll down a few posts.
This variety of Azalea is my very favorite.
I finally cleaned out this area of the front planter that rounds the corner of the house and planted a hydrangea in the space. Time will tell if the blooms will stay purple.
My cement block plantings are mostly doing real well. The wild rabbits that roam around here have eaten all the pansy blooms, though.
Things are going well with my extraction recovery. I never really experienced any pain to speak of which is nice. I’ll be getting the stitches out on Wednesday if they haven’t dissolved on their own. I’m still on a relatively soft diet so I don’t hurt the area that is healing. Although I still have a few days of antibiotics left I am off the Ibuprofen. Thank you for your kind thoughts. My de-fluffing progress was hindered by being on medication and being off my regular meal regiment but I’m happy to report things are still going well.
Happy Victoria Day weekend to our friends in Canada!
InSPIREd Sunday- Bath Abbey
FYI: If you are here for the giveaway you will need to scroll down a couple posts to leave a comment to enter!
I took this photo well before I owned a digital camera from the Ancient Roman Baths. Dear and Katie are next to the statue with Bath Abbey behind them. This was on a graduation gift trip we took our daughter Katie on in 2004. Ha! My photo even has the date stamp on it ’04 4 11. Bath was on the itinerary because we were visiting Katie’s favorite author’s haunts. We traced some of Jane Austen’s inspirations here. We visited some special spots related to C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Monty Python, too.
To see other churches from around the world click over to Beth and Sally’s InSPIREd Sunday link-up.
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence ~ Liturgy
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing is His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand.
King of Kings, Yet born of Mary, As of old earth He stood,
Lord of Lords, In human vesture, In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful. His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads it’s vanguard on the way,
As Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six-winged seraph, Cherubim, With sleeples eye,
Veil their faces to His presence as with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Lord Most High!
Words: Liturgy of St. James, 4th Century
R is for Rhododendrons!
Rhododendrons are the Washington State flower. We have five bushes in our yard. I’m linking up with ABC Wednesday started by Denise Nesbitt and maintained by the ABC Team! Thank you!
Four of the five rhododendron bushes we have came with our home and are well established.
This year because of our warm April weather everything is blooming early.
The bees are really enjoying the blooms!
My rhodies are mostly in the pink hues but rhodies come in many more colors, too. These last two photos are from the Meerkerk Rhododendron Garden on Whidbey Island.
Purple and white and yellow and red, oh my. I do have a new little yellow rhody bush but it chose not to bloom this year. These last photos are from the Meerkerk Rhododendron garden on Whidbey Island.
Thanks so much for all the sympathy and advice on my tooth extraction and implant. My extraction did not happen on Monday but will be happening for sure on Wednesday morning. My sweet daughter is going with me to hold my hand. I’m suppose to take it easy after my extraction so I’ll have time to visit your blogs and who knows how weird my comments might be if I’m on pain medication!
How goes it in your corner of the world?
Weekend Work and Play!
We have had some nice dry and warm weather a few days in a row and what does that mean at this old house? It means it’s time to continue our projects. Dear spent much of Saturday taking the old vertical siding off the back of the house. This side of the house is the last side that needs horizontal siding. See that huge Rosemary bush behind Dear?
My job on Saturday morning was to trim it way back so Dear could work around it. The Rosemary scent was so strong we both felt a little woozy from it.
I did a few more chores out in the yard while Dear worked on the prep work for the new siding.
Our kids arranged a meal out for Mother’s Day on Saturday evening. I’ve mentioned before that I’m de-fluffing right now for our son’s wedding the end of June but for Mother’s Day I threw away the calorie counter. It was time to feast. I enjoyed a beet salad and Dear enjoyed a Bleu Cheese salad.
The six of us enjoyed steak, chicken, and halibut with some tasty sides.
Better than the food was the time we had together talking about the recent events in our lives. We missed our son and his fiance who live in the eastern part of our state across the Cascade mountains. We will celebrate with them in a couple of weeks when Dear and I head east to wrap up some details for the wedding.
On Sunday (Mother’s Day) we went to church and then we loaded up the truck bed with things we needed to take to the dump. We dumped about 1400 pounds of old siding, stone pavers, old wood, etc. It was my first time at the dump and it was an interesting experience. I cracked up about my Mother’s Day experience and Dear commented that he is always ready to give me a new experience in life.
Bad news…tomorrow I get to have another fun dental event (sarcasm intended). I’m going to have a tooth extracted that is causing gum infection problems. It’s the same tooth that they put a crown on in January. What a waste. Now I get to decide if I want to go through the trauma (for me) of having an implant. Feel free to share your experiences with similar issues and your advice!
Good news… going back to my de-fluffing plan is that I have dropped 10 pounds! This success keeps me motivated to stay on track and continue losing for the wedding.
If you are a mother I hope you enjoyed the weekend and that you were celebrated. Here’s a prayer for Mothers that I shared on the MGCC blog on Sunday.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 