Day One Hundred Sixty Five 2013

FLAG DAY

You’re a grand old flag
You’re a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave
You’re the emblem of
The land I love
The home of the free and the brave         

Every heart beats true
‘Neath the red white and blue
Where there’s never a boast or brag
Should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the grand old flag
The grand old flag

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Day_(United_States)

The national flag of the United States of America, often simply referred to as the American flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the Union. Nicknames for the flag include the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory", and "The Star-Spangled Banner."   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States

Happy Flag Day, America!  Happy TGIF, everyone!

Day One Hundred Twenty Three 2013

T  G  I  F

What better way to celebrate TGIF than to hit Cream City Ice Cream And Coffee Shop for a sweet frozen goody after school this afternoon. Granddaughter Shelby and grandson Elijah were happy about the whole idea. Neil, on the other hand, could be Grumpy Cat’s twin.

While they were deciding on their decadent treat …

… I already knew I wanted/needed/had to have a scoop of Cookie Dough [and this picture simply does not do the yumminess of it justice at all].

We got comfy in the back room. Elijah said this was his favorite chair and he wanted to take it home, but I’m sure the Cream City folks might frown on that. Friday never tasted so good!

Happy TGIF, y’all! Hope yours was most excellent.

Day Ten 2013

"Wal-mart... do they like make walls there?" 
~Paris Hilton

Sometimes I wish I’d never heard of this place, but when what’s left of the milk has reached its expiration date (today) and you don’t know if it will last another day, and you can’t bear the thought of not having any milk to pour over your cereal in the morning, then it’s off to Wal-Mart you go. I ended up buying lots more than milk, of course, because the thought of having to come back here any time soon was simply unacceptable. A man in the parking lot did offer to take my cart to the cart return along with his. Wasn’t that nice? Oh, Paris, you have no idea what you’re missing!

Day Three Hundred Sixteen 2012

Thank you, American Veterans, who fought in my place so I can be free. Thanks to all our service men and women who are currently serving. God bless all of you and especially those who are in harm’s way. God Bless America! We need You more than ever.

Day Two Hundred Ninety Six 2012

Our flag means all that our fathers meant in the Revolutionary War. It means all that the Declaration of Independence meant. It means justice. It means liberty. It means happiness.... Every color means liberty. Every thread means liberty. Every star and stripe means liberty. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Day One Hundred Eighty Nine 2012

It is no use to grumble and complain; It's just as cheap and easy to rejoice; When God sorts out the weather and sends rain - Why, rain's my choice.
~James Whitcomb Riley
What a beautiful sight after weeks without rain! Let’s give God the glory!

Day One Hundred Forty Nine 2012

We enjoyed a low key Memorial Day, swinging on the front porch and then watching the fountain at Dogwood Park this afternoon. The sound of the water lulled grandson Knox right to sleep. A nice lady offered to take our picture.
Happy Memorial Day, America! A heartfelt Thank You! to all those who served this country in the armed forces and gave their lives so that we can live in freedom.

Day Eighty Six 2012

My mother, Hampton Gailbreath Mabry, is 91 years old today. This is one of my favorite pictures of her, stylin' in her (1940's) swimsuit and having a great time with her best friends at the lake. Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

Day Seventy One 2012

Neil and I put on our walking boots again today and headed around the neighborhood for a Sunday hike. We always take a different route, just to keep things interesting, so we cut through the woods behind our house when we came to that point. Found an old bottle buried in the ground and a weird rusty pipe sticking up out of a tree trunk. We walked through a neighborhood that has a brook running alongside the hilly properties that I didn't realize was there. Really pretty, especially the soothing sound of the rushing water. What a gorgeous day! I had to take off my sweater, cause I worked up a sweat hiking up the hills. Felt like a hike at times. We always manage to come full circle eventually, this time cutting through the elementary school driveway and into our back yard and onto the front porch swing for a little R&R. I forgot to check our departure time, but Neil says we walked for a half hour. I just smile and nod and drink my water and enjoy the breeze. 

Day Fifty Seven 2012

Hubby Neil and I managed another walk around the block this afternoon. Wow. Two days in a row. Didn't need a jacket today, but my scarf felt good around my neck. What a gorgeous Sunday! It looked and felt a bit like October. When we got back to the house, we sat on the front porch swing and soaked up the sunshine and fresh air. Neil thought we'd been walking for at least a half hour. He couldn't believe it when I told him we'd been gone for only fifteen minutes. Maybe we should walk more often.

~  Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. ~
                        ~Eckhart Tolle

Day Fifty Four 2012

Fierce winds in my neck of the woods today. In fact some of the 'woods' ended up on my front porch, not to mention a rather large limb (middle picture) that came crashing down only a few feet from me and my daughter's car this afternoon as I was saying goodbye to her and the grandkids out there on the sidewalk. Had to drag the limb into the yard as it was partly in the street. Daughter Holly says her dad and I could be crushed to death in our sleep if one of our big (and dying) Maple trees gets blown over onto the house. Now there's a nice thought. Neil and I do get concerned about falling trees when the wind gets nasty. We've talked about taking those Maples down for decades now and planting new trees. Somehow I think that ship has sailed. We'd never live to see any shade from a tree planted today. But I suppose whoever ends up in this old house after we're done with it would probably appreciate the shade from some nice sturdy Maples. Something to think about. In the meantime, I'll keep a good thought that one of those old trees won't do us in sometime in the middle of the night.

Day Three Hundred Twenty Three 2011

We enjoyed hanging out with grandson Elijah for a while this afternoon while his mom and sister attended a play and his dad worked. He slurped down a few Bomb Pops, batted a few balls in the back yard, found a nifty looking Poplar tree leaf that he took home, did a little squirrel watching (along with the neighbor cat Lily) and soaked up this beautiful windy November Saturday. That’s good stuff.

Day Three Hundred Eighteen 2011

"The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the year,
Of wailing winds, and naked woods, and meadows brown and sear."
- William Cullen Bryant

Day Two Hundred Eighty Seven 2011

TGIF Snapshots And Sounds From My Front Porch

You'll probably have to scroll down to the bottom to mute or stop the songs playing from Playlist.com to hear the sounds on this short video. It was a beautiful day to be sitting outside on the front porch, listening to the wind play the wind chimes and blow through the trees. Peaceful. Happy TGIF, everyone!