Summer Sun, Somethings Begun

 

"Bees do have a scent you know, and if they don't they should,

 for their feet are dusted with the spice from a million flowers."

~Ray Bradbury

Dandelion Wine

Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer, but reality says we have about three weeks until the season really begins. Either way, there are signs everywhere that cheer me up in a summer way, and one of them is roadside sunflowers, and little bees enjoying them. It's a pretty happy turn of events, and quite welcome. Especially when it's May 27th, and it's cold.

 Mother nature certainly has a strange sense of humor.

😂

On Memorial Day 2026

 

"True patriotism is usually born of great sacrifice,

 and is never the result of selfishness."

~Napoleon Hill

As we stop today, to reflect and meditate on the heroes that have served their country and their better angles, I share with you some Motown jazz to make your day a little more relaxing. I am so grateful to my daddy and my father-in-law for their sacrifices during WWII, and to my brother during the Vietnam war. They were men who answered a higher calling from their county, for freedom and democracy.

Gentlemen, I will be forever be grateful for your service.

"Let their remembrance be as lasting, as the land they honored."

~Daniel Webster

Memorial Day 2014: Flag Etiquette... Learn It, Follow It!

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."

~Thucydides

It's Memorial Day. The day we set aside each May to remember those brave men and woman who give themselves for a cause above and beyond their won lives... the safety and freedoms of their fellow American citizens! On this national holiday it is custom and mandated that we proudly display the living symbol of the United States, our flag! Tell me... do you know your flag etiquette, and do you follow it? If you believe you know your flag etiquette I applaud you, if, however, it's been a while since you looked at the Federal Laws concerning and relating to the proper displaying and care for the flag, you can download the PDF file and get to know it better. 

Note: You may want to rethink wearing that American flag t-shirt or or hat to the Memorial Day picnic. 

Hey, don't blame me! The American flag is the LIVING SYMBOL of the United States, and as such is to be treated with dignity and respect. If you feel wearing a hat that looks like an American flag is dignified, then by all means go ahead. But if instead you feel you can demonstrate your patriotism by showing the proper intended respect for the flag, your fellow Americans and your country by treating others with respect and appreciation then that's something for you to consider.

CRS Report For Congress

The United States Flag:
Federal Law Relating to Display and Associated Questions

United States Flag Code (Wikipedia)

When And How To Display The U.S. Flag

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Memorial Day 2013

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."

~Thucydides

Have a relaxing, peaceful and safe Memorial Day.

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 19~Memorial Day 2012

"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men."


~Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

It's never felt right to me to wish someone a happy Memorial Day, so I will just say... I wish all who visit my blog today, a day of peace. 


~Me :)


This is day 19 of my A Photo A Day For 6 Months challenge for myself. You are more than welcome to join in. There is no theme, and if you can't get out with your camera, archived photos are fine. Although getting out with the camera is part of my personal challenge. 


Now, to see some truly lovely photos, please visit my pal Jr. Just follow the link below.


JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/05/apadf6-18.html  

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #39: Memorial Day

"The whole inspiration of our life as a nation flows out from the waving folds of this banner."

-Unknown









Note: Before we begin, some folks are still saying they are having difficulty with Internet Explorer loading multiple pages when they click on my blog. The bug is in the IE browser, not my blog. There is nothing I can do on my end. Please, if you are still having difficulty, only view Ellipsis in the Firefox browser. I will add a link at the bottom of this page, so you can read about how the bug is affecting other IE users. One possible fix is to download the latest version of IE. I did it and it fixed the problem for me.

EMPS #39: MEMORIAL DAY. NOW CLOSED!
It has been a three day weekend for most folks in the United States, and today is MEMORIAL DAY. Show me how you observed the day. A picnic with family, the day spent in quiet reflection, the raising and lowering of the flag, MEMORIAL DAY parades, anything related to the holiday is fine.

Extra Credit: Write a little about what MEMORIAL DAY means to you personally.

EMPS #39a. FLAGS.
I know some of you are not from America, and I don't want to leave you out, so for your assignment, show me the FLAG of your country.

Extra Credit: Put a frame around your FLAG photo, using your photo editing software.

**PLEASE READ**
You have until next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET to get your photo, submit it to your blog, journal or website and comeback here with the direct link back. Please remember, it must be a direct link to an entry specific to this Monday Photo Shoot assignment, not a general link to your blog. Also, please include a link back here, so others can join in the fun!

:)

Linking List for EMPS #38: Night Photography. 05/18/09

Now Closed!

1. Karen

2. Jama

3. Greg

4. Liz


Ok everyone, thanks for playing this week. See you next Monday with an all new photo shoot assignment!

-Carly


Internet Explorer Opens Multiple Pages Automatically Over 40! (Discussion article)

Memorial Day 2008

"Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave."

-Muhammad

The War Memorial, in Lafayette, California, is adding additional crosses to the hillside today, not just for the men and woman killed in action in the two wars we are fighting in the Middle East, but to also reflect those who have taken their own life, since returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's about time we did more for our brave then simply putting a yellow ribbon of support on our cars and windows that says, "Support The Troops." Today, let's remember the total cost of war.

-OndineMonet
"Memorial Day"
Lafayette War Memorial
Lafayette, California

Memorial Day 2007

Their silent wounds have speech
More eloquent than men;
Their tones can deeper reach
Than human voice or pen.

-William Woodman

U. S. Military Casualties of War

World War II - 300,000

Korean War - 23, 3000

Vietnam - 58, 226

Iraq - 3, 455... To date

"There never was a good war or a bad peace."

-Benjamin Franklin

"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war."

-Donald Rumsfeld

"You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace, and on the other hand, dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable."

-Condoleeza Rice

"Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny exercised "for the good of it's victims" may be the most oppressive."

-C.S. Lewis

If you haven't had the chance to visit the Iraq War Memorial, in Lafayette, California, you really should. It is a very moving tribute to the fine men and women we have lost to this terrible war. The sign indicating the lost is updated each Sunday. While the memorial has been made into a subject of controversy, what I see is the truth, and a reminder of what the human cost of war really is.

Inside Bay Area: Lafayette War Memorial Reminds Us Of War's Cost

-OndineMonet
Lafayette War Memorial
Lafayette, California
May, 2007
Afternoon