11/11/11 for the Veteran

COURAGE

HONOR

SACRIFICE

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY -

ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE PAST... 

AND ALL THOSE WHO ARE SERVING AT THIS TIME.

One Nation Under God

Happy 4th of July everyone!!! We are so blessed to live in the greatest country on earth!

WOW... some of these fireworks displays from all over the country are just SPECTACULAR!

~ Boston Harbor ~

A painting depicting Francis Scott Key, and the early morning scene which was the inspiration

behind penning his famous lyrics which became our national anthem,  "the Star Spangled Banner".

You may have already seen this clip - it was all over the internet like wildfire. But it is worth watching again - and if you haven't seen it, please take the time to watch it. No matter your political or religious affiliation, it will touch your heart. In a day and age when so many are afraid to stand up for their beliefs or divert from anything that may ruffle any feathers, this lone man - a former marine - decided he had seen enough of the way this country was headed. He reminds us through his beautiful and heartfelt rendering of the forgotten 4th verse of the "Star Spangled Banner" - our National Anthem people - that God is at the helm of our great nation and has been from the start. It's not something you just throw away. 

I'm not affiliated with the political party presenting this clip, nor the person running for office. I'm not a member of a tea party effort. In fact, if I had my choice, I wouldn't be a member of ANY political party except the "may the best person for the job" party. I don't know how we allowed our leaders to get so slowly but surely off kilter. We have strayed so far from the Democratic nation so many gave their all to form, with God running through every fiber of this choice nation he himself preserved for us. BUT. I love my country, and will always believe in her.

*special note: I had posted a special article on here earlier, entitled 

"What Happened to the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence?"

An anonymous commenter left a "snopes" report claiming many inaccuracies in the article...

I read the "snopes" report and, sure enough, there were inaccuracies. I pulled the article - honesty over interest. 

I'm going to post the "snopes" link here however, because the accurate history was very interesting to read:

 SNOPES - the men who signed the Declaration of Independence

I suppose the most important thing to gain from any of this, is the reminder that FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

God Bless America!

Have a really wonderful 4th of July everyone! xoxoxo

AND PLEASE REMEMBER: MORE OF OUR PRECIOUS PETS ARE LOST ON JULY 4th THAN ANY OTHER DAY OF THE ENTIRE YEAR! THE FIREWORKS AND STRANGE, LOUD NOISES THEY MAKE ARE SO TERRIFYING TO SOME DOGS THEY WILL RUN AWAY NEVER TO BE FOUND, OR SADLY GET HURT AS THEY ESCAPE. PLEASE TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION TO KEEP YOUR BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER SAFE AND FEELING SECURE! DON'T LET THE CELEBRATION OF OUR NATION TURN INTO A TRAGEDY.

in memory

Freedom Is Not Free

~ Kelly Strong 

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free. 

"America! America! God shed His grace on thee

and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea"

~ Katharine Lee Bates