Happy Thanksgiving!
May you discover more than you ever thought possible for which to be thankful. I know I have more than I first thought.
Enjoy your day, however you spend it.
And don’t forget: I adore and love you!
Friends are like bras; a good one never lets you down
May you discover more than you ever thought possible for which to be thankful. I know I have more than I first thought.
Enjoy your day, however you spend it.
And don’t forget: I adore and love you!
L.D. is here! Only for a few days, but he’s HERE! We’ve already watched a couple movies today and now we’re having a Celebrity Name Game marathon (I love that show!).
He goes back home on Thursday after dinner. Boo hoo! But we’ll all be together as a family and that’ll be fantastic. Mojo, my folks, my sisters, etc. All together for a lovely meal. And then we all say goodbye. Sigh.
For now, though, I’ll be focusing on enjoying my son’s company and generally having as much fun as possible.
P.S. The cats are happy he’s here, too.
P.P.S. “Quickly, quickly! There’s no time!” Non-Stop with Liam Neeson was a good “edge of your seat” movie. We were all yelling at the TV and trying to guess who the baddies were. So, watch it if you want a good action flick. However, don’t bother with The Counselor as it was slow and the sort of movie you wish you hadn’t wasted your time on.
For your enjoyment, three of my favorite finds this week:
title=”Lorenzo Duran Leaf Art” target=”_blank”>Leaf art (Delicate beyond imagination)
Superheroes in the style of the Dutch Masters (I died when I saw the last image)
Today I watched Taking Chance again. I began crying even before opening credits, continued on throughout the movie, and then King Arthur and I spent time talking about the movie, our military, and the importance of recoginizing the service of those who choose to enter the military. As I thought about it after, I realized I hadn’t posted anything today. I couldn’t let the day pass without posting. We MUST recognize those who serve, whether overseas or at home, military or civilian. And so, here is my Veterans Day post from 2012.
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We owe our Freedoms to those who give their lives to military service. Our veterans do this despite low pay and lack of recognition. Their families are left alone for long stretches of time. Veterans Day is: “A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
The very least we can do is take a moment and give special thanks to those who serve.
In case you aren’t familiar with how Veterans Day came to be, here is part of the story from the title=”VA Website Veterans Day” target=”_blank”>VA’s website:
In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.
An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” which stated: “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.”
This is part of our American heritage. We should know this. We should acknowledge the sacrifices our military community makes on our behalf.
Please take a moment to thank a Veteran today.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields
I can’t put into words just how amazing these guys are, so just listen.
Bonus:
Found on another website were some great rules for living. Figured I’d title=”Rules for Living” target=”_blank”>post the link here and let you go walkabout. You’ll like it. I promise.
It’s sometimes very difficult for me to grasp the fact my daughter is anything other than the sweet baby she used to be. But, reality is, I know all too well she’s a grown woman and living her own life. Still, I don’t know how she went from newborn to 22 so quickly!
Mojo is an extraordinary person. She’s proven herself to be motivated, strong, brave, intelligent, tough, tender, generous, funny, thoughtful, kind, and loving. Of course, you’ve all heard this from me at least 12 times. Just as you’ve heard me say how proud I am of her. I can’t help it! It’s all true. Very, very true. And it’s a mother’s perogative to brag at least once a year about her children!
I could go on and on about my daughter and how amazing she is, but instead, I’m going to share a little poem I wrote for her and painted on a table that was in her room once upon a time.
Man in the moon so big and bright
Please watch over me tonight
Shine on us from up above
And bring sweet dreams to those I love
Silly, I know. It’s just a little something I came up with for her dream table (a bedside table that was supposed to bring good dreams). I also used to tell her, “Love you big! Love you bad[ly]! Love you, Beautiful!” That’s what I did instead of “soooo biiiiiiig!” Sigh. So many memories. They’re always with me, but they definitely come to the fore when her birthday rolls around. I can’t help it. She’s always been my little sweetheart. She’s the reason I ever opened my heart to love. She’s the one who taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. She’s the reason I dared to dream of getting married, of having another child, of going back to school to become a nurse, of…everything! She opened up the whole world for me.
I love you, Mojo! Happy birthday, sweetie!