Decoration Day

Here in the U.S. today, the last Monday of May, 
we celebrate what is now known as Memorial Day.
First known as Decoration Day after the 
American Civil War in 1868, 
when the organization of Union veterans of the 
Grand Army of the Republic
established it as a time for the nation 
to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.

After that century,
competing Union and Confederate holiday traditions
celebrated on different days, but merged, 
with Memorial Day eventually extended 
to honor all Americans who died while in the military service. 
 

Thank you to all who have sacrificed their life for this great country in which we live.



I hope everyone has a safe and wonderfully relaxing day spent doing something you enjoy with those you love.

change of plans or mind or 2+29

After a couple of folks/family members
gave me the strangest looks,
and I had a phone call (or three)
about things I was supposed to be doing
(or already have done),
I finally figured it out...

THIS weekend

is the three day holiday weekend of Memorial Day...

NOT the following weekend!

In my mind, I still have one more week before the end of the month.
Wait - there is one more week before the end of the month!

Memorial Day-

our day of commemoration

for the men & women who died while in military service -

is celebrated on

here's the rub -  the last Monday of the month -
NOT the last weekend of the month of May.

Which I knew - really I did... I just hadn't put two and two 29 together to know that the last Monday is the 26th, NOT the 31st!

So after I got that changed around in my mind,
I decided to get myself in gear and do what I thought I still had another week to do - I finished a couple more customer quilts early this week -
Fun, Fun, Fun!!

The first is Janet's great work -
all scarlet and gray and Ohio-State-Buckeye-ish:

(I folded over the backing on the far left
so you could see how gorgeous it is, too.)

Here's a close-up of the fabrics:

Aren't they great fabrics?!

She made it for a gift for later this year - lucky recipient!

This second quilt is Peg's:

(Yes, this photo makes the quilt look a little wonky -
sorry!, but it really was perfectly squared.)

 

She made it for her Tar Heel son, who is an avid golfer

(She's planning on gifting it this weekend while she's there visiting...for Memorial Day).
Cute, isn't it?

I have one more quilt on the machine this week -
hopefully ready for pickup this Saturday
(now that I've figured out which weekend is which),
then a nice,
supposed-to-be-sunshine-y,
long, holiday weekend with the grandkids!

Memorial Day

In memory of and honor for 

those who have fought to keep our country free.

My deepest thanks to all who have served.

 



I hope your Memorial Day is a safe and wonderful one,

spent with those you love.

 

another beautiful weekend

Memorial Day weekend was wonderful here in central Ohio...

I wish there was a better way than just this written note
to express my gratitude and thanks to 
all of our country's heroes...

all of the past and present 

service men and women that have given all

to keep this country the land of the free.  

Also, sincere thanks to 

the families of  those same service people

for their contributions and losses. 

I am so happy and feel so blessed 

to be a part of this wonderful country.

I am also so grateful for

another wonderful

Memorial Day weekend.

missing...

I think we have just totally missed Spring. 

We here in central Ohio

have gone from COLD and r-a-i-n-y

to blazing hot and allergies! 

Allergies from all of the trees blooming...

mostly, the cottonwood tree has bloomed.

If you have never seen the cottonwood tree in bloom,

I can tell you it looks like it's snowing!

It's quarter-sized pieces of cotton-like fluff

that catch the breeze and float around

like the down of a milkweed or dandelion.

Pretty amazing,

but, it looks like snow!!!

Snow on Memorial Day!

After visiting the largest

Memorial Day Parade in central Ohio on Monday,

 

we had a gathering at our place

& played some

volleyball in the snow.

Hey, we like to play volleyball,

no matter if the temp is 98 degrees

 & humidity is almost that high.

We just played a little less and took more water breaks...

Anyway,

the "snow" of the cottonwood tree

stuck to us as we played -

it was really quite interesting.

Here's a pic of the "snow" on the pool water:

and this was after we skimmed!

Enough of that snow stuff,

I'm ready for some summer quilting...

here's one that I quilted for Joell:

I'm thinking she is the most prolific quilter that I know.

This was a mystery night pattern, so I don't know the name,

but, I think it looks like it's covered in blazing suns!,

& another cute one, for sure!

So very summer-y, don't you think?

Very fitting for this weather that has come along!

Happy Stitching!

Many thanks

 to all of our service people,

past and present...

memorial

The "Field of Heros"

Central Ohio,

Memorial Weekend, 2010

2000 flags, each eight foot tall,

dedicated to our heros

The Moving Wall:

a half size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

I couldn't tell if this picture was blurry from my movement with the camera when I was snapping the shot,

or

from the tears in my eyes...