Memorial Day by Joyce Kilmer

The bugle echoes shrill and sweet,
But not of war it sings to-day.
The road is rhythmic with the feet
Of men-at-arms who come to pray.

The roses blossom white and red
On tombs where weary soldiers lie;
Flags wave above the honored dead
And martial music cleaves the sky.

Above their wreath-strewn graves we kneel,
They kept the faith and fought the fight.
Through flying lead and crimson steel
They plunged for Freedom and the Right.

May we, their grateful children, learn
Their strength, who lie beneath this sod,
Who went through fire and death to earn
At last the accolade of God.

In shining rank on rank arrayed
They march, the legions of the Lord;
He is their Captain unafraid,
The Prince of Peace...Who brought a sword.

THE WALL

This is a tough post for me to write. It is full of emotion and sentiment and I had started it the night my daughters little dog passed away. So I set it aside and decided I needed to write it.

If you look at the tall girl in my header picture that is my mom Cecilia's cousin Hedwige. She lost her only son in Vietnam and today I will honor him and all the men and women who died in that awful conflict they called Vietnam.

James Louis Turner was born on February 7, 1946. in La Junta, Colorado. He died on April 26, 1968 at Quang Nam, South Vietnam. He was a Cpl E4 in the USMC.. His mother passed away on October 24, 1976. I doubt she ever recovered from the grieve of her loss. James began his Vietnam tour on November 22, 1967. He was a ground casualty  and his body was recovered. His name is on the Wall Panel  52E Line 25. Please visit his name on the wall if you are ever in Washington D.C. He took an assignment at the last moment, and the operations clerk who typed his order was the man who was suppose to go. For whatever reason God had he took James instead.  That gentleman  Ronald Campbell deserves my respect and my prayers as he is here and James is gone. But for reasons none of us will ever know we live and we die on God's terms.

I thought perhaps you would share a little personal history with me here. I am sorry I do not have a photo to show you. When the traveling wall came to Thornton two years ago I could not take myself away from it. I went there every day for five days and I walked the rows and looked at names and thought how many families were torn because of their losses. War is an awful thing.

Looking back and reflecting on Vietnam I say our nation was very disrespectful to those men and women who served. I could tell you more personal stories but then I would never stop to post. I just know many were hurting and our nation turned their backs on these fine upstanding men and women. They were sent there by a government who refused to stick by them when they came home crippled and depairing. If you do not believe me, come to my city and take a walk on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. You will see dozens of Vietnam Vets lying in doorways, begging with handmade signs.

They did the world a great service and the world disrespected them.  My thoughts and prayers are with each and every family that lost their loved one in that awful war.

As always, when I am praying for God's perfect timing, He ultimately gives it to me.

"Those who walk uprightly enter into peace." Isaiah 57:2

Never forget.

Postcard Exchange Update

Ok Alaska and Arkansas! Why won't you join the fun? Delaware, I am shocked! You too! Idaho, Illinois, Kansas and Kentucky!  All the wonders your state has to offer and you won't share! Minnesota, Missouri and Montana! You are all no shows! Nebraska, New Mexico, you two are my neighbors! New Hampshire and North Dakota! You make me sad! :(   Rhode Island, you won't budge! South Carolina and South Dakota, why? Tennessee , West Virginia and Wisconsin cheese heads! Not one of you is willing to represent your fine state?

I am listing all the states that have a postcards or two or three! In the case of Texas, a very well loved state, there are seven! When you see the final goody box winner you will be sad :( that you chose not to join us! So please don't be left out! Come join today!

Those of you in countries abroad, I am waiting for you! Please come and participate! My list is so very small compared to all the fine countries all over the world!

Come join in the great fun! You will not be disappointed!

Alabama    1
Alaska
 Arizona      1
Arkansas
California     4
Colorado     3
Connecticut   1
Delaware
Florida         4
Georgia       3
Hawaii         1
Idaho
Illinois          1
Indiana        1
Iowa           3
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana               1
Maine                    1
Maryland               1
Massachusetts        2
Michigan                 2
Minnesota
Mississippi                1
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada            1
New Hampshire
New Jersey      1
New Mexico    1
New York        2
North Carolina  2 1
North Dakota
Ohio                 3
Oklahoma         1
Oregon             2
Pennsylvania     1
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas              8
Utah                2
Vermont          1
Virginia 2
Washington 1
West Virginia
Wisconsin   1
Wyoming  1
Washington D.C.  1

I have the following countries:

Chile 1
Mexico 1
Japan 1
France  2
Norway 2


If your state postcard image is listed here you still need to send me a postcard! If you know that your state is covered, cover it again! Be proud of where you live! Blessings to you!

The Touch of the Master's Hand By Myra Brooks Welch

 

 

"Touch of the Master’s Hand," by Myra Welsh

T’was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who’ll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar," then, two! Only two?
"Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

"Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three . . . "But no,
From the room, far back, a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master’s hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.

A "mess of potage," a glass of wine;
A game, and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
He’s "going" and almost "gone."

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.

 

Welcome to Spiritual Sundays. Please click on the button on my sidebar (right) and visit Charlotte and Ginger and thank them for hosting this uplifting Sunday post.

I think the poem says it all.

Maxine on Memorial Day

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers

Happy Second Birthday Pink Saturday!

Please click on my Pink Saturday button and go check out the participates in this fabulous birthday bash! Beverly this butterfly cake is for you! You are the most gracious hostess.

I will try to keep this simple but I have a few pink drinks to share with you today! It is a toast in celebration of this birthday celebration!

I think I have covered all the drink choices so now go wish Beverly a great big Happy Birthday wish and celebrate! Cheers!

 Then go say hello to  Debbie at http://iamsimplydebbie.blogspot.com/. She has the sweetest blog and is a real sweetheart! Tell her hello for me!

But before you leave me please enter my giveaway for the second Pink Saturday birthday celebration. I am giving away a set of Princess House pink petal plates! I will draw the lucky winner on Saturday June 5, 2010! You don't have much time to enter so please leave a comment here and tell me you follow. Then tell everyone you know so they can get an extra entry with you when they join me here! Easy! You will receive four pink petal plates! That is a pretty pink give away I think!

Hugs to all!

John Adams: An American Patriot

Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.
I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

The words to this beautiful song was written  in 1861 by Julia W. Howe. This hymn was written during the American Civil War. Howe visited an army camp on the banks of the Potomac River near Washington D.C.  She heard the soldiers singing "John Brown's Body" and was taken with the strong marching beat. She wrote the words the next day. The hymn appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862. It was sung at the funeral of British statesman Winston Churchill, American senator Robert F. Kennedy and American presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.

The music John Browns Body was possibly written by John William Steffe. John Brown was an American abolitionist who lead a short lived insurrection to free slaves.

Quotes of the Day

Quote of the Day

"Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is."
– Aleksei Peshkov

9:40 P.M. The End of the Life of A Dear Doggy

Tonight at 9:40 P.M. MDT Tinkerbell our little poodle was losing a fighting battle with age and pain and she softly took that step out of this world into doggy heaven.  She was having difficulty breathing and she was crying in pain. We rushed her to the vet and she had an x ray revealing several broken ribs and fluid filling her lungs. The emergency surgery would have cost $4,000 and they did not feel she would survive. So my brave pooh girl held Tink in her arms as they sent her out of this life.

I am so sad. I am glad I wrote my silly post today for my Alphabe Thursday because it made me smile and now I want to cry. The week was difficult. A very dear and estranged friend Michelle, age 47, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. I will blog about Michelle soon.

Monday we will celebrate the 14 years Tinkerbell lived with us. The day she moved into our lives she climbing into our bed and when my husband was ready to retire he looked up and Tink was on his pillow looking at him as if to say "What? I feel safe here!"

We are sad because we could not afford  to take her ashes home with us. They told us they would mix them with other pets and spread them in the mountains. So we are trying to find some peace with it. The bill was outrageous for oxygen, the x ray , morphine and the shot to put her down as well as the cremation. But we did what we could afford to do and we know our little doggy dear is at peace. I am posting a poem here and then I will sign off. God Bless You  all!

The Last Battle

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this -- the last battle -- can't be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don't grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close -- we two -- these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.

-- Unknown

"S" is for silly

I have decided to use the "S" word silly for my Alphabe Thursday post!  Please thank Mrs. Matlock at her blog spot page Jenny Matlock.

I like to be silly. In this sad, sometime scary world we live in, you have to smile and sometime simply be silly!

I have some super, sunny, sometime silly and sometimes so far out in my silly world.

Check these out:

Question: Do you know what a honeymoon salad is?

Answer: Lettuce alone!

Question: Do you know why the blonde stared at the orange juice can?

Answer: So she could concentrate!

Question: What do you call a female moth?

Answer: A Myth!

Question: What do you call an American drawing?

Answer: A Yankee Doodle!