Old Glory in her Glory

Our house, Our flag

Tonight I was visiting my favorite military spouse blogger As I scrolled down the sidebar I was reminded that last year I found the American Flag Project that invites us to share a picture of our flag flying at our home. We sent a picture of our flag and it sits among some lovely examples of impressive American flags.

As long as we are talking flags, take a look at Flags across the nation. Here are some pictures drawn by elementary school kids to give us an idea what they see in Old Glory.

While you are still with My Life as a Military Spouse, scroll down the sidebar. She has many links to blogs and sites written by and about military peoples, including some currently or formerly serving in Iraq. Keep going and you will find more fun and interesting sites like those about our flags.

technorati tags: Americanflag, kidsandflags, militaryblogs, vicki'sblog

Cherry Pie and George

Today is Cherry Pie Day. Now, I like pie and I like cherries, I like cherry pie just fine, so I am quite pleased to celebrate Cherry Pie Day today. However, --

It is funny cherries were chosen for the pie in February since fresh cherries are not yet readily available and won't be until summer. Hmmm.

The official word is cherry pie was chosen to honor George Washington and his honesty about chopping down his father's cherry tree with his new hatchet. Then why is Cherry Pie Day today and not on February 22, George's birthday?

Besides that, there seems to be a question about the truth of that cherry tree chopping story, too. It is likely that an ex-parson Mason Locke Weems included this "curious anecdote" in his book, the first biography of Washington because he was a seller of books. Even if he didn't chop down the tree and confess to his dad, it's a good story to teach kids to be honest. There is no proof that it didn't happen.

Why this date? Why cherries? Why cherry pie?

Cherries are yummy, but they are so much more. They are healthy! Yea! They are full of vitamins and even antioxidants and flavonoids. Add to that the fact that cherries are low in calories and contain no fat. Cherries are also very heart smart. Wow. They do deserve their own day.

Because there are no fresh cherries, we can buy a can of cherry pie filling, And February, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, is often unbearably cold, so we may as well heat up the cherries and put them in a pie.

Happy Cherry Pie Day and Bon Apetit!

technorati tags: cherries, cherrypieday, georgewashington, vicki'sblog, masonlockeweems

Finally, It's Over

Yea!

The Writer's Strike is over. Phew! Writers are back at work as of today. Our entertainment is safe once again.

To read more, try Nikke Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily. Scroll down to read statements from both sides. Don't skip the story about the "carefully orchestrated campaign" to avoid a Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) strike.

technorati tags: writer'sstrike, wga, vicki'sblog,

What's the Weather?

It is important to all of us. Weather determines what we wear and sometimes when and where we go. Today is National Weatherperson's Day, honoring the men and women who analyze and predict the weather.

Every day has weather, but this day was chosen because John Jeffries was born this day in 1744. Jeffries, a physician and balloonist, made a long balloon trip Nov. 30, 1784, and took readings of the pressure and temperature as he was aloft. He was considered not only the first American to fly, but also one of the first weatherman, keeping detailed records for more than 40 years. Weather balloons are still used today -- although not usually manned flights -- and are often mistaken for UFO's (or are they?).

Weather affects more than wearing apparel and driving conditions. The Weather Channel keeps us updated on daily conditions, and also tells us about How Weather Changed History. Tonight's episode is about the Challenger disaster.

technorati tags: weather, johnjeffries, weatherballoons, weatherchannel, vicki'sblog

Bye Bye Miss American Pie

In 1959, I was getting ready for bed and listening to the radio in Mt. Home, Idaho, when a frantic announcement interrupted the music: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper died in a small plane crash. They were the biggest rock idols of the day. Therefore, today is The Day the Music Died Day.

Don McLean wrote an 8 1/2 minute song commemorating that day Buddy Holly died. You know the song - Bye Bye Miss American Pie. The song has been a topic of scrutiny ever since. Here is one article that helps our Understanding American Pie by outlining the historical context. This site also has lyrics for all eight verses. There are many interpretations and ideas about this tune. Who knows what it really means?

Read what Don McLean has to say.

technorati tags: donmclean, buddyholly, thedaythemusicdiedday, vicki'sblog