Red level, hazy and signs of independence

- My brother-in-law in Virginia collects antique levels, such as this one that I spotted at the antique shop I love so much in Lilburn, Georgia.  He has dozens of them hanging on the wall of his home office and usually polishes up one for the odd gift to the kids (graduations, weddings, etc.).  I emailed these photos to him because that's the first thing he looks for when he goes into an antique shop, so now I keep my eye out for them, too. 

- The haze in the sky in Atlanta yesterday was due to dust from the Saharan desert!  And I thought it was just smog.  So interesting that a touch of Africa has floated into the southeastern US via the gulf winds.  There's more about this here.

- The same antique shop, referred to above, Antiques in Old Town, has these old American flags draped from the ceiling.  The owner told me they've been there for 20 years.  I'm seeing lots of flags around this week, due to the July 4th holiday coming up.  I'll be celebrating in another favorite place, the house by the river I love so much. 

Just one post this week.  I'll be back next week with lots of photos, I hope.  I hope your week and weekend are filled with good things!

Lining the streets, seeing the world and remembrance

- The tiny village of Lilburn, Georgia has lined the main street with memorials honoring veterans from the area for Veterans Day.  It was amazing to see them lining the street all the way to the highway that leads into the park in which I walk on weekend mornings.  I am grateful for their service to our country.

- This is the ship my dad served on during World War II (114) - a mine sweeper.  A scary thought.  And I always wonder what it was like for an 18-year-old who had never really traveled anywhere to be suddenly cast into these troubled waters.

 - He never really had much to say about his military service.  My brother-in-law served two tours of duty in Vietnam, too, and never has much to say about it either.  I don't think the silence is from trauma particularly, just a sense that this is what one did.

The poppies in the last photo are in remembrance of my beloved daddy, who I miss very much.  Inspired by Hilary's wonderful post, "Poppies on Remembrance Day..." which can be read here.

Being free, the bucket list and happy 4th

- A great American passed away on Tuesday.  I couldn't resist this small tribute to Andy Griffith and his famous show.  I especially loved this episode in which Opie learns a valuable lesson from his Pa.  And that last line in the video - I think of it every time I hear birds singing.

 Photo from Google images

 - This time last year I was in this throng of people running / walking The Peachtree Road Race - the world's largest 10K race.  This year I'm sleeping in, maybe having a little breakfast on the back porch, thinking about what I'll do for the rest of the July 4th holiday.  I'm glad I did that race once, but now it's checked off my Bucket List.  :)

- And remembering the real reason for this holiday in the United States - to embrace our freedom and be thankful to America's founding fathers.  A quote from another great American:  "As I grow older, I am increasingly fascinated by our founding fathers.  The challenges they faced and the compromises they made, good and bad, to create a nation, have inspired us and people around the world."  -  Colin L. Powell

Healing, Cleansing and Hope

- Part five of Rene Clausen's "Memorial," subtitled "Petitions." Performed by the Pinellas County Center for the Arts Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra; Logan Brown, piano; Derek Edward Weston, conductor.*

Photo by ALM

- My niece took this photo, on the property of the plantation in which she works in north Florida, of a double rainbow. The Urban Dictionary says that a "double rainbow" is an expression that can be used as "a term expressing something of pure, unrivaled awesome. Used commonly when awesome or spectacular are simply insufficient." I think a double rainbow counts as being pretty awesome.


- This is the flag that was draped over the side of the Pentagon on September 11, 2011, it hangs inside the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

*René Clausen's Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) is part of a composition entitled Memorial, created to commemorate the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Memorial comprises four subsections - September Morning, The Attack, Prayers, and Petitions - and offers as its primary themes healing, cleansing and hope. It was first performed in February 2003 by The Concordia Choir and The Concordia College Orchestra at the Riverside Church in New York City.

Listen to the Kyrie if you have time this weekend - it is incredibly peaceful music. And I hope you have a lovely and peaceful weekend, my friends!

Our flag was still there, for another day and award

- This flag was lovingly and protectively draped over the side of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. It now hangs at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC.

- Once again, getting big news from facebook first. So this seems like a fitting day to post a picture of our flag. Oddly - my memory card became full while I was visiting a lovely organic garden yesterday and then the camera battery pack needed charging this morning, leaving those photos for another day.

- Thanks to Riot Kitty for giving me this award:


She had this to say about my blog: You inspire me to see the beautiful and pleasant in the every day, where I would usually miss them. Thank you, my friend, this is what it is all about. And I admire you for your fearlessness. (I am supposed to pass this on, but I say that all of you should get this. Just know that if I read your blog, then you inspire me.)

xo

American spirit, service and he saw the world

- Loving the unexpectedness of this display of American spirit on a tree-lined street.

- A woman asks my father if he is a veteran and then thanks him for his service during World War II. He never expects to be thanked and never volunteers to discuss his experience. But I am proud for him and say, "tell her the chili story!"

- He enlisted on his 18th birthday in 1944 so he could join the Navy and "see the world," winding up on a minesweeper in the Pacific Ocean. After all the ship's cooks were lost in a battle one morning, Dad and the ship's pharmacist were commandeered to be cooks. He smiles as he remembers putting an entire industrial-sized can of chili powder in his first batch of chili that day for lunch and how sailors had tears streaming down their faces from the heat.

Unusual fact: even after visiting Asian countries and being released from active duty in San Francisco for his journey back home to Macon, Georgia, he has never flown in an airplane.

American treasures

- This flag was lovingly and protectively draped over the side of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. It now hangs at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC.

- The SMAH has restored and houses the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired our National Anthem. I quite enjoyed visiting the museum on my annual visits to watch the progress of the restoration. The restoration could be viewed through a window with the staff on their knees on platforms over the flag painstakingly working on it.

- You have to love a museum that has Dorothy's ruby slippers, Julia Child's entire kitchen enclosed in plexiglas and a statue of George Washington portrayed as Zeus!