Memorial Day

Let us not forget the reason for this holiday weekend.  Remember those that gave their all to defend our freedom!

Company Coming Over

J and I agreed to invite a soldier friend of his over tonight for some grilling.  They guy is legally separated and on his way to a divorce.  Rather sad to be alone on the holidays I think.  So I have no problem with having him over today.

J gave me a condition though, I'm not to do anything today.  Glad he said today because last night right in front of him I made a huge bowl of pasta salad including making the mayo and oil dressing from scratch.  Tasty if I do say so.  Don't worry its no longer raw egg, I made it on the stove top to make sure it came to a boil first and added all the ingredients to it making a cooked dressing.  It shouldn't make anyone sick.

I'll be sticking to my freezer diet food today even while they enjoy the grilling.  I have to.  I'm not active enough to be eating high fat, high sodium barbeque food.  The two athletes can eat it instead.

Yes, J is an athlete.  He can run 14 miles in a day easily and still go to work after and come home.  He's done it before for the "Walk To Afghanistan" they set up monthly.  J and all the other soldiers are required to run as much as they can during the allotted time period.  So yes he can enjoy all the calories he wants when he is working out.

I hope every one has a safe weekend.  Tomorrow is the day we celebrate Memorial Day but officially it is 30 May for the Memorial Day.  I'm not sure why we celebrate it on the last Monday in May when it has it's on particular day.  I guess its for those that are looking forward to the long weekends.

If you get the chance stop by your local cemetery and place an American flag on the grave of a US veteran.   I used to do this every year myself in the family cemetery and in the church cemeteries where my kin folk are buried.  It doesn't hurt to place one on a stranger's grave either if you don't have a family member that served and is buried nearby.

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us here in the USA. I'm hopeful that all my non-military friends and non-veteran friends will remember to take a few minutes out of their National Holiday weekend to give thanks for their freedom.  Take the time to visit the graves of those that fought and died for our freedom, maybe place a flag in remembrance of their sacrifices too.

When I was a kid my family and I would travel to a small cemetery in Essex County, NY where we would place flags and flowers on our families graves.  Many of my ancestors fought and died for our freedom.  Pierce, Wolcott, Gladd, and Tyrrell were just a few of the surnames on my ancestors grave stones.  One of my ancestors, Oliver Wolcott, signed the Declaration of Independence.

This country has always been something that my family has fought to keep free.  I'm proud of my heritage.  I'm proud of my husband who is enlisted in the US Army.  I'm proud to know so many friends that have also fought and served.

As an adult, while I still lived upstate NY, I would go to the cemetery alone and place flags and flowers on the graves.  On one particular trip I took my camera so that I would have the photos as a remembrance of what they gave so that I could live free.

Here are just two of those photos:

GEORGE F. GLADD
NEW YORK
MECH. 71 INF. 11 DIV
JULY 6, 1940

FREDERIC A. GLADD
A1C  US AIR FORCE
KOREA
JAN 6 1934 - JUL 29 1975