Happy New Year 2010

Rare New Year's Eve Blue Moon to ring in 2010!

Tonight is a blue moon - the second full moon in a calendar month. The last time a blue moon fell on New Year's Eve was December 31, 1990. (Alas, it might prove difficult since the skies might be cloudy.) The next time will be in 2028.

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied: Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.  - Minnie L. Haskins

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Then sing, young hearts that are full of cheer,
With never a thought of sorrow;
The old goes out, but the glad young year
Comes merrily in tomorrow
- Emily Miller




Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself.  - Aisha Elderwyn

 
 
Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth
- Martin Luther
 
 
 

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.  - Benjamin Franklin

 
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
- William Arthur Ward



It is difficult not to believe that the next year will be better than the old one! And this illusion is not wrong. Future is always good, no matter what happens. It will always give us what we need and what we want in secret. It will always bless us with right gifts. Thus in a deeper sense our belief in the New Year cannot deceive us.  - Kersti Bergroth

 
'til next time,

Con

The Price of Silence

I was inspired by a video I watched last night. This video is called "The Price of Silence."




You can find out more...the lyrics and who was involved with the project HERE.

Cherish Every Moment of Your Life

Mary Anne was a friend of mine.

I use to worked for the coffee house in Durand, Hearth & Garden. I served Mary Anne her coffee (with 4 extra shots of espresso!) - she was one the "regulars." She'd walk in...bringing her own coffee mug. I'd rinse and wash it for her and fill it full of her favorite - Irish Nut coffee. I went to Hearth and Garden yesterday and reminisced about Mary Anne with one of the owners, Debbie Lindroth. I had a "Irish Nut" without the extra shots along with some apple bars. Debbie and I had a good talk.

I miss you, Mary Anne - you could always make me laugh.

God bless you and may He comfort your family.

MARY ANNE DRAGO

Age: 56 - Loves Park, Illinois

Taken from the Rockford Register Star

Mary Anne Drago, 56, of Loves Park died Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, after an automobile accident. She was born Oct. 24, 1953, in Rockford to Jasper and Frances Drago. She lived most of her life in Rockford. She was employed as a special education school teacher by Durand School District. She was a member of St. Anthony Church. Mary Anne attended Muldoon High School before transferring to Boylan High School, where she graduated in 1971. She received her bachelor's degree in special education from Clarke College in 1975; she then received her master's degree in educational/psychological studies from the University of Colorado in 1988. Her teaching career brought her to Wisconsin, Colorado and finally to the Durand district here in Illinois. She was a very dedicated teacher who touched many students, faculty and parents. She loved the Beatles, Neil Young and the Blues. She took pride in her Italian heritage and her family. Mary Anne was a devoted daughter and beloved friend to all who knew her. Survivors include father, Jasper Drago; and many cousins. She was predeceased by her mom, Frances; and her beloved dog, Hershey.

Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, in St. Anthony Catholic Church, with visitation from 9 a.m. to service time; the Franciscan Friars will officiate. Interment in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation also from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in Gasparini and Oliveri Funeral Home, 707 Marchesano Drive.

Condolences may be sent online at gasparinioliverifuneral.net

'til next time,

Con

I've Been So Busy...

I know I haven't posted for a while but I have been busy with so many things...baby showers, friends, family, and most importantly my grandson Andrew and ....planning a vacation.

I'm not to please about vacation this year because my grandson will have his 1st birthday while we are gone!!! If the weather gets bad on our return home I'll miss his first Christmas too.

I like being a grandma...I call him my little buddy. He has me tied right around his little pinkie.

I bought a "Photo Cube Studio Light Tent Box Kit" so I can take better photos of my cards... I haven't tried it yet. I guess I'm a little afraid of it. When I get back from vacation I'll make it a priority to learn how to use it so I can take some pictures of some of the cards and scrapbook pages I have done. I would like to share with you some things I've done. But for now I'm letting my friend Jeannie try it out...her blog is Kindred Spirits Kards. Jeannie is more technically advanced than me.

My husband and I have taken his dad on vacation for the last two years during the month of December. We try to hide from the snow. LOL. My husband hates cold, as well as shoveling. I take pity on them and plan a whole month of travel. We drive about 4000 miles! I get the back seat and my father-in-law the front. This way I can do what ever I need to do to stay sane...I sleep a lot while they enjoy each others company. I take lots of pictures while on vacation. I still need to develop some from last year! The guys say I take too many pictures while I say, "You can never take enough!"

Our first stop is Branson, MO. We have never been to Branson before and I hear that the Christmas lights are fantastic. We booked a couple of shows too. After Branson we are going further south...Nacogdoches, TX (pronounced /ˌnækəˈdoʊtʃɪs/). Eventually we will end up at South Padre Island, TX for a week. This will be our 3rd holiday there with Dad. Jim and I have been there 5 years in a row this year! I think we are slowly becoming Winter Texans!!! Another "new" for us will be Grand Canyon Skywalk. Dad and Jim really want to see this engineering feet. On our way home we will stop at Lincoln, NE to visit Jim's two nephews and their family. We will be at Tombstone, AZ too...another yearly pilgrimage. We enjoy running into local Celebrity artist, Mark Brown. We've purchased three of his pieces that were absolutely amazing - he is an extremely generous person. My husband, Jim, loves the ribs at the Crystal Palace Saloon - you can also find Mark selling his pictures here. Tombstone is a very friendly place to visit.

NEW BLOG ALERT...

The Crackerbox Palace Rubber Stamps is blogging...go Vicky and John!!! Good luck and enjoy your blogging time. Thank you for asking me for input on your blogging journey. I pray you will get a lot of hits on your new site...XOXO.

The last time I was at the Crackerbox Palace store I took some pictures. I'm going to bring it to the store every time [if I can remember] so I can take pictures of their card samples...always looking for ideas;)

For all of you following my blog, Thanks for stopping by! -and please visit the Crackerbox Palace site too. Tell them Connie sent you...

May we always remember to support

our men and women in the military!

I went to a great Veteran's Day service in Hanover, IL. They hold it every year on September 11 at 11:00 a.m. My father-in-law belongs to the VFW post there. The vets there are very active in the community. They have a wonderful fundraiser comming up this Friday...all you can eat catfish! and my whole fammily is going. Yummy!!! I need to mention some sites that support our military. Take some time out and "thank" a military person and veteran.

Adopt a Platoon

Soldiers' Angels

Adopt a Soldier

Operation Write Home

(formally known as "Cards for Heroes")

'til next time,

Con.

Sydney Ives Ivestrong Update

Sunday, November 8, 2009 12:22 AM, CST

November 7, 2009, Sydney went home to be with Jesus. Her passing was extremely peaceful. Thank you for your prayers.

Matthew 5:4

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Please go to Sydney's Journal Page to read about her and her family. Her journal has been updated to include thoughts from her family after her passing. They are truely beautiful people.

'till next time,

Con

Sydney Deann Ives

Dear friends,

Please except my request for your prayers, cards and/or donations for this sweet child. Sydney doesn't have much time left. She is dying from cancer.

I am including a link HERE for you to read. This link tells her story, her pictures, and her updates.

Thank You,

Connie

Pre-made Greeting Cards Needed!

Hi everyone I was so excited to find this email in my box today from New Ministries at Christian Paper Crafts:

"Good morning ladies. Chelsea Cook, one of our design team members, started her Wait on the Lord Wednesday ministry about 6 weeks ago and it has been a blessing to a lot of people. Today, Chelsea is starting Operation Write Home. This ministry sends pre-made greeting cards to our heroes that are serving all over the world so that they may keep in touch with their loved ones. Chelsea will have the details up today under the Challenges section at http://cpcmag.com/forum/. You can always visit our homepage as well at www.cpcmag.com. We all hope and pray that you have a very blessed day, and thank you for your support."

Operation Write Home was previously known as Cards for Heroes!

I pray that you consider her challange and join Chelsea in her quest for home-made cards.

Con

More Sites to See!

So I was roaming the internet ... again ;) So what's new! I see something and before you know it I'm blog hopping! or researching something I heard or read about.


Quilling, Cards & Crafts check out Giddy Greetings; it's a great blog site with lots of quilling tutorials. Monica has some great quilling tutorials! She also started a new blog called Going Green Greetings. Monica just did a "chocolate candy" quilling class...yummy! You can find it HERE at Anne Hayward's blog...Stamping at Blue Moon Creations.


Another fun site I saw was Stamp TV blog/Gina K Designs. I read Gina's Presenting "Faux Nestabilities" and "Faux Snake Skin" tutorials...pretty interesting.


I was going through Splitcoaststampers and saw this pretty Autumn leaf card by Wendy Janson. Her blog site is It's All About Stamping. I know summer isn't over yet but I really liked the card and besides some people are already making their Christmas Cards!

Stamps: Happy Harmony
Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Autumn Traditions
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Crystal Effects, dimensionals, Mat Pack & Paper Piercer, Sponge, White Taffeta ribbon, small rhinestones, Ticket punch, Scallop Circle Nestabilities

My two friends, Jeannie and Pam, told me into a blog site called Christian Paper Crafts by Cindy Coutts. In Cindy's "About Me" she stated, "I consider myself to be beyond blessed. I love everything about paper crafting, stamping and scrapbooking. " What a great statement to make! I believe I will enjoy visiting her site!


Hold the phone! I don't know a thing about Photoshop but I found this site which might help me... pshero. If you know of any other "easy" instructions for Photoshop, let me know and I'll update this post!


The Cutest Blog Book! Yep turn your blog into a book. Some bloggers have some great blogs...this would be a great tool for them. My blog is still in it's infancy stage and I haven't posted much of my own work :(


I just recently joined Rubber Stamp Chat and Christian Paper Crafts Community. I am already a member of Splitcoaststampers. I usually pop in once and awhile just to see what is going on in the stamping world.



'till next time,



Con

Thank You - Crackerbox Palace

1321 W Court St, Janesville, WI 53548

(608) 755-4638

www.crackerboxrubberstamps.com

The Crackerbox Palace
Sells their stamps and other paper crafting items
at their STORE
and
the INTERNET.



They also have an Ebay Story...
1 Rubber Room

I cannot tell you enough how much I love visiting the
Crackerbox Palace!!!!

As I sit here and write this post...I wish I was there. I enjoy their quaint store, their down home personality, warm smiles, and wonderful, quirky since of humor. Whenever I get a chance to go there I am made to feel right at home. And I just adore their dog, Savannah. She is at the store with them. ..usually in the basement with John. She is so gentle and wouldn't hurt a fly.

When I was looking for some background information on the Crackerbox I found two wonderful reviews that I just have to share with you [because I agree with them]:

Innovative!: This is a hidden charm! I wish I lived closer to attend the card making sessions often. Wonderful array of stamps and great ideas. Charming staff too!

by mcrojo008

The owners are the most "REAL" people you will ever meet. Get your own personalized stamp made to mark your cards. The card swaps are wonderful and I pretty much live at the store. I even joke that if my husband could never find me he could call there. Plan to stay. There is sooo much to see. AND BUY!!!

by peyattriot

They are the greatest. Chicks demos I really enjoy so much, she does them on most Wednesdays and the last Sunday of each month, but in July she is doing her demo on third Sunday and her demos are all day long. Several of my friends and I try and go as much as we can, we drive from Kenosha it's about 1 hour drive one way, most of the time we end up spending the day.

Vicky Briggs [with glasses] was born and raised in Fort Atkinson but now lives in Janesville, WI with her husband, John. She loves to play! Her crafting got started with her grandmother’s help, who taught her how to quilt, embroider, cross stitch, crochet, knit and make new treasures from the “saved treasures”. They would cut up old cards to make new cards and placemats. Vicky vividly remembers her excitement in being able to use a few treasured buttons to embellish them. She started stamping 20+ years ago when her children were small. Her kids still remember how the card stock would brown in attempting to emboss over the breakfast toaster. Her grandmother told her “never quit playing”, and I don’t think she ever will.

John and Vicky opened the Crackerbox Palace stamp store in Janesville, WI. In addition to retailing from numerous stamp companies, they also make custom stamps that are shipped world wide. Currently they have taken in to a new level and are introducing their own line of stamps.

Chick Alizadeh [in black] is from Wisconsin, but lived overseas for nearly twenty years. When returning from Iran in 1998, she discovered the phenomenon of stamping. Although her standard job is teaching English as a second language, she has always been interested in Art, but she feels because of being away from drawing for so many years that she had lost her drawing skills. Stamping filled that hole. Although at first, unimpressed with the basics of stamping, through Vicky Briggs of the Crackerbox Palace, she was introduced to techniques. It didn’t take long for this association with Vicky to become a bonding of talents. Chick self claims to be an addict of everything new, and is especially in love with experimenting with new techniques, many of which she has developed on her own. Her answer to people coming in and saying they were virgin stampers, “If there is such a thing as a virgin stamper, then I must be the “whore stamper”. She says, “I’m so excited to be going away from my home area to stamp and teach… As a teacher I truly believe that one is taught by one’s students…I’m looking forward to learning as much as I teach."

This information about Vicky and Chick was gathered from DOOR COUNTY RUBBER STAMP which also have a show but unfortunately the Door County Rubber Stamp, Scrapbook & Paper Arts Escape! had already ended by the time I made this post. The show was May 29-30-31, in Bridgeport Resort, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Crackerbox Blob/News

*** D I D - Y O U - K N O W ***

Crackerbox Palace

Will be one of many vendors
At the One of a Kind Rubber Stamp & Scrapbook Show.

Date: November 21 & 22, 2009
Time: 10-5 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday
Where: Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall, Madison, Wisconsin

Classes all day Friday, Saturday Sunday!

*** P E T - T I P ***

Love you Savannah!

Did you know that Xylitol, the artificial sweetener in many chewing gums and some "sugar-free" baked products, is very toxic to dogs. Two or three sticks of gum can cause a 20 pound dog to have weakness, vomiting, seizures, or even liver failure. Another reason that people food is for people only! [New Hope Veterinary Clinic newsletter]

'til next time,


Con

"Helen" can be bought at Crackerbox...she is my "icon" on Facebook!

Thinking Inking blogsite

Thinking Inking

Debbie Olson has a B.A. in Commercial Art/Graphic Design plus an M.S. in Secondary Education. Much of what Debbie learned in art classes still applies to her today (basic designs, color theory, drawing and coloring skills). A busy mom, she home-schools during the day and creates mostly after 10pm. Debbie describes her style as eclectic - she appreciates so many different styles from clean and fresh to detailed and vintage. We hear she is rarely without a sanding block at her finger tips! (info from http://spellbinderspaperarts.com/blog/2009/07/)

I checked out
Thinking Inking's
Copics category and
discovered some really beautiful cards and techniques.

Here Debbie shows us how to use Copic markers to make this card...

Eye on the Sparrow: CPS123

Check out Debbie's...

"Sites that I spend too much time on"

"Categories"

"Archives"

If you like to be notified what Debbie has been up to you can "Subscribe to Thinking Inking" newsletter.






Every time I look at a blog at love to review what they have done.


'til next time,


Con

Spellbinders CHA Blog Frenzy CONTEST!

The CONTEST starts TODAY!!!!!

I found this contest on Facebook. I am a fan of Spellbinders!





First day starts with Thinking Inking blogspot...

Design Team Member, Debbie Olson




Thinking Inking used Spellbinders' die
S5-019 Labels 8 Die Templates...

Debbie shows us a gift set of four note cards, measuring approximately 2-3/4” x 4” folded, complete with coordinating envelopes and a clutch purse container.

Debbie also explains how to make the clutch purse container!

CONTEST RULES

(from spellbinderspaperarts.com-blog site)

Any participant wishing to be included in the daily drawing for the Spellbinders CHA Blog Frenzy give-away must adhere to all of the following rules. We are happy to welcome US and international blog guests for this Frenzy.

To enter each drawing on sneak peeks between July 9 and July 22, visit the reveal blog and click on the contest link to reveal an e-mail window. In the subject line of the e-mail, enter the die template name being revealed (on this post, the S5-019 Labels 8 Die Templates). Each blog reveal will remain open for 48 hours. Only 1 entry per blog is allowed and participant must use the same email address daily to be considered for grand prize entry, no exceptions. Please consider whether you will have access to the same e-mail address from July 9^th through July 22^nd and plan accordingly.

Spellbinders Design Team members and employees are not eligible for drawings.

Any participant wishing to be automatically entered into the drawing for the CHA Blog Frenzy Grand Prize must enter all 14 blog reveals and follow all the above rules.

Please note:

*Spellbinders will only use email information to contact the winner.

*Spellbinders will not share this email address with any other parties.

*Spellbinders will not use this email information for advertisements or communications

other than to contact the winner.

*If you wish to be included in further communications from Spellbinders, please go to their homepage SpellbindersPaperArts.com and sign up for their newsletter.

AND

SPELLBINDERS HAS A

Pendant Project Contest!!

July 1 through August 10, 2009

check it out!

'til next time,

Con

THE ONLY FLAG THAT DOESN'T FLY

HAPPY FLAG DAY!


"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and
to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God,
indivisible,
with Liberty and
Justice for all."




Red Skelton recites the Pledge of Allegiance...
turn up your speakers

Aerial photo courtesy of Bill Morson

"Dear Heavenly Father,
hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families
for the selfless acts they perform
for us in our time of need".

I recently received this email from a friend and thought WOW what an amazing job - remember this flag was done in 2002! There is an article about the flower flag if you click on "seed companies."

*****

Between the fields where the flag is planted, there were 9+ miles of flower fields that went all the way to the ocean. The flowers were grown by seed companies. It was a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Check out the dimensions of the flag.

The Floral Flag was 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag was 6.65 acres and was the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star was 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe was 30 feet wide.

This Flag was estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers.

In 2002, you could drive by this flag on V Street south of Ocean Ave. in Lompoc, CA.

Orbiting 423 miles above the Earth,
the Ikonos high-resolution imaging satellite,
launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base

a few years ago, snapped this image Sunday
of the Lompoc Valley's 6.5-acre floral flag.

Mural 'memorial" as seen in Lompoc, CA.

*****

For our soldiers....
Please stop for a moment and
say a prayer for our servicemen.




Please click on the following link for a quick inspiring sermon...
A Soldier's Cards






Do you know what
The Pledge of Allegiance
Means???






Have you noticed that many people
don't know how to sing our National Anthem?

"O, say! can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

"And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say! does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

til next time,

Con.

PS...

I know it's a little early BUT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to our Independence Day Family and Friends!!!

Blog Candy

Here are some "Candy" for you to win ... good luck!

www.papirhobby.no

Crafting Life's Pieces blog

This is Chelsea and she's a multi-layered kind of girl...you should see her detailing!!! WOW!!! Chelsea's blog is Crafting Life's Pieces...she also sells her crafts online. Just click on her picture and it will take to "all about me"...

To see her projects click here: CLICK

papirhobby blog

Ann-Katrin is from Norway...and loves to papercraft! To view her site just click on the cute scrapbook layout she made.

Through Emily's Eyes blog

Emily is from St Louis, Missouri. She has a cool blog site and she also takes the cutest pictures of kids! Her guardian angel is my grandmother...and she made this fun scrapbook page honoring her.

Emily's philosophy is:

Be Who You are

“Be who you are and say what you feel
because those who mind don't matter and
those who matter don't mind.”

~ Dr. Seuss

Hege-Annie's Paper {HE}ART blog

Hege-Annie Simonsen lives in Tromsø, in the northern part of Norway. I saw her philosophy and was immediately intrigued! The blog does have some descriptions in English - so take a chance and look.

This is what Hege-Annie has to say:

The greatest creations are those that as you create them,
you get lost in your thoughts,
and by the time you're tired of thinking,
you're holding in your hands, something - from deep within...

This is her blog:

** HEGE-ANNIE'S PAPER {HE}ART ++ **

Memorial Day Blog Hop

I know I'm a little behind but...
The bloghop began on Saturday May 23rd.
Just Click on the above "Get Inspired!" icon.

Michelle's Baby Shower

This is a cute photo of Michelle when she was a baby. I used it at her baby shower. I decorated a big clip and used it as a photo holder...these were also given to guests as a favor. I also decorated the red bag with a cute penguin stamp...Michelle loves penguins. Her baby shower theme was Christmas.

Here are all the party favors... Christmas pencils, handmade paper baby shoes, photo clip holder, and bears! If you "click" on the photo you can see a larger picture.

Table decorations being shown off by Michelle's Aunts... Janice and Jeanette.

My mom and niece, Justine, came down from Clintonville, WI to help me with the shower. Thank God for their help!!! I don't think I could have done it all by myself. Mom did the food and Justine did what ever I needed her to do.

Happy Memorial Day!

For most, “Memorial Day” means “Fun Three-Day Weekend.” But the true meaning of Memorial Day goes much deeper. It is a somber day of REMEMBERANCE for the men and women who have died for our country.

For my family it means taking time out to remember those who fought for our freedom...and for those who died doing so. Every year - since I married into the Kahl Family - we go to Hanover, Illinois to partake in their Memorial Day ceremony.

Sometimes it saddens me that most people don't know proper patriotic etiquette! They don't remember out country's anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner" either. I love hearing the local high school band playing Taps and the Star-Spangled Banner. The only thing missing was a bagpipe. I love bagpipe music...LOL.

After the ceremony we all join come together at the VFW hall and have a potluck luncheon.

Memorial Day in Hanover, Illinois
Has become a Kahl Family Tradition.

Jim's dad is a member of the VFW - a veteran of WWII.
Miles Kahl

The VFW and Lady's Auxiliary
Always do a great job!

Please consider joining us next year!

Annual Memorial Day Ceremony

This ceremony is a very moving tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in military service for the United States. One hundred and forty two years ago, President Abraham Lincoln gave a short speech at the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg. It was at the site of the great battle of the Civil War. President Lincoln said that day the world could never forget what those soldiers sacrificed for that time. If you go to Gettysburg today, you'll see reminders of those soldiers carved in massive stone monuments. Just like you'll see monuments to other soldiers and other wars if you have the time and inclination to travel around the country looking for them Our Memorial Day tribute is not carved in stone, nor cast in bronze, nor fashioned from steel and concrete. Our tribute is crafted in flesh and blood-–spoken in memory of the heros who gave their lives in defense of America. America is the greatest nation in the world. What makes America great are the freedoms we enjoy: Freedom of speech and religion; Freedom of individual citizens to bear arms; freedom from unreasonable searches; due process of law. These are natural rights given by God Almighty, and recorded in the Constitutions of the United States of America. Freedom never comes cheap. Every generation of Americans has seen its freedoms threatened. Every generation has responded, when necessary on the battlefield. We will have veterans at our Memorial Day ceremony who fought alongside the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom in far flung places in the Pacific, Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Middle East, Afghanistan, and Iraq. We will remember also the soldiers who died before those of us alive today were born--in places like Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, Cuba and France. Some of our country's soldiers lie in new graves–our memories of them are fresh-–painful and raw. Our memories of the lives and faces of other soldiers who died long ago in far away places grow faint. Some are forgotten altogether except where their names are carved in marble or granite. Sometimes those names are carved in grand memorials; sometimes they're scratched in lonely tombstones in thousands of cemeteries in this country and abroad. Those of us who gather on Memorial Day will be few in number; but will be firm in resolve. We will never forget the legacy of freedom which we enjoy only because of those who paid for it with their lives. We will neither forget nor take for granted a single human life, laid down for our freedom We will never surrender the freedom which was defended by so many at such a cost!

By: davietv@davie.tv