Happy Flag Day

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Image Credit

On June 14, 1777, The Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act stating, "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."  In 1949, President Harry S Truman officially named June 14th Flag Day in commemoration of this event.

So today... show your colors proud, either on our home or on yourself. OR, like we do - on both.

Also, please keep in mind the men and women who serve to keep our flag flying free!

God Bless America!!

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10th Anniversary of the Day our Lives Changed Forever 9/11/01

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Today we will all be thinking about where we were and what we were doing 10 years ago when our lives changed forever. From that point on, it would always be before 9/11 or the attack and after 9/11 or the attack. Things would never be the same: security, travel, life in general....


I had just started a new job the day before and didn't know anyone that I worked with, but instantly became bonded with these people in our grief and unity as Americans. I was worried about not being able to reach Bill who was working on the Connecticut shoreline just across from Long Island Sound. I couldn't get in touch with him by phone - either by cell or land line, and with each news report or rumor my stomach and heart ached more and more...


I was finally able to talk to him and to my children around 5pm that day and couldn't wait to leave work, just so I could hold them in my arms.  Then we all sat on the couch and watched TV in silence and shock with the rest of the country. We cried. We stared. We couldn't believe what was happening. We watched as America's Finest and Bravest risked and lost their lives to try and rescue their fellow Americans from burning and collapsing buildings in New York and Virginia... We heard how fearless Americans saved countless lives by stopping hijackers in Pennsylvania by taking down their plane and sacrificing their own lives.

We all came together as Americans... giving until it hurt: money, blood, food, water, anything and everything we had. Flags flew everywhere, my house included.....

Then we tried to get back to normal, as normal as we could. The late night comedians went back to work so that the terrorist wouldn't win!





Little by little we returned to our daily routine never to forget what happened and those we lost.





So as you go about your day today, please take a moment to fly your flag and to remember those that lost their lives 10 years ago today, the innocent civilians, the heroes "just doing what they do," and those amazing Americans in Pennsylvania. Also keep in mind those of our military who are fighting the terrorists who attacked us that day and who protect us every day so we can have the freedoms we have every day.

God bless you all and God bless America.





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WHAT PILOTS SEE WHEN LANDING AT OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

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This is just south of us on Hwy 75 south. A farmer named Chris Shotton does it with his tractor and not sure if he uses a plow or a disc. He uses GPS to get the letters readable. He has done this every fall for several years now.

Here's the view from the flight pattern into OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE (Bellevue, NE., just south of Omaha). This is what our servicemen see when landing at Offutt AFB.

Mr. Shotton says he does it to make them "feel welcome, especially when you come back after being gone for quite some time." The airmen call it Freedom Field and photos of the field have been in lots of magazines which have been sent all over the world where our troops are deployed and Mr. Shotton has gotten thanks from the troops many times.

He also changes the saying each year and you can see exactly what is in the field by going to Google Maps. This year he has plowed: YOU! MAKE AMERICA PROUD!

I think this is such a wonderful thing for Mr. Shotton to do that I wanted to spread the word. Thank you sir for doing what you can to help support our troops... God bless you, from this Army mom.

{Some information provided by Snopes.com}

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Monochromatic Monday: Proud to be an American

Welcome to Monochromatic Weekend... Join Aileni on Monochrome Weekend and link your post here.

During our Veteran's Day Celebration in town, when the flag was lowered and changed the WWII veteran standing in front of me stood ram-rod straight saluting the flag with a tear rolling down his eye. It made me so proud to be there and proud to be an American, and made me cry. When the ceremony was over, I thanked him for his service to our country, and he just smiled and said it was his pleasure.

God bless you and God bless America.

Until next time..... Lorie

Special Message from a Gold Star Mother

“On the Seventh Day of Christmas,
Our Soldiers Gave to Us . . .

Michael Nagy, (left) who gave his life in WWII.
Marc Alan Lee, (right) who gave his life in Iraq.

Dedication!!


Michael Nagy and Marc Alan Lee were made of the same thing: love of country and pure dedication. Both had completed dangerous missions and both volunteered for another mission, during which they gave their lives.

Michael is the uncle of Diana Nagy, a professional vocalist whose hit “Where Freedom Flies” is dedicated to her uncle. Marc is the son of Debbie Lee, who has dedicated her life to giving a voice to supporting U.S. troops.

Both Diana and Debbie have traveled with Move America Forward across the United States on tours supporting American troops and their missions. Debbie tells Marc’s story and encourages all Americans to show their love and gratitude for our troops. Diana’s soaring voice tells the story of patriotism through her God-given art, a stunning voice.

“Marc gave up his voice, so I use my voice to remind America of the sacrifices our troops make every day for us,” Debbie Lee said.

Firefight in Ramadi's Mulaab District. Marc Lee is at the extreme right.

The American Flag is folded at the funeral service for Marc Alan Lee.


Move America Forward is awed by the gifts that our troops have given to us since the fight for Independence. Each day we chronicle these gifts and reasons we are celebrating our troops this holiday season. We want you to join us as we show our troops that we remember them.



Debbie and Diana are two family members who carry with them the dedication that their loved ones exhibited during wartime.

Both Debbie’s son and Diana’s uncle were so dedicated that they gave their lives. They didn’t have to be in danger. They had already completed deadly missions. But both volunteered to protect America again.

Marc stood up in the direct line of fire three times before a terrorist sniper shot him, ending his young life.

"To protect the lives of his teammates, he fearlessly exposed himself to direct enemy fire by engaging the enemy with his machine gun and was mortally wounded in the engagement. His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives of many of his teammates," the citation for his posthumous awards read. Marc was awarded a Silver Star, one of the highest awards in the military, along with a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

Michael Nagy was flying one of the last planes shot down in WWII. He was a gunner in the Navy, had just flown his last mission, and was returning home. His route home crossed the path of the aircraft carrier USS Independence en route to Japan, which was short two fighter planes. Mike and his crew volunteered to fly in the place of one of the missing fighter planes, and join them for “one last mission.” Mike never returned from that mission.

The Nagy family later learned from a villager in Maizuro Harbor, Japan, that Michael had indeed given his life when his plane was shot down.

Debbie and Marc Alan Lee

Diana Nagy talking to reporters.


Debbie and Diana are dedicated to giving voices to the American men and women who are fighting for our safety. Both have traveled the country multiple times with Move America Forward to rally for our troops.

It is said that true warriors have it in their blood. They don’t know how to say no to their country.

“When I went to Iraq with Move America Forward two years ago to see where Marc gave his life, and to bring Christmas cheer to our troops, I was honored to give handmade Christmas and Hanukkah cards from Americans to our troops,” Debbie said. “I will never forget their tears of joy as they read the messages from grateful Americans.”

“I love singing for our heroes,” Diana said. “We can never do enough for our troops. They have given their lives for us.”


Sponsor a Christmas care package now to
our troops with a personal message.

Special message from a Gold Star Mother is from Move America Forward. As a Blue Star Mother, I was very touched by this message and wanted to share it with you and the opportunity for you to share your holiday with the troops if it is within your budget. Thank you all for your words of support on behalf of my son, Nikolaus. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a very happy, healthy new year. God bless you all and your families.

Until next time..... Lorie

Bitch & Moan Friday on Sunday

It's that time of week again. Time to bitch and moan and vent out all your frustrations before the weekend. Or in my case, before the beginning of the new week.

Then head on over to Fairy Blog Mother read Annette's post {which is always hysterical, and by that I don't mean to laugh at her, I mean to commiserate with her} and link up your post.

Here what pissed me off this week:

My laptop

It feels the need to just stop working whenever it feels like it... AOL just stops, I get the hourglass that keeps going and going and going forever... like the Energizer bunny. I have to pen the task manager (you know: control-alt-delete) and close AOL that way; then restart it up again. Also my letter "G" keeps sticking... {Go up and look at my sentence above about AOL, do you realize how many times I had to go back to fix that sentence - there are TEN "g"s in that sentence??? DAMN!!!} I'm sure it all goes back to that damn virus I got a couple of months ago. I can't seem to completely clear it up, and my laptop is so old that it is not worth paying someone to repair everything that is wrong with it. I need to save money for a new one. Which leads to my next B&M.....

Our Finances

Hate to say it but, they suck thanks to Medicare... We are in what they affectionately call the "donut hole". It is a gap in the Part D, or prescription coverage, that doesn't pay for anything except generic (oh, right, they are $4.00) until I have paid a total of $4,200.00 myself in prescriptions. If I had that much money to pay for prescriptions, I wouldn't need health insurance. I know that there are LOTS of people without ANY insurance at all, and believe me that pisses me off, too. In the most well-developed country in the world, everyone should be covered, but especially people who worked and put money into the Social Security system and now need that money for their medications. One of mine is over $250 per month and one is just over $175 per month. Then I have one for my migraines that is $30 per PILL!! YEAH, I'll say something has to be done about healthcare in our country.

5/3 Bank

I don't know if you have this bank in your area, but the name of this bank just drives me nuts! I know it is a petty thing, but who the hell thought up the idea to name a bank a fraction? And an improper fraction at that? Plus, try to say it out loud -- correctly!! FIFTH ~ THIRD, you cannot say it properly without saying it slowly and sounding like an idiot... Then if you say it quickly, you sound like you are lisping. I think the person who thought of the name should be fired and the person who said yes to the name should be fired as well, and then have to repaint all the signs when they come up with a real name for the bank.... Stupid idiot.

Monday Night Football on 10/12/09

OK, please don't jump all over me, but I am one of those people who believe that in America, we should speak one language - English. I am not prejudice or anti-immigration. My ancestors came from other countries, just as almost all other Americans' ancestors did. However, my Irish, Swedish, and German ancestors learned to read and write English to live and work in this wonderful country that we live in. During the MNF game there were several commercials, that I paid for because I have DirecTV, that were shown in Spanish, which I do not speak or understand. I also have about 8 channels on my DirecTV that are included in my package, that I have to pay for that I do not use, that are in Spanish - one of which is ESPN in Spanish and another is Telemundo... both of which show Monday Night Football. There was also one of the fouls called in Spanish by one of the officials, apparently I wasn't the only one who did not approve or understand since the crowd booed. I was extremely irritated by this... I do not want to pay for and hear my commercials in Spanish (I hate commercials to begin with, this just made it worse), if I have to hear or see them, I want them in English. That is the language my family speaks and understands. If I want to watch TV in Spanish, I will watch one of those 8 channels that I have to pay for in my package, and if Spanish speaking people want to see MNF in Spanish they can buy the same package.

Thanks for listening, I'm done now. Until next time..... Lorie

[Photos courtesy Respective Companies]

Blue Monday - Sept. 21, 2009

It's Blue Monday, and here is my contribution for the week... it is from my front porch:

To see another gorgeous picture, head on over to Maria's Space.

And don't forget to link your Blue Monday photo on Smiling Sally's blog.

Until next time..... Lorie