It's a Grand Old Flag

I love pictures with flags! This one happens to be my grandfather, I think around 1907. Just guessing by his age. How do you like that outfit? I wouldn't be surprised if he was marching in a parade that day.

 

Wally Winspear, about 1907 

I just was visiting Minick and Simpson's blog and they have a link to Jimmie Cagney dancing his heart out. Honestly, you should go see the video, it is awesome! I remember watching his movies when I was a kid and they had the old movies on late at night. I watched a lot of the old black and whites when I was up babysitting or whatever. Cagney made Oscar winning Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942. Some of those old movies just can't be beat, even in black and white!

This is my darling granddaughter, Danielle, taken at our house a few years ago. Another flag waver! The quilt behind her is a favorite old pattern from Little Quilts!

Here is a quilt of my own design that McCall's published last summer. It is called American Dreamer and Minick and Simpson designed the fabric. They really do patriotic well! I mentioned once before in a blog post how active they have been in providing quilts for the military and funds as well. They are awesome! I can't tell you how much respect I have for them!

You can help too, just click this link for Quilts of Valor to find out more.

So I just wanted to share a little bit this 4th of July weekend! Hope it is a good one for you and yours!

Flag Day

 Flag Day was a big deal when I was a kid. In Buffalo, New York, where I attended elementary school, we learned patriotic songs that I still love to sing! We had parades and said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. I hope they still do that. I have been out of school for a while, so I don't really know. Do you have your flag out today? I do! God Bless America, Land that I Love!

 Of course we American quilters also love our patriotic quilts! This one pictured (that just didn't want to load right side up) is a photo that my husband took while in New York. I can't remember where he took it. I just found it on his I-phone. But it is old and behind glass, I can see that. Maybe one of you out there can enlighten me. Awesome, isn't it?

 We US quilters love to make patriotic quilts as well. This one, called Homeport, is one of the first quilts I ever designed. It has been, and still is, a popular pattern here in Virginia Beach.  

I had the misfortune Monday morning of finding a package on the front steps that must have been delivered late Saturday. It rained Saturday night and also on Sunday, and since we never left the house all weekend this is how it looked Monday morning.

 You know what, these sideway photos both came off the I-phone. Interesting. My camera photos have never done this.
But you get the idea. Box busted open and contents soaked. 

 Here is what it looked like later that morning. 300 some pattern covers all soaked and 5 dozen envelopes permanently sealed. I was mad. Since I know we were home all day, I know we would have heard the doorbell if the postman had only rung once! But I think he is too lazy to climb the steps and ring the bell, he just heaves the box up and leaves. Fortunately I deal with a wonderful printing company, Vistaprint, and they happily replaced the whole order for free. Wow, I am so impressed with that kind of service. Their quality is awesome as well. If you ever need a printing company please check them out!

 And now I must share my new TV favorite! The show is Doc Martin and it is a British TV show that has been off the air, but is now available on Netflix and other places. The link takes you to Hulu.com where they apparently have it. His face says it all! He is brisk and rude and hilarious. He is funnier than House, who I don't find funny at all. The show takes place in this beautiful waterfront village filled with quirky people with whom he gets very frustrated. The episodes are filled with a good mix of both drama and humor. I have crammed all four seasons of the show into the past month and when I am done with the 30 episodes I will probably start over because I am hooked! And-good news! They are filming again this year! Yay!!!


So there is another glimpse into my oh so fascinating life!

STAND TALL AMERICA

Stand tall America. Stand tall and never forget. Never forget what our country suffered on September 11, 2001. Stand tall as our flag still waves over our land declaring our freedom, our pride in our country and our gratitude to our Heavenly Father who still watches over us.

I always get a thrill when I see our flag waving in the breeze! When I was a child we pledged our allegiance to the flag each day in school. We sang songs about our flag and our country and we were taught that we lived in a land that valued freedom and fought to keep it. Everyone deserves to live in freedom, and everyone deserves to have a flag that waves over their land declaring their freedom and representing what they believe. Freedom isn't just an American value, it is a human right!

Here is what I see when I look at our flag: I see the white stripes that declare honor and virtue; I see the red that stands for blood spilled to preserve us against those who wish to destroy us; and I see a field of stars on blue that represent our dreams and aspirations, our yearnings to live up to the dreams of patriots past, and to hold fast to our convictions that peace will prevail.

September 11 will never be just another day. It should make us think.

THE SOUND OF FREEDOM

Today is a good day for flag waving! I see the flags displayed on many homes in our neighborhood, and they line Shore Drive as well. Flags are posted on every corner of Shore Drive, near where I live, all year long. When there are troops coming home their buses go right down Shore Drive and the flags pay tribute to them. Many times the neighbors go out and stand on the corners waiting for the buses so they can wave to the soldiers and cheer for them.

I wanted to contribute something for Memorial Day to honor our veterans. The photo shows planes flying in formation over the JFK Aircraft Carrier. I found this photo online and I think it is a beauty! The JFK was actually decommissioned last year after serving her country since 1968.

Around here we see the planes quite often practicing maneuvers in the air above us. They are stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana. Believe me they are loud! Around here we call it "the sound of freedom". I have to confess, it does give me a thrill to see them, as well as a sense of pride in the young people who serve our country. Some of the quilters with whom I associate have husbands or sons serving in the Middle East. Some actually served in the military themselves. To all of those who have served--past and present, I salute you, and I add my prayers to the many grateful people in this land of ours that you will be watched over as you watch over us.

In gratitude. --Marcie

WANTED -- MODA FLAGS!

Help!!! Pictured is one of my patterns, Homeport, that I designed a few years ago. It still is a big seller here in Virginia Beach. As you can see from the cover, I include a flag in the package for the center. Well, I have finally run out of flags! The flags that I used were from Moda, and called Georgetown. Granted, this was several years ago, but if you know of any, or have any to spare, I would love to buy them. The flags were printed in rows, and each flag measured about 5-1/2" x 7".

The shop here will contact Moda on the chance that they might have an old bolt laying around. And I know I can provide directions for making a little flag, if necessary. However, people seem to really appreciate receiving the flag in the pattern. So please keep your eyes open! Maybe somewhere out in this wide world there are some Moda American Flags looking for a home! Thanks! --Marcie

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH THE GOLDEN RULE

Remember that first day back to school when you were a kid? My Mom always took a picture. Here we are all lined up waiting for the school bus. I am the one right in the middle. Look at all those cute little skirts and white socks and strapped shoes. We were required to wear skirts all the years that I went to school, through college! I remember that when the weather was cold I was able to wear leggings or corduroy pants under my skirt. I was supposed to take them off in the cloak room before school started. Often I left them on during school, and my teacher never said anything. My Mom always did though. She was always after me to behave like a lady. I must have been a real challenge for her.

School lunches were a quarter back then, but we always packed a lunch. We couldn't afford to buy lunch every day! We couldn't afford Wonder Bread either, and that was what they advertised on TV all the time. On those rare occasions when we got to have Wonder Bread it was so soft and squishy and it seemed to melt in our mouths. That was a real treat, and we loved it!

We had a brand new school to go to when I started first grade. I suppose that was to accommodate all the Baby Boomers that were just beginning to impact our country. (Now I believe we will see a huge increase in nursing homes and assisted living facilities rising up!) Our elementary school had it all! We had a beautiful auditorium, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, music, art, the works! We had wonderful teachers and received a good education. In short, we were very blessed. We were also taught by parents who grew up during the Depression, to be grateful for what we had.

Every classroom had an American Flag displayed in it. With our hand over our heart, we said the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. No one taught us about saying things that were "politically correct", but we were taught to be polite. We were taught to respect those who were different from us in race, religion or culture. We were taught that the Golden Rule was applicable in every situation. I believe that these principles will never grow old. Obviously there were problems in the world then, just as there are now. We may not be able to change the world, but each of us has a sphere of influence. As parents and grandparents we need to take this responsibility in hand and make sure to teach our children and grandchildren that kindness matters. The beginning of a new school year is a good time to reinforce this. There is nothing political about this. It is just good sense!

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! Pass it on...

PATRIOTIC MONTH

July is really Patriotic Month, isn't it? So I just thought I would post this funny photo of my dad. It is an old and damaged photo, but still worth keeping. This was in about 1944 and my dad was a Navy pilot, and goofing around as usual. He may not have been instrumental in winning the war, but you could count on him for keeping up the morale of the troops. My dad really hasn't changed a bit. Oh he is older, but he still behaves the same way. Where ever my dad is, there is a party going on, and he is the entertainment! Everyone loves my dad, including me!

Aside from his sense of humor and his ability to entertain, he also is the man to turn to if you are looking for advice and need someone to talk to that has a common sense outlook. You wouldn't think the two qualities would go hand in hand, but in my dad they do.

My dad is full of stories and jokes. He likes to make people laugh, and he is the biggest softy in the world. He tears up over sweet stories, and fond farewells. In fact, if he is reading this now he has probably got tears running down his face.

Dad moved to Arizona last fall and at 84 he has adjusted amazingly well. This summer he is visiting in Minnesota for a few weeks, then he will be coming to stay here for a couple weeks. While he is here I will not be at the computer as much as I am now. I know he will be using it to e-mail old friends and write on his blog. He loves to write about the experiences he has had in his lifetime and so I convinced him that a blog was the perfect place to share those things with his family and friends. He writes his story and then I try to find a picture to post with it.
This second photo was taken last Christmas. I am sure you recognize my granddaughter by now, also in the picture. That was her Christmas morning outfit. Kids are nuts. Oh well, enough jabbering. I just wanted to share that cute picture of my dear dad!



***Addendum: If you want to visit my dad's blog he is at http://theazpenguin.blogspot.com