My World - Port Huron

Port Huron is one of three Michigan cities that connect by bridge (and tunnel in Detroit) to Ontario, Canada.  It's approximately 90 minutes by car from where I live.  We visited a few years ago and found their river front had become a beautiful park.

This is the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse.  It is located on a Coast Guard Base.  We were able to make reservations for a tour.  The lighthouse has since been declared unsafe so I'm really glad we found it when we did.

This is one of the gentlemen who gave us the tour.  They were dressed in light keeper uniforms from the days of the Light Keepers Service.

The lightship Huron is moored in sand as a permanent exhibit in the riverfront park.  You can pay a modest fee for a tour.  If you ever get to Port Huron, it will be well worth your time to visit the ship.  The story that sticks most in my mind is of the sleeping/eating compartment.  It is next to the boiler.  Even in the winter this room where the men ate and slept was nearly 120F degrees!  Can you imagine going from that intense heat to the deck where the wind chills were often below 0F?

That's part of the beautiful park that stretches along the river from above the Blue Water Bridge toward town.  It was immaculate.  There were quite a few benches where you could sit and watch the ships in the river.  And the railing had rings attached to hold your fishing pole.

This is the view upriver from the Huron.  That's the Blue Water Bridge and a freighter coming down.  You can't quite see the lighthouse in this picture, but it's just past the water tower.

  This is my favorite view of the bridge.

I hope you enjoyed this visit to My World.  You can find other glimpses of the world at MyWorld.  Go visit!

Technorati Tags: My World

Weekly Weigh-In #13

If you saw my Saturday post, you'll understand when I say that I've really been prompted to look inside this week.  I've been looking at what's going on in me mentally and spiritually.  If I don't change who I am and how I think, I can never really change what I am.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I can lose the weight.  But I have to also change my thinking.

I found this great little book by Tommy Newberry at the library.  I liked it so much that I purchased a copy for myself.  It's based on this verse from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Christians at Philippi. ...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) (Source: BibleGateway.com)

As an example, Newberry tells a story of his son and a broken arm which required a full six weeks in a cast.  The boy could only think of all the things he wouldn't be able to do and was very depressed.  Newberry gave him an assignment to write down 21 things he could do.  Since he couldn't write dad helped.  He started slowly with  brushing his teeth, making his bed, and doing sit-ups.  The more he came up with the faster the ideas came.  He could ride his bike, go to the movies, eat popcorn.  When he hit 21 things he didn't want to stop.  He finally wound down at 35 things he could do with his arm in a cast.  The next question from dad was, could you have made that long a list of things you can't do?  The kids reply was "Yeah, but who'd want to make a list like that?"  Whenever the boy's attitude started to slip into the negative, his dad would write for him as he made another list.  The bottom line was when he thought about negative things, his life took a negative turn.  But when he kept his thoughts on positive things, he lived positively.

This is more that a think happy thoughts book.  It's practical.  It shows us how we can change our outlook and thus the direction of our lives.  Even though it's based on a Biblical principle, you don't have to be a Christian to benefit from this book.  But it sure helps! 

BTW, I gained 0.6 pounds this week.  But I've also gained quite a bit of insight.  Changing the way I think is of more value to me than changing the scale.  The weight will come off.  And this time, God's changing the rest of me, too, so that the weight will stay off

Check out all my friends and their progress at One Weigh at a Time.

Technorati Tags: One Weigh at a Time,Weekly Weigh-in

An Addition to the Family

Isn't my new grand-cat a cutie?  His name is Rufus.  You can learn about him and his two sisters, my grand-dogs, at my daughter's blog Here's What Let's Do.

Words of Wisdom

Have you ever lost weight only to gain it back and then some?  I think all of us have had this experience.  I have done it many times.  I think the following quote says it all. 

Reality check:  you can never, ever, use weight loss to solve problems that are not related to your weight.  At your goal weight or not, you still have to live with yourself and deal with your problems.  You will still have the same husband, the same job, the same kids, and the same life.  Losing weight is not a cure for life.  ~Phillip C. McGraw, The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom, 2003

Flag Friday - The Bahamas

The second country I visited was The Bahamas.  I installed general ledger software and trained the users.  It was fun.  The man who ran the company was very hospitable.  I loved the country.  It was strange to see plants that in Michigan are little house plants growing there taller than houses.  And blossoming!  Who knew they even blossomed?!  It's a beautiful country and I'd happily go back.


 

Pledge Of Allegiance

I Pledge my allegiance to the flag and to
the Commonwealth of The Bahamas
For which it stands,
one people united in love and service.

     

Symbolism and Colors:

The colors embodied in the design of the flag of The Bahamas symbolize the image and aspirations of the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the design reflects aspects of the natural environment, sun, sand and sea, and the economic and social development. The flag is a black equilateral triangle against the mast, superimposed on a horizontal background made up of two colors on three equal stripes of aquamarine, gold and aquamarine. The symbolism of the flag is as follows: Black, a strong color, represents the vigor and force of a united people, the triangle pointing towards the body of the flag represents the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop and possess the rich resources of sun and sea symbolized by gold and aquamarine respectively.

If you visit this link you will find more information about the Bahamian flag.   The above information was copied directly from that site.

The following information comes from the Flag Counter widget in my sidebar.  There is much more to be found there about geography, government, population, economy, and military.  The map is from the the Bahamian flag website.

Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.

Official name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas

Population:
307,451 (July 2008 est.)

Languages:
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Nassau

Independence:
10 July 1973 (from UK)

 

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

The Name Game

I picked up this meme at Simply Shinade.  She is passing it to anyone who wants to play.  It looks like too much fun to pass up.  So here goes.  Since Shinade gave us the meaning of her beautiful nickname, I thought I'd give a couple of definitions for my name.

My name is Clara.  I was named after my mother's aunt.  According to the military, CLARA is Compact LAsar RAdar.  Hmmm.  Not what I expected to find when I went looking for the definition of my name.  I found one definition on a Spanish/English dictionary site.  Egg white.  Ugh.  This is going nowhere fast.  OK, the real definition of my name is from the Latin.  Bright, Shining, Clear.  So, um, egg white is clear, I guess.  And clear really describes me.  My brother says I'm a WYSIWYG kind of person. 

The Rules: Copy the questions below. Simply use the first letter of your name/nickname as your answer for each question. You can't use any answer twice and don't use your own name for question 3 or 4. After you're done, tag 10 people.

1. What is your name?: Clara
2. A Four Letter Word: Care
3. A boy's name: Christopher
4. A girl's name: Chloe
5. An occupation: Carrier - of mail - that's what my dad did
6. A color: Crimson
7. Something you wear: Cap
8. A Type Of Food: Chocolate - I'm dieting.  I miss it.

9. Something Found In The Bathroom: Cleanser
10: A place: Cavern
11: A reason for being late: Caught up in book, computer.... 
12: Something you shout: Coming! - see #11
13: A movie title: Casablanca
14: Something you drink: Coffee - I don't really, but water and tea don't start with 'C' and chocolate was already taken.
15: A musical Group: Cathedrals
16: A street name: Cedar Street

17: A type of car: Caravan - I tried to name her Betsy, but my friends call her the Claravan
18: A song title: Come Just As You Are

19: A verb: commit

I'm going to copy Shinade here.  If you'd like to play along, just copy the questions and rules and go for it.  Please link back to me and leave me a comment so I can come see your answers. 

Come on, you know you want to do it.  It's fun!

Creme That Egg!

I absolutely LOVE Rube Goldberg machines.  I love the complexity, the perfect timing, all the fun gadgets.  I found this one at Christa Allen's website.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thursday Thirteen - Things that begin with 'A'

1. Adam - It seems only fitting that on my return to Thursday Thirteen with this very unoriginal theme that the first man should get first billing.
2. Aunts - I had many wonderful aunts.  My mom's sister Bea was a remarkable woman.  She lived with terrible pain from rheumatoid arthritis that crippled her hands so bad she couldn't do anything for herself.  But I never heard her complain.  I did hear her talk of her longing for Heaven and the new body she'd receive there.  She has that new body now!
3. Annie - My beautiful, brilliant granddaughter!
4. Apricots - They make wonderful preserves.  Yum!
5. Avocado - I don't care to eat them, but they are a very interesting fruit.  I love the color.  I remember in the 70s everyone was using toothpicks to suspend the pit in a cup of water to root it.  I, of course, never did since I, um, don't eat them.
6. Angel Food Cake - My MWH (Most Wonderful Husband) had a wonderful grandmother.  She lived to be 97.  Her favorite dessert was Angel Food Cake.
7. Attic Windows - A beautiful quilt pattern that's not for beginners.
8. Aardvark - I just like the way this is spelled with the double 'a' at the beginning.
9. Automobiles - The backbone of Michigan's economy and a big topic of conversation these days.  Also a convenient way to get around.
10. Alto - I used to sing alto, but now I'm a tenor.  The joys of asthma, allergies, and ageing.  Now there are three more 'a' words I could have used.
11. Altars - I've spent my fair share of time on my knees at an altar.  In my church and at campmeeting.  It's a great place to talk with God.
12. Applications - As in programs.  I was an applications programmer for many years.  Glad I'm retired now!
13. Applique - It used to be the dreaded 'A' word, but now I like doing applique.  As long as it's on the sewing machine and not by hand. 

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Technorati Tags: Thursday Thirteen

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Elena


Chief Master Sergeant Paul Wesley Airey


"Chief Airey was an Airman’s Airman and one of the true pioneers for our service," said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff. "He was a warrior, an innovator… and a leader with vision well ahead of his time. His legacy lives today in the truly professional enlisted force we have serving our nation… and for that we owe him a debt of gratitude."

Chief Airey was born in Quincy, Mass., on December 13, 1923. At age eighteen, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December, 7, 1941, Airey quit high school to enlist in the Army Air Forces on November 16, 1942. He later earned his high school equivalency certificate through off-duty study. During World War II he flew as a B-24 radio operator and additional duty aerial gunner. On his 28th mission, then-Technical Sergeant Airey and his fellow crewmen were shot down over Vienna, Austria, captured, and held prisoner by the German air force from July 1944 to May 1945. During his time as a prisoner of war he worked tirelessly to meet the basic needs of fellow prisoners, even through a 90-day forced march.

Chief Airey held the top enlisted from April 3, 1967 to July 31, 1969. During his tenure he worked to change loan establishments charging exorbitant rates outside the air base gates and to improve low retention during the Vietnam Conflict. Chief Airey also led a team that laid the foundation for the Weighted Airman Promotion System, a system that has stood the test of time and which is still in use today. He also advocated for an Air Force-level Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy. His vision became reality when the academy opened in 1973, becoming the capstone in the development of Air Force Senior NCOs. Chief Airey retired August 1, 1970. He continued advocating for Airmen’s rights by serving on the boards of numerous Air Force and enlisted professional military organizations throughout the years. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Airmen Memorial Museum, a member of the Air Force Memorial Foundation and the Air University Foundation.

On the north wall of the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C., Chief Airey’s thoughts on Airmen are immortalized, "When I think of the enlisted force, I see dedication, determination, loyalty and valor." The Air Force Association honored Airey with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Chief Airey passed away on March 11, 2009 at his home in Panama City, Florida

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

My World - The Peanut Shop

The Peanut Shop is located in downtown Lansing, MI, on Washington Square.  These pictures were taken the same day as the ice sculptures in last week's My World post.

The shop has been owned and operated by the same family since about 1935.

The roasters in this picture are the originals and are still used every day.  They roast several times a day so the nuts are always fresh.  You can see on the shelves that they have much more than just nuts.  They try to buy locally made candies and treats for the shop.

That's MWH paying for our purchase.  The Peanut Shop is a local treasure.  I always try to stop there when I go downtown.  The people are always friendly and the nuts and candies are always delicious.  If you ever come to Lansing, be sure to look for The Peanut Shop.


Visit My World to see more of the world.

Technorati Tags: My World

One Weigh at a Time - Weekly Weigh-In #12

I've decided to move my weigh-in post to Monday since that's the day of record for me.  I lost again this week!  A grand total of 0.8 pounds!  If that sounds like a let down after losing 7.0 last week, your hearing aid needs adjusting.  Actually, I'm very pleased with the loss.  Even better than losing a little bit is my blood glucose levels which have settled right back down to where they should be.  From the 130s and 140s they are now between 93 and 104.  Hooray! 

This week, I got wrapped up in what I was doing in the afternoon and allowed myself to get too hungry.  Then I ate too fast and too much for dinner.  That right there is the main problem from last week.

It feels like I'm being bombarded by information about changing my mindset and the things I think about and how I think about them.  That data is all good and I know it's the only way to really accomplish permanent weight loss.  Or weight loss at all for that matter.  So this week's goal is to purposely think in positive ways.  I'll try to pay more attention to the signals my body gives me for when I'm hungry and when I've had enough.  I've ignored them for so long it will take practice to recognize them and discipline to work with them.

How was your weight loss experience this week?  Why not head over to One Weigh at a Time and join our group of friendly folks?  You can also check out how my friends are doing.

Technorati Tags: One Weigh at a Time,Weekly Weigh-in

Construction Season is Here

We here in Michigan love to joke about the seasons. For example, our Upper Peninsula has four seasons: Winter, June, July, and August.

One that is more truth than joke, is that we only have two seasons. Winter and Road Construction. And road construction season is here.

Pothole patching is desperately needed. Those of you in warmer climates may not have the same issues we do with holes in the roads. With all the freezing and thawing and freezing and thawing and... well, you get the idea. Water fills the holes in the road and when it freezes, it creates bigger holes! The city and county have had a really hard time keeping up with them this spring. Most of their pothole budget was spent on snow removal.

Three major expressways come together in our area. One of them, the one we use the most, will be down to one lane each way starting tomorrow and lasting nearly the entire summer. A major reconstruction project started two weeks ago on the expressway MWH takes to the Detroit area once a week. It just seems to be everywhere. The backups will be bad with long waits to get thru these areas. But by the end of summer, we'll have beautiful new roads to drive on! Yay!

Even my blog is under construction! If things look a little goofy around here for the next day or two, please be patient with me. I've never changed my template before except it a test area. If I don't miss any steps, it should go well. Thanks in advance for your patience. I hope you like the new look.

Technorati Tags: Construction Season

The Passionate Blogger Award

 

Sandee of Comedy Plus has given me this great new award!  I haven't seen it before and I love it.  I really am passionate about my blog. 

Sandee gave this award to these great blogs:

Lisa of "...All Things Work for Good..."
Annie of A Nice Place in the Sun
Megan of Amid Clutter
Clara of Coming Back to Life!
Diane of Good Mourning, Glory

Virginia (Storyteller) of Happily Retired Gal , Small Reflections, Sacred Ruminations or Blog Rolls, Bling and Blurbs
Ana of Hella Heaven
Grace of Hugz Before You Go
Rhonda of Led Beside Still Waters
Colleen of Short Stories in the Making
Roger of Idaho Photo

Mike of Rambling Stuff
Speedcat of Speedcat Hollydale Page, 0007 Undercover, Doctor Shoal, Hollydale Golf Notes, The Phepping Foundation, I am Grampa, Golfing Cat

 

I'm passing the Passionate Blogger award along to:

• Chuck of Secondary Roads
• Ida of Losing Myself
• Tammy of Crazy Mom With Four Boys
• Pat of Subjective Soup and Communication Exchange

Thanks again, Sandee! 

Technorati Tags: Award

Flag Friday - Canada

Canada is the first country I visited outside the United States.  I've been there many times.  I live in Michigan so it's just over a bridge in Detroit (to Windsor), Port Huron (to Sarnia), or Sault Ste. Marie (to Sault Ste. Marie).  I've been over all 3 bridges many times.  I've also been through the tunnel from Detroit to Windsor.  When I was a teenager, my family took a trip to Washington.  We crossed into British Columbia there and visited Peace Arch Park. 
As a symbol of the friendship between our two countries, the Peace Arch stands half in the US and half in Canada.  Half of each leg of the arch in the US and half in Canada.  There is a gate that can be closed across the arch, but is currently locked to the legs of the arch, open to freely allow passage between the two countries.  It can only be closed if both countries unlock it from its current position.





This flag first flew over Canada on February 15, 1965.  The Honourable Maurice Bourget, Speaker of the Senate, added further symbolic meaning to the flag with these words.  "The flag is the symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion."
Symbols:
Well before the coming of the first European settlers, Canada's aboriginal peoples had discovered the food properties of maple sap, which they gathered every spring. According to many historians, the maple leaf began to serve as a Canadian symbol as early as 1700.
Colors:
History records that in the first crusade, Bohemund I, a Norman lord, had red crosses cut from his mantles and distributed to the 10,000 crusaders, who then wore them as a distinctive badge on their garments.
In subsequent crusades, each nation was distinguished by a cross of a different colour. France long had a red cross on its banners while England used a white cross. Time and again in history, red and white are found as the colours of France or of England.
Red and white were approved as Canada's official colors in the proclamation of the royal arms of Canada in 1921 by King George V.
In 1957, the colour of the maple leaves on the shield of the Royal Arms of Canada was changed from green on a white ground to red on a white ground in recognition of Canada's official colors.
If you visit this link you will find more information about the Canadian flag.  

The following information comes from the Flag Counter widget in my sidebar.  There is much more to be found there about geography, government, population, economy, and military.




Second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border.
Population:
33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)
Languages:
English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%
Government type:
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation
Capital:
Ottawa
Independence:
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

My World - Lansing's Sesquicentennial

Lansing, Michigan, is our state capital.  I live in a suburb but you can't tell where Lansing ends and Holt begins unless you look closely for the city limit signs.  On February 14th, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Lansing.  One of the events was an ice carving show in historic Washington Square.  The weather cooperated nicely.  It was very cold but no precipitation.  I could hardly push the button on the camera by the time we'd walked the three blocks and back!  So put on your coat, hat, scarf, and mittens and let's go.

There were all kinds of ice sculptures.  Some celebrated Valentine's Day and winter.

 

Others represented local businesses.  The car is especially important to Lansing.  That's an Oldsmobile.  The Olds Motor Vehicle Company started in Lansing in 1897.

 

Our local sports teams were represented as well.  The Spartans of Michigan State University and our local minor league baseball team, the Lugnuts.

 

The seal of the city of Lansing.

 

And the big celebration piece.  I'm sorry the detail doesn't show too well, but if you look closely you should be able to see the 150 and the stars!  That's our state capitol building one block behind the sculpture which sat in the middle of the traffic circle.

 

I hope you enjoyed this visit to Washington Square in downtown Lansing, Michigan, as much as I enjoyed showing it to you. 

You can visit other places all around the world by going to MyWorld.

Technorati Tags: My World,Lansing

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi


Kevin Baker


Kevin George Baker, a disabled Navy veteran, had been riding his hand-propelled bicycle from his hometown through Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Marseilles, Illinois to support a new flag designed to honor fallen members of the military. His trip began at his home on Saturday, March 7 and sadly ended on March 13 when he passed away in his sleep. Baker, who is unable to use his legs due to a neurological impairment, was flying the Honor and Remember Flag from his bike and encouraged people along the way to sign a petition urging Congress to adopt the flag as a new national symbol by passing HR Bill 1034.

You can read the rest of Baker's story here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

One Weigh at a Time - Weekly Weigh-In #11

Last week I told you about a couple of decisions I had made.  One was to take responsibility for my over-eating.  The other was to begin practicing portion control.  Or rather only eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm satisfied - not eating to the point of feeling full.

So are you wondering how I did this week?  Sorry, you'll have to read a little further to find out.

As I said last week, there's more to this than just the eating part.  We all have a big hollow place inside that cries out to be filled.  Those of us who over-eat try to fill that space will food.  But since it doesn't connect to our digestive systems eating won't fill it.  I had to stop and think about what I really need to fill that void. 

I'm sure you know how difficult it is in our society to find a time to sit quietly and focus all your thoughts on one thing.  It makes me want to eat or read or watch or play or anything to get away from the silence.  But I faced it last week.  Only God can fill my void.  I'm deliberately taking time to be quiet with God and read my Bible and pray.  All my life this is the only thing that will settle and center me because God is my magnetic north.  So I ended up with three big steps last week.

This week's step will be easier as I'm already most of the way there.  Three or four years of habit are coming back quickly.  I need to learn to listen to the cues my body is sending me.  I need to learn how to tell the difference between hunger and thirst.  That can be really tough because most of us don't drink enough water.  We eat when really we're only thirsty.  The other cue to learn to recognize and obey (the obey part is the hard part) is when I'm satisfied.  I want to stop before I feel full.  This sounds easier than it really is.  When I get used to the feeling, satisfaction is a wonderful lightness.  Fullness is heavy and drags me down.  So that's what I'll be working on this week.

Did you hear the screaming?

This morning around 8:30 or 9:00 did you hear the screaming from Holt, MI?  It may have been my muscles.  I've been taking a break from the 100 knee pushups challenge and decided to do an initial test to see how many wall pushups I could do.  Would you believe I actually did 100?  So I was screaming with delight and my biceps were screaming in pain.

Then again the screaming may have been from when I did the math and realized that I've lost 7.2 pounds this week.  I may start screaming again!  I should have gone back to what works long ago.  Now I just need to stick with it.

Why not head over to One Weigh at a Time and see how my friends are doing!

Technorati Tags: Weekly Weigh-in

The Marie-Antoinette Award

I have been given the Marie-Antoinette award by my brother, Chuck, at Secondary Roads.  I also received this award from Liza at Mommy's Little Corner  I have to admit I'm the one who was reluctant to post the award when I received it from Liza.  I've always thought of Marie-Antoinette as selfish.  Remember "Let them eat cake"?  Well, I read some of the research Chuck did about the real Marie-Antoinette.

Marie Antoinette was 14-years-old when she left her home in Austria to marry the crown prince of France. That takes courage. It was a few years later that the marriage was consummated. Her husband was the kind of guy who spent a lot of time “off with the boys.” More courage needed. Came the revolution and her husband, the king, was beheaded. She was separated from her children. She was falsely accused of many heinous acts, and 9 months after her husband’s death, she went to the guillotine.

Toward the end she is said to have said, “Courage! I have shown it for years; think you I shall lose it at the moment when my sufferings are to end?”

She probably did not say, "Let them eat cake," when told that the people had no bread to eat.  Her last words reportedly were, "Pardon me Sir, I meant not to do it," to a man whose foot she stepped on before she was executed by guillotine.

In light of what Chuck wrote, I'm please to receive this award for courage from both who awarded it.

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 or more other blogs.
4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

I'm going to pass this award for courage along to:

• ciara
• Mikki
• Leigh
• Angel
• Chronic Chick Talk

All of you inspire me as you live every day courageously.

Flag Friday - United States of America

I'm starting a new feature today.  I plan to feature a different country's flag each Friday.  I'm really looking forward to finding out more about our world thru visiting their flags.  I hope you will enjoy it with me.  Since I'm an American, I have to start with my own country's flag.

 

 

Symbols:
The 13 stripes symbolize the original 13 colonies.  The 50 stars represent the 50 states.

Colors:
Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence, and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance, and Justice.

If you visit this link you will find pictures of all 27 official flags of the US, from 1776 to today, as well as our state flags and different battle flags from our Revolutionary War.

 

The following information comes from the Flag Counter widget in my sidebar.  There is much more to be found there about geography, government, population, economy, and military.

The United States is the world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India)

Population:
303,824,640 (July 2008 est.)

Government type:
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Capital:
Washington, DC

Independence:
4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday