Flag Friday – Lithuania

Symbolism and Colors:
The first of the former SSRs to break decisively with Moscow, Lithuania adopted its old tricolour as its official state flag in March 1989. Like the other Baltic states, and indeed, the other captive nations of the former USSR, the flag had been used during Lithuania's previous period of independence from Russia - from 1918 to 1940. In the flag, yellow stands for grain, green for forests, and red for the blood shed in defense of the nation.
The above information is from this 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.

Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795, when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World War I but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Population:
3,555,179 (July 2009 est.)
Languages:
Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Vilnius
Independence:
11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by Soviet Union)
Currency (code):
litas (LTL)
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Thursday Thirteen – Things That Begin With R

1.  Rabbit – Rabbits are so soft.  Most people who are allergic to cats are not allergic to rabbits.  So they’d make great pets, right?  Um, except for that chewing the furniture thing.

2. Raven – Elijah hid out in the wilderness for 40 days.  God sent ravens every evening to bring him food.

3. Resurrection – On Friday the world was dark and everyone was afraid.  But on Sunday!  Wow!  On Sunday there was a resurrection.  Jesus rose from the dead!!!!!

4. Recycle – Another word for reusable garbage.

5. Reference – The internet is my main source for reference these days.  I just have to be careful what sites I get my info from.  Not everything out there in the ether is true.

6. Rice – This picture of rice terraces is from Yunnan, China. 

7. Raisins – Who knew dried grapes could be so tasty!

8. Rite – Yes, it is spelled correctly.  This rite is a formal ceremony.

9. Revenue – Incoming money. 

10. Race – NASCAR was born from the moonshiners who ran from the revenue-ers.  I remember when it was bad luck to have green on your car.

11. Risers – We have risers for our church choir that are deep enough to hold chairs.  The risers for high school choir were barely deeper than our feet!

12. Resin - A hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees.  And I thought it was just varnish.

13. Respect – A great Motown song by the even greater Aretha Franklin.  Think how much better the world would be if we each treated others with the respect we want to receive.

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Wednesday Hero

This Week's Hero Was Suggested By Deb


SSgt. Darrell "Shifty" Power
86 years old from Dickerson County, Virginia
E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
June 17, 2009


The world lost one of it's true heroes a couple of weeks ago. Darrell "Shifty" Powers passed away on June 17 of cancer. "Shifty" was part of the famed E Co/2/506 of the 101st Airborne Division. Easy Company. The Band Of Brothers.

"I loved everything about my daddy," said Margo Johnson, daughter of SSgt. Powers. "He never bragged about what he did in the war. And for a lot of years, he never even talked much about what he did – unless someone asked him about it. But he truly was a hero to me. Just like he'd been to the people who know him as a soldier in a [mini-series]."

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.

The Great Deluge

Historian Brinkley (Tour of Duty, etc.) opens his detailed examination of the awful events that took place on the Gulf Coast late last summer by describing how a New Orleans animal shelter began evacuating its charges at the first notice of the impending storm. The Louisiana SPCA, Brinkley none too coyly points out, was better prepared for Katrina than the city of New Orleans. It's groups like the SPCA, as well as compassionate citizens who used their own resources to help others, whom Brinkley hails as heroes in his heavy, powerful account"and, unsurprisingly, authorities like Mayor Ray Nagin, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and former FEMA director Michael C. Brown whom he lambastes most fiercely. The book covers August 27 through September 3, 2005, and uses multiple narrative threads, an effect that is disorienting but appropriate for a book chronicling the helter-skelter environment of much of New Orleans once the storm had passed, the levees had been breached, and the city was awash in "toxic gumbo." Naturally outraged at the damage wrought by the storm and worsened by the ill-prepared authorities, Brinkley, a New Orleans resident, is generally levelheaded, even when reporting on Brown's shallow e-mails to friends while "the trapped were dying" or recounting heretofore unreported atrocities, such as looters defecating on property as a mark of empowerment.
-----
I remember saying I was so overwhelmed by the coverage of Hurricane Katrina that I never wanted to hear the name again.  Eventually those feelings faded.  I was browsing the audio book section of the local library when I found this book.  I’m glad I decided to give it a try.
Mr. Brinkley was very detailed in his recounting of the Great Deluge.  It was nevver boring, even when he was reciting statistics.   There were many personal accounts of people caught in the bowl of New Orleans.  The horrors they faced are not sugar coated.  Rumors were revealed as truth or fiction.  I learned so much history as well as about the events and timeline of Katrina.
I heard the stories of homeless and home owner, store owner and looter, police and Coast Guard, Mayor and Governor, FEMA director and President.  Each received the praise and criticism he/she deserved.  I didn’t find the book to biased toward one political party or the other, just an honest accounting of facts.
The Great Deluge is a long book, but worth the time.  I highly recommend it.

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I Did It! Monday

I love to make and use purses and tote bags.  Here’s one of my earliest tote bags.

This is still the bag I use the most.  I love it because it’s made from scraps of discarded blue jeans so it’s durable.  I also like the webbing I used for the handles.  This is usually used for belts.  It’s easy on my hands, so it’s a favorite material to use.  And it comes in a variety of colors.  And nothing goes with denim like red!  My friends will tell you that it’s nearly impossible for me to make something without adding red.  It’s my favorite color.

Why not play along or just go visit at I Did It! Monday.

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Unconscious Muttering

1. Taxman :: Zacchaeus
2. Material :: to make quilts with!
3. Format :: put all the pieces in the right place in a record, report, or on a screen.
4. File cabinet :: place to keep all the papers you need to have for the government.
5. Ignore :: what I wish I could do with the news these days.
6. Super! :: Great!
7. Fireproof :: file cabinet
8. Blockbuster :: movie rentals
9. Snooper :: busy body
10. Good will :: Peace on Earth, Good will toward men.  Ahhh, Christmas in July.

You can find other mutters at Unconscious Muttering.

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Flag Friday – The Czech Republic

Symbolism and Colors:

The national flag of the Czech Republic is the same as the flag of the former Czechoslovakia. Upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia the Czech Republic kept the Czechoslovak flag while the Slovak Republic adopted its own flag. The first flag of Czechoslovakia was based on the arms, and was white over red. This was identical to the Flag of Poland, so a blue triangle was added at the hoist. The flag was banned by the Nazis in 1938, and a horizontal tricolor of white, red, and blue was enforced. The original flag was restored in 1945.

The above information is from this 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.

Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.

Population:
10,211,904 (July 2009 est.)

Languages:
Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census)

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Prague

Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

Currency (code):
Czech koruna (CZK)

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Thursday Thirteen – Things That Begin With Q

1. Quilt – They started out as a way to be frugal and make blankets from scraps.  They’ve morphed over the years into great works of art.

2. Quiver – A place to keep your arrows. 

Sons are a heritage from the LORD… 
…Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.   

Psalm 127:3-5

3. Quarry – A big pit where they mine rock.

4. Query – As simple as a question or as complex as a multi-level database search.

5. Queen – Elizabeth II has been Queen of England for 57 years.  This is a picture from her coronation. 

6. Quince - The sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia.  Most varieties of quince are too hard, astringent and sour to eat raw.

7. Quiet – What many mothers of young children wish for.

8. Quintuplets – Can you imagine 5 babies all at once?

9. Quintet – Like the Jackson 5.

10. Quality Control – We count on these folks to make sure we get a good product.

11. Quotes – There are finger quotes drawn in the air.  Or single or double quotation marks that we just call quotes.  Then there are the amazing words of our forefathers written down for us to read and learn from.

12. Quill – It’s a pen.  No, it’s a feather.  OK, OK, it’s a feather pen.

13. Queue – Being an ignorant American, I had no idea what this word meant the first time I saw it when I was about 8 or 9.  I had to look it up in the dictionary where I discovered I was pronouncing it wrong.  I had tried quee-wee, then q-uee.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was just Q.  I wondered why they’d wasted all those extra letters.

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!

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Wednesday Hero

Assoluta Tranquillita did a post a few days ago and after last week's Wednesday Hero felt it would be good to profile Sgt. 1st Class Gabe of the 178th Military Police Detachment, 20th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade. Is it wrong to be jealous of a dog? Be sure to read the Defend America article linked to in the post.

These brave men and women, and dogs, 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.

Tag ~ YOU’re it!

I received this “15 YOUs” tag from my brother, Chuck, of  Secondary Roads.
He gave the following instructions:
1. Write something about 15 persons you know.
2. Don't mention the names of these 15 persons.
3. If someone should ask who they are, don't tell them.
4. Tag 15 persons but don't include persons you refer to in your post.

 

-- And away we go . . . --

Y O U

You – grew up down the street from me and were only 10 days older.

You – worked countless jig-saw puzzles with me.

You – and I made great vacation plans for after graduation, but instead we lost touch with each other.

You – lived a steady life of faith no matter what.

You – were the best boss I ever had.  It’s sad it was for such a short time.

You – were so Beatles crazy!  We had fun together in high school before you moved away.

You – lived with pain all your life and I never once heard you complain.

You – had the best laugh in the world.

You – came to visit when I was so sad and sick.  You talked about long ago and made me laugh.  Thank you.

You – were cut down so young.  It frightened me that someone my age could die.

You – took me to see alligators!  What fun!

You – beat me out academically.  I was jealous, but I wanted to be like you.

You – made the greatest faces!  I still miss you a lot.

You – have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.

You – showed me that no one is ever too old to learn.

It's really not that hard to think of 15 people that have crossed your path and made an impression. The hard part is saying only one thing about each.  This is such a great exercise in remembering people who have been or are special to you.  I had a great time counting my blessings and those who’ve blessed me.

Now it’s your turn.  I'm supposed to tag 15 people.  I want to tag everyone who reads this post.  You won’t regret playing along.  And let me know when your post is up.  I want to come see your 15 YOUs.

I Did It! Week 9 – Sibs and Spouses

Last Thursday my siblings and our spouses were able to get together for an afternoon and evening.  We didn’t do anything special, but we had a wonderful time.  We are so blessed that we all get along so well.

We met at Chuck and Sylvia’s home.  Yes, he is the author of Secondary Roads.  Be sure to go over there and get his take on the day.

The weather was perfect.  Not too hot with a nice breeze.  While the steaks were cooking we all migrated outside.  Maggie was taking Barb’s picture so Chuck stepped up behind to catch the action.  Of course, I had to get in on it, too.  So Barb grabbed her camera.

Here’s my shot.

And Barb’s.

And here we are in order by age.

  My brother Chuck and his lovely wife Sylvia.

My sister Barb and her hubby Gary.   

   Me with my two favorite men.  (Rick is #1 of course!)

My sister Maggie with Chuck.    

Hey, did you notice that Chuck is in every picture but one?  That’s OK.  You can see by all the smiles we were really enjoying ourselves.  The company and conversation was great.  The food was even better!  Sylvia made some marvelous vegetable packets.  Yum! 

The day was over way too soon but the memories will be savored for a long time.

 

You can see other accomplishments at My Meme Mania.  Why not join in the fun and tell us all about something you’ve done or seen?

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A.A.A.D.D.

Tammy emailed this to me and I just have to share it with you. I find it especially funny because this is what my whole life has been like. I was diagnosed with ADD about 3 or 4 years ago. It’s not severe, just annoying. But now I’m getting the age activated part! Hope this makes you smile. Let me know if you suffer from this (sometimes funny) condition, too.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS....

Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder. Some how I feel better even though I have it!! Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder..

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Pepsi aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. The Pepsi is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water. I put the Pepsi on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

• the car isn't washed
• the bills aren't paid
• there is a warm can of Pepsi sitting on the counter
• the flowers don't have enough water,
• there is still only 1 check in my check book,
• I can't find the remote,
• I can't find my glasses,
• and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all the day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....

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Flag Friday - Sweden

1

Symbolism and Colors:

The flag of Sweden is blue with a yellow Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag. The design and colors of the Swedish flag are believed to have been inspired by the present Coat of arms of Sweden of 1442, which is blue divided quarterly by a cross pattée of gold, and modeled on the Danish flag. Blue and yellow have been used as Swedish colors at least since king Magnus Birgersson's royal coat of arms of 1275.

The above information is from this 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.

A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.

Population:
9,059,651 (July 2009 est.)

Languages:
Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Stockholm

Independence:
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)

Currency (code):
Swedish krona (SEK)

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Thursday Thirteen – Things That Begin With P

1. Paint – I wish I could decide on a paint color for my living room.

2. Popcorn – Yummy!  Orville’s Sweet & Salty!

3. Pizza with Pepperoni and Pineapple – My favorite!

4. Piano – I took lessons for about 6 years when I was young. 

5. Pan – Peter or cooking vessels.

6. Purple – Not just an old lady color any more.

7. Pulled Pork – My favorite is from Smokey Bones.

8. Purple Smoke Bush – We have one that came up on its own last year.  We transplanted it and it actually lived!

9. Pinks – Also known as dianthus.  My grandmother had a long wide flower bed by the driveway that was all planted with pinks.  Three rows of plants.  As a kid I thought they were all different, but there were probably duplicates.

10. Petunias – One of our neighbors has beautiful hanging baskets with Wave Petunias.

11. Pipe – Bubble pipes are fun.  Tobacco pipes make my asthma scream bloody murder.

12. Piper – Remember the ads for music Zam Fir on the Pan pipes?

13. Perp – Can you tell I read too much crime fiction?

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