MEMORIAL DAY

From what I’ve learned, it’s apparent that the need for honoring our vets came from the women. Those who survived. It also began during and after the American Civil War. Both sides had a need to honor their dead. The women would mourn over the death of their husbands and lovers, sons and brothers, fathers and daughters. They’d decorate the graves. This is why it was first called: Decoration Day. Leave it to the women to start something to honor their heroes who’d stolen their hearts.

     A hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.

    The spontaneous gatherings of the women morphed into Memorial Day, and it was used as a means to unite the country, and was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).

    It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays).

    In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war.

    Ms. Michael was the first to wear one, selling poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women.

    This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

 

    The moral of this story: Behind every great man is an even greater woman!

Liebster Award

 

I was pleasantly shocked when Kaye George decided to honor me with the Liebster Award! It’s nice when someone recognizes another person’s monthly blog toil.

Here’s the link to her place, and a HUGE THANK YOU, Kaye! http://travelswithkaye.blogspot.com/ (That was Rule number 1.)

Rule number 2, answer 11 questions from her, list 11 random facts about myself, and make up 11 questions for the ones I nominate. It really isn’t that tough to do.  Actually, I did it one day when the students were taking a test. So it was easy.

Liebster Award Rules:

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed. Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)

4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.

OK, down to business with #2, 3,and 4!

Eleven Questions from LD to me:

1. ...like your name? Yes.  I’m named after my great-grandma who came from Norway.  Barbara.  I think that’s kind of nice knowing that.  My middle name is Marie and is also the middle name of another grandma.
2. ..living where you expect to live or move someday? I suspect that I’ll stay living in this town but not in this house.  I want to be closer to town.
3. ...pets? We have had one for many years, but it died.  Now we don’t have one and that’s mainly because of all the deer in the area.
4. ...neat or sloppy? We’re both neatniks.
5. ...morning person or night? Definitely morning.  I fall asleep before the ten o’clock news.
6. ...outside or inside? I’m a fair-weather person.  I do like being outside.
7. ...giddy with happiness? That’s hard. I do but it’s usually having something to do with the grandkids or when someone really appreciates what I’ve done.
8. ...glass half-empty or half-full? I think it’s half-full because there’s so much more to come in my life.  It just keeps getting better.
9. ...favorite color? I like red and black, but don’t decorate with that.  I used to be in love with blue, and I guess I still am and will decorate with shades of blue.
10. ...anyone else, now or in the future? I’ve never thought about that before.  I just want to be happy.  That’s all I ask for is happiness.
11. ...greatest writer? I absolutely adore Little Women to this day so I’ll have to say, Louisa Mae Alcott, hands down.

Eleven Random facts about myself:

1. I was so shy as a kid, that I was scared of my own shadow.
2. I went to beauty school right after high school and worked for just a couple years.  This was when haircuts were only a buck and a half.  Needless to say, I couldn’t make a living at the beauty shop.
3. I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and really missed the large metro area when we moved to Bemidji.
4. I graduated from Roosevelt High School, and our former governor graduated from the same school one year ahead of me.  He graduated with my brother.
5. I never knew either of my grandma’s because both died before I was born.  My mother was raised by her aunt and uncle, whom I call Grandma and Grandpa.  I dearly loved them.
6. My favorite place on earth is Minnehaha Falls.  I love the rushing waterfall.
7. I love to dance.  My favorite song is Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond.
8. I have done an awful lot of research and can trace one branch of my family back to the 1500’s.  I am Norwegian and Swedish. 
9. I love to plants, flowers, but don’t like to garden.  Actually, I don’t really like the putsiness of it.

    10.  I spent one Christmas with my son who was in the army and stationed in Germany.  It was wonderful.  One night when we were in a pub, a couple of his friends came over and told me about their mom and family and how much they missed, ‘home’, over Christmas.  They also told me how special it was to have a ‘mom’ from ‘home’ to talk to.

      11. I actually am tired of holidays.  I know that sounds like I’m a Scrooge, but I’m not, really.  I just want to enjoy a quiet holiday and enjoy my family without all the hoopla.

      Eleven Questions for my recipients to answer:

1.   Are you a solitary person?

2.   Did you like to color as a kid?

3.   What was your favorite outing as a kid?

4.   First date—good or bad?

5.   Favorite class in school?

6.   Do you like change?

7.   Where is your favorite place on earth?

8.   Have you ever picked eggs or held a live chicken?

9.   Have you ever built a snowman?

10.  How many national parks have you visited?

11.  Who is your favorite First Lady and why?

Okay, this should be easy.  But no one-word answers. Details or explanations required.

Here are my eleven choices for the Liebster Award:

Doris McGraw  http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com

Michael Murphy http://blog.mjmurphy.com

Amberly K Clowe  http://amberlykclowe.blogspot.com

Nancy Jardine  http://nancyjardine.blogspot.com

Wanita May http://wanitajump.wordpress.com

Uvi Poznansky  http://uviart.blogspot.com

John Capraro  http://thewritelifeforme.blogspot.com

Joanne Stewart  http://theheartofanempath.blogspot.com

Anne Van http://annevanllll.blogspot.com

Dutch Henry http://dutchhenry.blogspot.com

Vonnie Davis  http://vintagevonnie.blogspot.com

I have one request of my eleven award recipients. Even if you chose not to accept this award - meaning if you'd rather not do the questions, random facts, etc. - please take the time to visit at least a few of the other blogs listed here. We're all looking for readers and you might find a blog or two you really love.

Of course, the same goes for anyone else who comes by.  Take a minute and check out a blog or two you haven't visited before. You never know who you'll find.

White House China

George Washington

It's my understanding that Abigail Adams used whatever dishes were there, or what? I never did find that out, but there is a written note in her handwriting inviting a guest to one of the 'levees' as they were called. Dolley Madison's state china service was a hard-paste porcelain with gilt-relief. The plates were produced in 1814 at the Paris factory of Jean Nepomucene Hermann Nast.
    After the War of 1812, with the White House burning, etc, the Monroes had to refurnish and redecorate. First Lady Mrs. Monroe decorated in the French style. She was the first to have White House china created solely for the presidential use. The placesettings were manufactured in Paris. She was also the first to have an eagle as part of the design with a red, white, and blue banner displaying the words, "E Pluribus Unum", the national motto. There are five vignettes inside of the dark red border, representing agriculture, strength, commerce, science and arts.

James Monroe

Abraham Lincoln

    Another set wasn't ordered until the Polks moved in in 1845.  The service included a plain white design and gold trim, there is a shade of green border and a large flower in the center, like a pink wildflower.
    Mary Lincoln knew how to spend money. She would put Madonna to shame, I think. It was her mission to spruce up the White House and make it special to the world. She gave it some much needed updating and redecorating all the way from the family living quarters to the kitchen. She purchased china that was solely made in America.  She was very socially active and conscience of what it should look like, assuming that they won the war. The purple-red border called 'Solerino", later known as "Royal Purple", gave way to the center American bald eagle, which appears as if it were flying through the clouds. The Coat of Arms displayed on the bald eagle is glorious.

    When Mrs. Hayes moved in, she ordered the china to include the flora and fauna of North America as decoration. She used the same eagle and Coat of Arms motif for the center.
    In 1892, First Lady Caroline Harrison wanted new china that would be "symbolic and meaningful to Americans." She also had the Coat of Arms in the center, designed a goldenrod and corn motif etched in gold around a wide band of blue. There are also 44 stars for the number of states in the union and the corn is symbolic of her home state of Indiana. Mrs. Harrison was the First Lady to begin gathering and storing remnants of former chinaware in the White House. She died before it's delivery.
    First Lady Edith Roosevelt ordered Wedgeood china. It was white and highlighted the Great Seal of the United State for the first time. This was in the early 1900's.

Harry Truman

   Mrs. Wilson, Edith, chose Lenox, and it was in 1918. The china featured a deep ivory border surrounding a brighter ivory body and two bands of matte gold encrusted with stars, strips, and other motifs. The Seal of the president was raised in gold in the center of each piece. This was the first time that everyone at a State Dinner could eat off the same plate design plus it was decorated by American workmen.
    First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt found that by the time she'd moved in, the dishes were largely depleted. She ordered Lenox, also, and the year was 1933. They included a border of 48 stars, the presidential seal in enamel colors on an ivory body.  President Roosevelt liked nautical objects, the stars were set against a band of marine blue. The inner band was complemented with golden roses and feathers, which was reminiscent of the Roosevelt crest.
    The Truman's went through extensive renovations in the White House. First Lady Bess Truman ordered Lenox china in 1951. The pattern included a border of celadon green flanked by an etched gold band and a twenty-four karat gold rim on an ivory body. It included a raised gold presidential seal, surrounded by 48 gold stars.  After the war, President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order to standardize the seal; he had the head of the eagle turned toward the olive branch, representing peace, instead of toward the arrows, representing war.
     First Lady Maimie Eisenhower only ordered service dinner plates to complete the set.
    First Lady Lady Bird Johnson determined that new china was needed. Her china featured American wild flowers and was manufactured in the United States by Castleton China. She featured the eagle that was first designed for the Monroe china. The wildflowers feature flowers from throughout the United States. That lady sure loved her wildflowers!
    First Lady Nancy Reagan was modeled after Woodrow Wilson's, featuring the seal in burnished gold on an ivory background with a border of scarlet. The service was manufactured by Lenox.

Ronald Reagan

   First Lady Hilary Clinton wanted to commemorate the 200 anniversary of the White House. The china included a border of pale, creamy yellow, rather than a brighter primary color, and images of the White House, instead of the customary seal. Each placesetting has a different pattern, with elements found in the various rooms of the White House.
   First Lady Laura Bush ordered from Lenox, too.  She chose a soft green pattern due to its versatility and ability to coordinate with flowers. The pattern was inspired by Dolley Madison's dishware.  The smaller White House Magnolia Pattern is now distributed throughout the United States through DeVine Corporation, and this is what was used in their private All of this information came from Google.  If you want to read more or see pictures Google China Room and White House China. There's two great Wikipedia sites. The best pictures of all is this link: http://www.firstladies.org/documents/    Give that a try, hopefully it'll work. http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/furnighings/china.htm This one has beautiful pictures, too.

George W. Bush

Truman china service 1967