THE MEMORIAL

Any of my gentle readers will tell you I just love me some summer. and the Memorial Day holiday is generally the kick off of summer, even though it's not offical till June 21st. While I may not be happy and filled with such distain for the government, we can still be patriotic for the country itself, and not for the government till they deserve it.  We take time to honor those who defended and fought for the country and didn't return. My fair hamlet this year made lamp post banners for the 26 veterans who lived in town, with their picture on them, and the war they fought. I thought it was pretty cool and touching.

For many others myself included, it's a time to relax a bit with family or friends to enjoy a good old fashioned cook out or picnics, and get out of doors. I have a four day weekend, with one personal day on Wednesday. The Lad is here for the duration and a reader of my blog, the very sweet Timmy from Ohio, is expected this afternoon. We have not met yet, but he will be with us tomorrow for the Raven's pool show with myself and Miriam Webster, followed by all the sights in New Hope, followed by a day in NYC to view the CAMP exhibit. Debauchery all around. I'm guessing?

I wonder where the government stand on draping nude men with the flag?

 Memorial Day isn’t just an excuse to take a long weekend and loaf around eating grilled meats—although those are certainly among the reasons to love the holiday.So before you head out to your barbecues and pool parties, here are some facts I learned about Memorial Day I didn't know.

It was originally called Decoration Day. My grandmothers always called it that.To honor the deceased, soldiers would decorate graves of their fallen comrades with flowers, flags and wreaths. Hence Decoration Day. Although Memorial Day became its official title in the 1860s, the holiday wouldn’t legally become Memorial Day until 1967.

It wasn't always observed on the last Monday of the month.After the Civil War, General John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, called for a holiday commemorating fallen soldiers to be observed every May 30. But due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect in 1971, Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday of May to ensure long weekends.

It is legally required to observe a national moment of silence. In December 2000, Congress passed a law requiring Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor the fallen. But this doesn’t appear to be common knowledge, or if it is, by 3 p.m. most people seem to be too deep into a gin infused hot dog-induced food coma to officially observe the moment.

At least 36 million citizens will travel at least 50 miles to be at beaches or gathering this holiday.

In 1966 Congress unanimously passed a resolution to officially recognize Waterloo as the birthplace of Memorial Day. However, it remains a contentious debate, with other towns, like Boalsburg, Pa., claiming the title of “Birthplace of Memorial Day” as well.

James A Garfield once delivered a lengthy speech at the first Memorial Day, of course then it was still called Decoration Day, and at the time, Garfield was a Civil War General and Republican Congressman, not yet a President. On May 30, 1868, he addressed the several thousand people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery. “If silence is ever golden,” Garfield said, “it must be beside the graves of 15,000 men, whose lives were more significant than speech, and whose death was a poem the music of which can never be sung.”

Of course my faithful readers will know that Memorial Day also hails one of my favorite things...Time to wear WHITE DENIM!!!! I loves me some white denims!

I 'll return sometime late next week after time off. In the meantime, however you celebrate the weekend.... Happy Memorial Day to all.

Tootles babes!