Happy Birthday, U.S. Navy!

Photo by Michael Afonso on Unsplash

The Continental Navy was originated during the American Revolutionary War in 1775. The fleet comprised of two armed vessels which were tasked with the job of hunting down ships supplying weapons and ammunition to the British army. The Continental Congress wanted to decrease the power of the most powerful military force at the time, to allow for the Whigs and non-royalists in the colonies to fight their way to independence from the British crown.

When the American Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the Continental Navy was dismantled. However, the Naval Act of 1794 was enacted by President George Washington due to threats against American merchant ships by pirates. This created a permanent U.S. Navy.

Today, the fleet consists of more than 300,000 active duty personnel and 100,000 reservists in the submarine, aviation, and surface divisions. This year will also mark some historic milestones in the U.S. Navy’s history. 2019 is the 25th anniversary of women’s first assignment aboard a combat ship, the 50th anniversary of Top Gun, the Fighter Weapons School, and the 100th anniversary to mark the end of World War I.

2019 is the 243rd birthday for the U.S. Navy. The theme for the year is “Forged by the Sea,” which refers to the Navy’s fundamental relationship with the sea and its mission to retain U.S. maritime superiority.

Photo by Adam Pacanski on Unsplash

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Yom Kippur Begins Tonight

Image by hurk from Pixabay 

What is Yom Kippur?

From the time the sun sets tonight until the first stars tomorrow, the world’s Jewish and Samaritan populations will celebrate Yom Kippur. Considered the holiest of days in Judaism, Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement.

For approximately 25 hours, those who observe this holy day will fast, observe intensive prayer, and refrain from work. Yom Kippur comes about a week after Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year.

The week prior to Yom Kippur is knows as the Ten Days of Repentance. Those of the faith make special additions to their prayers and are very careful with their mitzvah observations.

There is also a custom to request and receive some honey cake. This ensures that the coming year will be sweet. Two celebratory meals precede sunset on the first day and the children are given a Priestley Prayer. Special candles are also lit prior to the holiday as observers prepare for five prayer services.

Once Yom Kippur has ended, plans are made for the next holiday. Sukkot begins in just five days and a sukkah must be constructed. This is a temporary tent-like structure meant to symbolize what the Israelites used during their 40-year wandering through the desert.

Most information is from Chabad.org

May you be blessed during Yom Kippur. Sonja

It’s Gold Star Mothers’ Day

Each year on Gold Star Mother’s Day the United States president calls on all Americans to display the nation’s flag and hold appropriate meetings to publicly express their love, sorrow, and reverence towards Gold Star Mothers and their families. Government buildings are also required to display the flag.

American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. is an organization of mothers whose sons or daughters served and died while serving their nation in times of war or conflict.

The last Sunday in September is also Parents of Fallen Military Sons and Daughters Day in New Jersey.

This day is a tribute to all parents whose children died as a result of their service with the United States Armed Forces. It commemorates the contributions, commitments and sacrifices made by those parents individually and through the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.

Who are Gold Star Mothers?

The name the Gold Star Mothers was derived from the custom of military families who put a service flag near their front window. The flag featured a star for each family member serving in their country – living members were denoted in blue but gold stars honored family members who were killed while in duty. In 1918 President Woodrow Wilson approved the wearing of black arm bands bearing a gilt star by those who had a family member who died in the military service to the United States. This distinguished them from the blue stars, representing a family member presently serving in the armed forces.

American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. was incorporated in 1929, obtaining a federal charter from the US Congress. It began with 25 mothers living in the Washington DC area and soon expanded to include affiliated groups throughout the nation. On June 23, 1936, a joint congressional resolution designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day, a holiday that has been observed each year by a presidential proclamation. The gold star is not limited to mothers and is awarded as a pin by the US Department of Defense.

This information came from https://www.timeanddate.com

It’s the First Day of Autumn

This is my favorite season! I love it when the weather turns cooler and the leaves start to turn colors. My ideal place is sitting high on a mountain in a copse of aspen trees that are turning colors.

© Creative Commons Zero (CC0)

When I was growing up, I lived high up in the mountains amongst the pine trees. I loved to lay on my back on the soft pine needles and look up at the towering trees. The smell of the pine needles would surround me and the sound of the wind rushing through the boughs was so peaceful.

I think you can see my love of the mountains, trees, and lakes in my writing. That’s the terrain around Revlin, where the palace of Carlow is located in the Kingdom of Carlow. There’s a wonderful lake with a waterfall and trees that grow nearly to the water’s edge. Too bad the awful Red Caps live on the other side of the southern border.

Anyway, back to autumn! Go outside and hike in the mountains. Be safe and look for the changing leaves. They’ll be everywhere!

It’s Constitution Day!

September 17th is the 232nd anniversary of the signing of our Constitution. The U.S. Constitution is the oldest constitution still in active use in the world today and is the basic document of our republic, which protects the individual liberties of all citizens through written law. It stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties, freedoms and inalienable rights.

Read the Constitution and celebrate Constitution Week, September 17-23. 

The Tucson Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, provided the information in this message.

It’s Patriot Day

Never Forget…

“Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)”

This song was written by the American singer-songwriter Alan Jackson. It was the lead single from his tenth studio album, Drive (2002), released on Arista Nashville. I am including the lyrics below, copied from https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alanjackson/wherewereyouwhentheworldstoppedturning.html because, to me, they describe how it felt to wake up and live through that day (9/11/01).

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?

Did you stand there in shock
At the sight of that black smoke
Risin’ against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
Pray for the ones who don’t know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?

Did you burst out with pride
For the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died
Just doin’ what they do?

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN
But I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?

Did you feel guilty
‘Cause you’re a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother
And tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watchin’
And turn on “I Love Lucy” reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN
But I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN
But I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

And the greatest is love
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?

Have a memorable day, Sonja

Grandparents Day

Today is Grandparents Day!!! Do you live near your grandparents? I didn’t for most of my life but luckily was able to travel to see my maternal grandparents. They lived in Germany, Bavaria to be more precise, and I loved going to their house. Every hour my sister and I would run halfway down the stairs to watch the Cuckoo clock chime and for the tiny bird to come out and give its call. It was so much fun!

My Oma used featherbeds and my sister and I would leap high onto the mattress and sink into the thick and soft featherbed. The ticking would engulf us and we would laugh and laugh and laugh.

My sister and I shared a bedroom on the ground floor with our twin beds lining the wall around the corner like an ‘L’. It made for an easy time talking until late into the night–much to the chagrin of our Mom. We would always scratch each other’s backs and it was a strategic campaign to be the last one to have a back scratch since we usually fell asleep. The last one was able to stay asleep while the ‘scratcher’ had to stay awake and then crawl into her own bed. My sister usually won and was the first scratcher.

The house also had an amazing attic that my Oma used as a sewing room. During rainstorms, we would open the dormer windows and watch the rain fall over the valley below us. We would also listen to the clanging church bells that echoed through the valley and traveled up to where we were on the mountainside. My sister would also sing-along to the ‘Sound of Music’ soundtrack and act out the songs (we had the entire movie memorized!). I spent many hours playing Captain VonTrapp.

I would love to hear your memories of time with your grandparents (or grandparent stand-ins)!

Have a wonderful week, Sonja