FLAGS and FREEDOM

Our small community flies the Flag
all year.  This was take during the
only snow storm we had all year.

 FLAGS remind me of the freedom we have living in the United States.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day I put out all items that look anything like a flag.


I have always been a 'red, white and blue' person, forever aware of the awesome freedom we have been given . . .
to be who we want to be . . .
to work at the job we choose . . .
to gain FREE education, at least through 12th grade, if we choose to apply ourselves,
to worship as we choose . . . without the government mandating that which is against our religious beliefs.

One of the main reasons we adhere to a great Constitution is our freedom of separation of church and state.
Our government does not mandate how or  when, or to whom, we are to worship.
That is what we fought for . . .  why our FLAG was created . . . to separate us from 'kings' that told us how, or not, to worship God.

 Employers can mandate what employees can and cannot do in the workplace.  It is a private business.   In that case, the 'state' cannot mandate what employers must or must not do regarding religion . . .  or can they?

Each morning about five homes on our block
make sure the flag is flying daily.  It is
amazing how early some get up as
someone always has theirs up before us.

Raising a flag tells others that, no matter how we disagree with the way we are governed, we have the freedom to disagree.
The Flag says so much.

                     

Flowers seem to capture the essence of what I
 try to express.  They last all summer!

                                             

                                                        In the middle of the garden lies a 'flag'.  This one
                               seems impervious to rain storms.

This 'flag' box has been with us for years.
It is filled with names of people we know and love.
The dog eared, stained, ratty cards, used over decades,
remind me of the grittiness of life lived to the fullest.
That's the ultimate blessing of Freedom.

As we all know, freedom is never free. 

That is why we send soldiers to fight wars, endless wars, centuries of wars.

Thousands of lives have been lost to uphold this gift of freedom.

 That's a steep price to pay.

That is why people are willing to wait years to legally immigrate to the United States.

Freedom gets sticky. 

 Yet, we have the freedom to challenge our government.

We have a say. 
We not only have the FREEDOM to vote,
we must take this responsibility seriously.
Too often we become disillusioned with the way our country, our state or our county is being governed.
Nothing will change if we do not VOTE!

So, FLY THE FLAG and be proud that we are in this incredible country . . . and VOTE!

I put this up for
the summer. 

My neighbor makes these wooden flags.
Theirs sits out all winter.
I will see how mine looks in a year.
Old, worn ... like our freedom.

             

My flag basket, so weathered,
 greets guests.
Vilkommen ... Welcome.

You think I have shown you a lot of flags?

This is just a few of the many 'flag' items you will see throughout the summer.

One accumulates a lot of flag ideas in a lifetime.

I am proud of my heritage and the wonderful 'mix' of individuals from all over the world who reside in  this United States of America.

I bet you are too.

Show it.

I encourage you to fly the flag as often as is possible . . . 

 or plant a few little Flags in a pot and put it by your entrance.  

Flags won't wilt and might be quite inviting for visitors.

SHARE A MEMORY

Words cannot express what I see.

       History

        Beauty

           Intentionality

              AWE!

Each time we enter the BIG city . . . Washington D.C. . . . I am struck by something new. 

 I have been here so many times that I take for granted the magnificent structures that stand before us.

          Gleaming white treasures against a perfect, blue sky makes these grand edifices POP in front of us.  

I take note . . . finally . . . now that I am no longer a city dweller.

Now that we live in the countryside,

     Now that we no longer take the transit to work,

          Now that we have been away for awhile . . . 

                  I finally see the beauty before us.

A place of business - our business - the business
of all of us who are citizens of the United States of America.
This is where OUR business takes place.
We study the beauty, the symmetry, and the intentionality
 within this magnificent piece of architecture.

It's hard to see the beautiful mosaics on this old building.
We have had tea up on top ... years ago.
 Awesome!
And next to it is a reminder of a gentler age,
the Victorian era.
 A genteel group was able to live life slowly and embrace the
beauty around them.
 We would have been the 'support' staff.

For as long as I can remember, each time we
are near the Washington Memorial, it is under repair.
We have yet to go inside in how many years?
It's still impressive from several city blocks away.
A single obelisk- standing grandly tall for all to see
from miles away.  

In the middle of a street that
has little else to draw our attention I stop.
This is a new building but the fixtures remind us
of bygone days.
The face of ...a Greek god?...   guarding a golden tipped gate.
 A HUGE lamp inviting us into stories of Cinderella days.
I stop ... linger ... ponder.
My hubby is waiting for me at the end of the block.

This new walk-through cuts our walk in half.
They re-worked this old building for people's
convenience.  The cobbled pathway and the hanging lantern
bring us back to another century.

You have seen this before - other blog notes.
These cobbles belong in the previous picture.
We were so busy watching our step on the uneven pavement
that we had to stop and look around us.
Life is like that.
We get so busy minding our step that we forget to
see where our journey takes us.

No longer can anyone afford to have this stonework that tells a story.
  Pediments like these and Corinthian pillars are a rarity.
It's nice to see it cleaned and well maintained.
 This building is now a student library with the insides 'modernized.'
So sad to see computer stands in the place of mahogany tables.
 Stories woven into tapestries are gone.
  Now blank walls.
I think we forget that beauty around us is conducive to study.

And so we linger and remember the 'good ol' days' and thank God that some wise people invested time, talent and resources to keep those memories alive.
I guess it is up to the rest of us to be intentional as we walk from place to place.
It is up to us to record in our memory the 'beauty points' of our journey.

May we each take a moment to linger and enjoy these places, these moments, given to us by others or taken by us to share with another.
     May we each share a precious memory with others every now and then.

WORDS AND IMAGES

Quietly we entered into another world.

The gates were open to all. 

 Yet, all seems to talk in whispers. 

 The St. Francis monastery in Washington D.C. is off the beaten path. 

 It's a place of retreat for ten minutes to ten hours. 

 We linger in the sunny warmth that invites us to wander around the grounds.

I recall a few words from my favorite Psalm . . .  100: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise."

In this gate I see a heart sliced in half
by a sword.   It reminds me of a life
fully given to God yet fully in the world
of strain and chaos.

In the midst of this cloistered setting, a replica of
the chapel where St. Francis met God . . . simple,
intimate, precious beauty.

The cloister was filled with mosaics of
Saints from centuries past.
 St. Francis with child.

One clue that this is a fairly new addition to the
cloisters is the word, Xeriscape.  This word for
environment-friendly natural landscaping invites simplicity.
Simplicity invites more lingering and less work. 

WORDS:  Accept, be, count, dream, express, forgive, give, harmless, imagine, jettison, keep, love, master, nurture, open, pack, quell, reciprocate, seek, touch, understand, value, win, xeriscape, yearn, zeal.

  Some words stand alone.
 Others need expansion.

Affirming words enter our hearts . . . words to carry with us as we wander the vast expanse of this inviting haven of rest.
   We linger as we digest the words.
         We linger as we saunter along the paths.
                We linger in the sunshine.

BLOOMS

 I relish BLOOMS!
 Yet they have such challenging beginnings.
I plant a seed in a tiny bit of soil  . . . sinking it into a dark grave.
 This lifeless piece of God's creation totally relies on nature, or someone in charge of watering, to progress further.
This could be fatal for the seed if left totally up to me to nurture.

I decided to try an experiment with a bean seed.  I soaked it, pressed it into some dirt filled with nutrients, watered it . . .  and wait. . . and wait . . . and wait.

I planted four little pots at different times.
I ended up giving 3 of the 4 away so cannot
compare the progress.
Alas, I was left with one bean.

 I don't seem to have a green thumb    when it comes to indoor planting.
Or, am I simply too impatient, unable to linger a little longer until something happens?
  The DNA of this seed might be a bit more complex than I anticipate.
After all, this tiny seed will soon BLOOM and produce BEANS!
 At least I hope this happens.
It's the waiting that is so hard.

About DNA . . .  isn't it fascinating how  one link in the DNA of a seed can change it from a bean bush to an Azalea!  Look at this gorgeous bush . . . it's all in the DNA.

I am drawn to the splash of deep red color.
It took one seed with its unique DNA to create this lush beauty.

What a gorgeous covering for a steep hill!
One seed with a DNA that says PINK please ...
created this trailing cascade.  That same DNA directs
this Azalea to trail down the steep slope.

More red!
 Yard after yard glowed with lush blooms.
  One seed, with its own DNA, slightly different from
the next seed, offers a wide array of beauty. 

 All it takes is one seed or one bulb . . .  just ONE, with its own DNA!
God is incredible!

The delicate beauty of the Iris invites the eye
to linger longer than usual.
 Amazing.

It's like God touched the earth and beauty arrived.
What a gorgeous combination.
Two different seeds . . . Two different DNAs.
Great companions.

Spring blooms fascinate me.

 I wonder about my own blooming capabilities, my own DNA.  

I am the only one with my DNA . . . planted within my mother's womb . . . birthed, nurtured, and grown . . .  over the decades . . .  into maturity.  

                 God's hand guides me in this growth journey. 

I am no longer in the 'spring' of my life but I seem to come alive as the months grow warmer.

I have become more wrinkled with age but that's all part of my DNA.

Yet, even wrinkled, I still bloom . . . some moments with extravagant color . . .  other moments with subtle shades of gray.

With God's continued nurturing, I am amazed at what comes forth.

Perhaps I offer color to God's amazing palate.
 It is all there in my DNA.
 I just need to bloom according to who I am.

All God's creation, with proper nurturing, is meant to BLOOM!

May we all bloom, each with our own DNA, with vibrant color in God's palate of life.