Collections

My name is Jennifer and I am a collector.

To you...and me.... this is not a bad thing.

To some people it is.

I collect antiques, angels, books, and about a half dozen other things. No I am not a hoarder.

I have shared my book collection with all of you and today I thought I would share another of my obsessions....I mean collections.

The American Flag.

It started with this flag which I bought from an antique store. It was tattered and sad. My original thought was that I would buy it and then give it to the Veteran's Association so it could be properly destroyed.

You see there are protocol's to follow when it comes to our flag.

According to the United States Code,Title 4 Chapter 1, Section 8, "The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

But I couldn't part with it. It's respectfully displayed in the Mom Cave.

There are flags everywhere at my house.

Outside and inside

I have always had a love of the American Flag.

I got it from my Dad. When I was young he taught me how to fold a flag, how not to let it touch the ground and why, the proper way to display a flag and the proper way to dispose of one.

He was a proud man who served in the army in his youth.

Even though he spent only a sort time serving his country he continued to behave in a manner of pride of service and he demanded that his children respect and be grateful to those who have fought for our freedom

When he died of a massive heart attck at the young age of 62 in January of 1997

they laid this flag upon his coffin.

The local veterans association attended his service where they  folded his flag in the traditional manner and presented it to my Mother.

 Each fold has a meaning.

The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.

The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.

The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace, as well as in times of war, for His divine guidance.

The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born.

The 11th fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.

When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

I am proud to be his daughter for many reasons but his love of country and his pride are some of the lessons I cherish the most. I guess that is truely why I collect flags. Their meaning to me is more than just a symbol of our country but it is also a link to my Beloved Father.

So I ask dear blogger friends do you have a collection? Does it have a deeper meaning?

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Childhood Friends

I was thinking about a question I read somewhere

I don't remember the exact wording but it was something like :

What book represents or reminds you of your childhood.

So here is a question I pose to you....

What Book (or movie) most represents your interaction with your childhood friends?

My answer is The Body (aka Stand By Me) for my book choice or Then and Now for my movie choice.

Why The Body?
To me the body was more then about the boys going out in search of the body of a dead neighborhood kid. It was about exceptance and adventure. It was about finding friends you could count on and being able to just be yourself.

Growing up I had two great friends Kathleen and Karen. They are sisters Kathleen my age and Karen one year younger then us. Their grandmother lived two houses away from the house I grew up in. Which is how we met Kathleen and I just toddlers thrown together by our mothers probably so they could have a minute to themselves. We ended up attending the same Catholic elementary school and our friendship grew within those walls during the winter months when we only saw each other during those school hours.

I picked this book because it is set in the summer and when we were growing up....

 the summers belonged to us!

Everything about us changed in the summer. We had no school worries. No thoughts of not fitting in. Our parents barely existed in our summer world. We were the queens of the neighborhood.

Summer Life was an adventure to be had and it seemed to stretch on forever.

Back then all we had was our imagination and we made up games, invented danger, drama and ways to scare ourselves. Behind the house Kathleen and Karen shared with their mother and five brothers and sisters was a tall stone wall. It rose at least ten feet high but back then it was like looking up at a sky scarper. Their house sat low on a hill so the top of that wall on the other side was only waist high. To access the other side of the wall you had to go down an alley between two houses.

We were not supposed to go there.

We were not supposed to sit on the wall.

We definitely were not supposed to slip over the wall and climb down into their backyard.

But we did

And we always got caught...a ratting sibling...a big mouthed neighbor....

Like The Body our adventures involved camping out.

We lived in the city so we slept in sleeping bags on small patches of backyard grass or laid across wooden front porches. Also like The Body my older brother made it his goal to torment us as much as possible without getting caught by my mother.

We were inseparable. We were the keepers of each others deepest secrets and darkest fears.

 I never felt left out by not being their sister.

Our story doesn't involve the discovery of a dead body

Although we did think we killed my little brother once

We blamed Karen

Every summer we found ourselves. We were brave, smart and funny. Slowly we started to carry that confidence into the school year. And when we forgot we had each other to help us remember.

The Body ends with with the friends going their separate ways and sadly all but Gordy die young.

Our story ends happier

We all have families now and although we don't see each other very often we can still count on each other

 They were both there for me when my Dad died 14 years ago.

And I hope they felt my love and support when their Mom died last May.

My children know their names and have heard the stories of our adventures.

We are legends if only in my own mind!

So how about you?