A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....07 - 1 thru 4 -05..."America Has a Birthday"

DollyCali | July 1, 2005 | DollyCali; Nicollo;

[FreeTheHostages]

[Bommer]

Fantastic! You've outdone yourself!!!

[nicollo]

Magnificent work, Dolly! It looks beautiful. (And damned fine HTML.)

Any delay to get the thread up was all mine -- I worked Dolly's deadline from last night into noon today. Dolly gave it a fine recovery, and here we go into a more GLORIOUS FOURTH for this beautiful thread.

Dolly, I got caught up researching news of past Fourths. As best I can tell, the meaning and intensity Fourths of July come and go with bad times and reformist presidencies. Until WWI got underway, patriotism waned under Woodrow Wilson. It was near absent during the Great Depression, and also during the 1970s. A terrifically sad Fourth of July story I found was of Chiang Kai-shek, who issued this statement for the 1946 celebration:

"On this Independence Day of the United States, I and all Chinese people express our respect for your Revolutionary heroes and the people of your country who have taken precious part in the stuggle to protect peace and democracy... the United States always is willing to help friendly neighbors realize their ideals of democracy. It assures us that, because of this close cooperation among the peoples of the United States and other peace-loving peoples, a new era of freedom and equality will definitely come over the world."

Oh my. Well, anyway, Happy Fourth of July to Taiwan, too!

And a very Happy Fourth of July to all your wonderful people.

[StarCMC]

Hope you don't mind me barging in....

Ok ya'll, I have the coolest thing to share!!  Today I went to the Post Office to mail a couple of packages.  As I pulled into the parking space, I saw that the window of the van parked next to me had a double Blue Star decal on it.  I hurried up and got around and knocked on the window.  The lady rolled her window down and we talked (and cried) for a couple minutes.  She is the mom of 2 Marines, both have been to Iraq.  One has been twice and won't go back.  The other has to go back.  They were both home on leave at the same time (talk about a happy woman!!)  I gave her business cards for the Canteen and also for Proud Patriots and asked her to thank her sons for me.  She, in return, gave me a business card for Marine Comfort Quilts.  What a cool organization.  She told me that she has made a quilt square for every fallen Marine in this conflict.  Please, if you have a minute, take the time to stop by their website and check them out.  They are looking for help making the quilt squares - they can handle the quilting, but if you can do a square, what a great and meaningful place to get involved.  God bless these folks real good.  Click the pic to transport to their site.

The second part of this is an encouraging word.  Sometimes I WANT to say something to people about what we do here on the Canteen and also at Proud Patriots, but I sort of chicken out and mumble a thank you and move on.  This experience has taught me that I need to be bolder in my thank you's.  These young men and women and their families need to know that we appreciate them.  So my challenge to you all is look for the opportunity.  I know most of you do.  But I just want to give you a boost!!  *HUGS!*

[Billie]

OH   MY   GOSH!!

Hello, Dolly! Your HTML studying has paid off BIG TIME! I believe you've got it down. :) This is incredible. You truly put your heart in your work, and it shows. Thank you for being our sistah.

[GailA]

Thanks for the Beautiful thread for the 4th's celebration.

[DollyCali]

Thanks for sharing this important contact. Isn't it amazing the folks we can meet / engage if we make the effort? Hugs hon!

[Billie]

I KNOW, that you KNOW..

Hey, I *like* the fireworks behind the bottom links! It's festive! :)

[La Enchiladita]

Star, I bookmarked the link. That Marine Mom has my utmost respect. My heart feels so puny by comparison.

[Aquamarine]

Hey, I *like* the fireworks behind the bottom links!

I think it works. It is original. ;)

[Billie]

Gorgeous Pledge graphic, too!

[DollyCali]

I am in awe with "what you know".. and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your fine thoughts and knowledge with us here for this thread.

I sent out to my Email list the link to the thread. AOL was not happy & suspended my account. I am back but a little POd at AOL. Okay, okay so I exceeded the regulation for minimum of 50 per/mailing (I think I sent to a couple hundred)

Michael, I was afraid to put that blockquote in 5 more times.. We have all had nightmares here with stray blockquotes & centers!!!! With sufficient time I would have taken a chance. What you sent me looked so nice (even title etc) and I was racing against time. The last little error I had the other day took close to 8 hours to locate!

BTW - how was tennis? either it is a lot cooler in the DC area or you are made of stronger stuff than I am. In this hot weather, I head for water - don't look for ways to sweat more!!!

ALL .. Michael has written a couple books (one of which I have read & feel pretty smug in knowing things about Taft, I would have NEVER known otherwise)

His books are:

"Stretching It: The Story of the Limousine" (2002)
"William Howard Taft and the First Motoring Presidency, 1909-1913" (2003)

and currently preparing a book on the 1912 election, working title, "The Constitution's Bodyguard," about William Howard Taft's defense of constitutionalism during the election of 1912.

He states he "loves automobiles principally because I see in and in their history them the great American spirit. "

Here is a pix of Nicollo & me taken the night before the Inauguration at a DC FReeper get together

[DollyCali]

Hey, I *like* the fireworks behind the bottom links! It's festive! :)

I am pretty sure I did something wrong.. couldn't figure out what though. Guess it fits the spirit of the thread!

[Aquamarine]

The Post is fantastic and I KNOW the work that went into it. You covered everything well....and I do like that the links were included in the 4th celebration. :)

[nicollo]

That was too much fun to see you in DC, Dolly. Thanks for putting up the photo and for the memories. Pinging a few FRiends now:

- x, thought you might enjoy -- and correct -- this essay...
- Chong: Hi! I've been silent of late, but missing you nonetheless for it.
- ATP: How-R-ya?
- Caipirabob: thought you'd enjoy this story of Tiradentes. I'd love to learn more about him.
- gonzo: GONZO!
- Jimmy Valentine's brother: faith, brother! That was waay fun hanging with you at the bar Inuaug eve.
- LS: some Patriotic history for you!

Folks, if you haven't checked out LS's history textbook, please do at his FR homepage .

[DollyCali]

Gotta See this Ping

to part of my personal list to the Finest Holiday Weekend thread & PLEASE NOTE NICOLLO's fine work in the body of the thread.

Thanks to NicknamedBob(poet) & Mama_bear(graphic artist) for allowing me to use/modify the post below from last year. Well, they didn't ACTUALLY allow me.. I just borrowed it and did it!!!

Independence?
The Lady holds a tablet. There is a date engraved.
July 4, 1776. A memo that we saved.
Within that page of History, we hold the American Rose.
Pressed by weight of moments, the album now we close,

To mark the beginning of Man’s finest striving,
Wherein heroes, villains, and events were arriving,
At a small town we call Philly, (That’s where we keep the bell.)
To speak their piece, and start a war, and put them all through Hell.

It was a needed moment. We had to take our place,
Among the giants of the earth, for Life stepped up the pace.
We had to shoulder burdens, that no one else could bear,
And send the finest of our land, to fix things ‘over there.’

The blood we shed has nourished the Freedom that we sowed,
And gave the homeland back ten-fold, all debts that we had owed.
Just to ensure survival of the plantings that we nourished.
We went back for a second time, to make sure that it flourished.

We thought that we could take a break, and live a private life,
Unburdened by the problems of the world and all its strife.
But this small world kept shrinking, and our moat gives no protection,
From enemies who should be friends, except for their infection.

We’ll need to cure their illness, whatever the cost may be,
Or we will not enjoy the life we have, a life of liberty.
It’s not enough to shine a light beside the door,
We have to go among them, and boost the ‘yearnings’ of the poor.

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . . . . July 3, 2004

...............................................

Below is a pix of Mama_bear(Lori) and NicknamedBob(Bob)along with Just amy & Jen from the same Freeper social in January before the inauguration as the prior pix of Michael & me

[Mama_Bear]

Dolly, I had forgotten all about that graphic that I did for NnB's poem last year. I think I will snag it for my profile page for the weekend.

Of course, you are more than welcome to borrow any of my graphics. :-)

[DollyCali]

I took out the Amy's place part & the margin's tightened up. Changed font & that is about all. thanks, I knew you would not mind. How is the baby doing?

[DollyCali]

Cuddled up here at Inaugural Ball with JVb (incognito) for a photo op

[Mama_Bear]

How is the baby doing?

He's fine. He is laying on my computer desk chewing on his chew toy. He likes to lay on the mouse pad, so it makes it a bit difficult to navigate on the page. LOL. Fortunately, I have a wireless mouse, so there is no cord he can chew on.

I just snapped some photos of him. If I got any good ones, I will post them.