A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day...06-27-03..."Oh, The State I'm In!" ~ Pippin's Maryland

Mama_Bear and Pippin

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Fasten your seatbelts and hang on, folks. Pippin is taking us on a whirlwind tour of Maryland.

As we take in the sights and sounds, and the flora and fauna, let's listen to Pippin's own words as she proudly tells us about her 'Finest' state.....

"Maryland is one of the original 13 colonies, having been founded in 1634 by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore. It was the 7th colony to ratify the constitution, thus becoming our 7th state in 1789."

The Maryland state flag contains the family crests of the Calvert and the Crossland families. The black and gold representing the family of the 2nd Lord Baltimore.

"Maryland is richly steeped in history and is a great place to visit, whether it’s to find the perfect vacation spot or if you are interested in discovering America's roots. As I have said before, Maryland is a diverse state ~ an 'America in miniature'.

We have the beautiful Catoctin Mountains southwest of Baltimore, site of the Camp David Presidential retreat, and we have many lakes and rivers where fishing is the main sport activity. If you like boating, there’s the Chesapeake Bay and it’s tributaries. Every February, in Annapolis, the state capitol, they have a boat show at the Annapolis harbor where the latest in recreational boats are shown."

Annapolis Harbor

Annapolis is also home of the U.S. Naval Academy.
GO NAVY!!

"Like seafood? Maryland is famous for it’s seafood. In Baltimore we have the world’s famous Lexington Market, the oldest continuing marketplace in the country! Lexington Market started out as an open-air market for fishermen and other merchants to display and sell their goods in Baltimore City in 1789."


Lexington Market - of days gone by.

"We have Phillips seafood restaurant, with it’s really out of this world baseball crab cakes located at Lexington Market. Speaking of crab cakes, what about our famous steamed crabs and cold beer!"

"If you are into sports we have Baseball, Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, and even Jousting (I kid you not). Every year, September thru October, we have the Renaissance Festival in southern Anne Arundel County, where there is Jousting and feasting and fun 'Elizabethan style'!"

"We have our baseball team, the "Orioles" and Camden Yards, our new ballpark, built in the early 1990’s on the grounds of the old Camden train station. The main building still stands. This is must see (as well as seeing an Orioles game.) For football lovers, we have Ravens stadium just a mile from Camden Yards. The Ravens were named for Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Raven”."



"Want to spend some time at the ocean? Take a trip across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Ocean City. There are condos to rent for the summer and shops to look through as well as the famous boardwalk and fantastic beaches.


Boardwalk Cam - Downtown Ocean City

I hope I’ve managed to whet your appetite and have made you curious enough to come to my state and find out why I’m so proud to be a Marylander. There is so much more to Maryland than meets the eye."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, finally........

Now, as we thank our tour guide, Pippin, for introducing us to her beautiful state, why don't we all sing a rousting chorus of......
"Maryland, My Maryland".

Thou wilt not cower in the dust,
Maryland! my Maryland!
Thy gleaming sword shall never rust,
Maryland! my Maryland!
Remember Carroll's sacred trust,
Remember Howard's war-like thrust,
And all thy slumb'rers with the just,
Maryland! my Maryland!


Thank you all for coming. Hope to see you again when we tour another Finest state in this great land of ours. ~Mama_Bear

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 06-23-03...Military Monday 06-24-03...Happy Anniversary to the Finest 06-25-03...Hall of Fame in Review #4 (& Billie's Birthday) 06-26-03...John's Two Cents "Don't leave the smoking gun behind!"

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

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[LadyX]

"Hi sistah Aqua! One of my earliest memories is of crossing the Chesapeake Bay on a ferry. I guess I was about three. That was LONG before they constructed the bridge."

Here you wring from me an admission I was the child who always dreaded long rides in the car, subject to 'motion sickness' because of an inner ear imbalance.
To this day, discomfort is immediate when I watch a horizon tilt on a television screen!
I can fly in a commercial plane with no problems, praying there is no turbulence, but don't ask me to go in a small one..:))

Thus it was in 1955 I found myself as a Navy wife moving from Norfolk up to Chincoteague, and having to get there by ferry - as you say, Lori, LONG before the bridge spanned from shore to shore!

The ride did greatly bother me, even though the water was smooth, added to the fact I was pregnant with my second son.

My first little boy was 11 months old, sitting happily in his little hooked on elevated seat, complete with steering wheel feature.

It was a milestone, for he uttered clearly his Very First Word other than ma-ma/da-da....tweaking his favorite little stuffed toy, he looked at me and said, "PLUTO!"

Yes, a precocious child indeed. At age 2 one day when I was busy cleaning, he held up his little brother's ABCDE teething ring and asked "What's this?
To shorten the interruption, I said "That's an A, honey."
He returned a few minutes later - "That's a "B" - and within one hour, found I could hold any of them up and he correctly identified all five!

Excited by his ability to comprehend, I made all the letters of the alphabet, mounted them on 8 1/2" x 11" colored construction paper, and taped them just above his reach over his crib.
In three days, he could read them all in any sequence, slowed down only by a G, that I had to differentiate as a "C" with a "hook on it."

Thereafter, walking along the street and seeing things written on store windows, Steve would point and say, "S - A - L - E, Mama".....persons staring in disbelief in then 1956.
(Presently working on his doctorate, 2/3rds of the way through, learning a lifetime thing.)

Kevin was equally bright, both entering first grade - without any kindergarten other than just Mama - scoring in the 98 percentile on entrance tests.

[Mama_Bear]

Great job ladies!

Thanks! Pip is great to work with.

Nice to have you stop by, AntiJen. Haven't seen you for ages. I am so preoccupied with this thread most of the time that I don't get out much anymore. Too many threads and not enough time. I'm sure it's the same with you.

Thanks for coming by, stop by again whenever you have a few minutes. :-)

[Diver Dave]

Life's Tidbits

1) Life isn't like a box of chocolates, it's more like a jar of jalapeños you never know what's going to burn your a$$.

2) I love deadlines. I especially like the Whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.

3) Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.

4) Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If they aren't there the first time, chances are you won't be needing them again.

5) I don't have an attitude problem, you have a perception problem.

6) Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the hell is the ceiling?

7) My reality check bounced.

8) On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.

9) I don't suffer from stress. I am a carrier !

10) You are slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter.

11) Everyone is someone else's weirdo.

12) Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

13) Be careful . . .a pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt.

14) Don't be irreplaceable - if you can't be replaced, you won't be promoted.

15) You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard.

16) So this isn't Home Sweet Home . . . Adjust!

17) Ring bell for maid service. If no answer, do it yourself!

18) I came, I saw, I decided to order take out.

19) Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

20) I'd live life in the fast lane, but I am married to a speed bump.

21) What should you give a man who has everything? A woman to show him how to work it!

22) How can you tell which bottle contains her PMS medicine? It's the one with bite marks on the cap!

[Dubya]

I finally got through on WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL DO NOT CALL REGISTRY

[JustAmy]

Does anyone have experience with satellite internet? I finally ordered DirecWay yesterday. It will be a couple of weeks before it is installed but then I will feel like I'm in the 21st century.

I am so far out in the boondocks that I cannot get cable or DSL. I have a satellite on my roof for TV thru DishNetwork.
I tried registering my phone number on the Do Not Call List but my modem was so slow I could not get the page to open. I may try it later tonight when it should be less busy.

[Dubya]

22) How can you tell which bottle contains her PMS medicine? It's the one with bite marks on the cap!

LOL

[Diver Dave]

TEN TOP INDICATORS THAT YOUR EMPLOYER HAS CHANGED TO A CHEAPER HMO:

10. Your annual breast exam is done at Hooter's.

9. Directions to your Doctor's office include "Take a left when you enter the trailer park."

8. The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.

7. The only proctologist in the plan is "Gus" from Roto-Rooter.

6. The only item listed under Preventative Care coverage is "An apple a day."

5. Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.

4. "The patient is responsible for 200% of out of network charges" is not a typographical error.

3. The only expense covered 100% is "embalming."

2. With your last HMO, your Prozac didn't come in different colors with little "M"s on them.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOU'VE JOINED A VERY CHEAP HMO:

1. You ask for Viagra, and they give you a Popsicle stick and duct tape

[knighthawk]

Evening now.

I have been in NY last year September for 5 days.
Will come back for more.

[Diver Dave]

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth Tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

"Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking it's life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God,if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

"You will call her, "Mom."

[Pippin]

Hi, LADYX!

So we were neighbors once! :O)

[Mama_Bear]

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOU'VE JOINED A VERY CHEAP HMO:

LOL!! Those are hilarious!

".......please tell me my angel's name." "You will call her, "Mom."

Oh, good grief, Dave.........I went from tears of laughter to tears of the 'other' kind in less than a minute. :-)

[Dubya]

"You will call her, "Mom."

HOW TRUE.

[Mama_Bear]

Will come back for more.

Great! Plan to stay for awhile. There's lots of America to see.

[Dubya]

I been using STARBAND a long while. It works very good on two way. They just came out with a $59.99 a month deal.

STARBAND

[JustAmy]

I will check into StarBand this weekend. I can cancel with Directway with no penalty if I do it before installation.

Thanks for the help. I have talked to no one who using satellite for Internet.

[Dubya]

Good luck.

[MeekOneGOP]

Ah, yes . . . It's the humidity !!

[Mama_Bear]

[Diver Dave]

Ah, yes . . . It's the humidity !!

Watch out for those "humids." They'll get ya every time.

[Calpernia]

Hiya St. Louie! Just got back from my children's book club meeting. Seems everyone has been chatting away. I have some reading to catch up on :)