A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-09-06....Teddy Bears on Parade

Billie

[Billie]

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.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, GodBlessUSA, JustAmy ~

How many do you have? Do you still have your childhood Teddy Bear? Did you ever wonder how Teddy Bears got their name? For any of you who didn't know - or don't remember the story behind the name of these squeezable, huggable little stuffed bears.......very briefly, it goes like this:

In November of 1902, Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th President, went on a hunting trip near Little Sunflower River in Mississippi. To make sure that the President had an easy target and wouldn't go home empty-handed, his hosts had captured and stunned a little bear cub and tied him to a tree. President Roosevelt, however, refused to shoot the defenseless cub and made them set it free.

The press who were covering Roosevelt's visit quickly heard of the incident, and the Washington Star's political cartoonist Clifford Berryman drew a cartoon of the incident entitled Drawing the line at Mississippi. The cartoon, which emphasized the helplessness of the cub, was printed in all the papers, and Roosevelt's popularity soared as a result of his actions. For the rest of his political career President Roosevelt's mascot was 'Teddy's Bear', which Berryman continued to use in all his cartoons and which played a key part in the Presidents successful re-election campaign of 1905.

Although most of my teddy bears only come out at Christmas, I do have a couple that have a permanent spot in my house.   A soft, plain one sits in an old-fashioned highchair in the family room, but the one pictured below, which sits near me when I'm on the computer, is my very favorite grown-up teddy bear, because she's posable, and I love her hat and her granny glasses; but most of all, I love the voice that sings! (Chantal Kreviazuk, from the soundtrack of a TV show called "Providence", which is no longer on air)

03-28-06 ~ Hall of Fame #15

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-08-06 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Billie]

[Billie]

[Billie]

[SandRat]

[luvie]

How cute! Teddy bears are great!

[Billie]

'Evening, SandRat - thanks for your cute Teddybear pledge. :)

[Billie]

Hi, Luvbo, this is the first time I've had so much time between *new* posts in a while - have enjoyed *making* lots of teddybear graphics. :)

[luvie]

Oh, my! What a sweet gift! I am sure we will all use this one many times, until the little bears are tattered and torn! ((((hugs))))...thank you for always giving us sweet surprises!

[SandRat]

Thanks, thought it fit so well to tonight's theme and wanted to share.

[scubachick]

Just had to tell you, the Military Monday was beautiful, especially with the commemoration of VE day. Wonderful thread! Bears are cute as well!

[AirBorn]

I'm going to have to now go and dig up that Pic of MY
" Victory Bear " looking out from the side window of my old Flying WartHog!--each Side Winder or Maverick had a small little Bear blowing a Kiss -with the captions that read, "..with all our love! from Uncle Sam Bear!"

Nothing better than sitting on a little Gatling too and two GE TF34's!

I don't even remember who gave it to us ( the BEAR!); but it had Little Flight, Gy/Bk Goggles, a mini G-111 Jacket, Silk, and of course- the most Beautiful Thing I think I have EVER seen in my entire life so far: The American Flag!!

"Bears" & America Flags DO go together!!

DAB

[Billie]

Thank you, scubachick! We love having our tributes on Monday to our military.

[Billie]

You are welcome - this one was originally just the two bears - I thought of the three of you, though, and made triplets with it. :)

[Billie]

It's perfect! I'm glad you shared it!

[luvie]

You can do the most amazing things with graphics! It is just too sweet!

[Common Tator]

Are you saying we need to Grin and Bear it?

[Billie]

Oh, please do find that pic! Would love to have it posted here!

I'm going to say goodnight and will be back in the morning. Hope it's posted when I get back. :)

[Billie]

Are you saying we need to Grin and Bear it?

LOL. I've got to go for now. Back in the morning. :)

[MHGinTN]

I still my 'Jimmie Bear' from when I was only two (I'm sixty so he's sixty one). He went with me into the hospital on several occasions in my childhood (had polio in '47) and even went to surgery a couple of times after my Mother sterilized him in a brown bag in the oven! My first wife composed a beautiful 'autobiography' of Jim E. Bear many Christmases ago ... it's a dear thing to me. Jim has presided over many Christmas Trees, with seated guest secret bears and other assorted friends. I wrote my first two novels with Jim presiding over the work on the dining table. He's had several 'surgeries' (thoracic), so his excelsior is quite mussed, but he's still the center of my affections. My two cats aren't allowed around him any more ... they 'loved' on him too much with their cruel claws. [He's a Stieff, BTW, as is one of his companions, a small 'secret bear' who holds many of my childhood secrets for safe keeping.]

[SandRat]

Well, it's that time for me.