Memorial Day

As we celebrate Memorial Day this weekend with cookouts and picnics, I'd like to take a moment to remember our Vets and talk about how Memorial Day started.
Originally called Decoration Day, it's a day of remembrance for the men and women who died serving the United States. More than two dozen towns claim to be the originator of Memorial Day. In 1996, President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo, NY as the birth place, but it's impossible to prove the origin of the day. It was originally started to honor the dead of the Civil War. 
That being said, Memorial Day became a National Holiday and celebrated on the 30th of May in 1868. Its purpose was to decorate the graves of our men and women who died in defense of their country. The date of May 30th was chosen because it wasn't an anniversary of any particular battle. 
General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on the first Decoration Day and more than 5000 participants decorated the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
By 1890 Decoration Day was recognized by all of the northern states, but the sout refused to acknowledge the day until after World War 1. 
Congress passed a bill in 1971 changing the date from May 30th to the last Monday in May. 
Let's all take a minute from our celebrations to remember the true meaing of the day.
Thank you to our men and women who serve our country in the past, present and future. 

Finally, a break in the weather

A break from the rainy, cold weather we've been experiencing. The weekend promises warmer temperatures and sunshine. And the week ahead looks amazing. It's been a long cold winter, and a rainy, chilly spring.
I know in a few weeks, I'll probably be complaining about the heat and humidity. It seems the older I get, the less tolerant I am of the heat. Usually, I don't mind the cold, snowy winters, but this year has been extreme. Brutal cold temperatures throughout January left everyone begging for spring. I can handle cold. Heck, just put on more clothes, right? But not this winter.
I've always been one to crank up the air conditioning in the summer time. My sister always brings a sweater when she comes to visit. That's fine, better she bring a sweater than me taking something off. After all there's only so much you can remove, but you can always add more.
This year we decided to try camping. My son bought a new camper and we bought his old one from him. I mean old - 1979. Granted, it needs some work, but it's dry and better than a tent any day. Years ago we tent camped. Yep, did it for a lot of years and with six kids. The days of sleeping on the ground are in the past. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get up once I got down. So we bought the pop up camper.
We were a bit concerned (as were my kids) whether we could open and close it. My hubby has COPD and gets out of breath with any bit of exertion, but we managed and have now developed a system. It takes us a bit longer than most people, but we manage.
So last weekend was our first campout. Unfortunately, the weather didn't exactly cooperate. It reminded me
of the first Memorial Day we camped in 1968. Cold weather and this time to top it off we had rain off and on. At least back then it was sunny and dry.
But we had fun and that's the important thing. I'm looking forward to our next camping trip which is planned for June.

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Friday Freebits

Today's Friday Freebit is from Deadbeat Dads 

Once Katie and Josh were settled, I picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and dialed. “Babette, this is Mrs. Morris, I just….”

“I think you’re mistaken, I’m Mrs. Morris.” Babette’s whiny voice came over the line.

I took another breath. Point made. “Right, this is Erica. I just heard the news and wondered if there’s anything I can do.”

“Actually there is. You can leave me alone. And don’t think you’re going to horn in on Johnny’s insurance policy either.”

I held the receiver away from my ear. That little bitch hung up on me, slammed down the phone. I called to offer help, and the only thing Babette could think of was Johnny’s insurance policy. Well let her have it. Johnny only carried a minimal amount. She’d be lucky to bury him with it.

The next call I made was to Becky. “Hey Beck, you’re not going to believe this. I just called Babette.”  After relaying the conversation to my friend, I was surprised at her reaction.

Deadebeat Dads is available from Amazon

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Friday Freebits

Time for another Friday Freebit - From my book All in the Family -

Saturday morning, Callie woke up and stretched. Today promised to be a good day. A very good day. William had called twice since Wednesday. The first time to get her address and the second just to talk. And talk they did, for over an hour and a half after Berry was in bed. Seemed they had a lot in common.

Both of them liked to hike, not that she got the opportunity much lately. And they both liked to dance. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been to a dance.

She got out of bed to get ready for work, praying it would be easy day. Mostly she didn’t want a late case that would prevent her from leaving. She couldn’t wait to see Berry and William again.

Callie buttered a bagel, turned around and stopped dead in her tracks. A huge dog stood in her kitchen. How the hell had he gotten in? He just stood there looking at her. The patio door stood open behind him. Crap, was someone in the house? She hadn’t anyone come in. Memo to self, get lock fixed on patio door. She’d forgotten about that and neglected to put the pipe in the track. Afraid to move, she stood there, looking at the dog.

“Nice doggy. Are you hungry?” Callie tossed him the bagel. He caught it midair and gulped it down. Now what? She grabbed another one and tossed it toward the open door, hoping it’d go outside. Again he caught it midair, not even close to making it outside, and gulped it down.

He seemed friendly enough. At least he wasn’t barking or growling at her. Dare she move? She took a step forward. He sat down. “Come on, doggy, you have to leave, you don’t live here. Obviously, he belonged to someone.

“Hello.” A woman carrying a baby came up on the deck. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Zoey, get home.” A little girl and boy came running after her. Zoey ran to the kids.

All in the Family can be found at Amazon

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Friday Freebits

Here it is, Friday again and time for more free bits. 

Blurb:

Just when Susan Weston wrote her first big byline, the killer called and hinted at more murders. Not to mention someone started stalking her and leaving red roses at her doorstep. To top it all off, she dropped her bracelet at the murder scene and the handsome detective considered her a suspect. Was she being stalked by a killer? Could she convince the detective she was innocent? 

Georgie Porgie pudding and pie kissed the girls and made them cry — now it’s time to die.

He released his hands from the victim’s neck, and the lifeless body slumped to the ground. He stood back, and stared at it in disgust.

“You thought you were so cool, didn’t you, George? Playing all the girls like that. You could’ve had anyone you wanted, but you weren’t satisfied with one. You wanted them all. Then you broke their hearts and left everyone else to pick up the pieces.”

He stooped down, lifted George’s head, and propped it against a rock, then pulled a tube of lipstick from his pocket and smeared it across the victim’s mouth. How many times had he seen George wipe off his lips coming out of the locker room? “You won’t wipe it off this time, Buddy.”

He stuffed a paper into George’s hand and tightened his fingers around it. “You don’t look too cool now.” He laughed and pulled a container of pudding and a strawberry pie out of his knapsack, opened them, and dumped them over George’s head. The gooey mixture ran down George’s face.

He licked his lips. “You poor, pathetic bastard.”

Gathering up his knapsack, he took one last look at the body, then turned and ran from the park. His job was done.

Ring Around the Rosy is available from Amazon

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