My mom used to call Memorial Day Decoration Day & we always went to the cemtary to put flowers on the graves of our dead ancestors, none of which as I recall served in the military, so I'm thinking that it doesn't have to be confined to the armed forces, although I know that's how it started. What I remember chiefly about Memorial Day is marching with my Girls Scout troop in our town's annual parade. LAer on after I was no longer in the Girls Scouts, I'd go with my friends & we'd sit on the steps of the post office & watch the parade. It always signaled the start of summer. And, oh yeah! Now you can all wear white! Enjoy!

There were 23 FEMA lots in New Hartford after the flood of 2008 ... people in these homes could either not afford to rebuild or have enough insurance to rebuild or just gave up on another flooded home...it means they took a 'buy-out' from FEMA ...so those lots can never be built on again...this was a 500-yr flood & affected many homes that never ever have flooded...but many of those that took the buy-out had flooded before ...but not on the main levels like this 2008 flood! So, when FEMA buys you out ...say like $25,000 or something I think may have been an avg (I don't know for sure)...then it becomes property of the city but cannot be built on to live in or have a business. The lots we are restoring have been this Vets Memorial, 4 Season Perennial Garden, Town Square Gazebo lot & a Community Gardens lot. We have written grants, raised money ...many of it donations & that's how we are doing it...we are wearing down as it is many retired people working long & hard...but we promised our community that we would have the 3 lots done by 1st week of June for the local yearly 'Beaver Creek Days.' It's all very worthwhile to all of us & brings a sense of pride back into the community. Thanks for asking, luvs & I appreciate all the comments from you 'Holiday-ers!' Jeanne S.

Hi! How is everybody doing? I am waiting to hear more about Zig's meet up with Maddie. Inquiring minds, you know.... Raeanne, have you been kayaking yet? My DS turns 18 at the end of August and I do believe that I'll buy myself a kayak. Kind of a thank you present TO MYSELF!!! for having raised 2 decent kids lol! DeeMarie, how is the knee holding up? Swimming sounds like an excellent idea. NH Suzanne, I am sure that you did not deserve to have your butt kicked. The visual on that has me ROFL! This has been a very good week for me all the way around. The weather is very warm (too warm!) but the days are just beautiful with clear blue skies and a light breeze. I am right on track with diet and ALMOST there with the exercise. Back later, I hope everyone has a very nice day. Tikanas

After some consideration of my earlier post here, I offer my apology for having made it on this thread, as I did not intend it in any way to detract from your appreciation of the service that military people have given, including death for many. While I consider that the point that I made is valid, I think that I should have made it on a separate thread. Our May holiday, last weekend, earlier dealing with our queen of the late 1800s, has been just a holiday for many years, with no military connotations. We remember their contributions on November 11, which we used to call "Armistice Day", related mainly to te multiplied thousands who were killed in World War I, and later in World War II and Korea. Our family has more reason than many to be thankful for the soldiers' contribution, for Grandpa was 54 (Dad 13) in 1914, when World WarI began. When World War II began in 1939, Dad at 38 had a wife in the chronic hospital, an old mother 77 and me, aged 10 plus 2 younger brothers and a fairly large farm to look after. Korea was not a major deal here, I wondered about going, but was busy in University at the time. I finished just as the Korean War was winding down and asked to be appointed as a missionary of our (liberal Protestant)(1) church, to help heal the wounds of war in Korea, then spent 10 years there. I do not like war. So our family, not having been personally involved in war, have reason to be more thankful than many for the gift of their lives that many soldiers have been called upon to make. I drove my son, who has lived all of his life in Canada, a dual citizen, to Toronto to register for the U.S. draft in the late '70s, when he was near or at 18 ... but he has not served. He was in the Canadian Navy Officers' Training or Reserves for a while, while he was in University, and spent a summer with them, but did not continue. When given an order, he had a tendency to ask the officer to give him three reasons why he should follow it. I think that he and the Navy felt that they would not make a good fit. Good wishes to you all as you remember later today, Memorial Day. ole joyful 1. When I started university in 1947, I was assigned a room in our seminary dorm that had been furnished in tribute to our first ordained female clergyperson, which took place in the 1930s on the Prairies, I think. Most of the Presbyterians, the Methodists and the Congregationalists (plus a number of local union churches, mainly in the recently-settled Prairies) joined into The United Church of Canada in 1925. o j