A Rerun Post for the 4th of July

A is for All of the citizens serving to protect this country and the peace of the world.

M is for Mercy. America has proved time and time again to be a terrible enemy but a merciful victor. This is another tradition I hope and pray we continue to follow even though it undoubtedly makes us appear weak to barbarians.

E is for English, our common tongue. Yes, we butcher the King's version, but American English is vibrant and lively and borrows freely from almost every culture we encounter. Barbecue from the Arawaks, amok from the Moros - if we find a useful word, we'll appropriate it. Look up boondocks, for example!

R is for our Revolution. We won our freedom and we have tried to spread the gospel of freedom.

I is for Invention. America was the first country to recognize intellectual property with a patent system and trademarks. The US Patent Office has patents that you can view online going back to 1790, when our country was barely a going concern. One of our Presidents has even held a patent.

C is for Charity. We excel at it both at home and abroad. If tragedy strikes a community or a country, Americans will be sending soup, bandages and cash within hours - and not primarily through government agencies, but through groups such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and dozens and dozens of smaller groups.

A is for ambition. In America, ambition and hard work can make you. Who your parents were or where they came from is much less important than what you want to achieve and how hard you are willing to work to do so.

The truth about this country is illustrated most vividly in the fact that all over the world in countries of every type, there are people standing in line and staking all they have on a chance to come here, whereas, I am informed, the line to leave here is small.

An honest prayer for President Obama

"Pray
for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

Psalm 109:8 ~ "Let his days be few and brief; and let others step forward to
replace him."

I was in a small accident a couple of weeks ago and got bounced around the interior of the SO’s car. I had my seatbelt on and the airbag deployed and all that, but it’s been a potent reminder that when you have fibromyalgia, everything can be a bit more difficult.

My right leg is still swollen and sore, even though the visible bruises have faded. I have to elevate it every evening for the swelling and aching to go down. And I’m sore and stiff all over in a way that is a continual reminder of the accident and I’ve been very worried that the physical stress from this would put me into a flare up of the fibromyalgia. I think I may have dodged the bullet on that, because I actually got some decent sleep despite a> being on-call and b> sleeping on the guest bed because the waterbed sprung a leak and I’m waiting for a replacement. A week on a regular bed is a potent reminder of ALL of my sore spots.

But I’m getting better – eating lots of fresh cherries and the amazingly sweet Athena cantelope that will be gone in another week or so not to return until next year.

And my garden has started to yield. Mostly tomatoes, but I've had arugula, sugar snap peas (eaten in the pod tossed in salads) and some lovely radishes. Since it is a small, not quite 4 foot by 8 foot bed, the yield has been quite generous. However, it only stokes the desire for a yard where vegetables and flowers and a happy little dog could all have space.