Tuesday, May 31, 2016

MEMORIAL DAY

 
My front entrance


What an awful night I had.  I woke up at 2:30 a.m. with my head pounding.  I sat up for awhile until it let up some and then tried to sleep again.  I slept for a little bit and woke up around 4:00 a.m.  Head pounding again and feeling a little nauseous.  I sat up for around half an hour and then took my thyroid medicine thinking I would just stay up.  I thought of my sister leaving for work while I was sitting there fighting this headache.  But instead of staying up, I fell asleep again.  When I finally woke up my headache was better but it was 10:00 a.m.!  Oh my!  The parade starts around 10:30.  I had to get a move on.

I had fallen asleep on the sofa, so I ran upstairs and got dressed.  Then I grabbed a quick breakfast so that I could take the rest of my medicine and headed across the street where the parade route is.  I have lived in this house for 36 years and think I've missed only 2 parades in all that time.  Maybe one.  So you see the parade is part of my life.

It was a perfect day for a parade:  sunny, around 80*F (27*C) and a nice breeze blowing.  I got there after the parade had started.  My camera battery had died so before I left the house I began charging it.  I was just standing there watching the parade and really wanted to take pictures.  So I went back home, grabbed my phone, and started taking pictures with it.

One of the string bands.

The Girl Scouts

The American Legion

The Police Fife and Drum Corps
 After 20 minutes I knew the phone wouldn't work out so I went inside again, put the partially charged battery in my camera and brought the camera and a folding chair out to the sidewalk.




Another string band.  I tried to get a video of them, but with the sun I couldn't see what I was filming and it didn't turn out.


The R.O.T.C.


Irish Thunder




They came from Cinnaminson, New Jersey


The parade always ends with the fire engine.

And the police.

The Viet Nam Memorial Society is directly across from my house.  Joe just joined the group a couple of months ago.  They take veterans from all conflicts, not just Viet Nam.

Around 3:00 p.m. there was a memorial service across the street for the fallen servicemen from their group.  It was beautiful and touching.



The Irish Thunder group had come back to help with the ceremony.  They played the songs of all the branches of service.  Then several people read the names of those who lost their lives and a bell was rung after each one.




After that there was a gun salute and the bagpipes played "Amazing Grace" with a lone piper finishing and walking away by himself.  It brought tears to my eyes.




For dinner I made barbecued pork chops, baked beans and potato salad.  We had red, white and blue cupcakes for dessert.


Now it's back to real life and a busy week.  It was good to have a day to relax.  And about 8:00 p.m. the headache finally went away.

Until later...

Kathy

10 comments:

  1. What a beautiful Memorial Day! Irish Thunder's music really touches the heart.Your dinner looks delicious. Glad your headache finally went away. woof

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  2. sorry you suffered with that headache but what a great day you had, wonderful parade!! Good supper too lol,,wonder what caused the head ache,, my Prilosec gives me a head ache sometimes,

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    1. I think it was my allergies. The pollen is really bad around here lately.

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  3. What a glorious tribute, and such a wonderful tradition that you just step out your door to the parade. We, too, "Walk Out" to our July 4 parade, and it's always so stirring and sweet---we're in one of the little towns that Indy has grown up around, and so our parade is a combination of bands from military, high schools, and service organizations, with a lot of classic cars and trucks and tractors and floats filled with waving people throwing candy and political knick-knacks.

    When one of the bands strikes up all those service-branch songs, I get all teary every time. And bagpipes---something in my heart and heritage (Irish and Scots) almost sends me to my knees with the marvel and memory of it.

    I'm so glad you're feeling better.

    rachel

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    1. You would have loved this parade, Rachel. It is just as you describe your parade. High school bands, military, service organizations and floats with people throwing candy.

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  4. Replies
    1. Fortunately these headaches are few and far between.

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  5. cupcake is a muffin if you lick the icing off? Right? hahaha! That's from Megan. She saw the photo of your food and said it looked yummy! Thanks for sharing photos of the parade. I've not been to a parade for awhile. A few years ago we went down to Albany for the veteran's day parade when it was a big year. Long parade cuz every body wanted in it, I guess. Glad your headache went away. I had a headache at work today and I know it coincides with what's blooming in the air today. I started to get it again once I left work and met up with Megan for dinner. Allergies are no fun! I worked on Monday so I came home when I got off work and didn't do much but plant my tomatoes, finally!

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  6. Kathy, I am so sorry you had such a headache. I am thankful you did the parade . It was wonderful I loved seeing it. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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