MEMORIAL DAY

Today is Memorial Day a fun three day holiday for many people. It's a time when families gather and place flowers on the graves of their families members who have died and are buried in near by cemeteries. If you don't live where your family is buried, as many of us don't now days, it is still celebrated with families and Bar-B-Q's (if weather permits.) It is also a day when many American flags are put out in honor of our military men and women who have died fighting for our country. I remember when I was a little girl "Decoration Day" was a time of gathering for family and friends up at our little cemetery on the hill. Lilacs and snowballs were gathered to put a few on each grave. We cleaned off the weeds. It was also a time of visiting with old friends who had come to town to tend their graves, compare notes and maybe not see them again until this time next year. The family would have a picnic dinner in our yard and really take advantage of the gathering. We did not know Bar-B-Q's as we do today. A Bar-B-Q is really just grilling meat on a grill, then dousing Bar-B-Q sauce on it. A serious Bar-B-Q is a hole in the ground with a whole animal cooked in it for many hours. But who cares how or what, it's all good and summer says lets eat on the patio. I'm off to Pannier this afternoon for just that.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our Nations service. I am not sure when Memorial Day was started or where, but Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan and first observed May 30, 1868 when flowers are put on graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Soon it was a holiday to honor any one who died in any war. It is the last Monday in May passed by congress as a National three day Holiday in 1971. A drive through any cemetery today is a delight to the eyes........we have not forgotten those family members and friends who are gone.