Always Faithful, Doberman, Military Working Dog, MWD, World War II Memorial, War Dog Cemetery located on Navel Base Guam – Photo © by Beverly & Pack – Courtesy of PhotoDropper
I remember when my father passed away in 1999. He was a WWII Veteran. They paid tribute to him by presenting a 21-gun salute and playing taps at his funeral. It was a moving ceremony for my sister and me. I know he would have been honored.
I’m falling in love again with a little girl named Patsy. I’ve lost touch with her since I grew up. You may say I abandoned her, when I moved on to what was accepted and required. She grew pigtails, climbed trees and built houses in the dirt. We used to play and had a loving, imaginary friend that was always with us. (You’re right ― that’s me.)
Patsy © Pat Ruppel
They were happy, carefree days with warm summer breezes and cloudless skies, where she played with cousins and ran barefoot in the dirt. Continue reading
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2014 Pat Ruppel 
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Free Image Photo ― Tony Spina/The Detroit Free Press ― Courtesy of Mia Watkins Author – Alabama Blogs and Bloggers (http://www.al.com/blogs/)
Monday, we remember Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his commitment to freedom and equality of every human, no matter color of skin, gender, what you do or from where you come. He sacrificed his life proclaiming freedom, not with violence but with love. I believe we have made progress, since I was a kid growing up in the ‘40’s, ‘50’s and ‘60’s. But, it has been painfully slow.
It brought it all home to me on the severity of cruelty and hate, when I watched an old documentary on Turner Classic Movies the end of last year on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. It was directed by Frank Capra on WWII and why we fight. Continue reading
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Pat Ruppel
American Flag Photo – Microsoft Clipart
It’s Election Day for Americans. We’ve listened and watched as the candidates gave their spiel repeatedly on TV, radio commercials, through internet and newspaper reviews nonstop for the last 2 years.
By now, near sundown, I would venture to say most have cast their vote and maybe most 2 years ago already knew for whom they would vote.
Americans, we are a curious lot with our mixture of beliefs, passions, love of freedom and country. Though weary sometimes of the process, we wouldn’t trade anything for the right to vote and honor it as a privileged part of our heritage.
I remember the year I turned 21 and was eligible to vote for the first time. It was memorable to me because of our location and the time in history. Our country was still fighting the Viet Nam War and my husband and I, stationed in the Air Force, lived in a small town in Virginia. Instead of base housing, we rented an upper-story vacant, southern house surrounded by a network of corn and potato fields and miles of country roads.
It was a slower pace of living, far from the big cities and traffic lights. A mile from our house was an old-style country store along one of those back roads. It looked as if it had been an old farm-house at one time with wooden steps going up an old porch leading to a weathered screen door on the front. It was the local polling place.
My husband being in the military had already cast his absentee ballot and accompanied me up the steps to inquire about voting where there was an old man cutting a child’s hair. Yes, this is where I was to vote and I truly didn’t know what to expect. It’s a little difficult to paint this picture, as I felt as if I had been transported to an era 40 years prior.
We stepped inside surprised to see a lot of people. They were picking up a few groceries and voting at the same time. I got in line with the others to get my paper ballot, then moved on to find my spot at one of the few counters spread throughout the store, write in my vote and deposit it in a big box by the cash register. There was nothing fancy or commercial, just simple and warm exercising my God-given freedom.
No matter what party you’re affiliated with or what candidate you chose, I hope you voted today and maybe stopped for a moment to feel the love in your heart for this great country and the many people who have fought and are still fighting for it ~~ Thank you!
“American the Beautiful” – Ray Charles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOvA-Hn4_ZM