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In the US we have arrived at the first big weekend of summer–Memorial Day.
Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May. Originally called Decoration Day, this holiday was begun to honor the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. In the 20th century it was expanded to remember all the fallen.
Many decorate military graves with American flags to commemorate this day. Parades abound. Fireworks. Picnics. Beer.
Though the calendar indicates summer begins in June and ends in September, for most summer begins at Memorial Day and ends at Labor Day.
I will be watching baseball, eating hot dogs, ignoring the apple pie, and hey I drive a Chevrolet.
How about you? How do you celebrate Memorial Day?
49 Comments on “Summer Begins!”
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Sadly I don’t celebrate Memorial Day but I do honour those who have fallen on ANZAC and Remembrance Days. I do plan to spend the rest of this weekend doing housework type things such as vacuuming the carpet (and spiders) folding my washing and reading. I have to do the reading thing.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 5:08 am.
Sounds like my usual weeknd.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:28 am.
Doing the reading thing is in an attempt to distract me from going nuts over just how long it is taking for Tuesday to arrive when New Guy will be buying a little old test for me.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 9:12 am.
I’ve got a wallet full of quarters because it’s also the start of traffic light fund raising season. Any worthy Vet related organization is getting a few bucks and probably some paper money too.
I’ll watch the parade my town does from my balcony, a convenient side street parade.
No BBQs planned. But reading and self indulge. Lots of self indulgence.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 6:08 am.
I haven’t gotten a poppy yet. Need to get out more.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:28 am.
here our kick off to the summer was last weekend- Victoria Day Weekend!
I celebrated by going to PEI to stay with a cherished friend in her newly built home in—-wait for it- Victoria!. Victoria by the Sea actually, if you want to get technical about the town’s title. there were no parades, but 2 couch potatoe greyhounds and a bossy cat. plus lots of yummy food, lovely people, and a nightly game of Bananagrams. so much fun. No BBQ, as her deck isnt built yet. her “lawn” is a mass of dirt with the occasional puff of grass. that is how new the place is.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 6:29 am.
Sounds like you had a great time. What is ‘bananagrams’?
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 7:48 am.
Bananagrams is a word game similar to scrabble mixed with a crossword puzzle. you each get letter tiles and build your own words down and across. dicarding one gets you 3, “peel” means you need a new tile from the pile, so everyone is also forced to take one. Once the pile of tiles are gone, the first to use all of theirs yells Banana. then of course there is the friendly bickering over whether these are actual words. Sometimes it’s fast, and other times it’s pleasant to putter along slowly. It was developed for kids but a great number of adults like it too.
Keila introduced it to me over the weekend. I’m planning to buy a pack of my own, as you can play by yourself as well. It comes in a cute yellow banana pouch.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 1:06 pm.
Sounds perfect!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:28 am.
I think I started yesterday by eating some juicy, flavorful watermelon. I plan on catching a parade and having a BBQ. First, I have to work. So let me get this over with, then I’ll celebrate Memorial Day and relax some. Early next week I head to my favorite city, Savannah for a few days. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 7:10 am.
Savannah!!! I love that place!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:29 am.
We are having the family/friends picnic on Monday afternoon after the parade. We only have to walk to the end of our street to see it.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 7:19 am.
When there’s a parade here it’s very close to my house to. So convenient.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:29 am.
No real plans, hopefully get to the cementary to put a flag on my dads grave. Watch the local parade on Monday.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 7:35 am.
Have fun!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:30 am.
Well, I am using Saturday to get the grocery shopping done and the laundry…as well as a few other household chores.
I have to make some pasta salad for a cook-out tomorrow, too.
The hubby is putting on our new storm door and although I would rather the house get power-washed today, he has other ideas…and hey, since I am not doing either of those manly chores, I’ll have to let him be his own Captain.
Other than the cook-out, not much else planned. I’d love to go shopping and get a few summer outfits, but I hate shopping for clothes, so I only do it when I’m desperate – or have good coupons. LOL
Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! I figure since they are giving me an extra day off, I have no choice BUT to enjoy it!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 7:52 am.
I am making pasta salad too. Then there are the traditional WI brats. I might even make a cake. Must REALLY be a celebration.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:31 am.
Morning ladies!
We normally get together with DH’s family for cookouts and swimming (my SIL has a pool and she lives near the beach to boot) but this year, I think we’ll be staying home. Looked at the weather this morning and there is a low level tropical storm heading this way. Looks like Sunday night into Monday is when we’ll be getting the rain and wind. We need the rain badly so I am not complaining
DH is going golfing with his brother toady so it is up to me to entertain the munchkin. Maybe we’ll make today a beach day since we’ve not been for a while….
Guess I best get moving and get stuff done before it gets too late since the temps here have been hovering near 90 earlier and earlier in the day. Gotta love Florida living!
Thank you to all of the past and present military for protecting our rights and freedoms as we know them!!!!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:30 am.
A pool and a beach works for me!
Supposed to be 92 here this weekend. And in WI that’s just not right.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:57 am.
I will be in the garden.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 9:19 am.
Sounds lovely. Raining here. :/
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 9:29 am.
This year I will be painting. We have a family event coming up at my house and it needs some TLC prior to it.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 9:28 am.
I’m sure it’ll be gorgeous when you’re done.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 9:30 am.
Today, as soon as Prince Geezer emerges from his room, we are tackling his office. At least he agreed to it, we’ll see if he changes his mind. Then, as a reward, we are going on a scenic drive Sunday, then tackling more of the house MOnday and having a friend of his over for something grilled.
Wish me luck – where’s Neicy and the Hoarders crew when ya need ‘em?
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 10:37 am.
Best of luck to you, Sheridan, on something that will probably drive you nuts!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 10:54 am.
lol many thanks, I think you’re right.. so the luck is appreciated.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:08 am.
IV goes over to his dad’s place and tosses garbage cans full of stuff when he’s away fro a weekend. It’s sad. Good luck with that.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:17 am.
How’s this plan going so far?
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 5:22 pm.
Our town goes all out for Memorial Day. First there is a parade, then starts a bike race that draws participants from all over that lasts most of the day. There’s music featuring live bands that lasts for hours. They close off Main Street all the way down to in front of my building for the event.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:01 am.
Sounds like great fun!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:18 am.
It is going to be a slow weekend for me. We got a lot done yesterday. We got the graves decorated, but probably need to check on them again since we had a wind storm last night. We went though some more of Grandma’s stuff. Grandma had a lot of stuff. Hopefully the Goodwill is open today. Mom needs a new ‘fridge. So, we might try to find a nice Memorial Day sale for her. Overall, just a nice, relaxing time.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:09 am.
There are Memorial Day sales everywhere. Oldest son is looking at cars.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:19 am.
It will be a pretty normal weekend for me. Catching up on laundry and such. We will be raising the flag on Monday and even though hubbys mouth still has issues from surgery (his own making)and he can’t eat alot of food, I’m still BBQing some ribs and corn on the cob for me!
Hoping for a little sunny weather so I can play in the garden but we are still under the Orange Show curse and it’s a little drizzly outside
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:34 am.
Corn on the cob! Don’t have it here yet but love it!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 1:44 pm.
We’ll be going to the farmer’s market in a bit with a trip to the grocery store a little later today to get some bbq supplies. I think we’ll be getting some stuff accomplished around the house – a little cleaning, a little yardwork, etc.
I hope the weather warms up enough, so we can go to the beach on Monday. Although, we might not be able to get into the water because the conditions are supposed to be rough. But hanging out close to the shore, making sand castles with the kids, is still fun.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 12:08 pm.
Water COLD here but pretty.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 1:45 pm.
The water’s pretty cold here, too. It has to be an El Nino year for me to go swimming in the Pacific – or we have to be in Hawaii.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 1:53 pm.
I’m celebrating Memorial Day by… writing! LOL I’m so loving the story I’m working on (a Fool’s Gold book for next year) that I don’t want to take a break this weekend, especially since I’m going on book tour to Georgia then New York next week.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 3:29 pm.
Sounds like a great weekend to me, Susan. And a great week to come. Have fun!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 4:02 pm.
We have our flags flying loud and proud outside and we always say a prayer of thanks for all that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom–either by sending a family member into battle or by dying in uniform. I was raised to be very thankful because my daddy fought in WWII, and there were so many that he fought with that didn’t get to make it home, and he always wanted us to be aware and grateful, and it stuck with me.
Normally, we are watching baseball, eating hot dogs or hamburgers and going to the lake. This year will be different because my poor hub and my SIL will be working because their boss doesn’t believe in holidays apparently…. :[ So, as it will just be the three of us girls, we will probably be watching Cinderella or when my granddaughter takes a nap, some cool chick flick.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 3:40 pm.
Cinderella and a chick flick. Works for me.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 4:03 pm.
We celebrated our unofficial start to summer last weekend with Victoria Day. We spent the day at the lake and the night curled up watching fireworks. With the weather we have been having lately, summer feels like it started a month ago.
This morning we had our community yardsale. It was nice to catch up with neighbours that had been hibernating all winter.
Tomorrow I plan to sit outside with a glass or 2 of wine and start a new book.
Happy Memorial Day to everyone States side!
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 3:50 pm.
Wine and a book is the perfect day.
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 4:04 pm.
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Posted on May 28, 2012 at 12:14 pm.
With my extended family at a picnic in WV (sisters, parents, cousins, etc).
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 11:04 pm.
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