Pinch Me, I'm Irish

Like many Americans, my ancestry is a mish mash, - a heinz 57 of ancestry, if you will.  I know I have Irish ancestry as well as English, German, and Native American and I'm sure there are others.  But today, St. Patrick's Day, I'm going to celebrate my Irish ancestry!  If you want to celebrate too, pin on a shamrock, grab a plate of corned beef and cabbage along with a pint of Guinness and watch out for Leprechauns while I share a little info on these traditions.

St. Patrick

In case you did not know, St. Patrick was not actually Irish. He was a nobleman born in about 400 A.D. in Britain and kidnapped by Irish pirates at the age of 16. He was born into a religious family, but was an atheist early in his life. However, he rediscovered his faith while enslaved in Ireland. After 17 years as a slave, he escaped Ireland and found his way home, but later returned to Ireland as a missionary saying he was ready to die in Ireland in order to make his mission successful. It's unclear if St. Patrick did in fact die in Ireland, but March 17 is widely believed to be the day of his death.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day began as a religious holiday in Ireland but became a celebration because of Irish Americans.  In the United States, St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated with banquets at elite clubs in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga. New York City hosted the first St. Patrick's Day parade in 1762, and by the mid-19th century parades were common.

Shamrocks

The shamrock is used to represent St. Paddy's day because according to St. Patrick's Day lore, Patrick used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the Christian holy trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Traditions as early as the 17th century incorporated the plant, people wore shamrocks on their coats and closed the day by "drowning the shamrock" — placing it in a glass of whiskey before drinking.

Leprechauns

There's also the Irish fairy Cluricaune, a cunning spirit who haunts cellars, drinks, smokes and plays tricks, -or a leprechaun. Today's leprechauns are usually rosy-cheeked, boozy little men in green attire with their pot of gold buried beneath the end of the rainbow.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Although a classic St. Patrick's Day meal, corned beef and cabbage is more American than Irish. Irish Americans in the 19th century were mostly poor. The most affordable meat available was corned beef, and cabbage was a spring vegetable and it's cheap.

Guinness

Well, because it's an Irish stout making it the drink of choice on St. Patrick's Day.

Wearing Green and Getting Pinched

Today we associate the color green with this holiday, but that color has not always been the color used. Blue was the color originally associated with St Patrick's Day, but since Ireland’s nickname is “The Emerald Isle” and because of the green in the flag and the shamrock Patrick used in his teachings about Catholicism, these things played a big role in why green is the color used on this day. As far as the pinching goes, there is a legend that wearing green on this day makes you invisible and therefore leprechauns can’t pinch you because they can’t see you.

So, do you celebrate St. Paddy's Day?  Do follow these traditions or do something different?  Do you have Irish ancestry?

Merry Christmas

Luke 2:1-14

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

I hope everyone has a very blessed holiday filled with lots of love, laughter, and joy.  From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!

Thank You Veterans

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War."

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938 —a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." On June 1, 1954, in the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.

So, today, on this Veteran's Day, take the time to thank a veteran for serving our country and protecting our freedoms.  

Happy Birthday Dad

My Dad in Elementary School

Today is my Daddy's birthday.

He is the world's greatest man in my eyes.

On this, his 68th birthday, we are watching him struggle and the life drain from him.

It is a very painful time in our lives.

But we will cherish every moment we have left.

So here's to my Dad, my first true love.

My dad at around 15 years of age.

Dad in the early 60s working on a fence.

Dad in 1964

My Dad with his dad and grandmother in the early 60s

Dad was what is known in these parts as a 'Shade Tree Mechanic' when he was young and then later in life he owned his own Garage.  My brother still runs this garage today.

My dad with my older sister and myself in 1964

Dad and a baby me in 1964.  You can see my older sister in the background on the left.

My Dad (back row on left) with his parents and his brothers in the early 60s.  Dad had three sisters that are not included in this photo.  My grandfather passed away not long after.

Dad in the mid 60s.  He was a 'stylin' man!

Dad with my Grandma - his mother-in-law.  I've spoke before about living near my Grandma when we were growing up and my Dad always took care of her.

Dad around 1968

Dad with my older sister around 1963

Dad with my sister and I in 1967

Mom and Dad, myself and my sister around 1968 - I started to not include this photo because it has some water damage from being stored in our basement for years but I loved my mom's dress and decided to share it anyway.

Me and my Dad playing a game at my 16th Birthday party in 1980

My Dad playing in the kiddie pool with the Grandkids in 2002

My Dad with my twins in 1994

Dad clearing off some property.  He was always working, not one to sit still very long.

Dad in 2005 with 9 of his 20 grandchildren and 2 of his 14 great-grandchildren.

Dad in 1975

 Happy Birthday Daddy!!

On This Day: Gone With the Wind

On this day in 1936, Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone with the Wind, was published. It went on to be one of the best selling novels of all time and the basis for the 1939 movie.

In 1926, after a series of physical injuries, Margaret was forced to quit her job as a reporter at the Atlanta Journal. She grew restless with so much time on her hands, and with the aid of her typewriter, a gift from her husband, she began telling the story of an Atlanta belle named Pansy O'Hara.

In telling the story of Pansy's life through the Civil War and beyond, Margaret drew on the tales she had heard from her parents and other relatives, as well as Confederate war veterans she had met as a young girl. She was very secretive about her work but she eventually gave the manuscript to an editor from MacMillan Publishing. He encouraged her to complete the novel, with one important change: the heroine's name. Margaret agreed, changed it to Scarlett, and now it's one of the most memorable names in the history of literature.

When it was published, Gone with the Wind caused a sensation in Atlanta and went on to sell millions of copies in the United States and throughout the world. It drew some criticism for its romanticized view of the Old South and its slaveholding elite, but its epic tale of war, passion and loss captivated readers far and wide. In 1937 Margaret won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and by this time a movie project was already in the works. The film was produced by Hollywood giant David O. Selznick, who paid Mitchell a record-high $50,000 for the film rights to her book.

Even though they were plagued with problems on set, Gone with the Wind nonetheless became one of the highest-grossing and most acclaimed movies of all time, breaking box office records and winning nine Academy Awards out of 13 nominations.

If you have never read Gone With The Wind, I highly recommend it. This is easily my most favorite novel of all time and is so much more in depth than the film. You really get a sense of who Scarlett truly is and why she does the things she does to survive.

Retro Gran's First Blogiversary

Today marks one year since the start of this blog.  Wow!  I can't hardly believe how the time has flown.  I guess what they say is true, time flies when you're having fun.

The beautiful Ginger Rogers.  Tumblr Image source

What a year it has been.  I started this blog to document my adventures into the vintage world.  To share my mistakes along the way and the triumphs as well.  To share the difficulty of finding vintage in an extremely small town, let alone being brave enough to wear it out for others to see.  Small town life is not the easiest to be different in, you stand out, get talked about and looked at.  As I have gotten older I have learned that I have to be true to who I am, this is me - Mother, Grandmother, Wife, Daughter, Sister and Friend, and lover of all things vintage.  It has been nice to find a home through the internet in which I can be myself and share my love of vintage with those of you who have the same love.

I am not a writer so I am sure I have had tons of grammatical errors as well as difficulties with getting my words to portray my thoughts and feelings.  But, it is getting easier and evolving over time.  Reading all of your blogs has been a great inspiration to me, you have taught me so much.

I didn't start out blogging with any type of set schedule and still only blog when I feel I have something to say or share.  I've heard that this is a big no-no for building a readership, but feel that at this time it is best for me - and I'm sure no one would want to read something that feels forced.  I am patient, if nothing else.  You can't raise six children and not be.  I believe if you build it, they will come.

Thank you all so much for visiting, commenting, encouraging and supporting me.  This past year I have seen great joy and experienced great heartaches.  But isn't that life?  The trick is to focus on the joys, to do those things which make you happy, and to take each day at a time.  Blogging makes me happy and all of you have brought tremendous joy to my life.  Meeting each of you, if only through the blogging community, has been a true blessing to me.  Thanks for sticking around.  I look forward to the next year together.

Remembering The Fallen

Today is Memorial Day and it is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our Nation's service.  It was originally called Decoration Day, because of decorating the graves as a way to honor the war dead.  The origins of the day are not readily agreed upon, but it is known that groups of Southern women as far back as during the Civil War, were decorating the graves of the Confederate soldiers. Regardless of where the day got its start, the day is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Lovely patriotic basket of red poppies.  Image source.

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies

In 1915, Moina Michael penned the poem above then she conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. 

Madam Guerin, visiting the United States from France, learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and upon returning to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. 

This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. 

In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Postage stamp honoring Moina Michael

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

3rd US Infantryman placing flags in Arlington Cemetery.   Image Source

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. 

BSA decorating graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. 

Fredericksburg National Cemetery Luminaria

More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

Civil War veteran's resting place near our home in Virginia.  Photo taken by me.

How is it that over the years the true meaning and spirit of Memorial Day have faded away? It should be considered a national day of mourning.  We need to remember with sincere respect, those who paid the price for our freedoms; we need to keep in sacred remembrance those who died serving their country. We need to never let them be forgotten.

We need to stop and pay, with sincere conviction, our respects for those who died protecting and preserving the freedoms we enjoy, for we owe those honored dead more than we can ever repay.

Today, I remember.

Happy Birthday To My Man

Today is the Mister's 60th birthday! I thought it would be interesting to learn what was taking place in 1953 so I did a little research and this is what I came up with. First, I found a site that told exactly what was happening on the day of his birth:

It was Friday, under the sign of Taurus. The US president was Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican). In that special week of April people in US were listening to The Doggie in the Window by Patti Page. In UK, I Believe by Frankie Laine was in the top 5 hits. The War of the Worlds, directed by Byron Haskin, was one of the most successful movies released in 1953.

I was still interested in what else happened the year he was born so I looked further and found out that the Chevy Corvette was invented that year.

From Here To Eternity was released that year and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture the following year, with Donna Reed winning Best Supporting Actress and Frank Sinatra winning Best Supporting Actor from the same movie.

Roman Holiday was also released that year and Audrey Hepburn took home the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Princess Ann.

In April 1953, Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in the U.K.

On June 2, 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey.

On June 19, 1953, American Communists Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for conspiracy to commit espionage.

In December 1953, Hugh Hefner published the first issue of Playboy magazine, which featured Marilyn Monroe on the cover.

Wow!  What a year!  So many things that are icons today were just starting then. And best of them all, my husband was born.  Happy Birthday dear!

Raising The Flag

On this day, February 23, 1945, during the battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, the highest point on the island of Iwo Jima and a key strategic point. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment of the 5th Division take the crest of Mount Suribachi, the island's highest peak and most strategic position, and raise the U.S. flag. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them and recorded the event. American soldiers fighting for control of Suribachi's slopes cheered the raising of the flag.  Several hours later, Marine commanders decide to raise a second, larger flag and more Marines headed up to the crest with the larger flag. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, met them along the way and recorded the raising of the second flag along with a Marine still photographer and a motion-picture cameraman.  The resulting photograph became a defining image of the war, the most reproduced photograph in history and won Rosenthal a Pulitzer Prize.

Photograph of Flag Raising on Iwo Jima, 02/23/1945
(NWDNS-80-G-413988; ARC Identifier: 520748);
General Photographic File of the Department of Navy, 1943 - 1958;
General Records of the Department of the Navy, 1804 - 1958;
Record Group 80; National Archives.

Although the famous photograph has long led people to believe that the flag-raising was a turning point in the fight for Iwo Jima, vicious fighting to control the island actually continued for 31 more days and three of the six soldiers seen raising the flag in the famous Rosenthal photo, were killed before the conclusion of the Battle for Iwo Jima in late March.

By March 3, U.S. forces controlled all three airfields on the island, and on March 26 the last Japanese defenders on Iwo Jima were wiped out. Only 200 of the original 22,000 Japanese defenders were captured alive. More than 6,000 Americans died taking Iwo Jima, and some 17,000 were wounded.

In 1951, work commenced on creating a cast bronze memorial based on the photo, with the figures 32 feet tall and the flagpole 60 feet long. The granite base of the memorial bears two inscriptions:

• "In honor and memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since 10 November 1775"
• "Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue." 

The location and date of every major Marine Corps engagement up to the present are inscribed around the base of the memorial. 

The memorial was officially dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on November 10, 1954, the 179th anniversary of the Marine Corps. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued a proclamation that a Flag of the United States should fly from the memorial 24 hours a day, one of the few official sites where this is required.

Less well-known is the fact that the large bronze memorial was not the first statue created.  The first was a 12 1/2-foot-tall statue created soon after the event. The original smaller statue of the U.S. flag raising at Iwo Jima in 1945 went up for auction recently at a New York auction dedicated to World War II artifacts but went unsold.  You can read that story here.

What a great tribute to the men who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.