My Report On The U.S. Flag Complete With Commentary

June 14, 2013June 14, 2013 / Ally Bean / 33 Comments

Today is Flag Day. On this date in 1777, the Continental Congress officially approved the design of the U.S. flag as we know it today.

• But you knew that, of course. You paid attention in history class and it’s right there on your calendar, in small print.

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In adopting the flag the Continental Congress stated: “Resolved, That the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” It is interesting to note that the colors of red – white – blue did not have meanings when this resolution was adopted.

In 1818, after 5 more states joined the Union, the U.S. Congress passed legislation fixing the number of stripes at 13 and requiring that the number of stars equal the number of states.

• Smart thinking if you ask me. Have a plan, stick to it.

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In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson declared June 14th as a national day of recognition for the flag. According to this declaration, the flag is to be flown everywhere on this day, not just on government buildings and schools.

In 1949, while President Truman was in office, the U.S. Congress established June 14 as National Flag Day. The next year on June 14th he proclaimed it as such. However, this does not make June 14th an official federal holiday so no one gets the day off from work because of this Act of Congress.

• I fail to see the reason why the U.S. Congress did what they did, but that’s nothing new.

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The U.S. flag has three nicknames: “Stars and Stripes” – “Star-Spangled Banner” – “Old Glory.” And as you can imagine, no matter what you call it, there are etiquette rules for flying the U.S. flag. Reading through them you will discover that We, The People, break these rules almost daily.

• I direct your attention to the Decorative section of the list. ‘Nuff said.

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In 1960, on July 4th, the last new star was added to the flag when Hawaii became the 50th state. That is the last time there has been a change to the U.S. flag itself. But there is more to the story than mere design changes. You see, on June 14, 2004, the U.S. Congress unanimously voted to declare that Flag Day originated in Ozaukee County, Waubeka Wisconsin, thereby acknowledging another little known historical fact.

And with that I have nothing more to add to this report. ‘Tis time for me to go put my cute little red, white & blue flags in my large ~~blue~~ green flower pots filled with dark pink geraniums, so that I can say that I’m [stylishly] observing this holiday.

• How about you? What are you going to do to celebrate Flag Day?

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Revenge, I Now Know, Is Lime Green

June 12, 2013February 3, 2015 / Ally Bean / 27 Comments

Sherwin-Williams 7005 Pure White

A few years ago I attended a good-bye party for a woman who lived across the street. At this party were other neighbors who I met for the first time. One was a nice woman who, until not too long ago, lived up the street.

During the party this woman got talking about her husband who feared color. She told me that he would only allow her to have pure white walls and trim in their house.

Fear? Allow? Say what?! What decade is this?

Naturally I was curious. So I asked her how fear of color manifested. I mean, I dislike certain shades of color but I do not fear them. They are not my enemies. I do not cower in their presence.

She told me that for her husband seeing anything that wasn’t uniform made him uneasy– so much so that different shades of any color, including white, were anxiety producing for him. She also said that they had nothing hanging on the walls because that made him crazy, too.

I asked her if she, too, feared color. But she didn’t. In fact, she volunteered that she liked all colors a lot.

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Sherwin-Williams 6921 Electric Lime

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I was out for a walk and saw a For Sale sign in the front yard of this couple’s house.

Not surprisingly, they had divorced.

She had kept the house for a while after the divorce, but now had put the property on the market using a realtor who always puts photos from inside the house on the For Sale sign outside the house.

When I got a close-up of the For Sale sign I almost couldn’t stop laughing. On the sign was one large photo of the interior of this modern, open-concept house which features 14′ cathedral ceilings on the first floor.

And what color were these large dramatic walls inside this house? They were a shade of citrus-y lime green so glaringly bright that parrots would look pale standing near them. Bold + loud. A decidedly in-your-face color.

Yes, that’s the color that this newly divorced woman painted the walls after all those years of living with a color-phobic husband. And, damn, do those walls look good. Finally.

Way to make a statement, girlfriend. Way to go. 😉

Not Lonely, Not Bored

June 10, 2013June 10, 2013 / Ally Bean / 24 Comments

The Forest Primeval says Good Morning to You.

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Another rainy morning here. Unlike earlier this Spring when the rain made me cranky, this rain is soothing. Now that bushes and flowers are in bloom the different colors outside combined with the rain make the scene look serene. Funny what a few weeks will do to a person’s perspective.

Seeing as the forecast says that this rain will continue most of the day, I’ve gathered my favorite electronic gadgets* and am thinking that I’ll make a nest for myself on the TV room sofa. We’ve got lots of pillows in there and with the window blinds up, I’ll be able to watch the subtle changes in the trees in the Forest Primeval [aka our back yard] without getting damp.

Only five years ago a Summer day like this one would have made me irritable. But today, thanks to wi-fi, I can sit anywhere in the house and not feel lonely or put out by the weather. Thinking about it I realize that this development might be one of the biggest changes in my lifetime. Used to be that a rainy day meant only reading a book sitting in a corner all by myself.

However, now in addition to reading a book I can: connect – research – catch-up – enjoy without going outside in the muddy, wet world. This is progress, my gentle readers. Oh yes it is. Don’t try to tell me otherwise.

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* On ~~deck~~ sofa for today are:

my [new] Kindle – reading a book
my [relatively new] iPad – watching a TV show or a movie, tweeting on Twitter
my [ancient] Motorola clamshell wireless phone – chatting, texting with whomever about whatever, as usual
my [almost new] Nikon Coolpix camera – observing the world in case there’s a photo opportunity
my [old] MacBook – reading + commenting on blogs, writing a post should the muse strike

2 Movies, 2 Books & 1 Complete Blank

June 7, 2013May 6, 2021 / Ally Bean / 16 Comments

As part of my attempt to live a more balanced life in 2013, I have given myself the assignment to watch 2 movies and to read 2 books each month. Here is my May report.

2 Movies

Small, Beautifully Moving Parts – Clever + truthful. A pregnant, techie-oriented woman, who lives in NYC, goes to LA so that her sister may give her a proper baby shower. Once on the west coast, the mother-to-be decides to visit her divorced parents. Her father’s reaction to seeing her is delight, but her off-the-grid mother’s reaction is alternately hilarious or sad. Recommended if you like honest characters + quiet triumphs.

Jesus Henry Christ – Tedious + confused. I wanted to like this movie produced by Julia Roberts, but I didn’t. The premise is that a brilliant 10-year-old boy, whose mother had in vitro fertilization, decides to find out who his biological father really is– and he does. But the plot dragged on and the characters were of the over-the-top-but-supposed-to-be-endearing variety so that nothing in the story seemed interesting or plausible or worth caring about. Not recommended.

2 Books

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Extraordinary + compelling. Rebecca Skloot tells the true story of how one woman’s cells, taken from her without her permission, came to be first “immortal” human cells grown in a medical lab at Johns Hopkins University. Plus, Skloot tells the story of Henrietta’s life, her children’s lives and all the subsequent injustices done to all of them. Recommended if you like medical history + family stories that span generations.

Too Much Happiness – Well-written, but forgettable. I know that Alice Munro is a writer with an enthusiastic following so I decided to read one of her books. This book of 10 short stories was, perhaps, not her best effort– or maybe I don’t get her. I found the stories to be depressing &/or mundane; so much so that even her smooth writing couldn’t overcome it. Recommended if you like glimpses into the darker side of human nature + need something to read that’s easy to put down and pick up as need be.

1 Complete Blank

In this spot I like to share something clever or funny that I saw/read/heard during the month, but I’m coming up with a blank here. Oh well, whatever. If anyone has something inspiring or cheerful that could be in this spot, just let me know & in it goes. If not, I suggest that we all be like Quakers at a Sunday meeting and sit here silently reflecting upon the Divine. The choice is yours, gentle readers.

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[As promised above, I’ve added your ideas to inspire or cheer thus filling in my Complete Blank.]

1) From Polly at caughtwriting, an Emily Dickinson quote: