Perspective

This morning I had to pick up something at the local Big Box. Not thinking this is the weekend before the holiday, I expected a quick & easy errand. NOT! All the crazies were there and out on the streets. I was going to stop at the craft store but decided I wasn't up for that heavy-traffic part of town.

So I came home, grabbed my camera and a Peppermint Mocha and went in search of hills and fall color. I intended to go to a certain location, but got lost and my phone died. I ended up at Gilcrease Museum and walked some of the grounds.

Notice the brilliant color of the leaves below?

This is the same tree, opposite side.

Kinda like current events. We're all looking at the same tree, but from different sides. We're seeing the same tree in a different light.

So many photos I liked, it was hard to choose. They may seem repetitive, but hopefully you'll enjoy them anyway.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you don't feel thankful, just find some woods and take a quiet walk. It'll come.

The Flag Still Waves

She's been under a lot of attack the past few months. She's not the only one. A song written about her has, after all these years, somehow sparked an angry protest.

Earlier this year, I was privileged to visit the beautiful city of Baltimore and enjoy a water taxi ride to Fort McHenry. This is where a man named Key (always thought there was poetic irony about that name) penned The Star Spangled Banner.

What was once a defense against enemies is now a historic landmark, full of more information than any history book I ever had in my small town school,

A bit over 200 years ago, a soldier stationed here would have looked out and seen, not this expansive bridge, but a mass of British war ships. They had recently attacked Washington DC, burning the Capitol, the Treasury & the President's house and now they were coming for Baltimore.

"It seemed as though mother earth had opened and was vomiting shot and shell in a sheet of fire and brimstone," Key wrote.

The battle was part of the War of 1812. Like all wars, the reasons for it were more complex than we're taught in our school books.

This is the flag room. If I remember right, it's where the soldiers assigned to the flag were quartered. It was a very important job.

This past Sunday, in honor of Veterans Day, recognition of the upcoming Election Day, and kicking off a series on thankfulness, my pastor led the congregation in The Pledge of Allegiance & the singing of The Star Spangled Banner. People stood proudly, some with tears and everyone with hand on heart. 

Almost everyone. 

One person remained seated. We don't know their reason, except that it didn't appear to be due to disability. It was their right, but honestly, I don't understand why someone would bring their offense into this particular church, located in a small mid-America community; and this particular service. This pastor is known as a gracious, loving, accepting man. He's not a political ranter. 

So after 200 years, why all of a sudden is there all this fuss and why are football players leading a "take a knee" protest? As I said above, like most wars, their reason is complex.

America is not perfect. She's made up of imperfect people who in the course of our short history, have done valiant deeds and also made stupid mistakes. We've just held a horribly ugly & divisive election and people are protesting in the streets tonight.

Yet the flag still waves over these waters. Personally, I am very grateful. 

The Khaleesi

Since my introductory post about our new Afghan Hound, we've renamed her Khaleesi, or Khali, for short. Daenerys was a mouthful and Dany just didn't suit her.

She is most definitely a Khaleesi (the word for Queen in the Dothraki language of the fictional world in "A Song of Ice & Fire").

She avoided Blu's chair for about a week, then one morning she casually climbed up and took her throne.

And clearly, she has settled in!