Ode of Remembrance

World War I, or the First World War, formerly called The Great War, was a major war centered in Europe that began in August 1914 and lasted until November 1918.

The poet Laurence Binyon wrote "For the Fallen (first published in September 1914) while sitting on the cliffs between Pentire Point and The Rumps. A stone plaque was erected in 2001 to commemorate the fact. The plaque bears the inscription "For the Fallen/Composed on these cliffs 1914". The plaque also bears below this the fourth stanza (sometimes referred as the Ode of Remembrance) of the poem:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

The poem honored the World War I British war dead of that time and in particular the British Expeditionary Force, which has by then already high casualty rates on the developing Western Front. Over time, the third and fourth stanzas of the poem were claimed as a tribute to all casualties of war, regardless of state.

My Dahlias....

While most of the states are suffering from the extended heat, here in Oregon we are having a pleasant, moderate summer. Our spring was cool and very wet, therefore my garden looks like a jungle now. I am spending few hours every day pulling weeds and trimming flowers and bushes, and by the evenings I am aching and exhausted. But my flowers are exceptionally beautiful this summer.

Do you know what this is?

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home of the 4th Infantry Division. It will eventually shipped home and put into the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas.

The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Suddam that dotted Baghdad. Kalat was so grateful for the America's liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors.

Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months. To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.

Silverton Reservoir (Oregon)

Although not so popular as the nearby Silver Falls State Park (which is upstream from this reservoir), this small park offers some beautiful locations for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and peaceful spots to set up a hammock for a nice afternoon nap.

My younger son, George flew up from California to be with me during my second eye surgery in a month. He loves the outdoors and took me for a little hiking to the reservoir on the day after my surgery. Nothing makes me to heal faster than the fresh air in a beautiful surrounding.

Summer is here again...

A beautiful bouquet from Thormane, Margit Kiss, Hungarian artist (Eger, 1901 - Nagybanya, December 24, 1977).

Don't Cry for Me Argentina, Elaine Paige

This video is available again. She gives me so much joy, I would like to share her with you.

On Memorial Day...

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who died in all wars.