I love patriotic holidays!

Another Memorial Day - I have posted one each year since I started my blog in 2009!  That year we went to the ceremony at Fort Snelling - great music, long winded talking head politicians....what's new with that?  Today I talked Dear Patient Ross into attended the ceremony at the Bloomington City Cemetery.  Had never been there but I have been thinking I would like to be buried there.  It's a good deal and the requirement is to be a Bloomington resident for 10 years.  I will be that in September!

This was the firing of the guns, taps and everyone standing at attention.  We also heard a couple short speeches and a longer tribute of several patriotic songs on a harmonica (no accompaniment) by a 97 year old veteran, the only living one left from the USS Nevada in Pearl Harbor - wow.  He could play without stopping and loved it.  Memorial Day is set aside to honor those who have lost their lives in service to the country.  We need to remember that!

Cute little parade where the Bloomington police handed out stickers, people with ice cream buckets handed out taffy and freeze pops - reminded me of Red Lake Falls.
Noticed this group - the DAR - "Any woman 18 years or older-regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background-who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership".  I cannot be a member but my daughter can because my mother-in-law was!  We have the documents to prove it.

Thinking about our Veterans always brings me back to our trip and the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in France - actually I "stole" this picture from son Chris who was there last fall and had better pictures.  It was one of my most memorable trips ever.

So I get home and decide after the 93 and humid yesterday today is a good day for a bike ride.  Still have my 2010 "I Ride for Amy Griffin Jones" on my bike.  Took a new path and thought about my recent bike ride with Alex behind me as I slowed down "Grammy if you stand up on the pedals going uphill it is much easier" - I am 65, he is 7!

We are way above on rainfall and this is the falls at Normandale Lake on the way home on my bike ride - rushing like a small Niarara Falls....beautiful.

So thanks to all those have served our country including my brothers and my father!  My Grandma Schultz played the harmonica and I wish she could have taught me.