On June 22, Arne and I celebrated 44 years of marriage. It doesn't seem that long since I walked down the aisle of the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Dayton, Iowa, on the arm of my father, to my waiting young Marine.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Happy Anniversary
On June 22, Arne and I celebrated 44 years of marriage. It doesn't seem that long since I walked down the aisle of the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Dayton, Iowa, on the arm of my father, to my waiting young Marine.
Very Hot!
There is a Severe Weather Warning in effect for much of Arizona due to the extreme temperatures. We are currently 109 but I'm sure it's warmer down in the Valley.
We have no plans for this holiday. Arne is clowning at the hospital and I delivered meals to five shut-ins. Will probably watch the fireworks on TV. I always enjoy the show from Washington, D.C.
I have been remembering the 4th of July celebrations from my childhood. My family would drive to Gowrie, Iowa, where a good friend's grandmother lived. Most of the houses would have an American flag flying out front. The town had a patriotic parade in the morning. After a lunch of my mother's delicious fried chicken and potato salad, we'd go to the carnival. It was always a fun day. In high school, I was in marching band and we would march in the parade. I played the clarinet. Played is probably not the right word as I often just pretended to play. I wasn't very coordinated when it came to marching AND playing the clarinet. :-)
We have no plans for this holiday. Arne is clowning at the hospital and I delivered meals to five shut-ins. Will probably watch the fireworks on TV. I always enjoy the show from Washington, D.C.
I have been remembering the 4th of July celebrations from my childhood. My family would drive to Gowrie, Iowa, where a good friend's grandmother lived. Most of the houses would have an American flag flying out front. The town had a patriotic parade in the morning. After a lunch of my mother's delicious fried chicken and potato salad, we'd go to the carnival. It was always a fun day. In high school, I was in marching band and we would march in the parade. I played the clarinet. Played is probably not the right word as I often just pretended to play. I wasn't very coordinated when it came to marching AND playing the clarinet. :-)
God Bless America!
On this Independence Day, I give thanks to God that I live in this great country. I am so proud to be an American! Does that mean America is without faults? Of course not! It is not a Utopia. But no other country in the history of the world has given promise to so many people, liberated so many people with the lives and limbs of our soldiers, nor given so much financial aid. We are a generous people.
The motto "E Pluribus Unum" was first used on our coinage in 1795. Translated from Latin, it most closely means "Out of many, (is) One." or "From many, (comes) One." This country's population has grown through immigration. My mother, Mary Jensen Kalkwarf, came to America from Denmark in 1924 at the age of 7. She came across the Atlantic Ocean with her parents and four sibilings. My grandmother was pregnant at the time. Because my Uncle Henry came down with measles, the family had to spend two weeks on Ellis Island in New York City harbor. I have visited the Ellis Island museum and marveled at the idea of coming to a strange country with five children and a sixth one on the way! It must have been a long hard journey. And then to be separated from your husband for two weeks while you and the children are in quarantine. Denmark was going through rough times but five years after arriving in America, this country was in a Depression.
My mother once told me that she refused to speak Danish after they had settled in Humboldt, Iowa. She said she learned English by listening to others. She did not attend any ESL (English as a Second Language) classes nor were there any government sponsored programs to assist her in learning the language of America, as is the case today. My grandparents learned by this method also. How proud my mother must have been when she became a United States Citizen!
The motto "E Pluribus Unum" was first used on our coinage in 1795. Translated from Latin, it most closely means "Out of many, (is) One." or "From many, (comes) One." This country's population has grown through immigration. My mother, Mary Jensen Kalkwarf, came to America from Denmark in 1924 at the age of 7. She came across the Atlantic Ocean with her parents and four sibilings. My grandmother was pregnant at the time. Because my Uncle Henry came down with measles, the family had to spend two weeks on Ellis Island in New York City harbor. I have visited the Ellis Island museum and marveled at the idea of coming to a strange country with five children and a sixth one on the way! It must have been a long hard journey. And then to be separated from your husband for two weeks while you and the children are in quarantine. Denmark was going through rough times but five years after arriving in America, this country was in a Depression.
My mother once told me that she refused to speak Danish after they had settled in Humboldt, Iowa. She said she learned English by listening to others. She did not attend any ESL (English as a Second Language) classes nor were there any government sponsored programs to assist her in learning the language of America, as is the case today. My grandparents learned by this method also. How proud my mother must have been when she became a United States Citizen!
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