Scrappy Sunday: Lest We Forget

In the US, tomorrow is Memorial Day. Memorial Day, observed on the final Monday in May, is a day to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Originally known as Decoration Day, it began soon after the American Civil War to commemorate the more than 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who died in that war.

Many people visit the gravesites of their ancestors on this day, whether or not they served in the Armed Forces. I remember as a child visiting the graves of my grandparents to decorate them with lilacs or iris (which my mother called "flags") each Decoration Day. More recently, my late brother and his wife decorated more than 100 graves each year. Since my parents' graves are more than 1000 miles away from my home in Colorado, I took flowers to them earlier in May.

Such a patriotic holiday makes me think of My Little Sailor, Jacob. Which makes me think of the Jacob's Ladder block. I seem to be hooked on this block this month! These two blocks are from the first Scrap Basket Sunday in May:

And here is the red, white and blue Jacob's Ladder block I pieced this morning:

The four-patches are my Leaders and Enders blocks for this month. I drafted a quilt with these blocks in EQ7:

 

I think I'll send this quilt to the next Sailor on the USS George Washington who earns the Naval Warfare Badge.

Far-called, our navies melt away;
   On dune and headland sinks the fire:  
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
   Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!  
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,  
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

(from "Recessional" by Rudyard Kipling)

Lest We Forget. 

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