Sunday, May 26, 2013

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. 

From the desk of your auntmartisignature

5 comments:

  1. Beautiful blocks, and a beautiful reminder of how much we owe to so many. Thank goodness for our servicemen and women.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting to hear about your Memorial Day. I wondered if there was a significance to the date chosen at all? Our main day of remembrance here in Australia is 25th April, Anzac Day, which is linked to the fateful landing of our troops on Gallipoli in Turkey in the 1st World War.
    Lovely idea to send the quilt to a deserving sailor.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for explaining Memorial Day which I have only come across since I started blogging. Here in the UK Remembrance Day is held on the 11th November and only started after World War 1, which ended on that day. Your quilt will make a very beautiful gift. I must try the Jacob's ladder block as it is very intriguing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just could not depart your site before suggesting that I really loved the
    standard information an individual provide for your visitors?
    Is going to be back incessantly in order to inspect new
    posts

    Here is my page Michael Kors Outlet

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Marti- very nice reminder and Memorial day post. Your blocks are always great!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking your time to comment. If I don't answer in an email, it's because you're a no-reply commenter and I can't find you!