The Origin and Birthplace of Memorial Day

Taken from thememorialdaytribute.com site:

On May 5, 1868, the Grand Army of the Republic established Memorial Day or Decoration Day as the national day to decorate the graves of the Civil War soldiers with flowers. Major General John A. Logan appointed May 30 as the day to be observed. Arlington National Cemetery had the first observance of the day on a grand scale. The place was appropriate as it already housed graves of over 20,000 Union dead and several hundred Confederate dead. Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant presided the meeting and the center point of these Memorial Day ceremonies was the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion. Speeches were followed by a march of soldiers' children and orphans and members of the GAR through the cemetery strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves. They also recited prayers and sang hymns for the dead.

Even before this declaration, local observances for these war dead were being held at various places. In Columbus, Miss., a group of women visited a cemetery on April 25 1866, to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers and the Union soldiers whop fell at the battle of Siloh. Many cities in the North and the South claim to be the first to celebrate Memorial Day in 1866 but Congress and President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo in New York as the 'birthplace' of Memorial Day in 1966. It was said that on May 5, 1866, a ceremony was held here to honor local soldiers and sailors who fought in the Civil War, businesses were closed for the day and residents furled flags at half-mast. It was said to be the first formal, community-wide and regular event.

In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by the Congress, who designated the last Monday in May as the day for its observance. Many states observe separate Confederate Memorial Days. Mississippi observes it on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, Georgia on April 26, North and South Carolina on May 10 and Louisiana and Tennessee on June 3. In Tennessee, the day is named as 'Confederate Decorations Day' while Texas observes 'Confederate Heroes Day' on January 19. In Virginia, Memorial Day is better known as 'May Confederate Memorial Day.'

Got Green?

Rather than try and explain my thoughts tonight in a summation of how I feel on this topic I am taking the easy way out and posting this article I found. It is a nice basis to promote a very important topic that without encouraging and immediate action will lead to the destruction of everything we know around us. Please read......

Why Build Green?
Helping the environment with solar-powered heat and bamboo roofs
by Liz Olson

Pollution's devastating effects on the environment have become more obvious in recent years, sparking a movement to promote energy efficiency, less reliance on fossil fuels, and a reduction in air and water pollution. Most scientists agree that such changes are necessary to protect our environment from further harm.

The construction industry consumes a large quantity of energy and resources and creates a huge amount of pollution. In the United States, building and development account for 39% of the country's total energy use, 12% of total water consumption, 68% of total electricity consumption, and 38% of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Environment Protection Agency.

Benefits of building green

Green buildings use less energy, water, create less waste, and are healthier to live, work, or go to school in than standard buildings. Contractors of green buildings incorporate techniques that use resources more efficiently during the entire building cycle—construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition—than builders of conventional structures.

The environmental benefits of building green include the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, improved air and water quality, less waste flowing into streams, and the conservation of natural resources. Green buildings can also result in lower operating costs because they typically use less energy and materials and improved indoor air quality, which improves the health of occupants.

How to build green

The process of building green includes technical and aesthetic planning with nature conservation in mind. Building designs often reflect the surrounding environment and natural resources and utilize renewable building materials such as bamboo and straw. In addition, recycled resources found locally are used for green buildings, diminishing the cost and air pollution associated with transporting materials long distances.

Careful site selection is important to minimize human impact on the surrounding environment. For example, placing a structure in an area that allows it to take advantage of cool breezes and sunlight can reduce energy use and expenses. More energy and expense are needed for larger buildings as well, so it is important to build small.

Green roofs are another feature of green houses that reduce energy use and cost. These roofs are partially or completely covered with vegetation, which helps minimize heating and cooling costs, prevent storm-water runoff, and filter pollutants.

Other features of green buildings often include energy and water conservation, recycling, and waste reduction. In addition, renewable energy sources such as solar power, hydropower, and wind power are used for heat and electricity, which significantly reduces costs and decreases the impact on the environment.
A National Effort

Currently, 25 cities in the United States are working to develop a sustainable city infrastructure that encourages the use of solar energy by both residents and businesses. Benefits of solar energy include obtaining power from secure domestic sources, sustainable urban development, progress toward meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, and new economic opportunity. On March 28, 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it will give up to $2.4 million to the following 12 U.S. cities for solar energy advancement.

* Ann Arbor, MI
* Austin, TX
* Berkeley, CA
* Boston, MA
* Madison, WI
* New Orleans, LA
* New York City, NY
* Pittsburgh, PA
* Portland, OR
* Salt Lake City, UT
* San Diego, CA
* San Francisco, CA
* Tucson, AZ


Do what you can to join in the efforts your community is taking to become more "green" and to educate your friends, family, and those around you. Join in a community clean up day, become part of a group to change how your company handles these situations. Or to make an impact change the way you manage your everyday life. Every person counts.

Your needed support

To most of you who know me it is not often I come to you for help. It is not often I find myself in a time of need as I do now. My request is simple yet selfish, I am ashamed yet hold onto my pride as I take a step forward.

I come to you in a time of struggle and need when I find myself standing at a crossroad in the darkness of night with no vision, no light on which way to travel. Without excessive details and a hour of your time.....

I am struggling thru decisions on how to manage everything I have going on in my life. I find myself wandering what more I will be taxed with, what more I will need to decide upon, what more I will need to overcome. Today is a struggling day but I know with your thoughts, prayers, and words of support I will make it.

Love you all,
me

Prayers needed......

I encourage everyone to take a moment, bow your heads, and simply pray. Pray for your neighbor, pray for your family, your friends, your enemies. Pray for those in the world that have been suffering from hunger, pandemics, military rule, genocide, and severe weather.

Many of us tend to take for granite what we have in our day to day lives. Money for food, means of transportation, gainful employment, our health. We tend to overlook those begging for food, shelter, guidance and love. When was the last time you held out your hand and helped a stranger in need, or even a neighbor with a painful task. Did you say Hi to that one person in the elevator you have never seen before? We have become a world of selfish, greedy people, that tend to turn the cheek when there are those around us in need.



I am not asking you to dump out your piggy banks and run to the closest Red Cross, or even book to the next flight flight to Haiti to complete your mission. Certainly I am not asking you pretend it is the 60's all over and run to hug a tree. I simply asking you to begin with the small things: Say Hello to a stranger, Clean out a portion of your closet and donate the items to your local Christian charity (you know they dont fit and you will never wear last years Christmas gift). Maybe take a moment to stop by and sign up to serve for an evening meal after work at your local soup kitchen. The time it would take you to watch the latest "Reality TV" show, or the evening buying yet another in style Coach purse or designer gown you have no idea where you will wear it but have to have. It tends to be the "small stuff" that opens our eyes to the power we have to influence the world around us. It's these small steps that lead us to bigger ideas for our group of friends on a Saturday afternoon, or our Sunday school class, even a class project for our sons and daughters at their school, or their social group. Just take one moment.......

May God Bless each of you in your days to come. Guiding you in His light, completing His work, and sharing His word.

The Ultimate Message

This video is the ultimate message of love, compassion, support, paternity, strive, Christianity and the divine message that we all have been created by God and that He is here, He is in our hearts, and that He WILL return one day.



"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"
Philippians 4:13