Be proud to “Fly the U. S. Flag”

This past week was a semi-busy one, since it didn’t actually begin until Tuesday afternoon when I got in from my fun trip to visit with my granddaughter and her family. Luckily, there weren’t any meetings that will be this coming week! Wednesday, I did my unpacking and laundry and Thursday, my sister and I went shopping in Victoria, we had been trying to do that for months and we had an awesome time together. She found several things she was looking for in the clothing line, and I found a cute blouse and a couple of other things, but no white sandals were to be found anywhere and that was the main thing I wanted, I guess I’ll just have to figure out how to wear the ones I have!
Friday afternoon a friend and I sold raffle tickets at the hospital and did fairly well, and Saturday was a little more of the same thing. However, since it was Tom-Tom in Yoakum, we got to see at least part of the parade, since we were near the line-up area. There were lots of beautiful floats! After we finished selling tickets, I went out to the park for a while to see if anything interesting was going on. It was pretty much as usual with the same types of booths selling jewelry of one type or another, tee shirts etc., which you see at any type of commemorative gathering.
Just before Memorial Day, local groups of American Legion and VFW placed flags at each end of town, north, south, east and west, it is so beautiful to come into town from any side and see those flags flying.
Tuesday of next week, June 14th, is Flag Day and here is a little information for you about the flag.
Have you ever wondered in what order the states came into the Union? Who actually designed the first flag? Why does it have 13 stripes? How many stars were on the first flag? Which were the original 13 states? When was Texas admitted as a state?
Legend has it that Betsy Ross, a widowed seamstress was the one who made the first flag from a sketch given her by George Washington. She is said to have changed the number of points on the stars from six to five and then made the first flag in 1776. However, history has proven that it is just that, a legend.
A second legend claims that John Hulbert designed it a full year before Betsy Ross is supposedly did. This flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars in honor of the 13 original colonies.
These colonies were: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island. They all became states between December 7, 1787 and May 29, 1790.
The First Flag Law was passed by congress on June 14, 1777, giving this country an official national flag, consisting of 13 stripes alternating red and white, and a union of 13 white stars on a blue field.
Congress on May 1, 1795, adding two stripes and two stars in recognition of Virginia and Kentucky, passed the Second Flag Law. This 15-striped, 15-star flag is the second version of the national flag.
The Star Spangled Banner was written as a poem in the Baltimore Patriot newspaper. Frances Scot Key composed the verses while viewing the battle of Fort McHenry during the war of 1812. It became our national anthem on March 3, 1931. (This flag is in the Smithsonian Museum. It is not being restored it is being preserved. The size of this flag, 30 X 42 ft, is astounding, considering the time and place that it flew.)
The Third Flag Act was passed on April 4, 1818 and created the third official version of the flag. Navy Captain Samuel Reid proposed that the flag contain 13 stripes to represent the 13 original colonies. At that time it was decided that a star, represent ting a state, would automatically be added to the flag on the Fourth of July after ea territory was admitted. The flag in 1818 consisted of 13 stripes and 20 stars.
On July 4, 1846, the 10th official design of the Stars and Stripes was created with the addition of Texas into the United States.
June 14, 1861 was the first recorded observance of Flag Day, which was the anniversary of the First Flag Law and took place in Hartford. Connecticut. Bernard Cigrand is generally given the credit for helping to promote Flag Day.
On July 4, 1877, the centennial of the First Flag Act, the 38th star was added honoring the admission of Colorado into the Union. This created the 20th official design of the Stars and Stripes.
The entry of New Mexico and Arizona into the Union on July 4, 1912 created the 25th official design of the flag with the addition of its 47th and 48th stars honoring these two states.
From 1912 until 1959, the flag had 48 stars and 13 stripes. In that year, Alaska became the 49th state and the 16th official design of the flag was created. The following year, on July 4, 1960, Hawaii was admitted to the Union and a 50-star flag became the 27th official design. At 12:01 a.m., a 50-star flag was raised over Ft. McHenry by presidential order in honor of the victory described in the national anthem.
Red White and Blue Layered Salad
1 package, 3-ounce cherry gelatin
1 package, 6-ounce lemon gelatin
1 package, 3-ounce raspberry gelatin
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 can, 14½ ounces blueberries, drained
1 cup sour cream (1/2 pint)
2 cups milk
3 cups boiling water
Bottom layer: Dissolve cherry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water; cool at room temperature; add pineapple, pour into bottom of dish. Size of dish or mold isn’t mentioned, but I would use a 9×13 glass dish.
Middle layer: Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup boiling water, cool at room temperature. Beat sour cream and milk together. Combine cooled lemon mixture and sour cream mixture. When bottom layer is firm, but slightly sticky to the touch, gently pour or spoon on the middle layer.
Top layer: Dissolve raspberry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water, cool at room temperature, add drained blue berries, pour and spoon over middle layer, when it is firm, but slightly sticky to the touch. Refrigerate until serving.
This is an older recipe that I found in a box with some stuff of my Mother’s, and it doesn’t have amount of servings nor any nutritional information. I would assume that a 9×13 would probably make 12 large servings, or 15 smaller servings.