Monday, May 30, 2011

From Decoration Day to Memorial Day


Hi all, it's been a crazy month for me and I want to thank everyone for keeping up with me. First, my paranormal romance, "The Wolf's Torment" released on 1 MAY 2011 with Desert Breeze Publishing. I've been doing a blog tour this month to help get the word out and I want to thank everyone who popped in to visit and everyone who hosted me. My next stop on the tour is with Liana Laverentz on 1 JUNE at http://lianalaverentz.blogspot.com/, so I I hope to catch you there.

Next I want to thank all my guest authors for appearing this month. It's been hard for me to keep up with my blog this month. I've missed my lighthouse adventures and California jaunts. I hope to be more active in June, but June promises to be a very busy month.

Did you catch me on the Voirey Linger Summer Trail? Here's a link to my website and my May entry. (It's a free read) http://www.stephanieburkhart.com/

Memorial Day holds a special place in my heart since I am a veteran. Just recently, Kiki Howell put out a call for a Memorial Day contest and I submitted my book, Destination: Berlin which is a "sweet" military romance. Check out Kiki's Blog for a great contest and treat yourself this Memorial Day. Here's a link:http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.com/2011/05/memorial-day-contest-may-30th-june-4th.html?zx=5a9c2295cd5bdfc5

Here's a little history about Memorial Day:

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was establisted as a day of rememberance for those who died in service to the US Nation during the Civil War. It was first proclaimed on 5 MAY 1868 in Waterloo, NY.

The south refused to recognize it until World War I. In 1915, Moina Michael wrote a poem, "In Flander's Field" which inspried the idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day to honor those who died during the Great War.

Lately, there has been a lessening of the holiday. In 1971, Congress passed the Holiday Act moving the holiday from it's tradtional observance, 30 MAY to the last Monday in May to make it a 3 day weekend. It used to known for it's parades, but few parades are held. In 2000, Congress passed a resolution asking for a minute of silence during the day to honor the dead.


I served in the US Army from 1986-1997 and I'm proud of my service. It's not easy to give up a certain amount of your personal freedoms so that others may enjoy the freedoms we do as a nation, so for all who have served and for all who have supported those who have served you have a heartfelt "thank you" from me.

Does anyone want to share their plans for the Memorial Day weekend? Any special summer recipes? Unfortunately, I have to work today, but we're BBQ'ing at work and I will enjoy the fellowship.

Smiles
Steph

4 comments:

  1. It was May 30, 1960. We were driving Ingrid to the bus stop in NYC so she could take a bus to Columbus, GA, and somehow we ended up driving her to the bus stop in Columbus (don't ask, it gets too complicated). But anyway, after dropping Ingrid off, we were driving around somewhere down south, probably GA but possibly AL, FL, or the Carolinas. Of course we had the car radio on, some local station, and the announcer was warning all us damnyankees that it was NOT a holiday, and the parking meters were in operation so feed them or get a ticket. Confederate Memorial Day, he informed us, had been a month earlier, on April 30, and THAT had been a holiday. But not today, not May 30. Oh, well, thimgs change.

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  2. Jim, what an amazing story. Thanks so much for sharing. It's amazing how things can linger, isn't it? I hope that today we are much more tolerant.

    Thanks for following my blog and I hope your Memorial Day is special.
    Smiles
    Steph

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  3. Hi Steph, Thank you dear veteran for serving our country. God bless America.

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  4. Thanks Steph - for everything, serving, donating, etc! You're amazing!

    Hugs,
    Kiki

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