Have you seen the popular account by real_guinness_the_therapy_dog?
He has thousands of followers and posts (well, he doesn’t have opposable thumbs, so I post for him) pictures every day.
If you like cute, giant, furry dogs then Guinness’s account is for you.
I also follow several other Insta accounts.
For instance, @august_musings. She is an inspirational poet and posts some amazing work.
I’ve posted about her before. When you read her verses, I dare you not to feel better and, better yet, smile and say ‘yup’.
Also, @april.reads.and.proofreads is an exceptional proofreader. She looks over every manuscript written by my evil twin. Her comments are always exactly what’s needed, and she finds all those typos and punctuation errors that creep into the book.
Last but certainly not least, I need to mention my favorite military account @tigerstripedmisfits. This non-profit donates all its profits to military foundations (like the Green Beret Foundation). All monies are made with the sales from its website: tigerstripedmisfits.com.
The United States Coast Guard was founded on this day in 1790 with ten ships. They were initially tasked with the enforcement of tariffs, to prevent smuggling, and to protect the new nation.
While it was formed so long ago, it didn’t get it’s current name until 1915. That’s when the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service combined into one force.
The USCG is one of the armed forced branches that represent and protect the United States. Today, it’s mission is to protect the public, the environment, and the economy as they relate to the nation’s coastline. The Coast Guard also patrols the international waters and any maritime region that requires military intervention in the case of national security.
I wrote about my favorite non-profit on Wednesday:Tiger Striped Misfits. I attached a link to the name that should open in a new window. I hope you will support them, as they support those “who gave it all.”
I have mentioned this Instagram account before, but I think it bears repeating. You should follow @august_musings. She is an inspirational poet and posts some amazing work.
I posted about her at the beginning of this month and dared you not to smile when you read her poetry. I still dare ya!
Also, @april.reads.and.proofreads is an exceptional proofreader. She has a manuscript of my evil twin’s and we are looking forward to her comments and critique.
And, both of these accounts came to me by way of @author_george_I_fleming, who writes thrillers set in Florida. Check out his books! I’m currently reading Bad Habits: A Tampa Bay Tropics Thriller available now on Amazon.com and through Barnes & Noble.
Of course, I need to mention my favorite military account @tigerstripedmisfits. This non-profit donates all its profits to military foundations (like the Green Beret Foundation). All monies are made with the sales off its website: tigerstripedmisfits.com.
I hope you take some time today to honor those who have fallen. It’s the day to thank the soldiers, airmen, Marines, seamen, and those of the Coast Guard who have died in service to their country.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War. On May 1, 1865 freed slaves gathered to observe the POWs from one Union camp who had died and were buried in a mass grave. They consecrated the ground, sang hymns, and put down flowers.
In 1868, the holiday was organized by a veteran of the Union Army, General John A. Logan. He selected May 30th as a national day of commemoration for those killed in the Civil War. Named Decoration Day, it was the day to lay flowers on veterans’ graves.
The reason for the date is a mystery, but it is thought that May 30th was selected because flowers across the country would be in bloom.
It’s possible that General Logan took the idea from Southern women’s groups. They were already laying flowers on the graves of Confederate soldiers.
Decoration Day officially became Memorial Day in 1971, and expanded to include all wars, not just the Civil War. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved the holiday to the last Monday in May. Veterans groups were against the move, thinking it would make the holiday a celebration of the beginning of summer rather than a time to honor the dead. They have lobbied to have the holiday returned to May 30th to change the focus of the holiday back to its original purpose.
The red poppy is a symbol to remember the sacrifices made by the nation’s military. It began in 1915, when poppies grew in battlefields across northern France and current-day Belgium. Wearing a red poppy on Memorial Day began with a World War I poem. A Canadian Lieutenant wrote the poem ‘In Flanders Field’ after seeing clusters of the red flowers. He was a brigade surgeon in an Allied artillery unit and wrote of the soldiers who had been killed in battle.
A teacher in Georgia read the poem later in 1915 and wrote an accompanying poem, ‘We Shall Keep the Faith.’ Because of her efforts, the poppy is the symbol of rememberance.
To honor our nation’s dead, Americans are encouraged to fly their flags at half-staff until noon, and pause at 3 p.m. local time for the National Moment of Rememberance.
Information for this post was found at History.com.
