From the Betsy Ross House Web Site Guest Book Intended or not, the poem layout appeared to take the form of a flag. our flag by kathryn granger smith colors of red white and blue how my heart skips a beat when my eye gazes at you as i see men carrying you high my mind dwells on thoughts of you in days gone by. my mind's eye sees you carried forth in foreign lands. and my brothers and sisters fighting for what you stand. i see the shores of france and germany and the countless souls who fought to keep our country free. i see the shores of japan and the shores of the philippines in world war ii and the shores of other countries that were touched upon too. i see the conflict of korea and vietnam, too and i watched in mind's eye the men who carried you through blood-torn fields and stars of glory too. i watched the men who placed you on the moon, hoping they would return home soon. all those men who carried you straight and tall and all who died and fought for the freedom of us all. when i see others spit and burn, i realize they could never concern themselves with love of god, country and flag. when in the dust they let you fade and drag. but when they burn stars and stripes of red, white and blue, and stand up before all and declare their right to do. my heart becomes inflamed and in my heart and soul i feel the shame. how dare they do this to you, oh silent one of glory, the grand old red, white and blue. but no matter how hard they try, they can never destroy the ideals for which you stand. the love of god and country and freedom for all of man! my poem my thoughts my feelings about the flag of our great country always honor her many fought and gave their lives for what she stands kathryn granger smith, delphos ohio u.s.a. Amercia [07-04-2000]

WINNING FEELS BETTER FOR A COMMITTED COMPASSION/RESPONSE PERSON AND ARTIST ALL MY LIFE, THE FOLLOWING IS VERY FRANK. PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF YOU FIND THIS OFFENSIVE. ITS MOTIVES ARE THE BEST! LIKE MY TEAM MATES OVER THE YEARS, I DO NOT LIKE WAR, BUT AT THIS WRITING , MAY 10, 2003, I MUST SAY, "THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT...WINNING FEELS BETTER!" WE SHOULD SEE, FROM THE IMPORT OF THE CURRENT EVENTS A LONGTERM RESTORATION OF OUR NATIONAL, AND SOME INTERNATIONAL HEALTH, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, TOO: WHEN VIET NAM HAPPENED AND WE HAD TO QUIT AND LET THE COMMUNISTS TAKE OVER VIET NAM, ALL THE SLOPPY DEGENERATING THINGS HAPPENED TO AMERICA, AS WELL: DEMONSTRATIONS AND DISRESPECT OF THE FLAG, EVEN AVERAGE CITIZENS DISGUSTED AND "DROPPING OUT" OF NORMAL "PROUD TO BE AMERICAN" LIFESTYLES, REBELLION OF EVERY KIND IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, AND THE BABY BOOM MAKING IT ALL SO MUCH LOUDER! AS A NATION, WE FELT ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED WITH OUR COUNTRY FOR DOING SUCH A BAD JOB IN VIET NAM, AT THE COST OF SO MANY LIVES! AS THE WAR ENDED, THE MEMORIALS WERE NECESSARY TO SUGGEST A STOP TO THE DISRESPECT OF VIET NAM WAR VETERANS, A POPULAR TREND IN THOSE TERRIBLE DAYS, AS WELL. LOSING A WAR IS DISGUSTING! AFTER A WHILE, THE DEMONSTRATIONS STOPPED, BUT OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY SHOWED BEHAVIORS DOCTORS WOULD CALL "DEPRESSED"...DRUGS, SLOPPY SEX, TOO MANY DIVORCES, ANGER AND BAD CIVIL RIGHTS METHODS... PEOPLE WORE JEANS TOO MUCH, AND EVEN THE TEACHERS BEGAN TO TALK LIKE WISEGUYS, AND SAY "KIDS" INSTEAD OF "CHILDREN". THESE BEHAVIORS ARE CLASSICALLY CALLED THE BEHAVIORS OF A DEPRESSED OR UNHAPPY PERSON. AND IT WAS OUR WHOLE COUNTRY BEHAVING SO "BROUGHT DOWN"! IT IS NOT ONLY OUR MILITARY AT THE WAR FRONT WHO MUST WIN OR DIE! NOBODY KNEW WHAT TO DO, BUT, "GOD BLESS AMERICA" - OUR GENERATIONS FLOOD OF PROBLEM -SOLVING IDEAS BEGAN TO SURFACE...EVEN THOSE OF US WITH STRONG AND GOOD PATHS FOUND NEED FOR SOME OF IT...NEW RESPONSES TO NEW PROBLEMS FOR WE, "THE CHILDREN OF THE TWENTYFIRST CENTURY"(A REGULAR TV CATCHPHRASE'50S...THE SUPERMAN TV SHOW?). I FELT LIFE HAD DEALTH ME SOME AMAZING LEFT-HANDED BLESSINGS. THE YEAR AFTER A PERSONAL SETBACK FORCED MY GIFTED STUDENT SELF TO LEAVE CAMPUS, THE CAMPUSES BLEW UP,AND MY HOME WAS AN UNOFFICIAL "FREESPACE" TO SOME WHO WERE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE. TO BE "OFF WITH MY HANDSOME PRINCE", WITH NICE WORK AND GREAT LOVE TO BUILD AND SHARE, MADE ME FEEL SPECIALLY BLESSED, WHEN SO MANY OF MY AGEPEERS WERE WANDERING AND LOST IN THE SOCIOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS OF THE LATE SIXTIES AND EARLY SEVENTIES. LOSING FEELS TERRIBLE! DURING THOSE YEARS, TOO, I WAS GLAD TO BE WORKING IN NEW DAYCARE IN GOOD WHITE-COLLAR WORLD WITH MY LATEHUSBAND, AND A LITTLE OUT OF THE WAY, IN A TOWN WITHOUT A BAR. AT OUR SCHOOLS, PEOPLE STILL SAID "CHILDREN", AND IT STILL SOUNDED LOVING AND RESPECTFUL. LOVE IS AN ACTION WORD, AND THE MESSAGES WE WERE BOUND TO GIVE THE LITTLE ONES NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE OUR LOVE AND RESPECT AND DESIRE TO CREATE A CLIMATE IN WHICH THEY COULD LEARN AND GROW, WITHOUT FEELING OVERWHELMED BY OUT OF CONTROL GROWNUPS. WHEN WE SUFFER A CATASTROPHE WITH THE YOUNGSTERS ON BOARD, ITS PAIN IS MULTIPLIED BY THE INESCAPABLE EFFECT ON OUR CHILDREN. THE NATIONAL DEPRESSION NEEDED RESPONSE: PERHAPS WE WERE NOT SO HOPELESS AND ABANDONED AFTER ALL - AND WE GOT BUSY. WE SALVAGED ALL OF THE GOOD WE COULD FIND AND GOT BUSY WITH NEW IDEAS, AND NEW ACTION...PHYSICAL FITNESS HELPED, BRINGING WHOLESOMENESS TO THOSE "HIT THE BRICKS" DAYS! I WILL NEVER CRITICIZE THE JOGGERS. THERE WAS SOMETHING SPARKLING AND LIKE NEW HOPE IN THEIR DEMONSTRATIONS. MY BROTHER BECAME ONE OF THEM, AND ONCE AGAIN, GAVE ME CAUSE TO BE PROUD. WE WERE SWIMMERS, TENNIS AND GOLF...BUT I RAN A LITTLE BIT AND THE CHILDREN DID A LITTLE OF IT COMPETITIVELY...BUT MY BROTHER WAS THE CHAMP IN IT, AND HIS PHILOSOPHY INSPIRED US, AS WELL! CAREGIVERS, SENSITIVES, HEALERS AND ARTISTS CAN BE TOO PASSIVE, AND LOSE THEIR LIGHTS....THE NEW PHYSICAL FITNESS BECAME A FAVORITE, SINCE IT HELPS KEEP IT SPARKLING! AT FIRST SHOCKING, MY BROTHER'S BEAUTIFUL "AGE OF AQUARIUS" AQUARIAN WAYS REALLY CAME THROUGH, IN MY TWENTIES TO INSPIRE MY MORE TRADITIONAL SOUL IN MY OWN WORK... I BECAME JUBILANT WHEN THE INNOVATORS AND TRADITONALISTS FOUND THE RHYTHM AND PACE OF THE LIFE THING...AND A DECENT STRIDE, IN SPITE OF THE DIFFICULT START. MODERN PROBLEM - SOLVING MADE IT EASIER FOR ME, IN THE YEARS OF EARLY PARENTHOOD AND MANY CHILDREN'S GROUPS. I WAS ABLE LEAD MY LITTLE ONES SAFELY ALONG THROUGH THE REAL PROBLEMS OF TODAY'S WORLD, WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGE OF NEW SPECIAL PROBLEMS WE FACED. SINCE IT HELPED ME, I ORGANIZED AND/OR TAUGHT SEVERAL DISCIPLINES IN FITNESS TO CHILDREN'S GROUPS AS A MOMMY. I THINK IT STARTED WITH "YOU MIGHT LIKE TO RUN AROUND THE HOUSE THREE TIMES, SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE DIFFICULT TO ENJOY YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE... GOD BLESS HAIM GINNOT, FAVORITE ON THE SPOT NON-DESTRUCTIVE SOLUTION-MAKER. DOCTORS STILL PRESCRIBE.."GET OUT AND RUN AROUND THE BLOCK"- GET MORE ACTIVE -FOR DEPRESSION AND MANY PHYSICAL AILMENTS.... EVEN THE MOST ELDERLY HERE ARE ENCOURAGED TO AT LEAST WALK AROUND THE BLOCK FOR THE HEART AND LUNGS. WE RESURFACED, AND BY THE TIME OF THE BI-CENTENNIAL, WE WERE SAID TO BE "OVER THE TOP"..."CELEBRATE"! DID THE EXTRA WORK TIRE US? OR WAS IT A BILL TO PAY FOR THE HEALING OF THE SEVENTIES, AND THE CELEBRATION...."PAYING THE PIPER"? WHATEVER THE CAUSE, WE FOUND OURSELVES "JOGGING TWO TIMES" WHEN THE END OF THE CENTURY RECESSIONS HIT US, AND VIOLENT EXTREMES, LIKE ONE MORE WAVE OF TOUBLE TO CONFRONT. JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO IN THE WATER...THE EIGHTIES TERRORISM AS A BYWORD? NEVER, IN AMERICA! AND YET THE NINETIES, BEGINNING WITH THE WAR IN IRAQ, A SERIES OF RECESSIONS, AND YET THE NEW HOPE AND NEW LIGHTS OF A NEW CENTURY APPROACHING AT Y2K. I CHEERED MY GROWNUP CHILDREN AND FELT COMFORTED BY THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND GOOD CHOICES, THEY HELPED IN THOSE YEARS, WHEN WIDOWHOOD AND FINANCIAL SETBACKS AND MIDLIFE HEALTH INSTABILITIES FRUSTRATED MY OWN LIGHTS AND GOALS. STILL, WE SEEMED TO BE MUDDLING...WE NEED TO DO IT AND YET WE'RE NOT DOING IT... NOT GOOD...WHY? MANY OF US FELT SOMETHING LIKE 9-11 COMING FOR SOME TIME...EVEN THOSE OF US WITH NO GEO-POLITICAL SKILLS OR INTEREST....THE FEAR BECAME SICKENING AFTER A TIME. THE INEVITABILITY OF IT. AND NO ONE WISHES TO BE A DOOMSAYER... VERY UNPOPULAR, AND YET...AND THEN IT CAME...THE DAY OF WRATH... I BOTHER NOTING ALL OF THIS BECAUSE TO FULFILL OUR BEST DESTINY, TO MEET THE OBLIGATIONS TO EXCELLENCE, THAT AMERICA, SO GIFTED, MUST BEAR...WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THE SHIP SAILING ABOVE THE WAVES, THE FLAG FLYING...AND WE COULD NOT DO IT... VERY SCARY... WHEN 9-11 HAPPENED, HOWEVER DETERMINED TO MUCK ABOUT...WE HAD A CLEAR PATH TO TURN AROUND AND FIGHT, AND WIN...AND LIFE IS AS DIFFERENT FOR MANY AS IT IS FOR PEOPLE THE NIGHT THEY MEET THEIR ONE, TRUE LOVE...AND MUCH REMAINS TO BE SEEN...BUT, FOR NOW...THIS IS SURE! "THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT...WINNING FEELS BETTER!"NOT ONLY FOR THE AMERICAN CITIZEN, BUT FOR MANY IN THE WORLD WHO ARE FREE AND LIVING THE BASICS OF A LIFE AGAIN.

Women's Art Show in Afghanistan ! Freedom's Flower !
I'm not even especially feminist, but this is just plain nice to see ! Thousands came to view the Art, and were impressed ! Presidents Day ! And History.com link to refresh it All ! God Bless America !



Page credits:

Since 1999, enjoying the help of Angelfire Home Pages
and now a new member of their Big Sister, Aplus.net, 2002 Award as one of the Top Five Hosts, per TopFive.com.