REMEMBER...RECYCLE...REJOICE

CELEBRATE!--It's almost the 4th of July!

                                    Do you occasionally see color or design that stops you in your tracks? Several years ago my grocery shopping trip was interrupted by sight of the McCall's Scrap Quilt magazine featuring a full size version of this quilt, Washington's Cherry Wreath, designed and sewn by the Gingham Girls www.ginghamgirls.com . I knew someday I had to make a table topper of their pattern.  

I love old; I love traditional. So, from 2007 to now, the magazine set on my traditional pattern shelf, with my review from time to time. I decided this July 4th holiday had to be the year.. The design celebrates our wonderful country, the fabrics let me recycle from my stash and the image felt retro--like the quilts of yesteryear.  My sewing energy engaged. I started looking for blues and tones of neutral.

And in the mist of digging through scraps, RE-planning the celebration of tradition, I saw a pattern. Again and again--the prefix RE--recycle, reuse, etc. I became fascinated with it and brainstormed all the RE words I could imagine. Think about it.

Do you REmember REbutter, REcycle, REbuild, REdo, REdraft, REfashion, REpair, REmake, REmodel, REpeat? The list goes on. My dictionary has over eight pages of RE this and that. I searched the concept on the web and immediately found the Latin prefix "added to verb bases"....at the beginning, and list after list of RE. Maybe it IS part of the RENEWAL of celebrating the freedoms of our beautiful country. 

And a bit corny, but I could not help myself.  I named this post REmember, REcycle and REjoice  for the blessings we have in the celebration of this, our 235th year of the United States of America. In the journey of REjoicing and REsearching favorite Independence Day poetry and music, I REcalled the countless celebrations incorporating  Irving Berlin's 1939 beautiful song, GOD BLESS AMERICA.

God bless America,

Land that I love,

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with a light from above....

How many times have you sung it? Read it? Even memorized the beautiful words?

And trivia you might want to REmember and pass on to well-wishers this 4th:

In 1941 the US Congress declared July 4 a legal public holiday.

May you and yours have a HAPPY 4TH OF JULY.

Best,

Alice

a favorite scripture: So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

a favorite read: TENDER MERCIES by Anne Lamott, 1999. Candid is an understatement about Anne Lamott. She tells it like she sees it; funny, sad and forever REmembered. I've read this twice--try it; I'm guessing you'll laugh and cry.