VETERANS DAY

 It's HERE!!  The day all my Veteran quilting work comes to an end for a couple of months.  Not really, I'm still going through panels and pieces, getting ready to start on the quilts for next year.  

It's Veterans Day ... the day the Elks Lodge thanks all the veterans, whether members or not.  There are two main themes for the Elks ... children, especially challenged children, and Veterans.  Most everything we do is about one or the other.

In case you didn't know, our lodge not only has dinner for the children at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we also give out $150 gift certificates to their families for food.  We have a Bingo day where they get to play, and everyone wins a prize, along with a Valentine's Day dance.  That seems to be their favorite.

We have a Veterans Service Chairman who receives names of Veterans who are homeless who have just received housing.  We stock the house with everything they need, including paper supplies, food, towels, beds and furniture.  Should they pass away, Elks provide funeral services and our Honor Guard a military service.  It's amazing just how much this lodge does for Veterans.

There were some weird clouds out early on this day.  Though rain was forecast, we all crossed our fingers hoping that it did not rain on our parade.

The colors just got better and better until they faded away.  The clouds ... well they hung out for the entire day.

The plan was to head on down to the lodge at 1:00.  Dinner would be served at 2:30.  It dawned on me that last year I got caught up in the parade where every street was blocked.  I left home at 10:30.  

This is how the quilts were given out.  Every Veteran who came in the door got a ticket.  He then put it in the bag next to the branch of service quilt.  Later in the day, two tickets were pulled from each bag.

The calm before the storm.  Kudos to Matt Woods and his family who do all the cooking for this event.  I'm guessing they serve around 350 people FOR FREE.  Though they were to start at 2:30, which meant I might get lunch, that was not to be.

No, I could not pass this up.  One of our members owns this beauty, and it can be seen parked here on many occasions.  She is absolutely GORGEOUS!!

BUT FIRST .... let's have a parade!!  UH OH ... you are supposed to APPLY to be in the parade, which we do every year.  It is a requirement by the City who "allows" the parade, that you make a donation of $500 to some organization in order to BE in the parade.  

The form was filled out and mailed in with the check, but someone missed the boat.  We were not registered.  We've done this for well over 20 years, so you would think they might call and ask.  WE (not me this time) did NOT confirm.  And so the Elks Float was relegated to the very last entry.  Dinner will be late.

These guys just love this!  They all pile on the trailer, I'm sure with a beer in their waistband, and have a blast going down the road.  It's okay, they deserve it!

Hang on boys ... they are sitting on BAR STOOLS!!  

Hopefully they didn't snag those flags on the telephone pole getting out of the alley!!

That's when I left.  I arrived at 10:30 and dinner would not be served until 3:30, with the quilts being handed out MUCH later.  Someone was nice enough to send a picture to me of the first Marine quilt won.  They said he was thrilled to receive it ... and to thank me.  No sir ... thank YOU for serving our country.

Back home, I made one last trip outside in the rain-threatening clouds to check my flag.  

I spent the evening going through the pile of panels and pieces for the next batch of quilts.  I have a lot more than I thought ... more than enough for next year.  I even found the list of names for those who will receive embroidered ones ... that is if I can find someone to embroider them!!  

In the meantime, the Van is yelling for a battery-charge trip.  OH DARN, I guess I will have to drive to the quilt shop today!!!