Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Land That I Love






 My parents were born and raised in Mexico, but when they came to the United States, they said that they had to raise their right hand and make an oath to give all allegiance to this country and renounce their allegiance to the country where they were born... they did so, attained their citizenship and from that forward have had such an amazing loyalty, allegiance and love for this country!

 They also met in Yuma, AZ and got married and had 4 children...

I was home schooled and my favorite subject was U.S. History, because I saw the pride and respect my dad and mom had for this country, my mom didn't know very much english when she came over from Mexico, but she made sure all her children knew english first, then spanish as a second language. She learned with us! I remember doing my english and she would join me and learn along with me! When I was a teenager and wanted to learn spanish (I didn't learn to speak spanish until I was about 17, I understood it perfectly but never spoke it as I spoke english with my family only), my mom told me, "Let's help one another... I want to speak perfect english. So i'm only going to speak english to you and you speak only spanish to me!" It did work, until we really wanted to share some juicy news, so it went out the window our deal. Ha ha!

 I remember my dad rented the very long 1970's movie "Patton" and had me sit with him to watch. I remember thinking "Another war movie?". My daddy loved westerns and war movies... he really loved Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, "They are real Americans on the screen, mija!" (he would say).




As I sat down next to him on the sofa groaning that I HAD to watch this war flick that was going to last FOREVER, he popped in the VHS (yup, video cassette.... this generation had no idea how "be kind rewind" was our motto when going to the local video store to rent a movie... Yes, we had to DRIVE to rent a movie and hope to goodness sake it wasn't taken! Block Buster Videos was KING! Memories... ok ok ok get back to my story) and sat next to me and explained with such passion why Patton was an incredible General during World War II... my whining ceased as I listened to my dad explain the kind of man General Patton was.

I quieted when I heard the opening monologue. I realized this man was not playing around and right away had a huge respect for General Patton. I watched the whole movie with extreme interest and remembered my dad would point out certain historical accuracies and what he admired about this or that part in the whole movie...

Then for a report, I was supposed to learn about General Patton and write a report and present it to him. I read about him and when I  wrote my report, I had extreme pride knowing that the General that was hard core about what he did and what he stood for and what he fought for was a red blooded American...just like me!

 Another great movie I watched with my father was the 1996 civil war flick "Andersonville". I was so interested in the movie I read as much as about it going to library as much as I could! My love for my country grew as a young child!




 I was very honored to find out that on my mothers side, my grandmothers brothers both served in World War II. One in the Navy and one in the Army. Both died in battle, my great uncle in the Army died on the battle field as a tanker and he was a Sergeant. At the moment I don't know who they really were (in full details) but in the process right now of finding out everything about them.

My brother at the age of 21 joined the Army for the love of his country. He was there at the very beginning of the Iraq War and also in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban. Amazing stories he brought home. He wanted to return back to the battle field to be with his brothers.

I remember when my brother graduated from the Army (He enjoyed bootcamp. He was that kind of guy, a leader and loves the action and hard work. He made my family proud!) my parents, he and I went to visit Andersonville, and I remember re-enacting "escaping" from Andersonville, and getting shot... he took forever to "die". Ha ha!!!!!


I am also very proud that my husband served in the Navy both active and reserves!


My husband and I when we were engaged! He was either on the island or in Mississippi for Navy duty  and here he was skyping with me and making me blush by wearing a uniform! Ooooo, la la!!!!


Yes, we are nearing 4th of July, but my love for my country is not a holiday kind of passion, it is deeper than that, I love knowing what our founding fathers did to fight to be a new Nation!

I still tear up when I hear the old hymns of our country.

 I love this great and mighty land, and I praise God to be an American!

All that being said, I desperately wanted to share this passion I have for my country onto my yarn... Red, White and Blue!

I wanted to make sure my colors were extremely vivid, and added sparkling silver tinsel and spun it adding crystals to mimic the stars on my dear flag!


Hand dyed and hand spun yarn, " Land That I Love "


I loved learning the history of how our flag came to be:


  • Red symbolizes: Valor and Hardiness
  • Blue symbolizes: Vigilance, perseverance, and justice 
  • White symbolizes: Purity and innocence
  • Stars symbolizes: The States 

I am no Betsy Ross but I absolutely LOVED learning about her as a child and have (and continue to have) deep admiration and respect for her!

Some of my favorite Patriotic quotes to share as I end this post:

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.  ~Abraham Lincoln



We can't all be Washingtons, but we can all be patriots.  ~Charles F. Browne



A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.  ~George William Curtis


Yesterday the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America; and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, ”that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States. ~John Adams

When I die, I desire no better winding sheet than the Stars and Stripes, and no softer pillow than the Constitution of my country.”
~Andrew Johnson

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. ~John F. Kennedy

What we need are critical lovers of America – patriots who express their faith in their country by working to improve it. ~Hubert Humphrey

America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. ~Harry Truman
Land That I Love (100 yards) Click on photo to be redirected to my Etsy Shop.