Happy 4th of July!

I hope y'all are having a fantastic Fourth of July! Bring on the BBQ chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chips, potato salad, baked beans, pass me a Diet Coke, and make sure you get a good seat for the fireworks tonight!

So what are some of the things that immediately make you think of the Good Ol' USA? There are a few obvious answers such as the Stars and Stripes, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star Spangled Banner (which always brings goosebumps and a lump to my throat), and seeing our men and women in uniform. What about yellow ribbons and eagles flying majestically through the air?

What about a rose? Not many people know that the rose is our National Flower, but it is, Ronald Regan made it so saying, "For the love of man and woman, for the love of mankind and God, for the love of country, Americans who would speak the language of the heart do so with a rose."

How about an oak tree? Yep, that is another national plant. The oak leaf can be seen on many military insignias such as
Air Force, Army, and Marine Rank for Major and Lt. Colonel and the Navy Rank for Lieutenant Commander and Commander.

So as you are thinking about all the glorious symbols of the United States, don't forget the green ones: the rose and the oak tree!

Now, for a pop quiz! I know how everyone loves those! ;) Seriously though, test your knowledge about the history of the Declaration of Independence and check out http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/dec_indep/quiz/ to see how well you can do. Come on! It's a kid's quiz...it's OK, you can do it, I swear! I did pretty good. Had it been a real test, yes I would have passed. I was surprised at some of the answers though. I didn't know which president was born/died on July 4th, but other than that I did pretty decent! YAY ME!

Here is another quiz you can take as well: http://www.livescience.com/php/trivia/index.php?quiz=independence-day I may not be ready for office, but I can vote! :)

PS...Yes, that is my kitty in the picture next to some flags I have out on display :)