independence day

250 – Philatelic

Standard

Today is Canada Day, National Postal Worker Day, and my Dad’s birthday which forms a triad of coincidence. My dad (and mom) was a postal worker for over thirty years, and his dad, my grandfather was born in Canada and growing up we had many relatives living there, so this day has always been a highlight in my year. This year, in addition to the semiquincentennial of our nation’s founding, we are also celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the postal service.

It was established during our country’s fight for independence and it is officially and nationally created in the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin was its first postmaster general. I waited in line at his post office in Philadelphia for a commemorative stamp cancellation. I’ve always had a strong connection to the post office, from hanging out in the back offices, sorting mail (unofficially, of course), testing the stampers, and collecting my own sets of stamps as my parents did. I still collect some stamps if they are of interest, and our kids have several sheet sets framed in their room.

Below, you will see some of the stamps that I have that commemorate and/or celebrate this country from the Founding to the Underground Railroad to Free Speech, and the many people who contributed to our potential.

Continue reading

250 – Food!

Standard

I am a sucker for a good food tie-in, and product branding. Especially when it’s mostly my favorite snacks. I know they want my money, but I want their product, so it’s win-win for everyone.

I don’t know if you’ll see these on shelves this week; I got two of them over a month ago (Oreos and my favorite Tootsie Rolls!). If it has red, white, and blue sprinkles on it, I’ll take one and I may even share!

A plate of goodies for work! Oreo Firecracker Pop Limited Edition with blue-raspberry/lemon/cherry creme, Red, white, and blue M&Ms with three designs: star, eagle, fireworks, and patriotic Tootsie rolls, in addition to Bomb pop popsicle – I thought these were bigger when I was a kid, Cake Bites in red, white, and blue, and a sugar packet from Cracker Barrel in one (my favorite design) of the five designs that I saw there. 
(c)2026

To Celebrate

Standard

I’ve struggled since Memorial Day thinking, debating with and challenging myself on whether or not I want to celebrate the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the founding of this country. I was raised to be proud of the United States. My parents raised me to be respectful of the flag, to stand for the pledge and the National Anthem, my duty to vote and to sit on a jury, and to believe that this is the greatest country. It has that potential certainly. It could be. We are in a place where anything’s possible. If I moved to Japan, I couldn’t become Japanese, but anyone can move here and become an American. That used to be a good thing.

Let’s be honest: as much as I’m in denial, I won’t be here in fifty years to celebrate the tricentennial and it saddens me that so much of this celebration has been taken away from us. I look at the waving flags and I feel nothing but ill. Sadness of what we’ve been reduced to.

But I’m not going to let a group of corrupt racists take this week away from me. I’m not. I left my flags up for Memorial Day (as they should be flown for our fallen), and then took them down a week later. I’ve decided to put them up again for the next two weeks. I think it’s important to celebrate our past, to acknowledge and reconcile the bad, to praise the good, and to hope for the better, and for a better future filled with joy and equality, laughter and hope, so that’s what I am going to do.

Everyday this week, I’ll have something else to share, from heartfelt to commercial, consumer bandwagons, and of course, baseball…

and apple pie.

Election Connection: 18 Weeks until Election Day: Special July 4th Edition

Standard

The Declaration of Independence.

July 4, 1776.

The day that started it all.

Read it today. Clicking the image will take you to the National Archives where you can read it in full. When you’re finished, read the Constitution next. Believe it or not, it’s not that long.

Word Art. (c)2020

Happy 4th of July!

What Does the 4th of July Really Mean?

Standard

We celebrate our independence, just before the Revolution, and that was the first step, the birth of this American Experiment. And so today, with so much of our norms being obliterated, and our patriotism being co-opted, our country changing, for the worse, right before our eyes, I thought I would do something different than previous Fourth of Julys. No grilling, no fireworks, no parades.

I started today by sitting quietly and reading the Constitution. It’s not very long. It made my heart smile as the language changed from British Colonial to more modern day parlance, as rights were enshrined and bestowed on those without access to them previously. I say it that way, because rights cannot be given, only recognized. In the reading, I remembered some familiar phrases, some amendments that I’ve read more than a few times, some I’ve never read. I interpreted some a little differently than I had previously.

I share my art and an immigrant’s podcast and a destination that opens up the world to you.

Happy 4th, but more importantly, Happy 243rd Birthday America. I know you’ve got a few more in you. Now, get to work!

I had this in my head for a few days before sitting down to art it. As I wrote it, and as I read the preamble to the Constitution this morning, I sang it Schoolhouse Rock style; it is the only way I remember it even if I’m only singing in my head. Original Art. (c)2019

Podcast: Stay Tuned with Preet (Bharara): What Patriotism Means to You (with Heidi Schreck)   

National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA

The United States Constitution 

Direct download of the Constitution 

President Obama’s Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the Selma March, 2015: