Flag = $13, Pole = $6...Take That, $80 Flag!

I woke this morning with a thought rolling around in my head. Because today is Memorial Day, I wanted to go out and buy a flag. We do not have a nice flag pole like many of my neighbors so I thought about buying one of those kits you hang on the side of your house or stick in the ground in front of your house.

As the morning progressed, the thought of getting a flag failed to leave my brain, so around 11am, my wife and I hopped in Donk, the Subaru to see if any of our local stores were open on this holiday Monday. Turns out, many of them were.

At our first stop, Store #1 had two options...a 5' x 3' flag for $13, and the same flag with a pole to attach to the side of the house for $18. The pole and house attachment were pretty flimsy, and considering the wind we get up here, I felt it was inadequate, not to mention I didn't really want to drill the attachment to our house.

We went to Store #2.

The first thing we saw was a flag kit, complete with a stronger, thicker pole and a higher quality flag. The attachment was also more heavy-duty. It seemed perfect...

Until we spotted the price.

Eighty bucks.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to diss the $18 flag for its somewhat wimpy construction, or the $80 flag for its superior construction and quality. No...my issue is what's in the wallet. As we searched the store for other flag options at Store #2 (they had none...), I spotted an eight-foot pole. It's made for marking fields and the like. Still, I saw how sturdy it was and felt it would make a more than adequate flag pole. Since Store #2 did not have any other flag options, we drove back to Store #1 and bought the $13 flag. It took some doing, but I was able to attach the flag to the pole and after I buried a piece of PVC pipe in the front yard, I stuck the flag pole with flag attached into the pipe and declared that we were once again, a flag-flying family.

At our last house, we had an excellent way to fly the flag 24/7. Here...it could be done, but it doesn't work as well. I'm glad we now have a way to fly the flag on holidays, especially on a day like today where the flag and the day mean so much. Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

This Memorial Day...Things Were Different

For years, my family has gathered at the site of my parents's graves. We'll meet either Saturday, Sunday, or Monday on Memorial Day weekend. There are a few things we do, mostly just stand around, chat, and take pictures. Then, I inevitably post pictures of the gatherings. It's fun to look back and see how much has changed since I began posting pictures.

I'll take pictures of my the grandkids, many of whom have themselves married and now the great-grandkids are among the photos. Then, at some point, my sister, my brother, and I will stand together and someone will take pictures of, "The Taylor Siblings."

This year, things were different.

Last December, our sister passed away unexpectedly. We're not the only family suffering from such a loss. Many find themselves without loved ones at gatherings now. Thanks to small miracles, her headstone was placed only a week ago. Of course, we would have gathered this weekend without the headstone, but having it in place meant something special to our family.

I've always enjoyed our family's Memorial Day tradition, but this year, I dreaded it...not overly, but it was there.  I'm thankful we were able to get together. We met in between rainstorms. chatted, and took pictures. Yes, it was different, and it will never be the same as it once was, but I suppose that's the point of life...experiencing the present and hopefully, appreciating it as well.