A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....02-10-04...Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella

Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

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We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

LET A SMILE BE YOUR UMBRELLA
(On a Rainy Day)

Just let a smile be your umbrella,
On a rainy, rainy day . . .
And if your sweetie cries, just tell her,
That a smile will always pay . . .

Whenever skies are gray,
Don`t you worry or fret,
A smile will bring the sunshine,
And you`ll never get wet!

So, let a smile be your umbrella,
On a rainy, rainy day . . .
Words & Music by Irving Kahal, Francis Wheeler & Sammy Fain, 1928
Recorded by Perry Como, 1959



Today is Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - Umbrella Day.

(Please tell me you didn't forget my post last Tuesday and our February Fun Calendar.)   : )

I guess you probably don't remember tomorrow is "Don't Cry over Spilled Milk Day", "Make a Friend Day", and "White T-Shirt Day" either. (Well, as long as you remember tomorrow is also "The Mayor's BIRTHDAY!")

But that's tomorrow. And this is today. And we need to talk about umbrellas today.

Umbrellas and Their History
(excerpts)
by William Sangster

"Can it be possibly believed, by the present eminently practical generation, that a busy people like the English, whose diversified occupations so continually expose them to the chances and changes of a proverbially fickle sky, had ever been ignorant of the blessings bestowed on them by that dearest and truest friend in need and in deed, the UMBRELLA? Can you, gentle reader, for instance, realise to yourself the idea of a man not possessing such a convenience for rainy weather?"

"Plain, useful, and unpretending, if any of man's inventions ever deserved sincere regard, the Umbrella is, we maintain, that invention. Only a few years back those who carried Umbrellas were held to be legitimate butts. They were old fogies, careful of their health, and so on; but now-a-days we are wiser. Everybody has his Umbrella."

"Strange to say, it is a fact, melancholy enough, but for all that too true, that our forefathers, scarce seventy years agone, meekly endured the pelting of the pitiless storm without that protection vouchsafed to their descendants by a kind fate and talented inventors. The fact is, the Umbrella forms one of the numerous conveniences of life which seem indispensible to the present generation, because just so long a time has passed since their introduction, that the contrivances which, in some certain degree, previously supplied their place, have passed into oblivion."

(Snip)

Yaw-w-w-n

Wow. How interesting was that. I'm sure you, gentle readers, have been dying to know, as I was, all about the history of the Umbrella; it was my pleasure to present it to you in part, in Mr. Sangster's own words from his absolutely marvelous and thoroughly captivating "Umbrellas and Their History"!

Umbrellas....Not Just For Rain

Continuing our theme for this 10th day of February, here's one final photo - a bit of a fantasy:

The Umbrella as Transportation, with the one who made it famous, Mary Poppins, and our 43rd President, who many of us think is quite

Have a
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 02-09-04 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact dansangel or .45Man
at
danbh59@yahoo.com
and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

[Billie]

[Billie]

G'morning, Finest FRiends, and Happy Tuesday!
Put a smile on your face and c'mon over. :)

[The Mayor]

It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good.

We can endure life's wrongs because we know that God will make all things right.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Billie.

[Billie]

Good morning, Rus - thank you for the morning coffee and the words to think about.

[LadyX]

And a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious presentation this is !!!

We always marvel at your graphics and backgrounds, Billie, and your lovely self.

Thank you so much for gathering us ragtag posters and herding us into The Finest Room, where we have become Family...

[Billie]

'Morning, Aeronaut. Good to see your cheery red plane up there. :)

[Billie]

Morning! You're here early! (You were here late, too!) :) Thank you so much for your cheers and enthusiasm and support!

[FreeTheHostages]

Oh look Billie! A calendar page for our mutual friend!

[LadyX]

warming my hands in the steam rising from your excellent coffee while I
Thank you for the Daily Bread....

Never underestimate the power of prayer - -

[FreeTheHostages]

Oh look Billie! I found just the thing(s) to go with my umbrella!

 

[LadyX]

Thanks, Billie, for the sweet graphic!

[HiJinx]

Ooohhhh....umbrellas!
Can't leave out one of the campiest uses of umbrellas from the sixties, now can we?

I mean, the Penguin hid all kinds of things in his umbrellas: a bat detector, boxing gloves, poison gas, cement, bombs, a gun, swords, high-power demagnetizer coil, a knife/razor, knockout gas, the penguin-line, and a jet-pack. Click on the Penguin Action Figure to see more!

[LadyX]

drawing self up to full height and looking dignified
And just whom didst thou have in mind with your remark addressed to Yours Truly??!!

Harumphhh...I, in fact, have had at least eight lives in my decades..:))

[LadyX]

Hooray!
It's HiJinx!

You must give us the gift of a recent picture of "our" Piper!!

[dutchess]

Goodmorning Billie. LOL! This is way too cute! Heading to work but had to give you a great big sistah KUDOS!!!!!

[HiJinx]

I must? Really and truly must? Oh well, if you insist...and only because it's you, Dear One!

The Precious Ms. P has just finished a bowl of cereal, and her Daddy is teaching her how to hit the....nevermind, she's learning to drink from a bottle.

She took the bottle real well the first time she tried, then they gave her one with Pedialyte in it...for the longest time after that, she refused to let a bottle get anywhere near her lips. Smart girl.

Yesterday she was four months old!!

[Billie]

That calendar page is TOO cute! Actually, I can think of some OTHERS that would be most appropriate for!

[The Mayor]

I have one of these,my wife and kids got it for me when I
was doing alot of roofing. Never really wore it though.

[LadyX]

Precious is precisely the right word for her, Jinxie...
As a matter of fact, I remembered her birthday.
Grandmothers are good at that sort of thing..:))

{{{{{ Hugs for Piper, Dad, and Granddad }}}}}