A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....06-11,12,13-04....T.G.I.F. at the Finest

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

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

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

Bush - Cheney 04

Welcome to TGIF at the Finest!   We hope you've been having as much fun as we have with our essays and/or spotlight on various FReepers. From the beginning, we've been kicking back on Saturdays and Sundays and simply reviewing the features of the week; our weekend threads now start on Friday and continue through Sunday. If you missed seeing any of this week's threads and want to say hello there now, just click on the link for that particular day. If you'd like to drop in and out of this thread today through Sunday, please feel free to do that also. One of us will try to be around to see the welcome mat is still out, put the coffee pot on, and maybe even bring fresh flowers for the table. : )

~ Billie, Mama_Bear, Dutchess, Aquamarine ~



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"Getting to Know You"

THIS WEEK'S THREADS


06-07-04 ~ Military Monday
By Billie
Presented by The Mayor

06-08-04 ~Themeless Tuesday
By Mama_Bear

06-09-04 ~ Let Us Have MUSIC!
By Billie

06-10-04 ~ President Reagan Changed Everything
By JohnHuang2
Presented by Dutchess

Have a wonderful weekend!

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

[Billie]

The pledge that Mama_Bear made with pictures of President Reagan and our flag is so beautiful that Dutchess used it yesterday with John's Tribute to Reagan, and I wanted to use it one more time - today, before he is placed in his final resting place tonight in Simi Valley, California.

[Billie]

Mike Segar, Reuters

It's been a long and emotional week as the country says Goodbye to President Ronald Reagan; the journey ends on this date. Those are the Gipper's own boots on the Riderless Horse.

I'm opening the doors late, leaving yesterday's beautiful tribute by JohnHuang2 and Dutchess up a little longer. I know that many will be watching the final ceremonies today; drop in this weekend as you wish, to say hello, leave another photo, thought, or final prayer for this Great Man and his family.

You made a difference in our world, and we will never forget you, President Reagan.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Billie.

[Aquamarine]

Last night I asked NicknamedBob to write an eulogy for Reagan to go with this graphic. He wrote a very touching poem that put into words what I and countless other's are feeling at this time.
Thank you Bob, it's lovely!

Graphic by Aquamarine

There Can Be Tears

There can be tears you cannot see,
Although you know they fall.
The tears that mark a pain so deep,
Words can’t express at all.

Love has a way of lifting us,
To the point where Angels call,
“Be careful in your soaring flight,
The greater they are, the harder you fall.”

To share a life of joy intense,
To smile with every breath,
Is like a rocket in its course,
That plummets to its death.

A great exulting, upward bound,
That seems to have no end,
Must reach a zenith at some point,
And we must lose a friend.

Oh, how we wish to hold the hand,
That must now separate,
And journey to another task,
Beyond a shining gate.

We stand alone now, all of us,
Each one bereft in part,
As if in losing touch with him,
We’ve lost part of our heart.

This is not the way it is,
We do not stand alone.
His smile will shine for all our days,
His love will be our own.

His goodness has sown seeds in us,
Who strive to go his way,
To bind our lives to doing good,
And practice it each day.

To disarm malice with a smile,
And soft mischievous grin,
To reach for friendship with the world,
And quitting is a sin.

We know he loved to laugh at things,
And that he loved his wife,
And we can help to keep his dream,
Let’s join his love for life.

Lift up your heart just as,
A breeze supports his banner,
By living largely in his way,
And loving in his manner.

NicknamedBob . . . June 10, 2004

[dansangel]

Both of your graphics - the riding boots and your beautiful rendering of President Reagan - tear me up (((((Billie)))))

I'm TV-challenged today because I'm at work. I'll have the radio tuned in, though, at 11:00 am EST to at least be able to listen to the funeral proceedings.

May President Reagan rest in eternal peace in the arms of our Lord.

[dansangel]

((((((Aqua))))) and (((((NicknamedBob)))))))

The beauty of that tribute leaves me speechless. Thank you.

[MEG33]

Thank you for the beautiful tribute...God blessed America when he gave us Ronald Reagan to lead our nation...

[Calpernia]

Great Sketch Billie! I sent the one you did of Reagan in the cowboy hat out on my email list. It is still getting great mileage.

Morning to all!

[stainlessbanner]

Reagan horse pics

[Aquamarine]

(((dansangel)))

I'm watching the funeral now, wish you could see it.

[Aquamarine]

(((MEG)))

[Temple Owl]

Jelly Beans

Reagan started eating jelly beans when he gave up smoking in the early 1960's. On his first day as governor of California, candymaker Henry Rowland gave Reagan a big jar of jelly beans, which Reagan put on the Cabinet Room table. That was the beginning of a long tradition of passing out jelly beans during Cabinet meetings. "We can hardly start a meeting or make a decision without passing around the jar of jelly beans," he told Rowland.

Reagan also once said that, "You can tell a lot about a fella's character by whether he picks out all of one color or just grabs a handful." Sometime later he remarked, "Some political figures have endured in history as lions or conquerors or something equally impressive. It's a little frightening to think California history might record us as jelly beans."

When Reagan was elected President in 1980, Henry Rowland told reporters, "There will be jelly beans in the White House, that's all I can say." True to form, Reagan kept a crystal jar full of his favorite jelly beans (Jelly Belly's) for Cabinet meetings and encouraged his department chiefs to eat them when they needed energy.

Guests at Reagans 1980 inaugural parties consumed 40 million jelly beans --- almost equalling the number of votes he received in the election.

I am certain there will be a jar of "Jelly Belly's" next to our greatest president 's seat in heaven.

[lonestar]

My Grandma is watching "Uncle Ronnie's" funeral on CNN. lonestar said it's OK because Grandama has Alzheimer's and doesn't understand what they're saying.

My Grandma and Grandpa loved Ronald Reagan from 1956. My Grandpa died the last year of Uncle Ronnie's Presidentcy.

Weinie

[Issaquahking]

Thank you for a great post Billie! President Reagan truly did "Pledge his Allegiance" to America as witnessed by his life. Watching as the great English Prime Minister Margearet Thatcher is now paying him tribute, I have to go, can't think and watch at same time...

[Billie]

Good morning, Aeronaut. Thanks for your presence here each day. ;)

[deadhead]

Lovely, all. I am home watching the service. Tears in my eyes. President Bush was awesome. Prayers for President Reagan and his loved ones. So sad, but as you said, Billie..President Reagan now remembers. (I am paraphrasing, forgot exact quote)

New York's, Governor Pataki gave the day off for all state workers today, a day of Prayer and Remembrance.

[Billie]

I'm glad there can be tears, because we've probably all shed a bucket full this week. This graphic, and this poem are absolutely heart-wrenching. One can only imagine the strain of this whole week of ceremonies and goodbyes that Nancy Reagan and the family have been going through. She looks so frail and fragile...I pray she will get some rest, and some privacy after tonight.

Thank you both - this is so touching.

[Billie]

Thank you, Dansy, my sweet sistah. And thank you for your mail.

Big Purple Hugs.

(((((((((((Dansy)))))))))))

[Billie]

Cal, how nice to see you again! Thank you, and I'm glad you're getting some mileage out of the sketch I did (3 years ago now!)

[Billie]

Morning, stainless. Thanks for pinging your friends.