Patti Lynn Clark Barnett

We visited Valley Forge National Park this afternoon and took these pictures. The weather was beautiful, bright and cold! I hope you enjoy these pictures of the National Memorial Arch.

This is the inscription on the inside of the arch:

And here in this place of sacrifice in this vale of humiliation in this valley of the shadow of that death out of which the life of America rose regenerate and free let us believe with an abiding faith that to them Union will seem as dear and Liberty as sweet and Progress as glorious as they were to our fathers and are to you and me and that the institutions which have made us happy preserved by the virtue of our children shall bless the remotest generation of the time to come. --Henry Armitt Brown

This is a detail of the arch ceiling:

The arch is to the right of the flag behind the trees:

What can I say? I have read some of my pre-election postings and it is very obvious that I was way too caught up in the heat of it all. I wrote some pretty negative commentary about Obama and the Dems. And I am sure I should have exercised more rhetorical control. Good grief, I cringed at some of the things I expressed. But that is what I and many others were feeling at the time. So, I blasted the opposition because it seemed  totally justified at the time. I now accept the fact of an Obama presidency and that's a step in the right direction, I know.  As postings proved, I did not want him to win but win he did. So, now we will move on, give him the benefit of the doubt and hope and pray for the best.

I may have been wrong about some things. Apparently, Obama will not surround himself with the likes of Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright:) He is not stocking his cabinet with the extremists from the left which is encouraging. And it does appear he will be leading from left center in his first term. The immediate problem is the economy. It will be interesting to see if we come out of this recession with a dynamic market economy led by innovative small businesses or a stagnant economy with government control of major industries.    

I can see how I may have offended many and for that I am truly sorry. I believe I spoke the truth, as I saw it, at the time. But I really hope I was wrong in my Obama assessments. He will have my full support if he turns out to be other than what he seemed and what I believed him to be at the time. I may have come across as too judgmental and harsh. But I had very strong opinions and expressed them in a far too strident way.  It is very important to know the difference between right and wrong and only time will tell whether I was right about our new president. But again, I hope I am proved wrong  for the good of us all.

We are counting our blessings as we go into the Thanksgiving weekend. Most Americans have so much for which to be thankful that it's difficult to know where to begin. We should always keep within us a heart of gratitude. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow".
 
The news about the terror attack in Mumbai is such a horrible tragedy that it is beyond imagination. It brings about a new appreciation of our life in a country that has been terror free since 9-11. May it continue to be so under an Obama administration.
 
Also tragic is the fact the Mumbai terrorists were targeting Americans and Brits. Many people thought the terrorists would like Americans better once Bush was gone and Obama was elected, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe they have figured out, much to the Lefts' chagrin, that Obama will not put America in danger and will conduct national defense much as his predecessor did. Maybe, just maybe, Obama will lead more from the center left rather than the far left. Many are encouraged by his cabinet selections, especially the Hillary secretary of state appointment. The leadership of President Bush has kept us safe for over seven years. And for this we all should be very grateful!
 
I'm praying you all have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Don't eat too much turkey!

Without A Song
DIGITAL MUSIC FILE
 
Just because it's raining I will not stop walking
Because I may have many miles to go
And if I allow a little rain to get me down
Just how much I would miss I'd never know
 
The sun is never always shining brightly
But behind the clouds I know it's always there
Every day, no matter what may come and go my way
I won't let a little rain make me despair
 
Chorus:
I can't imagine my world without music
I can't imagine anything more wrong
Except someone who never prays
An empty soul who cannot praise
I imagine that's a soul without a song
 
Just because it's raining I will not stop singing
It's with a song my heart always takes flight
Gentle breezes, icy winds, light friends may
Come and go, but as long as there's a song I'm alright