Boston 2023

I've mentioned many times that scrapbook layouts from our travels are some of the most difficult to do. Narrowing down the pictures and then squeezing in the ones I've chosen (while still leaving room for a title and journaling) is always a challenge. In the case of today's layout, even the title gave me trouble.

My rule for a multi-state trip is one layout per state. That usually works out, but during our epic 15-day New England adventure, we visited Massachusetts, then Rhode Island and Connecticut, then Massachusetts again, then Vermont and New Hampshire, and finally... Massachusetts. I didn't want to do three pages for Massachusetts, nor did I want to combine them all since the chronology would be weird in the album. I decided to do two Massachusetts pages: one for the places we visited at the beginning and middle of the trip (Plymouth, Cape Cod, Springfield, Amherst) and one for the end of the trip (Salem, Lexington, Concord, Cambridge, Boston). It bugs me a little bit that Springfield and Amherst are out of order, but I'm dealing with it. 

Anyway, the title: I went with Boston, even though the layout features four other locations as well. They're all part of Greater Boston, so close enough. 

Boston 2023 (affiliate link)

We have another trip coming up soon that includes a day in Boston, so I'm glad to have this page in the album. 

States with Pledges to their State Flags

I was doing research for an article and came across something that absolutely shocked me: There are 17 states who have a pledge to their own state flag. What?! I had no idea. I thought all of us in the United States were pledging allegiance to the national flag and stopping there. That's the case for 33 states, but citizens in 17 states continue on with a state pledge. Crazy.  

If you are also surprised by this information, take a minute to guess what the 17 states are. Don't guess California - if we had a state pledge, I'd have known about it and wouldn't be writing this post. 

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OK, do you have your guesses? Check the map to see how you did. 

I'm assuming many of your guesses were Southern states - specifically, ones that seceded during the Civil War. If so, that was a good guess: 10 of the 11 Confederate states (all except Florida) now have their own state pledge. But those pledges weren't adopted in the Reconstruction era; they are all far more recent than that. 

State Flag Pledges

Texas (adopted 1933, amended 2007)

Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible. 

Georgia (adopted 1935, amended 2022)

I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag and to the principles for which it stands: Wisdom, Justice, 

Moderation, and Courage.  

 

Arkansas (adopted 1953)

I salute the Arkansas Flag with its diamond and stars. We pledge our loyalty to thee. 

 

Virginia (adopted 1954)

I salute the flag of Virginia, with reverence and patriotic devotion to the ‘Mother of States and Statesmen,’ which it represents - the ‘Old Dominion,’ where liberty and independence were born. 

 

South Carolina (1966)

I salute the flag of South Carolina and pledge to the Palmetto State love, loyalty and faith. 

 

Mississippi (adopted 1972)

I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God. 

 

Louisiana (adopted 1981)

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the state of Louisiana and to the motto for which it stands: A state, under God, united in purpose and ideals, confident that justice shall prevail for all of those abiding here.

 

Tennessee (1st pledge adopted 1981, 2nd pledge adopted 2006)

1) Three white stars on a field of blue, God keep them strong and ever true. It is with pride and love that we salute the Flag of Tennessee. 

2) Flag of Tennessee, I salute thee. To thee I pledge my allegiance with my affection, my service and my life. 

 

Alabama (adopted 2001)

Flag of Alabama I salute thee. To thee I pledge my allegiance, my service, and my life. 

 

North Carolina (adopted 2007)

I salute the flag of North Carolina and pledge to the Old North State love, loyalty, and faith.

Before moving on to the rest of the states that have a pledge to their state flag, I have a few comments about these. 

• I cannot believe that people in Tennessee and Alabama are pledging their LIFE to their state. That seems extreme, to say the least. 
• Mississippi's pledge refers to the state as "her." Is that a thing? I know boats are traditionally female, but states?
• Virginia's pledge desperately needs a copy editor. 
• North Carolina's pledge is an exact copy of South Carolina's. I guess I'm ok with that, given that South Carolina has my favorite of the 10 pledges and they're both Carolinas and all. 
• It is so strange that Tennessee adopted a second pledge without retiring the first pledge. It's also strange that the first one starts with a rhyme. 

Here are the other seven states that have adopted a pledge to their state flag. As with the former Confederate states, they are listed in the order in which they adopted the pledge. 

Rhode Island (adopted 1910) 

I pledge allegiance to our State Flag, and to the Republic of which Rhode Island forms a part; one Union inseparable, with honor and reverence for both State and Nation. 

 

New Mexico (adopted 1963)

I salute the flag of the state of New Mexico, the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.

Michigan (adopted 1972)

I pledge allegiance to the flag of Michigan, and to the state for which it stands, 2 beautiful peninsulas united by a bridge of steel, where equal opportunity and justice to all is our ideal. 

 

Oklahoma (adopted 1982)

I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma. Its symbols of peace unite all people.

South Dakota (adopted 1987) 

I pledge loyalty and support to the flag and State of South Dakota, land of sunshine, land of infinite variety. 

 

Kentucky (adopted 2000)

I pledge allegiance to the Kentucky flag, and to the Sovereign State for which it stands, one Commonwealth, blessed with diversity, natural wealth, beauty, and grace from on High.

Ohio (adopted 2002)

I salute the flag of the state of Ohio and pledge to the Buckeye State respect and loyalty.

Thoughts on this group of pledges: 

• Rhode Island's pledge, the first, is the only one to mention the Nation. 
• Michigan's pledge could use editing, as it is quite cumbersome. Also, note that "steel" and "ideal" rhyme, but the phrases they're in have radically different rhythms. 
• Um, Kentucky? You are not a sovereign state. 
• I love the pledges of both New Mexico and Oklahoma. Both of them "salute" the flag (rather than pledge anything) and both reference unity amongst their people. 

It's your turn to weigh in! Let me know in the comments what you think about these state pledges, either in general or specifically. What are your favorites and least favorites? Should state flag pledges even be a thing? 

Scrapping Tulip

I had so much fun putting together this colorful layout about our beautiful girl, Tulip. 

Tulip (affiliate link)

I'm particularly proud of the title work on this page. The patterned papers are from a birthday collection that included die cuts of the words CELEBRATE and HAPPY. I used the T, L, and P as is, then did quick snipping to change the R into an I. Then I cut a U from scraps of patterned paper, doing my best to match the font. 

Creamy Lemonade

After an abnormally cool summer, things have heated up here in Northern California. Time for a refreshing glass of what I'm calling Creamy Lemonade. 

 

I became familiar with the joy that is Brazilian Lemonade in 2014 and promptly did a taste test to see if I could improve on the original. It was a delicious experiment. When I got a bunch of fresh lemons recently, I thought it would be fun to see what other directions I could take this drink. After some trials, tweaks, and simplifications, I'm happy with this frothy, refreshing, creamy version of lemonade. 

Creamy Lemonade

 

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 T. sweetened condensed milk 

2 T. sugar 

1 cup milk

Put all ingredients in the blender and mix until frothy. Serve over ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and a dollop of whipped cream.

Physical Therapy: Adhesive Capsulitis & Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Surgery

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I naively thought that once active treatment was done, that was it. In my case, active treatment was surgery and radiation, but there can be much more to recovering from breast cancer than just the active treatment. Because my cancer is ER/PR positive, I am taking hormone blocking medication for ten years. There are a lot of unpleasant side effects that go with it. 

One side effect that had nothing to do with the medication was that my right arm (the surgery side) was incredibly painful after I finished radiation. My raw skin healed, but I couldn't lift my arm without screaming. Sleeping was very difficult. I kept my arm pressed by my side as much as possible because moving it hurt so much. At the same time, I noticed that my right breast was oddly swollen, pitted, and heavy. It felt uncomfortable at all times, much like the feeling of being engorged in the early days of breast feeding. Eventually, I received two diagnoses: adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder syndrome) and lymphedema. Both are linked to breast cancer treatment. 

I started physical therapy for both conditions last fall. After many months of going to appointments and doing daily exercises at home, my therapist felt I was ready to stop the in-person treatments in May and just continue the home therapies. I was thrilled. 

Physical Therapy (affiliate link)

It has been 14 months since my breast cancer surgery and almost a year since I finished radiation. My shoulder is significantly better. I don't have quite the range of motion that I used to, but it is no longer painful and I can do all daily activities without help or modifications. The lymphedema is not better; my PT warned me at diagnosis that it could be a lifelong condition. That's frustrating, but now I know how to treat it and get temporary relief when it is bothering me.