Bunny Moon

Bonding Brayden and Tulip was much more difficult and time-consuming than I'd ever imagined. More painful too - I was bitten four times breaking up fights between the bunnies. Thank goodness, they are now best friends who live together happily. This layout documents their Bunny Moons.  

Bunny Moon (affiliate link)

Seeing Brayden and Tulip so happy together is very rewarding and makes all the struggles worth it. That said, I don't think I would ever go through the bonding process again unless Tulip or Brayden dies young and the other needs a companion. Otherwise, I would adopt a pair that is already bonded. 

The States with the Most and Least State Symbols

When I wrote about California's newest state symbols, I mentioned that the Golden State is up to 47 state symbols. The obvious question: how does that compare to the rest of the states? Today I want to look at which states have the most and the least official state symbols. 

Let's start with the state that has the most: Texas. The Lone Star State has a whopping 76 state symbols. Besides the flag and seal, the first Texas state symbol was the bluebonnet, named the state flower in 1901. 

A state tree (pecan) and bird (mockingbird) followed in the next two decades. A few more symbols were adopted in the decades after that, but the vast majority of Texas' state symbols are from the 1990's to now. The most recent state symbols, adopted in 2021, include the state handgun (1847 Colt Walker Pistol), the state knife (Bowie knife), and the state mushroom (Texas star mushroom). Some of the more unique state symbols of Texas include a state bread (pan de campo), a state cooking implement (Dutch oven), state domino game (Texas 42), a state gemstone cut (the Lone Star cut), and a state vehicle (chuck wagon). 

The state with the least is Iowa. The Hawkeye State (its nickname, but not an official state symbol) has 7 state symbols: a flag, a state seal, a bird (American Goldfinch), a flower (wild rose), a tree (oak), a rock (geode), and a song (The Song of Iowa). The most recently adopted was the geode in 1967. For comparison, of California's 47 current state symbols, 36 of them were adopted after 1967. 

Source

While Texas and Iowa represent the extremes in terms of numbers of state symbols, more states are Texas-like than Iowa-like in that regard. The vast majority of states have added multiple state symbols in the last decade or two, just not at the same rate as Texas has, and I don't think the trend is going to stop. 

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.