I'm one of those guys who can't turn down buying a poppy from the VFW when I see them.

Here is a brief history of Memorial Day in general...

Here is the VFW's history of the "Buddy Poppy"

The poppy became a symbol of fallen war dead after WWI. The history of this is well known enough not to delve into great detail about.

The poppies of Flander became famous in this poem;

In Flander's Field
by John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields

Please for this one time, if anyone wants to reply no anti Iraq war or anti military rhetoric or jingoism.

I know that is asking a lot out of some here, so if you can't say something in reply without making a political statement out if it, don't please.

Join NVC trainer Liv Monroe for her next fun and engaging Introduction to Nonviolent Communication. Learn usable skills to reduce criticism, blame, defensiveness.... gain proficiency in communicating honestly, in connecting with your own and other's real feelings and needs, and in asking for what you want.

Monday, June 2, 6:45 to 9 PM, at the Lincoln Elementary School cafeteria, 213 21st Ave. SE, Olympia. For info, call Liv at 357-4503. No charge but donations are appreciated.

One of the interesting things about working with Friends of the Waterfront against the request to rezone the space between the lake and the sound has been looking at what the planning commission and the City Council actually *see* when they're deciding what Olympia will look like in the future. I'm just starting to do some pages for the FOTW website with comparisons, like this...:

Views from the 4th Avenue bridge

The City's visualization from the public workshop March 22nd — which includes the rezone on the other side of the street, not just TriWay's imagined buildings.

TriWay's visualization — notice that the street lights on the left look about five stories high, making the buildings feel appealingly small...

http://www.nuprometheus.com/friends/comparebridge.html

Best,
Thad

How well do you know Olympia? Here's the game: Each Saturday I post a picture from somewhere around Olympia and people try to figure out its location. The first person who gets it correct is the first person who correctly got the location *yay!*.

Here is a little shot I took, somewhere in Cheetwoot. Can you guess where this is? First one to post where this is (which building counts) gets to post the next teaser!

Here's Trish (R) assembling CD sleeves with Jenny (Center)

Orion looking like my character in the final scene in Love is Stupid

Available on Bicycle Records

Trish brought this home too! Love that woman!

"This cheese has brought home awards for its smoky-sweet flavor. The caliente kick of red Morita jalapeño chilies combined with the New England mellow of Vermont milk make this a natural for transforming any snack into a smoky sizzler!"