Yesterday was a delight. It was so lovely a day that, despite the tourists, I ventured out to do an errand or two. First was the hardware store for a new American flag, pole and holder. I found one and will put it up today. Next I checked a small antique shop where I am sometimes lucky in finding odd, small, neat and inexpensive stuff. Yesterday I wasn’t lucky. I stopped to get gas then I took a roundabout ride to Dennisport partly for the joy of the ride and partly to avoid the traffic. When I got to Dennisport, I was shocked. Usually I can just pick a parking spot as there are few cars, but yesterday I had to ride around twice before a car pulled out right in front of where I was headed. I smartly paralleled parked and went to get my sandwich and pastry.

Today is cloudy and chilly but the sun is trying to break through to bring a little light. The oak leaves are being tossed by the wind. The day is pretty quiet. I don’t hear any neighbors. I guess today is an inside day.

All the villages are having parades tomorrow. I love Memorial Day parades. They are the same in every small town in America. They were exactly the same when I was a little kid. The police cars with lights blinking start the parade and the fire engines ringing their bells end it. In between are color guards, the veterans from various wars, school bands, the brownies and girl and boy scouts. My town always has a WWII jeep, the same one each year, carrying a veteran too old to walk. The parade takes maybe fifteen minutes to pass by. The small crowd is enthusiastic and claps for everyone especially the veterans.

I remember marching in my first Memorial Day parade. I was a brownie and my whole troop marched. I was probably around seven and I took the event quite seriously. I was proud of being a part of that parade. My parents clapped when I walked by them. That was a highlight for me. When I got home, I was bubbly and so very happy as I relayed the whole story of the parade from the beginning to the end, from one street to the other. I proudly told my parents that everyone was out of step but me.