Review of Patriotic Photographs

I love to capture images of the American flag in my photographs.  The photograph above shows the flag flying on my house on Memorial Day.  The photo is taken from my front porch where I was sitting and enjoying the beautiful day.  The flag always gives me a feeling of patriotism and thankfulness for the freedoms we enjoy in the USA.

On this page I will share with you my photographs of the flag and other images that remind me of our freedom as Americans.

The Flag is a Symbol of Patriotism

Here are some interesting facts I found about the American Flag when searching online.

• The American Flag, as it is called today was first called the "Stars and Stripes" when it was  approved in 1777.
• The original flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars.  One for each of the 13 colonies.
• Today's flag still carries the 13 stripes for the original colonies but it now has 50 stars.  One for each state in the union.
• There are several myths about the designer of the American flag.  The journals of the Continental congress show that the designer was Francis Hopkinson, a Congressman and patriot.
• Today the original flag can be found at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D. C.

The Flag Used as a 9/11 Remembrance

The flags in the photo above were part of a remembrance display that the city of St. Louis hosted on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.  The hill below the St. Louis Art Museum was covered with flags.  One flag for each person that lost their life in the 9/11 attacks.

I visited the display with a few friends and was moved by the solemn beauty of the flags flying in remembrance of those who lost their lives.  

Flags Flying in Public Places

The American flag is flown in many public and private places.  It is a symbol of our country that I enjoy photographing.  The photograph below was taken at Tawas Point lighthouse in Michigan.  It was a slightly windy day and I moved around and took several shots to capture the flag in front of the lighthouse.

Tawas Point Lighthouse

The above photo was taken in Canada just across the St. Clair river from Ft.  Gratiot, Michigan.  I had crossed the river to get a better view of the lighthouse and found these two flags one Canadian and one American on the boardwalk along the river.  I love the way the seem to symbolize a sense of unity between the countries.

O'Fallon, Missouri Veterans Memorial

Another symbol of patriotism is the many veterans memorials found throughout our land.  They show the honor and respect we have those who sacrificed themselves for our county.  We have a unique memorial in the town that I live in, O'Fallon.  It depicts pairs of cast bronze boots positioned as though marching.  Called the Veterans Memorial Walk it was dedicated in 2001 as a place to honor soldiers both past and present.  

Monuments are Symbols of Patriotism

There are many monuments throughout the country that are seen as symbols of our history and patriotism.  This is a photo I took of the Washington Monument in Washington D. C.  Note the circle of flags at the base of the monument.

Enjoy Patriotic Gifts from my Photographs

Reversible American Flag Throw Pillow by mbgphoto
See other pillows.

Celebrate Card by mbgphoto
Look at American flag Cards online at Zazzle.com

Flags at Art Hill-9-11 Coffee Mug by mbgphoto
Design your own personal coffee mugs online at Zazzle.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Green Thumbs Love Daylilies!

What grows without too much trouble, looks beautiful and makes gardeners all over the world smile?

You could answer with a multitude of plant names and I'm sure that some gardeners, somewhere, would agree with almost any suggestion.  The answer I'm looking for right now is Daylilies!

With over 30,000 different cultivars, you know that the plant world has taken this plant and just loved it so much that developing a new cultivar is like finding gold.

Hemorocallis is the proper name for the genus of Daylilies and comes from the Greek words Hemera (day) and Kallos (beautiful). So the Latin name is very appropriate and a straight translation. They are called Daylilies because each flower usually lasts only one day.  One every stem though you can have 5 to 10 buds.  So they last a lot longer than one day.  July and August are the greatest months for Daylilies.  They are  blooming like crazy during the summer months.

                                      Picture from my garden, please don't copy.

With over 30,000 different cultivars, it is highly unlikely that you will ever see all of these beauties in one place.  There are gardeners all over the world who use their gardening skills to breed new cultivars of Daylilies in the hopes of bringing another beauty into being.

Picture Wikimedia Commons

Developing new cultivars is not for the faint-hearted gardener.  It can take 3 to 5 years and sometimes longer to develop a new strain and then it must be tested to make sure it comes true to it's cross and does not revert back to one of the parent lilies.

When I first fell in love with Daylilies, they just happened to be the most ordinary Daylily. Ordinary in the sense that they are common and found all over the world.  They are just plain orange, but bloom with lots of buds on each stem, so they flower for a long time.  Most people call them Tiger Lilies.  

Today I have a few more Daylilies that are quite beautiful.  I have fallen in love with one called Devil's Delight, that is a dark red/burgundy with a green throat.  Ruffled edges on the petals make it look like a ladies evening gown.  That root cost me a small fortune and looking at my pictures I realize I have never taken her picture.  Sorry, I would have loved to share her with you.

I have neighbors go by my garden asking me for a root of that particular Daylily, but I am not so keen to share it.  

The other one that I really like is called Moonlight Dance ( see the picture above)  and she is yellow with a halo of darker orange and the edges are also the dark orange and ruffled as well.  They remind me of ballerina tutus.

This weekend June 24-26th there is a Daylily Festival in Tennessee.  If you are close by, I would say go and be prepared to be awed by over 200 varieties of Daylilies.

Daylily Festival in Tennessee.

Photo by Ken Oakes 

Why Grow Daylilies?

As I was telling you earlier, there are so many Daylily cultivars, that I'm sure no one has seen them all in one place at one time. Why are there so many?  Well I'd like to guess that it's partially due to the ease with which you can grow this plant. While it is originally from the Eurasian area, China, Korea and Japan, daylilies have found their way around the world and can grow in a variety of settings.

They can be large flowered with multiple petals, or large with singular petals. Some have stripes or rings, some are ruffled and others are not. Colors vary from the common orange, to dark reds, violets, pinks, yellows and everything in between.

Their root systems are so strong that they will get denser and denser as the years go by.

If you leave a clump of daylilies growing without any interference, it may take a pick ax to dig it out again. I tend to let mine grow for a year without disturbance, and then the next year, I will go in and remove some of the roots for planting elsewhere or sharing with friends and family.

The large strap shaped leaves look like a giant spider plant, until the spikes of flowers begin to show in mid-July. Then prepare yourself for some breath-taking beauty.

Some are scented and re-bloom later in the year as well, but not all of them. It's hard for any plant to be this beautiful and smell nice too! Whatever you don't get in scent is certainly made up for, by the depths of colors and intricacies in this plant.

Can I make some suggestions for your garden?

If you have never grown Daylilies I would start with this one, The Stella d'Oro is a rebloomer, meaning that it will bloom more than once.  It is beautiful in it's golden color and it smells nice too! You will not be disappointed with this plant.

25 Bareroot Stella D'Oros Daylilies--1-2 fan

Do you want to learn more?

I only made one suggestion for your garden because I could not possibly choose the others for you.
Rather,  I would suggest getting this book, for some really nice summer time reading and dreaming.

You will enjoy seeing the multitudes of daylilies within the pages and the descriptions of what makes each one "special".  It will also open your eyes to at least 1700 different cultivars that are available.

This book will become bookmarked with your choices in colors and types of daylilies.  Leave it out in the open for your children to see, so next time there is a gift giving opportunity, they will know at least one thing that you would love to have in your garden. If you are inclined you could even use some sticky notes to mark out your favorites.........Sneaky, right?

The New Encyclopedia of Daylilies: More Than 1700 Outstanding 
Selections

I prefer to be this kind of sneaky and get something that I really want in my garden than to have my kids bring me cut flowers that will surely last only a few days.  This way, your plants will come back year after year becoming more beautiful with the passing of time.  They will be a living reminder of the gift given once and enjoyed ever after.

Just one word of caution, once you have one daylily in your garden, you will want more!  

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Seresto Flea Collar For Cats

Have A Flea Problem?

Cat Image From Pixabay.com

In my neck of the woods we are in the full swing of flea and tick season. I have just placed a new flea collar on my cat, the Seresto Flea Collar for cats. I haven't used a collar for many years, mainly because they became hard to find. We had switched to the topical type of flea prevention which was fine but rather on the expensive side when you had to apply it once per month. 

The old type of flea collars for cats were taken off of the market because of the problem of causing neurological problems for our little feline buddies. So, most of us had to find other ways to protect not only our kitty cats but our homes as well. 

Bayer, the aspirin people, have come out with a line of products for cats and dogs and they are making a flea collar that seems promising. I'm giving it a try, anyway. So, far so good.

Seresto Flea Collar for cats

I really like the convenience of not having to apply any topical stuff once a month. This collar is supposed to work for 8 months. I have been watching carefully and there have been no indications of fleas on my cat and she has not had any adverse effects from wearing the collar. She was not very happy when I first put it on her but she was never very excited when I applied the topical medication on her either.

I also liked that the flea collar comes in a tin can with a nice little pamphlet that tells you how to apply the collar and possible reactions to watch for in your cat. It also has some little clips that you can apply to the collar that will reflect light at night if your cat wanders around the neighborhood. Our cat doesn't go outside at night but it is nice to have them to use if we feel the need. There is also a sticker that you can apply to your calendar to remind you when the 8 months is up.

At first, I thought the pricing was a little high but when I figured it lasts for 8 months it is quite a bit less costly than the monthly topicals that I had to purchase. All in all, we are happy with the flea collar from Bayer.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Healthy and Delicious Smoothies

Photo courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt (creative commons)

Last week I shared my excitement about my new NutriBullet Pro 900 series with you.  I have enjoyed green smoothies for some time now but settled with using an inexpensive blender for far too long. Now that I have a NutriBullet juice extractor, smoothies have become even more important to me and even easier to make on a daily basis.

Why Smoothies Have Become Important to Me

Some time ago I began trying to eat healthier foods and cut things from my diet such as soda.  I find that as the years pass, my health is harder to maintain and my weight continues to increase.  I also began making smoothies because store-bought juices are typically too sweet.  I like water with a splash of orange juice or cranberry juice. So it was an easy jump to the Smoothies.  Finally, when I drink smoothies regularly, I feel noticeably better.

Green smoothies are my favorite. Especially green smoothies using the following ingredients: 

Spinach, orange juice, blueberries, banana, water/ice, and a few leaves of fresh mint from my balcony garden.

My plan is to try many different smoothies.  I now have a recipe book to browse and an app to download. And a NutriBullet Pro that pulverizes ingredients. For more information about my new NutriBullet, take a peek at my review. 

Tempting Smoothie Recipe Suggestions From a Few Friends

Cynthia Sylverstermouse shares her Tropical Fruit Smoothie with us. If you are a fan of mango, strawberry, and papaya you must take a peek at this recipe. She also suggests we take a look at the Ultimate Smoothie Book for more delicious smoothie recipes.

I love peanut butter, and know that it is considered to be very nutritious, but I have never considered having it in a smoothie with berries. On Recipes for Real People you can find the recipe for Peanut Butter Triple Berry Smoothie.

And if your mouth isn't watering yet, this compilation of Chocolate Smoothie recipes by BuckHawk is sure to cause you to crave chocolate. AND rush right out to purchase a smoothie maker if you do not already own one. I think an Almond Joy Smoothie for dessert sounds like a wonderful thing!  But if almonds, coconut, and chocolate isn't your thing, there are several other chocolate smoothies to choose from. 

Photo courtesy of Ralf Kabelitz (creative commons)

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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How to Change a Blogger URL to a Custom Domain URL

Easy Instructions for Changing a Blogger URL with Photos

There are several reasons why you might want to redirect a blogger url to a custom domain url.  In my case, I didn't want to transfer all of the articles on blogger to a new site just to have the custom domain url.  Custom domains are easier to remember since they most often match the site name.  They also don't require readers to remember the "blogspot" part of the url.  It is so much easier to tell friends, family, and readers to visit ReviewThisReviews.com than it is to tell them ReviewThisPersonalReviews.blogspot.com.  Now that our site has been redirected, either the old url or the new custom domain url will land you here.

Even though we have owned the custom domain name for years, I was hesitant to make the redirect.  I feared all kinds of evils would befall us.  I worried that we might even be offline for hours or days.  All of those concerns were unfounded.  Nothing bad happened and within 30 minutes, our custom domain was completely set and our site was redirected.

Now, let me share our extremely easy directions for redirecting a blogger site to a custom domain.  These instructions are written with bloggers in mind, not computer web designers.  The instructions are written in plain, easy to understand English and I have included lots of screenshots so you can see exactly what I am talking about in each step. 

Instructions for Redirecting a Site URL

If you follow these instructions, they will work.  Some steps may require waiting time for the DNS settings to activate, but that does not mean you have made a mistake.  Simply be patient and allow the internet to process your commands. 

1) Purchase Custom Domain - I use Namecheap, so these instructions will show their dashboard 

2) On the Blogger Dashboard, click Settings > Basic 

3) Click the link "+ Setup a 3rd party URL for your blog" 

4)  Go to the Namecheap Dashboard and click "Manage" by the url you wish to use, then select "Advanced DNS" from the top tabs.
 

5)  Copy the domain url, go back to the blogger dashboard, and paste the domain url in the box.   

BE SURE TO START THE DOMAIN URL WITH www.      
example:  www.thetoymousestore.com      

(If there is a / at the end, remove it)
 

6)  Click Save - This will auto-populate the information you need for the next step.
 

7)  Copy the destination (ghs.google.com) and Go Back to the Namecheap Dashboard.  Paste ghs.google.com in the CNAME record value box replacing "free.park-your-domain.com."  Make sure the www is in the Host section  

8)  Click "add a new record" and select to add another CNAME Record (See Screenshot Below)  

9)  Paste the second line of letters and numbers in the appropriate CNAME boxes  

10)  Click all of the check marks - they will disappear and little trash cans will appear 

11)  Go back to the Blogspot dashboard and click Save.   (If it doesn't save right away, wait 15 - 20 min and try again.   One of my blogs took about  15 min for the DNS settings to activate so I could save it.) 

12)  Once saved, confirm the new domain url is working by viewing your actual blog.  Look at the address to confirm url change.
 

13)  One last VERY IMPORTANT STEP!   

On the Blogger dashboard, under Settings > Basic, click the "edit" link beside the new url and check the box beside "Redirect 'YourSiteName'.com to www.'YourSiteName'.com.    This ensures that the www.  is not required in the url to find your site.   (This may also take a few minutes before it will allow you to save it)  

Congratulations!   

You are done, so go Celebrate!!!

You may also enjoy seeing our new Quick View Home Page here on Review This!  This page features articles you may have previously missed, while also providing excellent examples of the types of reviews published on our site.  

I will be sharing instructions on how to create your own Quick View Home Page for your blog soon.

 

How to Change a Blogger URL to a Custom Domain URL written by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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