I shouldn’t be writing this at the moment because it is late, for me, and I have had a busy day. I just returned home from the Devonshire Cinema. Although I saw the Michael Jackson film, ‘This is it!’ last week, I took my 14 year old granddaughter Krista to see it tonight – after homework and dinner of course.
Last year I attended the Veterans’ Appreciation Day in our fair city, an event attended by about 800 veterans, friends, family and volunteers. I took individual photo portraits of as many veterans as possible, and within a week had mailed or delivered copies to them. It felt like a gift to me, to be able to do this.
This year, today, I returned to do the same thing at this year’s event, filling my camera’s memory card and my heart. I had a few surprises in some old friends I met there and enjoyed conversations with lots of people I hadn’t met before.
I used to work with Dan Beaudoin, who has to be the most outwardly patriotic person in our country. He has a Canada themed house on Lincoln Road. I have seen him attend veterans’ celebrations before, often handing out Canadian flags or other themed items. He was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt that he had designed especially for him.
When leaving to go home I noticed this truck in the parking lot and am assuming, probably rightly so, that it belongs to Dan.
Following are two links to some additional photos taken today:
Photos of veterans:
http://picasaweb.google.com/linda.bluepeony/RemembranceDay2009#
Photos of events, volunteers, miscellaneous:
http://picasaweb.google.com/linda.bluepeony/EventVolunteersMiscellaneous#
As an afterthought I have decided to include a link to the photographs I took at the 2008 Veterans’ Appreciation Day. Perhaps someone will recognizes themselves from that event:
http://picasaweb.google.com/linda.bluepeony/RemembranceDay#
Kudos to the organizers, particularly my contact person, Dann Bouzide of the Windsor Historical Society.
I can’t begin to imagine the scope of the planning, organizing and fine tuning that goes into such a large scale and greatly appreciated day. So, in one way the event celebrates the veterans and is in appreciation of their service and sacrifice. And in another way, my sense is that they appreciate the acknowledgment and respect of having this special event created just for them. Lots of appreciation all ’round.
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