Whew! All 200 tickets are gone. No fear, though, you can still purchase tickets through the Springfield Cardinals.

I am getting a little anxious about Sunday’s performance. I know the words and practice everyday. The magnitude of this event is starting to become reality. Perhaps I should pray for rain. We do need a good ol’ fashioned gully washer.

Since I have been practicing, I figured you should practice, also. There are some expectations on your part. I expect for you to sing along with me. So hopefully you know the words and are ready to sing along. I am including some flag etiquette so you will know what to do during the National Anthem and when the flag is present.

“When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute at the first note and hold the salute through the last note. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music.”

You place your right hand over your heart and men remove their hats and hold it to their left shoulder.

You stand when a presented flag enters the field or room and remain standing until the presented flag exits. (A presented flag is one that is brought in and then is taken away. It is not already in place.)

You can find more flag etiquette at http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html.

Many who have sung the National Anthem have added their own style and rendition to make the song their own. The National Anthem belongs to the people of our country. My plan is to take lead from the United States Army Band. Click to hear THE version of the National Anthem (or at least so I think and therefore will sing it similar to this rendition).

http://bands.army.mil/music/nationalanthem.asp

There are only 42 tickets left in the shady fbc Branson section. After these tickets are gone, you  will have to pay full price, sit all by your lonesome, and probably sit in the blazing sun. Go to http://www.fbcbranson.com for tickets. You do not have to be a member or attend fbcbranson to get your tickets.

We have all witnessed a goof-up of a performance of the National Anthem. I posted one in a blog. So, i have been practicing. I have all the words memorized. This is one long song . Did you know there is more verses to the Star Spangled Banner than we actually sing? It is good that we do not sing all the stanzas. Can you imagine the goof-ups then?   (All the verses will be listed at the end of this blog.)

I have, also, been practicing for tone and pitch. I do not want to be “too pitchy, dawg.”  I practice alone and have taken no lessons or critiques. Even my family will be surprised. Let’s hope in a good way. I even throw in the words “play ball” at the end.

This should be a great night of fun, fellowship, hot dogs, peanuts, and crackerjacks. So get online or call the church because it’s 1- 2- 3- (or 42) strikes your out at the ol’ ballgame. Hey maybe they will let me sing that song, too, during the 7th inning stretch.

Here areanswered from a previous blog.

Answers: What are the 49th and 50 th states and when were they added?

Alaska became the 49th state of the United States on January 3, 1959

Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959

History of the Pledge: http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm

The words ” under God” were added In 1954. See the link above for some more interesting facts on The Pledge of Allegiance.

The Star Spangled Banner

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? 
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, 
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? 
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. 
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave 
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

 

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, 
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, 
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, 
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? 
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, 
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream: 
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave 
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

 

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore 
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion 
A home and a country should leave us no more? 
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep’s pollution. 
No refuge could save the hireling and slave 
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: 
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave 
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

 

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand 
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation! 
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land 
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. 
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, 
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” 
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave 
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Tickets are going fast. I have keep practicing in my car. I am ready. People have asked me if I am nervous. I have not had time to think about it. May has been the emotional and crazy month on my calendar. Last weekend was full of pomp and circumstance. However, that is for another time when I can think about it and not cry.

Back to the countdown to my National Anthem debut. Let me say the countdown is not just for me. Some folks are on the countdown to run out of time of teasing and ridicule. This includes my own family.

Let me introduce to some of the comments I have gotten since the announcement has been made that I will be singing. Some are innocent others are teasing in nature. Both of which I can handle. My dad taught me “don’t toot the horn is you can’t mess with the bandwagon,” meaning if you are going to dish it out you better be able to take it.  I have been known to dish it out. Some of the comments have been:

“So, can you sing?”-I am all about accomplishing dreams, but not purposefully embarrassing myself.

“Do you know the words?”- Yes. However, nerves my prove otherwise.

“Are you nervous?” – Not yet, but I will be shaking like a leaf that evening.

“I hope you don’t forget the words like a certain celebrity at that certain championship event back in (insert year here).” – Thanks for the vote of confidence and putting that thought in my head.

“We should have sold the tickets so you would not sing.”- Not sure I will be that bad.

So my challenge to you is to come and listen. Then you can add your comments. I will be my own worse critic.

If you are really concerned about my singing, you can always pray for rain.

This video is about the Pledge of Allegiance.

http://youtu.be/TZBTyTWOZCM?t=51s

Note some missing or different phrases from the Pledge of Allegiance of today.

Can you spot them?

What year did we add states 49 and 50? And what states were they?

When did the add the phrase “under God” to the Pledge?

Answers coming next time.

Answers to the Presidential Questions from previous blog:

Technically there have been 44 terms of  presidency but only 43 presidents. According to the terms of presidency, what number was Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover. Woodrow Wilson – Number 28-1913-1921

Herbert Hoover-  Number 31-1929-33

Who was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms? Grover Cleveland