a new flag

Our old flag, the one we brought from Florida when we first moved into this house last December, finally gave up the ghost this last weekend.

On Sunday, Veteran's Day in the U.S., I went to put it out on the porch post as I do every day. Sadly the topmost stripe had come free at the outer edge and the material was too deteriorated to repair. I was pretty bummed about that, it being Veteran's Day and all.

This morning I stopped at a store on the way home from work and got a new one. I knew that our old flag was faded badly (and full of holes and small tears) but it was shocking to see just how faded it actually was next to the new one. The bold blue field has faded to more of a sky-blue.

I mounted the new flag on the flagpole and hung it outside, giving a salute and welcoming it to our house. Yeah, Lisa's body is gone but it is still "our" house.

The old flag was folded properly and with respect. I then put it in Mom's old dresser, which is full of Lisa's old clothes, to await an honorable disposal. It was far past due for replacement, starting to resemble the Fort McHenry flag from the Battle of 1812.

Meanwhile, I keep getting automated calls from Lisa's mortgage company and from CVS. I've told both companies that she has passed on, but the automated calls keep coming - if at a lesser rate. I have turned the ringer off on the home phone so that I can sleep during the day.