Great song choices. I played He Stopped Loving Her Today at my son's funeral. It was the first thing he said/sang when he started talking again at age 3. He has always loved George Jones. Leader of the Band is one of my favorite songs of all time. A song that my son loved was by one of his favorite bands Due West...So Long My Friend. He wanted it played at my sister's memorial but they couldn't do it live because they were touring. We played that song at his funeral as well, at the request of the lead singer of the band. It was written by Brad Hull of Due West. So Long My Friend - Brad Hull (B. Hull) Copyright 2006 Even though I don't want to accept it There comes a time when everyone moves on I know you can't stay here forever And still I never thought this day would come So long my friend I'll see you again But until then So long my friend You know that you kept so many waiting For you to make it to the other side They welcome you with arms wide open While I can't find the words to say goodbye These words I wish that I could tell you Are going to take some getting used to. I Wish You Were Here - Chelsea Musick (C. Musick, N. Peaytt, A. Hacket) Copyright 2007 I took your picture off the wall And put it by the bed Helps on those sleepless nights When I could use a friend When I look in the mirror I see your face But it's so hard to be mad When there's no one here to blame And I never thought I'd have to let you go Never thought I'd say goodbye I never thought I'd see The day my daddy cried I guess I better go Just wanted to say hello And I miss you more with every tear Signed, "I wish you were here" I know that you love me I still feel it in my heart Sometimes it's like you're here But we're so far apart I have so many questions I just want to understand If God can take you from us Why can't he bring you back You were the one who helped me through the day The one who wiped my tears away Now what am I supposed to do No one talked to me like you

SMOKED SALMON CANAPES (makes 24) 8 oz cream cheese, softened 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp grated onion Several grinds of black pepper Four 7" flour tortillas 1 TBL + 1 tsp capers 1/2 lb smoked salmon, thinly sliced Fresh dill for garnish Combine cream cheese w/lemon juice, onion & pepper. spread cream cheese mixture evenly over tortillas. Sprinkle evenly w/capers. Add a layer of smoked salmon to each. Roll each tortilla jellyroll fashion. Slice each roll into 6 pinwheels & serve immediately or chill & slice into pinwheels at serving time. Top each pinwheel with a sprig of dill.~~Food for Thought ROAST BEEF ROLL-UPS 1/2 lb rare roast beef, thinly sliced 1/2 an 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened 1 TBL Worcestershire sauce In a mixing bowl, combine cheese & Worcestershire sauce. (You might want to add more Worcestershire). Spread this mixture evenly over slices of raost beef. Roll slices up & hold in place with a toothpick. Cut into 3" lengths. Serve at room temperature.~~Kitchen Miracles CHEDDAR PENNIES 4 TBL butter 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated 1/3 cup flour 1 pinch salt 1 pinch cayenne pepper With a mixer, cream the butter until soft. Stir in cheese, flour, salt & cayenne. Gather to form a dough. Transfer to alightly floured surface. Shape into a cylinder about 1 1/4" in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper & chill 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 baking sheets. Cut the dough into 1/4" slices & place on the prepared baking sheets. Bake about 15 minutes until golden (watch carefully so they don't burn.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.~~Kitchen Miracles CHEESE TRUFFLES 3 sticks butter 1 cup grated Gouda, Edam, Swiss or Cheddar (or a combo) Pinch of pepper 3-7 dashes of Tabasco 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 6 slices stale pupmernickel, made into very fine crumbs Combine all ingredients except crumbs. Mix until very smooth. Shape into 1" balls & roll in breadcrumbs. Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.~~A Taste of New England MARINATED MUSHROOMS (serves 20) 1 1/2 lbs small mushrooms 1 1/2 cups white or wine vinegar 1 cup Italian dressing 1 tsp dried oregano Wipe & trim the mushrooms. In a nonaluminum saucepan, combine the vinegar & 1 1/2 cups water; heat to boiling. Add the mushrooms & boil 2 minutes. Drain; reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Cool the mushrooms for 1 hour. Mix the 1 1/2 cups of reserved cooking liquid with the Italian dressing & oregano. Pour over the cooked mushrooms. They can be eaten immediately but the flavor gets better after 12 hours. Can be kept for 7-10 days.~~Treat Yourself to the Best

It's wonderful to see so many tributes these days. It hasn't always been like that. My DH and I live with a 90-yr-old survivor of the war and a man who has led a good, kind, thoughful life, his wife now gone. (He was part of the mobile training unit that trained the P38 pilots.) He landed at Normandy but two days after the worst of it and has considered himself so blessed all these years. We know we won't have him with us forever but we're so blessed ourselves to be a part of his life. I needed to park the car within a taped off area one day and asked the policeman if I could get to the handicapped spot without inconveniencing them. He asked if Uncle was a WWII vet, and I said yes. Then he moved things and said the WWII vets can have any space they want. What love. My best wishes to all your service family members, of any branch, in or out of fighting situations. I'm grateful to all for their sacrifices. Linda

In Australia, while we commemorate the 11th of November with two minutes’ silence at 11am, we give thanks for the service of veterans and remember the fallen on April 25th, which is ANZAC day. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, and April 25 1915 is the day the ANZACs stormed the shores of Gallipoli in Turkey in what was ultimately a doomed effort to open the Dardanelles for Allied naval traffic. Generally in most places there is a church service (often held in the open air) at dawn, when the first assault started, then later in the morning a parade of returned service people, followed by family members wearing the medals of deceased service people (those who earned the medals wear them on the left, those who didn’t wear them on the right), and often a band. They march to the local war memorial (few towns, even tiny ones,don’t have one) and a special service and wreath laying ceremony is held. Before the service ends with the playing of the Last Post, the second verse of a poem by Lawrence Binyon (For the Fallen) is read: "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." It always makes me sad.