Of Tea Parties & Patriotism

I am sewing wacky tea cozies like crazy !
(tea cozy or cozy: a padded jacket to keep the teapot hot)
---not sure why, just something I have wanted to make for awhile. Once I got out my fabrics, I began to see all the fun possibilities--how about a tea cozy with that strange fabric with blue cactuses on it? or one with that old vintage embroidered table runner? or one with that retro-vintage fabric of little girls ironing? it goes on & on...scrumptious fabrics lead me to sew another one and another one....

Sewing on these today, this being July 4th---made me think of our US history around tea--and the Boston Tea Party--the reason we still do not have to pay any import fees or taxes on tea. The Boston Tea Party was a protest--our country was founded by fearless people who protested their government, which sometime we tend to forget. Some folks think protesting our current government is un-patriotic, and protesting the War In Iraq is treason. The men & women who founded this country were also considered treasonous by their current government.

I am proud to live in a country which does allow dissent and protest, and I am dismayed when I see fellow citizens accusing protestors of not being patriots. I used to tell my children, "I don't like your behavior, but I still love you." Well, the same applies to my country right now, I sure don't like our country's behavior, but I still love it. I cling to hope that loving my country--despite the abhorrent way it has been behaving---will eventually bring about change. Loving your county is more than fireworks and flag waving on the 4th--to me, this phrase means being a good, productive citizen: it means getting involved in helping others less fortunate than yourself; it means voting; it means not standing by when you see your government acting in a way you do not agree with--but protesting injustice; it means supporting your public servants--firemen, teachers, post office workers, librarians, and police to name a few; it means doing your part to help to keep our country clean---don't litter, drive less, plant trees. If we all were more active citizens, how would our country look?