STAFFORD -- Elani Zotos wanted to show the world how proud she is to be an American, and nothing said that better than red, white and blue.

After she became a citizen in 2006, she wanted to fly the biggest flag she could find in front of her business.

She and her husband, Demetrios "Jimmy" Zotos, opened Jimmy the Greek Family Restaurant one year ago. It's the fourth Fredericksburg-area eatery the couple has owned.

But the first American flag Elani flew got tattered. So did the second flag, and the third.

The native of Greece took matters into her own hands.

Zotos ordered yards of nylon and made a 30-foot-wide flag, using the torn one as a pattern.

She reinforced the seams between each stripe and made the bottom twice as thick to keep it strong.

During the process, she ran rows of material through her small Singer sewing machine at the family's home in Lee's Hill.

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When her husband or one of her three sons doubted she could do it, the 49-year-old said, "Watch me."

Elani and Jimmy ran the Zotos special up the flagpole recently, and customers have smiled, cheered and cried at the story behind it.

"One of the guys is calling her Betsy Ross," he said. "Who is that?"

Customers, including those who followed the couple from Paradise Diner on U.S. 17, are proud that an immigrant would go to so much trouble.

"Mrs. Zotos is so proud and happy to be an American citizen that she wanted to show her pride in a big way," said Karen Manus of Stafford. "The flag is, in short, amazing."

Diane Dowd has watched her friend Zotos greet people daily from 3 p.m. until closing. She quickly makes people comfortable.

"When you meet her, you just know there's something about her that's genuine," she said.

Zotos blushed as her friend spoke. She asked Dowd to be with her during an interview because she's self-conscious about her pronunciation. Zotos can't read or write English, but her feelings for America and its people come through loud and clear.

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"I love this country; I don't know how else to explain it," she said.

When she first worked at restaurants with her husband, she couldn't speak any English, but she understood the smiles and hugs Americans gave her.

Customers helped her translate the Division of Motor Vehicles manual so she could get her driver's license at age 35. They did the same when she decided to study for her citizenship test -- something she'd wanted since she came here at 19.

Two women, especially, pushed her to learn about America's history and government. Zotos doesn't know their names; she calls them "Mama" and "Auntie."

"If they read the newspaper, they will know who they are," she said.

The two attended the citizenship ceremony in Richmond with the Zotoses in August 2006. Later that day, the couple met President Bush at a political gathering in Alexandria, and Elani announced she was a new citizen.

"I told him today is the happiest day of my life."

Bush asked Zotos where she was from, and said, "You have a beautiful country." She responded: "I know. It's right here."