What a gorgeous day! The sky is a stunning shade of blue, the sun is shining down on the trees, highlighting various shades of green, and the birds – there are so many different bird songs going on! I have to laugh though . . . Itty Bitty was sitting on the window sill with her face up near the screen, when a bird flew right up near her. I could hear the sound of him changing direction as he buzzed her . . . she jumped like she’d been shocked, her eyes all wide, and a “what the heck?” expression on her furry face. Of course, that inspired Moose to check it out . . . one of these days I’ll get a better picture of him when he ISN’T in motion so it isn’t blurry or too dark. I’ve been working on this post since about 8:00 this morning. I stopped to make breakfast, then to clean up some messes that were here and there, finally I took everything outside and have been sitting on my deck enjoying the spring day, listening to R work with his projects in the garage and motor home, and dealing with Moose weaving his way in and out of my computer tray legs with his cable – all while trying to get this done! Sorry for the delay, but weekends are made to be taken a little slowly, right?
Moments With Moose –
As I’ve said before, Mom comes over every day to get Moose out of the kennel for awhile so he can go outside and do his business, and run around a bit. It gives Tibbi a break too, since as she ages she isn’t able to hang on til I get home all the time. So, yesterday when I was talking to Mom about how things went that afternoon, she mentioned that she thought maybe Moose was chewing on something that made his mouth bleed a little, but she wasn’t sure what. Well, when I got home and we’d finished with the leaping and running around excitement of my homecoming (it always makes me feel SO important!), he settled in with his bone to gnaw on it on the loveseat. I glanced over and saw something odd next to his face . . . turns out it was a tooth! Now, I have no idea how I’ve raised four dogs in my lifetime from small pups and had no clue that puppies lose their baby teeth just like people do! And sure enough, four months old is about the time they start. On the one hand it’s good to know he didn’t hurt himself, but on the other, our baby is growing up so fast!
Baby Day – ooooooh babies! What is NOT to celebrate about BABIES? The funny thing about this particular celebration today . . . nobody said WHY they set it up. . . beyond that they must have loved babies of course. Logically we know that today is a day to get some baby time if we can, and to appreciate the miracle of birth and life. Parents – especially new parents – can celebrate this day by spending some extra time with their little one, keeping in mind that this time is so fleeting. This is especially apparent to me now that I’m a Grandma. Baby B has changed so much and being as far away as we are, I will never feel like I see her often enough to take in all of the changes that are happening. Today is her 10 month birthday! Can you believe that much time has gone by since that wonderful day when I was blessed to be there to share in the moment of her birth? I will always be grateful to my son and daughter-in-law for allowing me to share that time with them. Happy Birthday Baby B. (If I don’t have a picture of her for today by the time I post this, I’ll post one tomorrow. I get to go spend the day with the Grandkids while the kids go have some grown-up time.)
Beer Pong Day – I knew Beer Pong was a college drinking game, and as such games are not something in which I have ever participated, it never crossed my mind that there would be special celebrations in their honor. It appears that in this instance, this is a very popular game! It has either escaped my attention the last couple of years, or it wasn’t on any of my lists that I use – either way, for the beer drinkers out there who would like to make it a competitive event, this may be the day for you. It seems that the official, and trademarked “Beer Pong Day” was first organized on May 6, 2006 at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona by Mr. Beer Pong (also trademarked), Jack Brosseit. His wife, Mary Brosseit (Mrs. Beer Pong – TM) and their oldest daughter for a graduation party for their youngest daughter, Miss Beer Pong – TM). It is obvious that Beer Pong was a favorite way to celebrate and party, because apparently party chit-chat is boring. Playing games and being active is fun and it was agreed to have beer pong at the event. Everyone had so much fun that it was decided that there would be Beer Pong Day on the 1st Saturday in May every year. Over the years it grew from just family and friends, to others joining in on camping trips, and it was decided to add themes each year. There has been Green Beer Pong Day – for environmental awareness, Patriotic Beer Pong, etc. The name changed from Beer Pong Day, to National Beer Pong Day, and again to World Beer Pong Day when some folks from Australia joined in. Now it’s back to Beer Pong Day, for whatever reason – and it works! The Beer Pong Family, on their official website, wants everyone to remember that Beer Pong Day promotes family fun, sportsmanship and safe/responsible beer pong. They do not condone or advocate over consumption , or under age consumption, of alcohol, and always want to remind everyone to play beer pong and other games safely and responsibly. I looked up the rules of the game, and surprisingly enough, there are quite a few! You Tube has several instructional videos, so anyone interested can do a quick search to find out. Since I only drink beer occasionally, and it’s usually an expensive variety, I’ll stick with sipping it slowly and savoring the flavors that a good brew master can create, rather than drinking quickly throughout a game. To each his/her own though. Have fun and remember, don’t drink and drive.
Brothers and Sisters Day – Do you have sisters and brothers? Today is a day to cherish your siblings, no matter whether they are near or far, whether or not you feel close to them. Anyone who has had brothers and sisters growing up know that we love them so much . . . we may not like them all of the time . . . but we love them always. My brother and I lead completely different lives, we don’t talk very often and we don’t truly have all that much in common – except blood ties of course – but doggone it, we do love each other and when we do have time together, even if it is short, it’s always accompanied by a hug and positive feelings. My brother knows if he needs a kidney he can come to me, and I hope I can say the same about him for me!
Free Comic Book Day – Do you remember getting comic books as a kid? I was allowed to have the fun comics, the ones that didn’t have the violence and weird pictures – I admit, that type still sort of creep me out. I had Little Lotta and Little Lulu. I had Richie Rich and a variety of the Archie comics. I have a few still – very well worn (if only I had known they would one day be collector items!) that have a price marked on them of 15 cents! One thing I had never realized as a kid was that comics are really loved by adults too! And here’s where Free Comic Book Day comes in – there are a lot of people who don’t read comics and the distributors really want to keep attracting new customers – which makes perfect sense. To that end, on the first Saturday of every May there is a huge event across North America and around the world where participating comic book stores give away free comic books to draw in new customers and entice people to explore this venue for reading material. If you’re interested, give your local comic store a call and see if they are participating today! How fun! Free is ALWAYS better, don’t you think?
Join Hands Day – This is another one I had never heard of until 2013, but what a wonderful celebration! All this week service organizations across the county will celebrate this event that brings people from all walks of life together to make a difference in their communities. It is the brainchild of a group called the American Fraternal Alliance, which represents fraternal orders like the Modern Woodmen of America. In some communities free meals are organized for a local mission, where volunteers prepare and serve a meal. In others, people get together and go help shut-ins with work in their yards, on their roofs, cleaning homes, etc. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring people of different ages together, to work side-by-side, interact and learn from each other. It leaves a lasting mark on all the participants. What a rewarding and wonderful day!
Kentucky Derby – The Kentucky Derby is a “Grade I stakes race” for 3-year old Thoroughbred horses that is held each year in Louisville, KY on the first Saturday in May. There is a two-week long Kentucky Derby Festival leading up to the actual race day. The race itself is 1-1/4 mile long and is held at Churchill Downs – a race track best known for hosting the Derby each year. The horses have weight limits on how much they carry in the race, which means that the jockeys must be very light weight – which accounts for why every jockey is very small. Colts or geldings carry 126 pounds and fillies carry 121 pounds. See? VERY light! That leads to a whole new post about possible eating disorders for jockeys – which I have heard is a problem. Anyway, the Kentucky Derby is known in the United States as the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports”, which is about how long the race lasts. It is also called “The Run for the Roses” because of the blanket of roses that is draped over the winner of the race. The Derby is the first of three races known as the US Triple Crown. The 2nd race is called the Preakness Stakes, and the 3rd is called the Belmont Stakes. A horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown. I thought that it was interesting to read that there have only been 11 Triple Crown winners since the very first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875, and of course I have to brag about a local horse winning one of them – Seattle Slew in 1977. I remember the big local to-do that went on because of the win. All of these horses are magnificent though – they’d have to be to run so fast in such a short amount of time. One thing that has developed as a bit of a side note on the Derby – is all the fancy hats that women wear to it! I have to laugh at some of the pictures of them I’ve seen. What is THAT all about? Well, in England hats were a big fashion deal seen at the Ascot horse racing track. The tradition jumped over the “pond” and started up here at the Kentucky Derby. As the fashion of wearing hats in daily life faded it became a big deal to wear an elaborate hat to the race each year. The tradition stuck and high fashion is something you’ll see at the track. If you want a bit of excitement today, take a look at the Kentucky Derby – it’s only 2 minutes of your time! If you want to make it a big deal in your home you could host a Kentucky Derby Party, and ask all the women to wear fancy hats, serve Mint Juleps (I tried making one once – a bartender I am NOT), and watch the races together. Fun!
Martin Z Mollusk Day – I laughed so hard when I was reading about this! This is the seas version of Groundhog Day! Oh my gosh, this is funny! Martin Z. Mollusk goes out for a creep at the beach each year. If he sees his shadow summer will be a week early. Bands show up, and lots of people, food booths, etc. JUST to see if this hermit crab sees his shadow today. (I just saw some conflicting information on several different sites – some say this celebration is today – which would make sense so families could come out and have fun together on a weekend, and some say it’s on the 1st Thursday of May)
National Scrap Booking Day – I’m not a scrap booker. It’s not that I have any negative feelings about scrap booking, I don’t! I am just not creative in that way. I’ve been to scrap booking parties and even took a class . . . I’m really a bummer when it comes to creating something wonderful out of all the bits of paper and stickers that some people take and make the ultimate masterpiece. Mine looks like a rejected pre-school project, so as is my typical response to something like this, I throw in the towel and leave it to the experts. My pictures never seem to make it to albums anyway – they are either tossed into a box to be gone through like little hidden treasures once in awhile, or on flash drives scattered around the house. It’s a different type of treasure hunt! I do admire people who collect all the necessary papers and do-dads and actually sit down to make something wonderful for posterity. My Mom is one such person. Her craft room is amazing, truly it is! I wish I could show you! She has more cool scissors, pens, papers and stickers than anyone I’ve ever seen. And they are all organized! Each type of paper has its own space – whether it has food, sports, animals, etc, it has a spot. She can find anything she’s looking for at any time without any issues. I really wish I had inherited her sense of organization from her. I didn’t. I throw stuff in a drawer or box and dig for what I want when something comes up that I require it. Sad, I know. Anyway, for all of you who do love to scrap book – go for it today. Create to your hearts content! Have an impromptu party and invite your friends and relatives who love doing this and create together while munching on fun snacks and sipping at cool drinks. Now THAT I can get into! Have fun!
World Naked Gardening Day – This one always seems like a joke to me, but it isn’t! Today is the 12th annual World Naked Gardening Day! All over the world, especially in Europe, advocates of the bare naked lifestyle will be stripping off their clothes and heading out into the garden to hoe the beds, plow the fields and trim the shrubs. The organizers of this celebration are quote as saying “All that’s involved is getting naked and making the world’s gardens- whatever their size, public or private – healthier and more attractive.” For all of our forward speaking, Americans have an international reputation for being prudes. Are we too shy to try naked gardening? Some places aren’t – there are cities around our country – I know for sure of Portland, OR and Seattle, WA who host naked bike rides (Ouch!), but most of us do have a bit of shyness in us, and don’t want to appear in public naked. Another question would be, is it legal? According to a police Sergent in Portland there is a city code about indecent exposure which states: “It is unlawful for any person to expose his or her genitalia while in a public place or place visible from a public place, if the public place is open or available to persons of the opposite sex.” He adds that if someone calls about a naked neighbor pulling weeds in their own yard, the police probably wouldn’t get too worked up about it. Not that you couldn’t get arrested under City code, he adds. But, he admits, “…we don’t deal with it very much. Most indecent exposure arrests happen when people are urinating in public.” I personally don’t wish to see my neighbors – any of them – out working naked in their yards. There’s just something disturbing about the thought of someone weeding in their nothings! I’ll opt for regular gardening clothes, but for those of you with a HUGE sense of adventure and not a bit of shy in you – go for it. Just don’t send pictures please. I truly don’t wish to share in your celebration for this one. ***There are just some images I can’t share . . . and the ones I found for this holiday were disturbing to say the least! ***
This Day In History –
1885 – Good Housekeeping Magazine first hits the news stands.
1939 – Lou Gehrig plays in his 2,130th game, a baseball record that will last for 57 years until Cal Ripken come along.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Truffle Day – Named for the little rare mushrooms they can sometimes resemble, truffles are a sweet delight that can be filled with anything you imagine.
Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
Maple Bacon Cookie Dough Truffles
Oreo Cheesecake Truffles
Marshmallow Truffles
Easy Decadent Truffles
White Chocolate Limoncello Truffles
Coconut Cream Truffles
Once again this has taken me far longer than I’d intended. Somehow, life with Moose just has taken on a new timeline. Nothing is quick, nothing is simple and nothing is EVER orderly! You wouldn’t think one puppy added to the family would create mayhem, but he definitely does. He’s so cute though, that he is worth the hassle of working around his bulk and mess. I’m off to get ready for puppy school! We are going a day early since I’ll be down with the Grandkids tomorrow. God Bless You and I’ll see you tomorrow!