I need to apologize to everyone. I had most of the post written for yesterday, but wasn’t feeling well, so I figured I’d find the pictures and get everything posted during my lunch. I got buried to the point of not being able to blink though, and didn’t even take a real lunch – just grabbed a bite now and again as I worked. Last night we had a show to go to at a local theatre, so there wasn’t time to even think about it, and by the time we got home it was nearly midnight and this chest cold had taken up residence. All I wanted at that point was Nyquil and sleep. When I woke up this morning with a raging caffeine deprivation headache (just didn’t feel up to any yesterday morning), it was already getting late! GEEZ! It sort of snowballed on me! I’m going to attempt to get this double post done quickly this morning though, because as the caffeine does its work, in between blowing my nose and coughing up at least one of my lungs, I have stuff to do! I get the Grandbabies for the weekend next weekend! WOOHOO! That means that the chaos of my guest room/office needs to be straightened out so they have a place to sleep and since that room is the catch-all of the house, it’s not going to be a simple task. The lawn needs to be mowed, and there are bunches of other things to do. Hubby is already outside working on projects while breakfast cooks and I try to start feeling somewhat human again. All of these things are going to be done throughout the weekend though, and today, provided she still wants to since I’m a sickie, I get to go hang out with Mom and have some lunch. Nothing elaborate, but since neither one of us wants to go to town tomorrow when things are so busy on Mother’s Day, the day before has become a tradition for us.
Moments With Moose –
Thursday night Moose got a treat. It is important for you to know that our dogs do not get people food. It isn’t good for them, so they don’t get it. Our vet says that in his opinion, Tibbi is as old as she is because of her healthy diet that consists of grain free, no-by products foods. One of the only people treats I have ever given to Tibbi with moderation is popcorn. Moose got his first popcorn tonight . . . and he LOVED it! Of course! What’s not to love? Maybe with time he’ll figure out how to catch pieces in mid-air like Tibbi does. For right now everything we toss his way bounces off of his head or nose. Silly puppy – hopefully he’ll get it eventually.
Good Heavens. I’m sitting here writing about all of these things . . . Pepsi is peacefully (or WAS peacefully) resting on the back of the loveseat looking out the window. Moose is in his usual “look out the window” position with his back paws on the seat and his front paws and head up on the back so he can see out the window. He just inched over to Pepsi and smacked her with a paw, she smacked back. He whined (her claws are sharp!) as she made contact with his foot. Rather than realize she’s going to win this battle, he smacked her again, and what followed was barking, hissing, whining smack fest back and forth! For the moment Pepsi is the reigning winner and is settled down sleeping again, but I keep seeing Moose look over at her with a speculative look on his face. “Kids”.
May 8 – Child Care Provider Day – I honestly can think of very few professions taken more for granted and taken advantage of than child care providers. How can I say this you ask? Well, my Mother, bless her for her patience, operated a licensed home day care from the time I was about 9 years old until long after I moved out and had a family of my own. After she closed the day care she became a private nanny for individual families. For more than 20 years we had up to 20 kids running in and out every day, all day. At the time, her license allowed so many kids per adult in the house. I counted as an adult, and my father was at home during the day since he worked at night. Between getting kids off to school, exchanging morning kindergarten for afternoon kindergarten, then after school . . . it was a busy, whirlwind life and I learned that there are very few things in this life that I wanted to be less than a day care provider. I don’t have the patience for it! My Mother though, she was, and still is, amazing with kids. She was in control every single second. Not a sticky set of fingers, or runny nose got past her without being cleaned up. Meals and snacks were nutritious and always on time, giggles and hugs were plentiful all day long, no matter what was going on. Children immediately love her as soon as they meet her . . . of course, she’s Mom – what’s not to love? The person who cares for your children is a HUGE influence in their lives! They help form the moral framework children are growing up with – the kids in our house learned to pray for their meals, how to say please and thank you when it was called for, they learned to take turns, wash their hands and cover their mouths when they coughed or sneezed. These children learned to love stories at the knee of my Mom, who could tell a story like nobody else. She played imagination games that no other adult would think to play. One day she’d be an astronaut, the next a princess, maybe a pirate, and sometimes an explorer. She knew all the best places to hide for Hide-n-Seek, and somehow she managed to not FIND a child just long enough to hear them giggling from their hiding place as they thought they’d succeeded in being hidden better than anyone, even when they hid in the same spot every single time. These are children who still want to be a part of her life, even as they are beginning to have children of their own. We should all be so fortunate to have someone like my Mom to care for our children. The truly sad thing is that people always seem to want to underpay the child care provider. Why IS that? These people are taking care of our most precious family members, our children! To get a quality person to watch over our little ones, we should be willing to pay them what they are worth! I realize that this is expensive, but if you are going to be leaving your kids while you work, making sure that they are properly cared for and loved in your absence is the most important thing you could possibly do! If you have babies in child care, please, let your care giver know you love and appreciate them today. Take them a card, a gift certificate for something they’ll like, some flowers . . . maybe a bonus! Let them know that all of the love they lavish on our Littles is not only appreciated, it’s vitally important and we couldn’t do our jobs without them doing theirs. Sometimes just saying the words is enough to let them know how much you care.
May 8 – Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks A Voice – People kill as many as 100 million sharks every year – many of those just for their fins! Shark populations have plummeted 75% to 90% in many ecosystems. Worldwide, they have little or not protection. Well, WhaleTimes has teamed up with the scientists at the Shark Research Institute (SRI) to raise awareness of the plight of sharks through a new holiday event – Fintastic Friday. Think about this number – its staggering – about 11,415 sharks die . . . EVERY HOUR! Help ‘Save the Sharks’ by raising awareness and appreciation for this incredible predator, sign a petition for “No Finning” efforts, and anything else you can think of to do. The sharks need you! They may appear to be scary and face it, sometimes they are! But they are so important to the ecosystem, and to allow them to be endangered is unacceptable. I saw a special on sharks once that haunted me with its message. The people who want the sharks for their fins, for a supplement that isn’t even proven to do anything, catch the sharks, cut off their fins, and release them back to the ocean, alive, suffering and dying a painful, horrible death. This truly is a heinous crime against a magnificent creature, so please, help raise awareness today for this good cause. Go to www.whaletimes.org to see many ways you can help in these efforts.
May 8 – Iris Day – I love flowers . . . I can’t grow them, but I love them. Whenever I see a garden full of beautiful purple Iris (isn’t this one of those words that the plural is the same as the singular? I keep writing it both ways and it doesn’t look right) I feel happy. My mother-in-law is an amazing artist and I feel blessed to have a few of her paintings throughout the house, and of those, a couple are of Iris! I feel good every time I look at them. “They” – (the notorious they) say that is easy to grow these . . . I’ll have to trust “their” judgment since quite honestly the only thing I grow with any degree of success is a yard full of dandelions. Anyway, for a many people, these are apparently easy to grow. It might also be of interest to know that the Iris has spiritual importance in Japan. They believe it wards off evil spirits. When I was looking up information on this day I read that on Iris Day in Japan, people put Iris leaves in their baths because they believe that it prevents illness. They also drink juice from the plant in their sake to ensure longevity. Does it work? Well, I don’t know but I suppose you could try it and let us all know.
May 8 – Military Spouses Day – is held on the Friday before Mother’s Day. It is a day to recognize and honor the real backbone of the military . . . the wives and husbands of our soldiers. The majority of military spouses are women – this isn’t in any way meant to diminish the contributions of military husbands, but it is a fact of life that most of the spouses waiting at home are the wives. I’ve known many military wives and their contributions to the spirit and well being of our soldiers it unparalleled. This goes to the wives/husbands of the wounded veterans as well. They are still military spouses and deserve to be recognized for all they do. We have had a wounded veteran in our family and know how difficult it was for his wife day by day, but she stuck with him through many trying times, loving him through each one. We watched as she suffered when he did and know that she is also a hero in her own way. So to each and every one of you who support our men and women in the military from the home front – we thank you and we stand humbled by your service to your country.
May 8 – National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day – Every time we turn on the news these days we see some sort of horrible disaster or another hitting people around the world. They seem to be increasing in frequency and severity everywhere. The obvious thing to do would be getting prepared with a disaster preparedness plan – you know the sort of things I’m talking about. Making sure there is plenty of food, water, first aid supplies and other items we will need if something happens and we are unable to get to the store. While you’re gathering your survival items, did you stop to think about your pets? Today is meant to raise awareness about how important it is to plan for your pets’ safety before disaster strikes. Have an emergency and evacuation plan set up for the pet members of your family as well as the people members. It is also important to have a few things gathered for emergencies too. Here are a few ideas:
dry pet food, greenies for clean teeth and treats 2. first aid items such as wound spray, healing salve, blood stop and pain relieving lotion 3. spray bandage, vet bond, betadine, medical tape 4. stretchy flexible bandages in various sizes, elastic adhesive bandage,
And finally – find a pet first aid class to attend. We had one in one of the pet stores here and it was quite wonderful! I learned a lot and came home with a pretty thick first aid book for when emergencies came up.
May 8 – No Socks Day – Today is a day to take off your socks and let your toes breathe! We stuff them into warm socks each day, then into hot shoes. They get all stuffy and sweaty and I’m sure if toes could talk they’d tell you they just wish for a little fresh air! If you decide to participate in this one by wearing open toe shoes, you may want to take a few minutes and give yourself a pedicure. Pretty toes are happy toes and trust me, nobody wants to see gnarly old feet.
May 8 – VE Day – What a wonderful day! Today we commemorate the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. After years of war, the Third Reich of Nazi Germany was defeated, with millions of people horrifically murdered during its rule. Adolf Hitler, Germany’s Dictator, had committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin, after which the German Army ceased fighting on May 2nd. They formally surrendered unconditionally on May 7th. The surrender of all German forces was arranged for May 8 at 11:01. The Allied countries planned to celebrate victory, and the cessation of hostilities. Can you imagine the joy of that moment, knowing that the horror was finally over? Interesting fact: The original planned date for the celebration of V-E Day was May 9th, 1945. However journalists caught wind of the plans, so the U.S. and Britain moved the date up by a day to May 8th. Russia kept to the original planned date for May 9th so they still celebrate V-E Day on May 9th. Just like the journalists to jump in too soon.
May 8 – World Ovarian Cancer Day – The numbers I’m about to quote are staggering. Each year there are nearly a quarter of a million women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and it is responsible for 140,000 deaths each year. The current statistics show that just 45% of women with ovarian cancer are likely to survive for five years, compared to up to 89% of women with breast cancer. Of all the cancers that afflict women, ovarian has the lowest survival rate. Why is this? The symptoms are often misdiagnosed because they are confused with symptoms of other less severe illnesses, gastrointestinal complaints in particular. Most patients are only identified as having this form of cancer when it’s has reached the advanced stages, but by that point the disease is difficult to treat. There isn’t a routine, simple test to accurately detect ovarian cancer. Most cases of ovarian cancer occur in women over 55, once women have gone through menopause, though it can appear in younger women. There is a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer if a woman has two or more relatives who have had ovarian, breast, colon or uterine cancer. Women who have never had children, have never taken birth control pills, who started their periods at an early age, or who started menopause later than average, have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. Also, women who have had endometriosis may be more likely to develop it. The following symptoms shouldn’t be ignored. They don’t necessarily mean you have it, but it would be wise not to ignore them. These include: increased abdominal size/persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes), difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, abdominal or pelvic pain, and needing to pass urine more urgently or more frequently.
May 8- World Red Cross/Red Crescent Day – The Red Cross was begun with the intention of helping people by providing assistance and relief in times of disease, famine, disaster or war. I struggle with this one, since it has come down to a money raising endeavor with very little to show for their efforts. Case in point is Hurricane Sandy. I know people who live in that area who desperately needed help, but were given nothing substantial for all the efforts and publicity. The Red Cross was there, but necessary help wasn’t. I’m not saying that it’s a bad organization. I know they were always present locally when my son was on Search and Rescue missions, to provide coffee, hot soup, water and other necessary items – especially when the search was getting long and the weather was harsh. But on a national level I struggle with their ability to help on a large scale, by comparison with how much money they bring in. I am truly sorry if this offends anyone, it’s just my view from my personal observation. I will refrain from donating to this organization, choosing instead to give at the local level to rescue and assistance organizations. The people who volunteer for the Red Cross do so with open hearts, giving of their time and efforts as they are needed. I can’t fault them for that. Any time someone volunteers their time for a good cause it is a reason to celebrate.
May 9 – Birth Mother’s Day – (Saturday before Mother’s Day) – In this world that appears to be filled with selfish people who think only of their own interests, today we recognize the biological mothers of adopted children. So many people today justify the use of abortion to rid themselves of an “inconvenience”, moving on from the precious life that they eliminated without another thought. If they DID think about it in retrospect, those are stories we don’t hear about. It wouldn’t do to allow anyone to see that there are regrets, pain and lifelong repercussions to murder. The women who give birth to these children that they perhaps didn’t plan, or maybe were the result of the crime of rape, or possibly life changed for them and they felt that they couldn’t properly care for the baby financially or emotionally, are heroes. These women made the choice to honor life and bring these babies into the world, and allow others who cannot have children of their own to have the gift of a family. Today we celebrate those mothers who gave up their children to be raised by someone else. This day was set up by birth mothers to educate, to remember, and to cope. Many of these mothers feel such remorse, such guilt, that they don’t feel that they deserve to be honored on Mother’s Day. Have compassion for these women, for every day they may find themselves searching the faces of people they pass in stores and on the streets, wondering if perhaps THAT is their son or daughter. They look for familiar features, they dream and wonder what the life of their child is like. Some search for their children, or hope that their children will search for them. Today is the day to show compassion for the women who made the loving and selfless act of giving up a part of themselves, so that the child could have a loving home with parents who desperately prayed for children to come into their lives. Being a mother, I cannot fathom the strength it takes to let a child go, because I know that no matter my circumstances, I don’t have that kind of strength. God bless these women, and give them peace in their hearts. Happy Birth Mother’s Day. You know who you are – we honor you.
May 9 – Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day – This is a sad one and something that we don’t hear anything about in the media. Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CDLS), also known as Bachmann-de Lange syndrome, is a genetic disorder present from birth. In most cases, CDLS is not associated with any family history of the disorder, but for others, siblings and/or parents may also have the syndrome. Researchers have identified a gene on chromosome 5 associated with CDLS. The following symptoms and other information has been copied and pasted for accuracy. My heart aches for these children and their families.
Symptoms: Many of the symptoms of Cornelia de Lange syndrome are present at birth. These include some or all of the syndrome’s distinctive facial features:
confluent eyebrows that appear arched and well-defined (99% of cases)
long curly eyelashes (99%)
low front and back hairlines (92%)
turned-up nose (88%)
down-turned angles of the mouth and thin lips (94%)
small lower jaw and/or protruding upper jaw (84%).
Other physical abnormalities which may be present at birth or detected as the child grows may include:
very small head (microcephaly) (98% of cases)
eye and vision problems (50%)
excessive body hair, which may thin as the child grows (78%)
short neck (66%)
hand abnormalities, such as missing fingers, very small hands, and/or inward deviation of the pinkie fingers
heart defects.
Infants with Cornelia de Lange syndrome are generally born small, sometimes prematurely. The infant has very tense muscles, has trouble feeding, and may have a low-pitched weak cry. Language and behavior problems: Infants with CDLS do not develop as quickly as other children. Most have mild to moderate mental retardation, but some may be profoundly retarded (IQ range 30-85). Because of problems with the mouth, hearing impairment, and developmental delay, children with CDLS often have speech delay. Behavior problems for children with CDLS may include hyperactivity, self-injury, aggression, and sleep disturbance. These children may appear to have autism due to a diminished ability to relate to other people, repetitive behavior, difficulty with facial expression of emotion, and language delay.
Treatment: focuses on helping each child achieve his or her potential in terms of development and language, and medical care for physical problems. Infants benefit from early intervention programs for improving muscle tone, managing feeding problems, and developing fine motor ability. Life expectancy is normal if the child was born without major internal physical malformations such as heart defects.
The statistics say that this happens to 1 in 10,000 children. I’ve never known anyone with this syndrome, I’ve never even heard of it, but now that I am, being aware and spreading the word, maybe that will encourage others to give to research to figure out how to prevent it, treat it, or at least help with appropriate and helpful therapies and counseling for the families.
May 9 – International Migratory Bird Day – (2nd Saturday in May) – We have had a lot of days to celebrate birds, but today we specifically focus on the incredible journey that migratory birds take each year. They travel 1000’s of miles between breeding grounds in North American, and their winter homes in Central and South America. This is the day to both support and to increase awareness of conservation efforts in support of migratory birds. Today perhaps would be a good day to take a walk in the woods to look for and enjoy watching migratory birds. We have the wetlands behind our neighborhood where we can see Canada Geese hanging out and doing the things geese do. It’s pretty entertaining and very peaceful.
May 9 – Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day – Today is the 23nd annual food drive where more than 1,400 post office branches in just about every city, state and territory will have letter carriers, family member and thousands of volunteers out and about to help collect, sort and distribute the cans, boxes and jars of non-perishable food items left in bags next to customers mailboxes. This is the nation’s largest one-day food collection drive. By now many food pantries and other service organizations are pretty much tapped out, so the infusion of food from this drive comes at just the right time. The 2nd Saturday in May was specifically chosen for this annual event. The sad reality is that people give generously around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but they push it to the backs of their minds by this time of the year, and the shelves are running bare. It’s sad and the reality is that widespread hunger in America is a tough problem to solve, and it’s something we can’t just focus on one time of the year, and ignore the rest of the time. Last year the food drive gathered more than 70 million pounds of food, bringing in a grand total from all the drives to about 1.2 billion pounds. There is one thing I would like to note to everyone. I spoke with a lady a couple of years ago who was one of the managers at a local food bank. This was right after this food drive, and she was showing me a pile of food that they couldn’t distribute to the bank because it was all VERY past expiration. Do NOT use drives such as this one to unload a bunch of stuff that you wouldn’t eat. Rule should be . . . if YOU wouldn’t eat it nobody else will want to either. That’s just rude. If you are being generous, be TRULY generous and give something meaningful, rather than garbage.
May 9 – Lost Sock Memorial Day – it stands to reason that this day would follow No Socks Day! After all, we stripped those socks off of our feet and flung them aside. Never know where those socks may land once we give them a toss! Today though, we take it a bit further and we acknowledge that drawer of mismatched socks we have hanging out – the ones we never throw out because we are just sure we are going to find the mates some day. Quick tip – if you’ve had those socks for a year or more, you aren’t finding the mate. It’s likely your washer or dryer ate it. Now you can hold out hope, but why bother? Today you can be free of all those sad, mismatched socks, and take the opportunity to just get rid of them. It’s time . . . go on . . . get rid of them . . . I mean it!
May 9 – Mother Ocean Day – I looked and looked for what this day signifies. All I could find was a note that on this day people stand at the edge of the ocean and throw roses into the waves. No explanation as to why, where it started, or anything. It’s a nice gesture though. The ocean provides a home to all kinds of life. This is actually a great day to celebrate the life the ocean not only nurtures in its depths and on its shores, but that it provides for us. Ships transport goods on its waters, it provides wonderful recreational opportunities like cruising, sport fishing, surfing and sand castle building . . . it also gives us wonderful seafood. Our world would not exist as we know it without the oceans. This means we – every single one of us – even those of us in a landlocked area – must protect and respect the ocean and all of its inhabitants. You can participate in today’s celebration by thinking about what you are pouring down your drains – everything eventually is connected to the ocean and the end of its journey in one way or another, so be aware of the damage you could be doing to the life that lives in the ocean. Adopt a sea critter from your local zoo – or from the World Wildlife Fund. It has more than 40 animals you can symbolically adopt, including those that live in the ocean like dolphins, whales, sea turtles, sharks, sea lions, octopi and clown fish. Maybe you could watch a deep sea movie to learn more about what happens under the waves. And respect the beach if you visit it, never litter, and respect the nests of the animals who live there.
May 9 – National Miniature Golf Day – I really enjoy miniature golf. I am really intimidated by REAL golf, but miniature golf is something I can do and have fun doing it! Did you know that miniature golf has been around since the 1800’s? During that time people considered it to be highly inappropriate for a woman to raise a golf club above her shoulder level. (there were some REALLY weird ideas going around throughout history!). In 1867 the Ladies’ Putting Club of St Andrews, Scotland built a small scaled-down golf course so that women could play the sport without creating a scandal. It was the first the first miniature golf course in history. Miniature golf courses began popping up in America during the early 20th century. However, these facilities were usually located at hotels and private resorts so they weren’t yet available to the masses. In 1916, James Barber of North Carolina built the first quintessential miniature golf course – it was named “Thistle Dhu”. The design of the course was neo-classical, similar to the styles of the Tuileries Garden at the Louvre in Paris. By the 1930s, miniature golf had become a popular pastime all across the country. Maybe today, for National Miniature Gold Day can go enjoy a round or two!
May 9 – National Moscato Day – This day we celebrate an absolutely lovely, light wine. I have had the chance to taste it on several different occasions when hubby and I went on a couple of wine tasting weekend field trips. The Moscato’s peach, honey and citrus overtones come with an affordable price tag for some Vineyards, which is one reason this wine is so appreciated. Another is the light flavors – from dry to sweet, from light bodied to full bodies. Did you know that the Muscat grape is one of the oldest known grape varietals? If you get the chance to do a taste testing of this lovely grape, please enjoy it. Hmmmm . . . I wonder if we have any of this in our wine rack? Most of our wine is red, but there is the occasional delicious white “find” in there.
May 9 – National Train Day – Take a little trip backward in time for a moment. Put on your imagination hat . . . The year is 1869 and the future is HERE! No longer are we going to have to travel from the east coast to the west in a month long journey by horse and wagon. No more will we be facing the fear, danger and challenges of weather, disaster, illness and confrontations with indigenous people. Daily the news comes to us that the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads are getting closer to completing the first Transcontinental rail line! Isn’t it exciting??? Construction of the railroads is dangerous and the workers are in great peril each day as so much of the west is wild and unsettled. No matter the danger, it doesn’t stop the excitement at the thought of being able to get from one coast to the other in a matter of days, and in comfort! The face of America is changing, even as the world is getting smaller. . . It is finally here! May 9 of 1869! The news will be announced any moment . . . and here it is! The tracks of the two railroads met up at Promontory Summit, Utah! They drove a golden spike into the final connection of the two tracks, forming the first continental rail line . . . it is 1,776 miles long! Can you imagine? As we bring ourselves back to present day, I’m sure we can smile at the thought of the excitement over the trains – after all we can travel much farther than that now by airplane in mere hours – but it really was thrilling and transportation took major strides forward. My family has its own connection to the railroad being stretched across our great nation. Great Grandpa Hageman helped to build the railroad, following it across the country as they laid the tracks. Back breaking, intense labor the likes of which most people don’t see these days. Each spike had to be driven into the tracks, one by one. Great-Grandpa nearly lost his life performing his job when a spike was hit incorrectly – I was never sure as the story was told if it was a spike he hit, or one that a fellow worker hit – but the spike flew up and embedded itself into his forehead. The only pictures I have ever seen of him he has a deep indentation in the direct center of his forehead, just above and in between his eyes. He was very fortunate to survive, and I’m sure his 15 kids would agree. There are a few ways to celebrate this one today . . . you could take a train ride . . . something I’ve never actually been fortunate enough to do. You could go to a train museum, or explore train and railroad history. You could join a train club . . . there are actually many out there as I found out last weekend with E when we found the model train club in Kelso! Even more simply, you could watch a movie that has trains in it. As an interesting side note, this day was created quite recently, and celebrated for the first time in 2008.
May 2009, Holland, Michigan, USA — Annual tulip festival at Windmill Island Park — Image by © Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis
May 9 – National Windmill Day – Have you ever been driving through the countryside and there ahead of you, stretching as far as you can see, is a windmill farm? It’s pretty impressive, and these are the new variety. Windmills are in no way a new technology though. Since ancient times man has harnessed the power of the wind to provide power for transportation, grinding grain, pumping water, etc. The exact beginnings of the first windmill is unknown, though it is thought to be of Persian origin, from where the knowledge spread back into Northern Europe as a result of the Crusades. The earliest windmills were far different from the days, but the concept was similar. Today we celebrate this rich history, and the beauty of the early windmills. Modern ones are interesting, but the older ones with the large sails are gorgeous. The picture attached is one I felt was particularly stunning. Someday I’d love to actually see one in person for myself. Please take some time and do a bit of searching for some of the beautiful, historical windmills and appreciate their amazing abilities in a way that I just can’t fit in here in one entry. It is a fascinating bit of history that is still so useful today. “Green” energy isn’t new, it’s just updated.
May 9 – Stay Up All Night – (2nd Saturday in May) – Well, I saw that there was a day set up for this one, but could find ABSOLUTELY nothing to explain it. It’s pretty self-explanatory anyway I guess. It’s all about staying up all night! When I was a kid I would have LOVED this, as a teen it would have been the norm for a weekend, but now? No thank you. I appreciate my sleep too much for that and find myself getting sleepy and yawning by 9 p.m . . . I’ll leave this celebration to other people. Have fun!
This Day In History –
May 8, 1794 – The U.S. Post Office is established.
May 8, 1945 – V-E Day, Germany signs unconditional surrender.
May 8, 1952 – Mad Magazine hits the newsstands.
May 8, 1980 – The World Health Organization announces that Smallpox has been eradicated worldwide.
May 9, 1869 – A “Golden Spike” was driven into the railroad tracks at Promontory Summit, Utah, connecting the tracks of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, creating the first Transcontinental railroad.
May 9, 1886 – The syrup for Coca Cola is invented by Atlanta Pharmacist John Styth Permerton.
May 9, 1899 – The lawnmower is patented.
May 9, 1926 – Americans Richard Boyd and Floyd Bennett become the first to fly over the North Pole.
May 9, 1960 – The Birth control pill is approved by the FDA.
Food Celebration of the Day –
May 8 – National Coconut Cream Pie Day – They may have resembled coconut cream, but the in-your-face pies in comedies were typically shaving cream. No one who made a pie this delicious would throw it!
Bakery-Style Coconut Cream Pie
Banana Coconut Cream Pie
Pineapple Coconut Cream Pie With Coconut Cookie Crust
Coconut Cream Pie With Chocolate Coconut Crust
Double-Coconut Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Angel Pie
Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie
May 9 – National Salad Month – The first salad bar opened in 1939 in the Boston Oyster House in Chicago’s Morrison Hotel. Very forward thinking of them! For anyone who over indulged in yesterday’s celebration (which I forgot about or I would have purchased one for hubby), today’s food celebration may be a must! I think it is for us since we had pizza for dinner last night.
Veggie Chopped Salad
Radicchio Salad With Frisee & Apples
Warm Asian Steak Salad
Taco Salad
Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing
Caesar Salad
Nicoise Salad
Well, I need to go get ready to meet my Mom! I am so blessed to have Mom nearby, knowing we can be there for each other without being in each others faces all of the time. She wouldn’t like that anymore than I would, but this is a wonderful compromise of being close without tripping over each other. We talk every single day, which is always a blessing, but these times we can take off for a couple hours to enjoy each others company is a blessing beyond compare. I certainly hope my kids feel that way about me! J God Bless You and I’ll see you tomorrow!