Ah Saturday, how much do we love you? Once again, I am getting a late start, but it was so nice to go back to bed for a little while after taking Moose out this morning. I was sleeping quite peacefully around 8:00 . . . until a muscle spasm grabbed my calf muscle so tightly that it had me up and hopping around and rubbing it until it relaxed. Ow! What a RUDE awakening!
Moments With Moose –
When Moose and I went out on our walk yesterday morning we had an unexpected little meeting! We met some canine neighbors . . . not neighbors as in next door, but somewhere in the community. Often I see this young guy walking his two dogs when I am driving out of our street on my way to work. He must have gotten out early yesterday because they were walking towards us as we were heading out. Oh the excitement! Moose was immediately whining and straining to get to the other dogs. He got to greet Daisy with a mutual sniff fest – which seemed to make them both happy. Daisy looks like she could be a golden lab mix – fairly young, but not a pup by any means. And then there was the other pup. I didn’t catch her name, but I was mentally chuckling the whole time. She is a year old, and was VERY excited to meet Moose. What was funny was the blend of breeds and how they configured her body and face. She is ½ Corgi, ¼ French Bulldog and ¼ Boston Terrier. She has the Corgi body shape, leg length, color and ears . . . and the combo of the other two in her face. In all honesty she looked like she had the face of a Pug, but once he told me the combo I could see it. She was SO funny! She was cute, in an odd way, and definitely sweet. At some point maybe Moose will have a chance to get to know these pups better, but it was a high point of his morning and put a big smile on my face.
Aug 1 – Girlfriend’s Day – Where would we be without our friends? (Ladies, I’m specifically talking to you right now) Girlfriends are there for each other, through thick and thin. We can laugh together, cry together, and even be angry at each other and know – if it’s TRUE friendship – that none of that matters, and when the air clears we’re still there for each other. We each know who our real friends are, so celebrate them today! They are precious and to be appreciated. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHELLEY!)
Aug 1 – Lughnasa – I don’t typically focus on non-Christian holidays, but sometimes they have a certain historical significance that I find to be quite interesting. Lughnasa is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically it was observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. It was originally held on July 31- August 1st, which was about halfway between summer solstice and autumn equinox. Over time though, the celebration shifted to the Sunday that was closest to this date. Lughnasa also corresponds to other European harvest festivals, like the Welsh Calan Awst and the English Lammas. Named after the god Lugh, this celebration is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and is of pagan origins. There were huge gatherings for the festival that included religious ceremonies, athletic contests, feasting, matchmaking and trading. Some of the religious rituals involved sacrifices on mountain tops. These customs were kept up until the 20th century – being known by various names like ‘Garland Sunday’, ‘Bilberry Sunday’, ‘Mountain Sunday’ and ‘Crom Dubh Sunday’. The custom of climbing hills and mountains for Lughnasa has survived in some areas, but it is now called a Christian pilgrimage. Interesting how so many pagan holidays have been re-vamped as Christian to make them more acceptable to the general public, and have been since Christianity was born. Even though I don’t celebrate the pagan intentions of a holiday, I think it is important to know the history of the holidays that we do celebrate.
Aug 1 – National Mustard Day – Mustard is considered to be the “King of Condiments”, but did you ever wonder how mustard got to the place it holds on our condiment shelf in the fridge? Every food has a humble beginning from somewhere, and someone thought it was a good idea to eat it. I’d like to start by reminding everyone that the humble mustard seed, the tiniest of all seeds, holds a very important place in the Bible. There are multiple verses about it, but Matthew 17:20 is the most famous one. The New King James Version:
“20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;[a] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
The lesson in that is so profound when you truly consider how small a mustard seed truly is.
So what IS mustard? It is a member of the Brassica family of plants that bears tiny round edible seeds and tasty leaves. Its English name, mustard, comes from a contraction of the Latin mustum ardens, which means, burning must. This refers to the spicy heat of the crushed mustard seeds and the French practice of mixing the ground seeds with the must, which is the young, unfermented juice of wine grapes. At first, mustard was used as a medicinal plant, not a culinary one. In the sixth century B.C., Greek scientist Pythagoras used mustard as a remedy for scorpion stings. About one hundred years later, Hippocrates used mustard in a variety of medicines and poultices to “cure” toothaches and a number of other ailments. Much like the prepared mustards we use today, prepared mustard dates back thousands of years to the early Romans. They used to grind mustard seeds and mix them with wine into a paste for a variety of uses. As I mentioned before, the mustard seed is a prominent reference for those of the Christian faith something small and insignificant, but when planted, grows in strength and power. Pope John XII was so fond of mustard that he actually created a new Vatican position – grand moutardier du pape (mustard-maker to the pope) – and promptly gave the position to his nephew. In 1866 the founder of Colman’s Mustard of England – Jeremiah Colman – was appointed as mustard-maker to Queen Victoria. He perfected the technique of grinding mustard seeds into a fine powder without creating the heat which brings out the oil. The oil must not be exposed or the flavor will evaporate with it.
Today we mostly use mustard in cooking. It is a must have for hot dogs, sausages and many types of sandwiches. It is also an important ingredient in many recipes. It is among the most popular of all condiments and has been used to spice up meals for thousands of years. How’s that for longevity? Mustard has diversified over the years – it isn’t just plain yellow anymore – though that is definitely the most popular version. You can get a huge variety of commercially prepared mustards including honey mustard, bold and spicy, sharp and creamy and of course, Dijon. In my fridge I have all of those, plus cranberry mustard, jalapeno mustard and even horseradish mustard. As you can tell, it’s a condiment that I truly enjoy in a variety of enhanced and delicious flavors.
Aug 1 – Respect for Parents Day – This day isn’t so much about celebrating parents as it is showing them respect. It must have been rather important for God to have included it in the Ten Commandments, right? We are to give them honor and respect for the positions they have in our lives as our parents. And don’t get me wrong here – this is not a day to absolve parents of any wrongdoing they do to their children and demand that kids (even adult ones) overlook those wrongs. It is to remind us that our parents are to be treated with respect for the position they hold in our lives. I know that for myself, my parents have given up a lot over the years so that my brother and I could have the things that they didn’t have themselves as children. It’s just something that parents do – or should anyway – sacrifice for their kids. It’s part of the job. The least they deserve from us in return is respect and honor – after all, it’s something God told us very specifically to do!
Aug 1 – Rounds Resounding Day –We’ve all either heard songs being sung in a round, or we’ve been a part of a round, and let’s be honest, it just makes even the most basic of songs so much fun! It’s pretty too! Today we sing the praises of Rounds Resounding Day. If, by chance, you don’t know what singing rounds is – it’s when you sing songs, or parts of songs, with different voices taking up different parts of the melody. Popular songs to sing in a round would be Three Blind Mice and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. They are often sung while sitting around a campfire at a kid’s camp. It isn’t just for kids though – serious composers have written many songs in this format, with the oldest published English part-songs dating back to the 17th century. Recently you may have heard a cappella groups and barbershop quartets putting a fun and different spin on singing in the round. This celebration was started in 1987, specifically to promote singing in harmony! Have fun with this one! How can you NOT have fun when singing songs this way?
Aug 1 – Spiderman Day – There are a lot of kids out there who would have absolutely no idea that Spiderman didn’t just materialize in the movies, but started as a comic book character about 50 years ago! Over the years the character has evolved and is recognized around the world for being a crime-fighter and is now a member of The Avengers! Go Spiderman!
Aug 1 – US Air Force Day – This day was set up on August 1, 1947 by President Truman “in recognition of the personnel of the victorious Army Air Forces and all those who have developed and maintain our nation’s air strength”. August 1 was picked to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Aeronautical Division in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army in 1907. Air Force Day immediately came into being after the National Security Act of 1947 was signed, even though the status of the air element of the military wasn’t certain, so even though this day is called Air Force Day, the very first celebration was staged by the Army Air Forces, and not by the US Air Force.
Aug 2 – Friendship Day (Different than “International Friendship Day in July) – Today is the day to nurture relationships, whether they are new or old. It’s a very easy and fun day to celebrate because it can be as simple as just getting in touch with some old friends. A simple phone call, email or even an E-Card are great tools to do that. See if you can make plans to meet for coffee or lunch soon, but make the invitation today so it honors this celebration. No matter what way you choose to follow the spirit of the day, if you put your whole heart into it, it will be a wonderful day. Happy Friendship Day to Everyone!
Aug 2 – Global Forgiveness Day is held on August 27th
International Forgiveness Day – the first Sunday of August
handwriting blackboard writings – To err is human, to forgive divine
Forgiveness Day is a time to forgive and to be forgiven. Forgiveness is spoken about in the Bible, both the word and the concept combined, 126 times. Obviously this is something that God feels very strongly about. There is so much trouble and struggle in the world that two forgiveness days can only help to make things better. It’s not easy to forgive someone who has hurt you, and doesn’t care that they’ve hurt you, nor do they even care if they are forgiven. The giving of forgiveness at that point isn’t for them, it is for you, so the hurts inside of you heal. This is something I struggle with on a deep emotional level – and those who are reading who know me, know what it is that I mean. I’m working on it though and I am praying that at some point I can just release it and forgive. Today is a good day to focus on that a bit, and a wonderful reminder.
Aug 2 – National Doll Day –Today is the 5th annual National Doll Day. I tried to research what this was all about and who started it, but information is pretty slim. From what I can gather today is about people who love dolls, and either collect them, or who actually still play with them. Apparently paper dolls count. Now, I always liked playing with my dolls as a child, but can honestly say I don’t actually own a doll today. I even gave my Barbie Dolls to my daughter when she was little. I know many people keep collector dolls like the original Cabbage Patch Dolls, or porcelain dolls. Some of them can be quite valuable, and some have deep sentimental meaning. So if you collect dolls, today is for you!
Aug 2 – National Kid’s Day – We have Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and days for everything else, and though some people say EVERY day is Kid’s Day, those aren’t official, and this one is! On the first Sunday in August the kids across the nation have their own special day! Today spend some special time with your kids or grandkids (I wish I could!), and encourage other adults to spend more meaningful, quality time with their children. This day was created in 1994 by KidsPeace, which is a national charity that was started over 130 years ago! Happy National Kid’s Day!
Aug 2 – Sister’s Day – If you have a sister today, celebrate her! Sisters are truly special and unique, or so I hear. I do not have any sisters but know plenty of people who do! Sure, you may argue and fight with your sister, but when it comes right down to it your sister has your best interest at heart and would likely do anything for you. Celebrate today by spending time with your sister, making it special for both of you. If you are far away from your sister, give her a call. I’m sure she will appreciate it. By the way, Hallmark has August 7th listed as Sister’s Day. They are only correct once every 7 years. It is the 1st Sunday in August – so now you know!
Aug 2 – Take A Penny/Leave A Penny Day – I cannot find any one reference to what this one is all about as far as celebrations go. I guess I can just put my own spin on it though. We have all seen those trays in the stores at the check-out counters – usually in quick marts – where you can take or leave a penny to either make up the difference if you’re short, or help the next person in line. That’s all well and good, but to me, this isn’t what is important about pennies. Think about it a moment. 100 pennies makes a dollar, which means they all add up! Whenever my Mom sees a penny she stops and picks it up. Eventually it turns into multiple pennies, and that, in turn becomes dollars. Not only that, think about what is on each penny – on each of our coins actually? “In God We Trust” Isn’t that beautiful? It’s a reminder with each coin we see that we are not alone – God is with us. Now, if the squalling minority voices have their way, this will disappear from our coins, but I sure hope they don’t get their way. I love seeing this on our money, and it is an extra reminder that when we are stressed or worried, we can see those words and it brings to mind that we truly have Someone walking by our sides, with us every step of the way. Pick up the next penny you see, look at those words and take them to your heart. In God We Trust . . . what a wonderful reminder!
This Day In History
Aug 1, 1790 – The first U.S. Census is completed. There were four million people in the U.S. in 1790.
Aug 2, 1876 – Wild Bill Hickock is killed during a poker game. He was holding a “Dead Man’s Hand”, two pair aces and 8’s.
Food Celebrations of the Day –
1st – Raspberry Cream Pie Day – Well my goodness, yesterday was Raspberry Cake Day and today is Raspberry Cream Pie Day! I honestly think the pie sounds better than the cake. Here’s a good looking recipe from www.tasteofhome.com that you may enjoy! It certainly looks like one I’d like to try.
1st – National Sandwich Day – History has it that the 4th Earl of Sandwich is to thank for dreaming up this beloved bready idea. His inspiration? A meal you can eat with one hand that won’t interfere with your gambling.
Cobb Club Sandwich
Nut & Carrot Sandwich
Italian Meatball Subs
Tomato Croque Monsieur
Shrimp Po Boys
S’more Sandwich
French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich
2nd – National Ice Cream Sandwich Day – Although the idea of sandwiching ice cream between waffle cookies wasn’t new, Good Humor was the first to introduce packaged ice cream sandwiches in the 1920s.
Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
Mambo #5 Ice Cream Sandwich
S’more Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Low-Fat “Ice Cream” Sandwiches
This is a weekend full of amazing and wonderful celebrations! I think they are all fun, interesting or informative . . . or tasty! J Enjoy them all in the best way you can. God Bless You and I’ll see you tomorrow!