Sleep – oh why are you so elusive these days? Seriously, I usually sleep like a log, dropping off moments after my head hits the pillow and sleeping most of the night through. The last couple of nights, not so much! I’m so tired! The good thing is, in spite of this, I’ve managed to get up early enough all three days this week/month to take Moose on a nice walk, so I feel like I’ve done something worthwhile for both of us, even though I’m exhausted. On a good note though, I went back to my oral surgeon’s office yesterday for my final check on the implant site and I’m cleared to get the permanent tooth – finally. It will be nice to get this all done and not have to mess around with the “flipper” tooth that I’ve been sticking in there to look normal. It’s a pain! I can’t eat with it in, and seriously, nothing says class like popping the bite plate with a lone tooth on it out of my mouth in a restaurant. Not that I just wave it around, I use discretion, but it’s still embarrassing. Soon! I’ll be done with this soon! I’ll be PAYING for it for a long time to come but at least I’ll be done with it . . . until something else goes wrong.
Verse of the Day
April 3, 2019
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
The power of the Cross is demonstrated in the lives of these two men, neither of whom showed himself fully to be a disciple of Jesus in his ministry. Now in his death, they make sure he is given a proper burial making themselves unclean for the Passover and proving themselves loyal to the Lord at the worst time for them to do so. The Cross touched them when nothing else could, just like it has touched us!
Finding Peace in Simple Moments
My daughter is really great about sending me pictures and videos of Little Man R, and I’m not going to lie, he is one of the cutest, smartest, funniest little guys that has ever existed – I’m absolutely POSITIVE about that. (and I may be just slightly biased) My peaceful moment today was watching a video she sent me, seeing his laughing face and sparkling eyes, and knowing that because my daughter is an amazing woman, she is raising (with her hubby, of course) an amazing little guy who will grow up to be an incredible man. The circle of life . . . it’s so beautiful!
Holy Humor Month
A kindergarten teacher gave her class a “show and tell” assignment of bringing something to represent their religion.
The first boy got in front of the class and said, “My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish, and this is the Star of David.”
The second boy got in front of the class and said, “My name is Mark. I am Catholic and this is the Crucifix.”
The third boy got in front of the class and said, ” My name is Tommy and I am a Baptist, and this is a casserole.”
Don’t Got to Work Unless It’s Fun Day – (Author of book started holiday) Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to wake up and just decide to stay home if you wanted without any repercussions? Unless your job is fun, then you may not want to celebrate this one. For the people who are employers – to help maintain attendance at work today, do something that will make the day fun! Just keep in mind – unless you get permission from your boss, don’t celebrate this one. All of this is great, but you wouldn’t want to lose your job over it.
Find A Rainbow Day – (Some also call it “Share A Rainbow Day.”) – I remember as a child hearing the story of Noah’s Ark and God’s promise not to destroy the earth in a flood again. He placed the rainbow in the sky as the reminder of this covenant. From that time on, I must have been 4 or 5 when I actually was able to make sense of the story in my little mind, I would see a rainbow and tell God thank you for the promise and the beautiful colors of the rainbow. Even now I am awed by the sight of one. When I was in about the 4th grade my science project was about creating rainbows using prisms and a light source. At one point I had little tear drop crystals hanging in windows watching the beautiful colors dance on the walls. For anyone who cannot remember the order of the colors in the rainbow, there is an acronym that is often used . . . “Roy G. Biv” – one of the acronyms I have heard. Each letter of the name stands for a color of the rainbow – in order … red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. (Although a true rainbow actually contains colors along the entire spectrum.) Today, if your weather permits, keep your eyes open for that beautiful promise from God in the sky. It’ll lift the spirit no matter how the rest of your day is going.
National Walking Day – (First Wednesday + All Month Now.) When I think of all the hours I have spent sitting at a desk over the years, it becomes very clear to me why my backside is as wide as my office chair! We, as a nation are more sedentary than every before. This isn’t just a weight issue, this level of inactivity doubles the risk of heart disease. Hope is not lost though. This is a problem that can be helped by getting off our duffs and getting moving. Today is the American Heart Associations National Walking Day. Americans are encouraged to lace up their walking shoes and take at least a 30 minute walk today. It’s a great way to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and give your families, friends and co-workers a friendly push towards a healthier life.
Pony Express Day – On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express mail, traveling by horse and rider relay teams, simultaneously left St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. On April 13th, 10 days later, the westbound rider and mail packet completed the approximately 1,800 mile journey and arrived in Sacramento. He beat the eastbound packet’s arrival in St. Joseph by 2 days and set the new standard for speedy mail delivery. The Pony Express was short-lived and unprofitable, but it captured America’s imagination and helped win federal aid for a more economical overland postal system. While the Pony Express was active it contributed to the economy of the towns on its route, serving the mail service needs of the American West in the days before the telegraph or an efficient transcontinental railroad. It debuted at a time before radios and telephones, when California, which achieved statehood in 1850, was still very cut off from the eastern part of the country. Letters that were sent from New York to the West Coast traveled by ship, which usually took at least a month, or by stagecoach on the Butterfield Express overland route. This took from three weeks to many months to arrive. When compared to the snail’s pace of the ship or stagecoach methods, the Pony Express’ average delivery time of 10 days seemed really fast!
The Pony Express Company was the brainchild of William H. Russell, William Bradford Waddell and Alexander Majors, owners of a freight business. It was set up with over 150 relay stations along a pioneer trail across what are now the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. Riders were paid about $25 each week and carried loads up to about 20 pounds of mail. Every 75 to 100 miles riders changed, horses were switched out every 10-15 miles. Among the riders was the legendary frontiersman and showman, William “Buffalo Bill” Cody (1846-1917). It is said that he signed on with the Pony Express when he was 14 years old. The company’s riders set their fastest time with Lincoln’s inaugural address, which was delivered in just less than eight days. The initial cost of Pony Express delivery was $5 for every 1/2 oz of mail. The company began as a private enterprise and the owners had hoped to gain a profitable delivery contract from the US Government, but it never happened. With the start of the first transcontinental telegraph line in October of 1861, the Pony Express stopped operating. The legend however, of the lone Pony Express rider galloping across the Old West frontier to deliver the mail, lives on today. So cool! Happy Birthday Pony Express Company.
Tweed Day – This one could be a celebration of a couple of things. It could be all about the warm, fashionable woolen clothing that originated in Scotland that seems to always be in fashion! Tweed keeps you warm and it looks good. It could also be celebrating the birthday of a corrupt New York City politician named William Magear “Boss” Tweed” who was born on April 3, 1823. Boss Tweed was a U.S. Senator and a NY State Senator. His claim to fame was being convicted of being corrupt and using his power for personal gain, stealing millions of dollars from NYC. Now, I’m betting since this wasn’t a nice guy that today we are actually celebrating Tweed suits because seriously, do we really want to celebrate the birthday of a crook? Maybe his family might, but not the rest of us. As a side note, I also remember that my Grandma used to wear a powder called Tweed. She’s the only person I ever knew who wore it, which made it special because it was her. With every hug, we were wrapped up in the warmth of her love, and the scent that was uniquely her. Gosh, I miss her. SO much.
Childhelp National Day of Hope – This month is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and this, the first Wednesday of the month, is Childhelp National Day of Hope. It is a day to remember all of the children in America who have died and are dying at a rate of five per day as a result of abuse and neglect. The statistics for child abuse and neglect are horrifying. About 80% of the children who die from neglect and abuse are under the age of 4. About 30% of children who are neglected or abused will grow up to abuse their own children. In 2008, the estimated cost to the U.S. resulting from child abuse and neglect was $124 billion. Being aware of these horrifying numbers, donating to organizations that help children escape this cycle of abuse, and get them the help they need mentally and emotionally, and helping to place them in loving, safe home, should be the goal for everyone. My heart just aches and I cannot fathom harming any child, anywhere, ever. These numbers just stagger me. Please keep these children in your prayers daily. It’s the very least we can do.
Food Celebration of the Day
Chocolate Mousse Day – If you have your taste buds all set and craving a decadent sweet treat, this one would definitely be a good one to try! If you’ve never had chocolate mousse, it is a thick and creamy airy substance that is rich, delicious and satisfying. Julia Child is famous for having created the perfect Chocolate Mousse that included dark-brewed coffee, butter, bittersweet chocolate, eggs, dark rum and vanilla. Sounds complicated! The French word Mousse means foam and that is a really good description of this dessert, since when it is prepared properly, it is light and frothy, or creamy and rich – depending on how you prepare it. The origins are largely unknown, but it IS known that it was popular in 18th century France, though the first time it showed up in written record was at an exposition in New York City in 1892. A Housekeepers Column in the 1897 edition of the Boston Globe ran a story featuring the recipe, but when made it turned out more like chocolate pudding, rather than what many of us have tried as a chocolate foamy treat. To create the mousse, egg whites have to be whipped at a consistent pace for a long time, so consistency in attempts to create a mousse didn’t really happen until the electric hand mixer was invented. Now that I have said all of THAT, there is an easier way. As you know I’ve been doing my best to convert our household to a low-carb way of eating, and that I am a BIG fan of food blogger, low-carb genius and cookbook author Carolyn Ketchum. She has this recipe linked here for “Almost Instant Chocolate Mousse” and I can tell you it is EASY, it is DELICIOUS, and it definitely cures the craving for a sweet, chocolate treat. The fact that it is healthy too is a HUGE bonus!
Time to take Moose on his walk! Hey! Just by doing this I am celebrating National Walking Day! Awesome! God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow.
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Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com