Good Morning! It is Tuesday and we are well on our way to getting through this week already. Yesterday FLEW by, which was nice. The carpet installation place called to schedule the carpets for Thursday, which means we have tonight and tomorrow clear out the great room. By the time I got home yesterday Hubby had made some seriously awesome progress, and I did some while dinner was cooking too. Tonight, I’ll box up my antique teacup collection and we will work on getting the rest of the miscellaneous stuff out of the room. Wednesday will be the time to move the furniture to other rooms in the house and Thursday will be the day! Woohoo! It’s a lot of work, but now that it is happening, I’m pretty excited about it. In anticipation of this big change one member of our household got a manicure and fake nails last night – not me . . . the cat! Yep. She’s a bit of a stinker and sometimes claws on the carpets. I trimmed up her nails and glued on acrylic nail covers (purple sparkly ones!) She can try to claw things, but the acrylic protects the carpets. She was only angry for a few minutes. If you have a kitty who has this bad habit, check out these covers! They are pretty and functional. When you see one lying on the carpet, it means the nail has fallen off when the new one crew in, so it’s time to put on another cover! They are worth the time and effort.
Verse of the Day
October 23, 2018
A man finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word!
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Knowing the right word at the right time is a great gift. But even the best of speakers has to admit that the best of his or her words are not nearly as good as those the Spirit gives. Nevertheless, we must not excuse ourselves for our insensitive speech, unkindness, or missed opportunities. Not paying attention to what was said is no excuse. Not being spiritually in tune with the needs of our companions is a cop out. Simply not knowing Scripture well enough to bless others with gracious speech at the appropriate time is self-deception. Listening to others after having listened to God in his Word is what tunes our ears and our hearts to bless others.
www.verseofthe day.com
Food for Thought
Day 2 of the history of Halloween:
Today we are going to talk about the Celts and Samhain celebrations. The Celts lived 100s of years ago in what are now the countries of England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and northern France. This was about 800 B.C., and the Celts were commonly sheep and cattle farmers, bringing their animals down from the hills to pastures close to home when the weather got colder. The winter months were very difficult ones, mostly spent indoors or close to home, fixing things, spending time together, sewing and doing whatever they could to avoid going outside. Outside was where someone could freeze to death, get sick or be killed and eaten by large, hungry animals. As the days got shorter and colder, and the last harvest was in, it was time to celebrate Samhain (Sow-en) and the Celtic New Year. Samhain translates to “end of summer”, occurring at the end of October, as the seasons changed. The Celts believed that times of change had magical properties, and this celebration marked two major changes, a change in the weather and in life. This magical time was also believed to create an opening for the dead to come and travel among the living. The people would gather to sacrifice animals, fruits and vegetables, lighting bonfires to honor the dead and help them on their journey back to the otherworld, and to keep them away from the living. On this day they believed that ghosts, fairies and demons walked among them, so it was important to keep the bad spirits at bay and keep the good ones happy.
After the crops were all harvested and put into storage for the winter, on October 31st the cooking fires in the homes were put out. The Celtic priests, the Druids, would meet on the hilltop in the dark oak forest – oaks were valued for their size and strength. Mistletoe remained green in the winter and had berries in the cold, which was considered to be sacred. The Druids lit new fires and offered sacrifices of thanks and to appease the gods of the coming winter. The next morning, they would give a hot ember from the fires to each family, who took them home to light their home fires again. This was a huge deal, having put out the fire the night before, because their fires kept the homes warm and free from evil spirits. This festival lasted for 3 days, with people putting on costumes made from the skins and heads of animals to represent the gods of nature.
Mole Day – Every October 23rd, from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. National Mole Day is celebrated. Now, when MOST of us think of moles, we think of little furry creatures who dig up our yards and really irritate us with the piles of dirt they leave behind. That’s not what this is about though. No, today chemistry majors, teachers and enthusiasts are celebrating this one by commemorating “Avogadro’s Number (6.02 x 10^23)”. Now I must be honest, I didn’t have a clue what that was, so I will share with you what I learned a “mole” is in chemistry. A “mole” is a basic measuring unit that equals the atomic mass of a single molecule. It is measured in grams. This was discovered by Italian Amadeo Avogadro. Chemistry teachers celebrate this day by getting kids more interested in chemistry, creating special lessons and lab experiments around the theme of chemical measurements. And since the chemical formula for a mole starts with the number 6.02 – this day is celebrated from 6:02 to 6:02, in that numbers honor. Now, to me, it’s still no clearer than mud. . . but perhaps those of you who are math minded will get it?
Swallows Depart from San Juan Capistrano Day – I really loved reading about the Swallow’s arriving in San Juan Capistrano in March. Well, today we celebrate their departure from San Juan Capistrano! If you want to see about how they arrive there, please go to March and scroll down til you find it. Today is just in reverse! Just to give you an idea though, each year at this time they head south for Goya, Argentina to enjoy the warm weather. Pretty fascinating stuff! I thought these were interesting details about the swallows and hope you do too:
* It is approximately 6,000 miles from San Juan Capistrano to the swallows’ wintering site in Goya, Argentina.
* The Mission of San Juan Capistrano where the swallows take refuge is the oldest building in California, built from 1776-1806.
* In San Juan Capistrano, it is against the law to destroy a swallow’s nest.
How fun is that?
TV Talk Show Host Day – Though this day celebrates ALL TV Talk Show hosts, it was set up on the birth date of legendary night time talk show host Johnny Carson. Carson, considered to be the “King of late-night television” hosted The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, his reign lasting a record 29 years, 7 months and 21 days. There were 1,859 episodes. Though this day is celebrated on Johnny Carson’s birthday, it is intended to show appreciation to all TV talk show hosts, both daytime and nighttime. Now, honestly, I can say that there aren’t any TV talk show hosts that I feel deserve the time to view. Dr. Oz would likely be up there on my list since he isn’t smarmy, he isn’t hosting screaming, swearing society rejects while they argue about whether or not their baby daddy is REALLY their baby daddy, etc. He never stood up there and spent his time slamming the President and everyone who voted for him, calling it comedy. He made fun of people of all kinds, but never in a cruel way, and never divisively. There was a day when I may have enjoyed a few talk shows, but not so much anymore. There’s no soul or depth to any of them, and everything is so sensationalized or political that it turns the stomach. Here are a few trivia facts about a few talk show hosts that you may be interested in seeing though:
* Sally Jesse Raphael flips houses as a hobby.
* Howie Mandel admits to being germaphobic.
* Montel Williams once served in the Navy.
* Jerry Springer was once a mayor!
I just wish we still had shows with the quality and as entertaining as Johnny Carson. Those really were the days.
This Day in History Day –
1915 – 25,000 women marched gin New York City demanding the right to vote.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Boston Cream Pie Day – Classic Boston cream pie is more of a cake than a pie. But these treats prove its cream-and-chocolate flavors come together irresistibly in all sorts of desserts. When I was younger I remember once in a while Mom would bring Dad a Boston Cream Pie – it was one of his favorite treats.
Well, I just have enough time to walk Moose for a little bit before I have to go. He does love our little jaunts when we have time for them. Have a wonderful day and be safe as you go about your day! 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