I got to thinking about National Unplugging Days, which were Friday and Saturday , and though I couldn’t unplug at work, and I don’t choose to completely unplug from being in contact with family and friends, I don’t have to spend my weekend buried in writing the posts when I could be spending time with the people I love, doing fun things that don’t involve the computer. This will be my modified version of “Unplugging”, so on that note, here are the celebrations for Saturday through Tuesday, and I’ll be back here with you on Wednesday. It is time for me to focus on family!
Verse of the Day
March 10, 2018
In your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
We are to be ready and able to tell folks about the hope that Jesus has brought to our lives! But when we share this hope, two things are important: our credibility — is Jesus really Lord of our hearts — and our character — do we show gentleness and respect in our persuasion approach. The goal is not to win arguments but hearts to the God of character!
March 11, 2018
The Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
God is faithful and his covenant is a covenant of love. He will not forsake us and will treat us better than we deserve just as a loving parent treats a rebellious child better than s/he deserves. But our hearts must be tuned to honor God as God, not as just a good luck charm or a weekly guest into our otherwise busy lives. What we do must be done in awareness that it is done before and for him!
March 12, 2018
He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
God made us to be like him in character and compassion. We are called to participate in the divine nature and are assured that we will be made ready when Jesus comes again. Everything in our world is subject to corruption and decay, except us — those of us whose lives are united with Jesus! For us, the promise Peter makes here sure. Our response is to follow wholeheartedly!
March 13, 2018
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
God is in our lives. He is at work right now, undoing Satan’s destructive messes and leading us to places he wants us to go. This is true in everything we do and everywhere we go. The key is for us to seek his purpose, to live his will. If that is our goal, then we can be sure our God is with us every step of our way.
Food for Thought
The most precious thing we have in this world are our family and friends. They are gifts from God. Cherish them every moment that you can, and if there are rifts in relationships, work at fixing them. If the other party isn’t willing, then pray for them in your heart, even when at first you don’t feel like it. Over time the love that God feels for us will start working in our hearts towards that other person.
Saturday – March 10th –
Genealogy Day – Today is a day to give recognition of family history and a great time to look back into your heritage. There are many people that use researching their genealogy as a hobby.
As described in Wikipedia: Genealogy (from Greek: γενεά, genea, “generation”; and λόγος, logos, “knowledge”) is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives. The pursuit of family history tends to be shaped by several motivations, including the desire to carve out a place for one’s family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations, and a sense of self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling.”
I have some family members who have really gotten into digging for our roots – I’m not one of them. Oh sure, I’m interested and would love to have it in front of me with all of the background work all completed, but I just don’t have the patience or the time to devote to it. I really appreciate though, all the people who do take the time because finding out where we come from often tells us where we might be going, or at least why we are the way we are.
International Bagpipe Day – In the world of celebrations this one is fairly new! The very first International Bagpipe Day was on March 10, 2012. It is celebrated in England at the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum in Morpeth, just south of the Scottish border. The first one had 20 members of the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society and Tyneside Uilleann Pipers taking part in the festivities. Visitors were treated to performances from four nations, playing small pipes and bagpipes. As soon as it was over the audience was already looking forward to the 2013 event. Attendance has been up each year since then, with the enthusiasm growing each time. I love listening to bagpipes – they always leave me feeling a bit sad though. There’s such a mournful sound to them.
International Day of Awesomeness – Today gives us the chance to celebrate everyone because though “no one is perfect, everyone can be awesome”. I don’t have any idea how true that is because I see many people every day that fall far below the awesome scale . . . except of course in their own minds. All you have to do is turn on just about any news channel to find out just how NOT awesome people are . . . but I guess that didn’t matter to a guy named Kevin Lawver, because he declared the need for an International Day of Awesomeness in 2007. Apparently he was working with an intern who suggested that the office should celebrate Lawver’s awesomeness, to which Lawver replied that there should be an International Day of Awesomeness. Sounds sort of like an adolescent crush conversation . . . “You’re really cute.” “No, YOU’RE really cute.” “No, you are.” “No, YOU are.” Whatever floats their awesome little boat, I suppose. Lawver posted his idea to Twitter and apparently the rest is history. You know the funniest thing about this day? It was set up on Chuck Norris’ birthday. At least they had a sense of humor!
Land Line Telephone Day – Do you still have a land line at home, or like so many people, have you ditched the land line in favor of just using your cell phone? I understand WHY people disconnect their land line, since most people either text or use the cell phone anyway, but I like having that land line connection for various reasons. In case of a power outage that is extended beyond the life of my cell phone battery – provided I had it charged in the first place – a land line will still be available in case of emergency. Honestly these days it rings rarely – if I don’t answer my cell phone the kids will call the land line. Mom and my in-laws call the land line. Everyone else who calls it seems to be a telemarketer. Since I hang up on them every single time, you’d think they’d get the hint and stop.
Salvation Army Day – The Salvation Army “officially” started their work in the United States on March 10,1880. Commissioner George Scott Railton and seven female officers landed in New York City, after they were sent here from England by Salvation Army founder William Booth, to begin their ministry in this country. Truth is, The Salvation Army’s Lieutenant Eliza Shirley had already arrived in the United States in 1878 to join her parents, who had immigrated to America earlier in search of work. She held the first meeting of the Salvation Army in America, in Philadelphia, but it wasn’t officially commissioned by William Booth. The Salvationists were received with enthusiasm, and Shirley wrote to General Booth asking for reinforcements. None were available until 1880 when an official group was sent to do their good work in America. Commissioner Railton may get the credit for pioneering the work in the U.S., but Lt. Shirley laid the groundwork.
US Paper Money Day – It was on this day, in 1862, that the United States issued its first paper money in bills worth $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1,000. I was a little surprised to find that there wasn’t any paper money before this, but after I thought about it, it really shouldn’t have. It wasn’t that simple though. There was a form of paper currency in America since at least 1690, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony issued some, and other colonies followed suit. Up until that point coins and bartering were common – like trading a chicken for a basket of vegetables – but there was a lot of trade between the colonies and coins weren’t all that common. In response to this the colonial governments printed notes that were supposed to be redeemable for silver and gold. When someone went to the bank and the bank was able to give the precious metals in exchange for the paper, everyone was happy. When the bankers couldn’t redeem it, people lost faith in the money. During the Revolutionary War, the need for money was great, and the Continental Congress decided to issue federal currency. These dollars were called Continentals, and they were backed with “anticipation” of future tax dollars. In the simplest terms, this money wasn’t backed up at all, and this didn’t give the people much trust in it. When there isn’t trust in the money, it loses its value, and if it loses its value, it ends up being just paper. And look at us now! Wow, maybe we should have stuck with bartering.
Sunday – March 11 –
Check Your Batteries Day – This celebration serves a practical purpose! It is highly recommended to check the batteries on your smoke detectors on the days the clocks are changed. Testing them and making sure the batteries work could save your life and the lives of your loved ones. I don’t know that I need to go into more detail than that . . . this one speaks for itself.
Daylight Savings Time Begins (Turn ahead 1 hour @ 2:00 a.m.) – Everyone already knows that we changed the clocks today and jumped an hour forward. Though I admit that it’s nice having a little extra daylight at the end of the day, losing that hour of sleep hurts! These days our phones and some of our clocks adjust their time automatically, but if your house is anything like ours, there are plenty of other clocks that need to be changed manually. It gets confusing sometimes, the clocks are changed in one room, but not another, so mentally I have to figure out what time it is from room to room until I get them all changed. I wish we could be like most of Arizona and just do away with the time change. It really doesn’t serve a practical purpose any more, so there’s no real reason to mess with our sleep!
International Fanny Pack Day – Oh my, how many of us spent a portion of our teen years giggling at people who wandered around with fanny packs? They were typically older and wore white socks with black shoes. Today we celebrate International Fanny Pack Day and give a nod to the tackiness of the frightening fashion mistake that fanny packs are/were. They have been called the belt pack, hip sacks, waist bags, bum bags, or buffalo pouches, and became a sensation in the late 1980s, mostly by soccer moms and dads that didn’t care if they humiliated us in public. I know they serve a practical purpose, but so do backpacks, purses and deep pockets. Thank goodness my Dad never got a wild hair to get one!
Johnny Appleseed Day – There are two possible dates for this celebration – both listed. Today – March 11 is said to be the death date of Johnny “Appleseed” Chapman, and September 26th was his birthday – both listed to be Johnny Appleseed Day. What isn’t disputed though is that Johnny Appleseed Day honors one of American’s great legends. Johnny “Appleseed” Chapman was among the American settlers were captivated by the movement west across the continent. As he traveled west, he planted apple trees along the way, and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that he planted, the legend grew. During his life the “West” was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois – so not the west as we know it today. He was a deeply religious person and was known to preach during his travels. According to legend he led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money, and often donated the money that he did receive. His death date is noted to be March 11, 1845, and that he died from the “winter plague”. The actual date of his death though has been disputed because it was not formally recorded. What is comes down to, is when would YOU like to celebrate this day? We could go for both days since apples are awesome year round. The best way that I can think of to celebrate is to incorporate as many apples as possible into your day – for snacks, in sauces, and dessert! I’m fine with honoring this American legend more than once in a year.
Mothering Sunday – Mothering Sunday and Mother’s Day are two completely different celebrations that are observed in two entirely different countries. We will be celebrating Mother’s Day in May in the United States, so for today we will learn about Mothering Sunday, which is observed in England. Hundreds of years ago in Britain, during the season of Lent, it was a tradition that people would go once a year to worship in their “mother” church. The mother church would be the biggest church, or cathedral, in the area, rather than the smaller parish churches that were in the towns and villages. Children who were working as servants or as apprentices – some of them as young as 10 years old, would get this day off to go to their mother church with their families. It came to be to be known as “Mothering Sunday”, because the children, some of them who hadn’t seen their mothers for a long time, would bring their mothers flowers and cakes as gifts. This tradition died out when church attendance dropped, but Mothering Sunday still remained – the 4th Sunday of Lent in the UK. During WWII, the influence of American military members revived interest in the day. Today they often just call it Mother’s Day, and they celebrate it the same way we do our Mother’s Day in the United States – with cards, flowers, chocolate and eating out.
National Promposal Day – It used to be that people would get all nervous and uptight about putting a great deal of effort into their proposals for marriage – and I agree that since this is a life changing event (getting married – not prom) that a lot of thought SHOULD go into it! But these days high school students across the country are putting a nearly ridiculous amount of stress, struggle and planning into asking someone to prom. It’s a dance, seriously, a few hours of your life that probably won’t measure up to the work you put into ASKING that individual for a date! The whole idea is to get creative about asking someone to prom and catching the event on video so everyone can share on social media. Know show started this one? It wasn’t the kids! Nope. It was Men’s Wearhouse. That sounds logical, but seriously, teens should just relax – at the end of the day, it is STILL just a dance! If the person you are asking is a decent person, they will go with you without you spending all of your money on the invitation, so save it for a nice dinner and a gorgeous corsage!
World Plumbing Day – Have you ever stopped to think how blessed we are? Seriously! Even with all the strains and pressures of everyday life, the economic issues, the political nonsense going on, we are blessed! What is the first thing you likely do every morning? You get out of bed, sleep walk to your bathroom, and use your indoor, comfortable facilities. You flush that toilet knowing that any icky stuff is now out of your house. You go to your sink, wash your hands, brush your teeth and take your shower – with the twist of a couple of knobs. Hot water, cold water – right there in an instant. Not everyone has this luxury. There are 3rd world countries where mucky, bacteria infested water is hand carried in buckets to huts, laundry is washed in the river or lake, the very same ones where they get their drinking water. Animals wander in and out of that water, using it for their own drinking and waste procedures, and again that’s the same water the villagers use for drinking and cooking. World Plumbing Day is an international event initiated by the World Plumbing Council celebrating the very important role that plumbing plays in the health and safety of modern society. In the aftermath of 2010’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, and the 2011 tsunami in Japan, we found that it is so easy to take for granted the availability of safe drinking water and sufficient sanitation systems. We take them for granted until they no longer function properly. Historically we find that great leaps in humankind’s advancement – both physically and socially – have been tied to advances in plumbing technology. The safety and abundance of drinking water is a concern for most people all over the world, but what is often lost in that concern is the work that the plumbing industry has contributed to alleviate those concerns. Today be thankful for plumbers and all the hard work they do in keeping our water safe and healthy every day.
Worship of Tools Day – Everyone who has ever known a man – or is a man himself – knows that there is a huge fascination with all sorts of tools. Don’t get me wrong, there are many women who love tools too – heck even I start getting a bit excited when in a hardware store wondering if I could create something wonderful out of the materials I see there. Nothing quite matches the glazed over looks on some of the men shopping in the tool section of Lowe’s or Home Depot though. I imagine it is much like the look I get on my face when I’m in the baking section of a cooking supply store, or the cake decorating section at Michaels! My Hubby likes tools – but more, he needs them for his work. I think it’s more accurate to say that he appreciates that a useful tool makes his job easier and more productive. He has a lot of them, and though he isn’t obsessive about them, I know he enjoys browsing the tool section to see what is new that could possibly be added to his collection of useful items to have. I’m always at a loss for what to possibly get him for a gift from this department – there are so many to choose from. How do you celebrate this day? Well, you work with tools of course – and perhaps buy one or two. Receiving a tool as a gift today would make it truly special.
Monday – March 12 –
Fill Our Staplers Day (Also Nov 6 – always the day after Daylight Savings Ends) – A group called the Dull Men’s Club started this one and it make me laugh. How funny! They’ve decided that it is very annoying to run out staples right when you need them, so to eliminate the problem they decided that the day after Daylight Savings time change, and the day after Standard Time change should be designated to refill the staplers. It is also check batteries day and changing the clocks day – so it can all be done at the same time. Now, this one wouldn’t work for me since I use a LOT of staples at work and have to fill it all the time. Perhaps it might work for you though!
Girl Scout Birthday – Today we celebrate the creation of the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia. There were 18 girls in that first group. Today there are millions of girls involved with Girl Scouts. For the cookie monsters out there, this is the time of year when every store entrance has tables piled high with boxes of Girl Scout cookies with little girls standing behind the tables trying to make you feel guilty if you say no. I have to look away and pretend I don’t seem them and charge on past. If I don’t, I might give in and buy some and that would be BAD. VERY, VERY BAD! I’m glad they are able to learn valuable skills, generate income for the scouting activities and that some people get to enjoy their annual treats. I just can’t go there myself, because once that door is opened, there’s no closing it until the scale starts fighting back.
Napping Day (Monday after Daylight Savings Time Starts) – Daylight Savings Time may mean spring is right around the corner – but it also means that we lose an hour of sleep. If you’ve lost a little of your usual energy from losing that hour, and feel a little sluggish, then this day may be for you (provided you can manage it with your work schedule). Today Americans are more ready for a nap than usual after losing that hour of sleep, so it is a good day to bring the spotlight onto the fact that napping has great benefits for us. Just a 20-30 minute nap has quite a few benefits. Besides reducing fatigue, a nap can make you feel better, improve your mood, increase alertness and improve performance. Napping on the job or on the road is definitely not recommended, but it is important to note that napping late in the day, or taking a long nap, can negatively affect your night time sleep. In honor of today though, maybe indulging in a little afternoon snooze would be a good idea!
Plant a Flower Day – For those of you with a green thumb, or even two, today is a day to get a little dirt under your fingernails and plant a flower today! Gardening is a great hobby and it is enjoyed by millions of people, young and old alike. It is a hobby that pretty much anyone can participate in, regardless of their age and health. Senior citizens love it because they can garden long after they give up other hobbies and sports that become too difficult. I am one of those people who was not gifted with the talents of my grandparents or my mother. My Grandfather had the most AMAZING garden and the fruit that man could grow just makes mouth water thinking about it. My Grandmothers had the same abilities with herbs and flowers. Mom has houseplants that just keep growing and growing, to the point that they even climb up her walls! Me? Wow, it’s sad. Sometimes I think I can hear my plants squealing and pulling away when I walk by so I don’t accidentally touch them. It’s pathetic. I keep trying. I have a few plants that persist in putting out a few leaves now and again. I finally got my rosemary to take hold outside, and I didn’t do too badly with my first attempt last year at a straw bale garden – which I will do again this year. But it’s been YEARS trying to make this happen. Perhaps it’s a gift that just takes time to nurture – sort of like the plants. To celebrate this day plant a flower, or transplant a houseplant in a new pot – it’ll thank you! In my case, I think I’ll finally remember to water my houseplants . . . is that festive enough?
Tuesday – March 13 –
Earmuffs Day – What a wonderful invention! I love ear muffs! When my daughter was barely more than a toddler she had a pair of little bunny ear muffs – SO cute! I dug through a couple boxes of pictures and didn’t run across the one I was thinking of, but it certainly was cute! When it’s really chilly out and your ears feel like they are freezing off, there’s nothing quite as nice as fuzzy pair of snuggly, warm ear muffs. Today celebrates this warm invention! On March 13, 1877 the Ear Muff was created by “Big-Eared” Chester Greenwood. He patented the “Champion Ear Protector, which later became known as “ear mufflers”, and was eventually shortened to “ear muffs”. By keeping the ears warm, ear muffs protect people from ear infections and earaches that result from icy cold wind and weather. They come in a large variety of designs and colors so there’s a pair out there to fit nearly everyone’s personality. I realize that this celebration is today because it’s the day of the original patent, but I’m betting more people would celebrate it if it were set back in December or January.
Good Samaritan Involvement Day – also known as Good Samaritan Day is celebrated on March 13th in the United States because it is the anniversary of the death of Catherine-Kitty-Genovese, who was murdered in New York while multiple bystanders did nothing to prevent it. Good Samaritan Involvement Day is a day for unselfish actions to help those who are in need.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is located in the Book of Luke, Chapter 10, verses 25-37 in the Bible. In this parable, a man is beaten, robbed and left on the road. The first two people who pass by – a priest and a Levite – do nothing to help the man. The third person, a Samaritan, stops to help. He binds the wounds and takes the wounded man to an inn, and pays for him to be treated. Of course, to the people hearing the parable, they would have expected the priest and the Levite – very respected people – to be the ones who were willing to help, and the Samaritan – a member of a people who were much despised at those times- as the one who would ignore a wounded man. The parable of the Good Samaritan is generally understood as an illustration that “neighbors” does not refer simply to those living around a person or to those of the same ethnic or religious group, but that “neighbors” refers to all fellow human beings. It also stresses love over legalism- in other words caring for fellow human beings takes precedence over following a specific religious or cultural law. While hospitality and concern for others was often shared within cultural groups, Jesus made it clear that these same traits should be displayed to everyone. If we look around our world today, what do we see? Generally we are not seeing a world filled with Good Samaritans. Every day on the news there is footage of animalistic savages beating up on someone who can’t protect themselves, thugs posing as protestors starting brawls for no reason that they even truly care about, horrible murders, rapes, child molestations and the list goes on. It’s everywhere we look lately. It scares me that the horror is so prevalent, and makes me afraid for future generations. There is always hope though, for as long as there are good and loving people in the world, there will be Good Samaritans. Sometimes being a Good Samaritan isn’t about helping someone who is in physical danger, or having a medical emergency, but helping someone who needs their spirits lifted and their souls soothed by such incredible kindness. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to help someone today and maybe if we all do it together we can help balance out the evil with good.
Jewel Day – Apparently today is Jewel Day. Hm. Didn’t we just finish Valentine’s Day? According to what I could find, today is your chance to give or receive jewelry. Though I can’t confirm it, it’s my suspicion that this holiday was created by jewelry stores, and I bet they love it. It’s funny sometimes to me, because there are two distinct and separate kinds of people – women for the most part. There are the women who live to receive jewelry, and women like me, who couldn’t care less. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I have a couple of special items that my husband bought for me that I love, my wedding rings and my small hoop earrings I wear most days. My jewelry box has a variety of things in it, but none of them hugely expensive and there’s a doggone good reason for that – I don’t NEED jewelry. You can’t eat it, you can’t do anything constructive with it, it won’t pay the bills, fix the car, or make life easier. It won’t give more than momentary satisfaction and honestly, I’d rather get a really super-cool kitchen appliance or some baking supplies over jewelry any day. But for those of you who love it, well that’s certainly something you are entitled to love – for there is some beautiful jewelry that I have very much admired when I’ve seen it – and I hope for your sake that you receive something for Jewel Day today. Side Note: Perhaps this should be a day to celebrate people NAMED Jewel. My Grandma Jewell went to heaven last year, but she was one of the most beautiful of God’s sparkling jewels and I know she is loving being in heaven. And a special thought for my other Grandma who passed away about 18 years ago – as her middle name was Pearl! And a shout out to my daughter, who’s middle name is Jade! Yep, that’s what this day should be – a day to honor people with gemstone names.
K-9 Veterans Day – After researching this celebration, nothing I could say would be as great as what I found on the site of the man who worked tirelessly to put this day into reality. I have taken the liberty of copying and pasting his description of this day.
Joe White (04/14/1949 – 10/24/2009),
Founded this movement and this Web Site. His untimely death has not stopped the effort to recognize our 4 legged heroes. His wife (Sally) now carries the effort forward and welcomes any help or suggestions you may have.
Welcome to the national effort to make March 13 K9 Veterans Day. March 13, 1942 is the official birthday of the United States K9 Corps, and so it seems only right to annually honor their service on that date. They served to save, and they deserve to be remembered.
Because of the attacks on our homeland, many more dogs than are normally associated with the term “war dogs” are in the fight, and this campaign will not discriminate against them. The war came to us, and so it has become seriously important to us as a Nation to have our borders, transportation centers, ports, bases, fuel dumps, energy compounds, and many more places, as well guarded as is possible, and for the most part they are guarded by dogs that are not in the military. Police K9s, Customs K9s, Border Patrol K9s, Secret Service K9s, Airport Police K9s, F.B.I. K9s, and others are working daily to protect the homeland, and they should be honored accordingly. Some of those very dogs died at Ground Zero. They have all served to save, and they all deserve to be remembered.
Privately handled dogs are also a part of the war effort in ways that have never been done before. Search and Rescue dog teams worked tirelessly at Ground Zero, and at the Pentagon. Private bomb dog and security dog teams are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other sites as needed; and they are very much needed, and sincerely appreciated by our troops. And private Therapy dogs are in the hospitals both here and abroad, helping to heal our hero’s. Service dogs are now assisting those who are handicapped by the war to have a more meaningful life. And may we never forget as well the service of those privately handled dogs who search for the remains that are so important to their families. And of course many of our troops will readily tell you of how an unofficial war dog, a mascot, helped in keeping one’s spirits high as the horrors of war worked to depress them.
First and foremost are the military dogs of all our wars, as their service and sacrifice paved the way for the creation of all the other uses for dogs. And we are certainly honored to have current handlers voicing their support for this campaign. Dogs have bled, suffered, and died while serving in all our wars, to include this war on terror, and they have done so in ways that do us all proud. Dogs were there in the trenches of France in WW I, and the slopes of Iwo Jima in WW II, and though many were pure breeds, some others were mixed breeds, and our troops didn’t care either way. They were simply grateful to have one, and they treated them with respect as a fellow soldier. Of course dogs also served with honor in Korea, and Vietnam, and wherever our Country has called them to serve. And unlike other so called weapons, dogs served not to take a life, but to save them. They served to save, and they deserve to be remembered.
Our home base is Jacksonville Beach in Florida, and both Jacksonville and the State of Florida have signed proclamations declaring March 13 as K9 Veterans Day, setting the example for the rest of the Nation. That beginning 2 years ago has blossomed into the current effort to get every state, and as many cities as is possible, to also proclaim March 13 as a much deserved special day to honor our war dogs, and we very much encourage you get your home town involved. Others have already gotten their city committed to making the proclamation, and March 13 celebrations are being planned. And we stand ready to assist you in also getting these things done where you live. Ultimately we will take the fight to the Congress asking that they officially and forever more, declare March 13 as K9 Veterans Day. And in this day of organized, well funded, groups against dogs in general, we are fighting back, for the dogs, reminding everyone that DOGS ARE VETERANS TOO.
There are no membership fees required for you to join us in this honorable undertaking, and we are not asking you to raise money for us. You see, just like those whom we seek to honor, who never asked for anything but love, we only seek your heart felt desire to help, and to be a voice for those deserving Veterans who have no voice. Simply drop me an email if you want to be a part of this historical undertaking. And if you are interested, I do sell logo t-shirts, logo stickers, and you can symbolically enlist your own pet in our Memorial Army to help with general expenses. And by all means send me any suggestions, and/or contacts that you may have, and pass us around to everyone you can think of, and get on our mailing list for future updates. K9veteransday@aol.com
Sincerely, Joseph J. White Founder
Ken Day – If you grew up playing with Barbie, then you know that her boyfriend throughout the years has been Ken Carson. Ken was born in 1961, making his debut appearance at a Mattel toy fair. Ken’s masculinity has been called into question over the years, but Barbie never seemed to care. Sadly, he fits right in with the Beta Male version of men today. Maybe this is why my Barbies always preferred the manly man guys like GI Joe! Regardless of this, Ken has stood by Barbie’s side through each change she’s gone through since she was a 50’s housewife, and now as a business woman. There WAS a time in 2004 when Barbie broke up with Ken and transferred her plastic feelings to Blaine Gordon, an Australian Surfer, but Ken has not given up trying to win her back. (at least this is what I hear from folks who really pay attention to what goes on in doll land.)
Ron Hubbard Day – As in years past, I’m not going to write about someone I consider to be a crazy, cult leading lunatic who has taken so many people down a path away from God. If you wish to look him up, be my guest. I won’t be celebrating this one.
National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day – This is a day for people who suffer from unfortunate superstitions . . . you’d be surprised by how many people still do! Face those fears and open an umbrella inside today! Do you believe in bad luck? Or will nothing happen except that you have to close it again? I remember years ago, my ex father-in-law was incredibly superstitious, and he actually BELIEVED all these horrible things would happen depending on the things we did. I got such a giggle out of tormenting the man . . . and I know that’s not nice . . . but the kids and I all actually had a good laugh behind his back on a fairly regular basis. Routinely opening and umbrella and leaving it open in the corner was one of the ways we did it. He’d flip out every time, and every time we laughed til we nearly split. Nothing like seeing a 3 year old boy, giggling from the depths of his insides, opening and shutting an umbrella as soon as he heard Grandpa’s truck in the driveway. Even the memory of the look of evil glee on my son’s little face, his blue eyes just shining and dimples flashing, puts a smile on my face.
Organize Your Home Office Day – I see the light at the end of the tunnel for this one in my life. I have my new desk set up, I have movement of boxes into staged areas from what I know I don’t want, to things I want but that need to replace the ones I don’t want in the closet, etc. I have to have it all done by the end of the month because we may be having guests and now that this doesn’t have a guest bed,
World Sleeping Day – Are you feeling a little lacking in the energy department? Reaching for an extra cup of coffee to stay awake? Yawning and wishing you were back in bed an hour after you got up? The truth is that our health and sleep habits may be contributing to a lack of good, quality sleep – and that can lead to other health problems. Today, all over the world, people are celebrating sleep and bringing awareness to important issues that are related to sleep. The theme this year is ‘Restful Sleep, Easy Breathing, Healthy Body’. So how do you know if you are getting restful sleep? Well, good, restorative sleep is continuous and uninterrupted, deep and of adequate length. If you achieve all of these then you should be feeling rested and alert all day long. Not getting enough sleep impedes concentration, attention and alertness. It can even be dangerous be leading to auto accidents. People with obstructive sleep apnea may not even realize how many times they are waking up through the night, but if your airway isn’t open enough, then you are not getting good sleep. One of the biggest risk factors for sleep apnea is being overweight or obese. Extra fat in the upper airway can reduce the throat opening, while a large abdomen can interfere with the pumping action of the diaphragm. Studies show that losing weight alone can often eliminate sleep apnea. Other risks for sleep apnea include smoking. Quit smoking, and risk for sleep apnea is reduced. Getting better sleep leads to better health, and in reverse, better health leads to even better sleep! Being alert and rested can make you feel more motivated to get regular exercise and eat healthfully, while not getting enough sleep can leave you feeling lethargic and too tired to move. Studies have also shown that lack of sleep for just a few days disrupts hormone and metabolism levels and that results in increased appetite and calorie intake.
This Day in History –
March 10, 1862 – The U.S. government issues paper money for the first time.
March 10, 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell places the world’s first telephone call, to his assistant in the next room.
March 11, 1888 – The most famous storm in American history begins…. the Blizzard of 1888.
March 12, 1912 – Girl Scouts were founded.
March 12, 1942 – Baseball great Joe Dimaggio agrees to a new contract with the NY Yankees and got a $6,250 raise. My, how times have changed!
March 13, 1868 – Senate begins impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.
March 13, 1877 – Greenwood patented earmuffs, originally called the “Champion Ear Protector”.
March 13, 1639 – Harvard University is named after clergyman John Harvard,
Food Celebrations of the Day –
I won’t be around much to make any of these, though I did make Chocolate Chip Cookies (see below). So much food, so little time! Here they are for you to check out in case you get inspired to create something awesome!
March 10
Blueberry Popover – What is a popover? I had to ask that because I’ve never actually had one. It turns out, according to the dictionary, that it is an eggy, airy hollow muffin. Hm . . . OK, so filling them up with something delicious like blueberries makes all sorts of sense. Here is a full carb version of blueberry popovers, and I have it on my list to try to make low-carb ones sometime in the future. Who knows? Maybe I’ll have a series of all of the food celebrations I’ve missed, and play catch up OR I’ll save them for next year. That may be a better idea.
National Pack Your Lunch Day – Mickey Mouse was the first cartoon character to appear on a lunchbox in the year 1935, but children and workers had been carrying their lunches in tin boxes long before that. R and I take lunches from home every day – it just makes sense to save money and make sure that our lunches are healthy.
Ranch Dressing – I really like ranch dressing, though I don’t eat it very often. I’m not even sure why I don’t. Maybe it’s because there are others I like even more however, I DO like to use ranch dressing as a dip for vegetables, deep fried mushrooms, zucchini or pickles. Yes, I said pickles, and if you haven’t tried them you are really missing out. You can make your own delicious Ranch Dressing without a mix, which will make it a healthier option over the ones you buy pre-bottled that are filled with various chemicals, additives, flavorings and dangerous GMOs.
March 11
Chocolate Chip Cookie Week – I made cookies because . . . well . . . do we REALLY need an excuse to make cookies? These delightful little gems are low carb, sugar free, grain free and utterly delicious. I got the recipe from Carolyn Ketchum’s book “Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen”. I promise, if you buy this book you will not be disappointed! There are so many great recipes in here that we have enjoyed so far and many more that I haven’t tried yet.
Eat Your Noodles – Noodles are quite a beloved food by young and old alike. They are very versatile and absolutely delicious. Did you know that dry noodles are considered to be a form of unleavened bread? That’s a new one to me! In China archaeologists discovered the world’s oldest bowl of noodles which they think is over 4000 years old. The noodles were made of millet flour. In 1958 instant noodles were invented. They are flash fried, then quickly dried, which makes for a long shelf life. It is said that if they are kept dry that they will remain edible for decades. Over 40% of the flour in Asia is used to make noodles, feeding over half of the world’s population. The first macaroni noodles were brought to America in 1789 by Thomas Jefferson after returning from a trip to France. And the last little noodle tidbit I will leave you with – in Japan it is considered to be good form to slurp your noodles loudly as a way of telling your host that you are enjoying your meal. All interesting things to know!
Oatmeal Nut Waffles – National Waffle day is in August. And National Oatmeal Day is in October. If you MIX those two breakfast food favorites together you get today’s National Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day! Obviously this is not a low carb recipe but it was one I had on hand so I figured I’d share with you. Oatmeal is not low carb so anything I can come up with may have oat fiber in it but wouldn’t have any actual oatmeal.
Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min. Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- Sliced fresh peaches, optional
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Combine eggs, milk, butter and honey; stir into dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in oats and nuts.
- Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown. Garnish with peaches if desired. Yield: 8-10 waffles (about 6-3/4 inches).
March 12
Baked Scallops – Scallop shells symbolized female fertility in ancient times. Venus, the goddess of love, was often depicted with them, most famously in Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.”
- Baked Scallops
- Bacon-Wrapped Rumaki Scallops
- Simple Sauteed Scallops
- Herbed Scallops
- Bay Scallops Ceviche
- Bay Scallops Scampi
Milky Way – How many of us have enjoyed Milky Way candy bars over the years? I’m sure many of us, if not MOST of us! What do we know about the history of the Milky Way bar? If you are like me, until today, not much! Well, it was created in 1923 by Frank Mars, and back then it came in two flavors – chocolate and vanilla. It holds the distinction of being the first mass produced candy bar that had a filling. Its name was taken from a popular malted milkshake name and not the galaxy like many of us assume. Outside of North America the Milky Way is a completely different kind of candy bar. The European version does not have caramel topping and is so low in density that it floats in milk. Interesting! Up until 1979 there was a vanilla flavored Milky Way that they called “Forever Yours”. As far as catchy slogans for the candy bar go, the very first one was “The sweet you can eat between meals.”, and the most recent is “Life’s Better in the Milky Way.”
March 13
Chicken Noodle Soup – There is something about chicken soup, isn’t there? It has healing properties – or so they say, and I’ve always felt this to be true – it comforts, it fills our spirits while it fills our stomachs. The best chicken soup has always been said to be Grandma’s soup, and now that I am a Grandma, I hope that my Grandkids feel this to be so as they get older. Canned soup is popular with folks who either do not have the time to make it from scratch, or do not know how. Campbell’s first introduced “Noodle Soup with Chicken” in 1934. The name was changed to Chicken Noodle Soup when, during an “Amos ‘n Andy” radio program Amos misread his script and said “Chicken Noodle Soup”. Campbell’s changed the name within a few weeks. Truly it does sound better, doesn’t it? As a bit of trivia, each can of soup is said to contain about 216 noodles that, if put end to end, measure 32-34 feet. Why this was important, I have NO idea! That number tells us that Campbell’s creates over a million miles of noodles for soup each year, enough to go around the Earth 40 times. Some extra trivia for your day – soup can be dated back to about 6000 B.C. and was first made of hippopotamus. I think I’ll stick with chicken. Just an FYI, for anyone who LOVES chicken soup and you do not feel like making any, or want something different, as far as getting over a cold goes, I haven’t found any soup – even homemade – that is as effective as Vietnamese Chicken Pho! DELICIOUS!
Coconut Torte – There’s just something about the sweet, flaky taste of coconut in desserts. Don’t you agree? And it pairs so well with other ingredients! Chocolate? Raspberries? Almonds? Why not all three? Today, March 13th, is a day to celebrate National Coconut Torte Day – A day full of endless possibilities to combine coconut with so many other flavors.
- Coconut Tart
- Chocolate Coconut Tarts
- Cranberry Coconut Tarts
- Portuguese Coconut-Custard Tarts
- Lemon Coconut Tartlets
- Chocolate-Caramel-Coconut Tarts
Ginger Ale – This one I celebrate often, and it won’t be any different today! I love the Zevia Ginger Ale! Sweetened with stevia and erythritol – it’s delicious!
I am going ahead and posting this tonight, and I KNOW it’s long – there’s a LOT of information here so I expect a lot of folks to just skim through to what they want to celebrate, and I get it. But I couldn’t leave you hanging for 4 days without at least something! God bless you and I’ll see you Wednesday!