Did you get enough sleep last night? I must have been exhausted because even with the neighbors around us blowing up what sounded like sticks of dynamite into the wee hours of the morning, I managed to fall asleep. I think I heard the last major blast around 1:30 a.m. It makes me wonder, since yesterday was Wednesday, how many people who were up into the night took today off, or are blearily making their way through the work day? And this is the HR lady in me, how many on the job injuries will happen today because of people being either hung over, or just really tired? Yes, oddly, these are the thoughts that go through my head in the early hours of the morning.

Well, unfortunate news. The job interview that I’d had scheduled today rescheduled for tomorrow, and then canceled altogether. Apparently waiting until they interviewed all of the scheduled candidates was not a priority because they hired someone else. If this is their level of impatience, and in my mind, even overt rudeness, I wouldn’t be happy there anyway. Honestly, I probably would have hated working there, if for nothing else than where the job is located. The traffic on and off of the island is abysmal since ferry traffic goes through there, and the majority of people who live there are liberal cry babies who live wealthy lives while whining and gnashing teeth over how the rest of us need to work harder, so we can pay for the plight of illegal, border jumping criminals. Yeah, I probably dodged a bullet with that one. The job search continues.

Verse of the Day

July 5, 2018

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done and proclaim that his name is exalted.
—Isaiah 12:4

Thoughts on the Verse of the Day

It is wrong to think God’s love for the nations began only with Jesus and the Great Commission. Remember Jonah’s preaching to save Israel’s great enemy, Nineveh? Remember the precious story of Ruth, a foreigner grafted into the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus the Messiah? God loves all people and wants them to come to share in his grace. As Christians, we are his salt and light. We are here to touch all the peoples of the world and beckon them to come back to the one Father who truly loves them.

www.verseoftheday.com

 

 

National Bikini Day – Everywhere we look – beaches, movies, TV shows, even out on the street sometimes, there are bikinis everywhere. Some of the women wearing them shouldn’t even actually BE in one – face it, very few of us actually have the body for them. With the bikini being all over the place, it seems rather amazing that the style has only been in existence for about 60 years. It is interesting that, depending on how you define the term “bikini”, it actually has a history that goes back thousands of years. The name “bikini” has only been around since 1946, but the popular two-piece swimsuit has existed since right around 1600 B.C. Based on evidence from Roman mosaics and murals, historians have believed for a long time that the bikini was popular for swimming for ancient Roman women. It was a time when cultural and moral norms were even more relaxed than they are today, and the bikini was right at home. There are some historians that believe the bikini was around long before even ancient Rome. Cave excavators have discovered Minoan wall paintings from 1600 BC that show a two-piece outfit that is very similar to the modern-day bikini from as recently as 1989. In the paintings women were involved in a type of gymnastic exercise wearing costumes that could very easily be mistaken for modern bikinis. The fact that the bikini from more than 3,600 years ago is similar to today’s bikini shows the tremendous staying power of this style. In spite of all of the historical evidence, the documented history of the modern bikini starts the summer after the end of World War II. As France was recovering from the effects of the war, Jacques Heim, a fashion designer from the beach resort of Cannes, was busy working on his latest style invention, a two-piece swimsuit that was very revealing (though – like we’ve always heard – fashion always comes around again – this one just took many centuries) Heim debuted his creation at a local beach shop in the early summer of 1946, naming the suit the “Atome”, in honor of the recently discovered atom. Smallest particle yet detected and the smallest bathing suit yet worn? Creative! He even sent skywriters over the Cannes’ beaches announcing that the Atome “the world’s smallest bathing suit” was now available for purchase. Even with all of this though, Heim may have been just a brief mention in the history of the bikini if it weren’t for the skills of French mechanical engineer turned swimsuit designer Louis Reard (and how does one actually make THAT leap from one career to another anyway?). Three weeks after Heim brought out the Atome, Reard brought out a very similar swimsuit to be sold along the French Riviera. His swimsuit had just two small pieces of cloth that showed a woman’s back and naval for the first time in the modern era. He named this swimsuit the “bikini”, named after the Bikini Reef from the islands of the South Pacific. Though nobody knows for certain, historians assume that he named this swimsuit the “bikini” because he believed its revealing style would create reactions among people that were similar to that of the atomic bomb in Japan just the previous summer. Whether or not this was his reason, the name stuck and he went down in history as the inventor of this swimsuit. That’s a little unfortunate for the other guy, don’t you think? Reard’s bikini was introduced to the U.S. markets in 1947, just a year after it came out in France. Even though people were curious about this scandalously small amount of fabric, the sales were slow. Many Americans were so shocked by its scantiness that the bikini was even outlawed as a form of public attire in many U.S. cities. It would be nearly 20 years later in the late 1960s before American women truly embraced the bikini. After that though, there would be no turning back. At most beaches and swimming pools the bikini is by far the most popular swimsuit style worn today. Of course, there have been several style changes in its 60-year history, going from topless monokini of the 1960s to the modest tankini of recent years. Because of the different styles that have come about that are surprisingly flattering, it is understandable why the bikini has been around in one form or another since ancient Roman times.

 

Work-A-Holics Day – Do you know anyone that is a work-a-holic? ARE you one? Today we recognize the people who work all of the time, even during a holiday week and they don’t HAVE to work! Sometimes work-a-holics go ahead and go to their regular job, even during the holidays, to get more done in the quiet – or because they just can’t help themselves. If they don’t actually go to work, they are doing other projects at home. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but everyone needs a break now and again, and a work-a-holic can’t stop! They don’t know how to relax, since it’s not in their nature. Addiction to work is in their blood. Today, if you are a work-a-holic, or know one, try to get them to stop and just relax – take a break for health! If you are reading this and completely unaware of how to tell if you are a work-a-holic or not, take a look at these points and if you are one, or more, of these things, then it could be time to step away from the work and do something fun for the sake of fun – but make sure it has NOTHING to do with work, OK? How do you know if you’re a work-a-holic:
• It is a holiday and you are at work or brought home work.
• You are working because “It’s fun!” Yes, we’ve heard that one before.
• You work because you want to, not because you need to. (yeah, right)
• You are always the first one to work and/or the last one to leave.
• It’s Saturday, and you’re working.
• It’s Sunday, and you’re working.
• The last thought as you fall asleep is related to work.

 

Work Without Your Hands Day – This one may make a lot more sense to someone who has actually WATCHED SpongeBob Squarepants. I haven’t, so you’ll have to just celebrate or acknowledge this one as you will. My job isn’t one that I could do without using my hands. I tried to do office work once with just one hand after an accident that resulted in surgery and a cast for six weeks, so to try without any hands, well, it just wouldn’t work. This celebration was one that was on an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants called “The Clash of Triton”, during which the residents in Bikini Bottom weren’t supposed to use their hands to work. The only one who celebrated it was SpongeBob, who used his barefoot and his nose to use the telephone and flip “Krabby Patties” at the Krusty Krab. I hope that makes sense to at least one person out there because it makes absolutely none to me.

This Day in History –

1937 – Baseball great Joe DiMaggio hits his first grand slam.
1946 -The bikini makes its debut at a Paris fashion show.

 

Food Celebration of the Day –

National Apple Turnover Day – I love apple turnovers. When I was little my Dad would buy those Pepperidge Farms frozen turnovers. They were a little expensive and they were a special treat he and Mom would get for themselves for after my brother and I were in bed. They weren’t trying to exclude us necessarily, but everyone needs that special something once in a while, and honestly, we were just as happy with cookies or a candy bar, so the turnovers were saved for a late-night treat when we were asleep. I remember though, a couple of times I’d smell the aroma of the cinnamon apples and the flaky crust baking in the oven, and I’d sneak out of bed. If he was in a particularly good mood, rather than send me back to bed, he’d settle me onto a chair at the table, and cut one turnover in half (they were pretty big in those days – not so much today) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip and a glass of milk and together we’d sit there and enjoy the treat together. We didn’t need to talk. The moment all by itself was enough. When we were done, he’d put the plate in the sink, give me a hug and tell me to go back to bed. Now apples are NOT low carb, no matter how you slice them, however there are even substitutes for those, so this recipe is for a low-carb apple-ish turnover. I want to see if our store has any of these squash because it sounds delicious!

 

National Graham Cracker Day – “They” say we learn something new every day, and honestly, “they” are right about that. I do find that I learn at least one new thing every single day. Today’s new thing is about graham crackers. They were originally invented by a Presbyterian minister by the name of Sylvester Graham in the early 1800s. They were made out of whole-wheat flour, bran and wheat germ and Reverend Graham felt they would help curb a variety of sinful cravings. I don’t have details about what he thought those would be, but I suppose that is immaterial. Today’s graham crackers are made out of bleached white flour and have other ingredients like honey, cinnamon and chocolate. They are delicious on their own, make great pie crust when made into crumbs and blended with butter, and are a mandatory part of the famous S’Mores when on a camping trip. Did you know you can make them low-carb? Yep, Carolyn Ketchum of www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com came up with a recipe that I have made and enjoyed with my grandchildren. Low-carb marshmallows don’t toast up nicely, but the crackers do make a great snack, and would be an awesome part of a pie crust. This is a picture of some I made last camping season, hoping that the s’mores would work with the marshmallows. The crackers and chocolate were awesome together though!

Today I need to get my menu planned for the rest of this week and next week, go to a dentist appointment, then shop for a few things that decided to go bad while we were gone. I guess vegetables are likely to do that and I should have planned better. I hate waste – it’s not budget friendly and these days that makes a big difference. It’s nice to be back to my home routine, even though I did have a wonderful time on our road trip. Hubby’s lunch isn’t going to pack itself, so I’m on my way to the kitchen, then getting to that list! God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow.