What a beautiful morning! It was really difficult to face the fact that it is Monday and we have to go back to work. It was a very busy and productive weekend around our house, and a day to relax would be nice, but that won’t happen until the end of next month when we have Memorial Day Weekend. Hubby and I (mostly hubby) worked on putting in a storage shed in the backyard. Everything is done except the roof, door and windows. He is a quick worker, so I’m sure it will be finished tonight – except for painting it, but that can come on another weekend. We’ll get all of the yard tools and mowers out into the shed and he’ll have some much-needed garage space left. Nice!
Verse of the Day
April 23, 2018
It is written, “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.”
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” “Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!” Yes, every knee will bow. But ours already do. We live in anticipation of the day when all peoples will bow before our King. Until that day, let’s do all we can to make sure as many as we can influence bow before Jesus on that Day in joy and not on in fear!
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Holy Humor / Humor Month
Girlie Wisdom
One of the mysteries of life is that a two pound box of chocolates can make you gain five pounds.
The reason women over 50 don’t have babies is because we would put them down and forget where we put them.
It’s time to give up jogging for your health when your thighs keep rubbing together and starting your pants on fire.
What happens if you confuse your Valium with your birth control pills?
You have 12 kids, but you don’t really care.
Skinny people bug me. They say things like, “Sometimes I forget to eat.” Now, I’ve forgotten my keys, my glasses, my address and my mother’s maiden name. But I have never forgotten to eat! You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!
What is the best way to forget your troubles? Wear tight clothes.
Why is it harder to lose weight as you get older? Because by that time your body and your fat have become really good friends.
My mind doesn’t wander, it leaves completely.
What happens when you leave an outfit hanging in your closet for a while? I shrink two sizes.
It’s nice to live in a small town, because if you don’t know what you are doing, someone else does.
I read some article which said that the symptoms of stress are impulse buying, eating too much and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That’s what I call a perfect day.
Food for Thought
Try not to let negative feelings for someone else ruin your day. It is so easy to do, and lately it’s been a real issue for me. I feel the sunshine just start clouding over in my head and heart the moment that I see one or two different people are at work, and though I don’t wish them ill, it would be nice if they would just not be here – at least for awhile. A break would be good. BUT since that is not likely to happen any time soon, I need to suck it up and try not to let it bother me.
English Language Day – Today we celebrate the English language . . .it is now the official language – or has special status – in at least 75 countries, with about one in four people able to speak English to some level of competence. So WHY do I have to keep pressing 1 for English in my own country where English is our language? WHY? Pet peeve, yes, but I think it is one shared by many. If I were to go to another country where English wasn’t spoken, I would NOT expect to get special treatment and have them change their system to accommodate my lack of knowledge of their language! No! I’d either learn it, take a book or a translating program and I’d get along on THEIR terms! Seriously! I’m tired of it! If people wish to live here, LEARN THE LANGUAGE! Which brings up another peeve that is connected . . . if you speak another language, don’t carry on animated conversations in a public place around other folks in your own language – it excludes others AND its rude to leave them with not knowing if you were talking about them or not. You NEVER know who around you can understand so STOP IT! It’s rude! This one is celebrated on this day because it is Shakespeare’s birthday and he was responsible for more than 2000 of the words we use in the English language today.
Lover’s Day – For those folks who think that Valentine’s Day is just another Hallmark holiday, here’s a chance to redeem yourselves! Today is Lover’s Day – set aside for romance and love! When you are in love, every day is Lover’s Day, but sometimes it’s nice to add a little boost to things. I know as a woman, I love romance, and I’m betting that most women do. We NEED it, we don’t just like it. Guys seem to be fine with status quo, they know they love us and we know they love us, and that should be sufficient . . . but honestly guys, what you may not know is that most women NEED the words. We NEED the little displays of romance – flowers, little notes, an extra hug, when you reach over to take our hand, rather than waiting for us to take yours . . . spontaneous gestures and words just give us girls that extra boost and I’m telling you, a woman who has romance is a woman who is happy, fulfilled and content in her skin. Take a LEAP for love and do something wonderfully romantic for your significant other today.
Movie Theatre Day – Most of the young adults of today have never been to one of the really cool, old theaters that has one single screen, rows and rows of seats and that old theater feel that made going to the movies special. They are used to the multiplex theaters where there are anywhere from four to 10 (or more!) movies showing! Something special is lost in that venue. When I was growing up theaters were individual and special places. We had two in one town, and until I was in high school, we had a small, intimate one in the town where I was raised. That one was fondly dubbed “The Mouse House” because it was so tiny, but going to a movie there was special! The two bigger theaters nearby were about 20 minutes from my town, they were REALLY special! I saw my first PG movie in one of them and my first R movie in the other. I have to chuckle because I don’t know that my Mom realized it was R rated and she spent the entire evening putting her hand over my eyes. Looking back I seriously think that today’s PG and PG-13 movies were worse than that R, but at the time it was scandalous! If you have an old theater in your town, one that still has that old movie magic, celebrate by going to see a movie and when you do, know you are stepping into the past.
National Lost Dog Awareness Day – This awareness day was created by Susan Taney and Kathy Pobloskie. They are directors of Lost Dogs Illinois and Lost Dogs of Wisconsin, and their goal is to bring attention to all the dogs that are lost every year. They also celebrate the thousands of dogs that are successfully reunited with their families each year too! The mission of Taney and Pobloskie has been so successful that the concept has also been put into practice in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Jersey, Minnesota and Texas. Now it needs to spread the rest of the way across the country. Lost Dogs of America is an all-volunteer organization that was set up for the sole purpose of helping to reunite families with their lost dogs and through the help of social media and how quickly word is spread through those networks, it is possible to spread a statewide alert as soon as a lost or found dog report has been received. By working to recover lost dogs, the side effect is to decrease the number of homeless animals that are brought into shelters and animal control facilities, and often ends up preventing unnecessary euthanasia. Over 21,000 dogs have found their families since 2010! Amazing! Finding these lost dogs and helping them find their families doesn’t only help the dogs and families, but it frees up the space and money in the kennels and shelters for dogs that truly are lost so they can find forever homes. “When a dog goes missing, most owners do not know how or where to begin looking. Our specially-trained volunteers make them a flier to distribute and offer helpful support and advice tailored to their situation and locale. We also constantly remind the public that not all stray dogs are homeless and that there is likely an owner looking for a dog that has been found” explains Pobloskie. “One of our recent success stories was a lab mix named Abner. He was missing nine weeks during really bad weather. We never gave up, and neither did Abner’s owner. She read the articles on our website and followed the advice of her caseworker. Abner was successfully lured into the home of some kind Good Samaritans who patiently gained his trust. Never doubt a dog’s ability to survive.” If you are interested in starting an organization in your state, please visit the Lost Dogs of America website at www.lostdogsofamerica.org
Take a Chance Day – Today is for those of us who have a little bit of the gambler lurking inside. Take a Chance day is the perfect time to do something a little risky! Life is filled with risks, and sometimes to get what you want you have to take a chance! It’s the day to take that leap towards any object or goal. Is it love? Could it be luck? How about something each to take a chance on – like buying a lottery ticket – never know! Taking this chance could set your future on a different course! As “they” say – nothing ventured, nothing gained!” Now, this day could go very nicely with Lover’s Day – since telling someone you love can be quite risky if you don’t know how they feel in return!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day – Happy Birthday William Shakespeare! Truth is, nobody really knows when his actual birthday is, but he was baptized on April 26th, 1564, and for some reason today was picked to celebrate. Maybe baptisms were traditionally held 3 days after birth? I have no idea, but whatever the reason, this is a good one to celebrate. Anyone with a love of the spoken and written word should appreciate this one. Some places will be holding a sonnet writing contest today, some are just encouraging the appreciation of Shakespeare’s works. A few years ago a show came to the local theater. My employers are sponsors of the theater and for some reason nobody wanted to go to this show . . . it was a one man show called “Conversation With Shakespeare”. The actor was AMAZING! He looked like Shakespeare and he knew everything there seemed to be to know about Shakespeare. Throughout the evening, as he held a conversation about his life, took questions and interacted with the audience, you forgot that you weren’t really speaking with the real Shakespeare! My daughter, who also loves his works, was enthralled. I was so glad her work schedule allowed her to meet us for the show because it was one none of us will ever forget, and if it ever comes back again? I’m definitely going!
World Laboratory Day – Today we celebrate the place where amazing things are discovered . . . inventions and medical cures are born in the laboratory. Of course, it is also where the most well known scary dude was created . . . Frankenstein’s Monster (many people say Frankenstein did, but he was the doctor! Anyway, countless concepts and theories are tested in laboratories, along with most of the world’s greatest medical treatments and cures. Some folks know this, but not all . . . I used to work in a laboratory . . . yes, I did! It wasn’t a medical testing lab though – nope, I worked in the lab at a feather factory. Yes, you read that correctly. I worked at a Feather Factory. Why would one need a laboratory you ask? Well, since you asked . . . feathers and down used in products for human use have very strict government regulations and guidelines, and it was my job to test samples from each lot that came through the factory for content, cleanliness and quality! Some of these tests took just a few moments, and some took HOURS looking through a microscope. For quite a few weeks after I started working there, I’d see duck and goose feather nodes (little bumps on the individual strands on feathers or down clusters) in my dreams every time I went to sleep at night. I also saw scary monsters! OK, they weren’t really monsters, but under a microscope they sure looked like it! Ducks and geese have mites, and you can’t see them with the naked eye, but on a slide and magnified? They look like something out of a horror movie! People! Don’t let your children pick up feathers at the park and play with them! They are pretty gross if they haven’t been washed! I mean it! Yuck! If you know anyone who works in a laboratory, wish them A Happy World Laboratory Day – they really do important work and deserve the acknowledgement.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Picnic Day – In the most famous artistic depiction of a picnic, Edouard Manet’s “Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe,” the spread is notably scant — just some fruit and a loaf of bread. I know when we go on a picnic we go crazy and take a bit of everything. It’s all in what makes you happy! The weather has been so great the last few days that today would be a wonderful day for this celebration! Pack a few of your favorites in a cooler or basket, grab a blanket to sit on, and head to a park and enjoy a meal in the beautiful outdoors. Maybe I’ll figure out a dinner we can have on the back deck tonight – of course by that time of the evening the bugs are AWFUL! OK, this one may have to wait until a weekend.
I’m ready for the day to be over already and I haven’t even left the office yet. *sigh* Pulling up my big girl pants and heading out. Wish me peace and calm today, and I’ll do the same for you. God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow!
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