Woohoo! We survived Monday and Tuesday! Not that I had any doubt we would, but sometimes these two days of the week seem so very long! This week has definitely felt that way – not bad, just long.  The evenings, by contrast, fly past so fast that I find myself struggling to get everything done, and am hurrying through writing the post after stopping at the store, exercising, making dinner, etc.  Can you imagine how much we could get done if we didn’t have to sleep? It would be amazing, but I’m yawning as I type this, so I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do without what sleep I do get. Nice thought though.

 

Verse of the Day

April 23, 2019

Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

—Psalm 146:1-2

Thoughts on the Verse of the Day

“Hallelujah!” This is a hallelujah Psalm! “Praise the LORD” is our translation for “Hallelujah!” What I love about this Psalm are the dimensions of praise given here: my soul, all my life, and as long as live. That is pretty all-encompassing. Our lives are to be a “holy praise” to the LORD as long as we have life! So, how’s your praise? Only been letting it out at church? Mmmm, maybe it’s time to let the rest of your life have a few hallelujahs!

 

April 24, 2019

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

—1 Timothy 6:6

Thoughts on the Verse of the Day

What determines our financial worth? Do we compute it in terms of dollars, or possessions, or investments? Paul reminded Timothy that ultimate gain, the gain of inestimable value, is really determined by a very simple formula: net worth = (godly character) X (contentment). What would happen if we recognized the truly wealthy as those who were godly in their character and contented with their blessings in life?

 www.verseoftheday.com

 

Holy Humor Month

Help from God

A woman named Edna finds herself in dire trouble. Her business has gone bust and she’s in serious financial trouble. She’s so desperate that she decides to ask God for help. She begins to pray…’ God, please help me. I’ve lost my business and if I don’t get some money, I’m going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lotto.’ Lotto night comes and somebody else wins it. Edna again prays…. ‘God, please let me win the lotto! I’ve lost my business, my house, and I’m going to lose my car as well.’ Lotto night comes and Edna still has no luck. Once again, she prays, ‘My God, why have you forsaken me?? I’ve lost my business, my house, and my car. My children are starving. I don’t often ask you for help and I have always been a good servant to you. PLEASE, just let me win the lotto this one time so I can get my life back in order. Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open and Edna is confronted by the voice of God Himself: ‘Edna, meet Me halfway on this. Buy a ticket.’

April 23 –

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 you, 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.

National Lost Dog Awareness Day – This is the second year we celebrate this so worthy awareness day, and one that I hope catches on and spreads all across the country.  It 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 who 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

Movie Theater 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.

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.  About 10 years ago, a show came to the local theater.  My ex-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!

 

 

April 24 –

International Guide Dogs Day (Last Wednesday) – Have you ever watched a guide dog at work?  It’s amazing.  These are some of the most incredible animals on the planet, and they make such a difference in the lives of their people that it just is difficult to say enough how special they are!  When you watch them, you can’t help but feel awe and take inspiration from the dedication shown to their owners.  Today is for honoring all of the hard work that goes into training a guide dog, and all of the dedication and love that these amazing dogs give to their owners every day.  We all know dogs are incredible creatures anyway, and many of us are blessed to have them as a part of our families.  Think how much MORE blessed are those people who have one of these well-trained canines to assist them throughout their lives.

New Kids on The Block Day – I can find several listings for this one, but no reason for it, no back-up information for it, and seriously, can’t think of why we’d celebrate it. If you are a big New Kids on the Block fan, knock yourself out and have fun with this one today!

St. Mark’s Eve – I have no idea how it is that I have never heard of this one! It’s really interesting!  We are all familiar with the spookiness and haunting that goes on for Halloween, and it’s easy to envision it as being a creepy time of year because it is in the fall, when everything is dead and brown, the nights are long, and the air is cold.  Not many people are aware of another creepy celebration that happens in the spring, but we are going to learn about it now!  Saint Mark’s Eve is rooted in English folklore and is a day that the ghosts of people that are going to die in the coming year stir from their human form to their ghostly form – and move throughout the town.  The particulars of this ritual vary depending on what town is telling the tale, but this observance gives people the opportunity to see who it is that is supposed to die in the next year.  They say that the people need to be outside of their church from 11 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. to see this creepy procession of the dead. The next day the town gathers for a feast in Saint Mark’s honor and anyone who witnessed the walk of the ghosts will look around them at the doomed as they eat and celebrate.  Other versions of the story say that a family can spread the ashes from their fireplace over their hearth and the footprints of those who are fated to die in their family in the next year will appear overnight.  Some churches cautioned people NOT to participate, with records dating back to 1608 showing that a woman was excommunicate for going to wait outside the church at night to see the future dead. 

 

 
Administrative Professionals Day or Secretary’s Day – (Executive Admin’s Day / Secretary’s Day) – Today is the day to show appreciation for your administrative staff, and it is set in the middle of an entire week set aside to be showing gratitude for all the hard work they do each and every day.  In 1952 Harry F. Klemfuss of Young, Young and Rubicam created National Professional Secretaries Week and Day.  He recognized the importance and value of the position to any company or business.  He had a goal to encourage more women to become secretaries, so using his skill and experience in public relations, he promoted the values and importance of the job that secretaries do.  The title has changed and evolved as the position of secretary has changed – the new terms being Administrative Professional and Executive Administrative Professionals.  The two names sometimes mean different roles and responsibilities, depending on the company, but both are broader terms that cover more positions than the original role of secretary.  Today these positions are filled by both men AND women.  Some employers are really great about recognizing and celebrating this day, making their staff feel very special and appreciated.  Some give it a token gesture mention, and some ignore it completely.  I have worked for all three categories, but this is my first year with this boss, so we will see if she remembers or even cares.  Now, let’s keep in mind that I remembered National Boss’s Day, so it would be in poor taste not to remember this day for me.  Who knows though? I remember one employer I had when my kids were little, treated my family to a weekend in a beautiful hotel at the ocean in appreciation for all I did for him.  Twice! Two different weekends! I had another boss give me a brand-new KitchenAid mixer for it, along with flowers and lunch. I went through 14 years of it being ignored, and now we shall see what the new boss does, or doesn’t, do.   It’s a morale booster when it is remembered, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Food Celebration of the Day –

April 23

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! Now that it is picnic season, I’m pretty excited to use the new, wicker picnic basket that Hubby gave me for my birthday. He knew that I’d been wanting one for years.

• Mayo-Free Picnic Potato Salad
• Rustic Onion & Cheese Picnic Pie
• Picnic Chicken
• Picnic Corn & Zucchini Salad
• Pan Bagnat (French Picnic Sandwich)
• Layered Picnic Salad

 

 

April 24

National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day – This is an interesting food, and one that has a varied history, with claims from all over at being the originator of it.  It may even be as old as the 1600’s, even though it is rumored that it is as modern as 1957.  Field laborer’s in England in 1600 had was pretty much the same dish – putting meat inside of dough as an obvious solution for a quick, nourishing meal on the run.  The earliest written record of the modern version of this dish is in Betty Crocker’s “Cooking for Kids”, published in 1957.  After it came on the market though there were people who came forward that claimed to have enjoyed it before!  There is also a trucker legend that puts this creation up to some time in the 1960’s, attributing it to a diner along route 66 in Oklahoma.  Still other legends say that it was created in the far east, claiming that Asian cultures put fish into a similar roll, and that American’s copied it using hot dogs and biscuits instead.  No matter how it got its start, it did become a national favorite.  Do remember though that “pigs in a blanket” can mean something very different depending on where you are.  In Pennsylvania it means cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and ground pork.  In New York it is a hot dog wrapped in a flour tortilla.  In the 1800’s in Boston, it meant oysters, seasoned with salt and pepper, rolled in a slice of bacon, pinned together with a toothpick and grilled, broiled or fried until bacon is cooked, then served hot on toast.  Talk about different versions of similar dishes!

 

I’m ready to get this day started! Just today and tomorrow, then I have three days off! My job is not a difficult one, as a matter of fact, it’s probably the least challenging job I’ve ever had, which makes me feel ALMOST (note I said almost) guilty about taking a check for doing not much of anything.  Well, I do a lot, just nothing that a trained monkey couldn’t do. I guess someone needs to do it, and that someone is me!  Time to take Moose on his walk, then I’ll be on my way. 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