Good Morning! Well, yesterday was a bit of a bust for me, as far as getting anything done around the house goes. I managed to scrub the shower, toilet and sink in the master bathroom, and wash the shower curtain. That about did my head in – leaning into the shower like that. Yuck! I also managed to vacuum a bit, and make dinner and a batch of cookies, but other than that, I did squat and it doesn’t feel good to start today knowing that I’ll be going into the weekend tomorrow with a list just as big (or bigger) as I had yesterday! Nothing I can do about it, I had to take it slowly for my headache, but I hate a wasted day if it’s not really my choice to waste it! Moving on . . . Let’s celebrate that today is a new day! It’s going to be a good one, right?
Verse of the Day
February 8, 2018
[Jesus said,] “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
We often talk about the privileges of being a child of God — forgiveness, salvation, a future in heaven with him, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and ultimate victory when Christ comes. One of the greatest privileges we get, however, is the opportunity to act toward those who dislike and hate us in a way that reflects the character of God himself. Anyone can return hate for hate, but it takes a child of God to return a blessing and a prayer for his or her enemies.
www.verseoftheday.com
Food for Thought
Being nice to others is a choice, just as being NOT nice is a choice. You don’t have to like someone or want to be their friend to be nice to them. Showing human decency and consideration to others, regardless of your friendship status with them, shows maturity as a human being. I’m not really a fan of my neighbors, but unless they are directly rude to me, I’m not going to be rude to them. I won’t go out of my way to be friendly with them, but I’m not going to be rude either, though there are times when it is TRULY tempting.
Boy Scout Anniversary Day – Today is the birthday of Scouting in America. The incorporation papers for the Boy Scouts of America were filed on February 8, 1910 by Chicago publisher William Dickson Boyce. To this day scouting groups across the country celebrate today, often with a cake at their weekly meeting, or on a camp out. On Scout Sunday, the Sunday nearest the 8th of February, there will often be a church service, followed by a pancake breakfast. Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts teach life skills and values for millions of boys. The Scouts have been popular since Lord Baden-Powell founded the organization in the early 1900s in Great Britain. The top award of Eagle Scout is an accomplishment that brings recognition, rewards and benefits for a young man throughout his life. It was interesting to read that in 2004 there were 3,145,331 boys in the scouting program, and 1,173,064 scout leaders. Lord Baden Powell published the first scouting manual, Scouting for Boys in 1907. His wife, Lady Olave Baden-Powell, founded the Girl Guides – but that is a different celebration for a different day. My son was never involved with the Boy Scouts, though our church denomination had a boys group that was similar called Royal Rangers. They did many of the same types of activities, with the additional task of memorizing Bible verses and performing Biblical based tasks each week to earn their badges. I feel like he learned many wonderful things in the couple of years he was in the Rangers. It is my guess that the Scouts bring similar skills to the boys involved in their program as well. There is something very gratifying about watching 7 and 8 year old kids learning archery, target shooting, reciting their verses, etc. Did this mama’s heart proud – and he grew up to be a wonderful contributing member of society, first in the military, and now as a law enforcement officer, husband and father.
Kite Flying Day – A day to celebrate flying kites is awesome, but I have to wonder why the middle of winter was the time of year the originator of this day decided to celebrate? People have enjoyed flying kites for thousands of years, and is a popular activity for both children and adults . . . but in February? Brrrr! I’m fairly certain that the folks dealing with snow and ice are not thinking about heading out to fly a kite today! I am guessing that the folks in the warmer parts of the country will be more likely to celebrate this one today . . . I think I’ll wait until later on in the year. Did you know that kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago? I didn’t either! Some kites are very fancy, complicated and HUGE! I saw this one guy at the ocean once that was nearly getting lifted off the sand by the kite he was flying! Of course, at the ocean the wind is often quite gusty, and it was that day, but that’s quite a kite, right? Benjamin Franklin was possibly the most well-known kite flyer, remembered for flying a kite in a thunderstorm and discovering electricity. We all know better than to do that now, right? He was lucky to survive that little experiment, though as I sit here in my house warmed and light from the wonders of electricity, I have to admit that I am grateful he took that risk.
Laugh and Get Rich Day – We’ve always heard that laughter is the best medicine. Laughter carries the power of happiness! According to retail author and speaker Rick Segel, “People who laugh are more effective and tend to remember things better”. Well, if that is the case I should have the memory of an elephant! It was suggested by Norman Cousins in the 1970s, as reported by the American Physiological Society, that humor and the associated laughter it brings, can benefit a person’s health. In 1995, Madan Kataria, after studying many modern scientific studies that described in depth the many proven benefits of laughter on the human mind and body, started Laughter Yoga. It started as a small club, and now there are laughter yoga clubs in more than 60 countries. To me, laughter has always been a part of my life. My family laughs easily and have always teased each other and made each other laugh. I remember sitting in my Grandma K’s kitchen – if I close my eyes I can picture her, sitting there with her apron tied around her waist, one hand over her mouth, the other in front of her, holding her stomach, tears streaming down her face as she laughed until she could barely breathe. The rest of us were standing around laughing just as hard, and the moment we’d start to calm down, we’d think about why we were laughing – which honestly none of us could remember any more – and that would set us off again. There was always laughter when we were with my Grandma, and we left her house feeling happy, uplifted and healed from any hurts or frustrations we may have been feeling.
The power of laughter is incredible. Recognizing this power can actually add to a business’s bottom line simply because people who laugh are more effective and tend to remember things better . . . something for those with a sour outlook to keep in mind. The fact of many of our lives is that a lot of us are overworked, underpaid and downright stressed out about it. If you are fortunate enough to have a job, many are just living from paycheck to paycheck, and paying the bills is a constant worry and an ongoing juggling act. Can you imagine what it would be like to never have to worry about having enough to cover the bills, or to have enough left over AFTER the bills to have a little fun without having to let something go? I lived that way for many years, and though I am by no means well off, I am able to breathe a little between paydays, and I fully sympathize about the stress that it causes. The old saying that “Money can’t buy happiness”, is true, but doggone it, it sure makes life easier and it’s always been my thoughts that it was someone with money who had to have said that in the first place. Today, in honor of Laugh and Get rich Day may I suggest buying a lottery ticket – just for the fun of it? Or apply for that job you always wanted but just haven’t taken that step, or how about that really fantastic thing you invented but haven’t applied for a patent? Today may be the day to just do that and who knows? Maybe you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank very soon!
I guess I can tell you today, have a good laugh! It will relieve some stress and make you feel wonderful.
Opera Day – I’ve never seen an opera, and because I wasn’t raised in a family that listened to Opera, I didn’t grow up with any appreciation of it as a musical genre. The truth is that Operas have been captivating audiences since the 16th century and is a highly revered art form that gains new enthusiasts even today. So, what exactly IS an opera? It is a piece of performance art that combines music with text and is very often a dramatic story complete with acting, scenery and costumes. Basically . . . a musical! If you have never developed a passion for opera, or just assume you don’t care for it after never having seen one, today is the perfect day to give it a try. Experience opera for yourself by finding one on Netflix or You Tube. I’m sure they have some! I may look one up myself!
This Day in History –
1910 – The Boy Scouts were founded.
Food Celebration of the Day
Potato Lover’s Day – I love potatoes. Obviously, many of us do! They can be prepared in so many different ways. What is your favorite way to eat them? I don’t think I can decide. I love them mashed, fried, baked, French fried, scalloped . . . what other ways are there? Ooooh my favorite – German Potato Pancakes! YUM! As for eating potatoes while living a low-carb lifestyle? Well, they are off the table. WAY too many carbs, and I honestly can say that I miss them. Because of this I look for alternatives – which is easy in soups – for things like French Fries, baked potatoes, roasted, etc., it isn’t as easy to disguise the fact that what you are eating is dressed like a potato, but isn’t. Rutabagas, turnips and jicama are good alternatives and I feel pretty good about being able to use them in soup and chowder without too great a taste difference, but for this celebration I wanted to try something a bit more difficult. I chose the baked potato – loaded with goodies and so comforting. I used rutabagas. They had a decent texture, they baked up nicely, and if eaten with the sour cream, cheese, butter and bacon they were not too bad, but there was that underlying rutabaga flavor that was inescapable. Would I eat them again? Yes, I think so, but I am not fooling myself that it’s the perfect alternative for my beloved potatoes.
There are some interesting facts I read about potatoes that I thought might interest you. They interested me, so I figured I’d share!
The word potato comes from the Native American word “Batata”. I can see how the word morphed from its original to what we have now, can’t you?
The first potatoes are estimated to have been cultivated back in 5000 BC in Peru. Originally, they were purple and when cooked turned a deep blue color. Anyone who has ever cooked purple potatoes knows the shade I mean.
Most of the nutrients that are found in potatoes are in the skin, which makes it rather sad to think of how many potato dishes are made with potatoes that have had the skins removed.
Sweet potatoes are distant cousins of the common potato, but yams are not potatoes at all! Botanically they are considered to be lilies.
The average American eats about 140 pounds of potatoes each year. We are apparently very low on our quota since we have reduced the amount of starchy foods we eat. I do love potatoes and I miss them.
The Spanish claim to have introduced the potato to Europe in 1550, but the Irish say that in 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh did.
National Molasses Day – When was the last time you appreciated the simple flavors of an old-fashioned molasses dessert? (I personally have NEVER had an old-fashioned molasses dessert, but I do love molasses!) Check out these recipes from www.food.com and see if there’s something that looks good to you! I honestly can say that those cornmeal molasses skillet rolls look delicious! Carolyn Ketchum has a recipe for Chewy Ginger “Molasses” Cookies on her blog All Day I Dream About Food that I am going to try. Her recipe doesn’t actually HAVE molasses in it, but based on my experience with her recipes, it will taste like it does! Yum!
- Apple Molasses Bread
- Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Cornmeal Molasses Skillet Rolls
- Dipped Gingersnaps
- Oatmeal Molasses Drop Cookies
Now I have molasses cookies on my mind and it will be HOURS before I can go home to make some. *sigh* I guess the thought will get me through the day. What is going to get you through the day? Give it some thought! God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow.