It sounds almost silly to say this, since I’m working from home, but even when I don’t have to leave the house to go to the office, Monday came too fast. It’s just about time to pour a cup of coffee and go attach myself to my office chair. Before I go, I have to throw this out there. I’d like to hear some comments, if anyone is just hanging around at home and wouldn’t mind responding. I’ve been reading multiple stories about hot lines and apps set up for people to tattle on their neighbors for not “social distancing” in such a way as to please the nosy, busybodies of the world. Why can’t people mind their own dang business? Now, if you are one of those people who feels like nobody should leave the house for any reason, you are definitely entitled to your opinion, however spying on your neighbors if they are out in their yards, or happen to leave for some reason is NOT your business! This is straight up Hitler, Nazi crap right here. We still are a free nation – not that it looks like that for right now – and we still have a Constitution in place. Free speech, freedom to assemble, etc. You recognize any of that? You do you, leave your neighbors alone. Be intelligent with it – if you need to go out in public, don’t cough and sneeze on people or things, don’t lick anything at all – seriously, don’t – wash your hands a lot, and be respectful. Bottom line though, remember NOBODY likes a tattle tale!
Verse of the Day
April 6, 2020
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
The first vocalizations of many babies are the syllables “ab, ab, ba, ba.” Not surprisingly in Jesus’ day, that was the name babies used for their fathers. When God saved us, he gave us his Spirit. The Holy Spirit blesses us in many ways, but one of the key blessings is his work with us in prayer. He intercedes for us when words won’t do (Romans 8:26-27) and he helps us approach God with familiarity, dependency, and respect as we call God our Abba.
www.verseoftheday.com
Holy Humor
Did you hear about the about the Southern Baptist who was in the habit of sneaking to the racetrack to bet on the horses?
One day he was losing badly when he saw a priest step onto the track, walk up to line-up and bless one of the horses on the forehead. The horse was a long shot, but the Southern Baptist thought, “With the priest’s blessing, surely this horse will win.” He placed a small bet and, sure enough, the horse came in first.
At the next race, the priest stepped onto the track and blessed another horse’s forehead. Even though this horse was also a long shot, the Southern Baptist was a little bolder this time and placed a larger bet on that horse. Again, it won.
A third time, the priest stepped onto the track and blessed a horse on the forehead. Like the others, this horse was also a long shot. The Southern Baptist placed an even larger bet this time and, sure enough the horse won.
This pattern continued throughout the day with the priest blessing the forehead of a long shot horse, the Southern Baptist placing larger and larger bets and the horse always winning.
At the last race of the day, the Southern Baptist thought, “I have got to go for broke here.” With great anticipation, he watched as the priest stepped onto the field one more time, walked up to the line-up and blessed the forehead, eyes, ears and hooves of one of the horses. The Southern Baptist ran to the ticket counter and bet all he had on that horse.
The horse came in dead last!
As he was walking out, he saw the priest. Walking up to him, he demanded, “What happened? All day long you blessed horses and they won, even though they were long shots. Then at the last race you blessed a horse, I bet everything, and the horse lost.”
“That’s the problem with you Protestants,” said the priest. “You can’t tell the difference between a simple blessing and the Last Rites.”
Army Day – This is a proclamation by President Franklin Roosevelt regarding Army Day:
“I have proclaimed April 6 Army Day. That day means more than ever to us this year. We are fighting an all-out war in defense of our rights and liberties. Army Day becomes, therefore, in fact a total-war day. It becomes a day when all of our citizens in civil pursuits can rally to the support of our armed forces, for only in the united effort of all of our forces—Army, Navy, and civilians—can we find the strength to defeat our enemies.
Never before in the one hundred and sixty-six years of our history as a free Republic under God have our armed forces had so much meaning for us all. We are engaged in our greatest war, a war that will leave none of our lives wholly untouched. We shall win that war as we have won every war we have fought. We are fighting it with a combined force of free men that is, in Lincoln’s words, of the people, by the people, for the people of the United States of America. Our Army is a mighty arm of the tree of liberty. It is a living part of the American tradition, a tradition that goes back to Israel Putnam, who left his plow in a New England furrow to take up a gun and fight at Bunker Hill. In this tradition American men of many ages have always left the pacific round of their usual occupations to fight in causes that were worth their lives -from Lexington to the Argonne. In times of peace we do not maintain a vast standing Army that might terrorize our neighbors and oppress our people. We do not like to rehearse interminably the cruel art of war. But whenever a tyrant from across the seas has threatened our liberties, our citizens have been ready to forge and use the weapons necessary for their defense.
It is the men of the regular Army together with the citizen soldiers, our friends and relatives and neighbors of a few short days ago, and the men of all our armed forces, that we honor on Army Day.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT”
To the men and women in the Army, past, present and future, we thank you for your service and we honor you today.
Charlie the Tuna Day – Rejection stinks, doesn’t it? Have you ever been rejected? You’d be in a big minority if you haven’t. Rejection hurts, and Sorry Charlie Day is for all of us who have had someone we care about turn their backs on us, and yet we survived it. Take a moment to reflect on that rejection, then smile and realize that it happens to all of us once in a while, then assess your current situation – you not only survived it, but I’m betting you’re better off for it.
Drowsy Driver Awareness Day – This is an observance set up in California, but honestly, I believe it’s something we should all be aware of and take steps to prevent tragedy for ourselves and our loved ones. On April 6, 2005 the Governor of California made a proclamation to designate the state’s observance of April 6th every year as a memorial day for those people who have died as a result of a collision involving a drowsy driver. The statistics for drowsy driving deaths are actually quite high, and they were only listed for California! I’d be interested to see what they are nationwide. From 1993 to 2003 – according to the statistics compiled by the Department of CA Highway Patrol, about 100 people were killed each year in collisions where a drowsy driver was involved. In that 10-year period 41,228 people were injured in collisions involving a drowsy driver, and 28,533 collisions happened involving a drowsy driver where no one was injured but there was significant property damage. Every single one of these accidents could have been avoided had the drivers used common sense, pulled over and either taken a nap, gotten out and gotten some fresh air and something to drink and woken up. In 1999 the National Sleep Foundation discovered in a poll that 62% of all adults surveyed reported driving a car or other motor vehicle feeling drowsy in the prior year, and that same poll showed that 27% of the adults reported that at some time they had dozed off while driving. 23% of the people polled stated that they knew someone who had experienced a fall-asleep crash within the past year. The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the about 100,000 police reported crashes each year – that’s about 1.5% of all crashes, involve drowsiness or fatigue as the main cause. These numbers are just shocking! The NHTSA estimates that at least 71,000 people are hurt in fall-asleep crashes each year, and the estimates are that these crashes represent $12,500,000 in monetary losses each year. These numbers are actually saying that many more people die each year from crashes related to drowsy, sleepy or fatigued drivers than from many serious illnesses. Drowsy drivers don’t just affect themselves, they affect every person who operates a vehicle or rides in a vehicle, or who walks, stands or sits near the roadway where one of these crashes occurs. This is a problem that can be easily solved! Just being aware of yourself and how you’re feeling, not driving for more than a specified amount of time before you make yourself stop and get out to take a walk could do wonders for getting these numbers to drop. I know that the cars my husband and I drive both have automatic alerts in them that start binging at the 2-hour mark. They will keep binging until the car is stopped and the motor turned off. Since I know that I get drowsy while driving, I stop at least that often, sometimes more, when I am on a road trip by myself (which honestly isn’t that often) to get some fresh air, walk around, get something more to drink – which translates into automatic stops a little later – and make sure I am awake. I don’t know if I could live with myself if I got drowsy and caused someone else to be hurt because I wasn’t responsible enough to pull over and take a break when I needed one. Please, be aware of this, know your physical limitations, and if you think you feel OK, stop every couple of hours to make sure. You may not just be saving your life, but the lives of others around you.
Hostess Twinkie Day – What can we say about Twinkies? That lovely golden sponge cake with the creamy filling. Twinkie, and all Hostess goodies have been through a rough time this last couple years, but they have landed on their feet. They used to be made and distributed by Hostess Brands and were temporarily off the market when Hostess went bankrupt. The brand was purchased by Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. They went back into production under Hostess Brand names again on July 15, 2013. What about the history of the Twinkie though? Well, they were invented by a guy named James Alexander Dewer on April 6, 1930. He was a baker for the Continental Baking Company. Being always a thinking sort of guy, he was looking at the machines used to make cream-filled strawberry shortcake sit idle when strawberries were out of season and he came up with a snack cake filled with banana cream, which he named the Twinkie. He thought of the name when he saw a billboard in St. Louis for “Twinkle Toe Shoes”. During World War II, bananas were rationed and the company was forced to switch to vanilla cream. This was a pretty popular change and banana-cream Twinkies were not re-introduced – though they did have limited-time promotions with banana, but for the most part they stuck with the vanilla filling from that point on. In 1988, Fruit and Cream Twinkies were introduced with a strawberry filling swirled into the cream. It didn’t turn out to be popular and the product was soon dropped. What I think is funny is that the Twinkie played a part in the movie Zombieland. I admit I really enjoyed that movie and every time I watch it I get this craving for Twinkies! If you haven’t seen the movie to know what I mean, please, put the younger kids in bed (it’s a silly movie – but there is a lot of zombie related blood), buy a few Twinkies and settle in for the evening.
National Student Athlete Day – Today is the 2yth time that National Student-Athlete Day will be celebrated. It is a special day that is set aside to see high school and college student athletes honored for their achievements in academics, athletics and service to their schools and communities. Since it first started it has seen 3,669, 875 student athletes honored and has become one of America’s strongest efforts to promote the positives in school sports and in student athletes as a whole. Now it wouldn’t me be and I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t insert a bit of my own opinions on this one. I was a book worm in school – not the best student, but certainly not the worst. Even so I had eyes to see that the athletes were given a LOT of latitude with their studies, they were pretty much shown favor in every way. It was a source of great frustration for the rest of us who had to bust our backsides to get the grades. Case in point – I was in an algebra class I was struggling with and being tall I’d always been the focus of attention from the girl’s basketball coaching staff. The head coach was my algebra teacher – oh the joy – and he LITERALLY told me he would only help me with my struggles if I would join the team. Stupid man really – I’m HORRIBLE at sports. I refused, and barely passed the class. I tried to go to talk to my counselor about it – something I’d never done before – and turns out he was also my assigned counselor. So, excuse me if I choke a little on this one. Yes, I believe that sports are very important. They help keep a certain percentage of students active and focused on something besides getting into trouble. Do I think they should be spoiled rotten and treated like they are kings and queens on campus? No, I most certainly do not. If you have a student athlete at home, you may want to celebrate this one. I’ll pass though – it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Tartan Day – The famous woven cloth is the most recognizable pattern associated with Scotland. Tartan consists of interwoven vertical and horizontal lines, known as sett. The pattern is seen on shirts, kilts and other clothing and different patterns denote different family groups – each having their own identifiable and distinct colors and patterns.
* Scotland’s declaration of Independence – or the Arbroath – was signed on April 6th, 1320. Scottish barons and earls sent the declaration, in the form of a letter, to Pope John XXII to assert their status as an independent state. The letter also the Pope to recognize Robert the Bruce as the country’s lawful king.
| * Auld Lang Syne is a traditional Scottish song. We hear it sung on New Year’s Eve, but what do we know about it? I didn’t know anything, so this was interesting to me. It was written in 1788 by poet Robert Burns. It was set to a traditional Scottish folk melody and Auld Lang Syne literally means “old long since”. I never even knew that there were so many verses! Here they are, if you’re interested, and if not, just skip to the next celebration! |
- Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ auld lang syne.
Chorus: And for auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne,
2. And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
3. We twa hae run about the braes
And pu’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot
Sin auld lang syne.
4. We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn,
Frae mornin’ sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin auld lang syne.
5. And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right guid willy waught,
For auld lang syne.
| * Scottish music is often associated with just bagpipes, but not all music is bagpipes. There are several popular artists who come from Scotland, including Britain’s Got Talent Susan Boyle, Scottish/North Irish band Snow Patrol, and rock band Big Country. This is just a few. I’ve never heard of them, but that doesn’t actually surprise me (well except for Susan Boyle) I don’t keep up on the new or popular bands for the most part since my kids have grown up and moved out. |
* English is still the main language spoken in Scotland, but there more than 150 other languages spoken, including the ancient Celtic language of Gaelic. A study done in 2011 showed that 80% of the Scottish population was “aware of Gaelic being used in Scotland, with the highest awareness of Gaelic usage in the media, in education, and in transportation signage.
There you go – your Scottish education for the day – or at least a skimming of the surface.
Tater Day (It’s Sweet Potatoes) – This is a fun one that is celebrated in Benton, KY. In 1843, Tater Day was started as a chance for people to celebrate spring, and as a time when everyone in town could get together and trade in sweet potato slips that are used to grow the plants. It is also the oldest continuous trade day in the United States, in which goods like guns, hunting hounds, tobacco or livestock are sold or traded. Tater Day brings carnival rides, games, a market, a potato eating contest, mule pulls and a “biggest potato” contest which attracts people with their large potatoes from across the country. The best part of the festival is the parade, which completes one circuit around the town. It has political floats, the Marshall County High School band, horses and buggies, clowns, vintage cars, Miss Tater Day and other such fun attractions. There is even a Jr. Miss Tater Day for the little girls from 5-12, and Little Mister, Tiny Miss and Baby Miss Tater Day pageants and floats for the younger kids. This sounds like the perfect small town celebration. How fun is that?
Teflon Day – In 1938, Roy Plunkett was fiddling around in his lab and accidentally discovered polytetrafluoroethylene, soon to be known as Teflon. (Nice accident, right?) It was a slippery substance that would have practical applications in everything from nonstick cookware to a presidential nickname. Plunkett was a chemist at DuPont’s Jackson research lab in New Jersey and made his discovery in the time-honored scientific way – as the result of a mistake with an assistant’s help. Plunkett and his assistant, Jack Rebok, were testing the chemical reactions of tetrafluoroethylene, as gas used in refrigeration. The gas was in some pressurized canisters, one of which failed to discharge properly when its valve was opened. When Rebok picked up the canister he found that it was heavier than an empty canister should be. He suggested cutting it open to figure out what happened and in spite of the risk of blowing the lab up, Plunkett agreed. It was heavy because the gas hadn’t escaped, it had solidified into a smooth, slippery white powder as a result of the molecules bonding together, a process known as polymerization. This new polymer was different that other similar solids like graphite. It was lubricated better and very heat resistant. Plunkett put aside his other work and began testing the possibilities of this new substance and eventually it was patented and in 1944 was registered under the trade name Teflon. At first it was used for military and industrial use, but it became a household name in the early 1960s when it was used to produce the most effective, heat resistant cookware seen. As an interesting side note, in the 1980s President Reagan was nicknamed the Teflon President, a reference to his “infuriating” ability to avoid being tarnished by the various scandals plaguing his administration (insert irritation that the media and the left haven’t changed, they’ve just gotten worse – the BEST president our nation has seen in modern times didn’t do anything wrong so he couldn’t be tarnished, so he’s given a snarky nickname. Nice, real nice.) Teflon is seen nearly everywhere today, coating metals and fabrics, from the aerospace industry, to clothing, to pharmaceuticals. Talk about a HAPPY accident! DuPont has been chuckling all the way to the bank ever since! Because of his discovery, Plunkett, who retired from DuPont in 1975, was enshrined in the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Caramel Popcorn Day – This just brings up happy memories of childhood, doesn’t it? Caramel and popcorn go together as easily and wonderfully as chocolate and peanut butter do! It is such a great combination that you can find it sold in popcorn tins and specialty shops pretty much anywhere you go. The way to celebrate this one is either buy, or make, caramel corn! It’s not really difficult. Here’s an easy recipe to get you started!
New Beer’s Eve – This day is an unofficial holiday in the United States, celebrating the end of Prohibition on April 6th. The end of Prohibition happened as a result of the Cullen-Harrison Act, and its signing into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 23, 1933. Sales of beer in the United States would become legal on April 7, 1933, provided that the state in question had enacted its own law allowing such sales. The beer had to have an alcohol content of less than 3.2% because this amount was considered too low to produce significant intoxication. On the evening of April 6th, people lined up outside of breweries and taverns, waiting for midnight when they would be able to legally buy beer for the first time in over 13 years! Since then, the night of April 6th has been referred to as New Beer’s Eve! Cheers!
Monday morning arrived too quickly, but the sun is shining, the birds are singing and I at least have a window in my office so I can vicariously enjoy the beautiful weather. God bless you, stay healthy, and I’ll see you soon.
Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com