I am sitting outside of our “new” (to us) RV, drinking coffee, talking to you and listening to the birds singing in the trees and seeing the blue sky start to peek out from behind some morning clouds. We had planned to come camping to work out the kinks in the motor home Hubby got for us after my knee injury, but it’s turned into more than checking out the new RV. It has turned into a therapy camping trip to boost my spirits. Yesterday turned into a very bad day – there are some bad words I could use to describe it, but I don’t know whether or not children may be reading. I doubt it, but you never know.
I knew it wasn’t going to be an awesome day, since it would be the first day worked without my boss/friend who had her last day on Thursday, but I didn’t know that two of her family members were going to fire me first thing in the morning. I have a couple of issues with this. For one, my commute was 21 miles each way – which may not sound like much to some people, but it all takes fuel. There wasn’t ANYTHING stopping them from doing this on Thursday afternoon, except possibly my boss’s objections and an ugly scene with her. And for two, I have been a loyal employee, giving my best to this company, for nearly 14 years. But here’s the thing. Some people have no issues with lying, or at least blurring the lines between truth and fiction. I won’t do that. Some people don’t have problems with doing a lot of things that are outside the lines of what the law might allow – but being a prudent person, I won’t go into details. I am an inside the lines sort of employee. I am betting that this could have a little something to do with no longer being there. And then there is the fact that some people in this world are extremely narcissistic – it’s all about them, what they want, what they need, about their self-edification. I lived with one of these people for 22 years, so it’s pretty easy for me to spot them. These are the people that, if allowed, they would take over the world according to their own rules, and being glorified as the King or Queen of the mountain would make them feel pretty powerful, while still giving them the ability to be a martyr to the “I’m so busy I can’t see straight” gods. We all know folks like this, don’t we? The stupid thing is, they could easily have said they were consolidating the two accounting jobs, given me a week or two to work with them to list out things that are upcoming on the schedule that aren’t written down because they are in my head. They didn’t. I’m sure eventually the state will catch up with them on the garnishment that is ongoing for one person. Maybe they’ll figure out other things that were in process that weren’t finished. Eventually it will come up. Part of me chuckles at the frustrations they will experience at first because it didn’t have to be this way. I wouldn’t have made a scene, and I would have been more than willing – after the initial day of crying and feeling bad – to help make the transition an easy one, but that doesn’t fit in with the narcissistic person’s world view of being in charge. Know what? I was pretty upset about this yesterday because I’ve NEVER been let go from any other job, well except one, and we can thank the spotted owl for that one, but never for any reason that made less sense than this one. I am going to be OK. No, I’m going to be MORE than OK. Know why? Because I believe that God has me in this place right now for a reason. I believe that it is a good thing that I am not working for people who don’t care about anyone but themselves, and don’t mind bending important rules to reach their goals. I’d rather get where I am going honestly and without regrets or leaving bodies in my wake. I have a truly wonderful husband who has kept me laughing since we got to our campsite last night, and who is doing everything in his power to let me know he believes in me, loves me and has faith in me. That is certainly more than I had with my previous husband and more than the people who let me go will ever have in their own lives. Dried up and bitter people who always look like they bit into a sour lemon, then had it shoved into an uncomfortable place don’t end up with happiness in their lives. They don’t deserve it, therefore they don’t achieve it. What they accomplish by hurting other people will just cement the fact that THINGS don’t make you happy. The people who love us do – and if you hurt enough people, there won’t be anyone left who will love you. Something to keep in mind when looking at the bitter reflection of a lonely soul in the mirror.
Verse of the Day
June 2, 2018
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Who are you waiting for? Can you think of anything more exciting than to wait for Jesus to come take us home in his glory! But ours isn’t a passive wait. Jesus gave us a commission to take his story to the whole world and call others to join with us in following him. So by the power of the Holy Spirit we wait in expectation as we share Jesus’ good news with passion and as we live with the character and compassion of the Father.
June 3, 2018
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Why is it so hard to endure an unjust or unfair criticism? Why do we always have to defend ourselves no matter how ridiculous the charge? Often the problems we have with others simply escalate because we do not choose to forgive and let them go on in the Lord!
Food for Thought
Campfire and wine – Two things that are amazing therapy for a bruised heart. Laughter just makes it a trifecta of healing.
June 2 –
National Black Bear Day – Where we live there is a forested trail network behind the neighborhood, and for many years we have known that black bears live in there, along with the occasional cougar, and other small wildlife. This land is owned by a lumber company, and as with all lumber companies, their livelihoods are all about cutting down trees, replanting them, and doing it all again 20-30 years later. It’s a crop, like any other crop, it just takes a LOT time to grow to harvest. The sad thing is that during those growth years the bears and other animals move in and when it comes time to harvest again, they have to find a new place to go. For our neighborhood that means crossing paths with humans, and discovering that people can provide easy food – i.e. bird feeders and their seeds. We encountered bear scat in our driveway not that long ago and have seen pictures posted by neighbors of bears eating the contents of their feeders on porches. What some people may not know is that the black bear is the most commonly found bear in North America. Black bears aren’t always black, which seems funny since that is their name. They can also be various shades of brown, a bluish black and dark grey. They can even be, very rarely though, white! These bears are found in 40 states and in every Canadian province. It’s important not to feed them so they don’t become dependent on humans for their food, losing their ability to forage on their own, and keep in mind, though they are bears, this particular species doesn’t to harm you or your pets. They just want to find food and move along – so try not to overreact if you see one and just let it go on its way.
National Bubba Day – Today we honor anyone named, or called, Bubba. To qualify to be an honoree your name must be formally, or informally, Bubba. Now, if you are feeling a little left out you could dub yourself Bubba for just today, that way anyone who wants to can celebrate together. Did you know that Bubba is the Yiddish word for Grandmother? Apparently so! Also, a character in the movie Forrest Gump made the name Bubba famous. Regardless of whether you are a Bubba, or not, have fun with it.
National Bubbly Day – Bubbles are happy, aren’t they? I know that when my granddaughter sees bubbles she gets very excited and giggly. Well, doesn’t it stand to reason, given that bubbles are happy, that bubbling wine would be happy too? Think about it – when people get engaged or married, christen a new boat, land an awesome job, etc., someone pulls out a bottle of bubbly wine to toast the happy event. The fizzy bubbles combined with a wide range of delicious flavors and aroma that run the gamut from apple and pear, to citrus, toasted spices and nuts, etc. can be paired with a meal or just make a celebration one to remember. Throughout the world various regions make their own special sparkling wine, developing their own ways of doing things with their own local grapes to make something delicious and unique. Many people use the generic form of the word champagne to describe all bubbling wines, though REAL Champagne comes from the region of Champagne, France.
National Prairie Day – This celebration was set up by the Missouri Prairie foundation to enhance public awareness of what a prairie is, to educate people about its value and to motivate people to support the protection, restoration and conservation of the prairie. By encouraging people to learn about its history and how everyone benefits from the complex ecosystem, they can come together with the common goal of reconstructing the native grasslands where it is appropriate. I’ve never actually seen a prairie – it would be nice to see one some day.
National Trails Day – It’s a beautiful day for a walk in the woods, and what better day to do it than on National Trails Day? Today is the nation’s largest celebration of trails and all of the benefits that come with it. Whether you like to hike, bike, horseback ride, go bird watching, geocaching or any of the other activities you can enjoy in the woods, today is the day to do it! There is a beautiful trail here in our campground that goes down to a river with a lovely waterfall . . . but with my knee being out of whack, I am sitting and resting and just basking in being outdoors. Celebrate National Trails Day with your family and enjoy some fresh air!
Turtle Races Day – This celebration is exactly what it sounds like! Turtle contestants are placed in the center of a circle, and they walk around until one of them crosses out of the circle. This event was popularized at fairs and picnics, geared toward children. The turtles have their numbers attached to their shells with a piece of tape and away they go. Keep in mind though, do not take turtles out of the wild to use them for this practice. Domesticated pet turtles can be found at pet stores. I can’t imagine these are fast moving athletes, but you never know. . . One of them may just surprise you!
Yell FUDGE at the Cobras in North America Day – There are just some celebrations that I look at them, scratch my head and wonder why? This one has a HUGE question mark floating over my head. I have looked everywhere and this is all I could find out about it . . . so take it with the same sense of “huh?” that I did. I am including it BECAUSE of how odd it is, and to show, that some folks will find any reason they possible can to celebrate. According to the sites I found, to keep poisonous cobra snakes out of North America, all citizens are asked to go outdoors at noon local time and yell “FUDGE!”. They are trying to say that fudge makes cobras gag, and the mere mention of it makes them “skedaddle”. Um . . . yeah. . . and one must wonder what special substance they were ingesting when they came up with this one. One way to celebrate this one may be to make some fudge. I’m all for keeping cobras away, and I like fudge, so it can’t be all bad.
June 3 –
Children’s Awareness Memorial Day – I cannot imagine any greater grief than that of losing a child. There is a natural order to life, we are born, grow up, have children and raise them, then at some point we die, leaving our children to carry on our legacy. That’s the way we expect it to happen. We grieve when we lose our parents, but it is still the expectation that that is the way it should go. To lose a child is the fear of every parent, but if there is to be any comfort at all for those who endure the loss of a child, it should be that they will never, ever, be forgotten. What I cannot comprehend though, is children being lost to violence. This is something that no child should ever have to experience, and to actually put into words the depth of my hatred and loathing for people who commit violence against a child would probably get me banned from posting this blog. In 1998, CWLA (Child Welfare League of America) launched a public awareness campaign to direct attention to the tragedy of violent child deaths as part of a national initiative to reduce child morality. To that end, today is Children’s Awareness Memorial Day. If you see a simple red flag showing blue, paper-doll-like figures of children holding hands, with a white chalk outline of a missing child in the middle of it – this flag symbolizes the thousands of children lost to violence. This flag flown is a symbol that these children will never be forgotten. My heart is heavy as I think of these little ones hurting, scared and lost to those that love them. Their lives had value and they deserve to be remembered.
Chimborazo Day – How many of you have heard of Mt Chimborazo? I hadn’t, and I’m betting a few of you haven’t either. This mountain is located in Ecuador and its summit is the farthest point one can get from the center of the earth and still be on land. Now some will argue that Everest is the highest mountain peak and they wouldn’t be wrong since it is the highest point above sea level, however because Chimborazo is at the equator, taking into consideration the fact that the earth actually bulges a bit at that point, it gives Chimborazo the distinction of being the furthest from the actual center of the earth. A few Chimborazo facts: Chimborazo has a circumference of 78 miles and a diameter of 30 miles. Its crater is 820 feet deep, and has a surface diameter of 1,600 feet. Chimborazo has four major summits – 20,561 foot Veintemilla, 20,702 foot Whymper – the highest point, and 18,274 foot Nicolas Martinez – named for the father of Ecuadorian mountaineering. So, giving this mountain its due – it’s a pretty impressive and beautiful peak and deserves its own day.
National Cancer Survivor’s Day – Cancer is a dirty word. The very sound of it fills one with dread, fear, sadness and a feeling of hopelessness. Today is a celebration for those people who survived this horrible disease. This survival gives us hope, and the courage to fight this battle if we find ourselves facing the same diagnosis. The people who get through and survive are so courageous, and so strong. Today is their day to be honored, for their lives to be celebrated and to hold them up as wonderful examples of how to never give up, never stop hoping and to plan to live. To every survivor, you are an inspiration. Today we honor you.
Repeat Day (I said Repeat Day) – Have you ever been listening to a CD that you liked so much that you just listened to it over and over again on the same day? Or how about a movie that you were so enthralled with that as soon as it was over you hit restart and watched it again right away? There are just some things in life that we enjoy so much that once isn’t enough . . . a bite of chocolate may be one. One is wonderful, more than one is sublime. Today is your chance to do things over and over again without anyone giving you that “she’s nuts” look. Hopefully you will choose to repeat only those things that you truly enjoy. Pick a few foods and have more than one serving, or an activity that makes you really happy and do it twice! Pick wisely though – you only have 24 hours in a day and if you pick too many things you won’t have time to do repeat them!
Wonder Woman Day – This is a new one as of last year, and of course I missed it. Many of the super heroes have had their own special day for awhile, but for some reason Wonder Woman didn’t. Well, now she does. You know what is funny to me is that apparently last October they had set up Wonder Woman to be role of U.N. Ambassador (how does a fictional character achieve that anyway?) but it was taken away from her after protests. And again, how does someone justify protesting a fictional character from being an ambassador? Well, this injustice has been fixed so she had her special day in June, which suits the costume better . . . I just think it’s a little late coming since Wonder Woman has been in existence for a very long time.
This Day in History –
June 2, 1835 – PT Barnum’s circus begins first tour of US.
June 2, 1886 – Grover Cleveland is married while in serving as U.S. president.
June 2, 1924 – Congress grants U.S. citizenship to people of American Indian descent.
June 3 1964 – The Rolling Stones begin their first US tour.
Food Celebration of the Day –
June 2 –
National Rocky Road Day – When I was little I remember going to Grandma’s house and though most of the time the goodies we had at her house were homemade, once in awhile she’d have Rocky Road Ice Cream. There’s just something about it that makes me smile. As a grown up, I don’t eat Rocky Road often, actually I don’t think I’ve had it more than once since I was a child, but the memory of it just makes me happy. But where and when did this flavor combination start? Well, hoping to make folks smile during the Great Depression, William Dreyer (of Dreyer’s ice cream) jazzed up chocolate ice cream with nuts, marshmallows and bits of chocolate. Its popularity took off, and it is still a very popular flavor combination.
National Rotisserie Chicken Day – I’m sure that all of us have enjoyed a rotisserie chicken a time or two – or more – in our lives. What makes a rotisserie chicken what it is? Well, when you cook a whole chicken on a skewer/spit by turning it continuously over heat, it seals in the flavor by searing the skin, which results in tender and juicy chicken. Often the chickens are injected with a seasoning and butter blend to increase the juiciness and flavor. Because they are so convenient when you get one from the grocery store, making dinner simple AND delicious at the same time, the popularity of rotisserie chicken is growing. Now, in our house we don’t often have leftovers when I pick one up, but when we do I make the most of it by shredding it up on salads, in soups or as a chicken taco.
June 3 –
National Chocolate Macaroon Day – We just celebrated National Macaroon Day on the 31st of May, and these treats are loved so much that today they just added chocolate to the recipe to create chocolate macaroons! Nice! Can’t go wrong with that, can you? I had to laugh because while I was looking this one up I ran across a couple of different sources that showed a picture of French Macarons instead of macaroons – and yes, that extra “O” does make a difference in what type of cookie it is.
National Egg Day – We use eggs in just about everything. They are in baked goods, obviously for breakfast, binders in meat dishes, pastas, etc. We eat them boiled, fried, scrambled, baked, with soft yolks and hard . . . think about it! The egg is pretty amazing. I know a lot of folks have a problem with brown eggs. I’ve heard “ewwww” many times. Truth is there isn’t a nutritional difference between white or brown eggs- they just come from different breeds of hens!
Whew! The sun burned off the clouds and it got quite warm out! I had to take a break while we put out the awning to give us some shade. I’d turn lobster red and end up with a different sort of migraine than I had yesterday from crying if I sat out in the sun all day. Shhhh, looks like hubby is dozing off in his lawn chair – which is good since this weekend is about relaxing and he deserves some extra snoozing time. I may have to go lay down myself after a bit . . . just because I can! Gosh I love camping. Well, I’m going to go finish enjoying the weekend. God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow.
Celebration lists and information are sourced from the following websites:
www.brownielocks.com; www.holidayinsights.com; www.thenibble.com; www.foodimentary.com and www.verseoftheday.com