Ooooh, two days in a row. I know, it’s nearly a miracle!
So, the main topic everywhere lately is the COVID-19 virus, or the latest version of a coronavirus. People are in a panic over it, and while I do not negate the seriousness for people who are truly ill with it, from everything I am reading, we lose more people annually to the “normal” flu, than are even suspected of being infected with COVID-19. In many ways, we are hearing that this isn’t even as bad as the flu. It acts differently in some ways, but when it comes down to it, it’s a virus. So, what do we do? Well, we do very much what we should always be doing. Washing our hands with hot water and soap, washing for at least 20 seconds before we rinse. We cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze, then wash again. We sanitize shopping cart handles before we use them, do not touch our eyes with our hands, keep our hands out of our mouths, etc. We do not panic. We up our intake of vitamin C, maybe take Manuka honey, be sure to wash our produce since we don’t know who may have sneezed on it or touched it with snot or germ covered hands. Drink lots of fluids, and for gosh sake, if you get sick and are running a fever, STAY HOME! In our house, we are often diffusing essential oils that are known for being good ammunition against viruses and bacteria. Take care of yourselves by getting enough rest, eating healthy foods, drinking clean, pure water and stop listening to the fear mongering, politicization of this entire issue by the idiot politicians and liberal press. How many illnesses have come along over the years that they said were going to wipe us out? And have any of them done so? NO, they have not! We are smarter now than we were before, we know how to keep clean and protect ourselves, so do it! Oh, and seriously, have some chicken soup. It tastes good, and Old Wives Tales are told for a reason – we all know there is a lot of truth to them. Can’t hurt, right?
Verse of the Day
March 2, 2020
In those days John the Baptist came … saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
These words sound strange in a world that is afraid to tell the truth about sin, wickedness, and evil. Yet every lost person desperately needs to repent — to change his or her heart and life, seek after God, and live for Jesus as Lord. Yes, salvation is given to us by God’s incredible grace. On the other hand, grace that leaves us unchanged is not true grace. Grace not only forgives us through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross, but it also liberates us from the empty and destructive life without God and his guidance.
www.verseoftheday.com
Dr. Seuss Day/NEA Read Across America – Dr. Seuss is considered one of the greatest children’s book writers and illustrators of all time. Having published 46 picture books, The National Educational Association adopted his birthday, March 2, as National Read Across America Day. To celebrate Seuss’s birthday and to help support the Read Across America effort, here is a list of the top 5 Dr. Seuss books. I have copied and pasted the book list for you – one for simplicity and two, I couldn’t have written it better myself.
The Cat in the Hat – The story of two children who are left at home all alone on a rainy day when they receive a visit from a cat wearing a top hat. The cat’s wacky tricks and efforts to entertain the bored children wind up wrecking the house. The children have to capture the cat’s raucous playmates, and herd the cat out of the house. Luckily, he cleans it up as he leaves. It ends with children who are relieved to have nothing to do when their mother returns home. This is the book that introduced us to Thing One and Thing Two and spawned, not only a sequel, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, but an animated series and a major motion picture starring Mike Myers.
The Lorax – The Lorax is a wizened character who “speaks for the trees.” Published in 1971, this was one of the first lessons in the harm of deforestation and the importance to care for nature that many children for decades received. The story follows the fate of a forest that is cut down when industry moves in to create thneeds to meet the high demand, because “everyone needs a thneed.” But the drive to produce more and more leads to the last tree being cut down and the world becoming filled with bottled air, fake trees and a completely manufactured life. In the end, one young boy plants the last seed which recalls the spirit of the Lorax and the forest. The books popularity led to an animated movie in 1972, and a computer animated film in 2012.
Green Eggs and Ham – The classic story of a boy who is offered a new food insists, as many a child does, that he does not like it and will not eat it whatever the circumstance is a popular favorite. After repeating over and over, “I do not like green eggs and ham. I will not eat them, Sam I Am,” winds up giving in to Sam. The boy tries the green eggs and ham and does in fact like them. Aside from the fact that it rings true to parents with picky eaters for children, the words are so skillfully crafted that the catchy rhyming couplets stick in your head for years after you have read the book. Perhaps the message of the book may just pay off for parents hoping to get kids to clean their plate.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – This is a lesson in counting and colors, opposites and fun. The story is loosely assembled around a pair of siblings and their weird pet fish. While the story starts with fish, it moves into the wacky world of Seuss quickly and passes from fish to body parts, and then straight into tongue twisting hilarity.
Horton Hears a Who – Horton, an elephant, is the only creature in the jungle who can hear the Whos who live on what looks like a speck of dust. When all the rest of the jungle inhabitants do not believe him, Whoville is in danger unless the Whos can make their presence known to the other animals. The Whos try with all their might to make as much noise as possible, but it is not until the smallest Who of all adds her own sound to the clamor that the animals realize Whoville, even though only the size of a speck of dust, does exist. Like The Lorax, this is another one of Dr. Seuss’s parable stories. The message that “a person’s a person, no matter how small,” resonates especially with children because they relate to the concept of being small, and just like the people living on the tiny speck of dust that is Whoville, they sometimes can feel like they are not heard.
Grab your favorite Dr. Seuss book and celebrate, even if you are not a kid anymore.
Well, looking at all those Seuss pictures really brought back some great memories of my Mom reading them to me, and later in life, reading them to my own children. Good times!
Fun Facts About Names Day – Today we are encouraged to learn about the historical meanings and influences behind our names and the names of our friends and families. Uncover historical and religious influences, find out who you were named after, and see how name trends have changed over generations! It is a great day to explore the roots of our names, and find out of we are named after anyone in particular, maybe even research people who share the same name as us. Our names are special because they are the unique word that identifies us as the person we are. Sometimes our names can inspire us to work harder and achieve the purpose behind the meaning of our name. Every single name has meaning and significance, no matter how simple the name might be. Historically people were named after their ancestors, so traditionally speaking that would mean grandmother, grandfather or other relatives. Many people name their children from out of the Bible, and others just name their children certain names because they like them. If you go to www.themeaningofnames.org you can put in your name and find out what it means and how many other people in the country have it. My first name is Scandinavian for Pure, and my middle name is English for Sunrise. Nice! I also found out that my daughter’s first name is NOWHERE else in the database in the history of the Social Security Administrations lists, nor found anywhere in historical archives, which means that I happened to pick a name that was 100% unique to her and it really makes me happy that I did!
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Banana Cream Pie Day – Custard pies date back to antiquity, but this version, with banana cream and a fluffy white topping, is a particular favorite in the American South. I venture to say that it is one of my favorites too, so it isn’t isolated to the south!
Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com