Friday is special, even if we have to work, it’s still special. For many, at least those who aren’t in retail or food service, it is the end of the work week, and the beginning of the next two days off. There are always chores and projects to do, but there are also endless possibilities for relaxing or fun things too. For me, today is my day to work on getting house chores done so that the next two days can be filled with other things. As usual there are always too many things on my list to accomplish, but with every one that I check off, it lightens the load. It helps that the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and I can open the windows for fresh air today.
Verse of the Day
March 22, 2019
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
God is not only our protector; he is our helper. Even when our world seems to be crashing around us, he is there. He will deliver us from death or deliver us through death. He will deliver us from evil or he will deliver us to overcome evil. Our task is to trust that in the midst of our earthquakes and tidal waves that we are not alone and not abandoned.
Finding Peace in Simple Moments
So many of my peaceful moments involve animals, and though this may seem strange, it’s logical. Animals are uncomplicated, they live their lives based on instinct and are happy eating, sleeping and running around. As I sit here talking to you, in my back yard is a sweet little deer, munching on the new growth on the bushes and trees. He is back there often, hanging out in the brush between our property and the neighbors. Every time he comes into sight it sends Moose crazy, but he settles down as he realizes the deer is not going anywhere and doesn’t seem to be phased by the barking. The deer is a little shaggy, and looks a little weathered, and possibly a bit lonely since he’s always by himself, but he’s sweet. Watching him makes me smile, and right now, this is hysterical, there is a chipmunk on a branch over the deer’s head just bawling him out over something. The deer just flicked his ears and went back to eating. I’m thinking, since the poor guy is all by himself, that we should put out a bucket of water and maybe a salt lick for him. I wouldn’t mind seeing him come around more often – at least until my garden gets planted. Hm . . . I may have to rethink the garden and put my tomatoes and cucumbers in pots on the porch.
As Young As You Feel Day – We’ve all heard someone say that you’re as young as you feel, and honestly, that’s so true! If you slog through life, allowing things to get you down, focusing on a number and how BIG it is, rather than getting out and doing things and having fun (which by default makes you feel young and vibrant), then you’re going to feel and eventually LOOK older than you are! If you get out, get fresh air and exercise, laugh and smile a lot, learn new things and just generally enjoy life – you will FEEL younger, and no matter what your chronological age, it’ll likely be years younger than you really are. I know a lot of us have Wii game consoles, and the Wii Fit Games are pretty fun, but one thing this game does – for those of you who may not have the system – is it has you step on the scale and it takes your weight and some simple tests it has you do for balance, speed, mental clarity, etc. and it establishes your Wii Fit Age. Nothing makes me giggle more first thing in the morning than that silly game telling me that my Wii Fit Age is YOUNGER than my oldest child! YES! Now THAT’S the way to feel as young as I’d like to be.
International Day of The Seal – This one isn’t very well known, but I do feel it is important to bring attention to it. This date is set aside to bring awareness to an incredibly brutal spectacle that anyone could ever imagine, much less witness. Canada’s Harp Seals babies are bludgeoned senseless then skinned for their hides . . . not all of them are dead before this is done. The very thought fills me with absolute horror. Even though there has been international protest against this, it continues, subsidized by the Canadian government, which insists on attempting to create a market for a product that isn’t necessary. If this were necessary to the native people for subsistence as they were in the past, it would at least be understandable, but if the industry as a whole must spend time and effort attempting to create a demand for the skins and oils of these baby seals, well, there’s obviously something drastically wrong with it all at that point. In 1987 the Canadian government banned the harvest of “whitecoats”, or fluffy white babies that we often see in pictures, but this doesn’t last long. As soon as that coat is lost, the baby seals, which are known as “ragged-jackets” after the white fluff starts to go away, are fair game. They often make the argument that the seals are plentiful and need to be harvested to keep population levels sustainable, but in my mind, this still does not justify harvesting the babies. Controlling the population would be more logical if the older animals are taken. Since the seals’ habitat can change – as it can for all species – with some years having abundant food, and others not as much, the animal population can only remain viable in uncertain habitats by keeping the population levels up. With multiple years of little food, the numbers could drop quite dramatically and the excess young that are born in good food years are the only way the species can survive. It is the inability of people to look downrange and learn from our past mistakes that results in many different species becoming extinct. I could go into much more detail about over fishing, and everyone placing blame everywhere else, but the bottom line is that there is absolutely no excuse for wiping out a species for fur. This isn’t necessary and should be made to stop! I’m not much of a soap box screamer for saving this animal or that one, but I have kayaked with sea lions – same family of animals – swimming quietly alongside. I can’t imagine taking a club to that beautiful baby’s head for any reason. Their big beautiful eyes watching so inquisitively as they swim along, and the way they frolic to get attention – it’s like flipper clad puppies. Well, appropriate I suppose since the babies are called pups. Please donate to a save the seal fund if you are able, and if not, spread awareness of this horrific slaughter. It truly does need to stop.
National Goof-Off Day – Well, we used to call this playing hooky in school, but no matter what it was called then or now, it’s always fun to declare a day a Goof Off Day. A day to just do anything you want, except what you are SUPPOSED to do, would clear the mind and ease stress, wouldn’t it? Too bad that it could cause issues at work or in school, but if it doesn’t, take the day and go shopping, sit and read, go to lunch with friends, catch a movie . . . do something just for you that you’d enjoy doing. Now the question is, who created this day? I couldn’t find that out, and I searched for a while – but I must assume it is someone who finally got fed up with towing the expected line and just declared it to be a day to goof off! For a moment I thought perhaps it could have been just done by someone who likes doing nothing, but if that were the case, they’d probably have set up a Goof Off Month. THERE’S a month I could celebrate!
Talk Like William Shatner Day – This one is a lot of fun. It was started in 2009 in honor of William Shatner’s birthday. Remember all the old, original Star Trek episodes? Those of us who are old enough to have enjoyed the show can probably hear Captain Kirk’s voice in their memories. He’s a terrible actor, always has been, but that’s what makes this so much fun!
Tuskegee Airmen Day – On March 22, 2016, on a motion by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, this day was declared to be Tuskegee Airmen Day. Today we honor the nation’s first all-black group of military aviators. They rose above racial discrimination and became one of the most highly respected flying units of World War II. At the time WWII was going on there were some who thought that African Americans were unfit to operate heavy machinery, but the Tuskegee Airmen took those stereotypes and shattered them, performing their duties with skill and valor. Sadly, even though they had such outstanding service records, they still faced bigotry and racism. It was the way things were at that time in history. These American heroes rose above the stereotypes of the day, doing their job as all patriots should – fighting for freedom, with courage in the face of horrible odds. In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the US Army Air Corps to create a segregated flying unit that only had African Americans in it. Approximately 16,000 men and women trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to become air traffic controllers, bombardiers, flight instructors, mechanics, navigators, officers, radio technicians, weather forecasters, instructors, and maintenance/support staff. The first black flying unit was activated on March 22, 1941 and the first black pilots were inducted on March 7, 1942. 992 pilots graduated from 1942 through 1946 at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, and between them, flew more than 15,000 combat sorties and 1,200 missions. Among their achievements were 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, 31 Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars. In 1948, President Harry Truman enacted Executive Order 9981, which mandated equal treatment and opportunity in the U.S. Armed Forces, which helped end racial segregation in the military and became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. What an inspiring time in history!
World Day for Water (aka World Water Day) – This day was created by the UN, so though I believe deeply that all life needs and deserves clean, un-polluted water, I cannot endorse anything the UN does. I don’t believe they truly have the well-being of our planet and the people who live on it at heart. With that said though, there are many organizations that DO have the love of people in their hearts, and they are working diligently to provide fresh water to people around the globe. Check out World Concern, one wonderful organization that takes donations and puts the money to good use with a very small percentage going to necessary administration costs. They bring fresh water, food, education, clothing and medical help to communities around the world, including meeting needs in our own country.
Food Celebration of the Day
Coq Au Vin – No matter how fancy the name of this dish may sound, it’s really just a simple chicken braised in wine, but the deep flavor is anything but simple. Chicken braises are very satisfying in the cold weather, and no matter that the calendar says it is spring – for many of us it’s still at or below freezing temperatures with possible snow! I found a low-carb version at Sugar Free Mom’s blog, so thought I might try it. (Not today though – I already had other things planned for dinner tonight. But soon!) Here’s her recipe.
I think it’s time to finish my morning coffee and get busy! I am doing some recipe testing for a cookbook author’s upcoming cookbook and there are a couple of treats I need to experiment with for her! I’m pretty excited. Have a wonderful day! 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