Everyday Thoughts for Your
Everyday Life.
The Birth of an Experiment. Here we stand.
July 3rd, 2010 by stephanie
What a joy to write to you on this July 4 weekend. Why? Because here we stand. Still. It’s miracle that we, as 13 struggling colonies, ever made it to this amazing creation known as the United States of America.
Have you had the chance to read 1776 by David McCulough? If not, why not make it a goal of yours to accomplish that challenge by election day this November. I listened to the book on CD during some of my commutes as well as a long road trip. I was riveted. Story after story. I promise…it won’t put you to sleep. And you’ll learn things you have NEVER heard before and details you won’t get in school.
Here’s a small one. The vote for independence of the 13 colonies were 12 voting YES and one abstention. Do you know which state abstained?
With that, here’s to faith, family and freedom.
And to you, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
A very HAPPY 4th to you.
S.
Happy 1st Day of Summer. Officially, that is.
June 21st, 2010 by stephanie
So, did you know that today you can plan for about 15 hours of sunlight? It’s true. Welcome to the Summer Solstice. The longest day of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.
Solstice only happens twice a year. Summer and Winter. And the Summer Solstice marks the time from spring planting to autumn harvest.
For you scientific types, it’s the day when the sun is farthest north.
If you’re over in the British Isles, you might whoop it up at Stonehenge with the celebratory crowd there that dances the night away.
The rest of us, can enjoy a day full of sunlight and embrace the steamy season that lies ahead.
S.
Wave Your Colors. Wear ‘em Proud.
June 13th, 2010 by stephanie
I hope you have a flag somewhere. One that you can hang out in front of your home, or, perhaps place in your window. Maybe you have one of those table top stands that make for setting a flag on your kitchen or dining room table or even your desk at work. Why? Because June 14 is FLAG DAY!
“So”, you ask. “Just where did this special day come from?” Well now, please allow me to divulge. 
President Woodrow Wilson, back in 1916, issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day. But it wasn’t until August 1949 that National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.
Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. But, the great Keystone State, Pennsylvania, became the first (and only) U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday. For you infomaniacs, you can find the offical statute in Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110.
But, know this: it is at the President’s discretion to proclaim officially the observance. So be in watch…
Flag Day used to actually include Parades and Festivities. One of the longest-running Flag Day parades is actually held annually in Quincy, Massachusetts (home of President John Adams and Abigail). Quincy celebrations began in 1952.
Appleton Wisconsin’s Flag Day Parade will (celebrating their 60th this year) will feature the U.S. Navy.
The largest Flag Day ? Well, it’s held annually in Troy, New York, and patterns itself after the Quincy parade drawing up to 50,000 spectators!
The oldest continuing Flag Day parade? Fairfield, WA. Since 1909 or 1910, Fairfield has held a parade every year since and will celebrate the “Centennial” parade this year!
[For more research click here]
and Click here.
So there you have it. Wave your colors today. Wear them proud.
Just my thoughts.
S.
JUNE 6. D-DAY. May we never forget.
June 6th, 2010 by stephanie
Back by request. May we remember…
Sitting in a hotel room that lay on the coast of England, the allied commander, known as Eisenhower, knew that a small window of opportunity was all that he had with which to work. Weather was terrible. But if it broke, as they had been notified it might, 150,000 Allied soldiers would be deployed to land on the shores of Normandy.
“An invading army had not crossed the unpredictable, dangerous English Channel since 1688 — and once the massive force set out, there was no turning back. The 5000-vessel armada stretched as far as the eye could see, transporting over 150,000 men and nearly 30,000 vehicles across the channel to the French beaches. Six parachute regiments — over 13,000 men — were flown from nine British airfields in over 800 planes. More than 300 planes dropped 13,000 bombs over coastal Normandy immediately in advance of the invasion.” (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dday/sfeature/sf_info.html)
Paratroopers would drop at 1am. Would the weather hold? At a height of only 300 feet. In the dark. The wet. Think fast.
Men in PT boats would race toward shore. Many would get close. Some would fall short. As soldiers poured out, the 70 pound packs would sink and drown many who thought the sand lay directly beneath.
By nightfall, more than 9,000 Allied soldiers would be dead or wounded, but more than 100,000 would make it ashore, securing French coastal villages previously held hostage by Hitler’s regime.
These were depression kids. The scrappy boys that had learned to make it on their own. Those innate tricks of survival. Could there be a better training ground to prepare them for the impossible? Amidst perilous conditions? And a ruthless world tyrant to boot? Truly, a fearful task.
Those who made it through the depression learned to have a great deal of resilience and learned how to make due with what they had or could find. Older men today, if you spend time with them, are proof still that people back then were able to make the most amazing things our of the littlest stuff. What they were able to come up with was nothing short of impressive. No wonder we call them The Greatest Generation. Shaped by The Great Depression
One vet, Jim Norene, a member of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, had come alone for one last anniversary, despite having stage-four advanced cancer. Though gravely ill, he was determined to make it back to France for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Just one more time. After he landed (in a fashion much different then his first landing), he was able to visit the American cemetery the evening before Saturday’s ceremony. Jim never made it to the ceremony, that night, he passed away in his sleep.
This man, who returned to remember and honor his buddies would not have wanted it any other way. How poignant that he was able to return to the same shores where he and his pals had said good bye only to have the ironic privilege of rejoining them from the same soil that had prematurely taken their very young lives. Now, this ailing veteran and his band of brothers could truly rest in peace. Together.
May we remember.
S.
Did You Decorate a Soldier’s Grave Today?
May 31st, 2010 by stephanie
I remember as a young girl, my mom would tell me, “You were born on traditional Memorial Day.” She said that due to the fact that Memorial Day used to be May 30. (And that day just so happens to be my birthday.)
But then, the government decided to make it a federal holiday, and employees got a new 3 day weekend to add to their calendar. Thus, the last Monday in May officially became Memorial Day.
Even before that, Memorial Day was known by another name. It was called “Decoration Day”. And if you are over the age of 50, you remember what that day meant.
My grandmother tells me that she grew up observing Decoration Day. And, as her father was a vet of the Spanish American War, and her brothers were vets of WWII, well, it meant something.
So, just what was Decoration Day? Glad you asked:
Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings. Quite a few cities and towns actually claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. But it’s hard to tell the origin.
Women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. And there is actually a hymn (published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet) that was dedicated “To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead” (source see: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920).
While Waterloo N.Y. won the honored position as declared birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove the real origins of the day.
And there you have it.
For more info (I know who you folks are!) here’s a source:
Memorial Day
Wishing you a happy Memorial Day. And well, a very happy birthday to me.
S.
Happy Arbor Day. And just what exactly is it?
April 29th, 2010 by stephanie
As we walked the sidewalk back to our corporate offices, I can remember being so impressed with this colleague of mine who had actually, at one point in his life, gone to work in Manhattan each day. I was fascinated by his stories and couldn’t get enough. It was the stuff that made for television scenes and movie episodes that not only danced in my head but are familiar to us all.
Little did I know, that one day, I too, would be stepping in and out of Manhattan on behalf of the company for which I worked at the time. I loved that job. It was my all-time favorite to this day. But alas, all good things, as they say,”must come to any end.” And so they did.
During those fabulous trips to the Big Apple, I marveled at the concrete culture the city dwellers seemed to revel in if not literally-cherish. I, on the other hand, as I headed out for each trip up north, would take in the vast green lawn and the squirrels skipping about as I backed out of my driveway. In addition, I would suddenly catch myself saying out loud to my house and those beautiful 40-year old towering trees, “Stay right there. I’ll be right back!” It became a private tradition of sorts. And, a few days later, I always kept that promise, celebrating it on my deck with Ole Judge, while looking out at the foliage that takes up the entire embankment of my backyard.
Sure. New York was great. But there was just something about the green, and the grass and the…trees. Even a job possibility that came my way in that “city that never sleeps” couldn’t quite lure me, and the dog, to the apartment lifestyle of “The City.”
That’s why ARBOR DAY, I guess, is such a big deal to some folks. Those of you Alaska dwellers, or Michigan and Colorado types, might not quite relate to the importance of such a holiday. But for those folks in the land of pavement, you can see how it can be a pretty big deal.
ARBOR DAY (the Final Friday in April) is actually a real holiday- if you didn’t know. But it’s not, as you might think, only celebrated in the USA. Nope. It’s pretty international. And it’s not too new. It was actually founded in 1872 by J. Sterling Morgan of Nebraska. It’s a Civic holiday, mind you. A tidbit for you info pros. And, here’s some trivia to take with you to that upcoming board meeting or coffee chat: On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, an estimated one million trees were planted.
And there you have it.
Just my thoughts.
S.
Income Tax Day! Compliments of the year 1913.
April 15th, 2010 by stephanie
I was perusing an article, and happened upon some info for you loyal infophiles. It was the scoop on INCOME TAX DAY, April 15, that I honestly had never heard before. The article was written by John Stossel, and here is just a snippet of it, for you.
“…U.S taxes were once simple! The government funded itself on tariffs and excise taxes. It didn’t violate our privacy by asking us how much we made or how many dependents we have.
But in 1913, the politicians decided they needed an income tax.
At first, they took little money: just 1 percent on incomes between $20,000 and $50,000. Those were big incomes — adjusted for inflation, $50,000 is $1.1 million today. The top bracket paid 6 percent, but that only applied to people who earned at least $11 million. Anyone who made less than $400,000 paid no income tax…In 1913, the first tax form and instructions totaled four simple pages. Today’s 1040, with instructions, totals 176 pages…”
And there you have it. A tad bit of scoop for this very particular day that you may not have known about this very taxing month.
Just my thoughts,
S.
Resource:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36508
Did You Catch the Red Egg in that One Movie Scene?
April 5th, 2010 by stephanie
I remember the first time I visited and toured a Greek Orthodox church. It was during the annual Greek Festival in my city and I was amazed at how little I knew of the Eastern Orthodox faith. Saints in those churches are a really big deal and the art in the building and the paintings are simply stunning. But, as usual, once the spiritual portion of the day was complete, I could be seen pushing my way through circles of dancing greeks yelling “opa!” as I made a beeline for homemade baklavah.
Iconography is a strong part of that denomination of Christian faith. But I must admit, I never did catch the very prominent portratit of Mary Magdalene holding the red egg. It wasn’t until recently that I was even aware of such a work. Neither did I notice that one particular scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where the guests are holding up and “klinking” their red eggs! Did you?
Apparently, the red egg (during Roman times) symbolized life arising from a sealed chamber and was a symbol that would have been very meaningful and understandable to Roman citizens.
There are multiple versions of the legend:
One says that Mary Magdalene was bringing cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Jesus, and the eggs in her basket miraculously turned brilliant red when she saw the risen Christ.
A different tale boasts that after the Ascension of Jesus, Mary went to Italy to share the Gospel and was granted a meeting with Tiberias Caesar. She greeted the Emperor of Rome with “Christ has risen,” whereupon he pointed to an egg on his table and stated, “Christ has no more risen than that egg is red.” After making this statement it is said the egg immediately turned blood red.
Whatever the legend or the case, I have to admit, I had never heard of the Red Egg until a cousin of mine sent me a link about it during Holy Week. But now, both you and I, and some of you orthodox or high church types, are all on the same page. Whew!
And that, my friend, is the legend of the Red Egg. You’ll never watch that movie that takes place in Chicago about the family that owns Dancing Zorba’s the same again.
Just my thoughts.
S.
For further research, check out wikipedia.
He Is Risen!
April 4th, 2010 by stephanie
He is Risen Indeed.
Holy Week. Easter Sunday.
Such is the call and response that is very familiar to those in the church world. One person will say, “He is Risen,” to which the other will reply, “He is Risen Indeed.” Many of you will enjoy this exchange today in celebration of what happened over 2,000 years ago.
It was the 3rd day. If you’re counting in Jewish time.
Day 1: Friday. (Thursday sundown to Friday sundown.)
Day 2: Saturday. (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.)
Day 3: Sunday. (Saturday sundown to Sunday sundown.)
And it went a bit like this…
Matt. 28:1-9
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
He is Risen-indeed.
Happy Easter, my friend.
S.
But Sunday was Coming…
April 3rd, 2010 by stephanie
Holy Week. Day 7. Saturday. (The Jewish Sabbath)
In the grave.
That’s where Christ was on this day. Stone cold. Deathly silent.
It was the Sabbath. No work would be done. A day of complete rest for God’s chosen people. Thus, the rush to have Jesus prepared for burial and placed in the tomb by sunset Friday night when the Sabbath officially would begin.
Luke 23:54-56
It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Meanwhile, back at the the roman palace, the Jewish leaders, who should have been resting and worshiping at home, were anything but quiet…
Matt. 27:62-66
¶ Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ “Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”
And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.
and…
Matt. 28:11-15 “Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”
And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.”
They knew Jesus had powers. They were terrified He would rise. How interesting that they thought a stone would keep Him, the Creator of the Universe, in the grave.
Not a sound was heard from the tomb. But Sunday was coming…
S.
Verses for Today:
Matt 27:62-66
Luke 23:56
And for extra credit, you studious types can enjoy these!
1 Peter 3:18-33 and 4:6
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