Dec 18

December 18

I was always very proud of my paternal grandmother.  In the early part of the last century she had been living in Scotland with her husband and they had a young son – my father.  My grandfather was in the Black Watch during World War I, and he was killed in Peshawar, India.

My grandmother left her life and family in Scotland and sailed to the United States with my dad when he was only 5.  We have pictures of him disembarking in his little kilt! I cannot imagine having her courage, leaving home with a small child, and starting life anew in a completely foreign country.

Many years later, when I was a freshman in college, my grandmother died the week before Christmas.  I remember sitting in Waterman’s Funeral Home in Kenmore Square, Boston watching the Citgo sign cycle through its neon pattern.

No one but our very small family attended her calling hours.  The funeral was a bit better.  A few folks took the time to honor this brave woman.

A week later, we celebrated Christmas “because that’s what Nana would have wanted”.  Even then, I thought that she probably would have liked to see more caring people around her, while she was alive.

Every year on the 18th of December I remember my grandmother and try to take a moment to be kinder to folks.

In recent years, December 18 has become a joyful occasion with our son and daughter-in-laws first wedding.

 

We weren’t able to be there, so they got married again in October 🙂

 

December 18 is now my favorite day ever 🙂

Nov 01

Lewiston, ME

I don’t normally post the information I get from my email but this cause is important to me.  Last week, there was a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.  These events are always horrifying and beyond belief but this one hit home for me – literally.

I was born in Lewiston many years ago and so was my mom and her siblings.  We have/had relatives in the small towns around there, too.  The ones mentioned in the news reports.

Several holidays and vacations were taken in Maine, including Auburn, the twin city to Lewiston.

Years ago, I met a woman online and we were comparing notes.  After winnowing the info down, we realized that both our moms had the same doctor delivering them of us.  There can’t be more than one Dr. Gard Twaddle in Lewiston, ME!

I couldn’t find much about Dr. Twaddle online but this quote from https://www.mchp.edu/dr-gard-w-twaddle-nurses-endowment-fund/ shows a bit of how much he was loved:

“The Dr. Gard Twaddle Nurses’ Endowment Fund was formed in 1954 as a living tribute to Dr. Gard Twaddle, a highly respected physician in the Lewiston-Auburn area.  The fund was formed by a group of Dr. Twaddle’s professional colleagues as a tribute to a community doctor who placed people-patients, nurses he worked with, and the community members- above monetary measures.   Even after Dr. Twaddle’s retirement and then his death in 1970, community members have continued to make donations to the fund in his memory.  Since its inception, the fund has assisted nursing students for over 65 years and, over those years, has generously given close to 1 million in scholarships.  Many of these students probably would not be able to attend college without assistance from this fund.”

So, when the opportunity to buy yet another sweatshirt came up, one that promised to help the victims families, I said “send me that shirt” – or I clicked the PayPal button.

Today, that company wrote:

“Lewiston, Maine is currently facing a heartbreaking situation with the tragic mass shooting resulting in 18 confirmed fatalities. As a company deeply rooted in Lewiston since 1969, we are profoundly affected by this devastating event.

Our close personal connections to some of the victims have compelled us to take action. We understand that all the affected families will require significant support during this difficult time. To contribute to this cause, we have initiated a fundraiser, and we want to assure you that every penny raised will be directly allocated to assist the affected families.

If you are in a position to offer assistance, we sincerely appreciate your support. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who are grappling with the aftermath of this tragedy.“

I’m not sharing the name of the company because I don’t do promotions but it should be easy for anyone to figure out if they want…or not.

Oct 12

Sometimes…

I originally wrote this October 12, 2015. Some things have changed. Some haven’t 

depression

 

It occurred to me this weekend that I don’t really have any of these people anymore 🙁

My best friend died a few years ago, my “Wednesday Lunch” friend spends most all her time traveling now and is unavailable.

When I go visit my Tuesday piano friend, my mom is always with me and she’s the one I usually want to talk about, the one who is judging me the most and complaining about life here in our home.

Of course, I love my mom but she can be so cruel in her comments.  I don’t know if she thinks she’s being funny but some of the things she says are so judgmental and hurtful.  Her own mom was kind of like this so I guess that’s where she learned this way of talking to others.

She knows I teach piano.  Since she lives with us, she complains when I practice, though. So, I find myself playing piano – not really practicing – when she’s out with DH walking the dog.  Maybe 20-30 minutes in the morning.

We belong to a Community Supported Agriculture farm and have for about 15 years.  She likes the free-to-her veggies but comments that we’re not getting our money worth because we’re not eating enough of them – or she didn’t like the type of tomatoes, or there weren’t enough cucumbers.  How in the world can you complain about something free?

Little digs here and there and sometimes bigger craters.  My DH says to ignore them or call her on them but I can’t seem to do that without being rude to her.

I remember these types of comments – and nothing supportive –  from when I was a young child.

Even when our son, her only grandchild, was born.  My DH took my parents to the hospital to see him and she said “when you’ve seen one baby, you’ve seen them all”.  Sheesh!

I later mentioned that it was nice that they had come to help with the baby and she said that they hadn’t, they’d come because it was Christmas time.  And she was right – they hadn’t helped.  My dad expected meals on the table precisely at noon and 5:00pm as always.

Time to end the pity party (for now)

 

pity-party-no

 

 

 

Jul 17

What??? It’s World Emoji Day Again!

 

Another of those Who Knew holidays.

 

World Emoji Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on July 17. The day is deemed a “global celebration of emoji” and is primarily celebrated online. Celebrated annually since 2014,[NBC reported that the day was Twitter’s top trending item on July 17 in 2015.

Now before the emoji, there were emoticons. Emoticons (emotion + icon) were actually developed as an expression of emotions in the cold hard texts that were devoid of it.

Emoji, a Japanese expression, roughly means “picture word” and was developed in 1990 by Shigetaka Kurita. While working for NTT Docomo, a Japanese telecom company, Kurita design these picture words as a feature on their pagers to make them more appealing to teens.

When Apple released the first iPhone in 2007, an emoji keyboard was embedded to nab the Japanese market. While not intended for U.S. users to find, they did and quickly figured out how to use it.

Every year new emojis (both emoji and emojis are acceptable plural forms of the word) are developed. The emojipedia.org keeps track of all the emoji updates across all platforms and operating systems. There are over 1800 emojis covering much more than just emotions.  From transportation, food, an assortment of wild and domesticated animals to social platforms, weather and bodily functions emojis virtually speak for themselves.

 

 

More about emojis

 

 

Jul 16

Yummy Ice Cream Day!

ice-cream-day

 

National Ice Cream Day is observed each year on the 3rd Sunday in July and is a part of National Ice Cream Month.  This day is a fun celebration enjoyed with a bowl, cup or cone filled with your favorite flavor of ice cream.

Thousands of years ago, people in the Persian Empire would put snow in a bowl, pour grape-juice concentrate over it and eat it as a treat.  They did this when the weather was hot and used the snow saved in the cool-keeping underground chambers known as “yakhchal”, or taken from the snowfall that remained at the stop of mountains by the summer capital.

It is believed that ice cream was first introduced into the United States by Quaker colonists who brought their ice cream recipes with them.  Their ice cream was sold at shops in New York and other cities during the colonial era.

  • Ben Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson enjoyed ice cream.
  • 1813 -First Lady Dolley Madison served ice cream at the Inaugural Ball.
  • 1832 – African American confectioner, Augustus Jackson, created multiple ice cream recipes as well as a superior technique to manufacture ice cream.
  • 1843 – Philadelphian, Nancy Johnson, received the first U.S. patent for a small-scale hand-cranked ice cream freezer.
  • 1920 – Harry Burt puts the first ice cream trucks on the streets.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy National Ice Cream Day by sharing some with your family and friends! Post on social media using #NationalIceCreamDay.

HISTORY

National Ice Cream Day is a holiday declared by President Ronald Reagan back in 1984 to promote the economic well-being of the U.S. dairy industry. It was a nod to the fact that the frozen treat is produced using nearly ten percent of U.S. dairy farmers’ milk supply.

Reagan’s proclamation also called on the people of the United States to do their duty and pay tribute to ice-cream with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.” So who are we to argue?

 

DATES

July 15, 2018
July 21, 2019

 

 

Jul 04

Happy July 4th!

Micky-mouse-4th-of-July-greetings

 

 

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July! Click To Tweet

A bit of audio for your listening pleasure, as played by Vladimir Horowitz…

 

 

And, just for fun:

 

 

 

MaryOUSAheart

Jun 27

Happy Sunglasses Day!

sunglass-smiley

 

 

Elton John has over a thousand pairs, Canadian singer Corey Hart only wears his at night, and you can tell the good guys from the bad guys in The Matrix by the shape of theirs. What am I talking about? Sunglasses, of course! There’s nothing quite as stylish as a pair of shades, so get out your aviators or your wayfarers and start celebrating National Sunglasses Day!

Who knew there was a National Sunglass Day? Click To Tweet

Although the origins of National Sunglasses Day are unknown, the history of sunglasses stretches as far back as 14th century China, where judges used eyewear made of smoke-coloured quartz to mask their emotions. Fast-forward 600 years and modern sunglasses as we know them today were first marketed by entrepreneur Sam Foster on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

One other thing to remember is that sunglasses also help protect your eyes from harmful UV light, so channel your inner-cool and slip on those shades on National Sunglasses Day!

Did you know that your eyes can become sunburned? 

75 percent of Americans are concerned about exposure to the sun’s UV rays, but only 31 percent of Americans wear sunglasses when they venture outside.  You know wearing sunblock can help to protect your skin.  Don’t forget to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

 

Eye Care Tips

  • UV exposure increases the likelihood of the formation of cataracts
  • UV exposure can cause cancer of the eye or eyelid
  • Water reflects up to 100 % of UV rays
  • Concrete reflects up to 25% of UV rays
  • Grass reflects up to 3% of UV rays
  • The eyes of a child are more vulnerable to UV rays than an adults
  • Exposure to UV rays promotes more rapid age-related macular degeneration and blindness
  • The harmful effects of UV rays are cumulative over a lifetime of exposure
  • Squinting in the sun causes wrinkles
  • UV rays are just as dangerous on cloudy days as sunny days

Adapted from https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/sunglasses-day/ and http://www.bbb.org/central-california-inland-empire/news-events/news-releases/2016/06/june-27th-is-national-sunglasses-day/

 

Jun 19

Happy Father’s Day!

fathers-day

 

Father’s Day is observed annually on the third Sunday in June.  This day is set aside to honor and celebrate fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, though it is also celebrated widely on other days by many other countries.

After the success of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day observations began to appear.  The road to this national observance was not easy.

 

 

Jun 14

Pop Goes the Weasel Day

Pop-goes-the-weasel

June 14 is set aside to observe National Pop Goes the Weasel Day.  On this day people dig back into their memories to the nursery rhymes they learned as children and celebrate the day singing “Pop Goes the Weasel”.

 

The origins of this nursery rhyme are believed to date back to the 1700′s.
The following lyric was printed in Boston in 1858:
All around the cobbler’s house,
The monkey chased the people.
And after them in double haste,
Pop! goes the weasel.
In 1901 in New York the opening lines were:
All around the chicken coop,
The possum chased the weasel.

The most common recent version was not recorded until 1914. In addition to the three verses above, American versions often include some of the following:
All around the mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to pull up his sock, (or The monkey stopped to scratch his nose)
Pop! goes the weasel.
Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop! goes the weasel.

 

A Piano Version:

 

 

‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ is played by the oboe while Elgar’s ‘Enigma’ Theme is performed on piano.

 

Jun 14

It’s Flag Day!

flag-day

 

 

National Flag Day is celebrated annually in the United States on June 14.  This day commemorates the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777.

On National Flag Day, Americans show respect for the U.S. Flag and what it represents.  Our independence and unity as a nation is represented by our flag.  The flag has become a powerful symbol of Americanism and is flown proudly.

 

Betsy Ross is given credit, by many, for creating the first American flag.  Since 1977, the design of the flag has been officially modified 26 times.  For 47 years, the 48-star flag was in effect.  In 1959, the 49-star version became official on July 4.  President Eisenhower ordered the 50-star flag on August 21, 1959.

 

Seventeen-year-old Robert G. Heft of Ohio is credited with designing the 50-star American flag.  Of the more than 1,500 designs that were submitted to President Dwight D. Eisenhower,  his was chosen.

 

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