Category Archives: Holidays

A Time to Remember on Memorial Day 2017

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It’s Memorial Day

On Memorial Day there are parades and cook outs and family get-togethers no matter the weather. Many folks have a day off from work WITH PAY!  Do we really understand how lucky we are?

The World Is Still Violent

Are we humans just a cruel, violent species? Are we destined to fight and scrabble among ourselves until we destroy each other and our world? Our veterans gave their all for peace. They have come home damaged emotionally and physically and too many paid the ultimate price. Yet we still hear of horrible acts of brutality every day. Look what just happened in Manchester England! Or what about the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, and the Fort Lauderdale Airport? And these are just a few examples. I could go on!

Our Brave New World

 

Security is tight. We use plastic see-through bags so everyone can see that we’re not carrying a weapon. We suffer through metal detectors and have our bags searched. I’ve even been swabbed for gun powder residue. This is the world we live in now. No one is truly safe. On this Memorial Day I can’t help but wonder what would those who died for our freedom have to say about it? Would they feel that their sacrifice was in vain or that we’ve squandered the chances they have provided to us?

Proud and Sad

I am so proud of our service men and women, so overwhelmed by what they have done and continue to do to protect this country every day. But I am also sad. Sad that there is so much hate and violence around the world. I’m very sad that in a country built on immigration and acceptance that there are still incidences of prejudice and evidence of hate crimes. Somethings just don’t seem to change, just the victims.

Honor our Fallen With an Open Heart

Its Memorial Day and while we barbecue and wave our flags, stop and think about the real meaning of this day. Think about those in our military today and the many who have served our country bravely. Open your hearts to the principals they stood for and many died for – Freedom; freedom of speech,  freedom of religion, freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness for all! Say no to prejudice and discrimination. God Bless America!

Sunday Was Mother’s Day

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Sunday Was Mother’s Day

Did you call your Mom? I’m ashamed to say I did not. I didn’t send a card or flowers or go visit. I’m a bad daughter! But I did think about Mother’s Day. What do you think…is it better to send a card late or not send one at all? It’s the old better late than never dilemma.

Mother’s Day has an interesting history.

The Travel channel has a program that you can hardly miss. They seem to do marathons all the time. The show is called Mysteries at the Museum. They ran their Mother’s Day Episode rerun this week and I happened to catch part of it. According to the show The American Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis to honor her mother and the sacrifices she saw other mothers making for their children.

Be careful what you wish for!

Once again the old adage turned out to be true. Anna Jarvis didn’t like what she created. After all her hard work to get Mother’s Day recognized as a National Holiday she grew to hate her creation. It was too commercial. She hated that florists, stationary stores and candy makers jumped on the bandwagon and  made the holiday another commercial extravaganza. She actually spent the rest of her life trying to tear down the holiday her efforts created!

Anna Jarvis’ Vision

Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. That was fine when it was just a local or personal celebration but it all changed once it  “went National”.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p494260681/h5bd62824#h5bd62824

The Sad Result of Mother’s Day Success

Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether. She even actively lobbied the government have it removed from the calendar.

In The End

In the end it was the charities that Anna raged against that cared for her once her financial resources were exhausted.

There are lots of other Mother’s Day traditions around the world. A short but interesting read about this history can be found at http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day

To my Mom, there is no excuse for skipping Mother’s Day but we’ll have our own celebration in June when you join Sandy and me for our Maine Vacation!

Happy Belated Mother’s Day!

 

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p370109947/h7a4eb371#h7a4eb371

Happy St Patrick’s Day

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‘Tis great to be Irish (even if your not)because this is the one day of the year when everyone is a little bit Irish.

Saint Patrick’s Day is an official Christian feast day observed since the 17th century. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. He is also credited with chasing the snakes out of Ireland. A bit of a stretch because there is no evidence that there were ever any snakes in Ireland in the first place. Still, as any good Irishman will say, “It makes for a fine tale” especially after a Guinness or two.

Celebrations include public parades and festivals, green attire and ceilidhs. I didn’t know what that last word was so I had to look it up. According to Wikipedia a ceilidh (there should be an accent mark over the e) is a traditional Scottish or Irish gathering. It can mean, in its simplest form, a social visit but in today’s usage it usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.

If you live in Boston Saint Patrick’s Day is a BIG DEAL. People of Irish ancestry are the largest single ethnic group in Boston. The Irish boom came in the 19th century following the Great Irish Famine.  At first there was a real separation of the Puritan Bostonians and the newly immigrated Irish but with the increasing Irish population, political organization and strong group loyalty the Irish took political control of the city.

The Irish left their mark on the region in a number of ways: in still heavily Irish neighborhoods such as Charlestown and South Boston; in the name of the local basketball team, the Boston Celtics; in the iconic Irish-American political family, the Kennedys.

The annual dispute these days is whether OUTVETS, a gay veteran’s  group can march in the annual St Patrick Day Parade. I’m happy so say that the organizers of the parade finally gave in and said yes and have promised to change their by-laws so this annual dispute will not raise it’s ugly, prejudicial head again.

So raise a pint! Here’s another toast to the feisty Irish with their rich heritage. They bring color and life to a stodgy old city at least one day a year!

May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you St. Patrick’s Day.

Every Day’s a Holiday

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Did you know that just about every day in the year has some holiday or observance attached to it?

Yesterday was the “Ides of March” as in  “Beware the Ides of March”, the warning the soothsayer called out to Julius Caesar. It was also the date of Caesar’s assassination so I guess he really should have taken the warning to heart.

Today’s weird and wonderful holiday is “Everything you do is Right Day”.  (Go away Dudley Do Right!)

I could use a day like that!  Sometimes it feels like everything I do is wrong no matter how hard I try. I’m sure you’ve all felt like that a time or two. Then we get a day where everything you do is Right and my world is back on track! (Would that it were so easy) In any case it’s a nice thought and kind of balances out the bad.

Going back to March 15. Did you know that it’s also Buzzards’ Day?

Buzzard Day is an Ohio holiday where once a year eager residents scan the skies for the return of the bald headed bird. To them this graceful creature signals rebirth not death.

Oh and I missed National Potato Chip Day on March 14 but I’m sure we’ll make up for it on Friday, March 17 when we snack on chips while downing our pints of Green beer. ‘Tis an Irish celebration, St Patrick’s Day, is.

Just a couple of other quick hits…March 20 is National Alien Abductions Day, I kid you not.

Not enough weird holidays for you. March 28 is “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.” With holidays like National Goof off Day and Chip and Dip day I can’t think of anything I’d want to make up. Someone has beat me to all the good stuff. What about you?