Celebration of Life Day - January 22, 2021

DIANE'S CORNER .. 

Celebrate Celebration of Life Day

You’ve heard of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, but what about children’s day? You might be thinking something along the lines of “isn’t that every day?”, but the reality is that parents are always so busy and will rarely get the chance to sit down and enjoy a family day with their little ones. That’s what Celebration Of Life Day is all about–setting time aside to spend with your young ones.

Every now and then, it’s a good idea to take some time off so you can refocus yourself. It’s about stepping back and looking at your life from a different perspective so that you can appreciate everything that you have–including your kids! When you get away from the hustle and bustle of your job and finally get to settle down and reflect on your past with your kids, you’ll start to realize just how blessed you are to have children.

It’ll remind you how special your kids are and how far you’d be willing to go to protect them and ensure they can live a comfortable and stress-free life. Sure, you’re eventually going to let them roam free and become their own person, but even when they move out, it doesn’t break the bond that you have with your kids.

Celebration Of Life Day is all about looking at your children’s life and reminding yourself of all the things you should be proud of. Whether it was the pain of going through labor or the frustration of moving to a new home, there are plenty of challenges that you go through to have children.

There are many more challenges to face in the future, but for now, you can sit back and admire all of the hard work you’ve put into your child’s life up to this point and celebrate your accomplishments, but also spend some time reminiscing and bonding with your child.

With the busy lifestyles that parents have today, it’s hard to spend quality time together with your kids. It makes Celebration Of Life Day a perfect time of the year to book a few days off so that you can focus on your kids and make them your primary focus instead of your job.

History Of Celebration Of Life Day

Celebration of Life Day has its philosophical roots in the practice of gratitude, a tradition that goes back millennia. As you grow older, you realize that the very act of living is a challenge. People struggle through their lives, having to overcome hurdles placed in their way. Sometimes it feels like existence is little more than a problem-solving exercise. Eventually, people are worn out by life and long for a better one where they don’t have to endure such hardships. 

The philosophy of gratitude, however, tries to circumvent this. The idea is that we should all engage in a little thankfulness for what we do have instead of focusing on what is lacking in our lives. Even people in dire situations can find solace in simply being grateful for all the positives in their lives.

The history of gratitude has religious origins. Practically all major faiths emphasize its importance in keeping the mind healthy. Grateful people are often the most content with their lives, and the most willing to celebrate them. Research shows that they are less stressed, less depressed, and have more satisfying social relationships. 

Children are one of the things that people have to be most thankful for in their lives. They are a source of great joy and excitement. Being grateful for the new life you’ve brought in the world is a good practice, even if you sometimes feel like pulling out your hair. 

Abbey Lossing is an illustrator based in Austin, TX. She studied illustration at Syracuse University in New York before working on staff at BuzzFeed and Vice News. She continued to develop her personal work, and began freelancing full-time in 2017. Her work is bold, colorful and weaves together patterns and figures with a playful energy. She loves crowd scenes, city scapes and more intimate portraits.

Joke of the Day

Word of the Day

circumspect

MEANING:

adjective: Careful to consider all circumstances and potential consequences; prudent.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin circumspicere (to look around; to take heed), from circum (around) + specere (to look). Earliest documented use: 1422.

USAGE:

“Everything about him was methodical and circumspect, both as to his duties in operating the ship, but also concerning the rules many men regarded as less strict or obligatory.”
Kim Paffenroth; Pale Gods; Permuted Press; 2013.

Idiom of the Day

What does 'Armchair critic' mean?

An armchair critic is someone who offers advice but never shows that they could actually do any better.

This Day in History

1666 - Shah Jahan, a descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur, died at the age of 74. He was the Mongul emperor of India that built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz-i-Mahal.

1879 - James Shields began a term as a U.S. Senator from Missouri. He had previously served Illinois and Minnesota. He was the first Senator to serve three states.

1901 - Queen Victoria of England died after reigning for nearly 64 years. Edward VII, her son, succeeded her.

1930 - In New York, excavation began for the Empire State Building.

1951 - Fidel Castro was ejected from a Winter League baseball game after hitting a batter. He later gave up baseball for politics.

1966 - The Beach Boys recorded "Wouldn't It Be Nice."

1968 - "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", debuted on NBC TV.

1973 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws that had been restricting abortions during the first six months of pregnancy. The case (Roe vs. Wade) legalized abortion.

1981 - A picture of John Lennon naked appeared in his obituary issue of Rolling Stone.

1983 - Bjorn Borg retired from tennis. He had set a record by winning 5 consecutive Wimbledon championships.

1997 - The U.S. Senate confirmed Madeleine Albright as the first female secretary of state.

2002 - Marc Chagall's work "Study for 'Over Vitebsk" was found at a postal installation in Topeka, KS. The 8x10 oil painting is valued at about $1 million. The work was stolen a year before from the Jewish Museum in New York City.

2003 - It was reported that scientists in China had found fossilized remains of a dinosaur with four feathered wings.

thanks, Bev

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, January 22

You are highly intelligent, although your viewpoints are not always understood and your thinking is often far ahead of its time. Easily bored and quickly distracted, you can be impatient at times if others are not as quick or clever as you. While broad-minded overall, you can also be quite stubborn in your thinking. Work and daily routines need to change, even in small ways, in order to keep you interested and challenged. Many of you have a strong travel itch. Famous people born today: 

1561 Francis Bacon, Strand, statesman/essayist (Novum Organum), born in London, England (d. 1626)

1645 William Kidd, Scottish pirate legend, born in Greenock (or Dundee), Scotland (d. 1701) date and place disputed

1788 Lord Byron [George Gordon Byron], English romantic poet (Don Juan), born in London (d. 1824)

1875 D.W. Griffith, American film director and producer (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance), born in LaGrange, Kentucky (d. 1948)

1904 George Balanchine, Russian-American ballet composer and choreographer who founded the New York City Ballet, born in St. Petersburgh, Russian Empire (d. 1983) [OS=Jan 9]

1934 Bill Bixby, American actor, director and producer (Incredible Hulk, My Favorite Martian), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1993)

thanks, Abby

READERS INFO

1.

1973 -

This is a 1972 photo of the United States Supreme court who decided on Roe V. Wade. From left, front row : Associate Justice Potter Stewart; William O. Douglas;Chief Justice Warren Berger, Associate Justice William J. Brennan Jr. and Byron A. White. Back row: Associate Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.;Thurgood Marshall; Harry A. Blackmun; and William H. Rehnquist. (AP)

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws that had

been restricting abortions during the first six months of pregnancy. The case (Roe vs. Wade) legalized abortion. The Court ruled, in a 7-2 decision, that a woman’s right to choose an abortion was protected by the privacy rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

2.

Jan 23, 1943 -

Duke Ellington had his first performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Ellington was a jazz composer, bandleader and pianist who played an influential role in jazz music. Edward "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington, D.C. He started playing piano at age 7. Ellington wrote his first song, called Soda Fountain Rag, at the age of 15. In 1923, Ellington played at the Exclusive Club in Harlem. Later that year, Ellington started a four-year gig at the Hollywood Club in Harlem with the Washingtonians. Ellington later became the band leader. The Hollywood Club had a fire, and reopened under the name of the Kentucky Club. In 1926, Ellington then signed with agent-publisher Irving Mills. In 1927, Ellington began performing at the Cotton Club in Harlem. The Cotton Club had a weekly radio broadcast which gave Ellington and his music national exposure. In the 1930s, Ellington began touring the world with his music. From the 1930s to the 1970s, Ellington performed and composed music. Some of his best known songs during his career include: It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), Prelude to a Kiss, Sophisticated Lady and Mood Indigo. Ellington's compositions have had a profound influence on jazz music. Ellington earned a total of 12 Grammys and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. He was also awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for music in 1999. He passed away on May 24, 1974 at the age of 75. 

3.

Jan 24, 1862 - 

TODAY: Edith Wharton, American novelist, short story writer, playwright, and designer, is born.

4.

Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

QUICK FIXES - SOME NATURAL REMEDIES

Arthritis: 1 t. Turmeric, 1 t. unflavoured gelatin, 2 . honey, and 1-2 c. Warm milk before bed. Add a pinch of cinnamon or ginger for a better flavour. Brain Health: Eat eggs for their choline, 2 T. Of Coconut Oil daily for their triglycerides, and drink clean water (reverse osmosis or distilled). That is all your brain is made of, and without causes the brain to be malnourished. Bruises: Bite a Vitamin E capsule or two, and apply the contents to the bruise, then swallow the capsule. Blood Sugar: Work a teaspoon of cinnamon into your diet daily or mix with honey into hot water before bed. Colds: 1 big pinches of Ajwain + 2 tablets of Siberian Ginsing + 1 Zinc 3 x daily, and all the chewable Vitamin C you want. Drink herbal teas: Hibiscus for Vitamin C, Licorice Root tea for cough, Marshmallow Root for sore chest, and Bromelein supplements to break down mucous. Dairy products will only nourish you if the butterfat is well over 3%. The proteins must have available calcium to be processed, and the fat carries the calcium and helps to get it into the bloodstream. Without the fat, the proteins, which demand calcium, strip it from the bones and teeth. A fetus is brutal in its demand for calcium. So drink less milk if you are concerned about fat and animal proteins, but when you do, use light cream at 5% BF (butterfat). Low-fat dairy products do more harm than good, and have added stabilizers and gums added to them. Depression: 20 IU Vitamin D3 per lb., with 2.5 mg Magnesium Citrate per lb. Of body weight, daily. Use Magnesium Oil. Distilled Water will help with many health problems and flush out kidney and liver channels by breaking down insoluble mineral deposits. You do not need to add minerals to the water, as soluble minerals are absorbed by plants, thus you get them from the foods you eat, not water. Earache: Mash a clove of garlic in 2 t. Olive oil. Wait 10 minutes before straining into a drop bottle. Put a few drops into affected ear and wad with some cotton. Do this 2 x daily until ear is well. Fats should only be consumed when as close to nature as possible. Genetically modified oils such as corn, soy, and canola are worse for your health than lard. Use cold-pressed virgin oils and low heat when cooking. Clear deodorized cooking oils are also bad as the molecules have been fractured by heat and chemicals, so they enter the bloodstream as free radicals, and exhaust the immune system. Cook with butter, coconut oil, and yellow extra-virgin olive oil as often as possible. Save the fried chicken for a rare treat. Flu Buster 1 lemon or lime, juiced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 t. Ginger, minced 2 t. Raw honey 1/8 – 1/4 t. Cayenne 2 c. Water Make this up 2 or 3 times a day at the onset of a cold or Flu, until well. Fatigue: Natural B12 (methylcobalamine) sublingual at 3,000 mcg daily Memory Fog & Loss: 1 T. Coconut Oil with 10 mg; Lithium Orotate daily against Alzheimer’s. Insomnia: 3 capsules of flax seed oil (or 3 T. Ground daily), with warm milk and honey at bedtime. Magnesium Oil: 2 T. Epson Salts In 3 T. Boiling water; stir until dissolved. Pour into glass bottle. Massage 1/2 t. On tummy at bedtime to help calm kicking legs, anxiety, etc. Tremors: Try using Magnesium Oil, Vitamin D3 therapy as above, and a good teaspoon of liquid lecithin daily, which will coat the myalin sheath around the spinal nerves. Wounds: Make a cup of comfrey tea, strain, and dip a clean washcloth or handkerchief in the tea. Wring it out and apply to clean wound or bruises. If you need an ointment, raw honey is excellent.

FRIDAY'S INTERESTING FACTS

If you lift a kangaroo’s tail off the ground it can’t hop.

Kangaroos use their tails for balance whilst hopping, so if you elevate their tail, they would have no balance and fall over.

7% of American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.

I know 7% doesn’t sound like a lot, but that actually works out at 16.4 million American adults. Sounds like a lot now right?

Cherophobia is an irrational fear of fun or happiness.

That’s one phobia I wouldn’t like to have… it would probably mean they would fear these fun facts!

So far, two diseases have successfully been eradicated: smallpox and rinderpest.

The last naturally occurring case of smallpox was diagnosed in October 1977, and the last case of rinderpest was diagnosed in 2001.

The oldest “your mom” joke was discovered on a 3,500 year old Babylonian tablet.

It was discovered in Iraq in 1976, however since then the tablet has been lost, but the text remains preserved.

PATTERN BOOK FRIDAY

Knitted comforts for men on land and sea

Pictures of the Day

A TRACE image of sunspots. This image of the surface, or photosphere, of the sun from September 2002, is taken in the far ultraviolet in on a relatively quite day for solar activity, but still shows a large sunspot group visible as a bright area near the horizon. Although sunspots are relatively cool regions on the surface of the sun, the bright glowing gas flowing around the sunspots have a temperature of over one million °C (1.8 million °F). The high temperatures are thought to be related to the rapidly changing magnetic field loops that channel solar plasma.

England

Deer Calling: Richmond Park, London, in Late October.

 

knit .. Valentine's Day
thanks, Adele

Sweetheart Beaded Glovelets pattern by The Rainey Sisters

knit
thanks, Marcy

Cloud#2 pattern by Berangere Cailliau

knit

Ladies Chain Link Hoodie pattern by Cygnet Yarns Ltd

knit

Rocket Dust pattern by Kate Agner

knit

Solace Gloves pattern by Cristi Ebersole

Crochet Patterns of the Day: 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Rainflower Shawlette

Little Treasure Baby Blanket Pattern.

crochet .. Valentine's Day
thanks, June

How to Read Crochet Charts: Valentine's Heart

crochet
thanks, Ava

Asymmetrical Cardigan pattern by Erika Knight

crochet

Adorable crochet baby mouse pattern

crochet

Harlequin Crochet Slippers

crochet

Easy Crocheted Earrings

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Baked Beans Recipe

Quarantine Cooking Recipes

thanks, Debbie

Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Jane

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RECIPE

Both vegetarian and vegan diets may provide health benefits, including reduced body weight, lower cholesterol levels, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is important for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they are meeting all of their nutritional requirements.

thanks, Alice

Avocado Blueberry Muffins

COPYCAT RECIPE 

thanks, Jenny

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones Copycat Recipe

RETRO

thanks, Ann

Mom’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake

SWEETS

thanks, Ida

3 Ingredient M&M Fudge

COOKBOOK FRIDAY

Mrs. Winslow's Domestic Receipt Book

ADULT COLORING

FUN

answer: (click "HINT")

Guess The Crossword

CRAFTS .. Valentine's Day

thanks, 

Heart of Hope Dreamcatcher

CHILDREN'S CORNER .. Valentine's Day

thanks, Betty

Candy Filled Valentines

PUZZLE

Yellow Spokes Jigsaw Puzzle

WORD SEARCH

arrow assume bliss bout cacophonous corner count

depository discuss dollar found hint hiss

medal money operation outshine paper patrol possibility

reduce roar ruffle scythe sews sorrow stabilize

stellar story suit toilet toss under widow

SUDOKU .. hard

solution:

ICE BREAKER ..

thanks, Kris

You can use 'ice breaker questions' to build a rapport, enabling strangers to engage in back and forth conversion. With a little practice and possibly a beer or two, you’ll be breaking more ice than the Titanic. 

Would You Rather Become A Popular Celebrity Whom Everyone Hates Or Be A Normal Person Whom Everyone Loves?

QUOTE

thanks, Helen

CLEVER 

thanks, Michelle

10 Clever Ways to Use Dryer Sheets That Don't Involve Laundry

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Agnes

This is what each US state flag represents

Abbey Lossing

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us. -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

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