Celebrate Mother's Day

A cup of tea to say thank you

For all the things you've done,

And wishes that the day will bring

You happiness and fun.

Happy Mother's Day!

©birdiekity May - 1998


TeaCup: CC0 Public Domain
Updated 5/10/17

Going Green on St Patrick's Day

The world goes green on 
St. Patrick's Day!

Go fullscreen, sit back and enjoy 

In Ireland every day is green!
- wish you were there!

~Irish Blessing~
May your troubles be less
and your blessings be more
and nothing but happiness
Come through your door

Check out St. Patrick's Day Selfies at 
We All Love Ireland

Visit my other posts:

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day Cookies

 

#GoGreen4PatricksDay

edited 3/17/17

Celebrate Pi Day 3/14/15

Pi Day Cake
by Endlessly777

"ONCE IN A LIFETIME MATH MOMENT ON SATURDAY'S PI DAY, 3/14/15 AT 9:26 AM"

Enjoy the instant of Pi!

Want to know why Pi matters? Read more

Read my previous Celebrate Pi Day Post Click Here

Image Pi Day Cake by Endlessly777
Creative Commons

It's International Polar Bear Day, to raise awareness

"Polar bear with young - ANWR"

Polar Bears International's Polar Bear Day is an opportunity to raise awareness and bring attention to these iconic polar bears' struggle as they face a warming Arctic and lets us know how we can help. 
 Find out more click here

Love this video of a Polar Bear Swimming!

In Honor of International Polar Bear Day, Check out these Links
Spectacular Pictures of a Threatened Species
National Geographic‎


Polar Bears International
The world's leading polar bear conservation group—dedicated to saving polar bears by saving their sea ice habitat.

Teach your kids about Polar Bears with this wonderful Sound Book. Click the image for more info.



Paul Goldstein has bought together his favorite images of the majestic predator. Click here to view

If you live in the U.S., 

urge Congress to take action 

on the issue of climate change.

Image "Polar bear with young - ANWR" by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters.
Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Celebrating National Hug Day

Hug

Since 1986 January 21 has been celebrated as National Hug Day in the U.S. However, it is not a public holiday. January 21 was chosen because it marks a midpoint between Christmas and Valentines day, when you might think people are at their emotional low. 

What better way to lift spirits than with hugs? 

I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words. ~Ann Hood

Not only do hugs lift your spirits, but research shows that hugs have other benefits!

Who will you hug today?

Image Jesslee Cuizon, Creative Commons

Winnie the Pooh Day

The real stuffed toys Public Domain

We celebrate Jan 18 as the birthday of A. A. Milne, British novelist, playwright, poet, and the author of Winnie the Pooh, a bear that is loved by young and old. Milne was born in London, England, on January 18, 1882.

Milne's greatest and enduring successes were his best-seller books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928), illustrated by artist Ernest H. Shepard. Of course we know these books as the adventures a young boy named Christopher Robin, after Milne's own son (Christopher Robin Milne), and Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. 

The animal playmates were inspired by the real Christopher Robin's stuffed toys. The stuffed animals depicted in the photo are the actual Harrods toys purchased for Christopher Milne in the early 1920's. 

Clockwise from bottom left in the above photo are bouncy tiger Tigger, kind kangaroo Kanga, Edward Bear (aka a bear named Winnie-the-Pooh the central character), gloomy donkey Eeyore, and shy Piglet. Roo was also one of the original toys but he was lost a long time ago. Pooh, Piglet, and the others now live at the New York Public Library. Wise Owl and fussy Rabbit were not based on toys and Gopher was made up for the Disney version.

"...these are some of the best-loved characters in children's literature. They began as stuffed toy animals that belonged to a boy named Christopher Robin." ~scholastic.com

In addition to the two Pooh books, Milne's best known works are his two collections of children's poetry, When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927)

"The 38th poem in the book, "Teddy Bear", that originally appeared in Punch magazine in February 1924, was the first appearance of the famous character Winnie-the-Pooh, first named "Mr. Edward Bear" by Christopher Robin Milne." ~wikipedia.com

Read more about Pooh, The Tao of Pooh and find a few gifts at my page Winnie the Pooh & Pals

National Forget-Me-Not Day

Forget_Me_Not

November 10th is National Forget-Me-Not Day, a special day set aside each year to remember and connect with the special people in your life.

Today is a great day for remembering friends and slowing down to recognize the little things in life. Celebrate this day by making phone calls, writing letters, sending cards, flowers, or even better, schedule a get-together.   Take just a minute to let someone know that you are thinking about them.

Today even has its own special flower, the Forget-Me-Not.

Memories are forget-me-nots gathered along life's way,
pressed close to the heart in a perennial bouquet! 
~ Karen Mortensen

Forget-Me-Not Day is not just for the living. It is also an important reminder to remember those very special loved ones who have passed away. 
 
Send a real card (and flowers, too) to someone you care about here: SendOutCards

Image by jkl-foto GNU Free Documentation License

Celebrate National Lemonade Day

Lemonade

How do you Celebrate National Lemonade Day? Celebrate by mixing up your favorite flavor: You can make regular lemonade, pink lemonade, strawberry lemonade and even watermelon lemonade.

Lemonade is a sweetened beverage made from lemons, sugar, and water. This cooling drink has been popular in the Southern United States for years! Sweet tea and lemonade are practically trade marks of the south.

Try Watermelon Lemonade! The mild flavour of the watermelon blends nicely with the tart lemon juice.
~Mix 6 cups watermelon in blender with 1 cup water
~1/3 cup sugar
~Best to heat sugar and water to make a syrup before adding 1/2 cup lemon juice

Watch this video to learn how to make Easy Homemade Lemonade  - Old Fashioned from Divas Can Cook
Get the recipe here 



Or try Fresh Peach Lemonade Recipe : Easy, Homemade Get the recipe here My idea of the way to spend a hot summer afternoon?

 "Give me a lazy warm day, a magazine, a front porch swing and a glass of homemade peach lemonade and I am content for hours. Whew talk about refreshing!" ~divascanccook.com

Impress your friends with this elegant beverage Dispenser. Click the image to see more.

Elegant Hammered Glass Beverage Dispenser with Scroll Iron Stand

How about a recipe for Frozen Lemonade Pie to help keep you feeling cool and refreshed!

image Lemonade CC Public Domain
edited 8/19/18

20 orangutan pictures for World Orangutan Day

Celebrating World Orangutan Day August 19 to raise awareness about the great red ape, which is threatened by habitat loss, pet trade and hunting!

Click here to see photos and story:
20 orangutan pictures for World Orangutan Day

National Watermelon Day

August 3 is National Watermelon Day, 
one of the days we celebrate this month. 

Watermelon is a staple at family picnics and cookouts during the summer. But given the health benefits of watermelon, you might consider adding this yummy fruit to your diet year round if you can get it.

Watermelon is yummy and healthy

Did you know that watermelon is one of the high-lycopene foods. Lycopene is a carotenoid phytonutrient that's especially important for our cardiovascular health. 

In recent research studies show watermelon to be high in lycopene. An increasing number of scientists now believe that lycopene is important for bone health as well.

Watermelon is also a good choice for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant health benefits that can provide us with great fiber benefits at a low calorie cost.

How to Eat a Watermelon

Are you going to need a good knife to cut you watermelon? Try this one made especially for cutting watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew melon with ease!



  Read more Watermelon Recipes, Stories, History & More

National Scotland Day

Tartan

We're celebrating National Tartan Day again, a time for celebrating the full, rich culture of Scotland! Tartan Day commemorates the Scottish Declaration of Independence, signed on April 6, 1320. In Canada and the US it’s a huge celebration, particularly for more than eleven million Americans who claim Scottish and Scotch-Irish roots and are proud of their ancestors.

The Declaration Of Arbroath

In 1320 51 Scottish nobles and magnates sealed the Declaration Of Arbroath, "a statement of intent sent to Pope John XXII confirming Scotland as a sovereign state."

This document was the inspiration for The 1776 US Declaration Of Independence. Hence Senate Resolution 155 and the Presidential Proclamation that decreed April 6 National Tartan Day. This proclamation refers to the predominance of Scots among our founding fathers and it recognizes the huge contribution they have made to the building of this nation.

"So today America celebrates all things Scottish with marches, Saltires, food fairs, gigs, fashion shows, tattoos, bagpipes, drums, dancing, speeches and parties — even miniature Falkirk Kelpies will be unveiled." ~Donald MaCleod

It’s Tartan Day — let’s party like it’s 1320

How will you celebrate? If you are not of Scottish heritage, I bet you know someone who is.....you know me! Take me to TEA!

Brodies Tea, Scottish Breakfast

You might know a few Celtic Women, some of them might have some Scottish blood!

If you are of Scottish heritage, reply to this message. Let's have some fun!!

To order your Tartan, click this link to start your search:
Light Beige Tartan Lambswool Scarf Gift

Here are some links you might want to check out:
Celebrating Tartan Day 2013

St. Patrick's Day Cookies

St. Patrick's Day Cookies

St. Patrick's Day Cookies 

They may not be traditional but they are fun! Whether you are planning a party or just for family, these cookies will be a big hit.

For centuries, these symbols held incredible power for the ancient Celts in every way of life. These Irish-inspired cookies are shamrocks, Celtic crosses and the Claddagh.

Ancient Celts revered the shamrock because of the trinity of its leaves. 

The Celtic cross is a symbol representing the meeting place of the Divine energies.

The heart of the Claddagh represents love, the crown is symbolic of loyalty, and the hands represent friendship.

Tips to make Perfect Cookies / Top 10 Cookie-Baking Tips / Tips for Decorating Cookies

Love this photo of St. Patrick's Day Cookies
used with permission from Oh Sugar Events Claddagh

Celtic Symbols and Signs

edited 3/17/2017

Celebrating National Oreo Day

March 6 is National Oreo Day! 

For over 100 years the world has enjoyed the Oreo Cookie! In 1912, Nabisco had a new idea for a cookie – two chocolate disks with a creme filling in between. Little did they know that this sweet white cream sandwiched between two chocolate biscuits would become the largest selling cookie of all time.

Did you know Oreos were first created in a New York City bakery with British customers in mind? Today they can be found in more than 100 countries.

It remains a mystery exactly why the cookies are named Oreos. They were initially named “Oreo Biscuits.” But the name changed to the “Oreo Crème Sandwich” in the 1940s and to the “Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie” in the 1970s.

The first Oreo cookie looked very similar to the Oreo cookie of today, with only a slight difference in the design on the chocolate disks, but the ingredients have changed. 

My friend Shinichi Mine loves to eat, travel and cook. You can follow him on adventures through new food discoveries on YouTube as he comes up with unique recipes in his tiny kitchen in Tokyo. Here is his recipe for Oreos!

Festive White Chocolate-Covered Oreo Cookies

Oreo cookies covered in decadent white chocolate with sprinkles make everyone happy! Easy to make and yummylicious!

The original Oreo recipe included pork fat for the creamy center!!

In the mid-1990s, health concerns prompted Nabisco to replace the lard in the filling with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Starting in 2006, Oreo cookies replaced the trans fat in the cookie with non-hydrogenated vegetable oil. Oreos became Kosher in December 1997.

When they first debuted, there was also a lemon meringue flavor of Oreos, but those were discontinued in the 1920s. 


Do you think this is true?
I've read that women rather than men are more likely to pull their Oreos apart before eating them.

It's easy to order a box of Oreo's Click Here

 Images from Public Domain and Amazon 

Updated 3/15

Remembering Shirley Temple

When I was young, Shirley Temple movies were shown on TV quite often. I loved her movies which were always entertaining and uplifting. One of my favorite of her films was with her friend Bill Robinson who was a fabulous dancer himself. He appeared as a dancing butler in movies with young Shirley Temple.

Click the photo if you would like to purchase Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 3 (Dimples / The Little Colonel / The Littlest Rebel) (1936) 

In this video Bill "Bojangles" Robinson dances the stairs with a young Shirley Temple
From "The Little Colonel" (1935)

To watch Shirley Temple movies on Amazon click here: 
Hollywood Collection: Shirley Temple Americas Little Darling

Click Here to read more about Shirley Temple famed former child actress.
Click Here  to learn more about Robinson and the song that was written about him.

 

The Day the Music Died

"The Day the Music Died", dubbed so by Don McLean's song "American Pie" refers to the tragic aviation accident that occurred on February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing rock and roll musicians 22 year old Buddy Holly (Peggy Sue), 17 year old Ritchie Valens (La Bamba), J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (Chantilly Lace), and the pilot Roger Peterson.

Singer Don McLean memorialized Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit “American Pie,”

Ironically, Holly, who influenced such artists as Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney, and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with “That’ll Be the Day,” and his last single was  "It Doesn't Matter Anymore."

"...with each passing decade, the myth of Buddy Holly has grown by substantial degrees." ~Claire Suddath, Time

Buddy Holly's career only lasted a year and a half with only one number one single, yet his influence on early rock 'n' roll is almost unmatched.

"Both John Lennon and George Harrison learned to play guitar in part by listening to Buddy Holly records. The first Rolling Stones' single released in the U.S. was cover of Holly's "Not Fade Away." ~Claire Suddath, Time

Buddy Holly and The Crickets - Peggy Sue - Live on The Arthur Murray Party (29th December, 1957)

Read More
Time: A Brief History of The Day the Music Died
This Day in History 

Edited 2/3/16

Happy St. Brigid's Day to one and all

Our Lady and Saint Non's chapel

Today is the festival of St. Brigid, the beginning of the old Celtic season of Imbolc, or Imbolg (pronounced i-MOLK or i-MOLG ), also called (Saint) Brigid's Day, a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring.

Christians, especially in Ireland, observe February 1 as the feast day of Saint Brigid (of Kildare), one of the patron saints of Ireland.

St. Brigid's Blessing
"Go down on your knees, do homage, and let blessed Brigid enter the house"

May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell.
Bless every fireside, every wall and door.
Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof.
Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy.
Bless every foot that walks its portals through.
May Brigid bless the house that shelters you.

Brigid is also referred to as the "triple goddess of Smithcraft (with Celtic warriors invoking her protection before battle), Healing, and Poetry and the Arts. In folklore St. Brigid became the principal focus of the feast of Imbolc.

 Imbolc - the coming of Spring - the great wheel of the year turns again on February 1st, with the ancient sacred day of the Celtic goddess Brigid - Mother Goddess of Ireland - also called Brigit, Bride, Brighid, and Brigantia. The root of her name means 'bright' or 'exalted', and possibly 'firebrand'." ~Hamish Burgess Celtic Artist

Reference to this holiday is found in some of the earliest Old Irish literature, from the 10th century. It was a festival of the hearth and home, and a celebration of the lengthening days and the early signs of spring. Celebrations often involved hearthfires, special foods, candles or a bonfire if the weather permitted. Fire and purification were an important part of the festival. The lighting of candles and fires represented the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months.

St.Brigit's Cross

The wickerwork cross,  known as St.Brigit's Cross, has been a popular talisman of St. Brigid since the 17th century and it is widely believed to be a Christian symbol. But its origins lie in much older traditions and folklore. It is thought to have origins in the ancient symbol for the sun.

Many rituals are associated with the making of the crosses. It was traditionally believed that a Brigid's Cross protects the house from fire and evil. It is hung in many Irish kitchens for this purpose.

The cross is usually woven out of rushes and sometimes straw. It consists of a central square surrounded by four arms at right angles and adorns the doors and rafters of Irish homes, usually in the kitchen, warding off fire and evil. Traditionally, before being placed the crosses "would sometimes be blessed with holy water, a ritual with connotations simultaneously Christian and Pagan."

This video will show you how to make your own St. Brigit's Cross:

How will you celebrate?

Happy Saint David's Day For My Welsh Friends
Celtic Calendar Gifts

Celtic Women The Genetic Code 
Irish Celtic Snow Globes Gifts
Celebrating Scotland


Images:
*Our Lady and Saint Non's chapel ( St Davids, Wales ). Stained glass window ( 1934 ) showing Saint Bride ( Brigid of Kildare )
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
*Saint Brigid's cross, made from rushes from County Down by Culnacreann
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

Edited 2/1/16

Bowie & Elvis Share The Same Birthday

Bowie and Elvis share January 8 as a birthday, both Capricorn according to western astrology. They, also, are both born in the Year of the Pig in Chinese Astrology.

Chinese Astrology Years of the Pig
1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

David Bowie (born David Robert Jones January 8, 1947)



Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977)

According to the popular Chinese myth the animal ruling the year in which a person is born tremendously influences his or her behavior and traits.

Pig people are said to possess considerable determination and if they set their minds on something will pursue it and attain it. Good careers for people born in the year of the pig are in music, food, writing, and looking after others.

They are often imbued with the energy of wealth and the support of others. The person born in the Year of the Pig accepts the existing richness of life.

They are said to be tolerant, generous, and peaceful. They are well liked for their honesty and warm nature, which was true of Elvis and I think it is true of Bowie.

Are you a fan of one or both of these men? Do you think these attributes fit them?

Want to read more about Elvis? Check out Elvis The Martial Artist

Today is Toss Your Fruitcake Day

One of my favorite holiday traditions as a kid was enjoying my grandmother's fruitcake. Have you ever tasted a really good fruitcake? My grandmother made the most awesome fruitcake in the world! Assumption Abbey Bakery in Southwest Missouri makes an awesome fruitcake almost as good as my grandmother's! The Abby is located near Ava, Mo., nestled in the foothills of the Missouri Ozarks.

Jasper Mirabile, Jr. recently interviewed Assumption Abbey’s Father Cyprian on his ‘Live! From Jasper’s Kitchen’ radio show and wrote an article about the interview on kansascity.com.

He writes that "only eight monks, tirelessly and lovingly work at producing these cakes each day" and that "the task begins early each morning when one of the monks begins cracking 265 eggs."

What makes the cakes so good? Mirabile writes that the fruit is first soaked in burgundy wine, added to the batter then baked. Then the monks inject each cake "with over 1 ounce of rum and then soak them in corn syrup." After each cake if finished, the monks gather and pray over each cake.

This is a quote from the Abby's website:

"O GOD, CREATOR OF ALL THINGS
BLESS NOW THESE CREATIONS OF OUR HANDS.
THAT THESE CAKES MAY BE RECEIVED
AS TOKENS OF YOUR LOVE
AND SHARED WITH FRIENDS AS HINTS
OF YOUR EUCHARISTIC FEAST...."

If you're not a fruitcake lover, this dark, rich, traditional style fruitcake will make you one! Each cake is made with raisins, pineapple, currants, citron, walnuts, and wine and laced with rum.

The monks of Assumption Abbey produce 125 fruitcakes a day! That's almost 25,000 cakes per year. You can order you cake here:  Assumption Abbey Bakery  It comes in a decorative, re-useable tin and weighs about 2 lbs.

A good fruitcake is aged. If it contains alcohol and is wrapped in alcohol-soaked linen before storing, it could remain edible for many years. 

Tell me about your fruitcake experience in the comments!

Evaluate Your Life Day

Today is Evaluate Your Life Day. This is a good time to read The Optimist's Creed.

Read The Optimist's Creed daily. Use it as a powerful tool to become the most brilliant magnet for magnificence and joy in your life.

Inspirational writer CHRISTIAN DAA LARSON (b. 1874) is the author of the well-known Optimist Creed. He wrote "Our destiny is not mapped out for us by some exterior power; we map it out for ourselves. What we think and do in the present determines what shall happen to us in the future."

To Read The Optimist's Creed Click Here

Come Little Children - Hocus Pocus

In the fall some people start thinking of celebrating the traditions of Hallowe'en or "All Hollows Eve". 

There are a few movies that come to mind. Hocus Pocus is one of them. 

Here is a video to celebrate the season. 



Fantasies Ghost "The song 'Come Little Children' from Hocus Pocus was created using the first verse of the Poem 'Come Little Children' by Edgar Allen Poe."
 

~*Lyrics*~

Come little children,
I'll take thee away,
into a land of Enchantment.

Come little children,
The time's come to play,
Here in my garden of Shadows.

Song/Poem: Come Little Children
Poet: Edgar Allen Poe
Cover Artist: Kate Covington (katethegreat19)