Every year on March 17, the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the globe observe St. Patrick’s Day. What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green.
Category: Holidays
Mar 15
Beware! It’s the Ides of March
Everyone knows we’re supposed to beware the Ides of March and may even remember they’re from William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” but what exactly do they mean? The Ides of March marked the day the Julius Caesar was assassinated by members of the Roman Senate in 44 B.C.E. A soothsayer, or psychic, warned Caesar …
Mar 04
March Forth on March Fourth
Today would probably have been a better day for the Music Man post since it’s about marching forth on March Fourth. In honor of dedicated musicians and performers of many diverse styles and backgrounds, Marching Music Day celebrates all varieties of the art forms bringing us “music on the move.” For centuries, the …
Feb 16
Happy Chinese New Year!
Our wonderful daughter-in-law is Chinese, so we are celebrating the Year of the Dog. (Mimi likes that, too and thinks that every year should be about and for her!)
Feb 02
Happy Groundhog Day!
Groundhog Day is observed on February 2nd, each year in the United States and Canada. For a nice welcomed break during the winter, on this day the groundhog awakens from his nap and goes outside to see if he can see his shadow. It is believed by many that if the groundhog sees his …
Feb 02
Today’s “Who Knew?”
Interesting factoid from the Who Knew category… Italian anatomist Antonio Maria Valsalva was born on this day in 1732. He is credited with developing the Valsalva maneuver, the process of trying to blow air out of your nose while it is plugged in order to clear the airways of the ears. He also coined …
Cushing’s
- 📅 What I'm Doing for Rare Disease DayEach and every day since 1987, I tell anyone who will listen about Cushing’s...
- ℹ️ Cushing's Disease BasicsCushing's Disease is a rare condition caused by excessive production of cortisol, a hormone essential for various bodily functions. It is a specific form of Cushing's Syndrome, where the overproduction of cortisol is due to a tumor in the pituitary gland. The condition affects 10 to 15 people per million each year, predominantly women between […]
- ✍️ Rare Disease Day 2026: MaryO, Pituitary/Adrenal Insufficiency/Kidney Cancer BioFor all of my early life, I was the good, compliant, patient. I took whatever pills the doctor prescribed, did whatever tests h/she (most always a HE) wrote for. Believed that whatever he said was the absolute truth. He had been to med school. He knew what was wrong with me even though he didn't live […]
- 📅 Today is Rare Disease DayToday is Rare Disease Day. Learn all about Cushing's Disease at http://www.cushings-help.com/
- 📰 Disease Remission and Surgical Outcomes of Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery for Cushing Disease: A Single Center ExperienceTranssphenoidal surgery is the primary treatment for patients with Cushing disease (CD). This study assessed the surgical and endocrinologic outcomes of patients with CD following endoscopic pituitary surgery using strict biochemical criteria to guide surveillance in patients not achieving early remission.
- 📆 Save the Date: Menopause: new approach to management on Sunday February 22 2026 at 6 PMMenopause: new approach to management Theodore Friedman, MD, PhD will be giving a GoodHormoneHealth webinar on Menopause
- 📆 Save the Date: Pituitary Adenoma Education Da1 February 22 2026Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Mayo Clinic specialists.
- 📰 BIPSS Diagnostic Method May Cause False Positive in Some Cases of Cyclic Cushing’s SyndromeA diagnostic technique called bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS), which measures the levels of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) produced by the pituitary gland, should only be used to diagnose cyclic Cushing’s syndrome patients during periods of cortisol excess, a case report shows. When it is used during a spontaneous remission period of cycling Cushing’s syndrome, this kind of sampling can lead […]
- 📰 Metabolomic Biomarkers in Urine of Cushing’s Syndrome PatientsCushing’s syndrome (CS) is a disease which results from excessive levels of cortisol in the human body. The disorder is associated with various signs and symptoms which are also common for the general population not suffering from compound hypersecretion. Thus, more sensitive and selective methods are required for the diagnosis of CS.
- ℹ️ Understanding Cortisol: The Stress Hormone ExplainedCortisol testing is not routinely done during medical check-ups, and there currently aren’t any at-home tests available to assess cortisol levels. Most healthcare providers only recommend testing for cortisol if there are symptoms indicative of conditions like Cushing’s syndrome.
Music and Local Events
- 🥁 March Forth/FourthToday would probably have been a better day for the Music Man post since it’s about marching forth on March Fourth.
- 📝 National Grammar DayNational Grammar Day is observed across the United States each year on March 4th. According to Global Language Monitor, the estimated number of words in the English language is 1,025,109. There is some controversy to that number, but it’s safe to say it is over a million.
- ☦️ Lenten Hymn and Devotion, Week 3Brian Stevenson, Pender UMC Director of Handbells and Ensembles, presents a series of hymn-based devotions at noon on Wednesdays during Lent. The Third Hymn-based Devotion is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
- 🥁 The Music ManRemembering all the words is no small feat. I first started collecting records (yes, records!) of musicals when I was in high school in Springfield, MA. Our library had an outstanding record collection, but I could only check out one (or 2?) at a time. I would bring my record(s) home, and listen to them […]
- 🎹 A Parent’s Guide to Piano MaestroIt will be fun watching your child improve their piano skills all while having fun using Piano Maestro in lessons each week! As your child’s teacher (or YOUR teacher!), I’m looking forward to seeing the progress they will make when they start using it at home each day. This guide will help you understand how […]
- 🦓 Rare Disease DayThis day is more than a call to awareness; it's a global movement aimed at bridging the gap between isolation and community, despair and hope, challenges and solutions.
- 🎹 Technic Series: Scales and ArpeggiosAn arpeggio (it. /arˈpeddʒo/) is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than being played together like a chord. This word comes from the Italian word “arpeggiare”, which means “to play on a harp”. An alternative translation of this term is “broken chord”.
- ☦️ Lenten Hymn and Devotion, Week 2Brian Stevenson, Pender UMC Director of Handbells and Ensembles, presents a series of hymn-based devotions at noon on Wednesdays during Lent. The Second Hymn-based Devotion is Ah, Holy Jesus.
- 📚 Practice Pie: The Step-By-Step Guide To Helping Your Child Enjoy Their Music PracticeIn Practice Pie, I’ll teach you how to support your child in their musical journey. I can’t promise it will be as easy as pie (but then, is pie really easy?) but I can promise to make it quick and practical, with a little humour thrown in for good measure.
- 🥁 Fun with Music for Preschoolers, MondayStep into a world of giggles and song with “Fun with Music" at Pender! This is not just any music class – it's a journey through sound and imagination designed especially for preschoolers and their favorite grown-ups. Since 2013, Jim and Roberta Pont have been creating a space where tiny toes tap, and little voices […]