Ever hear anyone exclaim, “Oh, fudge!” when they’ve screwed something up? Like the Slinky, the Post-It note, potato chips, and penicillin, the dense candy-like treat known as fudge is believed to have been a mistake. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Most all these comments are way too close for comfort! It has been said that “no one escapes childhood unscathed.” But sayings like these can have an especially significant meaning for a person who has …
The first Monday of every September is dedicated to the men and women who have labored to build this country. Through a time-honored tradition that has its roots in the coordinated efforts of the labor movement of the 1800s, we salute the American worker force.
Labor Day was celebrated for the first time in New York City in 1882. It was originally celebrated on September 5th, but was moved to the first Monday in September in 1884.
Labor Day started out as a state holiday, getting voted in by individual states. As the day gained popularity, Congress declared Labor Day 1894.
With an added day to the weekend and the school year starting, Labor Day also signals the official end of summer. Families take one last summer trip and cities hold one last festival for the season.
This is a post from last year but I’m sharing it again. Mimi didn’t quite make it to Dog Day this year. She died Sunday night, August 23rd. There will be a “memorial-type” post later, when I get my act together.
Meanwhile, remember this:
A dog is man’s best friend.
National Dog Day is observed annually on August 26th.
This day encourages dog ownership of all breeds. Whether mixed or purebred, embrace the opportunity for all dogs to live a happy, safe and abuse-free life. Dogs give us companionship; they keep us safe, and they aid those in need. It is a goal for many on this day to find homes for all dogs in need of a loving family. The purpose of the National Dog Day Foundation is to rescue 10,000 dogs each year
When dogs find a forever home, their companionship creates lifelong benefits. They bring with them joy, loyalty, and devotion. Eventually, no matter the breed, these pets become family.
We had Mimi for most of her 12+ years of life. After our previous dog died, I didn’t think I could ever get another dog but a friend was fostering a dog who’d just had puppies. When I first met Mimi she was a bit nippy but we straightened that out fast!
National Donald Duck Day is observed annually on June 9th. This day commemorates the birthday of the funny animal cartoon character, Donald Duck. Donald made his first screen debut on June 9, 1934, in The Wise Little Hen.
Donald Duck usually wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie and is most famous for his semi-intelligible speech along with his mischievous and irritable personality
Donald Duck has appeared in more films than any other Disney character. Donald was also declared in 2002 by TV Guide as one of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all times.
It was in Donald’s second appearance in Orphan’s Benefit that he was introduced to his comic friend, Mickey Mouse. Donald’s girlfriend, Daisy Duck, along with his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, were introduced shortly after that.
In addition to animation, Donald is also known for his appearance in comic books and newspaper comic strips.
One of Donald Duck’s famous sayings is “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.”
DURING WORLD WAR I, A grandmother in Belgium knitted at her window, watching the passing trains. As one train chugged by, she made a bumpy stitch in the fabric with her two needles. Another passed, and she dropped a stitch from the fabric, making an intentional hole.
Later, she would risk her life by handing the fabric to a soldier—a fellow spy in the Belgian resistance, working to defeat the occupying German force.Whether women knitted codes into fabric or used stereotypes of knitting women as a cover, there’s a history between knitting and espionage. “Spies have been known to work code messages into knitting, embroidery, hooked rugs, etc,” according to the 1942 book A Guide to Codes and Signals.
During wartime, where there were knitters, there were often spies; a pair of eyes, watching between the click of two needles.
Observed annually on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivor’s Day has been set aside to “demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.”
Each year on National Cancer Survivor’s Day, events and celebrations are held and hosted around the United States by local communities, hospitals and support groups honoring cancer survivors. Events may include parades, carnivals, art exhibits, contests and testimonies. President George W. Bush and the National Cancer Institute director each included a commencement at the 2008 celebration.
So today is my day and my mom’s day and countless other people’s day. I’m a kidney cancer survivor – 13 years now!
My mom survived colon cancer TWICE
My sister-in-law survived breast cancer TWICE
My DH survived melanoma and is working hard at surviving prostate cancer.
It hasn’t been all good though. There have been many more in my extended family who did not survive, including my dad and my aunt.
Congratulations to the survivors on this special “Who Knew” holiday, National Cancer Survivor’s Day
Thanks, Grandpa… You weren’t American, but you fought valiantly for the cause overseas.
I never met my grandfather. He had died in Peshawar, India, fighting for the Black Watch during World War l. Peshawar was on the northern frontier of British India, near the Khyber Pass.
In 1947, Peshawar became part of the newly independent state of Pakistan after politicians approved the merger into the state that had just been carved from British India.
We have a trunk of his belongings, though, and it’s very interesting to recreate his life.
My dad was born in Scotland in 1913.
In 1914, my grandfather was involved in this:
On the outbreak of war there were seven Black Watch battalions – for in addition to the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions and 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion there were a further four Territorial ones which had become part of the Regiment in 1908. They were the 4th Dundee [Mary O’Note: I’m pretty sure this was his, since that’s where my dad was born], 5th Angus, 6th Perthshire and the 7th Battalion from Fife. The 1st Battalion was in action at the very start of the war taking part in the Retreat from Mons before turning on the Germans at the River Marne and the subsequent advance to the Aisne. Trench warfare then set in and the 2nd Battalion arrived from India, both battalions taking part in the Battle of Givenchy. Meanwhile the Territorial battalions had been mobilised at the start of the war but only the 5th was in action in 1914.
I guess this is why I love the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch so much.
Thanks, Grandpa!
In August 2016 we went to the Edinburgh Tattoo for the second time. This had been on my bucket list for a long time since my grandfather was in the Black Watch and I just love to hear bagpipes. Even my cellphone ringtone is Scotland, the Brave.
My mom says that my Grandfather’s name is inscribed as a war hero in Edinburgh Castle, where the Tattoo is held.
Another of the Who Knew?-type posts. It’s National Tap Dance Day. When I was a little kid, I took the “required” ballet and tap classes for a year. My mom has a picture of me in my tutu and one in my majorette costume for the tap recital. I imagine I only took for the year because those costumes cost extra money.
Later on, I bought tap shoes – still unused – and signed up with a friend for a local adult tap class. Unfortunately, we were the only ones who signed up for the class and it was canceled. It was a major nightmare trying to get our money back. They wanted to give us a credit for the next time, but that would cost more money which we didn’t want to pay.
A couple years ago, a local teacher set up series of 5 classes and advertised on Nextdoor. I signed up. And, my mom fell and all my attention was directed in her way.
National Tap Dance Day falls on May 25 every year and is a celebration of tap dancing as an American art form. The idea of National Tap Dance Day was first presented to U.S. Congress on February 7, 1989 and was signed into American law by President George H.W. Bush on November 8, 2004. The one-time official observance was on May 25, 1989.
Tap Dance Day is also celebrated in other countries, particularly Japan, Australia, India and Iceland.
National Tap Dance Day was the brainchild of Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval, and Linda Christensen. They deemed May 25 appropriate for this holiday because it is the birthday of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a significant contributor to tap dance.
Even Legos can tap to Puttin’ On The Ritz! A tribute to Fred Astaire, in the classic scene from the 1946 musical, Blue Skies, with the music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Although originally written for vaudevillian Harry Richman in 1930, the lyrics were readapted along with a brand new dance sequence some 16 years later.
Here’s the original from Blue Skies, although some has been cut with stills of Fred inserted:
And another version, with Michael Jackson 🙂
Just for comparison, the real original 1930 movie footage of Irving Berlin’s world-famous song, sung by Harry Richman, from the film of the same name.
And something completely different with my old favorites, The Nicholas Brothers from the film Stormy Weather.
Towel Day is celebrated every year on 25 May as a tribute to the author Douglas Adams by his fans.
On this day, fans carry a towel with them, as described in Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, to demonstrate their appreciation for the books and the author.
A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have “lost.” What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
Hence a phrase that has passed into hitchhiking slang, as in “Hey, you sass that hoopy Ford Prefect? There’s a frood who really knows where his towel is.” (Sass: know, be aware of, meet, have sex with; hoopy: really together guy; frood: really amazingly together guy.)
—Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
I don’t know why geese fascinate me but they have for years. I love how the father stands watch over the family-to-be and when they’re crossing the street – mom in front, babies, then dad.
Lately, I’ve been seeing goose families everywhere.
When I went to an appointment pre-COVID, I noticed a goose family had set up a home on the verge across from Harris Teeter.
Several years ago, I took this picture of a goose waiting outside the emergency room. I’d taken my mom to an appointment and saw him there. I dropped her off and circled back. The goose was still there. Was he waiting for a friend or what? Was he about to become a father?
Naturally, I was fascinated by the story coming out of Cincinnati a while ago: “Clever Mother Goose Calls Cincinnati Police To Help Trapped Baby Bird”
Cincinnati police responded to an unusual distress call on Monday… from a mother goose.
The bird was pecking on the door of a police cruiser in an apparent bid for some attention.
“It kept pecking and pecking and normally they don’t come near us,” Sergeant James Givens told WKRC. “Then it walked away and then it stopped and looked back so I followed it and it led me right over to [a gosling] that was tangled up in all that string.”
The baby bird was caught in string from a balloon.
Givens and specialist Cecilia Charron called the SPCA for backup, but when no one was available they decided to help the gosling themselves.
With Givens recording and mother goose honking, Charron freed the baby bird from the balloon.
The baby animal promptly ran off to join the rest of the family
I know a lot of people think geese are a nuisance crossing the street, pooping all over but I think that they’re cute and I love that they mate for life.
Although low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is currently recommended as the gold standard for anticoagulation in patients with hypercortisolism, our evidence suggests that low-dose antiplatelets such as aspirin 81 mg could outperform it.
Can someone please help me? Over the past few years I have gained over 40 lbs, suffer from extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, just to name a few. I also have a hump between my shoulders. I have gone to see my primary care physician and asked about Cushing’s syndrome and she said that there’s just […]
Adrenal insufficiency is still a preventable cause of death, and a diagnosis carries with it considerable implications for the patient, family and caregivers. Early diagnosis and prevention of acute crisis is key. This session will address less well known etiologies, diagnostic tests and novel treatments for prevention of patient morbidity and mortality.
I have to say, I am not surprised. It’s so upsetting to me how many doctors went to medical school, graduated, worked as residents somewhere and still no so little about endocrinology. It’s inexcusable and quite frankly it’s tiring to hear them always say, “exercise more, eat less” blah blah. Thank goodness for Alyssa her […]
Adrenal insufficiency is a condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough of certain hormones, primarily cortisol and sometimes aldosterone. This disorder can be categorized into primary (Addison's disease) and secondary forms.
Cushie Calendar! Our Cushie Calendar has been updated with a new look and it's now embedded with the message board calendar. All items are color coded. There are iCal and RSS links at the lower right and there is a Printable View.
Irina Bancos, M.D., an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Jamie J. Van Gompel, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Minnesota, discuss Mayo’s multidisciplinary approach to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary tumors.
Adrenal crisis is a life-threatening medical emergency, associated with a high mortality unless it is appropriately recognized and early treatment is rendered. Despite it being a treatable condition for almost 70 years, failure of adequate preventive measures or delayed treatment has often led to unnecessary deaths.
Once-daily evening osilodrostat improved cortisol rhythms, sleep, and quality of life in Cushing syndrome without compromising disease control or safety.
Today’s assignment is a very popular piece by Johann Pachelbel called Canon in D. A canon is a technique that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration (e.g., quarter rest, one measure, etc.). The initial melody is called the leader, while the imitative melody, which is […]
What has dinosaur fossils, dinosaur updates, fun, magic, and life-sized dinosaurs? Dinoman Dinosaurs of course! Many dinosaur questions are answered using facts, magic, and audience participation. Life-size dinosaurs appear just in time to visit with and take photos!
Looking to work on fiber crafts with others? Members knit, crochet, do needlepoint and more! Bring your own project, work at your own pace and enjoy the company of fellow crafters. Weekly until June 25
For potty-trained three year olds through ninth graders. Embark on an exciting journey with Road Trip VBS, based on Joshua 1:9 – "The LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Discover God's presence everywhere as we explore new places, make new friends, and experience God's goodness together. Join us in a fun-filled adventure […]
Enjoy storytime all summer long. Read stories, sing songs, and use your imagination while building early literacy skills. The best way to grow a love of reading is to read together with your child and have fun doing it – at Family Storytime, we will model important skills in literacy development in a fun and […]
Discover a supportive space for new beginnings! Join us every Wednesday at 6:00 PM, in the serene ambiance of Pender UMC's Library. At 5:00 PM there will be a time of casual chat, known as the "meeting before the meeting". Engage in meaningful conversations and find camaraderie at our AA meetings, guided by the experienced […]
Join us for hand and machine sewing, crochet, and embroidery! Chat, make friends, and work on sewing projects with your community. Every Wednesday until August 13
Pictures of paint palettes showing some of our favorite colors are scattered among the children’s books. This scavenger hunt at the City of Fairfax branch is fun for all ages and runs during FCPL’s Summer Reading Adventure – June 11th through August 18th!
