National Rescue Dog Day

 Over 3 million dogs enter shelters every year.  (THREE MILLION DOGS!)  Each dog is in search of a loving fur ever home.  

Most rescue dogs overcome extreme obstacles.  Some are abused or raised in poor conditions.  Most are abandoned and left to the streets.  With training, these dogs can provide comfort to people as emotional support pets, help people with disabilities and provide comfort to elderly.  People with autism enjoy the therapeutic benefits of comfort dogs while military personnel with PTSD get relief from anxiety and depression.

How to celebrate today:

Volunteer at a shelter.  

Shelters are always looking for donations.  Old towels and blankets.  Some even have an Amazon list of needs.

Consider adopting from a shelter for your next pet.

You can use #NationalRescueDogDay on social media.

I will be spending the day (like every other day) spoiling my weird dog rescue dog, Pippen.  

National Limerick Day

There once was a man from Nantucket

Who kept his cash in a bucket

But his daughter, named Nan,

ran away with a man-

And as for the bucket, Nan-tucket.

You guessed it!  Today is National Limerick Day!

This day celebrates the birthday of Edward Lear, an artist, illustrator, author and poet.  Limerick poems became popular after Lear's book, Book of Nonsense, was published in 1846. A limerick is a very short, humorous, nonsense poem.  It contains five lines with an AABBA rhyming pattern.

How to observe #NationalLimerickDay

Write your own limerick poem.

Share on social media.

Enter a limerick contest.

Read some funny limericks.

I thought I would participate by sharing my limerick.

There once was a woman who lived by the beach

she loved to brag about it to everyone within reach.

   She walked her dog there everyday

    went in the sand to play

but had to keep her dog on his leash.

Let me see your limericks in the comments (and try to keep them clean!).

National Dog Mom's Day

 I have yet to find the source for this holiday. I'm happy that this day is set aside for us weird dog dog moms.  We really need it. 

Some activities for dog mom's day:

Go for a walk.  Oh, yea.  Don't forget to bring your dog.

Treat yourself.  Oh, and the dog, too.  Go out for a special treat.  Maybe get matching t-shirts?

Some interesting facts about dogs:

They are as smart as a two year old (sounds about right).  They can learn up to 200 words.

They can hear four times better than humans.  Especially when you open a dog treat bag or peanut butter jar.  And when you quietly grab their dog leash.

Being a dog mom improves your health.  Obviously, the person who said this never spent time with my weird dog Pippen.  Bad breath in your face.  Staying up all night because of a thunderstorm.  Having to lug 50lb dog food bags up and down the stairs.

Being a dog mom helps you socialize more.  Again, this person never had to walk Pippen.  I have to avoid people with dogs so he doesn't attack them.  He makes me antisocial. 

Being a dog mom makes you more responsible.  Responsible for letting the dog out, taking him for walks, feeding him, protecting him from the scary thunderstorms and fireworks.

Happy Dog Mom's Day to you.

Oh, and I expect a card and a real nice gift, Pippen!

National Tea Day

 Today is National Tea Day in the United Kingdom.  A day for Britain to celebrate it's love for this hot, steeped beverage. It's so loved that they consume over 60 billion cups of tea a year!  That's a lot of tea!

Every year, the Britains host a "Fes-Tea-Val" where they showcase new teas, bringing together tea drinkers, servers and the entire tea industry.  This year's slogan is, "Brew more. Do more." 

Here is a list on how my fellow tea infusiasts can celebrate #NationalTeaDay: 

Host an afternoon tea (it is National Afternoon Tea month, after all)

Visit the festival.

Learn proper tea decorum (in case you get invited to afternoon tea with King Charles)

Here are some tea etiquette tips, in case you find yourself with tea royalty.

Dispensing the tea:

The host should pour the tea for every guest.  Make sure to leave the teapot on the table with the spout facing the host.

Dunking:

Dunking a biscuit in your tea is not appropriate.

Food:

A tiered cake stand is the appropriate serving piece.  The upper tier is filled with scones, the middle has sandwiches and the bottom has treats and pastries.  Food must be eaten in this order: sandwiches, scones and then desserts.

Too bad I'm not in Boston to celebrate this holiday.  

I think I'll go make myself a cup of tea!

How will you celebrate today?

Χριστός Ανέστη

 Happy Easter!  Καλό Πάσχα!

We are celebrating Greek Orthodox Easter at our house.   

Xristos anesti

ek nekron,

thanato thanaton patisas,

ke tis en tis mnimasin zoin xarisamenos

Christ is risen

from the dead,

having beaten Death by [his own] death

and having given the gift of life to those in the graves.

Christos Anesti. (Χριστός Ανέστη)  (Christ has Risen)

Alithos Anesti.  ( Aληθώς ανέστη!)  (He has risen indeed)

Valentine's Day Craft Ideas

  It's finally February!  A time for love, hearts and all things red!  Oh, and it's also time for my favorite holiday, Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day, also known in our house as the National Holiday, is coming up and I thought I would put links to some crafts we have done here on A Scary Journey Inside My Life to get you ready for the big day. Some of these crafts are pretty easy and would be great to do with your Girl Scout Troop!  These are also great ideas for an indoor activity on those cold winter days.

Valentine's Placemat (children's craft)

Valentine's Day Bookmarks

Pallet (he)art

Homemade Valentine's Day cards

Felt Heart Pin or Barrette

Felt Heart Ornaments 

Valentine Photo Book

Valentine Love Picture

Valentine Love Frame

Looking for more fun things to do in February?  How about warming up the house (and some hearts) with some baking?  Check out the Recipes page to try something new!

2024 - A Year in Review

 I can't believe it's New Year's Eve! This year flew by! Time to take a look back and see all that we experienced this year.

Blogwise, I guess I have been a little MIA.  I did post a few recipes and a few hints about why I am missing.

Let's start with the obvious....recipes:

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Homemade Granola

Crispy Tempeh

Raspberry Scones (vegan)

Waffles (vegan)

I am glad that I posted so many recipes.  A lot of my cookbooks (I think I might have a couple left) are in storage.

I did post a few retail stories and Weird Dog posts and then I vanished.

The short story is, I had to quit my job because we sold our house. There was a mad scramble as we tried to get rid of stuff, pack and move out of the place that we called home for twenty-seven years (and one day). We couldn't move into our house until August, so we were homeless for five weeks.  We chose to travel during that time.  We finally made our way to our new home in a very small beach town on the lake.  We have access to the State Park, lots of hiking and of course, the beach.  I forgot to mention, we did make a trip to drive halfway across the country to drop the youngest child off at college.  So, it's just the three of us at home (RT, Weird Dog and myself).

I have quite a few stories (of course) that I have been asked to share will share in the new year.

Thirteen years of scariness.  Thanks for sticking around.

Cheers to another scary year!

National Thank You Note Day

 As I always say (and write), people love getting handwritten letters and notes in the mail.  It's always the first thing someone reads when they bring in the mail.  I would rather read a letter from a friend or family member before diving into a pile of bills. 

Sure, it's easy to send off an email or a quick text to thank Aunt Sally for the ugly Christmas sweater.  Aunt Sally would much rather receive a nice handwritten Thank You note in the mail from you.

Today is National Thank You Note Day! 

I'm unable to find out how or why this day was started.  Some say it was created because of all the presents people received on Christmas Day.  I, on the other hand, believe it was started by my mother, The Queen of Thank You Note writing.

I remember being called down to the kitchen a couple days after Christmas.  On the table there were three place settings.  At each spot there was a sheet of paper with list of names and gifts that they gave us, and a pen.  In the center of the table there was a stack of Thank You note cards, stamps and an address book.  You had to find your spot at the table.  The rules?  Write a Thank You note to everyone on the list then address and stamp the envelope.  Oh, and you can't leave the table until you are finished.

My Mom never taught us how to write a Thank You note.  My brothers would hurry up and scribble some stuff and leave the table.  I would be stuck there for hours asking my relatives how their pet is doing and trying to figure out how to nicely thank someone for the gift they gave me (how do you thank someone for money?).

If you do participate today, and I hope you will, you can use #NationalThankYouNoteDay on social media.

If you need any tips on Thank You Note writing, I'd love to help, especially if you want to know how the family dog is getting along.

Don't worry, Mom, I already wrote my Thank You notes this year!

Merry Christmas!

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you:  You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:  "Glory to God in the highest.  And on earth, Peace, goodwill toward men!"  Luke 2:8-14

St. Nicholas

 There are many stories about the life of St. Nicholas.  I found my information here.  The following is a quick summary.  Click on the link to read more details.

St. Nicholas came from a wealthy family.  His parents died when he was very young.  He grew up in his faith and strongly believed to give to the poor.  He became Bishop and was know for his generosity, love of children and concern for sailors.  Under the Roman Empire he was persecuted for his faith.  He went to prison.  He was released and died on December 6.  The anniversary of his death became a celebration known as St. Nicholas Day.

There are many variations of the story of St. Nicholas. He gave money for three poor girls dowries, he helped children, gave to the poor. Do a little research.  You will even see how Santa Claus evolved. 

If you put your shoes out by the door, Saint Nicholas visits and leaves candy inside them.  

Do you have any special traditions you do with your family during the holidays?

Black Friday

I know I have been missing in action around here but I can't skip my world famous Black Friday post! 

Today is Black Friday!  That fun time of year where we push our credit cards to the limit! This is a great day for you to get in a workout by trying to snag that big screen TV! Try not to get into any fights! And if you want to be the first one into the store, why not camp there overnight! 

The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday and has always been known as the biggest shopping day of the year. For retailers, it marked the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. In recent years, every Friday in November was a Black Friday Sale. This year, the entire month seems to be a Black Friday event. 

For those of you working on Black Friday, it's a crazy, long tiring day. Make sure you take those vitamins, drink plenty of water and plaster a smile on your face.  

If you are out there shopping, it can get crazy, so try to be safe. Also, be nice to the retail workers.  They don't make the rules or have control over the amount of inventory for that Billy Bass you want to purchase.  So, go easy on them! 

Of course you will need a little background music for this special day. Here is my Black Friday playlist for your listening pleasure. 

Man in Black - Johnny Cash

Paint it Black -  The Rolling Stones

Back in Black - AC DC

Black Cat - Janet Jackson

Black Magic Woman - Santana

Black or White - Michael Jackson 

Black Widow - Iggy Azalea

Black Hole Sun- Soundgarden

Black - Pearl Jam 

Blackbird - The Beatles

Black Betty - Ram Jam

 Black Gold -Soul Asylum 

Men in Black 3 Back in Time - Pitbull

Black Night- Deep Purple

Black Rain Soundgarden

The Long Black Veil - JohnnyCash

Ebony and Ivory - McCartney and Wonder

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin 

Black Velvet- Alannah Miles

Black Water - Doobie Brothers 

Men in Black - Will Smith

Blue on Black Five Finger Death Punch

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Fade to Black - Metallica

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall

Two Black Cadillacs- Carrie Underwood

Black Honey - Thrice

Black Rose - Volbeat

Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress - The Hollies

Now get out there and have some fun!

National Handbag Day

  Today is my favorite day, National Handbag Day!  A day set aside for me to celebrate all of the time and headaches effort that I put into finding the perfect a new purse.  

Handbags come in many shapes and sizes.  They can be as small as an envelope or as large as a carry-on suitcase.  Handbags also come in every solid color and a variety of prints like leopard, zebra and even stripes.  You can get a sparkly bag or a purse with rhinestones.  There is a handbag out there for everyone.

Whatever you call it... purse, pocketbook, clutch, evening bag, case or pouch, handbags have been used for thousands of years.  The earliest bags were used to carry tools or gear.  Sometimes the user decorated them with beads.  And some dyed the material to make the bag.

How do you celebrate National Handbag Day?  Wear your favorite handbag today, of course!  Or use this day to buy a new handbag.  There are so many out there for you to choose!

 We all know that I celebrate this day because of my purse commitment issues.  If you need to read up on my scary purse stories, click  HERE, HERE and HERE .  I promise these stories are quite entertaining.

As you know, I sold my house in June and was homeless for five weeks.  I had to downsize which meant that I had to get rid of some of the purses that I own.  While homeless, I did purchase a new purse.  It was quite the commitment and I needed quite a bit of encouragement from RT (thankfully he was there and fully supported the purchase).  I am quite happy with this purse.  I have noticed though that there are a few purses that I kept when I moved that I should probably part with and feel that this would be a great time to start the removal process.  Prayers are much needed at this time

Χριστός Ανέστη

 Happy Easter!  Καλό Πάσχα!

We are celebrating Greek Orthodox Easter at our house.   

Xristos anesti

ek nekron,

thanato thanaton patisas,

ke tis en tis mnimasin zoin xarisamenos

Christ is risen

from the dead,

having beaten Death by [his own] death

and having given the gift of life to those in the graves.

Christos Anesti. (Χριστός Ανέστη)  (Christ has Risen)

Alithos Anesti.  ( Aληθώς ανέστη!)  (He has risen indeed)

National Card and Letter Writing Month

  April is National Card and Letter Writing Month.  I talked about this at the beginning of the month and wanted to tell you that you still have time to join in on the fun. 

Why not take a few minutes and write some letters to friends and or family members and drop them in the mail?  People love getting happy mail!  I love handwritten letters!  That's the first thing I read when I get the mail!

Don't know what to write?  How about:

an uplifting message
a funny (happy) memory that you share with this person
Maybe a thank you for something

How about just saying hello?

Maybe forward some old pictures along with a little note

This would be a great idea for your Girl Scouts.  Our Girl Scout Troop is making some cards for Seniors.  We have done this in the past and the Seniors love receiving cards and letters!  I have contacted the homes that we normally visit and have organized our card drop off with them.  This might be something you can have your troop work on at home.  If you want to take this a step further, maybe your troop would like to be pen pals with some seniors?  Check out this article on Becoming a Pen Pal to Seniors.  You can contact your local retirement community and see if they would be interested in having Girl Scout Pen Pals.  

So, grab some paper and a pen and start writing!

National Girl Scout Leaders Day

 Today is National Girl Scout Leaders Day!

Celebrate the day by thanking a volunteer in the Girl Scouts program.  You can share your experience as a Girl Scout leader or volunteer in the program.  

This would be a great opportunity for parents to have their daughter write a letter to their leader.  The leaders appreciate these letters and hold them dear.

This marks my 13th (and final) year as a Girl Scout Leader.  I am forever grateful to my troop, fellow co-leader, and wonderful parents.  To think back and remember how fearful I was taking this position, only to find that it has been one of the best experiences of my life.

To all of the Girl Scout Leaders, I send you a HUGE thank you.  You are truly an inspiration to the girls in your troop.

National Sourdough Bread Day

 Just a friendly reminder that today is National Sourdough Bread Day. 

Spread the love!  Spread the joy!  Because today is a great day to make your favorite sister a loaf of Sourdough Bread.

*I'm hoping one of these days my subtle hints will result in a loaf of bread.  

Random Acts of Kindness Day 2024

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day!

 How cool would it be if everyone practiced RAOK's every day?  The world would be a lot friendlier and happier, don't you think? 

So, you know the drill.  Try to see how many Random Acts of Kindness you can do today.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Write that letter.
It can be a Thank You letter.  It can be just a little note telling someone that you were thinking of them.  Maybe it's someone you don't see that often.  Let them know how important they are to have in your life.

Put others first.
I always tell my children to think of others first.  This could mean letting someone ahead of you in line.  Letting someone have the first slice of pizza or even leaving the last piece of pie for the next person. 

Compliment
Dish out compliments to people.  I think everyone likes to hear positive praise.

Clean up.
Maybe it's picking up random trash on the path where you usually walk or run.  It could be as simple as taking out the garbage, run the vacuum or doing the dishes.

Send a message.
It could be a friendly text message.  An inspirational text or even a thank you text.  How about leaving notes of inspiration in random places at home or work?  You can write them on post-it notes. 

I just rattled off quite a few quick, easy RAOK's that you can do today.  If you need some more ideas, you can search Random Acts of Kindness on the blog.  There are quite a few posts with lots of great ideas.  Give one a try and let me know what happened!

St. Valentine

 I thought I would do a little deep dive into the history of Valentine's Day.  If you know me, then you know that I believe Valentine's Day should be a National Holiday.  I'm not talking Hallmark cards and gifts.  More like flowers, poems, homemade cards and pouring out your love for one another.

There isn't much information about St. Valentine.  What we do know is that he was a physician and a Roman priest.  He performed many marriages, thus the saint of love and marriage.  Valentine was big on spreading the word of God.  This happened to get him into trouble when he suggested to Claudius that he should become a Christian.  Valentine was sentenced to death.  He was to either renounce his faith or be clubbed to death.  Valentine refused and was executed on February 14.  A side story, that I'm not sure if it is true, Valentine, while awaiting his death sentence, sent a note to Asterius' daughter (the jailer's daughter that he healed from blindness) and signed the note, "from your Valentine."  

St. Valentine is the patron saint of love, marriage, bee keepers and people with epilepsy.

That lead me to another event that happened on this day in 1929 in Chicago, The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre.  The event took place at a warehouse in Lincoln Park where seven men were lined up against the wall and shot by four unknown people (two were dressed as police officers).  These murders were a result of a struggle for control between Bugs Moran and his Irish North Siders and the Italian Chicago Outfit headed by Al Capone, during Prohibition.

Lots of death on a day that is supposed to be dedicated to love.  

Some interesting facts I dug up about this National Holiday:

Valentine's cards originated in England in the 1700's.  People would send cards and flowers to loved ones and sign them, "your Valentine."  

The heart symbol was something that was drawn in the middle ages to represent the actual human heart.  Since the human heart is associated with love and emotion, the heart shape became the symbol for romance.

In Japan, women give chocolates to men on Valentine's day.  Men return the favor by giving white chocolates on White Day which is March 14. 

In South Korea, single people who do not receive anything on Valentine's Day mourn their lack of love by eating black noodles on Black Day, which is celebrated on April 14.

In Denmark, there is an exchange of funny jokes and poems written on paper hearts.  Instead of signing their name, they put dots (symbol, not the word "dots").  If you guess who sent you the Valentine, you get an Easter egg later in the year.

In Guatemala the day is known as "el dia del carino" or the day of affection.  People dress up in masks and costumes and dance in the streets.  They exchange cards and gifts with loved ones, friends and coworkers.  The day is considered a celebration of love and friendship.

How do you plan on celebrating Valentine's Day this year?

National Thank You Note Day

 As I always say (and write), people love getting handwritten letters and notes in the mail.  It's always the first thing someone reads when they bring in the mail.  I would rather read a letter from a friend or family member before diving into a pile of bills. 

Sure, it's easy to send off an email or a quick text to thank Aunt Sally for the ugly Christmas sweater.  Aunt Sally would much rather receive a nice handwritten Thank You note in the mail from you.

Today is National Thank You Note Day! 

I'm unable to find out how or why this day was started.  Some say it was created because of all the presents people received on Christmas Day.  I, on the other hand, believe it was started by my mother, The Queen of Thank You Note writing.

I remember being called down to the kitchen a couple days after Christmas.  On the table there were three place settings.  At each spot there was a sheet of paper with list of names and gifts that they gave us, and a pen.  In the center of the table there was a stack of Thank You note cards, stamps and an address book.  You had to find your spot at the table.  The rules?  Write a Thank You note to everyone on the list, address and stamp the envelope.  Oh, and you can't leave the table until you are finished.

My Mom never taught us how to write a Thank You note.  My brothers would hurry up and scribble some stuff and leave the table.  I would be stuck there for hours asking my relatives how their pet is doing and trying to figure out how to nicely thank someone for the gift they gave me (how do you thank someone for money?).

If you do participate today, and I hope you will, you can use #NationalThankYouNoteDay on social media.

If you need any tips on Thank You Note writing, I'd love to help, especially if you want to know how the family dog is getting along.

Don't worry, Mom, I already wrote my Thank You notes this year!

Saint Nicholas

 There are many stories about the life of St. Nicholas.  I found my information here.  The following is a quick summary.  Click on the link to read more details.

St. Nicholas came from a wealthy family.  His parents died when he was very young.  He grew up in his faith and strongly believed to give to the poor.  He became Bishop and was know for his generosity, love of children and concern for sailors.  Under the Roman Empire he was persecuted for his faith.  He went to prison.  He was released and died on December 6.  The anniversary of his death became a celebration known as St. Nicholas Day.

There are many variations of the story of St. Nicholas. He gave money for three poor girls dowries, he helped children, gave to the poor. Do a little research.  You will even see how Santa Claus evolved. 

If you put your shoes out by the door, Saint Nicholas visits and leaves candy inside them.  

This is probably the last year that I will get to participate with our little Saint Nicholas tradition.  I might have to mail care packages out to my children next year. 

Do you have any special traditions you do with your family during the holidays?