Wednesday Medley

Terri's questions for the week. a real hodgepodge this time around. I'm going to reformat, all questions and answers have been moved to the end.

There are some pretty serious issues on the National Day Calendar this week.

Let's take on a few of them!!  The titles are linked back to The National Calendar.

NATIONAL MAKING LIFE BEAUTIFUL DAY

National Making Life Beautiful Day is observed annually on June 11.  It is a day dedicated to encouraging and celebrating men and women who are making life beautiful.  Whether you’re creating beauty through building relationships or helping others achieve personal success, one small action can lead to a ripple effect, making life beautiful not just for yourself, but for those around you, too.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Help someone you know to achieve a personal goal, donate time to a worthy cause, help someone less fortunate or just do something nice for someone.  On social media, use #MakingLifeBeautifulDay

NATIONAL SMILE POWER DAY

June 15th is the day we observe National Smile Power Day.  This is a day for everyone to share the power of the smile.

From the good morning greeting and the first “How may I help you?” present yourself with a smile.  No matter where you are employed, job seeking, retired or looking for new horizons starting the day with a smile is certainly more empowering than a pout or grump.  Starting with a smile first is easier than trying to get there later in the day. 

When you smile at someone, you are telling them that they are valued and worth the smile that you just gave them.  Smiles are moral boosters and confidence builders.

Research has proven that smiling really does increase attractiveness and likability between humans.  Smiling creates a greater trust and increased interpersonal cooperation.  Smiling at someone can help them to relax and relieve their stress while at the same time, it will make you feel right.  Smiling (even if you do not feel like it) will lift your mood and can make you a  happier person.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Challenge yourself to smile more often today.  Use a smile to disarm a tense situation, or simply smile during your daily tasks.  Use #SmilePowerDay on social media.

NATIONAL RANDOM ACTS OF LIGHT DAY

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~ Edith Wharton

Sometimes it takes just one gentle word or small token to help overcome darkness. On June 13, National Random Acts of Light Day encourages us to bring light to the darkness of cancer by surprising someone with an act of kindness.

Receiving the diagnosis of cancer is one of the darkest moments a person can have. As part of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walks fundraising campaign, National Random Acts of Light brings awareness to the importance of providing cures and access to treatments for blood cancer patients.

Take a friend fishing or bring them their favorite cup of coffee. Sometimes a visit, a walk or a fresh bouquet of flowers is what brings the light into the room. Surprise someone you love, by bringing a sparkle to their day.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Share your Random Acts of Light on June 13, and throughout the year! Learn more about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s National Random Acts of Light Day, Light the Night Walks and other campaigns and follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.  Use #RandomActsofLightDay to share on social media.

HISTORY

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ®(LLS) founded National Random Acts of Light Day to bring shine a light on the need for research and a cure for blood cancers.  In 2017, celebrities and local heroes surprised people affected by blood cancers as part of Random Acts of Light.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Random Acts of Light Day to be observed annually beginning in 2017.

NATIONAL LOVING DAY

National Loving Day is observed each year on June 12.   National Loving Day is an annual celebration that commemorates the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving vs. Virginia.  This decision struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in sixteen U.S. states citing “There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause.”  Anti-miscegenation laws in the United States were U.S. state laws banning interracial marriage.

Childhood friends, Mildred and Richard, met when she was 11, and he was 17.  Over the years they began courting and in 1958 when she turned 18, they married in Washington.  They returned to their hometown north of Richmond and two weeks later, not realizing that interracial marriage was illegal, they were arrested.  Mildred and Richard Loving pleaded guilty and to avoid jail time; they agreed to leave Virginia.

The Loving’s moved to Washington D.C. and started legal action writing to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.  Kennedy referred the case on to the American Civil Liberties Union.  The Warren Court unanimously ruled in their favor, and the Loving’s returned to their Virginia home where they resided with their three children.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Use #NationalLovingDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

National Loving Day is not yet an officially recognized holiday by the U.S. government. However, there is a movement to persuade the government to do so.  This day was inspired by Juneteenth and seeks both to commemorate and celebrate the Supreme Courts 1967 ruling, keeping its importance fresh in the minds of a generation which has grown up with interracial relationships being legal as well as explore issues facing couples currently in interracial relationships. 

NATIONAL KITCHEN KLUTZES OF AMERICA DAY

Each June 13 honors those who would like to cook and be in the kitchen, but it just doesn’t seem to work well for them.  After all, it is National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day.

Klutz:  most commonly referred to as a clumsy person.

These are the people who set out with the intentions of Paula Dean or Julia Child as the open up the cookbook.  Setting out the mixing bowl and ingredients, they imagine knife cuts as swift as Wolfgang Puck or Bobby Flay.  However, reality quickly dissolves all those dreams as smoke billows from the oven and salt is mistaken for sugar.  Those knife cuts become bloody, and cookies and fingers are burnt.  The Kitchen Klutz has struck, and visions of spilled milk are pitifully cried over.  

It may be necessary to keep a first aid kit and fire extinguisher handy when Kitchen Klutzes are around.  Be ready to call 911 and your favorite take out if you’re still hungry.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Use #NationalKitchenKlutzes to post on social media.

1.  Tell us about a time you made someone's life beautiful or someone made YOUR life beautiful.

My boyfriend Drew makes my life beautiful all the time.  He knows when I'm in a funk, and he tells me corny jokes.  And I make his life beautiful by actually laughing at those jokes.

2.  Will you take on the challenge and smile more often on June 15th?  Why not start now!!  Have you been blessed by a smile that changed your day?

It takes more muscles to frown than to smile, I'm told.  I try to keep a sunny disposition.

3.  Terri is a cancer survivor.  Cancer has touched most of us in one way or another.  When did someone reach out to you with an act of kindness or when did you last perform a random act of kindness for someone

Interesting that you should mention the  Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  A memory popped up in my Facebook feed the other day.  Ten years ago, when younger daughter was still in high school, we participated in the American Cancer Society's  Relay for Life.  The event took place at the high school,  on the track/football field.  The type  of event begins in the late afternoon, with lots of festivities.  Luminaries are lit after sundown.  And those who are inclined to remain for the entire event must pitch a tent and stay until sunrise.  We don't do camping very well, but somehow managed to pitch our tent.  and my daughter insisted we go to the Survivors' Dinner and that I wear my "survivor" t-shirt. 

I make it a point to participate in events like this when I can.

4.  Terri admits that this turned out to be not what she thought it would be.  Our country has come a long way in recognizing that people are people and our differences are what makes life beautiful, but we still have a long way to go, unfortunately.  Your thoughts?

Oh, please don't get me started.  I'm a lawyer and civil rights activist, very familiar with the Loving decision. I don't usually bring my politics into this blog (with noted exceptions).  I'll save my ranting for another day....

5.  Had to lighten it up a bit.  Terri is a total klutz in the kitchen.  Tell us about something klutzy that happened in your kitchen... by you or another!  Can you laugh about it now?

Well, this Jewish girl doesn't need the definition of "klutz".  When you look in the dictionary under "klutz", you'll see my picture.  

There was the time I uses sugar cubes in my cookie batter because I didn't have granulated sugar.  And the time I used granulated sugar in the frosting because I didn't have powdered sugar.  And the time the pecan pies were only half baked because I didn't realize the oven in my apartment wasn't working properly...

Actually, those errors were a looooong time ago.  I'll never win an award for cooking, but I can manage a decent meal.

6.  Share something about your week so far, if you would.

Shades of 9/11 -- a helicopter crashed onto the roof of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper Monday afternoon.  I was home from work (doctor's appointment) but younger daughter works in midtown...but far enough away from the crash site that it really didn't affect her.

And the reason for the doctor's appointment?  Remember I told you about My Stupid Knee?  I have arthritis in both knees.

Well, let me introduce you to My Idiot Foot...

Yep, arthritis in my left foot .

Getting older sucks.