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World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is May 8! Celebrate the Day!

Today is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day and the 2012 theme is “Together for Humanity”.    It is to place focus on the need for all organizations -local and global- to work together to face the growing needs of the communities.

You and I have grown up seeing the Red Cross and its symbol in times of war and disaster relief.  Clara Barton is the name we associate with its founding.  But the American Red Cross is just a part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement  with over 100 million volunteers throughout the world.

These organizations are all legally independent but are joined by their common goals and principles.  There are 3 entities through which the Red Cross functions:

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)- a private humanitarian organization with unique authority under international  humanitarian law to protect individuals caught in international and internal conflict.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies-this organization coordinates activities between all of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent organization.
National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies- there are currently 186 National societies throughout the world.

Facts:
The Red Cross and Red Crescent societies currently are present in more than 170 countries.
It is the world’s largest force of unpaid assistants
It has helped over 233 million people each year.

You can help by donating your time, money or blood.   The South County Branch office of the American Red Cross in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast is located at:

825 Fern Street
West Palm Beach FL

561-833-7711

(the photo above is from the US National Archives and was taken May 21, 1918)

 

 

 

 

 

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International Firefighters Day is May 4- Why Not Stop and Honor Your Local Firefighters!

Since 9/11 so many of us have been more aware of our First Responders, and that includes our Firefighters.  May 4 is your chance to take a moment to honor all Firefighters and your local Firefighters as well.  While we shouldn’t have to have a special day to remind us to honor these brave men and women, in 1999 J.J. Edmondson, a volunteer Firefighter in Australia sought support via the Internet for a special day to honor fallen and all Firefighters.  He was inspired after 5 Firefighters responding to a call for help to fight a large wildfire perished when their truck was engulfed in flames.

The red and blue ribbon a symbol of IFFD is of a special cut.... 5 cm.  long and 1cm wide with the 2 colors joined at the top.  It is said the red represents fire and the blue represents water.  And, we all know those colors to represent emergency services.  

Did you know that as of this writing there have been 26 Firefighters killed in the Line of Duty in the United States in 2012.  Seventy-eight died in the line of duty in 2011.  

The Patron Saint of Firefighters is St. Florian who is thought to be first known commander of a firefighting squad in the Roman Empire.  

What can you do?  

Educate your family on fire safety.

 If you have access to your local Fire-Rescue Station, let them know how much you appreciate their service.

Thank your first responder when you see them.

 Sound-Off is the first Sunday in May.  At noon local time, stop and observe a moment of silence for those who have given their lives in the line of duty.  Some community Fire Departments will sound their sirens for 30 seconds to be followed by 1 minute of silence.  

Thank you FireFighters for all you do

and for the sacrifices you make.

Here’s some photos from my Delray Beach Firefighters #4.  I dropped off toys for Delray Beach Holiday Toy Drive.

And there’s a beautiful video and song and YouTube called Come To My Rescue.  

 

 

 

 

 

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National Arbor Day- Celebrate the Day!

It’s National Arbor Day but did you know that depending upon the state in which you live, you could be celebrating it in January (Florida) , early March (California) or November (Hawaii).   Many states observe their State Arbor Day to coincide with their best time for planting trees.

Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton, an avid nature lover and advocate of planting trees who became Secretary of the Nebraska Territory suggested a tree planting holiday to be called Arbor Day.

So why trees?
Trees can... provide a variety of medicines.
      ...help provide clean air and water.
      ...offer shade on a hot summer day.
      ….add to the biodiversity of our planet.
               ….. can help keep your home cool.
               …..provide the intangible benefit of making us feel good.

How you can celebrate?
Gather your family and plant a tree in your yard.
Learn more about the trees in your area.  Do you know what your state tree is?
Get out and head to the park.   Have a picnic!

Celebrate National Arbor Day!

Some of my favorite trees from Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

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World Book and Copyright Day is April 23!  Celebrate the Day!

Whether you read books on your Kindle, Nook or iPad or even the “old fashioned” way, help celebrate this day by......

         -sharing a favorite author with a fellow reader
         -donating a book to your local hospital, school or library
         -sitting  down with your children and reading them a story from your favorite childhood book
         -donating your time to read a book for the blind
         -going outside the box and reading a genre or author new to you

What is this day?   
This day is celebrated in over 100 countries throughout the world.  Started by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, this day hopes to “promote reading, publishing, and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.”

Why this day?
This is thought to be an appropriate day because this is the birthday or day of death of several prominent authors such as Cervantes, Maurice Druon, and my favorite... William Shakespeare.  

Now, as for Copyright...we have our own resident expert right here at ActiveRain.  If you’re new to AR  or haven’t yet discovered Lenn Harley.... where have you been???  Lenn has written many knowledgeable and useful posts on copyright and if you think no one’s going to check you or care... think again.  

You should care because our “intellectual property”  is witnessed right here on ActiveRain in the posts we write every day.  

We work hard to choose just the right words that will reflect our thoughts and feelings and engage and entertain our readers.  Copyright does matter.

And.. did you know that you can download books

published over 100 years ago for free

on your Kindle!

There are also many sites where you can swap books,  as well as brick and mortar stores that accept and sell used books.   

So what do you say...have you read any good

books lately?

 

 

 

 

 

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National Scrabble Day is Friday the 13th!  Celebrate the Day!

April 13th is National Scrabble Day in honor of the birthday of Alfred Mosher Butts, who created the game of Scrabble in 1938, although it was then called “Criss-Crosswords”.  

And today, people young and not-so-young are playing “Words with Friends” on their Smartphones and Facebook.  You don’t even have to know  the other player... all you have to do is sign in.  I’m not sure my friend’s children who play the game have ever seen a real Scrabble board but that’s ok... as long as they’re playing the game.

Of course that means that they actually have to learn and use words ….real words, and not ‘u” for “you” or “c” for “see”.  Parents:  this is a great board game to play with your children.  

Did you know:
Scrabble is sold in 121 countries.
There are 29 different language versions.
The highest recorded single word score was 365 points for “quixotry”.  

So what are you waiting for?  Call the kids and get out the Scrabble Board!

 

 

 

 

 

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Common Courtesy Day is Today, March 21st.  Celebrate the Day!

Today is Common Courtesy Day (look... I don’t make these up... Google it!).  Of course, I’m not really sure why we need a day reminding us to be courteous.........or perhaps we do.  

Common Courtesy implies that this behavior occurs frequently or is shared by members of a group.  And that may be but I have a feeling that what was considered common courtesy a hundred years ago may bear little resemblance to what the common courtesy of 2012 is.  

Holding doors open for someone has in some cases become “every man for himself!”

Saying “Please” or “Thank you”...... saying “hello” as you pass someone on a sidewalk...... might even be looked at askance in today’s world.  

And in the “Common Courtesy” of our business world there appears to be a dearth of the good old Golden Rule.   Just read the posts here and you learn of agents forgetting to replace keys in the lock box; people not returning calls; “Thank You’s” sent via text message.....

So even if just for today think back to when common courtesy really did mean something and do what Captain Kangaroo asked us every morning to do....

 

 

 

 

 

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American Chocolate Week- March 14-20th, 2012!  Celebrate the Day!

I would rather have dark chocolate than most any other food group.  Oh, and yes... chocolate is its own food group!!  I have no idea why nor do I know of its origin but the third week of March is designated as American Chocolate week.  As such, I think it only fair to do my best this week to eat, cook with, buy and celebrate chocolate.

My personal preference is dark chocolate, which is supposed to be good for you.  I do not consider “white” chocolate to actually be a chocolate.  If one were trying to bribe me, I could be had for homemade chocolate cake, hot chocolate, chocolate pie, chocolate fudge, or a box of Godiva all dark truffles.

Chocolate has antioxidants and other ingredients that can make you feel happy;  raise your blood sugar and blood pressure just enough to make you feel more alert, and act much as caffeine does by acting as a stimulant.

My pantry is always prepared for any chocolate attack or occasion.  And, I may just make one of my favorite chocolate desserts.  If you like those warm molten chocolate concoctions, you’ll love this one.  And... it’s really easy to make.

Jean CarmodyVasquez HotFudgePuddingCake

 ¾ c cake flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt/   ½ cup sugar
1 ½ T. each unsweetened cocoa powder, melted butter
1/3 c half and half
2 ozs grated bittersweet chocolate
¾ tsp. vanilla
1 c. dark brown sugar
¼ c. cocoa powder
1 ½ c strong brewed coffee (French Roast)

Sift together, 2-3 times, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cocoa powder.  Put dry mixture into bowl, add half and half, grated chocolate, vanilla.  Stir until partially combined.  Add melted butter; stir until combined but don’t over mix.  Pour batter into 8”x8”x2” buttered pan.

 Sift together dark brown sugar and cocoa powder.  Spread mixture over batter in pan and pour on coffee.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm, topped with whipped cream or scoop of ice cream; decorate with grated chocolate.

 Celebrate the Week!

 

 

 

 

 

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Celebrate the Day.. March 1st is World Compliment Day!

Quick!   When was the last time you received a compliment?  Remember how it made you feel?  Well today... March 1st is World Compliment Day.

World Compliment Day began over 8 years ago as National Compliment Day in The Netherlands.  It was so successful, the creators decided to make it a World Compliment Day or “World Most Positive Day”.

Don’t head for the credit card yet because World Compliment Day is not about buying flowers candy or jewelry (although any jewelry is always appreciated).

It’s more about taking the time and giving some thought to what

that one person does that deserves to be acknowledged.

And, no, I think the creators are asking for more than ....

“Nice Hair”

“Like your shoes”
“Congrats on getting the listing.”

We all smile when someone pays us these little compliments but it’s the kind of happy feeling that only lasts about 10 seconds.  

World Compliment Day is more about finding the POSITIVE about someone and letting them know that.  Show them that you put some thought into it.

You can even print out a World Compliment Day Award to give to someone.  (just click on the Award to the right.)

So help be a part of World Compliment Day by offering a true and sincere compliment to at least one person today.  

And here’s one of my favorite songs to get you in the mood.  

 

 

 

 

 

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It’s National Margarita Day!  February 22....Celebrate the Day!

What better way to celebrate the middle of the week than with a margarita!  Yes there is a National Margarita Day... I have no idea how this came about but if there can be a National Blueberry Pancake Day, then why not a day to celebrate one of best things to go with chips, salsa and Mexican food since Dos Equis!

No one is quite sure who invented the margarita but it seems to have been concocted somewhere between 1938-1949.  Some take theirs with salt on the rim, which is how it has traditionally been served, but one Tequila expert feels that salt is used when inferior products are used in the Margarita.  

How do you take yours?  Straight up?  On the rocks?  Some like it kind of slushy.  And, there are as many recipes for Margaritas as there are bartenders!  

Of course the ultimate National Margarita Day would be to have yours at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville where there will be Margarita specials all day long and you can try the winning recipe from this year’s Margarita Day Recipe contest.... a Raspberry Lemonade Margarita.

Here are some of the different Margarita recipes:

Beer Margarita

Chocolate Margarita

Redneck Margarita

Avocado Margarita

Bloody Margarita

Smoky Margarita

And Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville with Alan Jackson video!

If you decide to celebrate the day

Please drink responsibly!

 

 

 

 

 

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It’s President’s Day...Let Me Tell You How I Had the Honor of Meeting President George HW Bush Before He Became “Bush 41”.

First.. this is not a political post.  I don’t do those.   However inasmuch as this is President’s Day I wanted to tell you my story of when I met then Congressman George HW Bush.   

In 1966, George HW Bush was elected to the House of Representatives from my home state of Texas and represented  Houston.. my home town.  The following year I graduated from high school and as was tradition went on a senior trip with my drill team ( yes, in Texas drill teams and football went hand in hand) to Washington DC, Philadelphia, NYC and Boston.  

We spent 3 days in DC and I loved every minute of it. But the most memorable time for me was being “treated” to lunch by then Congressman George HW Bush.  We were met by him outside the Capitol and had our group photo taken with him.   He seemed genuine and glad to “show off” our Capitol to some home town girls.  

But that wasn’t my only “meeting’ of President Bush.  By the time I’d graduated from college, George Bush was now Ambassador to the United Nations.   My mother wrote to him when the United Nations was taking a vote to seat the People’s Republic of China.   He wrote her back.. and it wasn’t just a 1 paragraph “Thank you for writing... yada yada” letter.   It was several pages long with a detailed explanation of why the US was voting as they did.   (Needless to say I did save the letter.)

George HW Bush has served his country many times over.... he was the youngest aviator (at the time) in the US Navy, postponing his college education.... US Congressman..... Ambassador to the United Nations....Chairman of the Republican National Committee.....Envoy to China....Director of the CIA.....Vice President and then President of the United States.

One of my “bucket list” items is to read about all of our Presidents.   And, beginning with President George H W Bush is a great way to get started.

(As I mentioned, this is not a political post so if you have an issue or disagreement with President Bush, that is your business... take it up with him or your bartender, but not here!... Thank you)

 

 

 

 

 

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