Memorial Day

Memorial Day is officially celebrated on the last Monday during the month of May. Memorial Day is dedicated to service men and women who gave their lives for freedom and country. It is also a time to remember loved ones who have passed away. The roots of Memorial Day go back to 1865 and the end of the Civil War.

Memorial Day was traditionally held on the 30th of May. In 1971, Congress changed it to the last Monday in order to afford a three day holiday weekend. Regardless of the date, I encourage you to attend a parade, visit a cemetery to honor and remember our servicemen.  Take time to remember lost loved ones in whatever way you feel appropriate.

Memorial Day was first called Decoration Day. It was changed to Memorial Day in 1882. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.

 It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day also marks the beginning of the gardening and summer seasons, even though summer will not occur for a few weeks later. It is usually marked by holding the first family picnic of the year.

Keep  Dancin' Larry B

Vacation Time

As time approaching to an upcoming vacation, I got to thinking about what needed to be completed to just get us out the door and on the road for a few days. I was amazed at the list I came up with and thought how does a family ever get out the door and to a relaxing time away from home.

Work alone causes a whole set of stressors.  Think about it, you work very hard to get time away to relax.  If you are in a position that requires certain monthly items completed, you work twice as hard to get those items completed just so you can take time off. Working out coverage and knowing that upon your return you will still be playing catch up.  I wonder sometimes if it would not be easier just to take the computer with me and work off hours to keep caught up.   Quick, someone hit me on the back of the head for that thought.  Time away from the work stress is a necessary challenge and mental health requirement in today's world.

Now I take pride that I am an organizer and start a month in advance for any plan to be away from home. Yet it still stresses me out to ensure that everything is covered for myself, partner and pets along with the house.  I do find though that planning a few weeks out and at the end of each week have a certain about of items check off, it just makes the stress less of an issue and actually builds the excitement of the upcoming time away.  If you have kids this can be a great way to get them involved in the preparation and teaching them how to be responsible individuals. Give them the task of preparing their rooms, luggage, pet essentials or even straightening up the yard to ensure all their toys and bikes are put away.

Pets add another element to the preparation of vacations. Whether you are leaving them behind with a sitter or taking them along, you have to ensure you have all elements in place for their well being and enjoyment while you are on vacation.  Print up instructions with vet numbers and emergency numbers for the sitter.  Give a brief description of your pets personality with likes and dislikes to assist the sitter in taking care of them while you are away. Taking them with you, get a collapsible kennel, ensure you have plenty of water, treats and food.  If you are driving, a few weeks in advance take your pet in the car to the gas station or just take drive and let the pet get use to being in the vehicle without going to the vet.

Whatever your vacation plans may be this year, do yourself a favor and make out that preparation list as I have done. Start that count down and check off those tasks in preparing for a relaxing time away from the normal daily routine. Enjoy every minute from the prep to the execution of the trip and turn the stress into a game to achieve the upmost enjoyment this year.

Now did I stop the newspaper? Did I put the out of office message on the work computer?  Just keep checking off those tasks.  Now is it one week or two weeks away?

Of course, I have found over the years, the best part of the vacation is the home coming. It is wonderful to get away from the house and daily routine, but returning home is just the icing on the cake. You have all the memories of the vacation yet there is no place like home.  At least till next vacation..

 Keep Dancin’ Larry B

Please note no article next week while traveling..

May 2014 More than just Mother’s Day!

Five years ago, I hated the Month of May, not only because of losing my Mom and not having our Mother’s Day tradition but also because it is her Birthday month.  I was losing out on two my favorite gift giving dates in my personal life, Mother’s Day and Mom’s Birthday so to say the least May was not a good month in my opinion.

No matter how you remember your MOM this Mother’s Day, taking her out to a special dinner or sending an unique gift for her to remember for years, the most important thing is to be in her life every day.

We also want to honor our brothers and sisters that are in the armed forces this month.  Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of May to salute all the men and women in all branches of the service who protect our country and you. They can be called upon at a moment's notice to perform a risky and perilous mission for freedom and country. They train diligently both physically and mentally so they will be prepared to prevail in any mission they face.

So how did this special day start to honor those in the services. Well, each branch of the military had their own day of celebration. But, on August 31, 1949 then Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day. President Harry Truman also announced the holiday in a presidential proclamation on February 20, 1950. All branches of the military were asked to celebrate on this day and they complied on the first Armed Forces Day which was held the following year on May 20, 1950.  Now you know!  So if you have a loved one currently serving in the service let them know you are thinking of them and proud of what they are doing for you and the country.

Also the month of May ends with Memorial Day. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead". While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in General Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971.

So even though the Month of May was not one of my favorite a five years ago. I have regained what the different Holidays truly mean during this Month.  Honoring those that have served you and your country. Mothers to Soldiers all are due our respect.

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

 

Happiness Comes From Within

I received a message from a follower that asked me to repost an earlier entry for a particular family member to read. So here it is, hope it helps.

Life isn’t the sweetest candy. When I feel like the world is just too heavy, I first always take a deep breath and remember my grandmother. A woman, that no matter what life presented, she always was able to laugh and enjoy life. I always admired that about her, it was not till later in life that I understood that happiness came from a place called ‘self’.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

A counselor once said that “loving means accepting.”  To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lay a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, winning and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person’s life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy. Every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

So my sister will understand this. Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFL. Every time you take a step forward, you score points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out.”

Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest pay. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, and the bravest or not even the best.

Everyone has his own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as many best-selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a business man may mean success. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. It’s about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling yourself “Oh, I’ll do better next time”, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults,  You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”. For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten folds back.

So one last time the question “how to become genuinely happy?”. I’ll leave you with this great quote- “Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life’s aches and pain. But most of us don’t know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Coz then you don’t just become happy… you become free.”

Keep Dancin’  LB

Hi Everyone, This year Secretary's Day or more appropriately Administrative Professional's Day is April 23, 2014.  National Professional Secretaries Week and National Secretary's Day was created in 1952 through the work of Harry F. Klemfuss of Young and Rubicam. Klemfuss recognized the importance and value of the position to a company or business. 

Today, the title is changing and evolving. But, the recognition is equally important. There are two new terms in use today. They are "Administrative Professionals" and "Executive Admins". The two names sometimes mean different roles and responsibilities to different companies. Both are broader terms, which encompass more positions than the original "Secretary" role. The name change recognizes and acknowledges that the role has changed significantly since 1952, and for the better at that.

The most common ways of recognizing your Administrative Professional(s) today are:

• Flowers
• Cards, often with shopping gift certificates
• Take them to lunch 
• Candies
• Assorted Gift Baskets

Administrative Professionals Day gifts are by far the most common way of giving recognition to these most important people on your staff.  So don't forget those that keep your company running smoothly.

There is one more great day for April, I have to mention on April 28th, Kiss Your Mate Day. This is a perfect chance to smooch with your partner. As if you need an opportunity to share a kiss or two with the one you love. With spring in the air, April is an appropriate time for Kiss Your Mate Day.

Unfortunately, researchers tell us that kissing, an important part of romance and intimacy is the first thing to go in a relationship. If you don't currently kiss your mate every day, use today to re-establish kissing in your life. 

Here are some Kiss Your Mate Day tips and rules:

• There is no upper limit to the number of times you can kiss your mate today.
• It is highly recommended that you limit your kisses to just one mate.
• You can kiss your mate wherever you want (location/place).
• You can kiss your mate wherever you want (anatomically speaking)
• Giving candy or flowers is not required. But, I suggest that those who do will receive more kisses.

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

I AM NOT YOUR "DARLING"!

I was taken back the other day when a lady I was speaking to on the phone blurted out that statement to me. I said excuse me, she then proceeded to read me the riot act that I had called her Darling and She was not MY Darling. How dare I trivialize her by calling her Darling? The rant went on for a few minutes and I let her vent, I feel everyone needs to vent at times. I explained that I had not even realized I had said "Thank you, darlin' for your help". I apologized for my statement to her. I then explained that it was not meant as anything more than a courtesy to her. Where I was reared it was a common courtesy to use the words darling, honey, hon, and dear as a way of showing our respect to the person we may be speaking to at the time.

I told this lady that I was only trying show her some courtesy and if she took offense to actually having a gentleman be courtesy to her, then I truly apologize. Of course, this might have been a little over kill on my part but the lady just really took me by surprise that anyone man or woman would be upset for someone being a little courtesy and okay maybe little informal or too personal. Yet in today's society, I feel we strive way too much to be politically correct and become nothing more that automated beings.

I attempt to keep my Midwestern form of courtesy to a lady out of my daily business conversations. Of course, this incident shows that I will never be 100% politically or business correct.  I was reared to respect a woman and that included using these words of endearment as a way of showing respect.  Heck, I was reared to show respect to all beings and I know I might slip at times; my true nature is to be respectful and courtesy.  Just ask the 20 plus women I work with on daily basis, they get called honey, darling and sweetheart all the time, of course, they usually know I am trying to butter them up to take on more work. But hey at least I try to soften the burden with some good ole southern gentleman ways.

In today's world courtesy is not seen very much in everyday life. I try to ensure I keep my manners and am as courteous as possible. I still use the words Please and Thank you. I have heard so many times of late when someone holds a door open for someone else and the person says Thank you, the response back is No problem.  What happen to Your Welcome!   No problem, well I took that for granted that it was no problem you are the one that stopped and held the door. 

As you know if you have been following my blog, that although I am a big supporter of all things technological, I am also first to agree that technology has hurt our interpersonal communication skills and common courtesies.

In today's hectic pace of life, the common social courtesies have been left behind. Be it in the checkout line of a store, on the highway, on the phone and in person, most of the time individuals are too involved in themselves to show any type of courtesy to the world around them. I am sure you all can put scenarios to the areas I just mentioned. 

Would the world not be a better place is everyone showed a little courtesy to the each other? Cultures may be different, how we were reared by be different, the common factor is we are all human and on the same planet.

So I guess I can only say the one thing. "Thank you, Darling, Sweetheart and Honey for reading my blog this week."

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

April Fun Celebration Days

As requested I will continue to provide those crazy and unusual Holidays. Here are a few fun reasons to celebrate the start of April.  Starting the first Friday of April, April 4^th, 2014 is National Walk To Work Day.  U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson declared the first National Walk to Work Day on April 2, 2004.  With obesity and sedentary lifestyles growing at an alarming rate, National Walk to Work Day was initiated to draw attention to the need to get out and exercise, and to get in shape.

On this day, Americans are encouraged to walk to work. If you can't walk to work, take a walk during lunch time, or another time of the day.  The goal is to walk 30 minutes a day. Health officials are hoping this will encourage people to add a 30 minute walk to their daily lives. Health officials, medical agencies, and medical organizations around the country state that a 30 minute walk will significantly improve you health. The benefits are many, including lower weight, less chance of heart disease, less risk of diabetes, and much more. This translates to a longer and healthier life.

Unmentioned in other articles, is the emotional and mental benefits of walking. Walking is relaxing and peaceful. If you walk in a park, or along a waterfront, it can be captivating. Need a quick picker upper? Take a walk today. .

So, if you can't walk to work today, walk 30 minutes at a convenient time. Then, make it a apart of your daily life. I walk to my office every day but then again I work from home…

April 7^th gives you several opportunities to celebrate. April 7th is Caramel Popcorn Day. This day is an opportunity to enjoy the combination of two great treats - Caramel and Popcorn. This tasty, chewy treat is hard to beat. Caramel popcorn is readily found in popcorn tins and specialty shops.

If you are like me, you don't need an excuse to eat any kind of popcorn. So, you can easily guess what you need to do to participate in this day. While other flavors of popcorn is fine any other day, today it must be caramel popcorn.

A great way to make this day truly memorable, is to make homemade caramel popcorn.

April 7th is World Health Day. Sponsored by United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO), World Health Day focuses upon a different health theme each year. It is an international event to emphasize and work on important health issues or problems. Many countries around the world participate.

Major activities on world health Day focus upon, awareness, education programs, and fund raising activities to help with the health issue for the year. Countries also work on resolving problems related to the theme.  The World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nation's sponsors World Health Day each year. Annually, a different country is selected to host World Health Day events.

Finally for April 7^th, No Housework Day… No Housework Day is your chance to do anything, except housework. Better still, have someone else do the chores for a day. Housework is a daily, seemingly endless and repetitive groups of tasks. It often goes unrecognized and worst of all..... taken for granted. But, watch out! If the dishes aren't done, or there's no clean towels, somebody notices.

There's two ways to celebrate this day:

If you normally do the housework around the house, cease and desist for this day. Instead, kick back and enjoy the day. Relax and do anything, except housework.

If you are a spouse or significant other, do the housework for your mate. It gives her (or him) a break from the housework. And, you just might get an appreciation of how much work it takes to keep up the house.  Oops, Sorry Paul, I will be in Florida this day..

Keep Dancin’ Larry B