Category Archives: General

National Grandparents Day – Please Gift Responsibly

Happy Grandparents Day Scribbles
A scribble picture from a child to a grandparent

In 1978 the US Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day  as National Grandparents Day.

Some would say it’s just another Hallmark holiday, suggesting that it’s a “made up” holiday concocted primarily so that Hallmark and other companies can profit from it. Certainly money is made relative to Grandparents Day, but the same can be said for birthdays, Easter, Christmas, and a variety of other holidays.

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Happy Birthday America!

On July 4, America celebrates Independence Day. Contrary to popular belief, it marked the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution was ratified over a decade later.

That was then…

Like many holidays, the sentiment behind Independence Day sometimes seems overtaken by commercialization and marketing. We see “4th of July” sales, and even references to “the holiday.” Then there are the picnics, ball games, fireworks… things which actually start to sound familiar:

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations [fireworks] from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776

John Adams was one of America’s founding fathers. Clearly he didn’t think all of this merry-making distracted from the solemnity of the holiday. Quite the contrary, it emphasized what a very big deal America’s independence was – and continues to be!

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Under Construction – Again!

Construction sign that says "Diversion" suggesting that the road is under construction.
Sometimes the “Construction” sign is actually a Diversion

I’ll bet you remember not so many years ago when someone would grab a domain, put up an image of a shovel or some workers with the catchy title like and maybe get back to it eventually. A lot of the time that was just a diversion: It was a parked domain and nobody was really working on the site at all. Have you ever done that?  😉

Well, I really am working on the site, but I’m new to WordPress. This may be ugly for a while, but I’m going to leave it visible rather than putting up a hokey sign.

Maybe I will add a picture too. Michael E. Casey was good enough to post the above photo on Flickr and flag it Free Use. Thanks Michael!