Archive for April 13, 2017

April: Focusing on Faith

April 13, 2017 2 comments

April is a busy month.  Several religions celebrate important spiritual occasions during this month.  I thought I’d list them and encourage all believers to honor their own  religious tradition not only by  respecting the sacred beliefs of others but also by remembering that we are all part of the same human family under that Supreme Being/Force/God–whatever name we affix to Him/Her/It.

April:

1–Lazarus Saturday – Orthodox Christian

2–Palm Sunday – Orthodox Christian

5–Ramanavami  – Hindu

9–Palm Sunday- Christian

10–Mahavir Jayanti  – Jain

11–Lord’s Evening Meal – Jehovah’s Witness Christian

.     Hanuman Jayanti – Hindu

11-14–Theravadin New Year  – Buddhist

11-18–Pesach (Passover)  – Jewish

13–Maundy Thursday – Christian

14–Holy Friday – Orthodox Christian

.      Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) – Sikh

.      Good Friday – Christian

16–Easter – Christian

.      Pascha (Easter) – Orthodox Christian

21–First Day of Ridvan  – Baha’i

23–St. George’s Day – Christian

.       Yom HaShoah  – Jewish

24–Lailat al Miraj * – Islam

29–Ninth Day of Ridvan  – Baha’i

30–St. James the Great Day – Orthodox Christian

Special blessings to all this month!

 

Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , ,

How Big the Gift?

April 13, 2017 Comments Off on How Big the Gift?

Today’s Thursday Thought sheds some light on the act of giving and the size of the gift.

No automatic alt text available.

 

Uncategorized , , , , , ,

Puzzle Ribbon

April 12, 2017 Comments Off on Puzzle Ribbon

What is that funny ribbon people are wearing–the one with puzzle pieces on it?  It’s the puzzle ribbon, symbol for autism, and April is Autism Awareness Month.

3.5+ million Americans live with ASD (autism spectrum disorder).  It makes it hard for them to communicate or interact with other people.  For every 68 babies born, 1 will have some variation of this developmental disorder.  So you probably know someone with it.

ASD is a spectrum, meaning that the symptoms range from very obvious to hardly noticeable.  My grandson is on the autism spectrum and is learning how to handle his limitations.  He starts college in the fall.

If you learn more about this condition you’ll rethink people’s “odd” or uncommunicative behavior.  Can’t hurt.  Go to https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism.

 

 

Uncategorized , , , , , ,

Three Dogs and a Bird, On their Day

April 11, 2017 Comments Off on Three Dogs and a Bird, On their Day

Today I  give special loving attention to my dog, Riley, my grand-dogs, Kaya and Sargent, and my African Grey parrot, Max.  Why?  It’s the 11th National Pet Day.  The dogs give me unconditional love, devotion, and protection from solicitors and bad buys who dare even think about coming to my home.  All of them make me laugh  at times when I need it, comfort me in my “down” times, remind me of the  beauty and diversity of Nature, and drive away the loneliness that sometimes creep into my life. All they ask in return is food, water, and some play-time with their human.

To them–and to all of your pets–I wish a happy National Pet Day.

 

Uncategorized , , , , , , ,

Not a Contradiction–Just an Enlightened Bottom Line

April 10, 2017 Comments Off on Not a Contradiction–Just an Enlightened Bottom Line

Here’s a bit of seeming contradiction that I think is a brilliant idea:  the Kentucky Coal Museum is installing solar panels on its roof.  It will save them money.  Even better, it’s part of Kentucky’s attempt to replace coal as its primary source of energy.  Read about this at the USA Today article.

In fact, the coal industry is dwindling, not just out of environmental concerns, but because of corporations’ bottom lines. Coal is too expensive to produce when alternative energy sources are available to cash in on.

Coal miners are losing jobs, and families are suffering as a result of that.  They need to be retrained and hired in the energy jobs of the future, not kept in unhealthy,  unsafe underground mines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uncategorized , , , , ,

Wanna Go Forest Bathing?

April 8, 2017 Comments Off on Wanna Go Forest Bathing?

Okay.  I admit it.  I’m a tree hugger.  I love being out in a forest.  It relaxes me and helps me understand my place in the universe.  Apparently, I’m not all that  crazy; forest bathing is catching on in the U.S.  Watch  this video and see if it’s right for you.

 

https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/videos/10154303720471479/

 

Uncategorized , , , , , ,

Down but not Out

April 7, 2017 Comments Off on Down but not Out

Did you miss me?  I hope so.  I was  busy pulling my hair out over the fact that my website/blog was gone.  I know that the cyber-trolls that live under the Net Bridge like to  mess with me.  But, once again, I defeated them.  And I’m back to my Monday-through-Saturday postings.  I’m collecting ideas now to inflict on you next week.  (Tomorrow, of course, is my Sensible Saturday, focusing on the environment.)

 

Uncategorized , , , , ,

How to Add $513 Billion to Our Economy

April 4, 2017 Comments Off on How to Add $513 Billion to Our Economy

$513 B could flow into our economy if women earned as much pay as men, says the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.  That’s a number that should stick in the minds even of CEOs who hire women because, as one of them (Evan Thornley, multimillionaire and co-founder of online advertising company LookSmart) says, “Women [are] like men, only cheaper.”

Today is Equal Pay Day.  True, the actual day is a projected guess, since it’s based on averages from the census data, which isn’t available soon enough to set a specific real date.  Also true, the amount is based on average earnings of all full-time workers, not comparing specific  job to specific job.  So it isn’t perfect statistically.

However, it’s a symbol that points up a problem in our economy: women overall earn less than men.  If CEOs paid their women workers the same as they do men for the same job, if women didn’t get only 79.6 cents for every dollar a man makes, if working mothers weren’t limited in their hiring possibilities because of employer fears of their taking off too much time for family, if men didn’t dominate corporate Boards, if, if, if….

The answer to those “ifs” is less poverty among women and children and a more vibrant economy for us all.

By the way, if you support  equal pay, the American Association of University Women asks you to wear red today.

 

Uncategorized , , , , , , ,
  Recent Entries »