Make Me Think Monday Archives - Page 17 of 35

19 02, 2018

Why I think President’s Day is a Strange Holiday

By judythemorgan|2018-02-01T17:36:41-06:00February 19th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|3 Comments

Three things strike me as making Presidents Day holiday strange.

1. There’s no universal agreement on the actual name of the holiday

Most American holidays are clear-cut in what we are celebrating or honoring, i.e. 4^th of July, Thanksgiving, or Martin Luther King Day.

Not so with Presidents Day. Ask several people what President’s Day recognizes or why we celebrate, and you’re likely to get totally different answers.

Fact is, President’s Day originated to recognize George Washington’s actual day of birth, February 22. It was the first federal holiday to celebrate the life of an individual and joined only four other national bank holidays – Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.

Then under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971, which was passed to create more three-day weekends and increase retail and tourism revenue, it became known as Presidents’ Day and included President Abraham Lincoln whose birthday is February 12.

2. There’s no clear clarification of which presidents are being honored

Popular culture gradually shifted the emphasis from recognizing Washington and Lincoln to a day to recognize the lives of American presidents generally.

Interesting to note that the Federal government still labels the third Monday in February on official calendars as Washington’s Birthday.

3. There’s no agreement about whether to use an apostrophe or not

Sometimes the apostrophe isn’t used at all (as in Presidents Day), sometimes it is placed between the last two letters (President’s Day), and sometimes it is after the last letter (Presidents’ Day).

No specific title for the holiday is a little confusing, especially if you happen to be an English teacher.

Seems reasonable to say those three things make Presidents’ Day or President’s Day or Presidents Day a slightly strange holiday.

Wouldn’t you agree?

12 02, 2018

Valentine’s Day Random Facts

By judythemorgan|2019-02-03T17:40:44-06:00February 12th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday, Valentine's Day|0 Comments

The origin of St. Valentine’s Day is found in the story of Saint Valentine, who, on the evening before his execution, wrote the first valentine, addressed to the daughter of his jailer, and signed the greeting “Your Valentine.”

That was in the 5th century. Since then Valentine’s Day has become a major commercial holiday.

The National Retail Federation anticipates over $18.2 billion will be spent on Valentine gifts this year. Of that amount, the Greeting Card Association expects $1 billion to go for greeting cards. Flowers will account for $2 billion and candy for $1.7 billion.

Cards, flowers, jewelry, and fine dinners are all very romantic gestures to express love for one’s sweetheart on this special day. But, gifts don’t have to involve great expense. Nothing’s better than a homemade Valentine card or a home cooked meal served by candlelight.

2018 will be a very unique Valentine’s Day because February 14 also happens to be the first day of Lent 2018, Ash Wednesday.

Interesting to note that Easter and April Fool’s Day will also fall on the same day this year. It’s the first time in 73 years.

Stop and think about it though, we shouldn’t be surprised.

We experienced a Blue Moon in January and unique things always happen once in a blue moon.

Have a HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

5 02, 2018

A Wordless Love Story – February 2018 Update

By judythemorgan|2018-02-01T10:35:19-06:00February 5th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

On February 4, 2013, I originally posted this blog about a six-minute animated film that mixes hand-drawn and CGI animation to tell a love story

Unfortunately, the YouTube video I chose is no longer available. You can, however, watch this Disney trailer.

The Disney Animation video premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June 2012 and won the Best Animated Short Category at the 2013 Academy Awards.

As a romance writer, I think Paperman does a fabulous job of telling a wonderful love story without using a single spoken word. It’s the perfect blog for the beginning of February, which is why I’ve revised my original 2013 blog and am posting again this year.

Enjoy as you prepared for this month of love.

29 01, 2018

Winter, Winter Go Away

By judythemorgan|2018-01-22T07:09:59-06:00January 29th, 2018|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

It’s cold and gray outside.

I know this is not breaking news. It is winter and that’s what we expect.

I may live in Texas, but I understand about winter. I’ve spent many years experiencing winters in cold places like Colorado, Connecticut, and West Virginia.

What I don’t understand is what winter is doing here in Texas.

We’ve been in a deep freeze with temperatures below freezing for days. Ice shut the whole city down for two days. We’ve had multiple snowfalls in southeast Texas since the first of January for heaven’s sake. Okay 2″ hardly counts as a blizzard, but that snow included Galveston, which sits on edge of the Gulf of Mexico. That’s just unnatural!

The troubling thing is that winter is a long way from ending.

Spring doesn’t officially arrive until 11:15 AM CDT on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. As I wrote this blog that meant there were 58 days 6 hours 49 minutes 4 seconds until its arrival. You can click here to know exactly how long we still have to wait.

In my blog research, I also learned an interesting fact from Space.com. Winter is the shortest astronomical season and it is currently being reduced by about one-half minute per year. Spring loses approximately one minute per year. With the shrinkage, winter is expected to attain its minimum value – 88.71 days – by about the year 3500.

Summer gains the minute lost from spring, and autumn gains the half-minute lost from winter.

I like that winter’s length is decreasing and autumn is gaining the time. Fall is my favorite time of year. On the other hand, I’d have to live until the year 3500 before I see shorter winters. That’s not happening.

This winter weather reminds of the nursery rhyme my mother used to console me on rainy days when I couldn’t go outside.

Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day
Mommy wants to go out to play
Rain, rain, go away

There are several verses using father, sister, brother, and family in place of Mommy. Mother would substitute my name and my siblings’ names as she recited the poem. I used the same poem with my children and grandchildren when they would be stuck inside on rainy days. It never stopped the rain, but the children enjoyed it.

Until spring arrives, join me in reciting the poem and substituting winter for rain. Maybe it will make the cold more bearable.

Winter, winter, go away
Come again another day
I want to go out and play
Winter, winter, go away

22 01, 2018

Resolutions ~ Yes or No?

By judythemorgan|2019-01-10T09:59:21-06:00January 22nd, 2018|Make Me Think Monday, Writer's Life|0 Comments

It’s hard to believe this is the last full week of January. Did you take time this month to make resolutions or set goals?

Resolutions don’t work so well for me. I usually fail within days of writing them down. I’m not alone. A whopping 80% of us fail within the first thirty days when we make resolutions.

That’s why I prefer setting S.M.A.R.T. goals for the New Year. Being a goal setter comes from my years of teaching and having to establish learning objectives for lessons. S.M.A.R.T. goals work well for developing my writing goals.

Not familiar with S.M.A.R.T. goals?

A S.M.A.R.T. goal is specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and timely. This PDF from the University of Virginia gives a complete explanation.

My 2018 S.M.A.R.T. goals are set and this year I’m trying a new approach. I’m selecting a guide word for the year.

A guide word is sorta like a resolution except it sets the foundation for your year by guiding all aspects of your life. If you haven’t come up goals or resolutions yet, why not select a guide word for the year?

How do you choose one word?

Start by taking stock of where you were in 2017 and where you want to be at the end of 2018. The word you choose should help bridge the gap. It can underscore a tangible outcome, a character trait you want to develop or a skill you wish to acquire or all of the above.

Here’s a neat PDF worksheet to help zero in on what word might work for you from Love Nerd Maggie. Maybe you’ll find your word there.

My word for 2018 is progress.

I kinda lost focus on in 2017. It was a crazy year with a major move and a monstrous hurricane. I couldn’t find blocks of time to write so I let my writing slide. I’m determined that will not happen this year.

I’ve posted this graphic above my computer to remind me progress does not mean something has to be perfect. It’s from the Elsie Joy Get to Workbook (I use her workbook to track my S.M.A.R.T. goals.)

Have you ever used a guide word for your year? How’d that work out for you?

15 01, 2018

It’s Martin Luther King Day

By judythemorgan|2018-01-14T15:32:54-06:00January 15th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

Martin Luther King’s calm civil disobedience and charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, here and around the world.

He inspired so many that, in 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – the youngest man to receive the prestigious honor.

Through his lectures and dialogues, he stirred our conscience. His words continue to be as meaningful today.

President Ronald Reagan signed legislation in 1983 to establish a yearly federal holiday to honor the man and his accomplishments. Today has been designated as that day.

As you honor Dr. King today, pause and consider these MLK quotes.

On Leadership

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

On Love

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

On Getting Along

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

On Faith

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

On Service

“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Additional legislation passed in in 1994 establishing Martin Luther King Day of Service to encourage citizens to use the federal holiday as an opportunity to give back to their communities. Why not let this MLK Day be the start of a year in which you make a positive impact?

8 01, 2018

Old Man Winter’s Arrived

By judythemorgan|2018-01-07T18:34:06-06:00January 8th, 2018|A Writer's Life, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is over for another year. We’re settling into winter.

SOURCE: clipground.com/image-post/76271

Old Man Winter is playing hardball with the poor folks on the east coast. Even here in Texas, we had a full week where temperatures didn’t rise about freezing.

Our little arctic cold snap only lasted a week, but it wiped out many of my flowers even though I had lovingly covered them. Plants and houses and cars in Texas don’t do cold weather very well.

Some folks thrive in the cold weather. For those folks, winter means snow and snow brings skiing and ice skating, snowmobile rides, curling up by a fire with a good book, and the peaceful silence of a walk after a fresh snowfall.

Others dread the winter with its snow and wild weather. All they can think about is shoveling, snow blowing, icy roads, and frigid temperatures.

I like winter with its cooler temperatures. I didn’t even mind the shoveling and snow blowing when we lived where it snowed. I avoid icy roads by huddling inside with a roaring fire and a good book. And, I positively love the aroma of a good soup or stew simmering in the crock pot on a chilly day.

Another thing I like about winter is the slower pace.

Animals are hibernating, trees have shed their leaves, and daylight hours are shorter. Nature beds down for winter, storing energy for spring.

Perhaps we should mimic Mother Nature and use wintertime to renew ourselves. Get more sleep, read more books, and eat good soups. Take a step back from busyness and noisy days to replenish our spirit in the quiet and calm of winter.

I’m thinking if we did, the arrival of spring would likely find us refreshed and energized ready for its promise and possibilities.

What do you think?

25 12, 2017

The Christmas Scale – Joy to the World

By judythemorgan|2017-12-03T09:58:42-06:00December 25th, 2017|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

This is my all-time, very-favorite Christmas video. Since I post it every year, I guess you figured that out.

If you have a piano around round your house, try playing the C scale. Start on middle C and play up to the next C. Then play back down the scale again. Start on the 8th note and pause on the 1st note, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th.

Listen as you play. What you’ll hear is the good news for Christmas .

“Joy to the World! The Lord is Come.”

Chicken Wrangler Sara and I will be back in January. Enjoy a wonderful Christmas week with your family and friends.

Merry Christmas!

18 12, 2017

Cardinal Sightings

By judythemorgan|2017-12-17T15:55:08-06:00December 18th, 2017|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

We see cardinals are everywhere during the holiday season—on Christmas cards and holiday wreaths and nestled in decorations. If you’re fortunate enough, you might catch a glimpse of one outside.

The female is a soft, warm tan color with a bright orange bill and red edging to the wings and tail while the males are the vibrant red. Non-migratory birds, they remain in an area all their lives and they mate for life.

Our bird-friendly yard provides many cardinals to watch. Their brilliant color, musical songs, and dedication to their mates have always intrigued me.

Watching males gently offer seeds to the female in a kiss-like gesture warms my romance writer heart.

Cardinals have long been symbolic of beauty in the midst of darkness, hope in the midst of sorrow, and renewal in the midst of winter. There is an old folklore saying that, “When a cardinal appears in your yard, it’s a visitor from heaven.”

When you consider the word cardinal comes from the Latin word cardo, meaning hinge or axis, it’s not too far-fetched to see why many cultures believe a cardinal is the doorway hinge who carries messages back and forth between our Earthly world and the Spirit world.

Choctaw tribes believe a sighting is a relationship omen. If you’re single, seeing a cardinal could be a sign your status is about to change. Or, if your relationship is in trouble, a cardinal sighting is a warning that things need to change.

Other Native American cultures believe cardinals help predict changes in the weather, serve as watchers and guardians, or provide a sign of what direction to travel or follow. Their red is believed to offer protection from enemies and illness.

The Native American shaman medicine wheel includes the four sacred (or cardinal) directions: north, south, east and west, and the four cardinal colors: red, blue, black and white. The color red is associated with the East on the medicine wheel. Words spoken toward the East are said to be carried on wings and delivered directly to the Spirit.

Wherever the symbolic meanings come from, the chirp of the brilliant colored male is hard to ignore when he’s trying to gain your attention. Maybe he is signaling a message.

Or, maybe he’s simply saying, Merry Christmas.

11 12, 2017

Christmas Music – the Customs and Traditions

By judythemorgan|2017-12-03T07:05:52-06:00December 11th, 2017|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Christian tradition and the liturgical Church calendar recognize the Christmas season from sundown on December 24 (Christmas Eve) through Epiphany of the Lord (January 6). Most of us celebrated the single day, December 25.

Songs of the season are a different story. Christmas music runs non-stop through store speakers beginning after Halloween. Satellite stations and cable networks devote channels to holiday-themed music and shows beginning at Thanksgiving.

For some that’s a good thing. For others, it’s too much. Personally, I’d prefer some Christmas carols and contemporary Christmas songs throughout the year instead of the over saturation.

There was a time before the fourth century when there were no Birth-of-Christ hymns. A songbook with carols only appeared after Christmas was formalized as a feast and fixed to Dec. 25.

In the 13^th century, St. Francis of Assisi organized nativity pageants featuring real hay, real animals, and, for the first time, real narrative songs. Christmas singing took on a life of its own, beyond the constraints of the sacred feast. Even drinking songs (much to the church’s horror) contained Yuletide lyrics.

Christmas celebrations and caroling died with the Puritan movement when Cromwell’s Parliament banned any secular observances under threat of fines. The restrictions crossed the Atlantic and settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony restricted Christmas caroling and festivities too.

The popularity of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol struck down the grim, Puritan-inflected holiday and led to the 20^th century festive, secular tunes. One of the most popular of those songs is “White Christmas,” composed in 1940 by Jewish Irving Berlin, who did not much care for the holiday.

Berlin’s tune, Bing Crosby’s rendition, and the 1954 movie by the same title ushered in carols, songs, and theatrical productions appealing more to the Yuletide mood than to the holiday itself.

Others holiday songs like “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas” followed. New versions of these old songs, secular and traditional, quickly emerged.

Whether we want to or not, we find ourselves humming or singing along with the old-fashioned melodies.

One of our family Christmas traditions was to gather around the piano and sing carols from the church hymnal. A tradition that now includes other instruments.

Christmas music listeners might distinguish between sacred songs (those with lyrics about Christ’s birth) and secular ones (Santa Claus, snowmen, mistletoe, elves, etc.) If you go wassailing or caroling, you make conscious choices on what to sing.

Whatever lyrics you choose, Christmas music anchors us in the past —before Shakespeare and Beowulf and all the eras in between—and fills us with the spirit of Christmas.

What’s your favorite Christmas song or carol?