Memorial Day weekend always feels like the beginning of summer to me, despite the fact that it officially begins on June 20, so I'll be taking a break here for a bit as I get out and enjoy the longer days and beautiful sunshine (in between all the rains and storms we're having)!
Happy Summertime Y'all!
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
As we celebrate Memorial Day and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country here in the United States today, please join me in welcoming my friend & today's guest blogger Ruth from London, England, as she shares about a similar day celebrated in the United Kingdom.__________
In the UK, Remembrance Sunday is commemorated on the nearest Sunday to the 11th November (that date being the day the Armistice was signed in 1918 signalling the end of the Great War). It’s an important date in our nation’s calendar.
The country’s main focus for commemoration is at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. Her Majesty the Queen is present (although she no longer physically lays a wreath) and is joined by senior members of the royal family, all ranks of the military and politicians.
At the same time, across the country in cities, towns and villages, communities come together at their own war memorial. When the clock strikes 11am, there is a two-minute silence followed by the sounding of the Last Post.
We attend our local war memorial in West London and The Boy usually wears my old RAF beret. I place a memorial cross in remembrance of Flying Officer Roy Stewart Wilson – you can read why here.
Thanks to Melissa for inviting me to write a guest post; I hope you enjoyed it. You can find me blogging at: thiswestlondonlife.com and on Instagram as: @thiswestlondonlife.
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Thanks for this wonderfully informative post Ruth! I hope we'll be able to meet up in person again one day - in your country or mine.
And thanks to each of you who have popped in and left comments as we've celebrated and observed a variety of days & weeks throughout this month!
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
What better time to focus on your picture taking skills than National Photography Month? This celebration of all things photography was first organized in 1987 by the American Photographers Association. Photography plays a huge role in modern society and it has become easier for everyone to enjoy this hobby with the advent of digital images and smart phone cameras.
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
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Wikipedia says this about May 24th – Victoria Day:
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
Today is the day to celebrate taffy, that sticky sweet chewy candy that comes in many colors and flavors. It is made by boiling sugar, molasses or corn syrup with butter (and other ingredients), which is then pulled until it's porous and glossy.
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
Today we celebrate another delicious snack - it's National Strawberries and Cream Day! Typically this means fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream; however, my favorite "recipe" for strawberries is what I affectionately call "Central Park Strawberries."
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines millionaire as "a person whose wealth is estimated at a million or more (as of dollars or pounds)." Collins Dictionary says, "A millionaire is a very rich person who has money or property worth at least a million dollars." The term millionaire was first coined in the 17th century when there were only a few individuals who had amassed a net worth of a million dollars. Today there are millions of millionaires around the globe. I remember reading something a few years ago about millionaires here in American - the majority of them have a net worth of between one and ten million dollars and are your typical next-door neighbors.I'm excited to announce my next VIRTUAL Bible Journaling Class! This class will be presented via Zoom, so you can join in from anywhere as we dive into the Word and use our creativity to draw closer to the Lord.
Did you know that the book of Esther in the Old Testament is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God? However, He is ever present in this story that can rival any fiction thriller on the market – it has a hero, a heroine, a villain, a plot to overthrow the government, women's lib controversy, a nationwide beauty pageant, lots of eating, drinking & celebrating, a beautiful palace setting, irony, humor, intrigue, revenge, and suspense.
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
Devil's food cake is a moist rich chocolate layer cake. It tends to have a darker color than a regular chocolate cake and is topped with chocolate icing. There are many recipes for this delectable dessert, some dating to the early 1900s, so the "devil's food cake" is often used to describe any super chocolatey cake.
Since today is National Devil's Food Cake Day, it's the perfect excuse to do a little baking and enjoy some chocolate cake!
Any day that involves chocolate cake is a good day in my book! How about you?
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
Since 1977, the International Council of Museums has organized International Museum Day to stress that "museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples." It is celebrated on May 18 with museums around the world participating.
Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam - When we visited Amsterdam several years ago, we thoroughly enjoyed this museum that showcases the numerous ways the Dutch resisted Nazi occupation during World War II.
These are just a few of our favorites. Many museums now offer virtual tours or online views of their collections, but I'm looking forward to the time when we feel comfortable traveling and visiting more museums in person!
Which museums are your favorite? Please share in the comments!
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
Here in the United States, we have three holidays focused on our military men and women. These holidays are often confused and many times the meaning of each is lost in the celebration of a long weekend or the excess of retail sales or the beginning/ending of summertime. However, they each serve to honor members of the United States military.
May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
The Get Caught Reading campaign was founded in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and actually runs all year long, with May being designated as Get Caught Reading Month. It is designed to encourage people of all ages to enjoy books and magazines and to share the pleasure of reading with the young children in their lives. This is definitely my kind of celebration!
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
As I've been researching all the interesting and significant days this month, I've discovered that quite a few foods and/or food groups have special days associated with them throughout the year. Today is National Shrimp Day, which is great for us because we enjoy a good meal of shrimp (grilled, fried, sautéed, scampi, stuffed, shrimp cocktail, etc).
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday here in the US to honor mothers. To celebrate Mother's Day today, I'm sharing a short video of the School Years scrapbook I created for Mama late last year.
Mama had her school portraits and reports cards, plus some extra bits and pieces, and I had a FUN time putting them together with a few stories. (If you are reading this on email, you may need to click over to the blog to watch the video flip through of Mama's album.)
Mama was thrilled with the results, and I snapped a few photos when I delivered the album to create a layout for our 2020 chronological scrapbook.
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
This is my kind of day - National Have a Coke Day! I can't remember when I started drinking Coca-Cola, but it has been a constant in my life as long as I can remember. Even in the 1980s when I was a pre-teen, I knew that the company was making a mistake with that New Coke formula! I realize it's not the healthiest of habits, but I do enjoy an ice-cold Coca-Cola most days.
There are, of course, quite a few options for enjoying a coke - iconic glass bottles, fountain drinks, plastic bottles, over ice, with ice cream to make a coke float, and (in other countries I discovered) with a lemon. However, my favorite way to enjoy this beverage is straight from an ice-cold red can!
[BTW - It's also Coconut Cream Pie Day. I checked the pantry and it looks like we have all the right ingredients, so Robbie assures me we'll be having a slice of pie to go with our coke this evening.]
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
I had no idea there was something called School Lunch Hero Day until I started researching this series, but I immediately knew what I wanted to share when I saw it! Robbie's grandmother worked in the school lunch room of a junior high school for many years. We have a couple of her school portraits from that time, so I used inspiration from Shimelle's Half and Half class to create a layout about her and the little pizzas Robbie likes to make.
Robbie's journaling reads: In the 1950s and up to sometime in the late 60s, Grandy worked in the lunch cafeteria at Sill Junior High School in my home-town of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. She was always an excellent cook, and I like to think my ability to cook and bake, as well as my talent for ‘creatively cooking,’ comes directly from her! She and the other ladies were responsible for feeding hundreds of junior high students daily, and she would come up with several unique recipes from time to time to add something a bit ‘extra’ to the then-standard daily school fare. Several of those recipes were favorites of mine (and my brother Tommy) back when we were young … and still remain so to this day. One recipe was for what she called “Little Pizzas,” which I call “Grandy’s Little Pizzas” for obvious reasons. It is made up of ground beef, ketchup, water, sugar, breadcrumbs, and oregano all cooked together and then scooped onto sliced English Muffins, covered with a slice of American Cheese, and put in the oven for 10 minutes or so. These things are addictive and are one of my favorite ‘comfort foods’ to this day. I probably make them about half a dozen times a year – with the majority being made on Sunday afternoons during football season, or if Tommy happens to be in town. When I was in elementary school and then in Junior High (long after Grandy had already retired), they still served the same “Little Pizzas” every so often – they were called “Pizza Burgers” by that time, but it was the same recipe for years until it too was finally changed. Nevertheless, I’ve been making them myself for nearly 50 years and the recipe was probably more than 20 years old by the time I started making them myself. I think Grandy would be pleased to know that Tommy and I still make them (and enjoy them) to this day. (~Robbie~ May 2021)
I love that we now have this story preserved in our scrapbook of Robbie's family stories! Have you scrapped any memories of older generations lately?
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
The first Thursday in May is designated as a National Day of Prayer here in the United States. It is a day that invites people of all faiths to pray for our nation. Spurred by the evangelical movement and evangelist Billy Graham, a joint resolution by Congress was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in 1952 and moved to the first Thursday in May by President Ronald Reagan. This year's prayer is: Lord pour out Your Love, Life and Liberty.
The National Day of Prayer website says this about the significance of the day: The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.
Today is the 70th National Day of Prayer. Here's a video with more information about these "70 Years of Prayer." (If you are reading this on email, you may need to click over to the blog to watch.)
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for "Fifth of May," the day that marks the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is not a hugely celebrated holiday in Mexico, although I read that there are some military parades and other activities, particularly in Puebla. However, there are many celebrations in the United States (most likely because a couple of brewing companies began sponsoring the holiday as a marketing ploy in the 1980s).
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
Star Wars Day is an annual informal commemorative day observed on May 4 to celebrate, you guessed it, Star Wars! This date was chosen because of the Jedi's phrase, "May the Force be with you," which easily transitions to "May the Fourth be with you."
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
In 2012, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron declared May 2 as International Harry Potter Day. This date was chosen because it was the date that Harry Potter beat Lord Voldemort in The Battle of Hogwarts. Honestly, I had no idea what day the battle occurred; however, I'm all for a day to celebrate Harry Potter.
I've scrapped and (shared on the blog here) our stories about reading (and re-reading) the Harry Potter books and watching (and re-watching) all the movies.
However, I'd only created one (one!) layout about our 2014 visit to Harry Potter World in Florida and no (zero!!) layouts about our 2016 visit to Harry Potter World in California and our 2017 Harry Potter Studios tour outside London, England.
So, I pulled out some papers and a never-before-used stamp set to create a layout inspired by Lesson 3 in Shimelle's Half and Half class. I wasn't sure about the artsy look that Shimelle created with watercolors, but I decided to give it a try using gelatos ... and I'm thrilled with the look.
Bonus: Robbie has mastered the art of creating the nonalcoholic butterbeers at home. There are several recipes online and he combined a few and tweaked this and that until he was satisfied with the taste. This past Friday, he picked up the ingredients and fixed us each a mug to enjoy for movie night. We'll have another mug today, of course!
How will you be celebrating International Harry Potter Day this year?
May Every Day is a series of daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!
In 1994, Creative Memories began National Scrapbook Day for scrapbookers to get together for a day of photo celebration and album creation. The day has become popular around the world as memory keepers gather to work on layouts and projects, so it's now often referred to as (inter)National Scrapbook Day and is celebrated on the first Saturday in May.
For many years, I hosted a crop here at our home with friends and family scrapbooking, visiting, snacking, shopping and sharing memories together. We often met with other friends virtually using FaceTime, Skype, text, online chats and (most recently) Zoom. Obviously all of last year's get-togethers were virtual.
There are typically lots of online events, freebies, sales, and challenges posted for iNSD. Here are a few of the things I'll be enjoying as I scrap here at home today.
1. May Flaum is hosting a Grand Estate Escape Virtual (crafty) Vacation with challenges, Facebook lives, and prizes. (She also has several other virtual crafty vacation events scheduled this year.)
2. Shimelle's Half and Half online class is underway, and I'm having lots of FUN putting together layouts using two patterned papers as the background. The class includes prompts (handouts & videos) for twelve layouts. The first prompt encouraged us to choose a paper with one color and another paper with multiple colors, which worked perfect to showcase a photo of me at 4-years-old.
3. As I've mentioned previously, I'm participating in Stacy Julian's Story52 class as encouragement to tell more of our stories. This class provides weekly inspiration as well as monthly challenges, color inspiration, and sketches. I'm a couple of weeks months behind on the class materials, although I have created several story-focused layouts inspired by this class (including this one and this one).
I'm especially enjoying the reminder to add more of the story to my pages. For the layout below, I was originally focusing on the photos that show the before and after setup of Robbie's home office. However, I realized that the story I most wanted to tell was about how hard Robbie works to provide a good life for us.
