Greetings, August.

The Month of August

Full Moon: August 1st

 

Holidays

Friendship Day
Raksha Bandhan
Women's Equality Day
National Catfish Month

Harvest Month
National Water Quality Month
Peach Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

Symbols of August

• Birthstone: Agate or onyx
• Flower: Gladiolus or poppy
• Zodiac signs: Leo and Virgo

History:

In the original Roman calendar the month of August was called Sextilis. This was because it was the sixth month of the year. Later, after January and February were added to the calendar, it became the eighth month of the year. At the time the month had 29 days. When Julius Caesar created the Julian calendar in 45 BC, two days were added giving the month 31 days. The month was later renamed Augustus in honor of the first emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus.

Interesting Facts about August

• It is the last of the summer months.
• The Islamic holiday of Ramadan runs from July 19 to August 18 in 2012.
• August in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to February in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Augustus renamed the month of Sextilis because many of his greatest triumphs occurred during this month.
• August is a month of summer vacation and holiday for many children around the world.
• Many cultures call this month the harvest month or the time of harvest.

 

Doldrums of summer

 These are the doldrums of summer.  It's too hot to do anything strenuous outside so we're basically confined to indoor spaces.  I don't even like going for walks in hot, humid weather. So how do I fill the days, you ask?  Well, I'm still volunteering one day a week and I still have my weekly story to write for Volume II of my personal history.  I also read quite a bit or I busy myself with photography tasks. If that isn't enough I have Sudoku and word jumble puzzles I print out from the e-edition of my newspaper every morning.  Then there's the daily Wordle puzzle I do every morning.

Added to that list are a number of small, routine chores that need to be done around the house regardless of the weather.  

There's always something.  Nature even has a way of adding to my list as you can see below. We went for a long time without any problems with bears and our bird feeders until about a week ago. The two pictures taken by my trail cam that  I posted below show you what happened.  I managed to straighten out the pole and then I started taking the feeder in at night and putting it out during the day thinking the bears wouldn't come around when there was evidence of human activity.  Wrong! One morning two days ago I left the house at 9:30 and returned at 10:30.  Within that hour the feeder got hit again so that's it for feeding the birds until cold weather returns.

My next post probably won't be for a while unless something comes up.  Check back later.

A trip to St. John in U.S. Virgin Islands

 I haven't posted anything here since July 23rd.  These past several weeks have been extremely busy.  I've had cataract surgery, follow up doctor's appointments, other doctor's appointments and most recently a week long trip to St. John Virgin Island.

So here I am, back again, with some observations about the Caribbean island of St. John.  First of all if you're planning a trip there you need to know it does not have an airport so you're going to have to fly into St. Thomas first.  Then you get a private boat charter or a ferry to St. John.  It's not a long ride but it's a hassle considering you have to manage all your luggage.

The other thing about St. John is its geography.  It's extremely hilly and rather short on beaches.  I would recommend you stay somewhere like Weston Resorts where they have their own beach.  Also, try to avoid driving since they drive on the left and the roads are steep, narrow and there are numerous hairpin turns.

When all is said and done, it quite frankly is not one of my favorite islands.  It certainly doesn't lend itself to exploring by foot or just taking walks.  Fortunately we stayed at a beautiful villa with a great group of friends so it ended up being a fairly decent trip. 

Hello July.

About the Month of July

 

July is the 7th month of the year and has 31 days.
Season (Northern Hemisphere): Summer

Holidays

Canada Day
Independence Day
Bastille Day
Parent's Day
National Ice Cream Month

National Blueberry Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Picnic Month
National Pickle Month

Symbols of July

• Birthstone: Ruby
• Flower: Larkspur or Water Lily

Interesting Facts about July

• It is the second summer month after June.
• There are many countries which have their Independence Day during the month of July. These include the United States, Belarus, Venezuela, Argentina, Belgium, the Bahamas, and the Maldives. The national days for France and Canada occur in July as well.
• July is the warmest month in the Northern Hemisphere on average. It is similar to January in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Sometimes the hot, long days of July are called the "dog days of summer".
• It is sometimes called the Hay month because the grass dries out due to a lack of rain and can be made into hay.
• July's birthstone, the ruby, is often associated with contentment, love, passion, and integrity.

 

Website updates

Check out the most recent updates to my web site.

georgeswebpage.com 

About book banning

Recently our town was in significant turmoil over the issue of book banning.  Several parents and members of the Board of Education recommended banning two books dealing with gender and sexual issues in teenagers.  

There was a great deal of discussion about this issue. Much of it involved a good deal of very inappropriate name calling and hostility.  In fact the behavior of many people distracted from the issue to such an extent that it very nearly overshadowed the main point of it all. In the end it was decided to allow the books to remain in Middle and High School libraries.

And all of this happened in little old Newtown, CT.  But it's happening elsewhere in places like Florida, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, etc.  Do you see a pattern here? Mark my words, if this country goes red in the next elections you're going to see more efforts to ban books someone somewhere decided your kids shouldn't read.

Look, the issue is simple to me.  If you don't want your kid reading a certain book, fine. Don't let him/her/it.  But you don't have the right to impose your view on others. Book banning to me is abhorrent.  It's what the Nazis did to control its citizens. It can not be allowed to happen here.  This is a free country-for everyone-not just the far right like nut jobs like Trump and DeSantis.  

This issue is far from over in Newtown and the nation as  a whole. I'm afraid it will divide us even more than we already are-if that's possible.

 

Hi, June.

 Hello, June

June’s full Moon, the full Strawberry Moon, occurs on Saturday, June 3.  

 

June Holidays or Occasions

Flag Day
Fathers Day
Juneteenth
Paul Bunyan Day
National Rose Month

National Dairy Month
African-American Music Month
National Ice Tea Month
National Candy Month

June 1: Say Something Nice Day
June 3: Chimborazo Day
June 6: National Yo-Yo Day
June 8: Upsy Daisy Day
June 21: Go Skateboarding Day
June 30: Asteroid Day

Symbols of June

• Birthstone: Pearl
• Flower: Rose
  
  
• June 5 is World Environment Day—a day meant to raise environmental awareness across the globe.
• June 14 is Flag Day (U.S.). Be sure to raise the flag! Learn about the U.S. Flag Code, which provides guidelines for displaying the American flag properly.
• June 18 is Father’s Day this year. Find activity ideas and learn about the history of Father’s Day.
• June 19 is Juneteenth (also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day). On this day in 1865, Union General Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation aloud in Galveston, Texas, effectively liberating enslaved people in the state, which had thus far been beyond control of the Union Army.
• June 21 is the summer solstice, which heralds the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s the day with the most hours of daylight. In the Southern Hemisphere, winter begins at this time.
• In Canada, June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day (Canada), recognizing the contributions of the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.
• June 24 brings Midsummer Day, also St. John the Baptist’s Feast Day. Traditionally, this was the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvesting. It is celebrated in many cultures on the night of June 23, as Midsummer Eve! Learn all about Midsummer traditions.
• June 28 is the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots—a watershed moment for LGBT rights in the United States. 

 

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day.  Let's take a minute to acknowledge the sacrifice made by so many for all of us.  

There seems to be a little confusion about the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  For example I hear on TV and I see posts on Facebook where people are thanking all veterans for their service. Being a veteran, I say you're welcome but I don't feel I've earned the right to be lumped in with Memorial Day veterans.  

Veterans Day is for all who have served.  But Memorial Day is for those who gave their lives in the service of their country.  There's a very big difference.

It's certainly not an issue to start arguments over but I think the distinction is important.  

Update

 This is an update on yesterday's post.  My eye doctor has assured me that things will improve over time.  And as of this morning there has indeed been a great improvement.  I have another appointment next Tuesday at which time I expect even more improvement. 

Stay tuned.

Not happy with cataract surgery

 Yesterday morning I had cataract surgery on my right eye.  My left eye is scheduled to be done June 12th. But I'm not happy with the results thus far.  Granted it's been barely 24 hrs but from what my wife and friends have told me they had instant results.

For me, it's like sitting in a smoke filled room.  A white vale and generally blurry images.  Definitely not what I expected.  I see the doctor this afternoon for a follow up so I'll learn more but if this is as good as it gets or even just a little better there's no way in hell anyone's touching my left eye.  My vision in that eye isn't all that bad anyway.  

I'll be back with a follow up to this situation.

Got something to sell? Try Facebook Market Place

 Remember the good old days when if you had something to sell you simply ran an ad in the classified section of your local paper?  Well, no one reads newspapers anymore so now what do you do?  Simple. Try Facebook Market Place.  I hear also that Craig's List is a good alternative but I've heard some negative things about it plus I don't have any actual experience with it so I'm confining my observations to Facebook Market.

I've either sold or given away 5 different things:

Wood burning stove: $750
Two single beds with frame and mattress: free
Antique Victorian Settee: $200
20 yr old log splitter: $600
Two gallons of hydraulic fluid: free

The process for listing these things is very easy and it doesn't cost anything.  But like anything else you're selling at first you're likely to get a big response but much fewer actual visits to view the item.  

I sold my stove in no time at all which leads me to believe I could have gotten more but that's the way it goes.  On the other hand I valued my splitter at $800 but after two guys looked and passed on it and others weighed in with lower offers I finally had to come down a couple of hundred dollars but hey, that's gone too. 

The messaging system on Facebook is convenient and you can always switch to private texting if you don't mind giving out your phone number.  

One thing to watch for: people trying to get you to use various auto deposit apps like Venmo.  I insisted on cash for everything.  That way it's right there in your hands.  

Good luck.

Back from Florida...and what a trip it was!

 Well, here we are, the first full day back from Florida. We left warm, sunny weather and arrive to chilly, overcast weather.  Aside from that there is nothing good to say about our recent trip to our condo. 

Our troubles all began when our limo driver never showed up to take us to the airport.  I called the company to find out where he was and they said he had the wrong time.  By then it was too late for them to pick us up so we cancelled.  I was able to salvage a little bit of the day by booking a later flight from a different airport.  Then we called a different limo service and in spite of the last minute we were able to arrange for transportation.  

By the time we got to our condo it was really too late to do anything so we watched a little TV and went to bed.  The next day I did a few chores on my list but was increasingly bothered with a bad cough and stuffy nose so I went to urgent care.  I got some cough medicine and an antibiotic. By the time we got done there it was too late to get anything more accomplished on my list.

The next day we spent replacing burned out light bulbs and low batteries.  It was also time to change the A/C filter. Things continued to go fairly smoothly until I heard my wife yell out a scream.  There in the middle of our hallway was a 4 foot long snake.  I think it must have slipped in when I was unloading stuff from the car.  When we have several trips to make from the car to the condo we usually leave the front door open until we're done.  

My wife gave me a blanket to throw over it and the plan was I would gather it up and toss it outside.  As we approached our little friend he slithered into the front bedroom and hid under a bed.  We decided to close the bedroom door and seal the bottom with duct tape.  Then we called our property management company.  They sent someone over but when we went back in the bedroom we couldn't find the snake.

Our next step was to call a company that specialized in removing wildlife from people's homes.  They came over the next day and were able to locate it and get rid of it. That meant we had to spend the night with a snake trapped in one of our bedrooms.  I slept fairly well but my wife was up off and on all night.

After that we were able to continue with our chores and prepare our condo for a long period of absence. But all in all it wasn't one of our more relaxing trips.

Hello May

 Hello May!

About the month of May

May is the 5th month of the year and has 31 days.

Season (Northern Hemisphere): Spring

Holidays

May Day
Cinco de Mayo
National Teacher Day
Mothers Day
Victoria Day
Memorial Day
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Asian American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
National Bike Month

Symbols of May

• Birthstone: Emerald
• Flower: Lily of the Valley

The month of May was named for the Greek goddess Maia. She was the goddess of fertility. The Romans had a similar goddess named Bona Dea. They held the festival for Bona Dea during the month of May.

The Romans called the month Maius. The name changed over the years. It was first called May in the 1400s near the end of the Middle Ages.

 

Interesting Facts about May

• It is the third and last month of the season of spring.
• The birthstone of May, the emerald, symbolizes success and love.
• May in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to November in the Southern Hemisphere.
• May was once considered a bad luck month to get married. There is a poem that says "Marry in May and you'll rue the day".
• In Old English May is called the "month of three milkings" referring to a time when the cows could be milked three times a day.
• The Indianapolis 500 car race is held each year during this month. The Kentucky Derby, the world's most famous horse race, is also held on the second Saturday of this month.
• The month of May is devoted to the Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church.
• The United Kingdom celebrates May as the National Smile Month.
• The last week of May is Library and Information Week.

 

The test of time

 When I was 16 the only thing I was interested in was girls

When I was 30 I was interested in the career I started on and the start of our family.

When I was 60 I was looking forward to retirement and grandchildren.

Now that I'm 80 I'm most interested in my health.  

There are two things that have prompted this walk down memory lane. One is my need for cataract surgery and the other is my need to plan for the possibility of kidney dialysis.  I'm not quite there yet but it's damn close so it's prudent to plan and not be caught off guard.

And life marches on. 

Hello, April

 April Fools' Day
Autism Awareness Day
Easter
Earth Day
Arbor Day
National Poetry Month

National Arab American Heritage Month
Teacher Appreciation Week
Jazz Appreciation Month
Alcohol Awareness Month
Cancer Control Month

Symbols of April

• Birthstone: Diamond
• Flower: Daisy and the sweet pea

Interesting Facts about April

• It is the second month of spring. It is a time of planting and spring cleaning.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, April is the same as October in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The diamond of April symbolizes innocence.
• The Boston Marathon is held during April.
• In Ancient Rome the month of April was sacred to the goddess Venus.
• The Japanese fiscal year for most businesses starts on April 1st.
• In England there are many cuckoo festivals. The arrival of the cuckoo bird in April is a signal that spring has arrived.
• April is the month when the professional baseball season begins in the United States.
  

 

Update to my website

 I recently made some changes and updates to my web site.  Take a look.  Lots of good nature pictures.

http://georgeswebpage.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 Here are a few things about St. Patrick that you may not have known.

1. He was actually born in Britain

2. He did not drive the snakes out of Ireland.  There are no snakes in Ireland.

3. The shamrock is a sacred plant.  My lawn is apparently full of sacred plants.

4. Corned beef and cabbage is American.

5. The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I'll leave you with my favorite Irish blessing. 

Get tough with Mexico!

By now everyone has heard about the 4 people who were kidnapped in a border town in Mexico.  Two of them were found dead, one injured and the other unharmed.  It appears they were caught in the middle of a drug gang shootout. 

Granted they should have heeded the state departments level 4 warning which says basically do not under any circumstances visit this area so the four people bear some of the responsibility but I wonder why the U.S. hasn't taken a tougher stance with Mexico about this issue along with people entering the U.S. illegally.  

Is Mexico doing anything to help us with this issue or are they just looking the other way as more and more people pour through our borders?  And what is Pres. Biden doing to address this problem?  This whole issue is a major problem for him and his administration.  

The issue of illegal immigration was supposed to be handled by VP Kamala Harris.  When Biden and Harris were elected it was announced that that would be her primary responsibility.  Someone was going to finally solve this problem.  What happened?  From where I sit I haven't seen, heard or read of any progress.  In fact it's worse-to the extent that scumbag governors like Florida's Desantis and Texas' Abbott are randomly rounding up confused and helpless immigrants and shipping them like cattle to other states.  

Get with it, democrats.  You've got an opportunity here to solve a big problem and put yourselves in a better position for the upcoming elections.

Hi, March

About the Month of March

Full Moon March 7^th

 

Holidays

Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss Birthday)
Saint Patrick's Day
Pi Day
Daylight Saving Day
Women's History Month
National Nutrition Month
American Red Cross Month
Fire Prevention Month

Symbols of March

• Birthstone: aquamarine and bloodstone
• Flower: daffodil
  

Interesting Facts about March

• It is the first month of Spring which begins between March 19-21.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, March is the same as September in the Northern Hemisphere.
• Each year March and June end on the same day of the week.
• It is the time of year when animals start to wake up from hibernation.
• March Madness is a basketball tournament played by the NCAA.
• Easter is sometimes celebrated in March.

 

The big EIGHT O.

Today marks my eightieth trip around the sun.  Tons of people have reached out to me on Facebook, all the people in the nursing home where I volunteer  gave me stuff and my family and many of my friends acknowledged the day with messages and emails.  And they're not through.  Apparently there's going to be some sort of celebration this coming weekend.  All of this is a far cry from my childhood birthdays but that's a whole other story!

After 80 years one would logically wonder what words of wisdom I have accumulated for the benefit of younger folks but I regret to say the list is not that long. 

I have come to realize that what I thought was important when I was younger has changed over time.  That's to be expected as far as I'm concerned.

At one time my family, career and financial security were dominant.  Today, it's just my family and financial security but added to that is my health. And that's true for all of my friends as well. 

So my advice?  Take care of yourselves. Yeah, yeah, we all know, life is short but that doesn't mean you should be stupid. 

Book recommendation

 Need something to read?  Try this-Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.  This is a first novel for this author and it is a great one.  There's a healthy dose of humor with a serious underlying message.  Give it a try. 

Hello, February!

About February

 

Holidays

Chinese New Year
National Freedom Day
Groundhog Day
Valentine's Day
President's Day
Mardi Gras
Ash Wednesday
Black History Month
American Heart Month

Chocolate Lover's Month
National Bird Feeding Month
National Dental Month

Symbols of February:

• Birthstone: Amethyst
• Flower: Primrose

Feb. full moon-Feb. 5^th

 

February Calendar

• February 2 is Groundhog Day—the day we find out whether winter will last six more weeks or call it quits early. How did this quirky tradition get started? Find out the meaning of Groundhog Day.
• February 12 is Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday. The 16th president of the United States was born in a one-room, 16x18-foot, log cabin with a dirt floor.
• February 14 is always Valentine’s Day. Heads up, lovebirds! Today, the holiday is celebrated with love, flowers, and chocolate, but how did this holiday get its start? Learn all about Valentine’s Day.
• February 15 is Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday. How much do you know about this women’s right leader?
• February 15 is also National Flag of Canada Day!
• February 20 brings Presidents’ Day, a federal holiday also known as Washington’s Birthday that is celebrated on the third Monday in February. (George Washington’s actual birthday is February 22!)
• February 21 is Mardi Gras, (aka “Fat Tuesday” or Shrove Tuesday), which is the final feasting day before the Christian tradition of Lent begins on the following day, Ash Wednesday.
• February 22 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent.
• February 27 is Clean Monday. Also called Pure Monday, this day marks the beginning of Great Lent for followers of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. This day is similar to Ash Wednesday of the Western Church.