Friday Fun

It's time for Friday Flash 55
It makes the weekend come alive
And makes the G-man so proud
That he shouts out loud

So now we pull out all the stops
And whether it flies or it flops
Be it timid, outrageous or bold
Our story in 55 words we've told

Ready, set, GO!  It's your turn.

Written for Friday Flash 55.

Going Green?

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, or St. Paddy's Day as many call it.  It is a day of celebration, drinking, feasting, and coloring things green...water, beer, etc.  Digging into the archives, here is a post I wrote last year to take a deeper look at St. Patrick's Day, who St. Patrick was, and why we celebrate his life.  

While it will be a day filled with festivities and celebration among those of Irish descent, and those who just like any excuse to party, for Japan it is a different story.  In the wake of the massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami, many have lost loved ones, are homeless, cold, hungry and scared. 

So, while we celebrate with our friends and families, let's stop for a moment and consider the suffering of our fellow humans. 

On a lighter note, anyone having or going to a party?

If you wish to help, there are a number of ways to donate such as through the Red Cross, and Second Harvest Japan, a food bank.  However, if you choose to donate, please select your charitable organization carefully.  Tragedy not only brings out those willing to help, but the unscrupulous as well.

Quote of the Week

Photo Credit:  Jannie Funster

This picture was taken by my friend, Jannie Funster, a fellow blogger.  I thought it would be a perfect fit for my Quote of the Week, so I asked permission to use her photo.

In case it's hard to read in the picture, here is the text.

Peace.  It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.  - unknown

Peace is not where you are or what is going on around you, and it isn't in your mind, peace is a state of the heart.  When you have achieved this, you can be at peace anywhere.

The Faces of Spring

This started out to be a post on Spring and the different faces it presents.  I was about to state that Spring arrives every year on March 20, but decided I should check my facts.  What I found out was that March 20 has not always the definitive beginning of Spring.  Traditionally March 21 was hailed as the first day of Spring, but in recent years that became the exception rather than the rule. 

The vernal equinox landed on March 21, only 36 out of 100 years. And from 1981 to 2102, Americans will celebrate the first day of spring no later than March 20.

In the years 2008 and 2012, those living in Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific, Mountain and Central time zones will see spring begin even earlier: on March 19. And in 2016, it will start on March 19 for the entire United States.*

Crocus, one of Spring's pretty faces.

Simplified, some reasons for this include the fact that a year is not made up of an even number of days, nor are the seasons.  Also contributing is the fact that the earth's elliptical orbit is changing relative to the sun.

Spring's face can also be fierce.

Another interesting seasonal fact is that Spring and Summer total more days combined than Fall and Winter, but actually Summer and Fall are gaining ground each year.  Spring is losing one minute and Winter is losing one-half minute per year, respectively.  Summer is gaining the minute lost from Spring and Fall is gaining Winter's half minute.

In many parts of the world, Spring's faces are in evidence before the calendar date, and in addition to the pretty flowers and trees and milder temperatures, she is also unpredictable, unleashing drenching rains and violent storms. So go forth and experience all the faces of Spring.

*Reference:  http://www.space.com/881-date-changed-start-spring.html

It's Bacon to the Rescue

We decided to remodel the bathroom at my parents' house.  The house was built in 1959, and much of it remains original.  In those days, many walls were made of plaster instead of drywall.  What we found when hubby opened the wall around the faucets was that the plaster had become not much more than dust, and the grout was all that was holding the tile in place.

Remodeling can be hazardous work, especially on 50-year old plumbing.  In the process of removing the old faucets, tile and grout, hubby sustained an injury to his finger and a shard of grout was the culprit.

I wasn't there when it happened, and when I called to see when he was coming home for dinner, that's when he told me he had cut his finger.  I was ready to rush over with first aid supplies, but he insisted it would be fine.  Thanks to Kathy at The Junk Drawer, I was waiting with just the thing to soothe his injured finger; it was bacon band aids to the rescue.