July, 2016 - Occasionally Thoughtful

Gorgeous Grandma Day – July 23

Pattiann on July 22, 2016

Gorgeous Grandma Day was invented by author and radio show host Alice Solomon to celebrate women over 50 who have grandchildren and who are growing old gracefully – also known as Glammas.

What is a gorgeous grandma? She’s a grandmother who lives life to the fullest, takes care of herself, is a lifelong learner, is open to new ideas, loves life, shares her enthusiasm for life with those around her,

Examples of gorgeous grandmas:

Idiosyncraticfashionistas — Two grandmothers who describe themselves as style bloggers for women of a certain age. And style they have!

Actress Susan Sullivan — Martha Rodgers on Castle — Actress Susan Sullivan plays Martha Rodgers, a former Broadway actress who is still trying to make it big. Her fashion sense, her open mind, and her hard work at putting together an acting school all make her a Gorgeous Grandma.

Former First Lady Laura Bush

Actress Goldie Hawn

Singer Emmylou Harris

Singer Gladys Knight

How to celebrate your gorgeous grandma:

Treat her to lunch or dinner at a special restaurant.

Tag a photo of her in social media with her name and #gorgeousgrandma

Give her a gift basket of pampering lotions, powders, and perfume in her favorite scent.

Bring the grandchildren to her for a visit.

Send her flowers and a sweet note, telling her how much you appreciate her.

Sign both of you up for a class in painting, ceramics, weaving, etc.

Greeting Card Universe Gorgeous Grandma Day cards

Greeting Card Universe Gorgeous Grandma Day Pinterest board

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French Fries Day — July 13

Pattiann on July 13, 2016

Whether you call them “chips”, as in the UK, “pommes frites” in France, or “patatas fritas” in Spain — it all means the same thing: French fries, that glorious comfort food that can be eaten in many forms: waffled, Cajun-style, or curly, just to name a few.

Belgium and France both claim that French fries originated in their countries. Wherever they come from, French fries are popular, with Americans eating an average of 30 lbs each year.

American president Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing French fries to America when he served them at a White House dinner in 1802.

While Americans typically each their fries with ketchup, people around the world have a different take on French fries.

The British use salt and malt vinegar

Mayonnaise is a accompaniment of choice in Belgium. Belgians sometimes crack a raw egg over the fries as they’re taken from the fryer.

In Vietnam they serve their fries with soft butter and a bit of sugar

A popular dish in Canada is poutine, French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds.

In Israel, fries are sometimes accompanied by hummus

Australians sprinkle chicken salt on their fries.

In India, fries are given a bit of a kick with turmeric and chili powder

The Japanese eat their fries with furikake, a mix of seaweed, dried bonito flakes, sesame seeds, and other seasonings

How do you like your French fries?

Greeting Card Universe French Fries Day cards

Greeting Card Universe French Fry Frenzy Pinterest Board

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Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day

Pattiann on July 6, 2016

A webmaster — also referred to as a web developer/architect, website administrator, or website publisher, among other titles — is responsible for the development and maintenance of your website. July 6 is the day designated to show your appreciation to your webmaster by taking them to lunch. What would you do without their magic coding fingers, their dedication to developing and keeping your website up and working, and the long hours they work? Your webmaster is a key player on your team, is available 24/7 in case of a website emergency, and is required to keep up with a constantly-changing industry.

How can you celebrate Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day, other than the obvious lunch? Any of the following gifts would be appreciated by your web master.

Start the day early, with an assortment of gourmet coffees and pastries when they arrive at the office.
A gift certificate to a spa, with lunch included, for them and a friend.
A gift basket with fine coffee, chocolate, a character figurine related to their favorite show, and a gift certificate to their favorite tech store.
If your webmaster isn’t onsite, a gift certificate will be appreciated.
An assortment of craft beer.

Anyway your choose to recognize your webmaster’s dedication and skill will be appreciated. A webmaster is an oft-forgotten team member, toiling in the background. When they do their job well, it’s easy to forget them.

Greeting Card Universe Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day

Greeting Card Universe Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day Pinterest board

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Fourth of July

Pattiann on July 4, 2016

Fireworks, roasted marshmallows, family get-togethers … no holiday is more all-American than the Fourth of July.

A commemoration of our adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Independence Day is celebrated in big towns and small towns all across America with parades, barbeques, red, white, and blue decorations, political speeches, and a patriotic feeling shared by all.

The Declaration of Independence is the document that spells out the thirteen American colonies’ freedom from British rule. Voted on by Congress on July 2 and ratified on July 4, this important document contains, in its second sentence, what is widely regarded as the most meaningful statement on human rights:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

The Fourth of July allows Americans the opportunity to be grateful for our freedom and recognize the richness of our history — all in the company of good friends and family.

While most of us are content with the traditional Fourth of July menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato salad, there are those who enjoy participating in hot dog eating contests. The most famous hot dog eating contest is sponsored by Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog on Coney Island, New York. Held since 1916, the contest pits 20 contestants against each other in a race to see how many hot dogs they can each eat in 12 minutes. The record holder is Joey Chestnut with 69 hot dogs in 2013.

Kid-Safe Activities for Fourth of July

Neighborhood or family bike parade — Kids can decorate their bikes with red, white, and blue streamers, pinwheels, construction paper, or balloons and then have a short parade up and down the block.
Declaration of Independence in kids-friendly words https://quatr.us/northamerica/after1500/government/declaration.htm Help children understand the significance of this important document.
Water balloon dodge ball — Using red, white, and blue balloons (of course!) filled with water, divide the children into two equal groups. The children throw balloons at each other and each child who gets hit is out of the game. A nice game to play to cool down!
Instead of the egg in the Easter Egg game, substitute an ice cube. First child to reach the finish line with the ice cube on the spoon is the winner.
The tried and true watermelon seed spitting contest! Permission to spit — What child doesn’t think this game is the coolest?

The Fourth of July allows Americans the opportunity to be grateful for our freedom and recognize the richness of our history — all in the company of good friends and family.

General Fourth of July cards

Fourth of July Across the Miles

First Fourth of July

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