Memorial Day

Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)

It was 1866,and the United States was recovering from the long bloody Civil War between the North and the South. Surviving soldiers came home, some with missing limbs, and all with stories to tell.

Henry Welles, a drugstore owner in Waterloo, New York, heard the stories and had an idea. He suggested that all the shops in town closed or one day to honor the soldiers who were buried in the waterloo cemetery. On the morning of May 5, the townspeople placed flowers, wreaths and crosses on the graves of the Northern soldiers in the cemetery. At about the same time, General Jonathan Logan planned another ceremony, this time for the soldiers in the cemetery to decorate their comrades’ graves with flags. It was not happy celebration, but a memorial. The townspeople called it Decoration Day. In General Logan’s proclamation of Memorial Day he declared;

“The 30^th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of graves of comrades in defense of their country and during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.”

The two ceremonies were joined in 1868,and northern states commemorated the day on May 30.Children read poems and sang civl war songs, and veterans came to school wearing their medals and uniforms to tell students about the Civil War. Then the veterans marched through their home towns, followed by the townspeople to the cemetery. They decorated graves and took photographs of soldiers next to American flags. Rifles were shot in the air as a salute to the northern soldiers who had given their lives to keep the United States together.

In 1882 , the name was changed to Memorial Day, and the soldiers who had died in previous wars were honored as well. In the northern United States, it was designated a legal holiday. The southern states commemorated their war dead on different days . In1971,along with other holidays , President Richard Nixon declared Memorial Day a national holiday on the last Monday in May.

Cities all around the US hold their own ceremonies on the last Monday in May to pay respect to the men and women who have died in wars or in the service of their country.

Memorial Day is not only limited to honor only those Americans from the armed forces. It is also a day for personal rememberance.

Families and individuals honor the memories of their loved ones who have died. Church services , visits to the cemetery, flowers on the graves,or even silent tributes mark the day with dignity and solemnity. It is a day of reflection. However, to many Americans the day also signals the beginning of summer-with a three day weekend to spend at the beach, in the mountains, or at home relaxing.

In Waterloo, New York, the orgin has not been lost, and in fact the meaning has become even more special. President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Waterloo the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966, 100 years after the first commemoration. Every May 30 townspeople still walk to the cemetaries and hold memorial services, They decorate the graves with flags and flowers. Then they walk back to the town in the middle of town. In the middle of the park,near a monument dedicated to soldiers,sailors and Marines,the Gettysburg address is read , followed by Geneal Logan’s Order#11 designatiing Deceoration Day. The village choirs sing patriotic songs. In the evening,school children take part in a parade.

Arlington Natonal Cemetary in Virginai is the nation’s largest national cemetery. Not only are members of the armed forces buried here;astronauts,explorers and other distinguished Americans have all been honored with a special place here. President John Kennedy is buried in a spot overlooking Washington D.C.

Here in the early hours of the Friday morning before Memorial Day ,soldiers of the Third U.S. Infantry walk along the rows of headstones. Each soldier stops at a headstone, reaches to a bundle of flags he is carrying,pulls one out and pushes it into the ground. These soldiers are part of a special regiment, The Old Guard. Most consider it a privilege to place flags on more than two hundred thousand graves of soldiers who served in the war or who died in it.”They have done their job,”said one soldier, and now it’s my turn t do mine.”

It is an equal honor to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier all year. There are actually four soldiers buried in this spot: the unknown soldiers of the two World Wars, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam War. Each soldier represents all those who gave their lives in the modern wars.

Soldiers from the Army’s Third Infantry guard the tomb twenty-four hours a day. Wreath-laying ceremonies take place all through the year, and people from all over the world come to watch the changing of the guard. On another hill of Arlington Cemetery, there is a mass grave of unidentified soldiers from the Civil War.

On Memorial Day, the President or Vice President of the United States gives a speech and lays a wreath on the tombs. Members of the armed forces shoot a rifle salute in the air. Veterans and families come to lay their own wreaths and say prayers. There is a chance that one of the soldiers buried here is a father, son, brother or friend.

Its Memorial day in Iraq everyday ........

My heart goes out to all who have lost a relative at any given war, whether be it in the US , Iraq or other…. A war is a war, there’s no nice way of writing about it, as it’s a real tragedy for the ones to have to continue to live with the loss of their father ,son ,brother, or friend.

To the dead , no matter what culture , country or religion I pray they rest in peace. To the mourners I also pray that time, will heal your pain and grief .

May Allah / God bless and protect us all…

PEACE

Apples anyone ?

An apple a day ……..

First, it was an apple, then, came the banana and its benefits, as many had the notion of it being a fatty fruit. Many nutritionists always come up with something new, which at times can be rather confusing to the consumer.

Anyways this time I did some research on apples, and this is what I came up with.

Fresh fruit and veggies are a vital part of any healthy, balanced diet, but there’s one fruit that stands out head and shoulders above its rivals for healthy –giving properties, and that’s the humble apple.

Humble it may be, but the apple is rich in a variety of nutrients that can make it a great all-rounder in the health stakes. Not only does the apple come in a multitude of colours, tastes textures and flavours it also helps protect against a long list of life-threatening diseases, from cancer to heart disease, diabetes to obesity.

Benefits aside, the thing that really tempts you to eat something is the taste, and with today’s expanding market of growers, the emphasis is firmly on flavour.

If ever a fruit summed up the taste of summer, it’s the apple be it golden delicious, Brazilian or even what we call locally Arab apples which come from the Green mountain in Libya. So next time, when you bite into an apple, think of where they hail from, it’s surprising that each bite is a little slice of sunshine!

5 things you didn’t know about apples

1) They’re the best food for helping to control asthma.

2) Apples help defy the signs of ageing by fighting free radicals.

3) They help reduce the incidence of type-2 diabetes.

4) People eating an apple-rich diet are 43%les likely to develop colon cancer

5) Eating apples reduces the risk of developing heart disease.

Now go and bite into a delicious apple and savour the sunshine!

PEACE

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mothers of the world a Happy Mothers Day !
Did a post 2 years back:. Link here….
Mothering is not in itself an act of biologically bringing a child into the world ,but that of raising children ……The upbringing of children is by no means an easy task, but is one that leaves a person appreciating life . Some say childless couples are better off. No one I guess is happy with what they have!

On the second Sunday in May, American children of all ages treat their mothers to something special. It is the one day out of the year when children, young and old, try to show a tangible way how much they appreciate their mothers.
England was one of the first countries to set aside a day to recognize mothers. In the eighteenth century when many people worked as household servants for the rich “Mothering Sunday “was reserved to them to return home to be with their mothers . Though this customs stopped when the Industrial Revolution altered the working and living patterns of people, one Sunday for Mothers was established as a holiday in the twentieth century.
In the United States, Mother’s Day did not become an official holiday until1914.Its establishment was due largely to the perseverance and love of one daughter, Anna Jarvis. Anna’s mother had provided strength and support as the family made their home in West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where her father served as a minister. As a girl, Anna had helped her mother take care of her garden, mostly filled with white carnations, her mother’s favourite flower. When Mrs. Jarvis died on May 5, 1905, Anna was determined to honor her. She asked the minister at her church in West Virginia to give a sermon in her mother’s memory. On the same Sunday in Philadelphia, their minister honored Mrs. Jarvis and all the mothers with a special Mothers Day service. Anna Jarvis began writing to congressmen, asking them to set aside a day to honor mothers. In1910, the governor of West Virginia proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day; and a year later, every state to celebrate it.
On Mother’s Day, some American children follow the tradition of serving their mothers breakfast in bed. Other children will give their mothers morning gifts which they have made themselves, or bought in stores. Adults give their mothers red carnations the official Mother’s Day flower. If their mothers are deceased, they may take white carnations to their gravesites. This is the busiest day of the American restaurants. On her special day, families don’t want Mum to cook dinner!

*In Libya we have come to celebrate Mothers and Children’s Day on the same day.
Last year I visited the cancer stricken children view link
while this year it was the Infectious Dept, children and mothers turn,as not many visit them due to the lack of awareness of the contagious diseases . view:Link

So to all mothers of all nations:

Here’s wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day !

PEACE

Time........

Sent to me from a good old friend and I thought Id share it ,as we will hopefully and undoubtedly all grow old sooner or later.....

CRABBY OLD MAN

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte, Nebraska, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.


Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.


One nurse took her copy to Missouri. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.


And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man



What do you see nurses? ..

What do you see?

What are you thinking.....

when you're looking at me?A crabby old man, ...not very wise,

Uncertain of habit ........with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food.......and makes no reply.

When you say in a loud voice.....'I do wish you'd try!

'Who seems not to notice ...the things that you do.

And forever is losing ..........

A sock or shoe?Who, resisting or not...........lets you do as you will,

With bathing and feeding the long day to fill?

Is that what you're thinking?....Is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, nurse......you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am ..... As I sit here so still,

As I do at your bidding, ......as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of Ten.......with a father and mother,

Brothers and sisters .........who love one another

A young boy of Sixteen ... with wings on his feet

Dreaming that soon now........a lover he'll meet.

A groom soon at Twenty ...my heart gives a leap.

Remembering the vows......that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now .......... I have young of my own.

Who need me to guide .... And a secure happy home
.
A man of Thirty ......... My young now grown fast,

Bound to each other ....... With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons ....have grown and are gone,

But my woman's beside me.......to see I don't mourn.

At Fifty, once more ..... Babies play 'round my knee,

Again, we know children ....... My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me .... My wife is now dead.

I look at the future ..............I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing young of their own.

And I think of the years....... And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man.........and nature is cruel.

Tis jest to make old age look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles..........grace and vigor, depart.

There is now a stone........where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass .. A young guy still dwells,

And now and again .......my battered heart swells

I remember the joys........... I remember the pain.

And I'm loving and living.............life over again.

I think of the years, all too few......gone too fast.

And accept the stark fact........that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people ........open and see..Not a crabby old man.

Look closer....see........ME!!


Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.....we will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEMThe best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart.

God Bless


PEACE

Cinco de Maya (May 5)
On May 5,Los Angeles, California is alive with colour, laughter and dancing. More than 500,000 Mexicans and Americans of Mexican origin are celebrating Cinco de Mayo, or “Fifth of May .Although it is not a national American holiday, it is an occasion which Mexicans share to emphasize the friendship between their two countries.

The holiday originated with a surprising battle. In1861, France, England and Spain sent ships to Mexico to settle a debt. Within a few months, an agreement was reached, and the British and Spanish navy set sail towards home. But the French ships, by order of Napoleon III, began an attack. On May 5, 1862, six thousand soldiers under the commander of the French forces tried to capture the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe in Puebla de Los Angeles, Mexico. Two thousand Mexican men, led by General Ignazio Zargoza, fought back hard and held the fort. Although smaller in number, the Mexican army won his battle; but they did not win the war. The French conquered the country, and in1864, a European emperor was put on the Mexican throne. Three years later, after a reign filled with problems he emperor was disposed of and killed.
Even during the short period of French rule, the Mexicans celebrated Cinco de Mayo.
They changed the name of the town where the French were defeated to Puebla de Zaragoza.

Today Americans participate in activities organized for “Cinco de Mayo.”In Los Angeles, the celebration takes place in the streets outside City Hall, where Mexican orchestras and local bands play Mexican patriotic songs. The streets are coloured in red, white and green-the colours of the Mexican flag. Young boys are proud to be seen in Mexican clothing and girls wear red and green ruffled dresses with wide skirts. Famous musicians play popular and familiar tunes on their guitars while dancers spin around and click their castanets.

A temporary stage at the steps of City Hall is decorated with a picture of General Zargoza, flanked by Mexican and American flags .Mexican dignitaries are guests of honor pleased to hear the mayor of Los Angeles making a speech in Spanish. Later, celebrants stroll through the streets to the old section of the city. Others go to city parks where sports events, dances and picnics featuring Mexican food take place.

So to my Californian and Mexican friends I wish: A happy Cinco de Mayo !
PEACE

Arbor Day (April 22nd)

“Arbor Day which has already transplanted itself to every state in the American Union and has even been adopted in foreign lands……. Is not like other holidays. Each of those reposes on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future.”

J. Sterling Morton

In the 1840’s, the Midwestern state of Nebraska was a territory within a wide prairie. When pioneers moved out to settle there, they found few trees to build houses or to burn fuel. There was no shade from the sun or wind, and crops did not grow well in the dry earth.

J. Sterling Morton was one of those pioneers who moved to the treeless Nebraska territory. He and his wife planted trees immediately after moving from their home town of Detroit, Michigan. Morton was a journalist, and later the editor, for Nebraska’s first newspaper. In his writings, he advocated planting trees to help life on this vast barren plain.

He became the secretary of the Nebraska Territory. At a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture in January 1872, Morton proposed that citizens of the new state of Nebraska set aside April 10 as a day to plant trees. He suggested offering prizes as incentives for communities and organizations that planted the most trees properly. Everyone welcomed the idea enthusiastically. Nebraskans planted about 1 million trees on that first Arbor Day. Today a visitor to Nebraska would never guess that it was once a prairie.

In 1882, Nebraska declared its own Arbor Day as a legal holiday, and the date was changed to Morton’s birthday, April 22. Because the best tree-planting season changes from region to region, other states observe the day on different dates.

Hawaiians, for example plant Arbor Day trees on the first Friday in November!

On April 22, 1970, Arbor Day activities were modified to emphasize the critical importance of the environment and to make the American public aware of the destruction of the earth’s natural preserves. This day, Earth Day was observed by twenty million Americans, most of them students. The sponsors of Earth Day hoped to start an environmental movement that would alter industrial practices and human consumption.

Twenty years later in 1990, Earth Day was observed once again. On the Mall, in the center of Washington, D.C., people gathered foe Earth fest. At this second observance of Earth Day, participants and planners were not only college students but ordinary Americans of all ages and from all walks of life. Musicians performed songs about nature. Celebrities spoke about what Americans could do to recycle. Federal agencies offered expositions showing their efforts in stopping wasteful practices polluting the environment. Conservation groups taught the crowds about rain forests, and how their destruction could mean the destruction of large parts of the world.

Although Earth Day is not a yearly national holiday, it has helped Americans realize that they can and should do something to protect the environment.

PEACE

The French School Bazaar

Thanks go out to The French School in Tripoli as we enjoyed a lovely bazaar,last week.

Hip Hop and Rap among our younger generation, really a lovely sight ! All songs were played , and the young danced to their hearts content, you name it we had it !

Food , drinks and entertainment for the younger children was great fun as well……

Again I thank the French School for such an interesting and fun day !

View pics on the left side.

Happy Passover !

This important festival observed by Jewish Americans commemorates the escape of the Israelites from Egypt described in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament of The Bible. The book tells how God had thrown nine plagues over the people of Egypt. The tenth plague missed, or “passed over” the Israelites because they had put a cross of lamb’s blood on their doors.

The celebration begins after sunset on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish year and about the time of the vernal equinox. Jewish people observe Passover by sharing a symbolic meal called the Seder meal. The menu consists of which symbolize some aspect of the Israelites’ captivity. There must be four pieces of flat (or unleavened) bread on the table, because the Israelites had to leave Egypt before their bread had risen. A cup of wine represents blood, and a roasted egg calls to mind sacrifices at ancient temples. There is a plate with parsley dipped in salt water, representing new life under the salt tears. Salt water also symbolizes the Red Sea, which parted miraculously when the slaves were escaping. Horseradish reminds people of the bitterness of the captivity. Apples and nuts are mixed together in wine to symbolize the cement that the slaves used to build the king’s tombs when they wee slaves.

Small ceremonies during the meal represent the troubles of the Jewish people thousands of years ago. After eating, the oldest person in the house reads the Haggadah ,”the story of the slaves’ flight from Egypt . Prayers and songs are offered to God for His protection.

To all my Jewish friends I wish a Happy Passover !

PEACE

Health Trade –offs

In a perfect world, everyday would follow a restful eight hours sleep and include an hour of vigorous exercise, five or more servings of fruit and vegetables, plenty of mental stimulation to keep you from getting bored and enough relaxation to stop you from getting stressed. A day in the real world is likely to be a series of attempts-though not all of them successful-at healthy behaviour.

So when you can’t do it all (and who can?)What should you do?

I asked several experts what to do with the everyday health dilemmas, such as do you stretch before going on a run, or walk for 5 minutes? Order a pizza or go for hamburgers

instead?

Here I have prepared a small quiz in asking about making the best of things in a less than perfect world of ours.

Let’s see what you come up with ……. J

1) Yell at someone who makes you angry or go for a walk?

2) Sleep an extra hour, or get up and exercise?

3) Spend 15minutes in the sun without any sunscreen, or stay out for two hours wearing SPF30?

4) Apply a heating pad or, an ice pack immediately after an injury?

5) Watch a rerun of Friends, or tune in to a quiz show?

6 ) Before going on a run, stretch for 5 minutes or walk for 5 minutes?

7) Order a pizza or go for hamburgers and fries?

8) Eat a chocolate croissant, or have nothing at all?

9) Exercise for 30minutes, three days a week, or go for a two hour walk at the weekend?

10 Eat within the recommended calorie intake even in the evenings, or don’t eat at night?

Answers will follow suite…….and will apply only to those who comment J Gotcha!

I’m not being nasty hehehehehe.

PEACE