The history of Memorial Day dates back to the American Civil War and was instituted to honor soldiers who had died during the Civil War. It has been said to be inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored the dead. Previously known as Decoration Day, the first national observance took place on May 30, 1868. In the late 19th century, the holiday became known as Memorial Day and was expanded to include the deceased veterans of all the wars fought by American forces.
It has long been my contention that farmers and chefs are in cahoots to get us to eat things that are not typically considered food.
Traditionally, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. This day is held in high regard as one of the most special days of the year. It is a time to honor the mothers around us for the gift of maternal bonds, and the service mothers provide their families and others in society. We all look for ways to impress the special ladies of the day, gifting them with jewelry, gift baskets, flowers and lavish dinners. Sometimes, the most understated gift is just what a mother is looking for – one chosen with thought and effort, and comes from the kitchen.
As the mother of two toddlers, let me start by saying that I totally get why many moms want to wear yoga pants and T-shirts daily. However, Mom, this can’t be your whole life. You know that moment when you get to walk out of the house with no kids having taken more than two minutes to do your hair and make-up? What if I told you that it’s possible to keep this up on a daily basis without being late to every appointment? It is!
We’re well into the season, and I am just getting geared up for the annual torture-fest called Spring Cleaning.
One of the pleasures of the gold-standard Turner Classic Movies channel is its showcasing of film noir – the loosely defined class of taut, violent, often-fatalistic 1940s and 1950s crime thrillers that hinted at a seamier world below the postwar surface. TCM presents a regular “Noir Alley” feature on Sunday mornings, but these movies are all over the schedule, and – if you seek them out – on home video and streaming services, too.
With the warmer weather finally here, many of us are putting away the sweaters and cold weather clothing and taking inventory of our spring wardrobes. As this rite begins, we encounter those single, pathetic and unmatchable socks. All year long, they collect like weeds in the garden of our perfectly matched drawer-full of duos. The time has come to say goodbye.
Finally, the calendar says it’s springtime! Now, all we have do is wait for the thermometer to agree. While those two decide who’s right, let’s start making plans for welcoming our friends and family over for the first opportunities to entertain this season.
I have never lived in a place that had mountains. Heck, where I’m from, in Michigan, we barely have big hills. But here in Alberta, we have the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies – and my goodness, they are gorgeous.
To say that there have been a lot of changes in Washington could be the understatement of the decade; but one change that should be beneficial to taxpayers, in the short term, is the new Tax Reform Act that was passed by congress in December 2017. Not only is this going to lower the corporate tax from 35 percent to 21 percent indefinitely, but it will also be lowering individual and joint marginal income tax rates, as well. Although the tax cuts for individuals sunsets in 2026*, it should provide a well-needed shot in the arm to the American Middle Class.
Detroit was one of the cities competing to attract Amazon.com’s second headquarters (H2Q) but did not make the final cut. The two reasons given for why Detroit was not chosen are: a lack of workplace talent in Detroit, and an absence of regional transit. Both reasons are extremely dubious. I suspect the real reason is that Amazon simply got offered more taxpayer subsidies (or “incentives”) from the cities that made the cut.
This year, the Earth Day Network has made its mission clear: A World Without Plastic Pollution. The strategy adds a few more “Rs” to the old Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign. Ending plastic pollution will require us to Reduce, Refuse, Reuse, Recycle and Remove.
