What Are we Celebrating Today --- 9/27/2012?

This just isn't my day. I still itch sooo bad, and I'm not sleeping well either.....and I have sooo much to do. I can't concentrate very well either, not with the meds in my system.
So.....what are we celebrating......
1). Crush A Can Day: I think I'm going to be celebrating this one. I may crush lots and lots of cans today, so I can get rid of some frustration. That's what this holday seems to be for.
2). Google's Birthday: Happy Birthday Google!! If you go to their main page, you'll even see a google cake.
3). Ancestor Appreciation Day: This is the holiday to celebrate your ancestors and appreciate them. Start by researching your family history....maybe you have someone famous related to you.
4). National Thank You Day: Today is the day to go out and say thank-you....the thanks can be for something as small as passing the salt...or the compliment someone pays you. In my case, THANK YOU to all my Gather friends for reading and commenting on my articles and photos, especially the ones where I'm learning to write poetry and the Crowdtap challenges (oh, I have some of those to deal with....).
5). World Tourism Day: World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 is being held under the theme Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development. Official celebrations will take place in Maspalomas, Spain (Sept 27). This year’s theme aims to highlight tourism’s role in a brighter energy future; a future in which the world’s entire population has access to modern, efficient and affordable energy services For more information go to the website.

What Are We Celebrating Today --- Sept 22, 2012?

Have to work today....hopefully, Angela and I will be able to stop and pick up some of the dance shoes she needs. She needs new tap, jazz, and lyrical shoes....we didn't even use lyrical shoes the last couple of years.
so, what are we celebrating......
1). Elephant Appreciation Day: This is the day to show how much you care about elephants.
Elephant Appreciation Day was declared beginning in 1996 by WildHeart® Productions [*] to celebrate the Elephant because...

• is the largest land mammal of our era,
• is unique among mammals for its trunk,
• is the most noble of beasts on earth,
• is most undeservedly threatened with extinction,
• has been man's benefactor in numerous ways throughout history,
• is entertaining and amusing,
• is gentle and friendly,
• contributes to ecosystem development and maintenance,

2). Business Women's Day: This is the day to recognize women in business. Hilary A. Bufton Jr. and three Kansas City business women founded the American Business Women's Association(ABWA) on September 22, 1949. The first Business Women's Day was celebrated in 1982. In 1983, a joint Congressional resolution was passed, and signed by President Ronald Reagan proclaiming September 22 as Business Women's Day. President Ronald Reagan also issued Proclamation 5532 on American Business Women's Day, in 1986.
3). International Rabbit Day: This holiday seeks to protect rabbits as pets and in the wild. Animal rights groups and humane societies are active promoters of this special day. Their objectives are to promote healthy, caring environments for rabbits that are raised as pets, and those living in the wild.

4). National White Chocolate Day: This is the day to celebrate that yummy white confection. White chocolate was invented by the Nestlé company in Switzerland. The first white chocolate bar debuted in 1930. Despite its long history, for many years the confection we know as “white chocolate” was not officially chocolate at all. White chocolate does not contain cocoa solids—one of the main ingredients in traditional chocolate. In 2004, ten years after chocolate manufacturers filed the first petition, the FDA finally relaxed its definition of “chocolate” and accepted white chocolate into the family. White chocolate is my husband's absolute favorite. I even get his Easter bunny in white chocolate.
5). Hobbit Day:I like this holiday. September 22nd is the Birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, two characters from J.R.R. Tolkein’s popular Middle Earth Cycle books, hence Hobbit Day. Hobbit Day is perhaps the oldest running day celebrated by fans. There is some debate on the date that Hobbit Day should be celebrated on, due to the differences in the Gregorian and Shire calendars. Tolkien once said that the Shire calendar is ahead by about ten days depending on the month. To celebrate this holiday, go barefoot and eat 7 meals today....LOL
6). World Carfree Day: Today is the day to go car free. Every September 22, people from around the world get together in the streets, intersections, and neighbourhood blocks to remind the world that we don't have to accept our car-dominated society. I'd celebrate this one, except I have to go to work and it's way to far away to walk.

7). Ice Cream Cone Day: Yum! I like this one....and the reason it's celebrated today, is September 22, 1903 the ice cream cone was invented. Today, there are a variety of types and flavors of ice cream cones. My favorite happens to be the chocolate covered waffle cone.

Now, I'm sure there are other holidays today....and if you know of one, just post it below.

Book Review: Peaceful Passages by Kim West PhD

Peaceful Passages by Kim West PhD is an amazing book that deals with what one will go through when a loved one is dying.



From the Back Cover

YOUR LOVED ONE IS DYING...YOU'RE OVERWHELMED...
THE COUNTLESS DAY-TO-DAY LOGISTICAL DETAILS...
THE EMOTIONAL UPS AND DOWNS...ALL THE HOSPICE ARRANGEMENTS...
AND ON TOP OF IT ALL, WHO'S TAKING CARE OF YOU?

Taking care of a loved one on their final journey can be one of the richest, most life-affirming experiences you'll ever have. And perhaps the hardest one you'll ever go through. There's far more involved than just hospice details and your loved one's constant physical and emotional needs. There are your needs as well - as your "regular" life obligations collide head-on with this potentially all-encompassing commitment.

Enter Peaceful Passage, a true labor of love from professional counselor Kim West. West was at her mother's side during her last months of life, and chronicled the whole process in order to provide a comprehensive and proven blueprint for others to follow.

In the pages within, you'll find practical guidelines for:
- Determining first steps once you've heard the news
- Charting a course with hospice as your partner
- Dealing with your loved one's emotional roller-coaster
- Navigating demands of marriage, family, children and career
- Handling the daily, ongoing physical challenges and demands
- Confronting common fears and unresolved emotional issues
- Working through inner conflicts around faith and God
- Managing the myriad post-passage details and arrangements
- Finding closure, returning to routine and reflecting on the journey

Peaceful Passage is your essential, all-in-one guide to handling every aspect of this often heart-wrenching and heartwarming journey.

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I received this book to read and review. My mother does have stage 4 ovarian cancer, but she has been successfully fighting it so far. No, I'm not in denial, as the doctor said she is currently in remission. I do know that someday in the future, she will probably die from the cancer. At that time, I will want to use Peaceful Passages as a reference. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of the journey, from finding out your loved one is dying to the final end at home.

At the end of each chapter, there are workbook like pages for one to fill out. I found them extremely interesting and helpful. These pages will help keep things organized during that stressful time. Plus, there were questions in the pages to answer that I didn't really think about until I saw them. In a way, it was a little scary to read, because I don't want to think about some of this stuff (like funeral arrangements) right now. It is important information one needs to deal with when a loved one is in the process of dying though.

The last part of Peaceful Passages is Kim's diary account of her mother's last few months. It's very sad and touching, and Kim handled it well. I hope I can handle my mother's eventual passing that well.

I give this book 5 stars. I thought enough of this book to give it to a friend. Julie's mother is dying of cancer and has stopped all treatment. Her mother has not contacted hospice yet, but Julie knows it will be in her mother's future. The family has a lot of difficult decisions to make and I believe this book will help.



About the Author:

Kim West holds a PhD in Clinical Pastoral Counseling and a Master of Divinity in Counseling and Family, but when her own mother became ill with terminal cancer she found that she had no hands-on knowledge of how to take care of her.

As a counselor she knew to journal her own experience to help her process her grief at losing her mother and she knew how to help her mother finish her life well and be prepared for the life to come. But the day-to-day of taking care of her mother as she died would require learning a whole new set of caring skills. And learn she did.

After completing her own journey with her mother she knew she had to help others who would travel this same path. Peaceful Passage is a merging of her years of counseling experience and the new skills she learned caring for her mother combined with her heart to help and to heal. (Thank you Connie for the Author portion).

I was given a copy of Peaceful Passages to read and review by Christian Women's Affiliates. The views and opinions are all my own.