catnipoflife

Thanksgiving falls within the autumnal season of the year. Within that time of year are many of our friends and family in their autumnal years to whom we should all remain thankful. Those to whom being specifically referenced are our grandparents. There is no wonder why grandparents begin with the word GRAND! It is really no secret. The ancestral chain continues as sons and daughters beget sons and daughters. The bloodline continues. Responsibility shifts with the wisdom and heritage being continuously tapped. While the word itself reflects the next in line in the order of things, it also reflects awe-inspiring feelings. 

Source: www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Whether one is called Gramma, Gamma, G-ma, Gram, Grammy, Grams or Gramps, Grandad, Grandaddy, G-daddy, Grandpappy, Grandpop OR one of 120 top nicknames for grandparents, the meaning is still the same. The emphasis is G.R.A.N.D. regardless if the word is part of the name or if it is not! 

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This Day in History: November 16, 1907

Oklahoma, The Sooner State, Boomer’s Paradise

Oklahoma State Motto: “Labor Conquers All Things” (Labor omnia vincit)

Oklahoma’s strangest scenery includes sand dunes, salt plains, toxic soils: the vast deserts of Oklahoma are more than unusual. Oklahoma is home to great tallgrass prairies, where herds of buffalo roam free and oil jacks gush black gold. Where the Trail of Tears ended and a mass exodus began 100 years later, prompted by a wave of dust. Where native cultures have flourished for thousands of years and where countless hopeful settlers arrived for a shot at the American Dream.

Source: awakenings2012.blogspot.com

The land that today makes up Oklahoma was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and U.S. land acquisitions following the Mexican-American War. The Indian Territory and the Oklahoma Territory were combined into one state, and Oklahoma became the 46th state in 1907 to join the union.

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November 16 is … Button Day

With just about every article of clothing purchased (requiring buttoning, that is), one will always find included an extra button. What does one do with all those buttons, which seldom are necessary as long as the original is kept tacked in place? Are they loose in a drawer, kept in a jar, or simply thrown away with the tags? Wonder no more and don’t ever throw them away again! Be sure to also snip off all those buttons before throwing away any worn-out garments. With Christmas in the not so distant future, enjoy a button of a day with ideas that just might answer the question, “What on earth am I going to buy x, y, and z for Christmas?”

Source: awakenings2012.blogspot.com

With the holiday season upon us, take a look at some great decorating and gift ideas that only require creativity and a lot of love!

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November 13 is…World Kindness Day

While it is a good idea to designate a day for kindness, it is most important to never let any day go by without showing you care…for the humble and meek, the weak and strong, from the youngest to the oldest, critter and creature, human or pet. What indeed is so difficult about being kind?

Source: awakenings2012.blogspot.com

The best thing about World Kindness Day is that is is absolutely priceless … meaning it does not cost a thing. Nothing. Only a little bit of effort. Often, without any effort at all. Simple. Painless. Feel good all over kind of sensation.

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This Day in History: Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.

Washington, The Evergreen State, The Green Tree State, The Chinook State

Washington State Motto: “Bye and Bye” (Al-ki or Alki)

The history of Washington includes thousands of years of Native American heritage before Europeans and Americans arrived and began to establish territorial claims. A nickname not heard very often is The Chinook State, which can be traced back to 1890. This nickname refers to the Chinook Indians of the state. Although its official, unambiguous name is “The State of Washington,” the state’s name is often reversed and referred to as “Washington state” to the chagrin of many natives. This is meant to distinguish it from Washington, D.C., also named for George Washington.

“If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.” 
~Chief Seattle

Source: www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Washington is home to some of America’s wildest spaces and also its most modern cities. The Evergreen State is a story of mirror opposites: a wet, mountainous, tree-covered west and a dry, flat, open east. It is home to high-tech industries and America’s oldest Native American tribes. Experience all sides of Washington State and witness its conflicting worlds merging to form a land of remarkable beauty.

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As you prepare for and participate in Veterans Day, know the true meaning behind this day and the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. While they both pay tribute and honor our military, each has its own significant purpose.

Memorial Day and Veterans Day honor the sacrifices of innumerable individuals who sacrificed themselves to preserve the freedoms all Americans enjoy, with Memorial Day remembering those who gave their lives, and Veterans Day honoring all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Source: awakenings2012.blogspot.com

As Americans, we should NEVER forget the true meaning and significance of Veterans Day! In fact, every day should be saluted in recognition of our military!

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It is hard to believe 2014 is rapidly winding down and the countdown to Thanksgiving has begun. Preparations are already in the making with the best recipes in the country being investigated in order to beat the best of last year. Family and friends are frantically getting travel plans together in anticipation of the feast of the year.

This is a time to embrace the past, not only personally but also in reflection on the history of Thanksgiving. Do you know when and why the first feast took place. What foods were served? You would be surprised at the foods we commonly find at the modern day Thanksgiving table were not part of the pilgrims’ feast of celebration, even ol’ Tom turkey. Check it out…

Source: www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Check out the Thanksgiving Clock and find out Did Pilgrims Eat Popcorn? @Awakenings…the countdown has begun!

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This Day in History: November 8, 1889

Montana, Treasure State, Big Sky Country

Big skies, big adventure, and big spirits: this is Montana. It’s where fertile plains collide with the Rocky Mountains and the country’s fastest land mammals run the grasslands known as the American Serengeti. It’s also where Lewis and Clark faced towering stone obstacles and Custer faced an even more daunting foe. This aerial journey showcases the Treasure State’s mountains and milestones, its legends and landmarks, all from spectacular heights.

Source: awakenings2012.blogspot.com

On November 8, 1889 President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed Montana the 41st state in the union. It is the largest Rocky Mountain state. The official nickname for Montana is The Treasure State because of its rich mineral reserves. It is a leading state in gold, copper, lead, zinc, platinum, and palladium mining, and has the largest coal reserves in the country.

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This Day in History: November 2, 1889

South Dakota, The Mount Rushmore State

“Under God the People Rule”

South Dakota is the home of the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota tribes, which make up the Sioux Nation. Custer State Park is home to a herd of 1,500 free-roaming bison. Bison can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. Historically, the bison played an essential role in the lives of the Lakota (Sioux), who relied on the “tatanka” for food, clothing and shelter. The Dakota Territory originally included the area covered today by North and South Dakota as well as Montana and Wyoming. This year (2014) both states are celebrating their 125th anniversary since on November 2, 1889, North and South Dakota were admitted to the Union. South Dakota became the 40th state and is officially known as The Mount Rushmore State. The Capital of South Dakota is Pierre.

Source: awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Welcome to the gentle and thundering South Dakota! "We need the tonic of wildness — to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk. We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.~Henry David Thoreau

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This Day in History: November 2, 1889

The Dakotas:

North Dakota and South Dakota are known as “twin states” because they were admitted to the Union on the same day, November 2, 1889. No one knows which state was admitted first because President Benjamin Harrison purposely shuffled and then blindly signed the papers. Alphabetically, North Dakota is recognized as the 39th state and South Dakota the 40th State. However, the states aren’t identical twins. They have similar shapes, sizes, and climates, but differ in many other ways.

North Dakota, Peace Garden State, Flickertail State, Roughrider State, Dakota

“Liberty and Union Now and Forever, One and Inseparable”

Source: www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com

A ride by land or in the air captures an iconic view of amber waves of grain. Only Kansas harvests more wheat than North Dakota.

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