National Nurses Day 2021

On this day in 1974, "New Mexico nurses initiated a resolution in 1981 to have May 6th declared National Recognition Day for Nurses. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Board of Directors took up the banner and promoted the proposal. In 1982, the United States Congress designated May 6th to be National Recognition Day for Nurses and President Ronald Reagan signed the proposal."

My maternal grandmother, Clara Fitchie Melahn, seen in the photo (atop this entry) taken when she was a young woman, was 74 years of age at the time Regan signed the proposal. She had been long retired from nursing as she had left her career when she had children.

My grandmother had quite an influence on me, but the only experience I had being a nurse is when I played one (in the 1980's) on a soap opera, "One Life to Live. 

Monday Musings: August 24th

MY GRANDPARENTS ARE FEATURED IN MANY POSTS

Today is my birthday and if truth be told for the most part, I have always disliked the fact that it falls on August 24th. This is because in college days (which were not good for me) orientations and class registration were taking place. Moreover, I've had an aversion to to the date, August 24th, as it is often the day either the RNC or DNC begins (or began).

BUT when unpleasant thoughts occur surrounding the date of August 24th, I think of one reason (and IT'S A GOOD ONE), to have been born on this day: I am my maternal grandparents first grandchild and I was born on their anniversary.

They can be seen in the picture (atop this entry) celebrating my birthday in bygone (way bygone) years as my dearly departed maternal aunt watches me open a gift.

Many people now know of my grandparents through posts on this blog and because the narrator of my book series, Words In Our Beak, (pictured below) is a female cardinal named Cam.

MY BOOK SERIES

The name Cam is in honor of my maternal grandparents, a fact I've mentioned  in my cyber-venues over the years, where I've explained the "C" in Cam's name is for my grandmother, Clara. The "a" in Cam's name is for my maternal grandfather, Albert. And the "m" in Cam's name is for their surname, Melahn.

Remembering Clara May Fitchie Melahn

CLARA MAY FITCHIE WITH SIBLINGS

My maternal grandmother, Clara May Fitchie Melahn, was born on this day of July 23rd in the 1900. She always hated the fact that she was born within that year because her age could be calculated so easily. In any event, she can be seen (standing at the right) in the back row with her siblings in the photo atop this entry (which has been featured in a number of entries here on Blogger).

Sunday's Sequel to Friday's Follow-up

In my last entry here on Blogger, I discussed the fact that I had submitted a synopsis for my book project, Imperfect Strangers. Later that same day my aforementioned post was published, I received a response (email) from a person who works for the place I had submitted my book. Her words are featured in the "talk bubble" atop this blog entry.

I am beyond thrilled to have received this news and they came on the eve of my birthday, which was yesterday.

JULY 30th: That was the day that was! Tuesday's Truths WK 138

IMAGE CREDIT

Two weeks ago (July 30) in my 136th segment for my Tuesday's Truths series, I stated, "....As for my completing my projects, my work was truly disrupted by an unexpected major upheaval in my rooftop garden and at this time, I cannot even write about it, but I will do so in a few days, dear reader, after I've had time to deal with today's unfortunate situation..."

Now, before too much time passes, I'm using this week's Tuesday's Truths "episode" to catch up where I left off in that posting and tell you a little bit more about that unfortunate situation, which for now (and hopefully for the long term been resolved).

The situation I referred to in my July 30th entry is the fact workmen showed up on that day to replace the building's gutters (a repair that had been long overdue) under my rooftop garden (which is atop a roof extension). Their plan had been to attach a ladder to the railing around my garden, remove the old gutter and replace it.

July 23rd is Gorgeous Grandma Day! (Tuesday's Truths WK 135)

Today, July 23rd 2019, would be my maternal grandmothers's (Clara Fitchie Melahn) one hundred and nineteenth birthday had she not died (in 1987) at the age of eighty-six, four days before what would have been her eighty-seventh birthday.

She was born on July 23rd in 1900 and always hated being born in that year because it was easy for folks to do the math to determine her age. She can be seen in the photo (back row on the right) atop this entry with her siblings.

Her day of birth now coincides with a holiday known as Gorgeous Grandma Day which was evidently established by Alice Solomon in 1984.

I am her first grandchild and have written about her within a number of entries on this blog, where in some of them, I have explained that Cam, the story teller of my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak is named for her and my maternal grandfather, Albert Melahn.  She is standing next to him in the last snapshot included here.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

"Help one another is part of the religion of sisterhood." (Louisa May Alcott)

Back in the saddle leading to cyber-space, after a visit with my younger sister, who can be seen in the photograph posted above — to the left of yours truly — in a picture taken a few months after our younger sister was born. As you may recall, dear reader, in the last entry that I made to my blog, I referenced her visit, and while this blog is not about my comings and goings, the fact that her visit is where I left off, brings me to my starting point for today.

It is said that "sisters are different flowers from the same garden", and if you are familiar with this quote, dear reader, you might surmise (from knowing yours truly is a person who — among other things — maintains her urban terrace garden and dedicates a good portion of this blog to writing about gardening experiences) that I should run with this quote about sisterhood in this posting, and elaborate on it on my first day back to work. However, I am letting that quote run from this blog as I have some difficulty in citing quotes from unknown authors. Instead, I will focus part of today's entry on Louisa May Alcott's quote regarding sisters: "Help one another is part of the religion of sisterhood."

Honoring Major Ernest Olds with Reflections on Mustard Seeds and P.O.W. Bracelets

I am not a collector of material things per se; that is, I do not hold on to many things that I don't need, other than emotional scars, which I confess I mull over far too much before I let them go. However, as far as letting go of material things, I am glad that I've kept this amber candy dish (pictured in the photograph posted above this blog entry), which belonged to my maternal grandmother, Clara May Fitchie Melahn, who died in 1987, shortly before what would have been her 87th birthday.