Monday's Musings

Today is Presidents Day, a holiday which I've written about it a few times in bygone years and this time, I feel I have nothing new to add to the conversation so I'll share a tidbit with you that I've just learned myself! On this day of February 16th in 1967, The Beatles released a single that featured Paul McCartney's, Penny Lane, on one side and John Lennon's, Strawberry Fields Forever, on the other.

In honor of the anniversary of the release of those songs, I've posted a You tube Video atop this entry which offers an interesting back story re McCartney's, Penny Lane.

Monday's Memo: It's Presidents' Day 2019

This is (for the most part) a repost of an entry here on Blogger from a Presidents' Day in bygone years and it includes is a "copy" of an excerpt from a letter that the writer E.B. White wrote to Gluyas Williams in 1971, the year the holiday of celebrating George Washington's birthday with Abraham Lincoln's was created.

Prior  to this both president's birthdays were celebrated on their days of birth, February 12th and February 22nd. In 1971 GW's celebration was moved from 2/15 to the third Monday in February (as was Lincoln's). E.B. White wrote a letter (as mentioned in the first paragraph) in response to this, an excerpt is posted below.

"I am not used to celebrating Washington’s birthday on the 15th of February (or in today's case Fenbruary 18th), so I walked up early this morning and deposited letters in our mailbox. Then had to return and retrieve them an hour later when it dawned on me the mails weren’t moving today, even though George is still locked up tight in his mother’s womb and won’t emerge for a full week. This country is nuts. The only date I would like to see shifted is December 25th, which I would like shifted to February 29th, so that occurs only once every four years. This would have a profoundly beneficial effect on the nation and would set me back even course again." (The letter is included in an anthology, "Letters of E.B. White," and a picture of that book accompanies this entry.)

Tuesday's Truths WK 30: Important Reminder After 2017's Presidents Day (AND BEYOND)

On twenty-ninth episode of my Tuesday's Truths series, which coincides with the day after Presidents Day, I'd like to direct you, dear reader, to a prolific article (published in The Guardian), which is written by Chitra Nagarajan. Nagarajan writes, "Despite what we see on TV, Donald Trump isn’t the only news event on Earth." Read her full article by clicking here.

A Post In Honor of George Washington's Birthday

Last Monday, February 15th, our nation celebrated Presidents' Day. It is a holiday that is celebrated here on the third Monday in February. The holiday of President's Day was originally established in 1885 in honor of President George Washington, and was traditionally celebrated on February twenty-second, the actual birthday date of George Washington, which is today.

According to history.com, "the holiday became popularly known as President's Day after it was moved as part of 1971's Uniform Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three day weekends for the nation's workers." 

Be that as it may, George Washington's was born on February the twenty-second, and the switching of the day to observe this, was a topic E. B. White wrote about in his correspondence with Gluyas Williams in 1971. White's humorous attitude toward our government's switching the celebration is something I discussed in my post this past President's Day and I included E.B. White's musings on the matter. On another note, George Washington has been linked to the creation of our American flag, and that is the reason I'm including photo-ops of my patriotic friends within my entry for GeorgeWashington's birthday.    

However, it seems there is some controversy over Washington's involvement with the creation of our flag, which you can read about in a Wiki Page by clicking here. For my focus in this blog post honoring George Washington's birthday is to provide information on an interest I share with him which is birds.

Switching Holidays

I have something to share with you on this Presidents Day, which is a "copy" of an excerpt from a letter that the writer E.B. White wrote to Gluyas Williams in 1971:

"I am not used to celebrating Washington’s birthday on the 15th of February, so I walked up early this morning and deposited letters in our mailbox. Then had to return and retrieve them an hour later when it dawned on me the mails weren’t moving today, even though George is still locked up tight in his mother’s womb and won’t emerge for a full week. This country is nuts. The only date I would like to see shifted is December 25th, which I would like shifted to February 29th, so that occurs only once every four years. This would have a profoundly beneficial effect on the nation and would set me back even course again."

The letter is included in an anthology, "Letters of E.B. White," and a picture of the book accompanies this entry.