As May wanes and June looms on the horizon, there are thousands of brides
tweaking and finalizing the happiest day of their lives. While there are thousands
of grooms whom nervously, try to stay out of the way of their frenzied betrothed.
Planning a wedding can be a stressful time, but once the procession starts,
all those worries fade away. I admit I love weddings. Being witness to something
as honorable as the convention of marriage gives me goose bumps. Seeing two
people commit their lives to each other, to the children eventually to come,
for some, children already here, is a wonderful reason to celebrate. Enjoy
your wedding day and let not any bumps in the road detract you from the reason
of the celebration – the commitment to your partner. Here is a wedding
toast for all those getting married and may God bless.
May God bless you with open eyes,
that you may see each other with clarity.
May God bless you with open ears,
that you may hear what the other says, always.
May God bless you with strength and fortitude,
that you may weather the storms of life together
May God bless you with humility and grace,
that you may remember that no one is perfect and all need forgiveness.
May God bless you with an open heart,
that your love for each other ripens with every new day.
May God bless each of you as He has blessed you with the other.
©
John Phillip Montaño 1995
· Remember when you were getting married.
Think of things you needed.
·
Use Bridal Registries as a guide; don’t just pick something off the list.
Instead, study their request to get an idea of what they want and their traits
to pick something that is personal.
·
Gift certificates, while not so personal are a wonderful gift. The newlyweds
can go shopping together for something they didn’t receive.
· Make it practical as well as personal. This is a couple starting a new
life together, and, need new things to represent their new life together.
Midsummer Night is a popular holiday in Europe, while most Americans
are unfamiliar with it. Midsummer Night is an old celebration of the summer equinox,
when
fairies and magic came out to dance the night away. Midsummer Eve marks the
longest day of the year, and a day to bless coming crops. Now days, Most Europeans
celebrate Midsummer Night by escaping from the city and heading to hills, lakes
and rivers. Bonfires are lit to ward off evil spirits, people dance around
bonfires and jumping over the fire is said to bring good luck. Birch branches
are cut and used to decorate homes and bring prosperity. One old tradition
was for girls to put seven flowers under their pillows to dream of their future
husbands. Midsummer Night is also known as St. John’s Eve.
Arizona is the largest producer of copper in the country, hence the copper
star at the center of the flag. Blue and yellow are Arizona’s state
colors while the red and yellow represent the colors of the Spanish Conquistador,
Coronado, who first arrived in Arizona in1540. The blue and the red are the
same hues as those on the U.S. Flag. Charles W. Harris designed the Arizona
state flag.
Arkansas is the only state in the country that produces diamonds, hence the
diamond in the center. Twenty-five stars form the diamond, since Arkansas is
the twenty-fifth state. The three stars beneath Arkansas represent two things:
Arkansas was the third state created from the Louisiana purchase and, three
countries have ruled over the land that is now Arkansas; The U.S., Spain and
France. The single star above represents Arkansas’s place in the confederacy
from 1861 to 1865. Willie K. Hocker designed the flag.
In 1846, California declared its independence from Mexico when a group of settlers
seized control of a Mexican military post. The settler quickly made a flag
using a bear (symbol of strength) and a single star (referring to Texas) they
called it the Bear Flag Revolt. The Bear flag was replace by the U.S. flag
when the Californians learned the U.S. was at war with Mexico. In 1911, the
California state legislature made their Bear Flag Revolt the official state
flag.
Albuquerque hosts the largest annual hot air balloon
fiesta in the world during October.
The New Mexico territory originally included
Arizona and parts of Colorado, Nevada and Utah.
In White Sands Missile Range
lays the Trinity Site, which marks the first detonation of an Atomic bomb in
1945. Glass created by the blast can be found
around the site.
The first Atomic bombs were designed and manufactured at a
remote and secret military base called Los Alamos.
The Place of the Governors
in Santa Fe is the oldest government building and one of the oldest public
buildings in the country. It is open to the public
and is now a world-renowned art gallery.
The Kimo theatre, located in downtown Albuquerque
is one Albuquerque’s
premier live performance venues. The theatre was built in 1927. In 1951, a
boiler exploded, damaged part of the lobby and killed a six-year old boy. It
has become custom to leave a donut out for the boy during performances. Actors
and musician who do not follow this custom report something on the stage, disrupting
the show by moving props, tripping the actors and causing lighting problems.
Others have claimed to see the boy’s ghost, dressed in jeans and striped
shirt, usually at the lobby staircase.
Eight out of ten people suffer some kind of severe back pain in their
lives; in fact, back pain is one of the most common health problems in the
country.
Most will suffer from minor back pain, caused by nerve pressure, muscle or
ligament strain, or bone spurs. Slouching, inactivity, too much time at a desk
can also cause a sore back. A few minor precautions can help keep back pain
to a minimum.
· Exercise, a short walk or stretching routines three times
a week will keep your back strong and weight down.
· Keep your posture strait.
· Lift with your legs.
· Sleep on a good mattress.
· Eat a healthy diet.
· Do not smoke, research found that smoking reduces blood flow to the
back.
· If your back pain persists or is unbearable, please consult a physician.
There is not one person who does not know a veteran of some
war. Everyone’s
lives are touch by war. On May 31, our nation will pay homage to all the soldiers
and civilians who have died protecting America.
There are too many claims to
the birth of Memorial Day to list them all. General John Logan first officially
proclaimed an official observance for those killed
in action during the Civil War. On May 30, 1868, flowers were place on graves
of both confederate and union soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1873,
New York became the first state to recognize the observance. By 1890, all the
northern states observed Memorial Day. The southern states refused to recognize
Memorial Day until after World War I, when they changed the ceremony to memorialize
soldiers killed in action in any war. In 1973, congress established Memorial
Day as a national holiday. Some states still have an additional holiday in
remembrance of confederate soldiers killed during the Civil War.
In 2000, Congress
passed a resolution designating 3pm local times on Memorial Day as the National
Moment of Remembrance, a brief moment for all Americans
to pause and remember those who have fallen. Please take a moment so that we
never forget.
It was a Mother’s day sermon in 1909 Spokane Washington, that inspired
Sonora Smart Dodd to work on establishing a national holiday to recognize fathers.
William Smart was widowed when his wife died while giving birth; he raised
six children by himself. Sonora Smart Dodd chose her dad’s birthday,
June 19 as the day to celebrate Fathers Day, in his honor. Sonora Dodd began
a national petition to establish an official Father’s Day. It was not
until 1956 that congress established a joint resolution recognizing Father’s
Day. President Nixon, in 1972 officially signed it into law, marking the third
Sunday of June as a national holiday to honor and recognize father’s
everywhere.
The dedication of William Smart is an inspiration to fathers and
children alike. In an age where the media focuses on families without fathers,
let us
remember that there are more dads like William Smart than not. Men everywhere
who have sacrificed their personal wants for their families are the men who
have truly made a difference and inspire the true spirit of father’s
day; a day to honor honorable men. Not just for dads but for every man who
has ever been a father figure to someone.
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