“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.”
― Marianne Williamson
May 2014
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
Mental Health Month
May is Healthy Vision Month
Older American Month
A mother is not a person to lean on,
but a person to make leaning unnecessary.
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Mother is the name for God
in the lips and hearts of little children.
- William Makepeace Thackeray
A mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled.
- Emily Dickinson
What is Cinco de Mayo?
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday full of rich history and Mexican pride. This day commemorates the Mexican Army’s astonishing triumph over the French that took place on May 5, 1862. The Mexican Army was greatly outnumbered by the French, who had also not lost a battle in over fifty years!
In hopes of slowing the French’s advancement toward Mexico City, General Ignacio Zaragoza and his troops attacked the French Army in the small village of Puebla. This attack resulted in the unlikely victory for the Mexican Army. On September 16, 1862, President Juarez declared that the date of the Battle of Puebla would be made an annual holiday. Hence, Cinco de Mayo became a popular holiday in Mexico and in areas where there is a large Mexican population.
How Do People Celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
There are various Cinco de Mayo traditions that are celebrated around the world. In Mexico, most of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations that take place occur in the town of Puebla (where the battle took place). There are large parades that feature people dressed up as Mexican and French soldiers. Vendors sell traditional Mexican foods as well as patriotic clothing and accessories for people to wear during the celebration. There is also sometimes a reenactment of the Mexican’s victory over the French troops that takes place in Puebla for visitors and residents to attend.
In the United States and some parts of Canada, people often host Cinco de Mayo parties with their friends and family. The colors of the Mexican flag (red, white, and green) often appear in costumes and party decorations.
Celebrating Mothers
And
The Role of Women
President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation on May 9, 1914, asking Americans to give a public expression of reverence to mothers through the celebration of Mother's Day. Carnations have come to represent the day as they were distributed at one of the first commemorations honoring the mother of the founder of Mother’s Day.
Anna Jarvis, a Grafton, West Virginia native, is credited with conceiving and launching the campaign that resulted in the creation of a national day honoring mothers in the United States. Legislative actions and annual Congressional proclamations documented in the Congressional Record praise her tireless efforts to create a lasting commemoration to her mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, as well as to all mothers, living and deceased.
After her mother’s death on May 9, 1905, Anna Jarvis was determined to fulfill her mother’s hope that a Memorial Mothers Day be established to recognize the important roles that mothers play in the family, church, and community. Anna Reeves Jarvis embodied the attributes of many nineteenth-century women who believed that mothers, and in fact all women, could be a powerful force in their communities. Mrs. Jarvis acted upon her beliefs and created Mothers Day Work Clubs that tackled local problems such as poor sanitary conditions and epidemic diseases. When the Civil War came to Grafton, these clubs turned to nursing soldiers on both sides of the conflict and trying to stave off division in the community.
Other women appealed to the organized force of mothers for various causes—for example, Julia Ward Howe, who had worked with the widows and orphans of Civil War soldiers. When the Franco-Prussian War erupted in 1870, Mrs. Howe issued her declaration, Appeal to Womanhood throughout the World urging mothers to unite for the cause of peace. Woman suffrage was another important cause of the time. Mothers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Elizabeth Smith Miller, as well as Julia Ward Howe, were pivotal in organizing women to rally for their right to vote.
Anna Jarvis’ efforts to honor her mother’s accomplishments encompassed all of these women, as step by step, from local recognition in Grafton in 1908, to the state of West Virginia’s proclamation in 1910, the national holiday became reality.
Memorial Day
When you have served with others in the armed services and watched them
lose their own lives, it is something you always carry with you.
On this Memorial Day, let us focus on life continuing.
When Benjamin Franklin was ready to make his transition, he asked for a
picture of Jesus Christ to be by his bedside. As he looked at the picture
of Jesus Christ, he wrote this epitaph to be placed on his gravestone:
“The body of Benjamin Franklin, printer. Like the cover of an old book,
its contents worn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, . . .
lies here. Yet the work, itself, shall not be lost for it will appear once
more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the
author.”
So today, at this place, on this Memorial Day, in memory of the others we
have known who have gone on before us, let us recommit ourselves to fully
living every minute of our lives. No outer circumstance is going to hold
us down. We are making a decision right now to live life abundantly. This
Memorial day, let us decide to live our life FULLY to honor the wishes of
those that have gone on to the other side of life.
Rev. Christopher Ian Chenoweth
It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is
theVETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press. It is theVETERAN,
not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is
theVETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is
theVETERAN,not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is
theVETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.
ETERNAL
REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.
May 1, May Day
May Day
May Day, or Beltane, was the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, and marked the beginning of summer for the ancient Celts. It was a day for dance and song to hail the sown fields starting to sprout.
- Beltane was a time for the pairing of young couples, though not yet their wedding, which would not come until the next Cross-Quarter Day, after three months of seeing how they suited each other.
- Today's June weddings came from this tradition; given impatience of the couple, the waiting period came to be shortened to a six-week span.
Old Farmer’sAlmanac
A Look Back in History
Child labor photofrom 1911
The child labor photos Lewis Hine took in the early 1900s were meant to shock Americans into reforming child labor laws. Decades later, many of these photos are getting a fresh look, thanks to one man's efforts to link the subjects to their living relatives. This photo taken in Winchendon, Mass., in Sept. 1911, shows Mamie Laberge at her workstation. She is under the legal work age.
Caption information from "The Library of Congress."
A Look Back in History
On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II.
A conservative estimate of those who were murdered in the Nazi death camps stands at about 3.5 million. Most were European Jews who were killed for no other reason than the fact that they were Jews. The process was rationalized, however, by the Nazi ideology of racial superiority/inferiority. These ideas were given official legal sanction in the Nuremberg Laws (1935). Combined with Hitler's quest for lebensraum, "living space," and his goals of world domination, and with World War II as a cover, the Nazi regime was able to carry out the greatest crime in human history.
In 1944-1945, the Allied armies liberated the concentration camps. Tragically, deaths in the camps continued for several weeks after liberation. Some prisoners had already become too weak to survive.
According to SS reports, there were more than 700,000 prisoners left in the camps in January 1945. It has been estimated that nearly half of the total number of concentration camp deaths between 1933 and 1945 occurred during the last year of the war.
Gabriel Health Fahrenheit
(source)
Born 24 May 1686; died 16 Sep 1736 at age 50.
Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit was a German-Dutch physicist and instrument maker (meteorological). He lived in Holland for most of his life. He invented the alcohol thermometer (1709) and mercury thermometer (1714) and developed the Fahrenheit temperature scale. For the zero of his scale he used the temperature of an equal ice-salt mixture; 30° for the freezing point of water; and 90° for normal body temperature. Later, he adjusted to 32° for the freezing point of water and 212° for the boiling point of water, the interval between the two being divided into 180 parts. He also invented a hygrometer to measure relative humidity and experimented with other liquids discovering that each liquid had a different boiling point that would change with atmospheric pressure.
It's Your Prom! Make it Safe,
Healthy, and Fun
Prom is one of the highlights of high school. While planning and enjoying the big night, make smart decisions to help keep it safe, low-stress, and fun! If you or someone you know is going to the prom, here are a few tips for a great experience.
Look and Feel Awesome
Get in shape slowly and wisely
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, eat less junk food (foods and drinks high in calories, saturated fat, salt, or added sugar), and don’t crash-diet. Choose drinks with no or low calories and fat. Water is always a great option.
Find fun ways to stay active, such as walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, and more. Be active for 60 minutes a day most days of the week. Get plenty of sleep.
Protect your skin
Enjoy the skin you're in, and protect it. You don’t need a tan to be beautiful, and you definitely don’t need sunburn! Just a few serious sunburns can increase your risk for skin cancer later in life. Make sure you protect yourself from the harmful effects of UV rays, and avoid indoor and outdoor tanning. Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Follow directions, cautions, and warnings on products
If you’re changing hairstyles, hair color, and using new cosmetics or products, carefully follow all directions, cautions, and warnings on the label. Dyes and relaxers can hurt skin, hair, and eyes. Never dye eyebrows or eyelashes, as it might cause blindness. Always test a product in a small area of your body first. Allergies may happen the first time or after multiple uses. For some people, using cosmetics may cause itching, redness, rash, sneezing, or wheezing. Stop using the product if problems develop, and remove all products before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation. If in doubt, let the professionals handle it.
Wear appropriate shoes
High heels may be in style, but they can increase your chances of falling if they’re too high or uncomfortable, or not something you usually wear. Prevent injury and wear appropriate shoes that won’t affect how you walk or dance.
- Healthy Weight
- Physical Activity
- Skin Cancer Awareness: Protect Your Skin
- Cosmetics (FDA)
- Take Charge of Your Health for Teens (NIH)
Stress Less
Watch your budget
If cost is an issue, look for alternatives to spending a lot of money. Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better.
Plan ahead for safety
Tell family members or a trusted adult what your plans are ahead of time. Make an agreement with friends to check on one another during the evening. Be sure someone you trust is available for you to call if your plans change or you need help.
Remember you don't need a date to have fun
Whether you plan to go with a date, with friends, or on your own, the point is to have a good time. Going with a group or meeting friends at the event can be just as fun as going with one special person. Whether you're going solo or with a group, make sure you don't drink and drive, or ride with someone who has been drinking.
- Managing stress
Protect Yourself and Your Friends
Just say no
Some people feel pressured to drink, smoke, use drugs, or have sex on prom night. However, drinking is responsible for over 4,500 deaths among young people each year and is associated with other problems like sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. Alcohol and drugs hurt your judgment and may result in you being harmed or harming others. Just because others do something doesn’t make it a good idea or right for you. It’s OK to say no.
Travel safely
Teen drivers are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. Always wear a safety belt -- no matter how short the trip. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t get in a car with a driver who has been drinking.
Watch out for dating violence
Dating violence is a very real issue for many people. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples. It can occur in couples who have been together a long time and between people who just met. Many teens do not report it because they are afraid to tell friends and family. The abuse can be verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual. Know beforehand what your sexual boundaries are, and communicate those to your partner. Respect yourself and others, avoid alcohol and drugs, and tell family or call 911 if you or someone you know is being abused or is in danger.
Plan for after-prom parties
If you plan to go to an after-prom party, be sure it is adult-supervised. Be aware of your surroundings. And it’s always good to go with a “buddy”. Avoid using alcohol and drugs.
Make sure parents know where you are at all times in case of emergency. Call a parent, guardian, or someone you trust in case plans change or you need help.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
- Teen Dating Violence
- Vital Signs: Teen Drinking and Driving
- Safe Teen Driving
Have Fun!
Healthy Eating
Citrus juice contains flavonoids, a phytonutrient that lowers the body's’production of cholesterol, inhibits blood clot formation and boosts the bang of vitamin C.
Food Network
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Eating red, processed meat: What scientists say
Posted: 06 Mar 2014 06:37 AM PST
Recent reports warn about a link between eating red and processed meat and the risk of developing cancer in the gut. These reports have resulted in new nutritional recommendations that advise people to limit their intake of red and processed meats. A recent perspective paper, authored by 23 scientists, underlines the uncertainties in the scientific evidence and points to further research needed to resolve these issues and improve the foundation for future recommendations on the intake of red meat.
Green Beans
We celebrate green beans, one of only a few varieties of beans that can be eaten fresh. Picked when they are still immature and the inner bean is just beginning to form green beans are a great source of folate, fiber and vitamin K. Enjoy them while they are in the peak of the season when they have the best flavor, are the least expensive, and locally grown varieties are widely available.
Because of their rich green color, we don't always think about green beans as providing us with important amounts of colorful pigments like carotenoids. But they do! Green beans may be a particularly helpful food for providing us with the mineral silicon. This mineral—while less well known that minerals like calcium and magnesium—is very important for bone health and for healthy formation of connective tissue.
Dairy products are an important source of calcium and vitamin D, nutrients that helps keep bones strong. See the best types of dairy products to eat -- and to limit -- as you get older.
The information on Eating Well as You Get Older was provided by NIHSeniorHealth and developed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at NIH.
Study of the Month
Looking at Your Risk of Stroke
A simple set of questions for checking your heart health might also help predict your stroke risk, a new study suggests. The finding hints that even small improvements to your lifestyle might help prevent strokes.
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death nationwide. It occurs when blood vessels that supply the brain become ruptured or blocked. When blood can’t carry nutrients and oxygen to brain cells, the cells stop functioning and die.
A list of 7 key health factors—called Life’s Simple 7 (LS7)—was developed by the American Heart Association to assess health status. LS7 score is measured by looking at the 7 factors: physical activity, diet, weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and smoking. Each of these factors can be categorized as ideal (high score), average (medium score) or poor (low score). A high score on the LS7 has been linked to low rates of cardiovascular disease and death.