Friday, September 28, 2018

Native American Day -Postcard Friendship Friday #424


My family recently had our DNA mapped.  I was delighted to learn we have Native American in our ancestry.  I have always had a heart for the original peoples of the United States—their history has been tragic, yet one can find wonderful stories of their nobility, bravery and courage.  

Though it isn’t a national holiday, Native American Day is celebrated by California and Nevada on the fourth Friday of September.

In 1968, when Ronald Reagan was Governor of the state of California, he signed a resolution calling for a holiday called American Indian Day. It was established as an official state holiday in 1998 to teach people of all ages about the tribal cultures, histories and heritage of the Native American tribes.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the largest tribal groups in the nation include the Cherokee, Navajo, Chippewa, Choctaw and Sioux.  There are a 566 Native American tribes which are federally recognized.

Many celebrities including Anne Hathaway, Megan Fox, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Burt Reynolds, Johnny Depp, Rosa Parks, Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley and Oprah Winfrey are believed to have Native American ancestry.

It is interesting to note how many words have Native American influences!  Words such  as chia, chili, chocolate, coyote, guacamole, mesquite, peyote, shack, tamale, tomato, abalone, bayou, cannabis, Chinook, manatee, poncho, and potato!

Also, the names of half of the U.S. States such as Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri are derived from Native Americans words. Oklahoma got its name from Choctaw words "okla" and "humma," which means "red people” and Utah received its name from the Ute tribe, meaning "people of the mountains."  Many of towns and cities also bear Native American names such as Umpqua and Tacoma.

Before Europeans came to America, there were 18-20 million Native Americans living here.  Though they were not living as a single nation, they had a rich variety of culture, people, and languages.
Thousands of Native Americans voluntarily signed up to serve in WWI.  To honor them, the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 was signed granting citizenship to the country’s indigenous peoples.

I am proud my family is a part of this great and wonderful heritage.

 LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!


* BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

REMINDER:  If you post anything other than a postcard to share, your link will be removed.   Postcard Friendship Friday is specifically dedicated to postcards, both modern and vintage.


    

Friday, September 14, 2018

World Chocolate Day -Postcard Friendship Friday #423




I adore chocolate.  Dark chocolate was a favorite of my beloved Husband.  In his office there are still a couple bags of dark chocolate pieces I still haven't touched.

Chocolate is said to give people the sensation of being in love.  Perhaps that is why it is so popular--along with the wonderful taste, of course!

September 13 was International Chocolate Day, sometimes known as World Chocolate Day.  People commemorate chocolate several days in September, including September 12: National Chocolate Milkshake Day, September 22: National White Chocolate Day and September 27: National Chocolate Milk Day. 

International Chocolate Day is celebrated every year on Sept. 13.  You may ask why that particular date?  It was the birthday of Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Hershey Company.

Chocolate is made from the beans of  with the cacao tree. It takes about 400 of roasted cocoa beans to make a single pound of chocolate -- and two to four days to make a single chocolate bar. It is made in the form of a liquid, paste, or in a block, or used as a flavoring ingredient in other foods.  Cacao trees also need at least four years before they start producing beans.  

The earliest evidence of the use of chocolate goes back to the Olmecs of Mexico. There is evidence of chocolate beverages being consumed by people, dating back to 1900 BC.  History records people living in South America loved chocolate, including the Maya and Aztecs.

So, get some chocolate and have a wonderful day.  Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

REMINDER:  If you post anything other than a postcard to share, your link will be removed.   Postcard Friendship Friday is specifically dedicated to postcards, both modern and vintage. 









Saturday, September 8, 2018

A Girl and Her Cat


I have been traveling far from home over the past two weeks.  I spent time with my family--my sweet sis Wendy--in Spokane and my dear ones in Idaho.  What a wonderful time we had!  I'm SO grateful for my precious family. A loving family is a true blessing.

Now I'm home.  I was sure my little friend,  Toez the Polydactyl Cat, would be upset with me when I got back.  However, this time around something has changed.

She hasn't left my side since I arrived home, and was sleeping all over me last night.There hasn't been one hiss, nor has she given me her typical Judge Judy glare.  LOL 

I have a feeling she missed me a LOT this time and perhaps she decided, instead of hissing and getting mad, that smothering her human with love and kindness might be the better idea.

LOL  It is SO good to be back home...and I am happy to see my girl.  Toez is a great little friend and companion.

Have a great weekend, sweet Friends!  :D

Friday, September 7, 2018

The Champ -Postcard Friendship Friday #422


Isn't this little fellow beautiful?  I have always loved Daschshund dogs.  This one is particularly cute.
A friend of mine has two of them and they are delightful.  There's something so sweet yet comical about them--they're like a living cartoon.

Have a wonderful day and Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

REMINDER:  If you post anything other than a postcard to share, your link will be removed.   Postcard Friendship Friday is specifically dedicated to postcards, both modern and vintage.