The world lost another legend today, the lovely Lena Horne is now singing in heaven. She was 92. The jazz singer and actress bravely fought against the bigotry that she said allowed her to entertain white audiences, but not socialize with them. Here is the enchantress with a delightful combo of her signature song “Stormy Weather” and “Believe in Yourself” (one of my favorites from the Wiz). And, hey, believe in yourself! Lena would want you to!
This week is National Nurses Week, culminating on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. During the Crimean War, Nurse Nightingale was dubbed “The Lady with the Lamp” after her habit of making rounds at night to tend injured soldiers. The Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses (…”and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care”) was named in her honor.
If you’ve ever been in the hospital, you know we should all thank a nurse. Or at least listen to the nurse’s rap.
May 7th is National Public Gardens Day – created to raise awareness of America’s public gardens and the various roles they play in our lives. So, if you’re not out planting your garden this weekend (like me!), get out and visit one of your local green treasures.
To find a spectacular garden near you, check out The National Gardening Association’s Public Garden Locator.
And, remember, when you garden, you grow.
Let’s throw some love to Miriam Starobin, a 12-year-old Long Island girl who saved her best friend’s life by using the Heimlich maneuver- a trick she learned from watching SpongeBob Squarepants. Miriam said that when she realized Allyson Golden was choking on her gum, she did what she saw SpongeBob do to Squidward, who had swallowed a clarinet. She performed the abdominal thrust move (Here’s how) and out popped the gum.
Did you know Henry Heimlich is married to Jane Murray, the daughter of ballroom-dancing legend Arthur Murray?
All this makes me want to DANCE!
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the 1862 battle between the victory of an under-manned, under-armed Mexican army against Napoleon III’s well-fortified French Army led by Napoleon III. We in America use it as an excuse to drink margaritas (Here’s a yummy recipe) and dance the salsa (Here are the basic steps.)
Celebrating 5/5 in the U.S. was started in 1967 by Cal State students who noticed there weren’t any Mexican holidays celebrated in America like there were for other nationalities (like St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest, or Chinese New Year). My Web Grocer reports that sales of jalapeno peppers and cheese increased 70 percent in the last week. (Except in Arizona.)
At the very least, put on a mariachi song and make yourself a margarita, but don’t forget, amigos don’t let amigos drive drunk.
New York may have had a BLACK cloud this weekend with a Times Square terrorism attempt, but alas, a WHITE lining has arrived: Betty White is in the Big Apple and preparing to host this week’s Saturday Night Live with musical guest Jay Z. Now there’s a pairing!
Check out Entertainment Weekly’s fabulous feature on the living legend and catch her sweet interview with Today Show’s Meredith Viera, in which she insisted there will only be “a little nudity” on SNL. I predict knock-out ratings. And a lot of laughs.
Are you throwing a “Betty White party?”
Don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day week. You’ll want to find a way to appreciate the good way YOU turned out and thank your mom. She probably had a lot do… as Cher and Raquel explain.
Ideas that will make Mother’s Day Magic:
Fancy-up flowers (put flowers in unconventional containers like watering cans, crockery, and coffee mugs)
Write her something special (in a store bought card, a poem, a story)
Give sweet treats (homemade chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate chip cookies, or a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant)
Or think clever keepsakes (I’ve scored great stuff at Home Goods for under $20 for framing photos, hand print cloth napkins with your kids, make a bouquet of gardening tools, etc.)
Most of all, say “I love you!“
Oh, America. We’re consumers… And by the looks of this 24-hour time-lapse inside Wal-Mart, we’re consuming again. Captured on tape by Stephen Wilkes, this is a real portrait of America.
Just in case you’re the “plan ahead type,” Wal-Mart is now selling caskets. I’m dead serious. You can choose from the Lady de Guadalupe steel casket for $995 or a sienna bronze casket for $3,199.00. Or you could just stroll over to aisle 2 and grab some Trisquits.
Trust me. This is a MUST WATCH and you better catch it quick before the U.S. Military shuts it down. Here are our troops in Afghanistan doing their version of Lady Gaga’s Telephone. Even though I think Gaga’s Telephone video is genius (but naughty), this video by our troops warms the heart. It’s uplifting to think that despite the horrors and terror they are witnessing everyday, they are able to have a memorable moment like this. Watch, you’ll thank me… and talk about it this weekend. Enjoy your dinner.
I’ve found that the technique I use at a garage sale to get a good deal, can apply to any purchase, even as big as a house. Here are 7 steps in the art:
1) Build a relationship with the seller. A little humor while shopping goes a long way. It’s hard for them to say no, once you’ve got ’em laughing.
2) Make a reasonable offer based on what you know you can pay. (Offering $1 on an item priced $20 is insulting and will probably breed ill will.)
3) Keep your poker face on, and by all means don’t start drooling.
4) Decide what you can live without before you negotiate. (You don’t need the seat warmers or the over-the-top chandelier.)
5) Ask for them to give you their “best price.”
6) Immediately say that you were thinking less, but “want to negotiate a compromise.” Name your much lower price.
7) Meet in the middle -markedly lower than their initial price- or be prepared to walk away. Especially in this economy, they’ll agree to a lower price or soon chase after you.
Got it? What are you buying these days?
