RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY

Wylie my love goes with you always….

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day on August 28th sets aside a day to remember the pet companions we’ve lost.

The death of a pet, whether furry, feathered, or an uncommon variety, is felt deeply. They become family and a familiar part of our lives. Mourning their death is different for everyone, and the observance provides a way to help heal the ache of loss.

The pain of loss is real. As each person travels through their grief, we remember the companionship and comfort they provided to us. Don’t forget that part of the relationship included care provided by you. The empty space left by the loss of a beloved pet is sometimes a difficult void to overcome.

Celebrate the home you provided and the joy your beloved pet brought you in return. When you are ready, you will know the time has arrived to find a new ‘critter’ to replace the emptiness felt. There are many animals yet to find a home. In time, you can be their new home.

In our case we turn our sights to helping other animals.  Wylie was one of our first rescues. We have branched out to help fulfill a need.  While we do bring those in need of the most care inside, we either find them loving forever homes or we are their fur-ever home. 

We have also created and care for community cats on our property.  On average we see between 10 and 30 feral daily.  We supply food, water, warm shelters in winter and try to make our porch a safe haven for these forgotten babies that never asked to be born.  We work with our county shelter for TNR services.  We educate our neighbors and encourage them to get involved as well.  As we live just beyond urban areas we get a lot of dumped pets.  Several of our regulars were someone’s pet.  We have an Amazon list that helps provide food to these in need cats.  So we pay it forward to each new cat we help. AMAZON LIST

RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY HISTORY

Deborah Barnes founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day in honor of her cat, Mr. Jazz. Cats are fascinating and lovable, little friends to have around the home. We miss them when they leave us. Truthfully, it’s the same with any pet.

HOW TO OBSERVE #RainbowBridgeRemembranceDay

Take time to enjoy memories of your pet. Look through pictures. Consider a visit to an animal shelter if you feel ready. Volunteering time may help the adjustment.  Use #RainbowBridgeRemembranceDay to share on social media.

ROMANCE AWARENESS MONTH

February isn’t the only romantic month on the calendar.  Check your relationship’s pulse during Romance Awareness in August. If it needs a jump start, there are lots of ways to put some spark back into the relationship. 

Add excitement by planning the unexpected. Surprise your significant other with a date night with only a few clues as to the destination. None of it needs to be expensive or elaborate, but making an effort to make the evening fun, spontaneous and memorable will be worthwhile. Maybe it’s a note clipped to a single flower saying you’ll pick her up at 7 PM and to wear sandals. It ends up with a picnic on the beach; or it could be a text to him that you’re in the mood for takeout, be ready in an hour – a three-hour road trip later and you’re at the nearest drive-in theater eating hot wings under the stars.

The simple things mean so much more than elaborate gifts. A wrapped mint slipped into a pocket with an encouraging message on the day of big presentation sends waves of support and love when it’s needed most. Sharing our successes with those we love is another way of enhancing the romance. Toast each other’s success and bask in the glow.  

Spend quiet time with each other. Read books, do chores, sleep. Just be. Sometimes, just being together in the same room generates energy that may have been missing. 

Cultivate activities as a couple you enjoy doing together. Whether you enjoy games, biking, sports, antiquing, travel, music or haven’t discovered your interest yet, get out there and explore.  

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HISTORY

Celebrate Romance founder, Eileen Buchheim, created Romance Awareness Month to encourage couples to improve their relationships through romance all year long.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Being aware of and adding more romance into your relationship will be a win-win for both you and your significant other. Passion has always been an essential part of relationships. Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference, such as; holding hands, a shoulder rub, a flower, making dinner together, playing your favorite song, leaving a personal note, or watching a movie together.

Romance Awareness Month is also a great time to catch up on some reading with the wide selection of romance novels that are available. 

If posting on social media use #RomanceAwarenessMonth.

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INTERNATIONAL KISSING DAY

International Kissing Day on July 6 celebrates the enjoyable activity of kissing, and the part it plays in cultures throughout the world. The day reminds people to recognize the simple value of a kiss between friends, lovers, family, and even pets. It’s a celebrated day that many businesses, websites, and social media sites tie in to for promotions of their products or services.

Kissing is associated with romantic feelings, but there are more types of kisses. In recent history, before it was common for people to be able to write, an “X” would be signed. Then the signer would kiss the X as a pledge to honor the signature. (Could this be where the “X” symbol came to represent a kiss?)

Some societies kiss on the cheek as a greeting. While other kisses signal a kinship. Watch a parent or a grandparent with a young child, and you’ll see tender kisses.

It’s an ageless activity. Research shows that 5% of people over the age of 45 are locking lips at least 31 times a week.

According to a book by Michael Penn called Kissing Christians, “Early Christians kissed one another in highly specific settings that distinguished them from the non-Christian population. The earliest Christian reference to the ritual kiss is at the end of I Thessalonians: ‘Greet one another with a holy kiss.’ The Christian ritual kiss or ‘kiss of peace’ was used during prayer, Eucharist, baptism, ordination, and in connection with greetings, funerals, monastic vows, and martyrdom.”

More Kissing Facts

A study of kissing reported in the book The Art of Kissing by William Case found:

  • Passionate kissing burns 6.4 calories a minute.
  • A Hershey’s kiss contains 26 calories, which takes five minutes of walking–or about four minutes of kissing–to burn off.
  • The study of kissing is better known as philematology.
  • Lips are 100 times more sensitive than the tips of the fingers.

INTERNATIONAL KISSING DAY HISTORY

International Kissing Day seems to have began in 2006. The day was launched to focus on the kissing that takes place between lovers and to celebrate the place it holds in our society.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalKissingDay

Are you ready for some kissing? Listen to an NPR interview on the science of kissing. Organizers around the world host events to celebrate International Kissing Day. Look for an event for those who have lovers and those who are looking for them.

Perhaps your community will sponsor a “Kiss-in.” It lets you test drive a potential date’s lips before you ever hook up with them for an actual date.

On social media, use #InternationalKissingDay to join in the conversation.

National Kissing Day

We won’t limit you or time you on this affectionate holiday, but National Kissing Day on June 22 encourages us to pucker up for a smooch. Whether the kiss comes from your significant other, your children or pets, share the love!

The kiss has been a part of our culture for thousands of years. The reasons we kiss vary, too. While affection and attraction may be the most common reason for kissing, the kiss has also been used as a greeting. In some cultures, kissing a cheek may date back to Christian rituals. In Ireland, the custom of kissing the Blarney Stone has existed for centuries and is said to bestow the kisser with the gift of eloquence and persuasiveness. Another medieval tradition that hopefully has been extinguished is the practice of kissing the feet or royalty or those in power. A similar act of kissing includes kissing the ring of someone to show fealty.

Which leads to hand-kissing. While this gesture suggests loyalty to someone, it has a friendlier connotation than that of kissing feet. For some, it’s a sign of respect and affection.

But National Kissing Day offers more than a history lesson. It encourages us to reconnect and draw closer to our loved ones. Whether it’s a peck on the cheek or a passionate kiss, when we receive one from someone we love, kissing brings joy. Kissing triggers the release of endorphins which in turn tells our brain it’s happy. When we kiss, our anxiety is reduced and our blood pressure lowers, too. Maybe those boo-boo kisses from mom carry some real power.

NATIONAL KISSING DAY HISTORY

While researching the history of National Kissing Day, we did not find a source for June 22nd. However, several events took place around that date starting in 2002. An episode of the United Kingdom soap opera Hollyoak aired on June 25, 2002. The episode featured characters Ellie and Ben who set a record for the longest film kiss. Actors Sarah Baxendale and Marcus Patrick kissed for three minutes and fifteen seconds in a kissing contest hosted for International Kissing Day. While they may have been celebrating the holiday in England that takes place on July 6, it’s still an impressive feat. However, other records have been set since, including some long-lasting kisses on episodes of The Bachelor.

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5 NATIONAL KISSING DAY KISSES

Celebrate the power of a kiss. Pull your partner into a passionate kiss or practice your kissing style with them. You can also:

  1. Watch movies with great kissing. We suggest Cinema Paradiso directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.
  2. Time yourself. Can you beat the longest kissing record in the world? Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranat currently hold the record at 58 hours, 35 minutes, and 58 seconds. Sure hope they used long-lasting breath mint!
  3. Share a story about your first kiss.
  4. Not all kisses go well. Share stories of kisses gone wrong. That includes those accidental kisses.
  5. What’s your favorite on-screen kiss? Is it from the Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Body Guardor Crazy, Stupid Love?

Let us know how you’re celebrating by using #NationalKissingDay on social media.

NATIONAL MOVIE NIGHT

Pop some popcorn, grab a blanket and your favorite buddy, put away the cell phones and tablets, and then queue up a string of movies for a fun night of entertainment. National Movie Night on the second Friday in June encourages us to start (or restart) a tradition of movie nights with friends and family.

Movies have been bringing people together for over 100 years. The stars, the stories entertain us, connect us and help us create memories. As technology evolves, so does how we enjoy our movie nights. From the theater to reel-to-reel home movies, the VCR, DVD, and streaming, we’ve been enjoying movies on big and small screens. Drive-in movies invited us to enjoy films from the comfort of our cars. Today, our video library is as large as we want it to be thanks to streaming services. We can even enjoy movies in our own backyards projected onto screens under the stars.

Can you smell the popcorn popping? Start your tradition with friends and family on National Movie Night with new and classic movies at the theatre or in your homes.

Jennifer and Jayda Borget, a mother-daughter duo fluent in movie quotes and authors of the Family Movie Night Journal, founded National Movie Night to create an opportunity to bring new and old movie night traditions to life. Be prepared to laugh, cry or cringe, but most importantly, to make memories! Need a list of suggestions for National Movie Night? This list at movienightjournal.com will get you started.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalMovieNight

What movie will you watch and who will you invite for National Movie Night? There are so many ways to start a movie tradition:

  • Make a movie night bucket list.
  • Share your favorite movie quotes.
  • Create a group with people who love movies. Plan to celebrate with a night out at the movie theatre.
  • Host a movie night in with the family. Pick a film the whole family will enjoy.
  • Invite friends and family for a movie night BBQ. Hang a sheet or screen to project the movie onto. Wait for it to get dark and then let the entertainment begin.
  • Load up the car and head to the nearest drive-in movie theatre.
  • Create a buffet of your favorite movie snacks and beverages for everyone to enjoy.
  • Ask everyone to write a review and deliver it in their best critic voice.
  • Invite everyone to dress in their red-carpet best for movie premieres and go to the movies in style.

Don’t forget to share your movie night traditions. Use #NationalMovieNight to share your celebration on social media and follow @movienightjournal. Sit back, hit play, and enjoy the show!