You may remember that in the last issue I quoted a wonderful poem called "The Edge" and asked my readers if they knew the author. Well, Thanks to Dave Livingston in Hawaii I now know that it was written by Barbara J. Winter. Thanks Dave!
And thanks to Bob Kelly for his wonderful new book of quotes, "Worth Repeating" and for this very apropos quote for today:
"Posterity - you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."
John Quincy Adams
July 2, 1776 was the actual day that the Declaration of Independence was passed by the Continental Congress (according to Thomas Ayres new book, "That's Not In My American History Book!") John Adams was quoted as saying, "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the Great Anniversary celebration."
So what happened? On July 4th the only item of business was to work on the wording and sign the darn thing. They took so long debating the exact wording that they didn't actually get around to signing it until August 18. "The final signature wasn't placed on it until January 18, 1777."
More trivia: July 2, 1566 Nostradamus, the French astrologer/physician/prophet, died. S'pose he predicted that too?
Most of us have heard that wonderful song "Sunscreen" from last year's flock of graduation advice e-mails. There is a lot of truth in the final admonition, "And remember. Always wear sunscreen."
According to the National Skin Cancer Organization http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/year-round.php
We should all wear sunscreen year round. At this time of year it is crucial, especially for those of us in the hotter climates. The experts warn us that being complacent about sunscreen can cause serious problems - no matter how fair or dark your skin is. For those of us, er, more mature folks, this is of great interest because excessive sun speeds up aging and can exacerbate existing skin problems.
They also remind us that putting sunscreen on once a day isn't enough. First, be sure you use at least a full ounce of sunscreen each time you slather it on. Don't be stingy. And once you go swimming or have any kind of workout that causes you to get "shiny" (well, some people don't like the word "sweat") - then you need to re-apply it. Just figure that every two hours you should put more on when the ozone is beating down on you (that includes overcast days!)
And remember those missed spots - ears, neck, lips, face -- and, if you are thinning on top… wear a hat or put sunscreen liberally there too! Be careful to protect areas that aren't always exposed to sun, like the top half of your arms if you always wear short sleeve shirts. Or just get a giant hat the size of a golf umbrella. (Ok that last one wasn't the skin cancer folks, that was me… )
Bottom line? Protect your skin! It is the only one you get! And skin cancer isn't fun. I had it on the left side of my face from sun coming in the driver's side of the car. Who knew? For more info, go to the link above. And have a great summer!
A few fun quotes (well, they made me smile)-
"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."-Barry LePatner
"Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." -Bernard Berenson (1865-1959)
"The reason lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place is that the same place ain't there the second time."-Willie Tyler
"Status quo. Latin for 'the mess we're in'."-Jeve Morman
"It is fun being in the same decade with you." -Franklin D. Roosevelt to Winston Churchill, 1942
"Most of our future lies ahead."-Denny Crum, Louisville basketball coach
"The future is much like the present - only longer."-Don Quisenberry
"Weather forecast for tonight. Dark."-George Carlin
"Historical reminder: always put Horace before Descartes."-Donald O. Rickter
"Science has not yet found a cure for the pun."-Robert Byrne
And now this:
"You appeal to a small, select group of confused people." Message in a fortune cookie
"Ignore previous cookie." Message in a fortune cookie
