Banter Bites

Red’s Favorite Banter Bites – March

Design by Sawyer Pennington


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Looking back over the month of March, I'm having a hard time picking my favorite Banter Bites.


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You were a straight-A student, maybe you should just grade them.

I love holidays and not just the major ones. That's probably because once I had children, we tended to celebrate and commemorate almost all of them, even if it was just fun greeting cards or some house decorations (ok, sometimes I went overboard). So, although my girls are no longer little, I still found enjoyment as Black and I honored March holidays.

  • March 15: Any Idea What The Ides Of March Is? – Most people probably don't give it a passing thought, so who would have thought George Clooney and Julius Caesar have something in common?
  • March 17: You Don't Have To Be Irish – Ever since I can remember, people have thought that my red hair meant I was Irish. But even though I'm not, that doesn't stop me from loving St. Patrick's Day, probably because it's always been a great excuse to cook one of my favorite meals.
  • March 20: Spring Has Sprung. Spring Has Science? – A day when science (it's the Spring Equinox, after all) provides the perfect opportunity to have a fresh restart. And although Black tried to rain on my parade, it didn't work (this time).

Curious about Black's favorites this month?

favorites
Banter Bites

If Dreams Could Become Reality ... Nightmares Could Become Obsolete

Two years ago, on MLK Day, Red learned the power and inspiration of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And the power of dreams. And as long as there's social unrest and social injustice in the United States (stop and think about the first word … as we’re supposed to be united), the more we can learn from him … as not only did he fight for equality for all, but his approach is proof of the power of peaceful protests.

For most of us, writing and delivering one powerful and/or inspiring thing would be a very difficult task. To be remembered for hundreds is truly amazing.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: There's so much one can say about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who led the civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968, and whose leadership was fundamental to the ending of legal segregation in many parts of the United States. But regardless of your position on segregation, it's almost impossible not to acknowledge, yet alone appreciate, how incredibly powerful and inspiring his words were and the impact they continue to have on the civil rights movement. But don't believe us. This goodreads post provides more than just a good read, it's a seemingly endless list of inspirational quotes while a great "refresher" course on Dr. King is available at History.com.
history
Banter Bites

Not A Trick Question ... Who Doesn’t Love Bagels?

We grew up in New York, where bagels are almost sacred, but even though they may have started as a Jewish food in Europe, they’re now enjoyed by everyone everywhere (including Red and Black, but in very different ways) – why else would there be a National Bagel Day?

National holidays aren’t the time to count calories.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: We both agree that happiness has a hole in it, although one of us may only eat one bagel a year while the other tries to keep it to only one bagel when she does indulge.

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food
Banter Bites

Resolutions Aside … A Clean Desk? Is That Even Possible???

Another year and another National Clean Your Desk Day (yes, that’s actually a thing). So, is Red’s desk any better than the “disaster” it was last year? Well, believe it or not, it may not be perfect, but it’s significantly better. Is it because she finally listened to Black’s advice (see below) or somehow found a “secret” of her own? As it turns out, it was a combination of the two as Red discovered, even if the rest of her life isn’t “nice and neat” (that’ll never happen), she loves walking into her workroom in the morning and starting the day in a (somewhat) organized space, which provides the best motivation for keeping it that way. (Luckily, Black never brought up the science of messy desks.)

A day to clean up your desk?! It will take way more than a day …

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: No one is immune from piles of paper, not even Black, the master of organization, but there’s a huge difference between a desk with a few small piles and some scattered papers (although her laptop’s keyboard needs serious cleaning) and Red’s “workroom” that usually looks like a tornado hit it.

Which is why Red rolled her eyes when Black mentioned today’s National Clean Your Desk Day, as it’d take her significantly more than a day to “clean up this mess,” but then she remembered Black’s advice on how to keep her piles (and piles) of paper under control and felt inspired. Red admits often feeling like she’s drowning in paper, but that’s because she lets the piles get out of control before reminding herself of Black’s very easy, straightforward approach to turning her mountains of paper into small manageable hills. And, significantly reducing stress along the way, because as Black points out,

Sometimes, it is more important to know what you are ignoring than it is to deal with everything in the piles.
piles of paper