Make your Memorial Day worthy of remembrance.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: There's something about holiday weekends that appeal to almost everyone, but where most people, like Red, look forward to having an extra "weekend" day, we suspect that few people see it the same way that Black does.
Memorial Day weekend is more than just a holiday weekend, it's also the "unofficial" start to summer. For some, that means getting away for the weekend, whether for mini-vacations or visiting friends or family, while for others, it could be a day trip. But even if it's as simple as inviting friends or family to a barbeque or picnic, this year will be special as life's slowly starting to return to some level of normalcy (whatever that is!) for people who have been vaccinated. (Although we still need to be "smart" about it.) Which, in itself, is something to celebrate. Not that Red needed a reason,
I'm not sure yet how what I'm doing this weekend, but I may go to my local AMC movie theater for the first time in over a year, which would make this a very memorable Memorial Day weekend. Or maybe just enjoy at home a great movie that honors those in the military. Or both! But I'm looking forward to being able to leisurely spend time in the kitchen (vs. hectic weekday meal preparation) and might even try some new recipes inspired by Memorial Day.
Well, we all need breaks from the craziness of our weeks and, let's face it, many weekends are often spent catching up from the week, so can be just as exhausting as the week itself. However, it sounds like Red's weekend will (hopefully) be spent doing things she loves. And the same for Black, but maybe not as you might imagine,
I can relate to you looking forward to leisure time in the kitchen, as I am looking forward to an extra day of uninterrupted work time at my computer. In fact, the only things on my calendar this holiday weekend are to put in an appearance at a Saturday evening birthday party in the building and an "appointment" on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. to observe the national moment of remembrance. So, it sounds like we both will be doing what we love best this weekend.
Last year on MLK Day, Red learned the power and inspiration of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, in these divisive times, we can all learn from him … as not only did he fight for equality for all, but his approach is proof that peaceful protests can achieve social justice.
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.
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.
Red admits that although she knows bagels aren’t a healthy choice, she’ll occasionally treat herself, not only because they remind her of growing in New York when almost every town on Long Island had at least one bagel shop, but because she loves whipped cream cheese almost as much as the fresh, squishy bagel on which she smears it. And while she was a fan of both cinnamon raisin and onion bagels as a kid, the introduction of the “Everything” bagel was a turning point. However, her all-time favorite is technically not a bagel, as it’s a bialy.
On the other hand, it only takes one look at Black’s “selfishly svelte figure” to know that she has the willpower to resist bagels (including her favorite, sesame) as well as all the other carbs that she loves, but when it comes to National Bagel Day and the “health” issues of bagels, she has an interesting perspective,
Bagels are one of life’s true culinary pleasures, often tied to wonderful memories, so you cannot always measure their value in terms of nutrition. But, when it comes to healthy eating, it might be interesting to remember that bagel-cutting injuries are common and result in thousands of people having to go to emergency rooms or urgent care centers … so, celebrate carefully.
Keep Reading ...
Show less
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.