Volunteers place flowers at headstones from the Memorial Flower Foundation in Section 33 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, May 26, 2019. Every year over Memorial Day weekend, over 142,000 visitors come to Arlington National Cemetery to honor those who are laid to rest in these hallowed grounds. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released)
I hope you are enjoying time with your family and friends over this holiday weekend. I can smell the lighter fluid and people ready the charcoal started. It rained part of the weekend but the flowers are in bloom and are looking beautiful. While all this is great, please make sure you take time out of your Memorial Day holiday to honor the soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We have so much to be thankful for and I know that I cannot take it for granted.
When a soldier is buried with military honors, their family is presented with a folded United States flag. I did not know that each fold of the flag had a special meaning until I saw this informative video, seen below.
The Folding of the Flag
DEDICATION: Dedicated to Honor Guards and our Fallen from across America, as well as to all patriots who keep our Veterans, 1st-Responders (& families) in their hearts.
During a Memorial Day ceremony on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Spcs. Kenroy Daly and Christina Murray, 42nd Military Police Brigade, place a ceremonial wreath near the brigade memorial. The names of 29 fallen 42nd MP Bde Soldiers were read during the ceremony, which was held at Memorial Park.
It’s wonderful that you are having fun and enjoying your holiday, but please take time out this Memorial Day to remember and thank the fallen soldiers who fought for our country.
Getting a puppy is an exciting time. Pups are a bundle of energy and fun and can bring a lot of joy to your life. But to make sure you keep enjoying time with your pet as they get older, you’re going to need to train them. You can start training your puppy at a young age to help them learn the basics, as well as make it easier to take them out and interact with other pets and people.
There are a few tips to help you make quick progress with your puppy. Read on to get help with training your pup at an early age.
Start with the basics It’s never too early to start training your puppy. In fact, the sooner you start, the easier it will be when it comes to taking them out and getting them used to their new home. You should start with some basic training to help them adjust to their new environment and help make things easier for you too. Some of the first things you should teach your puppy include potty training, teaching them to sit and to stop behaviors such as nipping or guarding. Once they’ve mastered these, you can move onto walking to heel and other behaviors that will need more time to master.
Train regularly and consistently Training should be a regular activity that you enjoy with your pup. A little bit of training each day will help them progress quickly and can be a fun way for the two of you to bond and spend time together. Set aside sometime each day to try new commands and tricks, while also going through things they’ve previously learned. This will help to keep your dog challenged and stop them from getting bored.
Bring in the professionals If you want to train your dog quickly, and under a watchful eye, then you might want to think about going through the professional route. There are kennel and dog training classes that can help your puppy to learn quickly and can help them learn to socialize with other people and dogs. It isn’t always the cheapest option, but you’ll learn a lot about how to handle your pup – which is great for first-time dog owners too!
Learn through play Training doesn’t have to be all about command and reward, you can help to train your dog through play too! There are some excellent backyard games to play with your dog that can help them teach different actions, like how to fetch, let go and so on. Being outside will give your dog a lot of room to play and run around, so can be a good workout for you both too!
While puppies might have a lot of energy and can run riot at times, they’re also quite easy to train at a young age, which will help them become great pets as they get older. Training is a fantastic way for you and your puppy to bond, and you can guarantee that neither of you will get bored! Start looking at the ways you can train your puppy and start making some progress today!
I hope all the influential people in your life who represent a mother to you had a great day. My birthday was Saturday and it rained all day, however, I am walking on sunshine. I celebrate the whole month and I feel so grateful and thankful.
Don’t you like to see beautiful works of art? I do. I can really get into the meaning and representation of the painting.
For some reason museum professionals enjoy going to museums when they travel on holiday, go figure.
One of the Metropolitan Museum Art current temporary exhibits is “In Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces at The Met.” The museum showcases 67 works exclusively from The Met’s permanent collection.
“The Met’s rich holdings of 17th-century Dutch masterpieces – the most extensive collection outside of Europe — have always been immensely popular with our visitors, said Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “This exhibition is a chance to gain a deeper understanding of how the shifting cultural climate of the time spurred artistic innovation and gave rise to some of the most beloved works of western art in all of history.”
I have to include some of my favorite pieces of artwork that you must see if you are in the New York City area.
Wheat Fields is a painting that takes your mind to a faraway place at another time. It looks like the clouds are about to either clear or light rain may be coming. The detail is impeccable.
Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch, Haarlem 1628/29–1682 Amsterdam). Wheat Fields, ca. 1670. Oil on canvas, 39 3/8 x 51 1/4 in. (100 x 130.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913 (14.40.623)
The masterpiece below by Johannes Vermeer Young is Woman with a Water Pitcher from circa 1662. When I look at this painting, I always wonder what is she looking at through the stained glass window. And she has some really muscular hands from lifting those pitchers.
Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, Delft 1632–1675 Delft). Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, ca. 1662. Oil on canvas, 18 x 16 in. (45.7 x 40.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Marquand Collection, Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1889 (89.15.21)
I also enjoy looking at beautiful floral decorations and this painting is decadent and engaging. The colors in the Vase of Flowers by Margareta Haverman jump right out at you and intoxicatingly invite you into the view.
Margareta Haverman (Dutch, active by 1716–died 1722 or later). A Vase of Flowers, 1716. Oil on wood, 31 1/4 x 23 3/4 in. (79.4 x 60.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, 1871 (71.6)
I don’t want to give the entire exhibit away so I will share one more of my favorites with you. This painting, Woman with a Pink, by Rembrandt makes me wonder why she is holding that pink flower. Did her lover just break up with her and that’s all she has to remember him by? Did she just pluck the flower off of one of the hedges in the garden?
What do you think?
Look at all the detail in of the beadwork and jewelry in her hair, earrings, and gown So precise. Rembrandt is with highlighting the pearl in her earring and spotlighting her hands with the single pink flower.
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) (Dutch, Leiden 1606–1669 Amsterdam). Woman with a Pink, the early 1660s. Oil on canvas. 36 1/4 x 29 3/8 in. (92.1 x 74.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913 (14.40.622)
“In Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces at The Met,” is a must-see for any art lover. The exhibition will continue at The Metropolitan Museum of Art until October 1, 2020. If you are the New York City area and get a chance to see the masterpieces in this exhibition, please let me know what you think.
Seeing your pup get injured? It’s no fun for a dog mom or dad! In fact, it can be really distressing and upsetting. However, once the immediate danger has passed, and emergency treatment has been provided usually by a vet, there are some things we can do to help our canine friend recover. Read on to find out what they are.
Keep vet appointments First of all, it’s crucial that you keep all the vet appointments that your dog needs, not just the one that deals with the injury in the first instance. This is because it’s essential that their recovery is monitored by a trained professional who will be able to spot any problem or signs of infection that could make your pup’s health worse.
Of course, the major issue that most people have with this is not that they don’t want to provide the best for their dog, but the high costs that are involved with multiple visits to the vets. Although, by getting dog insurance beforehand you can limit this, and ensure your pup get both the best treatment and aftercare possible.
Practice aftercare at home Of course, aftercare isn’t just something that happens at the vets. In fact, it is an activity that owners will need to keep up at home as well.
What that often means is keeping any cuts clean, and even treated them with dog wound products. Something that can help them to heal as quickly as possible.
Although, if the injury that your dog is suffering from is broken limb, then the priority will be to keep it dry! After all, a wet cast will need to be redone if they are to heal properly.
Get them rehabilitated Once the injury has started to heal, it’s vital that you follow medical advice and get your dog rehabilitated. What this means is that you encourage them to move more again. Of course, this can be a tough thing to do, especially if they are still in pain from the injury they received.
Luckily, there are techniques such as osteopathy for pets, and even hydrotherapy that can encourage them to make a full recovery, while also minimizing the strain and pain they feel.
Although, no matter what route you pick it’s crucial that you show both patience and compassion for your pet during this challenging time.
Prevent re-injury Finally, when it comes to getting your pup to recovering from an injury, it’s imperative that you protect them, so they don’t end up experiencing the same thing again.
What you do to facilitate this will differ in each situation, but some possible examples include adding a doggy gate to stairs that it would be dangerous for them to climb, making repairs in your garden if there are any unstable ledges or walls, and even discouraging play fighting with your other pets.
After all, you don’t want to go through all of the challenges of helping your pet to recover, for them to just end up in the same place all over again!
Work takes up a lot of our time. Even if you enjoy work and you’re someone that has built a great career, you may find that after work, you hit a brick wall. Maybe you don’t have the energy to do anything, or you head home and you’re bored? Maybe you do the cleaning to avoid doing it on the weekends or, you just crash on the couch exhausted? Either way, this isn’t allowing you to make the most of your week. Because you can use those hours after work to enjoy yourself and have fun! Sometimes, you could make your life more enjoyable and rewarding, just by squeezing in some extra excitement. Let’s take a look at five ways you can have more fun after work.
Go For Dinner First of all, you could always go to dinner. If you don’t want to go home and just eat a boring dinner and go to sleep, why not arrange to go to dinner with your friends? If you don’t always get to see your friends, then this is a win-win.
Salsa practice lessons
Take A Class Next up, you could take a class. Maybe you want to get fit? Do you want to look after your body and health? Then go and take a fitness class after work. If you do yoga, you’ll also find that you’re winding down well before bed too!
Go To An Event Another really great idea that can be a ton of fun for you after work, is for you to think about attending different events. Because you will find that here are always different things on in the evenings that can entertain you. Maybe this is an open mic music or a play? Maybe it’s a talk with an author you like or even a course! Just see what’s going on in your area and sign up for anything that sounds cool!
Attend A Group Or Club The next thing that you might want to consider here, is attending a group or a club after work too. Maybe you have an interest that you can pursue? Maybe you want to start a book club or join a music group or go to games club? You could even get together with a group of friends that you have with a similar interest and just go for a drink too! So think about any clubs near to you that could allow you to do this.
Have A Date Night But then also, you could totally do a post-work midweek date night too! You don’t just have to save your date nights for the weekends. Instead, you can easily make plans with people for the week. Plus, this then also means that you get things to look forward to in the week too! So get planning and make sure that you have a lot to look forward to when work is out. This could be with your sweetheart or even catching up girlfriends as we mentioned in the first point!
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