What Holiday Is Today?

Just For Fun

You never know what someone is going through, that’s why it’s always a good idea to give someone a compliment. Luckily, there’s a holiday for that! Today is National Compliment Day. Some ways to celebrate include: complimenting a stranger, Spreading positive vibes on social media, and Challenging those around you to spread the joy!

 

Some honorable mentions for this week include:

Monday: National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

Tuesday:  National Spouse Day

Wednesday: International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Thursday: National Lego Day

Friday: National Puzzle Day

Saturday: National Croissant Day

What Holiday Is Today?

Just For Fun

Today is National Houseplant Appreciation Day! This is the day for plant lovers to celebrate the plants that bring more life to our homes! Houseplants do more than bring some green to our homes, they also release oxygen into the air that helps improve air quality in our homes in addition to releasing moisture into the air that creates fresh humidity that makes your home feel cooler! To all the plant lovers out there, Happy National Houseplant Appreciation Day!

 

 

Some Honorable Mentions throughout the week include:

Monday: National Clean Your Desk Day

Wednesday: National Rubber Ducky Day

Thursday: National Dress Up Your Pet Day

Friday: National Bagel Day and National Hat Day

What Holiday is Today?

Community, Featured Stories, Just For Fun

Today is make a cutout snowflake day! Grab Some paper and some scissors and make some cut out snowflakes! Snowflakes have always been associated with the holiday season, and this craft is an easy way to have a white Christmas wherever you are! This modern tradition is based on the old art of Origami!

Not only is it National make a cutout snowflake day, but it’s National Fruit Cake Day! The Earliest found recipe for this dessert dates back to 500BC, so whip out the ingredients and make yourself a Fruit Cake!

 

Some honorable mentions for the week include:

Monday: National Call A Friend day and Chocolate Candy Day

Wednesday: National Bacon Day

Thursday: National Champagne Day and New Year’s Eve!

Create a truly unique holiday experience at Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm

Community, Featured, Featured News, Featured Stories
Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga: Born in part out of a desire to return to small-town living, Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm became a sustainably driven business for the husband and wife owners. The farm is open year-round and offers free tours to the public. They are currently in the midst of the Ninth Thanksgiving on the farm and are taking reservations for the Eleventh Annual Alpaca Holiday tours.

Owner and artist Holly leads small groups around the farm three times a day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The hour-long tour teaches visitors about the alpaca, including origins, husbandry, and fur uses.

The newest baby on the lasso the moon alpaca farm. He is one month old.

The newest baby on the alpaca farm. He is one month old.

The animals must be shorn once a year because their fur grows perpetually, and if the fur coat isn’t collected, they could die from heatstroke. Lasso the Moon shears its alpacas every May. An alpaca’s first shearing produces the finest hair that it will ever produce.

“They are visibly happy afterward,” Holly stated about the alpacas after shearing day.

Farmers can make use of low-quality furs, such as turning it into mulch. Those walking around the farm will see fur blanketing the base of fruit trees.

Alpaca fur being used as mulch.

Alpaca fur being used as mulch.

The very-much hands-on, interactive environment makes the farm great for children and a good learning opportunity for them. All visitors can feed and pet the alpacas, just don’t pat the animals on their head or face and don’t stand behind the animal then touch their rear-ends. First, alpacas interpret pats to their heads as aggressive. Second, no one should ever stand directly behind any livestock then pet their backside if they don’t want to be kicked potentially.

The alpacas are very curious and inspect everyone who enters their paddock, probably because they hope their guests are hiding food. They’ll quickly nibble pellets out of a person’s hand.

However, alpacas aren’t the only animals located on Lasso the Moon. Anyone who visits will see chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs running freely around the farm. Some of the domesticated animals will gladly climb in vehicles to hang out with guests. The dogs are there to protect the alpacas, which are natural prey animals.

Tours aren’t the only option for those interested in spending some time at the farm. Holly holds several fiber art classes. Attendees can choose to make a silk patchwork Nuno felted alpaca scarf, silk dyed scarf, Nuno felted poncho with matching wristlets, necklace and earrings, or a needle felted animal/item. Those interested can sign-up online. The classes include a farm to table lunch, and all materials are provided.

People can sign up to make felt animals such as this chipmunk.

People can sign up to make felt animals such as this chipmunk.

A little backstory

18 years ago, Holly’s husband built the barn that now serves as her base of operation as it were. The bottom contains stalls and their “homemade stantion, scale, feed bins, sink and cabinet space for paperwork and storage of sterile items.”

Upstairs is Holly’s studio for glass bead making, fiber art education, bird nest ball making, and gallery. It also features all the awards earned from showing their alpacas.

 Holly explained she always wanted to return to a small town farm life after growing up on one. When they bought the farm, her husband told her she could raise whatever she wanted, but it had to be a business.

At first, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to raise until reading an article about alpacas, and Holly instantly knew that she wanted to start an alpaca farm.

Holly explaining the uses of alpaca fur.

Holly explaining the uses of alpaca fur.

“So, we started going to farms and shows, and we literally just fell in love with them and decided this is what we wanted to do,” Holly said. “As an artist with an art degree, it really appealed to me that you could do so much with them and not kill them to do it.”

Anyone interested in learning more about Lasso the Moon or sign up for a class, visit their website. The Alpaca holiday tours run from December 26 to 29 at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. Please make an appointment or call before visiting the farm.

Suffering amid the Easter Holiday for tomorrow

Lifestyle
Easter

Easter is coming upon us in America at an interesting time this year. Of course, no explanation is necessary for anyone to know why. It is hard to find some joy and celebration with family this year, especially if they are sheltering in a home separate from you, if they are older, or if they may have been sick recently and at risk.

But I have something very strange to say to people this Easter Holiday. And bear with me as I explain what I mean to both those who are religious, and those who are not. It is hard and there is great worry and fear in this time. And while each person individually has different things they are dealing with, I speak generally to humanity as a whole.

As a people, some have handled the issue quite well, and there is a lot of inspiration in this world right now. So, to those who are just at home avoiding the virus and dealing with being couped up right now, “Suffer well.”

I understand some are dealing with death or severe sickness, and that is something different. But to the rest of us dealing with the shelter order, there is hard times for reasons.

If you lived in a world that never stormed, would you get tired of the sun? Would that matter at all when you start thinking that you couldn’t grow food, the land would dry up? Animals couldn’t live. It’s a part of the cycle.

For an axe to be sharp, it must have the stone to grind against. For one to build muscle, they must work the muscle and stress that muscle.

Speaking Religiously, countless ministers have spoken about God using the hard times to help you grow. The Bible is full of stories about people who suffered, but great things came from their pain. The central story of the Bible and of Easter focuses on a man who suffered for you. That is the whole idea. That is the whole point. Suffer, whether it is for love, for a greater good, for others. Enjoy the good and bask in that light, but during the storms look to the good that will come next. And there are storm clouds over America right now.

Speaking not-so-religiously, look at the cycle of this planet, for every drought, there is a good season. For every dark storm and rough rain, there is a point when the light breaks through the clouds. There is a rainbow that follows the rain. Focus on the moment you’re in, and learn that in general, people who go through tough times, get stronger because of it. When we were attacked, as a nation, how quickly did the steel of our will harden to offer help? Would the firefighters amid the towers be the heroes they have become if there wasn’t a tragedy to highlight their heroism?

Yes, it would be great if tragedy didn’t happen, but it does. As we celebrate Easter, a time of joy and laughter over the years, we may not feel like celebrating much in our homes. Maybe we feel trapped in our four walls, but there is so much to celebrate. Even as we “suffer” in our time of worry and uneasiness in our country, we celebrate the death of one man who sacrificed his life for love. Celebrate your faith if it says he rose again. Celebrate your faith in humanity as you constantly find story after story about this person who is making medical masks for people and adding a little light and color to others lives or that person who is donating food to the community pantry for those in need.

To “suffer well” is not something you are just going to do, though. It’s a choice, yes, but it is action and determination. Focus on the strength you gain from this fear. Focus on the good you see. While some media outlets focus on the virus, seek out the stories of those who are helping. Those who are working. Be determined not to get angry if the store is out of something, instead thank someone for continuing to work and trying to keep stock on the shelves amid this virus. They are working with the same fear you have. The police officer is patrolling the town closer to people than you really want or need to be right now.

What about that firefighter who got exposed to the virus because he was trying to help you? It wasn’t even a life saving venture, but someone still needed him or her. That firefighter has a daughter that they couldn’t see for fourteen days because they were there for you. They didn’t see you and try to decide if it was worth it. They responded, they reacted. They suffered for you. They were separated from family and friends, for a stranger. That firefighter suffered well, and it was hard.

You may not celebrate the religious holiday, but a majority of America celebrates something on this day. Even if you think candy eggs and bunny rabbits are dumb, but you still join with your family because they want you there. You are celebrating with them, celebrating life and love. And if you do celebrate the religious holiday, then all the more, celebrate a man who suffered so much more than you probably ever will. What is worth such suffering? What is so precious, that it is worth that firefighter’s sacrifice? Worth Jesus’ sacrifice? Worth you staying home and being uncomfortable? Worth the efforts we all put into maintaining life through all this going on?

Suffer well, my people. Suffer well this Easter for the love of family, of friends, of strangers, of this nation,  and of hope for tomorrow and how much stronger we will be then. Suffer well.

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