“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” Erma Bombeck
In case you haven’t guessed, I am an Erma Bombeck fan. There is just always something a bit deep or resonating as a message wrapped up in some funny words or her comic delivery. She’s right – as Americans we love our 4th of July! We take a break from the constructive things that we do with and in our lives and focus on great summer food, boat trips on the lake, pool parties and families and friends just having a great time. Hopefully we also remember that we are free to celebrate – and how that came about.
As a couple of housekeeping items (some of which have been published before or will be mentioned again in this message): There will not be a July or August luncheon this summer. There will not be a July Board of Directors’ meeting. If you haven’t renewed your membership, please do so! Please send any changes of your personal information to Cheryl Deeter, our Membership Director. Rumor has it that we will be having an Ice Cream Social in August – look for future updates. It’s not too late to provide ideas for non-profits who need our support; in August we will be reviewing all suggestions and determining a selection for each of our luncheons for the new year.
Did you know that there is a National Gnarly Day at the end of July? This is taken from the internet (so it must be true, right Lol). “National Get Gnarly Day is celebrated on the last Friday of every July, and this year it will be celebrated on July 30. This is a brand new holiday that has only been in existence since 2016! National Get Gnarly Day offers us an opportunity to toss our old ideas and embrace new ones. Unfortunately, we all know that the word “gnarly” gets a bad rap. Many of us understand “gnarly” as a word that means “bad” or “dangerous” but it can also mean something exciting! Surfers often use the term to describe the unruly waves that they ride. On this day, challenge yourself to add some gnarliness into everything that you do.
Wishing you continued good health, love, peace, joy, and happiness,
Carol