National Long Walk Day

How appropriate! Today marks National Long Walk Day, and I will be on a journey in the woods, which will begin with a long walk!

Walks of any kind are wonderful AND important. But, a long walk ensures you have ample time to think, process, and/or relax. They can be enjoyed one your own, or with a friend or family member. I enjoy both, myself, but it is entirely dependent on my mood and who might be accompanying me. I think I inherited this from my wonderful Mom, used to walk every morning before work, and if the weather was good enough, usually after supper as well. Now, when I am in times of stress or heartbreak or just needing to clear my head, I go for a walk.

I had a friend who, whenever I seemed to be experiencing a rough time, would show up at my house or would meet me somewhere and we would walk. Sometimes these would be short walks, but most often they would be lengthy walks filled with deep conversations about life. When my Mom passed away, this became a good method of healing and processing what I was experiencing. This friend later confessed that they didn’t know what else to do, which never occurred to me, because it always felt like this was their natural way of handling things.

Anyway, the point being, long walks are a positive part of life that cost zero dollars, and yet provide great benefits. Aside from the mental health benefits associated with exercise (walking), there is also the physical health bit. Sadly, I think we take this for granted! So today, on this lovely day, grab a friend, or go out on your own. Explore your community or head to a new place and take in the surroundings!

Now, before you head out there (and I mean out! No treadmills people!), do me a favour and vote on the Daily Poll!

National Taco Day

Today is National Taco Day! 

A taco is “a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling.” There are many different fillings to choose from such as an assortment of vegetables, various types of protein, and cheese. Plus, because they involve using your hands to eat, there are also a variety of sauces to dip them in. Some of the most popular ones include salsa and guacamole. However, it’s important to note that the tacos we consume in North America are anything but traditional tacos! For example:

A traditional Mexican Taco:

(Image found at: http://www.filmandfood.com/tag/sanchez-tacos/)

A North American Taco:

(Image found at: http://smartcanucks.ca/old-el-paso-taco-kits-free-200g-shredded-cheese-on-specially-marked-packages/)

So, there you have it! I hope you enjoy many tacos today!

           

            Please make my day by voting on the Daily Poll! You can do so by clicking here!

National Techie Day

Happy National Techies Day! 

Today is dedicated to the many people who love technology! According to Merriam Webster the exact definition is “someone who knows a lot about technology.” I, myself, would not be considered a techie, as we don’t seem to see eye to eye, so to speak. But, in honour of today’s Day, I will use my technology as much as possible! Perhaps you could too!

Don’t forget to spend some of that techie-time on voting for the DailyPoll! 

National Name Your Car Day

Now here’s a day I can get into – it’s National Name Your Car Day! Anyone who knows me knows one of the first things I love to do when I get a new car (which isn’t often by any means), is name it!

My very first car, a 1990 light blue Honda Civic Hatchback, was named Bessie. She was the best car ever. When we finally parted ways, she was so rusted, that when it rained, it would come through the floor of the car. We also couldn’t use the radio when it rained!

My second car, a 1995 Toyota Tercel was lovingly named “the Dirt Mobile” because I am disgusting, and therefore so was it! This car survived Hurricane Juan, and had several dents as a result.

Next I had a Pontiac Sunfire and a Mitsubishi Eclipse (two of the worst cars ever!). They got me to from point A to B, but they came with a lot of problems (mainly my ex-boyfriend), so we don’t talk about them…

And then, I met one of the loves of my life, another blue Honda Civic. She wasn’t as good as Bessie, but a very close second. This one I named Gertie, after Drew Barrymore’s character in one of my all-time favourite movies, E.T. Unfortunately, we had to part ways, because feeding myself and having a place to live was a higher priority than driving.

Now I drive another Honda Civic (of which I do not like the colour). This one I named Monty, after Montgomery Moose from the Get-Along-Gang!

So there you have it, my vehicle naming history! Have you ever named your car? If so tell us in the comments section below. And, don’t forget to vote on the Daily Poll!

World Vegetarian Day

It’s a new month, and what other way to celebrate than with a food-related Day. Soooooo….Happy World Vegetarian Day! I know what you meat-eaters are thinking, why would we want to celebrate a day dedicated to people who eat plants and only plants?! Well, I’ll tell you why!

Vegetarianism is “the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat.” There are many reasons why someone would choose to become vegetarian, such as religion, ethical reasons, health concerns, environmental issues, and many more. There are also several different types of vegetarianism: “an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs, and an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. A vegan, or strict vegetarian, diet excludes all animal products, including eggs, dairy, beeswax and honey.” There are also semi-vegetarians, such as myself, who will only eat certain products. I am a newly adopted pescetarian, meaning I will happily consume fish. For me, this was due to food allergies, and also wanted to reduce my consumption of environmentally damaging products (livestock). I know this also makes me semi-hypocritical, but it’s a start. If I could be a full on vegan or vegetarian, I probably would be, but being as I have an allergy to soy, it places additional limitations on what I can consume in regards to protein. Plus, I love fish…so it’s hard for me to give that up! I also find that eating large amounts of meat makes me feel tired and yuck.

So, for today, why not try to eat a vegetarian diet, or even just try a vegetarian meal?! Have fun experimenting with the many options available online!

It’s also World Smile Day…so you should do that. A lot. Today. Don’t forget to vote on the Daily Poll. Click here to do so.