RenoVous

  Embrace.  Educate.  Empower. Disability owned and operated, this organization encourages pride and passion, radical acceptance, and an opportunity to change perception. This day honors its founder, Annie Hopkins. IDOA A while ago I came across Devva Kasnitz, an anthropologist of disability. She passed away last year at the age of 75, having dedicated her life to disability studies.  A colleague wrote, "Without her, far fewer anthropologists would be working on questions around ability and social exclusion." As a field, it examines beyond medical views to analyze disability through a lens of power, identity, activism, and "otherness," revealing how different societies define personhood, normality, and care.

 Before the Summer of Love, the Human Be-In brought between 20-30,000 people to the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, on this day in 1967. Organized by artist Micheal Bowen, he wanted to bring the "tribes" of psychedelic hippies and anti-war activists together, in part to protest California's recent ban of LSD. It was the beginning of "Peace, Love, and Rock & Roll" with a side of civil rights sit-ins and teach-ins. Psychologist Timothy Leary spoke of his advocacy for psychedelic drugs.  This was the first time he used the phrase, "Turn on, tune in, drop out," which was to encourage being aware and detaching from mainstream society to find spiritual rebirth through drug use. The stage was just a flatbed truck and an amp, but bands such as Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother and the Holding Company performed. The following June would host the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Festival and then the Monterey Pop Festival in July.

 A new modeling study has traced the act of kissing back 21 million years, from a shared ancestor of humans and other large apes. Researchers concluded that Neanderthals likely kissed, and may even have kissed modern humans. Since there are other animal behaviors that include mouth-to-mouth engagement, the scientists defined kissing as "non-aggressive mouth-to-mouth contact that did not involve food transfer." Bonobos, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, macaques and baboons have all been observed in a kiss. Scientists used Bayesian statistical methods to reconstruct the evolutionary history of kissing.  Treated as a biological trait, they tested many possible ways this behavior could have evolved.  They propose that kissing may have come from the act of sharing food, a bonding activity in itself.

 Love Bug sends love! I'll be off tomorrow - we were hoping to camp but it's currently snowing, so we'll see how it looks. The plan also involved a mobile DJ who said he'd set up for President's Day Weekend.  But again, this weather could change that...  This was from a previous attempt - he forgot his power source. We'll still make something of it though, you know that!

 And we will be going camping this weekend.  <3 Always beware the wildlife. Including the Gorons. And of course, I found a Metallica. Revolver Magazine recently asked what is the best metal love song - my answer is "Nerdy" by Poison the Well.  In case you don't want to listen,  here  are the lyrics. \m/

  Today celebrates the Welsh patron saint of lovers. Similar to Valentine's Day, couples send cards and share meals, but more traditionally, carve lovespoons. The story of Dwynwen is that of a young maiden who falls in love with Maelon Dafodrill, but she is unable to marry him.  She prays that she will fall out of love and an angel provides her with a potion.  Maelon turns to ice, but God grants her three wishes: that Maelon is released, that God will watch over all lovers, and that she will remain unmarried.  She then retreats to Ynys Llanddwyn to live out her days as a hermit. There her church sits. She is also noted to be the saint of sick animals.  While living in solitude, she studied the healing properties of herbs and was able to cure many illnesses of those who sought her out. Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus!

  A teddy bear gifted to me as a child. We cut up an old shirt of my dad's and bought a guitar from Build-a-Bear so I could pass him on to my nephew.  Grandpa Bear. Perhaps you've heard that the term "Teddy Bear" was inspired by President Teddy Roosevelt, but here's the whole story. On this day in 1902, Roosevelt was hunting in Mississippi when he was called to a lassoed bear.  He refused to shoot it, and is quoted as saying, "I couldn't be proud of myself if I shot an old, tired worn-out bear that was tied to a tree." This made it around to political cartoonist, Clifford Berryman, who used it as a metaphor for Roosevelt's indecision over the Mississippi boundary dispute. Printed November 16, 1902. This became well known, and by 1903, candy store owners Morris and Rose Mitchom decided to make the first stuffed bear toy.  They obtained permission from the President to use his name. They created the Ideal Toy Company and soon became a multi-million...

  I came across the cutest video this morning! But it's not just for the otters! "Love is universal." ❤️

Today is just a shout out to my love - we had our first date 15 years ago.  <3 I once said that the years of my life outnumber our time and now, on this day nearly half our lives we've shared together. We grow like a tree adding layers over time memories and love we are rooted together this life that is ours. I once said I was complete to have you as mine and nothing meant more to me than loving you and now, on this day I write the same. Half of our lives and the rest to unfold I love you forever this truth be told. "I once said" is in reference to older poems I wrote for him.

Global Beatles Day - Celebrating harmony and peace. On this date in 1967, The Beatles participated in Our World, a BBC event that aired in 30 countries. The most successful Beatles song spent 19 weeks on the charts in the US - 9 weeks at number one. The Beatles were one of my dad's favorite bands.  On his Fandalism page, it asked which album he would take on a deserted island - he chose The White Album, which happens to include my favorite Beatles song. This day was started in 2009 by a fan who wrote a thank you letter to the band, not just for their music, but for "the values they professed and believed in."  They've always promoted living in a peaceful world built on love. This is most clearly presented in John Lennon's "Imagine" but I wanted to share a cover instead. This is speaking from 2004, but much of the imagery still applies. My aunt said this version is more depressing than John's, that it seems t...