The Curtsy

It often amazes me when I find out people don't know things.  I mean like things that I would just think everyone knows.  A while back on my facebook I had posted something about doing a curtsy.  I couldn't remember how to spell curtsy and i asked someone at work and they said, "What's that?"

Are you serious?  You really don't know what a curtsy is?

And they were serious.

And they didn't know what a curtsy was.

I explained and showed them what a curtsy was and they all immediately knew what I was talking about.  They just didn't know it was called that.  So anyway that of course got me to thinking about curtsies and the history behind it.  Indulge me.  I have lots of odd questions floating around in my head that result in me over-using google.  It's what I do.

So a curtsy (also spelled curtsey or courtesy) is, according to Wikipedia, a curtsy is a traditional gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western cultures.  Miss Manners characterizes its knee bend as deriving from a "traditional gesture of an inferior to a superior."  The word "curtsy" is a phonological change from "courtesy" known in linguistics as syncope. 

In phonology, syncope (pronounced /ˈsɪŋkəpiː/, Greek syn- + koptein “to strike, cut off”) is the loss of one or more sounds from the interior of a word; especially, the loss of an unstressed vowel.  See, while I learn about the curtsy I also learn about other things that are kind of cool but I probably won't remember anything about it. 

In European cultures it is traditional for women to curtsy in front of royalty and while I didn't watch the wedding on tv it made me wonder if anyone curtsied there.  I'm sure you've seen female dancers often curtsey at the end of a performance to show gratitude or acknowledge any applause from the audience.  At the end of a ballet class, students will also curtsey or bow to the teacher and the pianist to show gratitude. 

Now considering I'm from Texas when I read about this I found it amusing.  The "Texas Dip" is an extreme curtsey performed by a Texan debutante when formally introduced at the debutante ball.  The young woman slowly lowers her forehead to the floor by crossing her ankles, then bending her knees and sinking.  The escort's hand is held during the dip.  When the debutante's head nears the floor, she turns her head sideways, averting the risk of soiling her dress with lipstick.  Soiling her dress?  Who uses the word soiling?

Really, who uses the word soiled?

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Thankful Thursday - National High Five Day

I've posted a blog about my Theory of the High Five last year but today I came across a post on facebook.  Today is apparently National High Five Day!  What??!!  How could this have happened without my knowledge or consent much less without giving me some sort of notice so that I could plan a proper celebration?  I had to sit down and take several deep breaths in an effort to calm myself.  ::sigh::  So after I got over the sadness I managed to read up a little bit on what National High Five Day is all about.

I copied this from the history of National High Five Day: 

History

Year 1, Thursday, Apr. 18, 2002 –

National High Five Day began at the University of Virginia in 2002, when three friends decided to form their own holiday.  More accurately, it began late the next afternoon, when the three friends woke up, remembered that they had decided to form their own holiday, and decided to actually do it. 

The idea was simple: that you could better someone's day by getting out in your community and offering strangers high fives. Setting up temporary headquarters in the center of UVA’s campus, the friends were surprised by the outpouring of goodwill and enthusiasm that was generated by the simple act of offering a stranger a high five.

Since the inception of National High Five Day they've also begun a scholarship program to help a high school student attend college.  Because there was a donation involved I decided to make this my Thankful Thursday post for the week.  If you'd like to donate please CLICK HERE!!! Today is a great day to make a difference.

I would be remiss if I didn't share with y'all my love for the number 5 so please CLICK HERE! to read all about it.  And of course I do have a Theory of the H!GH 5 and I'm sure after reading it you will definitely be inclined to give more H!GH 5's!  They change lives....

An outline of my son's hand on June 17, 1991.  My how time flies.

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Thankful Thursday - Heart Walk

I've "met" quite a few people online.  This particular friend actually started out as a MySpace friend and we migrated over to facebook and we've always supported each other in our various charitable efforts.  I thought I had missed the chance to support her in her participation in the annual Mt. Vernon, IL Heart Walk.  I quickly messaged her and was relieved to find out it was next week and so I'm proud to support and encourage her involvement in the 2011 Mt. Vernon, IL Heart Walk.

 

As I have in previous posts I asked Robin why this particular charity was important to her.  She shared with me this:  The Heart Walk is important to me because so many have died of heart disease--my parents and my husband's father. I have a dear friend who now has heart disease caused by the cancer drugs that saved her life 5 years ago. I work at a hospital and while I do not work in direct patient care, I have seen from walking the hall in our cardio dept, the many who are affected by heart disease. I started participating in the Heart Walk 5 years ago just to help out, however now it has become an event I truly do enjoy to work with. I do believe that even if I do not work at the hospital, I will still support the American Heart Association by participating in this event. And a little side note, my 7 year old calico cat--Patches--has heart disease. Vets use the knowledge put forth from medical specialists to help cats/dogs with the same illness as people.

 

I of course checked out her donation page and she had updated it with the following message:

I'm helping to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke by participating in the American Heart Association’s Start! Heart Walk.
I am asking my friends and family to help me once again in my 5th year of fundraising for the Heart Walk.
In honor of my 5 years on the team, I have added a photo of my parents, who both died of heart disease 11 years ago.
It's my hope you will consider donating to my page.
Thank you.

I was excited because it's her 5th year! 5 is my favorite number! WoooHooo!!  It's a worthy cause as heart disease has also affected my family as well.  My Grampa on my Mom's side of the family died when my Mom was 14 of a heart attack and so I never had the chance to meet him.  My Gramma on my Mom's side as well as several of her brothers also suffered from heart disease and it contributed to their death. 

In this photo is my Grampa Walsh, my Mom, my Great-Gramma, my Mom's Aunt Ruth and my Uncle Jerry. 

As I am sure if asked you would also say that you've known someone affected by heart disease.  I would encourage you to take just a moment of your time and $5 out of your wallet and support my friend Robin as she participates in the Heart Walk for the 5th year in a row. It may not seem like much to some but she's making a difference and so can you.  If you'd like to donate please click here!!  Let's make today the day that we start making a difference.  I am making a difference...how about YOU? <3

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Thankful Thursday - (on a Sunday) St. Jude

I realize that it's been nearly two full months since I last posted.  Why the long period of silence? Well I've been working really hard on my facebook page, AF WingMoms. It's really taken off and that's been awesome except for the fact that I haven't been able to post here and whether or not anyone reads this (besides my Mom) I do enjoy writing. 

So I'm back in the saddle and I hope you enjoy this edition of Thankful Thursday and oblige me on the fact that the next few Thankful Thursday posts may not actually be on Thursdays. 

I had known that Danny Thomas was a part of St. Jude but I really didn't know the whole story.  I of course headed right over to the website to find out more info and here's what I found out.

"Danny Thomas and the Founding of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

More than 70 years ago, Danny Thomas, then a struggling young entertainer with a baby on the way, visited a Detroit church and was so moved during the Mass, he placed his last $7 in the collection box. When he realized what he’d done, Danny prayed for a way to pay the looming hospital bills. The next day, he was offered a small part that would pay 10 times the amount he’d given to the church. Danny had experienced the power of prayer.

Two years later, Danny had achieved moderate acting success in Detroit, but he was struggling to take his career to the next level. Once again, he turned to the church. Praying to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes, Danny asked the saint to “help me find my way in life, and I will build you a shrine.”

Mr. Thomas' career flourished and he remembered his pledge.  In the early 50's he began figuring out how the dream could become a reality.  The dream was to create a unique research hospital devoted to curing catastrophic diseases in children.  More than just a treatment facility, this would be a research center for the children of the world.

I didn't know this but Danny Thomas, was of Lebanese decent and he turned to his fellow Americans of Arabic-speaking heritage. Believing deeply that these Americans should, as a group, thank the United States for the gifts of freedom given their parents, Danny also felt the support of St. Jude would be a noble way of honoring his immigrant forefathers who had come to America.

From a promise of “Help me find my way in life, and I will build you a shrine” to the fulfillment of his dream, Danny lived to see his little hospital become an international beacon of hope for the catastrophically ill children of the world. The founder of St. Jude and ALSAC died on February 6, 1991, just two days after joining patients, parents and employees to celebrate the hospital’s 29th anniversary. He was laid to rest in a family crypt at the Danny Thomas/ALSAC Pavilion on the grounds of the hospital. On July 12, 2000, his wife, Rose Marie, passed away and now lies with her beloved husband in the hospital’s Memorial Garden. Today, their children, Marlo, Terre and Tony, carry on their parents’ work and remain a driving force in fulfilling their father’s mission. Danny Thomas is gone, but his dream lives on."

My sister-in-law Barbara is the one that recommended that I spotlight St. Jude and when I asked her why she said that her Dad had always supported St. Jude when Danny Thomas became the leading support person.  She said that God pull us to places in our hearts to focus on such as Gary (her brother, my brother-in-law) getting leukemia.  I've always known that Barbara has been supportive of God's children.  She has a real heart for those that fight each day.

Won't you join Barbara and I in supporting St. Jude today?  It was very easy to make my $5 donation and you can make a donation by clicking HERE. 

Today is a great day to make a difference. 

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