To honor the life and work of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” ~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Read entire speech here or listen to it on the player below.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie
The heart hath its own memory, like the mind. And in it are enshrined the precious keepsakes, into which is wrought the giver’s loving thought. ~ H.W. Longfellow
Get with the philosophy which teaches us to “Rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.”
~Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Thinking Every Day, Quote for May 2
What did you do for your last birthday? I’m no adrenaline junkie, so last year I was completely content with a lazy day lounging around the pool, sipping on an ice-cold beverage and going out to my favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot, with my family and friends. Welcome Fred Mack, a 100 year-old WWII engineer from Newton Square, PA. On Sunday, March 20th, this thrill-seeking senior citizen, with clearance from his cardiologist, traveled to Free Fall Adventures in Williamstown, NJ to undertake what is believed to be the Guinness World Record for the oldest person ever to sky dive.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think you will ever catch me in free-fall at 13,000 feet at my young age, let alone on my 100th birthday; if you do, you can probably bet it would be my last!
“I’ve been waiting to do this for 5 years” Mack said. His cardiologist, Dr. Elliot Gerber, cleared Mack to skydive 5 years ago for his 95th birthday. On his 100th, his friends and family watched from the ground as he completed an impeccable landing in an open field.
“I cleared him last time, this time they didn’t ask for me to sign off,” Dr. Gerber joked. “Fred has been my patient for 20 years and he is in great shape. He is an amazing man.”
Fred is an amazing man. The former airplane engineer helped design the P-40 plane used in WWII and was a competitive skier until he was in his 90’s! Fred’s contributions to our country and his live-first, die-last spirit are what reinforced to me that life should be about celebration.
After the trip, Fred was asked how he felt; he simply replied, “I’m still alive”. Fred has outlived his two wives while several members of his family lived past 90. Good genes you say? Probably so. But it is his joy, in particular, that I believe has helped him to live such a long and prosperous life. The pure happiness and love of life Fred has is something we should all strive for at any age.
Here’s a motivator to get out this weekend and take a walk! At Webshots.com, people share their walks from all over the world. Not only do the beautiful images delight, but the shared photos also give us a glimpse of activities and events that are taking place in other parts of the world.
Webshots.com invites you to share your walk at their blog….
Photo walks, a popular activity among photo-sharing communities, let us all be a part of something no matter where we are in the world. By taking a walk this weekend and sharing the pictures with us, you’re contributing to a global mural of life.
So put on your walking shoes, grab your camera and go for a walk. You’ll be surprised at the photographic opportunities that present themselves. We’d love to see all of your photos as you can submit as many as you like!
Please tag your photos with Weekend Photo Walk 167 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Yesterday, March 8, 2011, marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, and Women for Women International celebrated with its 2011 Join Me on the Bridge Event! Following is a video of participants on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, and a link to a Google Map to show locations of events worldwide.
Tens of thousands of people came together on bridges all over the world — from the Millennium Bridge in London, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, to the Grand Barriere Bridge joining Rwanda and Congo — to show their support for women’s causes and celebrate women’s achievements.
Close to 14,000 people checked into the March 8, 2011, Join Me on the Bridge – Brooklyn Bridge Event in New York City for International Women’s Day.
Click on the map to be redirected to to an interactive Google Map to view Join Me on the Bridge 2011 locations all over the world. At this page you also have the opportunity to support a cause you care about by donating to any of incredible organizations listed there that work to improve the lives of women worldwide
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And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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LESSONS IN HUMILTY…the lives and actions of the six men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima…66 years ago today. We remember them and their fellow soldiers who fought so gallantly.
Following the video is a list of the six men who raised the second larger flag followed by a quote about each man. Source: The Flag Raisers
Mike Strank – b. 1919 Jarabenia, Czechoslovakia – d. 1945 Iwo Jima, Japan Mike’s right hand is the only hand of a flagraiser not on the pole. His right hand is around the wrist of Franklin Sousley, helping the younger man push the heavy pole. This is typical of Mike, the oldest of the flagraisers, always there to help one of his boys. Two months before the battle Mike’s Captain tried to promote him but Mike turned it down flat: “I trained those boys and I’m going to be with them in battle,” he said.
Harlon Block – b. 1924 Yorktown, TX – d. 1945 Iwo Jima, Japan When his mother Belle saw the Flag Raising Photo in the Weslaco Newspaper on Feb. 25, she exclaimed, “That’s Harlon” pointing to the figure on the far right. But the US Government mis-identified the figure as Harry Hansen of Boston. Belle never wavered in her belief that it was Harlon insisting, “I know my boy.” No one–not her family, neighbors, the Government or the public–had any reason to believe her. But eighteen months later in a sensational front-page story, a Congressional investigation revealed that it was Harlon in the photo, proving that indeed, Belle did “know her boy.”
Franklin Sousley — b. 09/19/25 Hilltop, KY –d. 03/21/45 Iwo Jima, Japan “My regiment took the hill with our company on the front line. The hill was hard, and I sure never expected war to be like it was those first 4 days. Mother, you can never imagine how a battlefield looks. It sure looks horrible. Look for my picture because I helped put up the flag. Please don’t worry and write.”
Ira Hayes –b. 01/12/23 Sacaton, AZ –d. 01/24/55 Bapchule, AZ When Ira learned that President Roosevelt wanted him and the other survivors to come back to the US to raise money on the 7th Bond Tour, he was horrified. To Ira, the heroes of Iwo Jima, those deserving honor, were his “good buddies” who died there.
Rene Gagnon — b. 03/07/25 Manchester, NH — d. 10/12/79 Manchester, NH Rene was modest about his achievement throughout his life.
John Bradley — b. 07/10/23 Antigo, WI –d. 01/11/94 Antigo, WI Bradley, a quiet, private man, gave just one interview in his life. In it he said . . .
“People refer to us as heroes–I personally don’t look at it that way. I just think that I happened to be at a certain place at a certain time and anybody on that island could have been in there–and we certainly weren’t heroes–and I speak for the rest of them as well. That’s the way they thought of themselves also.”
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Thanks to, Susan, a long-time Feed Your Good Dog friend and supporter, for the Fable of the Porcupine to remind us to appreciate the good qualities in others.
Fable of the Porcupine
It was the coldest winter ever.
Many animals died because of the cold.
The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together.
They were covered and protected, but the quills of each wounded the closest companion.
After a while, they decided to distance themselves, and they began to die, alone and frozen.
So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.
Wisely, they decided to go back to being together.
They learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by their close relationships because the most important part was the heat that came from the others.
They were able to survive.
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the one that forms when individuals learn to live with the imperfections and admire the good qualities of others.
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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