On May 2015

May, the fifth month of the year, but one of seven months with 31 days

May, spring in the northern hemisphere, but autumn in the southern hemisphere – making May and November as seasonal equivalents

May, with no other month beginning or ending on the same day of the week as May

The month May was named for Maia, a Roman goddess

Late May, being the official start of the summer vacation season in the US and Canada

May, with its symbols

• Birthstone: emerald
• Birth flower: Lily of the Valley signifying sweetness, humility, and return to happiness
• Zodiac: Taurus (until May 21) and Gemini (May 22 and into June)

May moon

• Called Egg Moon, Grass Moon, and Hare Moon
• Full Moon May 4th 3:43 UTC
• New Moon May 18th 4:13 UTC

May, with national celebrations in Armenia, Canada, Eritrea, Japan, Mexico, Norway, United States, and the UK

May, with many countries celebrating May Day & Mother’s Day, plus Europe celebrating victory over the Nazis in World War II

May embraces Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage, chip your pets, creative beginning, Haitian heritage, audits, Mediterranean diets, Jewish-American heritage, guide dogs, meditation, military appreciation, moving, preservation, older Americans, personal history, preparing tomorrow’s parents, Social Security education, South Asian heritage, date your mate, and recommitment.

May increases awareness in ALS, APS, arthritis, asthma & allergies, medical orphans, brain tumors, celiac, cystic fibrosis, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, fibromyalgia, Huntington’s disease, homeschooling, lupus, melanoma & skin cancer, hepatitis, neurofibromatosis, preventing osteoporosis, physiotherapy, Prader-Willi Syndrome, pet cancer, toddler immunization, chemical injury, Tay-Sachs & Canavan diseases, Tourettes Syndrome, borderline personality disorder, high blood pressure, Lyme disease, stroke, preeclampsia, and ultraviolet rays & skin cancer.

May celebrates wetlands, clean air, community living, drums, Freedom Shrine, gifts from the garden, golf, Victorian women, Latino books, barbeque, bikes, eggs, hamburger, inventors,
pets, photos, salads, salsa (the food), strawberries, asparagus, beef, chocolate custard, and drinking water.

May promotes global civility, better hearing & speech, building safety, ecodriving, family wellness, gardening for wildlife, getting caught reading, global health & fitness, food drives for homeless animals, heal the children, healthy vision, Oregon wines, business image improvement, motorcycle safety, foster care, good car keeping, mental health, physical fitness & sports, service dog eye examinations, water safety, Finger Lakes wines, youth traffic safety, revising your work schedule, spiritual literacy, women’s health care, reacting, and respect for chickens.

Any celebratory occasions in your life during May? What songs did you listen to in this post? Have a wonderful month of May.

On December 2014

How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? (Dr. Seuss)

In Latin, Decem- means ten, so it was the last month when there were only ten – but at least it is still the last month of the calendar year

December, the last of the seven months with 31 days

December, the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere

December, ushering winter to the Northern Hemisphere, but summer to the Southern Hemisphere

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly, I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Leonore –
For the rare and radiant maiden who the angels name Lenore –
Nameless here for evermore. (Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven)

December, who every year starts on the same day of the week as September, and ends on the same day of the week as April

December, whose birth flowers are narcissus or holly, and birthstones are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, blue topaz, and tanzanite

December, whose astrological signs are Sagittarius (The Archer) through the 21st, then Capricorn (The Goat) from the 22nd into January

December, the month providing the Yule Moon

December is the time for cultural celebrations around light, such as St. Lucia, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,, Yalda, and ending with New Year’s Eve

Every December, I host a tree-trimming party. I serve chili with cornbread and lots of good wine. It’s a wonderful party, and it shows how much adults like to play. (Maya Angelou)

Men are April when they woo, December when they wed. Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives. (William Shakespeare)

December increases awareness in AIDS, drunk & drugged driving, human rights, and Operation Santa Paws

December embraces safe toys & gifts, writing a business plan, spiritual literacy, and food service safety while promoting ties and stress-free families

December celebrates eggnog, fruit cake, buckwheat, quince, watermelon, tomatoes, winter squash, exotic fruit, and root vegetables

I heard a bird sing in the dark of December
A magical thing and sweet to remember.
‘We are nearer to Spring than we were in September,’
I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. (Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing)

Book titles with December include Tenth of December, The December Project, December’s Lament, Lost December, and December

Movie titles with December include December Boys, A Warm December, Miss December, Roses in December, Cold December, and December

Other than those in this post, December is included in song titles by Alan Jackson, Linkin Park, Deana Carter, Prince, Norah Jones, Josh Grobin, Moody Blues, Taylor Swift, Cyndi Lauper, Demi Lovata, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Michael Buble, George Michael, Miley Cyrus, Christina Perri, Stevie Wonder, and more

Pianist George Winter has an album titled December, which includes the beauty of Pachelbel’s Canon (just click right here)

Tchaikovsky wrote December as one of the selections in The Seasons

What did you find interesting? Which songs did you like? Have a good December!