memories

National Dog Day, Isn’t that Everyday?

August 26, 2015 by info@3QuartersToday.com

August 26th is National Dog Day and like all other “fun” and “unique” social media holidays Twitter and Facebook is a buzz with the hashtag #NationalDogDay and I am no exception. Who doesn’t love their dogs?

Our pets give us unconditional love, they don’t argue back and there is nothing like puppy kisses on your neck and ears to make you giggle and smile. Try it sometime, it works. I’ve had puppies at my house for the past two months and I don’t think I could of gotten through the post accident stress without them.

Mental and Psychological Benefit to Owning Pets

Benefits of Owning a Dog

It’s scientifically proven that stroking a dog lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. People with depression also benefit strongly from having a dog in their life. Pet’s reduce stress and anxiety and beyond companionship can actually can raise levels of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, three chemicals in your brain that help you to feel calmer and more relaxed.

Walking your dog in the neighborhood acts as an icebreaker to social interaction with others, and encourages physical activity. Many a single male or female has used a dog as an excuse to strike up a conversation with the opposite sex. I know one particular bachelor who keeps “doggy treats” in his pocket just for this occasion.

Dogs in My Life

I have had dogs in my life ever since I was born. My first was a poodle puppy named Suzette. She was just a few months old when I was born. We grew up together and she died when I was fifteen. Broke me and my Mom’s heart and she never got another dog, instead, cats took their place.

During college, I had a puppy for a short while and soon realized that an unstable, ever moving lifestyle of a young twenty-something was not the life for a dog. My cat was much more adaptable and acceptable to apartment and house rental dwelling.

Dogs and cats can live together in peace and love each other as friends — Our Nana dog and her best f

The next dog was Nana, a part Corgi, part mutt and she literally was a “Nana dog” who laid on the blanket with my daughter when she was an infant, took care of orphaned barn kittens and grew up with my daughter, much like I did with Suzette. Again, when Nana died it broke her heart.

Our Jack Russell dog loves playing in the snow — Brody in the Snow

By this time I also had Brody, you might have read of his escapades here, he’s eleven now and our second dog Leah (the Boxer) keeps him young. He’s a Jack Russell who LOVES the snow and LOVES chasing invisible frogs in his wading pool.

My Beautiful Brindle Boxer, "Leah" — My Beautiful Brindle Boxer, “Leah”

Our last dog is a brindle Boxer named Leah, she just recently had puppies, more on that later, and now that I have owned a Boxer I will always have a Boxer in my life. She has spoiled us, she really has, and in a good way. Many Boxers are very excitable and full of energy and bounce and jump, Leah does not, she is very gentle and yes, typical of a Boxer she wiggles, a lot! But she doesn’t jump and she doesn’t really bark, she does talk though, and snore, and fart. More on that later too.

Love Me Love my Boxer

Tell Me About the Dog in Your Life

So tell me about the dog in your life, or the most memorable dog that left an impact. How has your pet changed your life, and why will you always have a four legged canine in your house?

Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life With Dogs A Dog’s Purpose Dog Love – An Unbreakable Bond: Inspirational Stories of Devotion, Loyalty and Courage How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain

Celebrating National Dog Day

It’s National Dog Day!

Take a gander at the gallery above of photos taken during the 2015 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York for your National Dog Day fix! And gaze upon the adorableness that’s flooding social media as folks are sharing snaps of their beloved best …

For National Dog Day, Meet a Hero Dog From 1928

In honor of National Dog Day—celebrated on Aug. 26–allow us to look back at the the first nonhuman to be a TIME cover subject: a basset hound puppy who was a born show dog with champion parents. But the story, which was prompted by the 1928 …

Bellybutton the Diving Dog Wants You to Celebrate National Dog Day

On National Dog Day, those who cherish their slobbering, four-legged friends take a moment to offer their companions an extra chin rub. Those who lack a puppy of their own can resort to the next best option: the treasure trove of dog photos that is the …

PHOTOS | Celebrate National Dog Day! | Fox 59

(Aug. 26, 2015) – Wednesday marks National Dog Day and we want to see pictures of your furry friends! The event was founded in 2004 to raise awareness of dogs in need of homes and the love and loyalty they bring to our …

Time To Pamper Your Pup, It’s National Dog Day! « CBS …

We might spoil our pets everyday but August 26th is one day to really let loose — it’s National Dog Day!

My Dad a WWII, D-Day Veteran

June 6, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

My Role Honoring Veterans of WWII

How did you spend your nineteenth birthday? For my Dad on June 7, 1944 he spent that day sitting on a gunner of a destroyer overlooking the beach of France.

It was D-Day, code name Operation Overlord when Allied forces landed on the beaches of France to liberate France from the Nazi Germans.

My Dad was NOT at Normandy, like I thought. But was in Southern France in the third D-Day which lasted several weeks and was a battle at sea.

I didn’t know this when I was a kid, he never told me about his military service. So now my role in honoring veterans of WWII is telling my Dad’s story.

ORDER History Of The United States Navy Wood Sign

Life on a Navy Destroyer

I know very little about my Dad’s military life, he rarely spoke about it and when he did I was too occupied as a teenager to really listen and remember.

When I was thirteen we went to Fall River Massachusetts to tour the USS Massachusetts and my Dad was more interested in showing us the USS JOSEPH P KENNEDY JR DD850 destroyer. We climbed aboard the gunners and that was one of the few times I heard him talk about WWII.

The role of destroyers at Normandy is recounted in detail in an online book Destroyers at Normandy published by the Naval Historical Foundation. Most of which I don’t understand and can’t appreciate due to me know knowing the terminology.

Order USS Fiske DD DDR 842 T Shirt Vintage 90s United States Navy Destroyer Ship 50/50 Mens Size Medium

Through official military records, I have since learned my Dad served on the USS Kendrick DD612 and USS Edison.

He was very young and first was a “runner” then became a “gunner”. He wasn’t very big, about 5’8″ and about 125 lbs. His nickname was “Tiny Terry the Terrible” he was a scraper from what I could tell.

My Dad said the deck it was loud and confusing. His hands burned from the heat of the gun and at the time they didn’t really know what was happening.

Remember, this was before the days of instant communication, all they could do was their job, do what they were told, and pray for the best.

WWII and Korean War Veteran Ribbons, us army 82nd airborne division

Because my Dad’s WWII duffel bag was lost, stolen, or lifted immediately upon returning to the United States. He lost all of his medals, paperwork and memorabilia from World War II.

Enlistment in US Army Airborne

He enlisted into the US Army 82nd airborne Division just five years later. I wonder if his WWII experience with the Army Airborne was part of his desire to become a paratrooper.

Although his medals were lost, his still wore ribbons from his previous service in World War II. It is these military ribbons that hang in my shadowbox on the wall.

Why Dad Decided to Join the Military

PFC Leo T. Tyrrell 1952, US Army Airborne

My father was one of five kids and his Mother had just died during childbirth. Their father was in and out of their lives and at this point had abandoned them. Dad and his brother Vern Tyrrell (“Jub”) tried raising their sisters on their own, but they were teenagers themselves.

Eventually, the kids were divided between family and the poor farm. At the time being 18 years old was the only requirement to enlist in the navy.

According to official military records, my Dad joined the military on his 18th birthday. However, according to oral family history, he was 16 years old when he joined.

I can’t imagine having one of my sons at age 19 in such a battle. Yes, they are both Marines, but we don’t fight wars as we did back then. Thank goodness. I heard on the radio this morning that over 2,500 men lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy on one day, June 6, 1944.

My Dad died in 1995 and today he would be 89 years old. Happy Birthday, Dad. I miss you and wish you were here to watch your grandsons grow up to be fine young men. He would be so proud of them and they would love to hear your stories.

USS Fiske DD-842 Destroyer “World’s Greatest Navy” Embroidered 2-Sided Blue Satin Jacket

World War 2 Books and References

US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts – Specials series (6099)Scurvy Dogs, Green Water and Gunsmoke:Fifty Years in US Navy Destroyers, Vol 1 US Navy Ships
Three Years Aboard A Navy Destroyer Destroyer Captain: Lessons of a First Command United States Navy Destroyers of World War 2

History of Destroyers in WWII

US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and …

US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts – Specials series (6099) book download Al Adcock Download US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts – Specials series (6099) …

Navy Matters: Warship Design

The 5”/38 was splitting the difference, and for armored mounts on WWII destroyers, needed electrical power for AAW or even rapid surface fire. And there were sailors who swore that the Sumner was much more vulnerable …

TaskForce/Convoy Attacks Pre-1944 Advice Please …

And so were the WWII destroyers. They might have stayed there for 24 hours or even longer. At the end of the war there were destroyers as close escorts and as hunter killer groups. The hunter killer groups were not tied to the …

Navy Matters: Mk45 Assessment

Consider the size of WWII destroyers compared to today’s versions or the size of WWII cargo ships compared to the supertanker size vessels of today. Finally, the 5” gun of WWII was an effective AAW weapon (to the extent that …

Capt. Kirk Takes Command Of Hot New Ship – Really! USS …

We had several WWII Destroyers that took several hits and continued fighting. After the battle they would limp back to port, get repaired, and rejoin the fleet. You could penetrate the hull with a 30 caliber bullet. John Taylor.

God’s Blessings and Easter Miracle Stories

April 20, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Easter Miracle Stories Can Happen

I believe in Gods’ blessings and the Easter miracle stories because I witnessed a personal Easter miracle.

Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl and Her Amazing Story of Healing

Many of you hear of Easter miracles, stories testimonials and casually dismiss their validity. You may patiently listen, smile, and nod your head. But truly not believe.

I did the same. But no longer. My father was dying in a hospital. The doctors and nurses were saying any minute, any hour. But I witnessed my own miracle on Easter.

All we need to do is believe and have faith. It’s that simple. Christ died for us on Good Friday many years ago and through the miracle of his Resurrection showed how we can have everlasting life.

For by Grace you have been saved through faith and it is not your doing, but a Gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).

Easter has a special meaning for me and the traditional Easter hymns bring me back to certain times in my life when I have witnessed miracles.

There are true life miracle stories that happen every day. Stories that have no explanation that can only be attributed to the grace of God.

My Easter Miracle Story

In 1995 I received a call from my Mother on Good Friday. Dad was in the hospital and not expected to make it through the weekend.

I immediately flew 1500 miles to Connecticut and we started a 24-hour bedside vigil.

The years of emphysema and COPD had taken a toll, Dad was laying in the hospital bed, nonresponsive and hooked to machines that beeped his life story.

I had the overnight shift on Saturday night and spent the hours repeatedly putting his oxygen mask back on his face, as he kept pulling it down. The nurses came in and asked me what I wanted them to do if he stopped breathing.

They did not expect my Father to live through the night.

I just gave them a stern and outraged look and said, “He can hear you, we aren’t going to talk about it.” You see, my Father had not yet met his brand new granddaughter, who had just been born a few months earlier.

The next morning was Easter, and I left the hospital when I Mom arrived to attend Easter Service at my home church of Grace Episcopal in Broad Brook CT. Traditional Easter songs have always moved me in ways I can’t explain.

I sat in the back, in one of the Mother rocking chairs with my baby girl, and listened to the traditional Easter hymns in that small church. I prayed, I held my baby girl, rocked her, and wept. The He’s Risen hymn touched my heart and soul and I can’t explain the feeling I felt.

It was a warmth, a radiating “tingle” throughout my entire body that did not cease. I tried to sing, but could not because of the lump in my throat.

Pretty Flower Christian Happy Easter Card
by ChristianGiftIdea

I prayed for an Easter miracle.

After church, I went anxiously to the hospital. My Dad was sitting up and drinking coffee.

I have no explanation except as an example of the many Easter miracle stories that abound. Afterward, I learned he was on seven prayer lists that morning.

Thank you for that Easter miracle and those last few days with my Dad. Christ is Risen indeed, and Jesus gives life.

Add Church Name to Easter Button
by ChristianGiftIdea

Hymns to Enjoy this Happy Easter

To me, these hymns are Easter. They are my favorite traditional hymns and I look forward to singing Jesus Christ is Risen Today hymn during church every Easter morning. I do have to admit there is always a lump in my throat as I remember sitting in my hometown Episcopal church praying for my Father.

Jesus Christ is Risen Today Hymn

Traditional Easter songs cross over various denominations. The following Christian hymns and music are sung in churches of various denominations including Episcopal, Lutheran and Catholic churches.

Christ the Lord is Risen Today Hymn

My favorite traditional Easter hymn is “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” It reminds me of not only my own Easter miracle story but God’s grace in my life every day.

He’s Risen, He’s Risen Hymn

Another favorite hymn in both the Lutheran and Episcopal church is the He’s Risen Hymn. It’s also one of mine. The majesty of the He’s Risen hymn played by an organ is magnificent and will send a chill through your soul.

Thank you for reading and listening. If you have a favorite Easter Hymn or Easter miracle stories please share them, below.

Remember Easter is not just one day, but all year round. Christ is Risen!

Have a Happy Easter and look for Easter miracle stories in your life, not just on Easter, but every day.

If you love the traditional Easter songs and are looking for Easter hymns and sheet music for the piano try the music books below.

Lorie Line – The Heritage Collection Volume 6 – Piano Solo Personality Heritage Collection 2 by Lorie Line (2000-09-29)Christ Is Risen! – 26 Easter Songs Celebrating the Resurrection A Month of Sundays: Easter and Lent (Sacred Performer Collections)

Glory Laud and Honor, My Favorite Hymn for Palm Sunday

April 13, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Palm Sunday Traditions
Palm Leaf Lapel Pin 2 Inch Latin Cross Pendant Fashion Accessory for Men or Women

Sometimes I think I look forward to Palm Sunday more than Easter. It’s when I get to sing my favorite hymn Glory Laud and Honor.

I have very fond memories of my Godmother and growing up in a small country church in Connecticut. The significance of Palm fronds on Palm Sunday represents Jesus Christ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week for Christians and the celebration of His coming. This is a marked difference in how Christ was treated just a few days later on Good Friday.

Church Traditions on Palm Sunday

At my small country church of Grace Episcopal in Broad Brook Connecticut we would be handed palms.

The whole church would parade around the church waving palms and singing Glory Laud and Honor. The windows in the church would be open and the organ would echo the full refrain in celebration.

My Godmother, Alice Turcotte, would hold my hand and smile at me as if this was the most wonderful moment in her life. She often told me this was her favorite hymn, and it has held a special place in my heart ever since.

Below you can listen and sing along with the words to the traditional hymn All Glory Laud and Honor, YouTube edition. You can believe that’s it’s on my YouTube Hymn Playlist.

All Glory Laud and Honor Lyrics

I get chills whenever I hear All Glory Laud and Honor. It is such a majestic hymn sung is the very popular key of C, which is very easy to sing. I enjoy it all year, not just on Palm Sunday.

All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
You are the King of Israel
and David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
The King and Blessed One.

The company of angels
Is praising You on high;
And we with all creation
In chorus make reply.
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before You we present.

To You before Your passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.
As You received their praises,
Accept the prayers we bring,
For You delight in goodness,
O good and gracious King!

Lessons from my Godmother

Granny Turcotte was a wonderful person. After her husband died she was a foster parent to over twenty special needs kids and raised a brother and sister with muscular dystrophy from infant to adulthood. The new people and crowds on Easter morning made it difficult to bring Mary and James to Easter service.

The regulars in the congregation knew them, didn’t stare, and thus made Palm Sunday service easier and welcoming. She would often skip Easter service and attend Palm Sunday service as she got older. She celebrated life as if every day were Palm Sunday. With Shouts of joy and thanksgiving!

Pavilion Mark My Words Godmother Mug 66110 Pavilion Gift Company 54004

She was the epitome of what a Godmother is supposed to be and took her role seriously.

We went to her church where I went to Sunday school and repeated the lessons to her after church, she helped me learn the Lords Prayer and I recited my confirmation lessons and memory work after church.

She gave me my first Bible and was there when I was confirmed. She died in 1988 and every Palm Sunday when I sing Glory Laud and Honor I get a lump in my throat as I remember her and the impact she had in my life.

Grace Episcopal Church, Broad Brook Connecticut

Palm Sunday story kids — Small country church in Broad Brook CT

I have been a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Murdock Nebraska for over twenty years. Every morning when I woke the first thing I think of is hearing and singing Glory Laud and Honor.

The tradition at Trinity is to hold the youth confirmation ceremony on Palm Sunday, and how appropriate it is to celebrate the newly confirmed members of the church.

Sheet Music for Glory Laud and Honor

It never fails, every Palm Sunday I come home, find my All Glory Laud and Honor sheet music and sit at the piano and smile. I would like to think my dear Godmother is looking down from me from heaven and smiling. I hope she knows how she greatly influenced my life.

All Glory Laud and Honor: Sheet Music for String Quartet Hymn All Glory, Laud and Honor Sheet Music Hal Leonard All Glory, Laud and Honor (An Organ Suite for Holy Week)All Glory, Laud and Honor: Hymn Arrangements for Solo Piano (Moderate)PROCESSIONAL ON Palm Sunday All Glory, Laud and Honor: Organ Expressions for Palm Sunday Through Eastertide

What memories of Palm Sunday do you remember most?

How do you celebrate Holy Week and Easter?

Palm Sunday Bible Story Books for Kids

It is easy to find Easter story books for kids, but it’s harder to find Palm Sunday Bible story books. Here are a few books to for a Palm Sunday Bible Story lesson.

The Littlest Donkey: A Palm Sunday Story Humphrey’s First Palm Sunday The Little Donkey: A Palm Sunday/Easter Story for All Ages The Colt and the King

Shamrock Shake Facts & Trivia

March 15, 2013 by info@3QuartersToday.com

I do believe I’m one of the first people to ever try a McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. I grew up in East Hartford Connecticut and my Dad loved mint, everything mint. As a little girl going to McDonald’s was a treat, not an every day occurrence. Until we were ten we were not allowed to drink pop or soda so my parents ordered shakes for us at McDonald’s.

I Love Shamrock Shakes — My third shake of the season…

Normally I got strawberry, but I have vague memories of drinking from my Dad’s straw a tangy green shake, and later it was a yearly trip to get a green shake. There was a pony ride in Enfield during the 1970’s and we would stop at the local Mickey D’s for french fries and a shake.

Shake Your Shamrocks cute and sexy t-shirt for men and women

Shamrock Shake Facts and Trivia

Invented at an Enfield Connecticut McDonald’s in 1966 (although the McDonald’s website claims 1970)
First called the St Patrick’s Day Green Milkshake
Started selling nationally in 1970 in response to a Ronald McDonald House fundraiser
Calorie Content: 420, Small, 740 Medium, 820 Large (but who really cares?)
Large Shamrock shake provides up to 60% of your daily calcium requirement (oh yeah!)
Available only for a limited time around St. Patrick’s Day
A Shamrock sundae was proposed and tried in 1980, but was a failure (wonder why?)
You can post Shamrock Shake sightings and reviews at Shamrock Shake Locator

If you can’t find a Shamrock Shake at your local Mickey D’s, or it’s not St. Patricks season, here is a recipe to make your own minty shake. But, it’s not the same memory or experience. There is just something about those McDonalds straws and sharing with your Dad when you’re six you can’t duplicate.

Shamrock Shake recipe

* 2 cups vanilla ice cream
* 1 cup milk
* 1/4 cup half & half
* 1/2 teaspoon mint extract (spearmint, not peppermint)
* 8 drops green food coloring

Who remembers the old McDonald commercials from the 1970’s, they were a lot more fun back then. McDonalds was a rare treat, they weren’t on every corner, their food was fresh, hamburgers grilled, buns toasted and real chicken in their chicken McNuggets, without the over processing.

Going to Mickie D’s was a destination, and they were the king of fast food. It is still a guilty pleasure of mine and I even have a Grimace glass.

Ladies Mighty Fine McDonalds Do The Shamrock Shake Vintage 1977 McDonalds 6 inch Grimace Glass

Ok, I get it, Shamrocks Shakes are NOT irish and not traditional Irish food to eat and drink on St. Patricks Day. My husband loves Corned Beef, but I’m always on the lookout for something a little sweeter, more dessert themed and of course “green” for the Luck of the Irish flair.

A Catered St. Patrick’s Day (A Mystery With Recipes)St. Patrick’s Day Recipes: 43 Fantastically Fun, Entertaining and Super Tasty St. Paddy’s Day Foods!IRISH TREATS – 30 Dessert Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day or Whenever You Want to Celebrate Like the Irish IRISH DRINKS – 27 Cocktail Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day or Whenever You Want to Celebrate Like the Irish

More Information About McDonalds Shamrock Shakes

What’s really in McDonald’s Shamrock Shake?

With more than 60 million sold, it generates almost as much buzz as the popular McRib sandwich. The Shamrock Shake–the bright green sweet treat that signals that St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner– is another long-time McDonald’s cult …

How To Make A Shamrock Shake Faster Than You Can Drive To McDs

Planning to get your green on for St. Patrick’s Day? Don’t stop with your head-to-toe solid color ensemble. Take all that bright green fun into the kitchen too. This holiday is the perfect opportunity to play with your food, and the fact that you have …

Shamrock Shake 101: The popular St. Patrick’s Day drink wasn’t always minty …

Millennials know the Shamrock Shake only as the McDonald’s minty vanilla concoction that it’s been since 1983. Things weren’t always so creamy and dreamy. The Shamrock Shake dates back to 1970 and started out more like a thick 7Up, flavored with …

When Will The Shamrock Shake Be Available? Get Ready For Some Minty Amazingness

Long before the introduction of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, there was one seasonal drink that was eagerly awaited every year: the Shamrock Shake. Released around St. Patrick’s Day every year, this minty vanilla confection with its pastel green hue is one …

We tried McDonald’s classic Shamrock Shake next to its biggest competition …

The Shamrock Shake has amassed a cult following since its inception in 1970; the sight of the minty green shake is a sure harbinger of spring and vaguely Irish themed kitsch. But with Burger King’s release of the Oreo Irish Mint Shake, McDonald’s reign …

Shamrock Shake Dupes: How To Make McDonald’s Famous Green Milkshake At Home

The return of McDonald’s beloved Shamrock Shake usually signals that spring is just around the corner, and it is finally that time of year again! McDonald’s announced the return of the shake on Feb. 9. The Shamrock Shake is one of the fast food chain’s …

Shamrock Shake: Delectably delicious or deceivingly dangerous?

Each year during the St. Patrick’s Day season, McDonald’s brings back that heavenly green minty milkshake called the McCafe Shamrock Shake. These delicious milkshakes are only around for a few short weeks; meanwhile the claims of why you should not …