Celebrating Kwanzaa
Celebrating Kwanzaa — Mon Dec 27 05:20:09 UTC 2010 Long Beach Senior Center marks 1st day of African-American festival. about: African African American Celebrating Kwanzaa Long Beach Senior Center Ethnicity at: Long Beach Senior Center
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Celebrating Kwanzaa
Lisa Dawn Miller: The Multi-Talented Daughter of Legendary Motown Songwriter Ron Miller Celebrates Her Dad’s Great Legacy in ‘Miller Sings…
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Currently starring as “Frank’s One Love” in the new hit, “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre, multi-talented singer, producer and writer, Lisa Dawn Miller takes the stage at The Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko (222 Mason St., San Francisco, CA) on Saturday, June 12 for a special, one night only performance: “Miller Sings Miller.” Celebrating the songbook of her father, legendary songwriter Ron Miller, the show will include a medley
Toyota Grand Prix Charity Ball Celebrates Speed and Elegance (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance)
LONG BEACH, CA–(Marketwire – 03/08/10) – Celebrating the art and precision of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach , the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach announced today it will once again host the Toyota Grand Prix Charity Ball, an evening gala held during race week on Fri., April 16 at 6:30 p.m. at The Westin Long Beach .
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Toyota Grand Prix Charity Ball Celebrates Speed and Elegance (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance)
Midsummer Madness – Celebrating the Summer Solstice
Whether you’re into dancing round a bonfire with a drum or loitering round a bbq with a paper plate, the longest day is good news. Let’s just hope the weather realises it’s Summer in the Northern Hemisphere this weekend.
The Summer Solstice occurs on 20 or 21 June every year and is also known as Midsummer, Litha or St John’s Day. This year in England, the sun will rise at about 4.45am and set at 9.20pm on Saturday 21 June. Plenty of time for honouring Mother Earth and the Sun King or perhaps, the chargrilled burger and the King of Beers.
This event has been celebrated since ancient times by pagans and believers alike. These days, parties and festivals are organised across Northern Europe, Ireland, Britain, Canada, the United States and some parts of Southern Europe. If the weather’s good, millions more will be enjoying their back gardens or the beach throughout the long Summer’s day.
Typical pagan activities at Midsummer include keeping a sacred fire burning; staying up all night to welcome the rising sun at dawn; dancing ecstatically around a bonfire; burning a Yule wreath; making a pledge to Mother Earth; and exchanging magical gifts with friends.
Some non-pagans may find themselves doing similar things after one cheap beer too many. Though friends may not find it magical when you’re circling the bbq like a maniac and hurling condiments onto the grill.
Every year pagan revellers flock to Stonehenge in Wiltshire where English Heritage provides ‘managed open access’ to the stones for the Summer Solstice. Visitors can be amongst the hallowed stones this year from 8.30pm on Friday 20 June until 8.00am on Saturday 21 June.
No camping, bonfires or amplified music is permitted at Stonehenge but there are samba bands and drummers providing atmospheric background sounds.
The 3 Wishes Faery Fest is a family-friendly festival running from 20 to 22 June at Colliford Lake Park in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. Highlights include a midsummer night’s dream faery masquerade, a fantasy fairy fashion show and a lesson at fairy school as well as elfin-inspired music.
The Cork Midsummer Festival of the Senses is on from 15 June to 5 July with a mix of comedy, music, circus, dance, theatre and visual arts.
For beach babes and dudes, the Goldcoast Oceanfest is a surf and music festival based in Croyde, North Devon, running from 20 to 22 June. There will be live music and sponsored sporting events such as beach volleyball, mountain-biking and surfing.
The Herstmonceux Castle Estate in East Sussex is the venue for Global Fusion, an annual celebration of world music with family entertainment including storytelling, drumming and circus skills. This Summer’s festival takes place between Friday 20 and Sunday 22 June.
A week later, one of Britain’s most famous Summer festivals kicks off. Glastonbury takes place in Somerset between 27 and 29 June, billed this year as a ‘Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts’. Music headliners are Kings of Leon, the Verve and Jay-Z.
Further afield, the Summer Solstice Festival in the City of Yellowknife, Canada will bring together different cultures in a free music and dance event across the weekend. The family-friendly festival features workshops, interactive educational activities and entertainment in order to promote cultural awareness and raise funds for non-profit groups in the area.
A novel midsummer concept is the Summer Sailstice, a global event where sailing enthusiasts from around the world register to sail in their local area on the Summer Solstice. Sailors, yacht racers and pleasure boaters across the globe are united in spirit on the longest sailing day of the year.
So whatever your style, the longest day is a sign that the summer has arrived, and that’s something to celebrate.
Max Clarke is a part-time copywriter for holiday services company, Holiday Extras, currently writing about Manchester airport parking,airport hotels and a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/airport-parking/manchester/airparks-gold.html”>Manchester Airparks Gold.
Celebrating Moms
I love Mother’s Day. And not just because I am one and it’s an excuse to be pampered (although, that’s nice, too!). It’s more about the opportunity to celebrate my mom. Okay, so I should be celebrating my mother all year long. But, unfortunately, life gets in the way and I just don’t tell her how much she means to me as often as I should. Maybe you can relate.
Here is a list of ideas to make your mom feel special this Mother’s Day (or any day!):
1. A DAY AT THE SPA. Facial…massage…manicure…pedicure…hair…the works! There’s no better way to treat your mom to royalty than a full day of being treated like the queen she is. If you can’t afford the entire Day Spa package, sweep her off her feet and opt for the pedicure. There’s nothing quite like getting those piggies pampered!
2. BREAKFAST IN BED. I remember bringing my mom toast and coffee in bed on Mother’s Day morning. It didn’t matter if the toast was burned or the coffee too strong. She loved it! But just because you don’t live with your mom anymore, doesn’t mean breakfast in bed is no longer an option. Consider picking up her favorite restaurant breakfast and making an early morning delivery. Or, sneak into her kitchen with the kids and whip up a batch of pancakes. Guaranteed to fill not only her stomach, but her heart.
3. A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. Whisk her away for some fresh air. For the mom who loves the outdoors, a nature hike, a day at the beach or a scenic tour will be just the thing to make her feel special and revitalized.
4. A CLEAN SWEEP. What mom doesn’t dream about lounging on the couch with her feet up while someone else mops the floors, scrubs the toilets and dusts the furniture? Give her the gift of a clean home by hiring a cleaning service to do it for her!
5. JUST THE TICKET. Is there a musical group or band she’s been dying to see? A museum she’s wanted to check out? Is she a sports fan? Does she love the theater? Present her with tickets to an event she would love to attend but maybe wouldn’t buy for herself.
6. CRUISIN. Rent a convertible for the day and take your mom for a spin. Drive to the beach, or just cruise around the city for a while before stopping to treat her to dinner. She’ll feel cool and invigorated. Another option: get the whole family together and rent a limo. Take Mom out for a night on the town!
7. REGIVE THE MEMORIES. Dig out all of those old home movies and have them professionally transferred onto a DVD so she can relive the memories any time she wishes. Or, go through those photographs and have them put into a slide show, complete with captions – both funny and sentimental. This is truly a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year.
Mothers certainly are a gift from God. And while it’s wonderful to honor your mom on Mother’s Day, don’t forget to remind her throughout the rest of the year what a treasure she truly is.
Celebrating Your Anniversary This Valentines Day
Anniversaries on Valentines Day are always a special event. Of course, they can also be nerve-wracking at times. Valentines Day is a special day on its own, but to add in an anniversary there is some pressure, to make sure things are just perfect. Of course, with a little thought and planning you will be sure to create the right setting, mood, and provide just the right presents to create the perfect Valentines Anniversary Celebration.
There are plenty of ways to celebrate. The trick will be finding the one that will suit your relationship. Take some time to consider your goals for this anniversary. Do you want to surprise her? Do you want to give her something that you normally do not? Do you want to focus more on tradition and less on hype and surprise? You can do any or all of these things depending on what you are interested in accomplishing.
Throw a Celebration
If you want to impress your lover throw a party celebrating both Valentines Day and your Anniversary all in one shot. For this special party you could invite your best couple friends to a small dinner party. Offer music and dancing, a gourmet meal, and a Valentine motif with Cupid, clouds, and hearts and arrows all around. This will be sure to be a great party with lots of fun for everyone. Of course, you could always not have the dinner and offer aphrodisiac snacks and romantic party games instead.
Take your lover on Vacation
Go on a cruise or zip away to the mountains, the beach, or another state this holiday. Your lover will delight in the impromptu chance to be whisked away to a new location where it will be just you and them for as long as possible. You can spend your anniversary making love and basking in the scenic views of a new location. Not only will this be an excellent choice for your anniversary it will also give you some much needed relaxation.
Adult Lottery
As you are celebrating two special events, your anniversary and Valentines Day, you may end up buying numerous gifts to suit the separate occasion. If you are feeling adventurous you could agree to make one of those gifts a couple’s gift. Choose some of the most erotic and enjoyable toys and adult products you might want to own and toss the names into a hat. Agree to pick out one (or more), and whatever you draw you can purchase for your toy box.
Some ideas for the Adult Lottery could be:
Vibrators
Restraints
Liberator Furniture
Massage Kits
Bondage Kits
Lingerie Shopping Sprees (Make sure to add a price limit!)
Fascinator Throes
Dildos
Bath Toys
These are just a few of the great ways that you can successfully celebrate your anniversary and Valentines on the same day. Whether you choose to celebrate this way every year, making it a tradition, or you do something new every year, your lover will be sure to love these fun and heartfelt ideas used to celebrate your special day.
Shayla Moore is a writer for http://www.oasislingerie.com She has many intresting topics and ideas for all to read about. Check out more of her articles.
Tips for Celebrating Valentines Day on a Tight Budget
Given the current economic crisis, a holiday like Valentines Day may pose a financial strain on some people. Huge pressure exists to buy expensive gifts, eat out at a restaurant or, at a minimum, give gifts of candy and cards, all of which involve spending money.
To alleviate the financial strain of Valentine’s Day without missing out on its romance, people on a budget can try these five tips for celebrating the day of love in a “non-commercial but meaningful” manner. You might actually discover that by doing so you enhance the romance you experience on the holiday this year.
1. Find some paper and a special pen, and write a love poem or a letter that really says how you feel about your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or partner. Put this on his or her pillow to find and read before getting into bed, on the bathroom mirror to come across in the morning or on a plate to read before dinner. You can even hide a love note in a briefcase or in a suitcase to find during the day. You can also write a poem or letter on the computer, print it on beautiful paper, and roll it up and tie it with a ribbon.
2. Try having a Valentine’s Day meal at home. If you don’t have time to cook, purchase inexpensive takeout, like pizza or some Chinese, but create a special atmosphere for the dinner itself. Put on soft music, light candles. Set the table with a white table cloth and your best dishes. Put rose petals around the room or on the table. And don’t be in a hurry. You might plan a romantic DVD for afterwards or, better yet, just listen to some quiet music, sit on the couch and talk.
3. Instead of giving your significant other chocolates or gifts or even a special dessert, give a huge serving of gratitude and appreciation. Take time to shower the other person verbally with all the wonderful things you love about him or her. Express your gratitude for his or her special traits or characteristics. Describe the behaviors that you really love or appreciate. Or, if you feel uncomfortable saying these things aloud, make a list of them and present them in a beautiful box wrapped up like a gift. That might be the best gift you could ever give.
4. If you are looking for romance, create a romantic space. It’s easy, especially after the initial romance of a relationship has faded, to forget how nice it is to be wooed. Go to the trouble of lighting candles, playing soft music, making sure the kids are in bed and asleep or using aromatherapy oils or fragrant flowers to scent the room. Even if your relationship is new or still in the exciting romantic stage, this effort will go a long way toward making your significant other feel special, appreciated and desired.
5. If you really want to give your significant other a gift, make something rather than buying it. Go to a bead shop and create a necklace or bracelet. Visit a ceramics shop and create a painted mug or platter. Or give your special someone an experience – take them somewhere special like for a walk in the redwoods or along the beach, for a drive along the coast, for a picnic, on a 50-mile bike ride, to the pound to pick out a kitty – whatever you think they’d like or that the two of you would enjoy doing together and that feels like a special way to spend the day. A gift can be anything at all that feels special to the other person – time, attention, a thing, a place…you decide.
Nina Amir is a journalist and Jewish inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, and author. Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions. For more information, visit http://www.purespiritcreations.com .
Israel is Celebrating 60 Years of Tourism
Tourism as a mirror: the state of the state.
Israel is a county of extremes, fluctuating from great happiness and miraculous achievements to fear and despair. This statement is backed up while looking at the official s of the inbound tourism tendencies along the years. When the geo-political situation in the Middle East was relatively peaceful, tourists were seen in the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa. However, during tensed times, and needless to say, during wars, the whole tourism industry was at stake.
No doubt, Israel has a lot to offer from a tourist point of view: first and foremost, Israel is The Holy land, an aspiration for many to come and visit the holy places, mostly in Jerusalem but also up north (for Christians) around the Sea of Galilee. However, Israel is also famous for its great climate, long beaches and places to be that are not at all connected to mysticism…. Some refer to Israel as the New York of the Middle East.
That is why, that after 60 years of existence (since 1948) the feeling is that Israel is rebranded (so to speak) as just a great place for a vacation, regardless to your belief… yes, we can still add to your visit a day trip to Jerusalem, but you can defiantly come and just lie on the beach all day, have excellent meals in Eilat’s restaurants or take part in the bubbling Tel Aviv night scene. The Israeli currency, the Shekel, is still significantly lower than the Euro, Pound or US Dollars so it is relatively a cheap deal after all.
Israel is 60 years old – great time for tourists.
Going back to dry statistics: despite the inconsistency in Israel’s tourism industry the trend is clear – more tourists come to Israel along the years. As a matter of fact, 2008, Israel 60th anniversary, was the best year ever – until May 1.2 million tourist came to Israel and this is a dramatic increase of 47% comparing the parallel period in 2007. May set a new peak itself – 300,000 people came to visit and that is 5% more than May 2000, until now was considered to be the best year for incoming tourism, because of the end of the millennia and massive Christian tours.
That is why the ministry of Tourism is now updating the goals toward 2009 – to bring more than 3.3 million tourists. The aim is to have MORE – more flights, more hotels, more infrastructure development – more tourists.
Ways to come:
It is interesting to see that these numbers reflect another tendency – more tourists are coming in new ways to Israel. For instance, a growing percentage of tourists are coming to Israel as part of a Cruz in the Mediterranean (usually starting from Italy) and even the enormous Fashion TV Yacht is now anchoring at Eilat….
However, flying is still the best deal. You can fly to Israel from most countries directly to Tel Aviv and even to Eilat. Israel Airlines companies that offer regular charter flights to Israel are nowadays much more efficient than ever and will give you a good price. So, let me recommend that whenever it is time for you to take a break from work – Israel could be a refreshing choice. Bon Voyage!
