Hello! I am starting out this month’s newsletter with quotes about education and learning. I am doing this, even though I usually save quotes and articles about education until my September newsletter. I feel justified in this because I have come to understand that both the Salt Lake and Granite School districts start the 2023-2024 school years start in August. Plus, I have different thoughts for my September newsletter.
I am starting out with a website Made with Happy
t. That has a lot of good ideas for the month. Some of the things that they mention include:
August is in the middle of Summer in the northern hemisphere (above the equator). While for many August is wrapping up their fun vacations and heading back to school. There is a lot of fun to be had in August. Don't forget to celebrate all the Summer fun, check out our Happy Summer Coloring Page, Coloring Pages of Summer, Summer Crafts For Kids, Summer DIYs, and Happy Summer Printable Postcards.
It also includes some (minor holidays) In terms of August Holidays here are a few:
Sister Day National Friendship Day
American Family Day Llamas Day
National Girlfriend Day National Coloring Book Day
National Watermelon Day International Owl Awareness Day
National Book Lovers Day S'mores Day
World Elephant Day Left-Handers Day
National Potato Day International Geocaching Dayt
National Tooth Fairy Day National Waffle Day
National Park Service Founders Day Women's Equality Day
National Dog Day World Rock Paper Scissors Day
National Beach Day
Although there are a lot of other things that the website includes, I will only a link to the ones that I haven’t written here.
Dog Days of Summer - The ‘Hows’ and ‘Whys’ of it.
One thing about August is that there are a couple things to do - especially with your family (both immediate and extended), friends, neighbors and ward members. These things are to keep cool and try out new adventures to finish the summer off with a blast. According to Utah Life Elevated July and August are the warmest months of the year with the same range of average high temperatures. These are the driest (least humid) months with the least amount of rainfall. According to the Almanac, The term “Dog Days” traditionally refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere. They were given this name because: This period of sweltering weather coincides with the year’s heliacal (meaning “at sunrise”) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris—the “Greater Dog”—which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, not including our own Sun. After listing the average temperature and precipitation throughout the state and throughout the year, it goes on to talk about the weather in the State Parks and during ski/snowboarding season. If you back out of the website to simply https://www.visitutah.com/ it will show you more about the States Parks and recreational areas and what you can do in our state.
Recipes - Yum-Yum!!
Although I have gone away from recipes lately, I did notice something that could almost be called an anti-recipe. It’s for watermelon. It starts when you take a slice of pizza and then cut it into wedges. You then spread greek yogurt (I would probably sweeten it or possibly use fruit flavor yogurt) then topping it with different fruits (with the red, white and blue it could have worked well in July - just not the right shape).
As I was thinking about and going over what to put in the August Newsletter I thought about recipes for the Summer time. I probably should have thought of this more for the July (as this is when the temperatures really start getting hot) but for that newsletter I was thinking more about foods for the 2 specific holidays. Even so, I’m sure the temperatures are about to be getting cooler any time soon.
I was reading a website from TasteOfHome that had some very interesting recipes. When I was going over recipes I found something interesting - DIY salad in a jar (I’ve only seen oatmeal in a jar).
DIY Salad in a Jar
Our farm-fresh salad is layered with gorgeous garden veggies. And we built in a homemade dressing flavored with fresh herbs. Just shake it up to eat the rainbow. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
They have quite a few different varieties - all in a jar: pasta salad, taco salad, chopped greek salad, reuben salad, mediterranean shrimp salad and ham and swiss salad. I was wondering why you would make a salad in a jar - so I googled the answer. I came up with this.
Why do people put salads in jars?
Because of the unique way of layering the salad vertically, it preserves the freshness of the salad for longer. Depending on the ingredients added, a make-ahead mason jar salad can last for up to 5 days. That means you can have lunch ready for the week ahead!Apr 18, 2021
They also have a no-fuss no bread ‘sandwich’ where they use slices of tomatoes for the ‘bread’. This is good for those who like/need to embrace a KETO diet.
Although it doesn’t really have anything particular to do with August, one thing caught my eye - foods that are particular to Utah. Because I found it, I decided to include it. In the website from ABC4 news at 6:00 p.m.
Attention new Utahns: seven unique Utah foods to know
The website Utah’s Best Bites has another list of uniquely Utah foods to enjoy. Not only do they have the foods, they show where/how to enjoy them. These foods include:
Crown Burger Navajo Tacos Funeral Potatoes
Thick Milkshakes Fry Sauce Collegiate Ice Cream
Utah Salt Fireside Dining Bear Lake Raspberries
Creminelli Fine Meats Potato Tots Artisanal Cheese
Small-Batch Coffee High West Distillery Mile High Biscuits
Pie Utah Corn Wild Game Chili
Morgan Valley Lamb Stone Fruit 7452 Mary
Polygamy Porter Bean to Bar Chocolate Hell's Backbone Grill Canned Goods
Honey
Besides knowing what to cook (or where to find it) it is also important to know how to cook it (what are the best cooking methods to use in August). The website Be Ready Utah talk about this - especially using videos, downloads and links to make their point. They answer the question, “Why is cooking a basic survival need?” In the website they talk about the following topics:
The Point Do This Videos
Downloads Links
I didn’t include what they actually said, I have included the link to follow and read. Further down on the website they also list (with more information on each):
Disaster SupplyKit: Cooking What’s in your Kit
Coffee Can Stove Soda Can Stove
Solar Oven Retained Heat Cooker
Reflective Box Oven
Between the two lists, there is a LOT of good information worth checking out.
Holidays
National Girlfriend Day Aug 1 & National Friendship Day Aug 4
National Girlfriend day (after all women can have their best friendships with other women)
Quotes
“Good books are as good friends, willing to give to us if we are willing to make a little effort.” Gordon B. Hinckley
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” Helen Keller
On the website Nationaldaycalendar.com they state that, “Friendship is one of the most special connections in life.” They then go on to say, “Whether we have one or many, girlfriends make life better, fuller, and complete. These are the friends that can make you laugh at life's silliest things. A girlfriend is who you turn to when life is not so kind. In its simplest form, National Girlfriends Day celebrates the unlimited ways life is better with our girlfriends in it.”
History of National Friendship Day
Starting out more than 100 years ago as simply a way to encourage people to send a card to friends to show that they care, National Friendship Day has morphed and evolved over the past century. Less that a decade after the Hallmark Card Company was started in 1910, founder Joyce Hall was working to find creative ways to encourage people to send more greeting cards. Friendship Day began one of these ideas in 1919, to add days like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Sweetest Day/ By 1922, the idea was brought to the Greeting Card Association and it became more widespread. By1935. The United States Congress followed suit, making National Friendship Day the first Sunday of August. Though the popularity of National Friendship day fizzled out a bit in the United States in the 1940’s perhaps related to global events, it seems to have been making a comeback in recent decades.. In fact, in 2011, the United Nations began its recognition of the International Day of Friendship, which runs along the same vein and is set to be celebrated a few days sooner than National Friendship Day.
National Friendship Day Timeline
1919 National Friendship Day is founded
1926 JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis become friends
1970’s Friendship bracelets become commonplace in the US
1994 Friends television show debuts
2011 United Nations officially recognizes friendship
The website then gives ways to celebrate it:
They even have a question section that includes:
Do friendships change over time
Is friendship important?
Can friendship turn into love?
How do you make friendship bracelets?
What does friendship mean?
Conference Talk
For the General Conference for this month, choose the talk given during the Saturday Evening session by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: ‘A Higher Joy: The peace He gives us is not like what the world gives. It is better. It is higher and holier’ In the talk he shows steps that can we can take on the journey. He states:
A few beginning steps on the journey of discovering pure joy include:
Draw near unto God. “I have learned that if we draw near to God and reach out to touch Him, we can indeed find healing, peace and joy.”
Look for it. “We rarely find something we are not looking for. Are we looking for eternal joy? Seek and ye shall find.”
Bear one another’s burdens. “True joy multiplies when it is shared.”
Testimony
For my testimony this month I want to talk about/testify of the importance of prsonal growthe - physically, spiritually, mentally and in all other ways. This is important that we not only do it for ourselves but for those around us - our immediate and extended families, our friends, neighbors and fellow ward members. This growth may take small incremental steps and often has a synergistic effect. We can build upon successes that we have and grow together in the process. In an article in the Liahona from December 27, 2021 entitled “Strive to Be—a Pattern for Growth and Mental and Emotional Wellness” By Sheldon Martin Manager of Special Programs, Priesthood and Family Department. In the article, he mentions The pattern of growth outlined in the Children and Youth program can help all of us as we strive to become more like the Savior. As I have mentioned before, there can be a lot to be learned from lessons that are geared toward younger people - namely the children and youth of the church. They then go on to say, Real growth occurs when we strive to grow in a variety of areas. We learn that “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). We know little about this period of the Master’s life, but from this verse we learn that He “increased”—He grew—intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. Many studies suggest that striving to grow in a variety of areas in our life supports healthy emotional and mental wellness. Not only can a lot be gained when we develop in a variety of ways within ourselves, but also when we help those around us grow in the same way. This is one example of how we can live by the example of Jesus. Throughout his earthly life his example of how to become our best selves was a beacon to all those around him. In a lesson from another part of the website under Family Home Evening lessons - Lesson Twelve Jesus Is My Example it shows Ways he showed Jesus gave us his example:
He showed us the way to be baptized (Matthew 3:13–17).
He loved little children (Mark 10:13–16).
He helped the sick and the handicapped (Mark 6:53–56, 7:31–35).
He was kind (John 4:6–10).
He did not get angry with those who offended him (Matthew 27:29–31).
He forgave those who were cruel to him (Luke 23:34).
He showed us how to pray (Matthew 6:5–13).
He taught the importance of truth (John 8:32).
He resisted all temptation (Matthew 4:2–10).
This pattern was continued with the restoration of the Gospel
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, taught: “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. And again this is not only judgment for us individually but for all those who have come down to earth trying to fulfill our Heaenly Father’s Plan of Salvation.
It is my testimony that we all need and can grow as much as we can and in as many ways possible. And also we need to help as many as we possibly can - in both big and small ways.
I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
