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Welcome to Best Golden Life! This website will feature a wide variety of topics. It will be a source of information about Grandparenting and Grandchildren, a resource for Senior Health Issues, Travel Options, Fashion Trends, Sports for All Ages, Hobbies, Home Decorating, Photo Journaling, Genealogy and other topics of current interest .
How do you celebrate the 4th of July? Like many Americans you will possibly attend a parade, plan a barbeque, go to your lake home, go boating or fishing...and attend a fireworks. Why is this holiday so important that many businesses close, that families and friends make a point to gather, and that the parades have a patriotic theme? The reason American's are celebrating their country's 233rd Birthday!
On July 24, 1776, the United States claimed their independence from Great Britain. Since then many thousands and thousands of people have left their homelands and have made the trip to the "land of the free and the home of the brave" with plans to become American citizens. These people have come to America from many different countries, are of different races and speak a different language.
Thomas Jefferson was asked to prepare a document that stated America's decision to govern themselves. After many drafts, Mr. Jefferson presented his final draft to Congress. A period of careful review and discussion resulted in Congress voting to accept and adopt the document as America's Declaration of Independence. Some people refer to the 4th of July as the "birth of Democracy; others refer to the 4th of July as "Independence Day".
It would be good idea for all Americans to re-read the Declaration of Independence to remind ourselves of what is important to our leaders and all citizens of our country. America's early leaders knew that America was ready to become independent of Great Britain and ready to govern ourselves.
In the 1800's, Mr. Samuel F. Smith wrote these words for a song that became one of our National Anthems. As you read the words of this song, note how many times the words "freedom" and "liberty" are used as well as the listing of the many things Americans love.
My Country, 'Tis of Thee
My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside
Let freedom ring.
My native country thee, Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong.
Our father's God to thee, Author of liberty,
To thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!
The various types of music brought to America by the people who immigrated here in the early 1600's is considered to be the roots of bluegrass music. This would include the dance music and the ballads from Ireland, Scotland and England. It also includes African American gospel music and blues that the slaves from Africa contributed. The website www.bluegrassrocks.com states that bluegrass music was first introduced during the 1940's. This style of American country music grew from the music of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. The author informs us that the basic instruments used in bluegrass music are the guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle, all string instruments. Bluegrass bands have four to seven singers, all accompany themselves on their string instruments. The traditional folk songs as well as songs that have been newly composed are all part of their programs. As the early settlers moved to the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and the Virginias, they continued to compose music that reflected their daily experiences in this new land. In addition to the traditional bluegrass music, some bluegrass bands today have been influenced by other types of music. Some bluegrass bands incorporate music from new sources such as jazz, Celtic music, rock & roll and Southern gospel music. Bluegrass music continues to be popular and is performed and enjoyed in American and around the world. The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has members in all 50 of the United States and in 30 countries around the world.
Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods, attends Wake Forest University where she will be a sophomore this fall (2009). Like her uncle, she is a talented golfer. She has had success as a member of the Wake Forest women's golf team. Her Wake Forest coach says that Cheyenne does not mention her famous uncle and "asks for no special favors as a member of her college team". The New York Times reported that "she has won more than 30 amateur tournaments and was the second lowest scorer at Wake Forest" her freshman year.
Cheyenne was encouraged to compete in her first LPGA tournament the last week of June, 2009 at the Wegmans LPGA which was held at Locust Hill Country Club in suburban Rochester, NY. The weather was a challenge to contend with...it was a stormy, rainy day with half of the field having to complete their Friday rounds on Saturday due to weather delays. Cheyenne managed to finish her second round on Saturday shooting a two over par 75, however she missed the cut.
When Cheyenne was 2 years old, she discovered some cut-down clubs in her grandfather's garage. It wasn't long before her grandfather, Earl Woods Sr. realized that she had a gift...a fluid, economical swing like his son, Tiger. Earl Woods Sr. taught Cheyenne the basics of the game. She caught on quickly and won her first national tournament at the age of 10. At age 18, Cheyenne has aspirations to follow in her Uncle Tiger's "spike steps".
Cheyenne received a sponsor's exemption invitation for the Wegman LPGA. However, before she accepted it, she conferred with Uncle Tiger asking his advice. Tiger told her that "exemptions are very hard to come by" and that she should definitely take it.
Cheyenne Woods grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and won two Arizona high school championships in addition to the 30 amateur titles. At the recent college NCAA championships, she finished in the middle of the field.
It is difficult for a relative of a celebrity to cope with the pressure of the media and the tournament crowds. Cheyenne says that she understands that comparisons to her famous uncle will be inevitable and that she will never be able to escape those comparisons. This young college woman stated, "I don't mind. I'm proud that he's may uncle and I'm thankful I chose a sport that I love and he loves. I see it as a positive being related to the best golfer who ever played the game".
The website www.igoimprove.com notes the benefits of Herballife as a way to lose weight and improve one's health. The Formula 1 Replacement Shake is a popular Herballife product that is low in fat, contains nutrients, vitamins and proteins and aids in weight reduction. The Herballife company states that their professional staff has done extensive research on the most effective herbal life products. They offer "useful, reliable and comprehensive reviews of the most used herbal products". (www.herbal-life-products.com)
Herbal life products are supplements that "are categorized as self medication", therefore they need to be taken properly. The company states that "when taken properly...herbal life products are a safe and effective way of health improvement and maintenance". In addition to weight loss products, there are herbal life products that promote fertility, products that enhance sexual function, products to nourish one's body and increase energy levels and products to care for symptoms associated with hormone changes and menopause. There are also products for hair care, bathing, skin cleansing and moisturizing. Herbal life is a home based business with a long history and a good standing with the Better Business Bureau. It is a MLM business that takes effort and time to develop a "down-line" which generates income.
Have you had occasion to need to rent a car? The global recession has seen a reduction on some airfares, hotels and cruises but it is having the opposite effect on rental cars. The Abrams Consulting Group that tracks rental rates reported in May. 2009 "that the average rate for a weekly airport rental of a compact car booked seven days in advance was $345.99, up 73% from $199.65 May of 2008." In mid-June of 2009, the Abrams Consulting Group reported that weekly airport rental rates for a compact car averaged $347.44 compared with $210.38 in mid-June of 2008. How can these rates be so high when the rest of the economy is suffering?
The answer: supply and demand. The Abrams Group reports that the demand for car rentals is down about 15% but rental agencies have cut their fleets by more than 15%...creating a shortage and allowing them to increase prices. Rental companies have been selling their cars to used car dealers and not buying new cars to replace the sell-off.
Travelers are getting used to booking their trips last minute but that plan will not work with car rentals. In fact, when booking a car rental last minute, you may find only a few left on the lot and will have to pay an exorbitant price.
To avoid the high prices on car rentals, you will want to start a search early to find a cheaper car to rent. Going to off-airport locations is oftentimes cheaper than airport locations. Expedia reported "that in mid-June an economy car from Enterprise in the Seattle airport was $110.31 a day compared to $42.90 for a similar car from their downtown location".
Sometimes a better deal can be found by upgrading. With the demand for fuel-efficient cars, travelers can oftentimes get a better deal by booking a larger, roomier car. However, the larger car will mean higher fuel costs which may eliminate any savings.
It is wise to look beyond the popular national chains such as Avis or Hertz. There are many independent car rental agencies with lower operating costs and less overhead. Check out CarRentals.com and CarRentalExpress.com. It is reported that they typically offer rates 15% to 30% less than the national companies.
Another option is virtual coupons. Websites such as FatWallet.com and CouponWinner.com list discount codes for car rentals.
Check with the airline you are flying...good deals often show up on their websites under "mileage partner offers". Delta has been offering up to 20% off with the discount code CDP165385.
Checking out all the less expensive price options takes time. Steve Ellis,a business adviser, created RentalCarMagic.com to allow customers to pay him for his searching car rental prices for you. The website charges $14.95 to $49.95 and sends back a quote in a day or two.
There are ways to save on car rentals but savings on the vacation car rental takes time...so start early to find those lower prices!
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