Wednesday Medley: Holding It Together

I must admit that this is one of the strangest national days, but after reading the history and how the paper clip has been used in inspiring ways, I have a new appreciation for this little handy item.

NATIONAL PAPERCLIP DAY

I am including this bit of inspiring history about the paper clip, but for more information about how this day came about, go to Terri's blog post HERE.

Everything below this line is from the National Day Calendar website.

______________________________________________________________

The Paper Clip Project

During World War II this small, universal office supply provided a visual method of protest at a time when any outward signs of objection could be dangerous, even in familiar company.

Early in the war, Norwegians were particularly persistent in their development of symbols. The paper clip represented “sticking together” for a time until the Nazis caught on and banned the wearing of paper clips.

According to a March 5, 1941, Provo, Utah newspaper article (The Daily Herald), the Norwegians switched to new symbols as quickly as the bans could be issued.
In 1998, a group of middle school students led by language arts teacher Sandra Roberts and associate principal David Smith began a project through a Holocaust education class. The voluntary after-school class, Whitwell Middle School principal Linda Hooper’s idea, would be the foundation for developing tolerance and diversity.

Inspired by the story of the protesting Norwegians and their paper clips, the students began to collect six million paper clips – one paper clip representing one Jew who perished during the Holocaust. Adults today still wrestle with how the Holocaust could occur. Imagine middle school students trying to understand the magnitude of such an event on humanity.

The Paper Clip Project gained international attention and by 2001 the students collected more than 30 million paper clips. The school dedicated a Children’s Holocaust Memorial which displays an authentic German railcar filled with a portion of the paper clips.

For more information on this inspiring story, the book and film that followed visit www.oneclipatatime.org

_____________________________________________________________

Everything above this line is from the National Day Calendar website.

1.  Wow!  Had you ever heard of the Holocaust project involving paperclips?  It is a great teaching project, for sure!

No, I had never heard of this but found it so inspiring.

2.  Have you ever created a paperclip chain?  How long did it get?

Yes, in a moment of great boredom.  I can't remember how long it got, but I would have taken it apart as soon as I was satisfied with the project. I cannot stand connected paper clips and took great pains to make sure there were none in the paper clip tray of my office drawer.  In fact, all the paper clips had to be in the horizontal direction and no rebels going vertical.

I know, this is crazy and there is only one other person I know of who will understand this compulsion.  Her name is Lea and you will probably find her answers also on this Medley at CiCi's Corner.

3.  I use paperclips as hooks at Christmas time to put ornaments on the tree.  Works like a charm!! What is something you used a paperclip for, other than holding papers together?

I know this may sound strange, but I've used one as a toothpick when in a pinch.  Hubby has used them to clean his ears.  I've also used the larger clips to seal small bags of food.

4.  I am amazed at the shapes and colors of paperclips available.  I found my favorite... share your favorite with us here!

I like the binder clip if the tension isn't too tight.  But I also use regular wire paper clips for grouping paper receipts for tax purposes.

I found these great clips and use them in the kitchen all the time to close bags.

5.  Say goodbye to May on this last Wednesday of May.  Be poetic if you will, or simply bid it adieu.

It has certainly been a turbulent month weather wise and brought 100+ degree heat index to our area before we were ready, but other than that, May is always a nice month.

This is a childhood poem about the month of May entitled appropriately,

May

Merry, rollicking, frolicking May

Into the woods came skipping one day;

She teased the brook till he laughed outright,

And gurgled and scolded with all his might;

she chirped to the birds and bade them sing

A chorus of welcome to lady Spring;

And the bees and the butterflies she set

To waking the flowers that were sleeping yet.

She shook the trees till the buds looked out

To see what the trouble was all about,

And nothing in Nature escaped that day

The touch of the life-giving bright young May

George Macdonald

6.  Tell us something about your week so far, please!

Our weekend was most enjoyable so let me share some of it with you.

Friday night, we went out for a delicious steak dinner before going to The Little Theater to see the play "Legally Blonde."  The play was a bit too blonde for my man, so we left at intermission.

Saturday morning, we went to a car show of super souped-up models.  Dick found several that he thought would satisfy any post-middle-age crisis he might decide to have.  We then enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the best breakfast place in town, Strawn's.

Sunday night we attended a special concert by The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra featuring the world renowned pianist, Kenny Broberg.  It was an amazing performance.

The Symphony has used our church for all of their performances this season due to renovation of the downtown theater they normally use.

Afterward, I took this picture of our beautiful church building which was built in 1962 and modeled after the St Martin in the Fields church in London (below).

Source

Monday, we were unapologeticly lazy and did nothing but sit around and read before getting 6 lbs. of the most delicious crawfish for lunch.

Tuesday morning a dear friend came by for a visit and I attended a book review in the afternoon.  More on that later.

The rest of the week will be spent getting things in order for the upcoming 2-week trip to Indiana.

Enjoy your week!