Marcel Marceau, We Herald You!
A little-known name, Marcel Marceau (photo above circa 1950), has touched our hearts. Read more
Jan 3
A little-known name, Marcel Marceau (photo above circa 1950), has touched our hearts. Read more
Dec 31
Dec 27
This is the time of year that some of us think about making a “new year’s resolution” and we are going to be bold and suggest one for you. Read more
Dec 25
Dec 24
Dec 19
The Christmas season is one full of joy and full of love. Obviously, that is what the Christ comes to tell us, constantly. BUT let us never forget that this wonderful season also brings out sadness to some. This is a wonderful little Pooh story to remind us to remember everyone. Read more
Dec 17
Candy canes are apparently the number one candy, apart from chocolate, that is sold in December. BUT, have you ever thought about how they came into being? Read more
Dec 14
The things of yesteryear can certainly bring back memories and this is one that we are loving! Read more
Dec 13
This is actor Gary Sinise. You may recognize him as Lt. Dan, a severely wounded veteran who befriends Forrest, in the classic movie Forrest Gump.
Gary Sinise hasn’t just used his role, or his career, to further his own status, and benefit himself. Instead, in gratitude, he has chosen to give back and has started The Gary Sinise Foundation which supports our military and first responders and their families.
According to its website, its mission is to serve and honor our nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need, by creating and supporting unique programs that entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities. Of its many outreach efforts, the Gary Sinise Foundation is building custom Smart Homes for severely wounded veterans, serving hearty meals to deploying troops and hosting spirit-boosting festivals for patients, families and medical staff at military hospitals.
According to Sinise, “Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted. We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security.”
Last week the Foundation sent 1,722 Gold Star children and family members from around the country on an all expense paid trip to Disney World via American Airlines. These are the children of fallen soldiers who died in service to their country. What happened in the American Airlines terminal in Nashville, Tennessee last week was something to behold. An entire terminal of travelers and passersby all came to a complete stop as someone began to sing our National Anthem just prior to these children and their surviving parent boarding the plane. It was captured on video and shared on Facebook.
“I witnessed an international airport come to a complete stop today …,” Tringale wrote in her Facebook post. “At the Nashville airport, I walked out into the concourse to this scene @americanairlines was flying a plane full of children who had lost a parent in combat to Disneyworld on an all-expenses-paid trip and they threw a party for them at the gate.”
She said in the post that when they announced them over the loudspeaker, and the families lined up to board the flight, the “whole airport literally stopped and sang the national anthem with military present in salute.”
In the video, everyone on the busy airport concourse stops and stands still as a man performs the National Anthem. Many of the people in the audience place their hands over their hearts and sing along.
“Most every person standing around, myself included, was bawling at the sight of these kids and spouses who have paid so great a price for our country,” Tringale wrote in her post. “To see all of this at Christmas time was so humbling. Seeing the general public in an airport stand still to honor these kids was simply beautiful.”
If you are thinking about giving back this holiday season and haven’t yet decided where to do that, this might be just the place to send that donation.
“These service members and first responders have already done their part. They have already given of themselves. And it is our great privilege, through the trust of the American people and the support given to us, to do our part to give something back to them. While we can never do enough to show our gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.” -Gary Sinise
The Gary Sinise Foundation makes possible little and large things that ease the lives of our returning injured soldiers and first responders and their families. These are things you might not be able to do for someone on your own but by giving a donation of any amount, no matter how small, it becomes much more when added to all the other gifts made, and allows for big things to happen for those who have given so much for us. It is an act of love and kindness to someone whom you will probably never meet, but whose life you can touch. To donate click here
For using his celebrity to call attention to our country’s true heroes, and for serving and making better the lives of so many others who have served us, we salute you, Gary Sinise and we say “Well Done!”
Dec 12
Dec 11
On this day in 1936, King Edward VIII of Britain abdicated the throne in favor of “the woman I love”. Read more
Dec 10
As we have said before…why not start your week with a good laugh out loud…LOL? Read more
Dec 4
Dec 3
Former President George H. W. Bush, also known as “41” died on Friday evening at his home in Houston Texas, at age 94. The title “41” refers to the fact that he was the 41st President. This is a man with arguably many, many friends. His children are quick to say that there are probably at least 200 people who would tell you he is one of their best friends. He inspires loyalty. Read more
Nov 28
Nov 27
Nov 26
Christmas is now less than a month away. We all have our favorite foods, decorations and traditions. The Queen is no different. Read more
Nov 23
We here on the west coast think of one big holiday parade and that is the Rose Parade that marches down the streets of our beloved Pasadena on New Year’s Day. This parade is an amazing parade as all of the floats are made of live flowers, seeds, leaves, etc. Everything on the floats has to be alive. But, there is another really famous parade….. Read more
Nov 20
I give thanks for____________. We can each one fill in that blank with all manner of things. But today I want to take a moment to say I am so very thankful for my dear chum Jackie. I saw something recently which epitomizes her and thought this a good occasion to share it. Read more
Nov 19
In 1953, an employee at C.A. Swanson & Sons overestimated demand for Thanksgiving turkey and the company was left with some 260 tons of extra frozen birds. Read more
Nov 16
We could not let another day go by without sending thoughts and saying prayers of support to our neighbors in both Southern and Northern California who either have been displaced, lost their homes or lost their loved ones by the recent fires which have ravaged portions of our beautiful State. Read more
Nov 14
Yes, today marks the 70th birthday of Prince Charles! Read more
Nov 12
At 95 years old this veteran, is the only Medal of Honor recipient from WWII still living. He has a mission that keeps him going and speaking some 200+ days a year. “Woody’s” mission is to recognize and honor Gold Star Families. If you are unfamiliar with the term, a Gold Star Family is one whose loved one has been killed in service to his or her country. Read more
Nov 11
We don’t usually post on the weekend, as you know. But today is Veteran’s Day and we have a poem and found a story we wanted to share. Read more
Nov 9
Nov 7
We saw this great idea to help to celebrate the Holiday Season and just HAD to share! Read more
Nov 1
Since marrying Prince William, future king of England, Catherine Middleton has been everything one would hope a future queen would be. She is a loving wife and mother, engaged with the public, supportive of the Crown, and just plain beautiful in every way. Her appearance at last week’s state dinner at Buckingham Palace in honor of the King and Queen of the Netherlands is one more evidence of that. Read more
Oct 30
Oct 23
Thanksgiving is around the corner – YES – believe it! Here’s a wonderful idea for you and your family! Read more
Oct 16
Oct 15
Rather than give you a long commentary on the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, Read more
Oct 9
Everyone loves a wedding. Many of us watched the Royal wedding in May, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married. Televised Royal weddings usually only come along once in a generation. We are fortunate enough to have two in one year this year. Read more
Oct 8
Oct 4
When Sarah Ferguson walked down the aisle in July 1986 at her wedding to Prince Andrew (Queen Elizabeth’s second youngest son), she not only carried a dramatic S-shaped bouquet, but hid her tiara under an elaborate flower crown too. Read more
Oct 2
The following are some great inspirational quotes. The whole article is taken from Brian Tracy.com and, we have to say, we found it most inspirational! Read more
Sep 28
Sep 25
Next week HBO will air a lovely documentary about Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, entitled “Queen of the World”. Read more
Sep 24
Sep 21
If you have little ones in your life, be they your children, grandchildren, godchildren, or special friends, you know how quickly the time goes. Blink and that baby who a minute ago was learning to walk is now asking to borrow the car keys. Read more
Sep 20
Who doesn’t need a word of encouragement sometimes? We know WE do! Here’s a great story. Read more
Sep 18
Meghan Markle became a member of the British Royal family earlier this year when she married Prince Harry. To her credit she has not just become a princess who enjoys being photographed and having her fashion choices admired. She has wasted no time making her position count for the good. Read more
Sep 14
Sep 11
Recently, Geoffrey Owens, a former cast member of the wildly successful Cosby Show, shared some profound thoughts on the value of work. Read more
Sep 7
Sep 3
Aug 30
If you visit us here on Two Chums with any regularity you know we mention many great finds we come across on Amazon. Today we want to share a new way to use your Amazon Prime account to share the good in a very unexpected way. Read more
Aug 29
Well, because of the spelling of “favourite”, you have already guessed that we are talking about a “favourite” in either the UK or in Canada! Read more
Aug 28
No matter which side of the fence you sit on politically, John McCain certainly had a great outlook about his country, the United States of America. His expression of what he felt about life is so well put in this, the last page of his recent book: Read more
Aug 27
Start your week off knowing… Read more
Aug 20
We just have one Savvy Secret for you today but it is a glorious, illuminating one! Read more
Aug 16
Aug 6
The author of the wonderful life of Winnie the Pooh,, A.A. Milne, certainly left us with some indelible quotes. Read more
Aug 1
Jul 26
Jul 25
For those of you who we are blessed enough to have as followers, you know that our website is built on the fact that we are Two Chums who have been chums for a very long time and cherish our relationship deeply.
Gratitude is a quality we talk about a lot …… Read more
Jul 19
If you have been a regular visitor to Two Chums for any length of time, you know how important we believe that gratitude is to our lives. Read more
Jul 16
Jul 13
“We Are the World,” a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, hit an all-enveloping chord when it was sung in the U.S.A. as the ending to the world-wide Live Aid concert, on this day in 1985. Read more
Jul 12
Jul 5
What ever else may be on your agenda this coming weekend, it would be well worth your time to take yourself to see the recently released documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”. It is the story of the philosophy and life of Fred Rogers, known affectionately to generations of children and their parents as “Mr. Rogers”. With our world in the place we find ourselves today, with all the fighting, angry words and actions towards others, uncivil behavior by so many that gets reported daily and a media that thrives, and even delights, in telling us about all the garbage out there, this film is a soothing balm for the mind and an oasis for the heart and soul.
Unless this is your very first visit to TwoChums, you know we exist to promote “Love, Joy and Abundant Living”. This isn’t just a tag line to us, it is the way we strive to live our lives and hope to give some encouragement to others wanting lives filled by the same.
Mr. Rogers understood the overwhelming need for such encouragement to be at the center of everything we do, especially as it relates to children. He understood that at the core of each of us there is still a child who needs to be nurtured and respected, loved and encouraged.
This film isn’t sappy, corny, or some sort of deification of Fred Rogers. Instead, it is a reminder of the power of a life well lived. An admonishment to each of us to recognize the power of a life where one is true to his or her calling and convictions, can make on a generation. Not just the life of Fred Rogers, but our lives as well. We have opportunities every day to live up to what our calling and purpose is. And we can all do what Mr. Rogers aspired to do “help someone know they are loved and capable of loving”.
Make time to see this film. It will touch you in places you may have forgotten you had. Both men and women were heard sniffling in the theatre and tissues were seen out in abundance. As one critic put it, “It’s not a matter of ‘if’ you’ll cry in the movie. It’s about ‘where’ and ‘how many times’. ”
We don’t say it often..not sure we’ve ever said it before, but this one is a “must see”. It is really all about “love, joy and abundant living”.
Jun 27
This spring the ABC hit comedy series “The Middle”, ended after 9 seasons and we said goodbye to the Heck family, Mike (the dad), Frankie (the mom), Axel (oldest child) ,Sue (middle child), and Brick (the youngest). If you were a fan, you know there were some very funny and very poignant moments that most families could relate to in one way or another. But one of the most significant scenes in the 9 year run came in the final episode. It was a scene in which the three siblings on the eve of Axel, the oldest, moving away, were reminiscing and discussing their feelings for the family and each other. Read more
Jun 26
Jun 25
It is hard to believe but it was nine years ago today that Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop” passed on. Read more
Jun 18
Jun 11
Here we are….again…. at the beginning of a new week. Now THIS week, please don’t forget Read more
Jun 8
Jun 6
Jun 5
According to the Sun, a British newspaper, Benedict Cumberbatch is a hero. Read more
Jun 4
May 30
This gentle-man needs no long introduction. He lead the people of India to independence in 1947. Here are 10 bits of advice he has for us all to help to change the world. They have been written by Henrik Edberg. Read more
May 28
May 24
We mentioned a variation of the above quote yesterday in our post as one of Fred Rogers’ questions. Mr. Rogers was a much-loved and often-watched television show for Littles and there was an absolute purity about the production each day. It was filled with love. For sure ….. Read more
May 23
Every neighborhood, no matter whether yours is in Manhattan or Timbuktu, could use more kindness. Read more
May 21
Some of the official photos have just been released…glorious! Read more
May 21
What day you might ask? Why, it’s the day of that very special wedding of Harry and Meghan, the now, Duke and Duchess of Sussex of course! We just had to do a recap of all the day’s festivities and fun…both ours and theirs 🙂 Read more
May 18
Well, there has been a lot of “wedmin” going on, for sure! “What is ‘wedmin’?”, you might well ask! Read more
May 7
May 3
Apr 30
Prince Harry and his soon to be wife, Meghan Markle, will be married on 19 May, 2018. The wedding will take place at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. And later that day a select few people have been invited by Prince Charles to an evening of dinner and dancing and celebrating at Frogmore House. Read more
Apr 24
Apr 18
In about one month’s time, the world will watch with joy while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unite in marriage at Windsor Castle in England. But, Read more
Apr 12
On Higher Perspective, we found these 9 Life Lessons From 100 Year Olds and felt sure you, our chums, would love to hear them. Read more
Apr 11
Mar 29
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coiffed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. Read more
Mar 28
St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
With the royal wedding happening on 19 May, 2018, we are certainly counting down! A few etiquette tips: Read more
Mar 21
Your Two Chums are touched by many things and this is one of them. Read more
Mar 13
Feb 28
Feb 22
What a profound perspective and message! Billy Graham died yesterday at the age of 99. This humble and unassuming man has had a huge impact on our world for nearly 100 years. There are so many, many reasons for this…. Read more
Feb 20