Corporate Officials reveal the 2015 Durango Toy Depot Thanksholiday bag in Durango Colorado. "The design is actually no different than the company uses any other time of the year" said the President in her brief statement. "We just want to clarify that the ink color is actually raspberry not red because we thought it sounded good." Company spokesperson, Heuss went on to say, "It isn't what you carry in your hand, but what you carry in your heart!"

What in tarnation is a redneck?

You Might Be A Redneck If.... This is a Test.....

 You Might Be a Redneck If...Game. In this game, the aim is to travel around the 'town' board and collect a variety of items. These are then taken back to your starting trailer. The winner is the player who manages to amass the most objects, ranging from jerky to a hound dog. Locations players can visit along the way include a flea market and bait store, all colorfully depicted in a satirical cartoon style. Designed for between two and four players, this fun board game is an ideal choice for parties or an afternoon or evening's entertainment with friends and family over 16 years of age.

Where in tarnation did the term "Redneck come from?"

"The term characterized farmers having a red neck caused by sunburn from hours working in the fields. A citation from 1893 states a definition as "poorer inhabitants of the rural districts...men who work in the field, as a matter of course, generally have their skin stained red and burnt by the sun, and especially is this true of the back of their necks"

By 1900, "rednecks" was in common use to designate the political factions inside the Democratic Party comprising economically challenged white farmers in the South. The same group was also often called the "wool hat boys" (for they opposed the upper echelon men, who wore expensive silk hats). A newspaper notice in Mississippi in August 1891 called on rednecks to rally at the polls at the upcoming primary election.

By the 1970s, the term had become offensive slang, and its meaning had expanded to mean bigoted, loutish, and opposed to modern ways. It was often used as a term to attack Southern white conservatives and racists.

In 1993 Jeff Foxworthy (the comedian) released an album called "You Might Be A Redneck If...." based on his stand up comedy routine. By telling jokes and having people looking at their own behavior, Foxworthy was able to mainstream the use of the term.

Believe it or not, the term redneck was also used outside the United States.

In Scotland in the 1640s, the Scottish Presbyterian movement rejected rule by bishops, often signing manifestos using their own blood. Some wore red cloth around their neck to signify their position, and were called rednecks by the Scottish ruling class to denote that they were the rebels. Eventually, the term began to mean "Presbyterian", especially in communities along the Scottish border.

The #semicolon tattoo

Have you seen anyone with a tattoo like this?

Did you ask them what it meant?

I am moved to share this information.

In 2012, over 43 million Americans dealt with some form of mental illness. Mental illness is not uncommon, yet there is a stigma around it that prevents a lot of people from talking about it.
More conversations that lead to less stigma? Yes please.
"The semicolon tattoo is a conversation starter," People ask what it is and we get to tell them the purpose."
"I think if you see someone's tattoo that you're interested in, that's fair game to start a conversation with someone you don't know," It provides a great opportunity to talk. Tattoos are interesting marks we put on our bodies that are important to us."
Why the semicolon? It wasn't because someone is a grammar nerd, it wasn't because it was a simple design but rather because it signifies a sentence the author, YOU, could have ended but chose not to. The sentence is your life.
This mark represents mental health struggles and the importance of suicide prevention.

Project Semicolon was born from a social media movement in 2013.

They describe themselves as a "movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction, and self-injury. Project Semicolon exists to encourage, love, and inspire."
Originally created as a day where people were encouraged to draw a semicolon on their bodies and photograph it, it quickly grew into something greater and more permanent. Today, people all over the world are tattooing the mark as a reminder of their struggle, victory, and survival.

And it's not just about the conversation — it's about providing tangible support and help too.

Jenn and Jeremy work with the Agora Crisis Center. Founded in 1970, it's one of the oldest crisis centers in the country. Through The Semicolon Tattoo Project, they've been able to connect even more people with the help they need during times of crisis.

So next time you see this small punctuation tattoo, remember the words of Upworthy writer Parker Molloy:

"I recently decided to get a semicolon tattoo. Not because it's trendy (though, it certainly seems to be at the moment), but because it's a reminder of the things I've overcome in my life. I've dealt with anxiety, depression, and gender dysphoria for the better part of my life, and at times, that led me down a path that included self-harm and suicide attempts.
But here I am, years later, finally fitting the pieces of my life together in a way I never thought they could before. The semicolon (and the message that goes along with it) is a reminder that I've faced dark times, but I'm still here."

No matter how we get there, the end result is so important: help and support for more people to also be able to say " I'm still here."

Check out these valuable resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  ::  1.800.273.TALK (273-8255)

National Child Abuse Hotline  ::  1.800.4.A.CHILD (422-4453)

National Domestic Violence Hotline  ::  1.800.799.SAFE (799-7233)

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)  ::  1.800.656.HOPE (656-4673)

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ)  ::  1.866.4.U.TREVOR (488-7386)

National Eating Disorder Association  ::  1.800.931.2237

 

 

Durango Aids Awareness

We're at Rotary Park this morning with our giant bag of toys and games! Join us and cheer on the fun run participants!

Every Friday

Every Friday I choose something from one of the 

shelves in the store and take a photo with it!

Then,  that photo of me with the item gets posted on our Facebook page

 https://www.facebook.com/DurangoToyDepot

This has become a Friday tradition.

We give our Facebook followers from Friday till Sunday to comment on, like, or share the aforementioned post to be entered to win whatever item it is I'm holding. 

The fun for us is that we get to read all the comments are followers post and we do get a chuckle out of each and every one of them! There really aren't many restrictions, just plain old fun! We  do this because....

1. We want to!

2. It's a great way to kick off the weekend....

3. Our giveaway is one more reason to look forward to Friday!

4. Smiles & Giggles
5. In a way, it's a way for us to pay it forward.

6. I get to Instigate some fun!
7. I look forward to Fridays.
8. Surprise!
9. It's a break in the routine!
10. The Friday giveaway makes me feel good!

Empowering our daughters to listen to their bodies!

 Empowering our children to listen to their bodies and not stereotypes!

Kasey Edwards’ daughter Violet is only four, but she’s already learning an unpleasant lesson: “women policing other women’s appetites is a great conversation starter, or even a bonding ritual.” In a Daily Life op-ed, Edwards writes about how a woman commented on the chocolate cake and ice cream that Violet was eating at a cafe, asking her: “You're not going to eat all of that, are you?" Edwards observes that "the woman meant her comment to be friendly, but it was the only thing [the stranger] commented on to Violet.”

In musing about this "policing" of girls' and women's appetites, Edwards writes, “Babies are born understanding their own appetites. They know when they’re full and when they’re hungry. Everyone around babies trusts them to regulate their own appetites. But as they grow, rather than teaching them to honor and listen to their bodies, we teach girls in so many ways that not only is their appetite not to be trusted but something to be ashamed of... Eating – or that lack of it – becomes a performance. Satisfying our body’s wants and needs is secondary to satisfying the expectations of the people around us.”

  
“This early policing becomes so ingrained in our way of thinking that later in life women come to believe they need it,” Edwards says. “Women are bombarded with unsolicited diet advice on a daily basis about what's okay to eat, when it's okay to eat it, what macro-nutrient we should be avoiding this month, and how many calories we should or shouldn't be consuming. All of this reinforces the belief that we can’t trust our bodies. We approach our bodies as if they are unruly and deceitful enemies that need to be battled with and contained. And that we need to enlist a small army of soldiers to assist in conquering it.”

“Violet is in kindergarten and already people — even complete strangers — are judging her food choices, intimating that she should distrust these choices and that her appetite should be ignored,” Edwards writes. “Back in the café Violet stopped for a moment, smiled at the woman and continued eating her cake. She didn’t eat all her cake... At four years old, she stopped eating because she was full and didn’t want any more. But I wonder how long it will be until she no longer hears or trusts her body and stops eating because she’s afraid that somebody is watching. And judging.”

Have you observed people policing your own Mighty Girl's or other women's appetites or women doing the same to themselves?

For a few great books about the importance of loving yourself -- regardless of the input from others -- check out "I Like Myself" for ages 3 to 8 , "A Smart Girl's Guide to Liking Herself, Even on the Bad Days" for ages 9 to 12 , and "The Body Image Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help Girls Develop a Healthy Body Image in an Image-Obsessed World" for ages 13+
 
For an excellent resource for teens on eating disorders that helps them examine their relationship with food, check out "What's Eating You?: A Workbook for Teens with Anorexia, Bulimia, and Other Eating Disorders" for ages 13 and up

How to Tell A Fortune

Take it from one who knows! 

Come closer and let Zoltar tell your fortune no?

Here's some interesting fortune telling methods you may have never heard of!

Alectryomancy was the practice of divining the future through the fortune telling powers of a pure white chicken. First, a chicken was placed amid piles of grain. Each pile represented a letter, and the answer the diviner sought was spelled out by the chicken pecking at the piles.

Parrot Astrology originated in southern India and gained the most popularity in Singapore. Despite its name, the birds used to divine the future are actually parakeets, usually green. Though every fortune-teller has his own unique style, a session often begins with the customer saying their name while the fortune-teller sets out a number of cards based on Indian cosmology. They will then open the bird’s cage, and the parakeet walks out and selects a card to determine the customer’s fortune. Once a card is chosen, the bird returns to its cage.

Asparamancy A self-fashioned “asparamancer” residing in England, mystic Jemima Packington, claims to be able to predict the future using spears of asparagus. She says she has been reading asparagus since she was eight years old, having inherited the “gift” from her grandmother, who practiced reading tea leaves. Her method of divination amounts to tossing the vegetables in the air and “reading” how they land.

 Pawmistry

“Pawmistry” is like palmistry! You can learn to read your cat's paw from a book. Pawmistry: How to Read Your Cats Paws claims to teach you how to read your cat’s fortune via the lines and shape of its feet. Performing a reading, the authors claim, will make you a better caregiver with a deeper understanding of your pet.

Automatic writing is writing without conscious effort. The messages scrawled were believed to come from outside entities, at least at first. It came into vogue as a way to communicate with supernatural beings, especially the dead, and aliens after its use by the Fox sisters, famed diviners who have been linked to the creation of spiritualism.

Read about Zoltar at  http://durangotoydepot.com/zoltar-forunte-teller-machine-speaks.html