Tuesday, February 10, 2015

DEC 22, 2014

Forefathers’ Day is a commemoration of the pilgrims who sailed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Mayflower, in 1620. As they had left England in search of better days, the Pilgrim Fathers settled on US territory, which they subsequently christened New England. And as they had set sail from Plymouth, England, they decided to give their landing spot the whimsical name of Plymouth Rock. Therefore, Forefathers’ Day is a holiday celebrated mainly in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 22. The holiday was introduced to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1769, so it has quite a long history and tradition. 
Celebrate Forefathers’ Day by feasting on a traditional recipe for succotash just to get a tiny taste of all the hardships and discomforts that they had to go through to help make America what it is today. Succotash is in no way bad-tasting, mind you; it just doesn’t have much to offer in the way of nutrition when you think about all of the hard, physical work that had to be done at that time. Make it yourself using this easy recipe:
Forefathers’ Style Succotash
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh lima beans
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 tablespoons oil
4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Place lima beans in a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Sauté diced onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Stir in corn; cook, stirring often, 6 minutes or until corn is tender. Stir in beans and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in butter, and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chives.


Word of the Day

idiosyncrasy 


Definition:(noun) A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.
Synonyms:peculiarity
Usage:
Of all her idiosyncrasies, I find her tendency to dance while cooking the most charming
.

History


Jean Racine


Though Racine bore substantial criticism from his contemporaries, he is now considered one of France's "big three" 17th-century dramatists, along with Corneille and Molière. Racine's tragedies are a prime example of French classicism, and his Alexandrine verse is considered exceptional in its harmony, simplicity, and elegance. His Andromaque, about the tragic folly of passionate love, earned him recognition as France's leading tragic dramatist.

McDonald's Rationing French Fries in Japan


The 3,100 some McDonald's restaurants in Japan have begun offering only the small size of French fries in an emergency step to avoid the possibility of completely running out of fries at some locations before the end of the year. The shortage of French fries is due to delays in the shipping of frozen fries from ports on the West coast of the US. A number of factors have led to the delays, including a lengthy labor dispute between dockworkers and shipping terminals. A representative of McDonald's Japan said restaurants will not limit the amount of orders of small fries a customer can purchase
.

1895 - German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen made the first X-ray, of his wife's hand. 


1956 - Colo, the first gorilla to be born in captivity, was born at the Columbus, Ohio zoo. 


1981 - A rock 'n' roll auction in London brought in $2,000 for a letter of introduction from Buddy Holly to Decca Records. John and Cynthia Lennon’s marriage certificate was sold for $850 and an autographed program from the world premiere of the Beatles film "Help!" brought in $2,100.


1990 - Lech Walesa was sworn in as Poland's first popularly elected president.

A road sign for the village of Schneeberg, translated as Snow Mountain, is covered with ice after freezing fog and rain in northern Austria
A road sign for the village of Schneeberg, translated as Snow Mountain, is covered with ice after freezing fog and rain hit the region in northern Austria

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Lacy Boxy Top pattern by Lisa Richardson
Gauge 22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches in Stocking Stitch
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Reversible Chevron Scarf pattern by Debbie Seton
I love a reversible scarf - no need to worry about which side is showing!
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knit (no pic available), Claire’s caplet from “Outlander”

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Remote Caddy/Koosi pattern by Franna Pitt
I used about 5.6 ounces of yarn for this project. Dimensions are included and are easily altered.
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Fox Bracelet pattern by Stephanie Koras
The circumference of my arm is 15,5 cm.
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Crocheted Cupcake Coasters pattern by Louis Mensinger
Keep your coffee tables safe and cute with this free pattern for some crocheted cupcake coasters! They’re quick and easy!
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crochet knotted headband pattern by Britt Walker
hook it! add to faves to queue About this pattern crochet knotted headband by Britt Walker average rating of 5.0 from 3 votes average difficulty from 3 use...
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Snowman Christmas Ornament Knitting Pattern pattern ...
This took me less than an hour to finish each one….
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X-mas Penguins pattern by Stephanie Koras
Camilla by Woll Butt Sport / 5 ply 100% Cotton 136 yards / 50 grams average rating from 33 votes 312 projects, stashed 136 times
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clever!

 
 
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Christmas Tree Napkin Fold
Learning this Christmas tree napkin fold technique really upped my holiday table setting game and I'd like to spread the (napkin) joy. The following ...
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Three Ingredient Low-Fat Creamsicle Cake | The Daily Dis...
All you need is a box of cake mix, a container of Greek yogurt and a cup or orange juice to create this low-fat cake that tastes just like an orange creamsicle!
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{DIY} Keds x Kate Spade Champion Glitter Shoes | Twins...
Do you love the Kate Spade for Keds Holiday Collection? Make your own glitter shoes for a fraction of then price!
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Handmade Gifts 2014- Easy Painted Toy Animal Magnets
Happy Friday everyone! This week has just flown by so far! I am behind as usual, how does that always happen this time of year! Before we get into the weeken...
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'hello' in Cantonese: So san, lei ho

Fractured Flower : An optical illusion of the illusory motion variety.   abstract, motion,illusion,optical illusion,blue,yellow,orange, anomalous motion, flower



MASTERPIECES


Suprematist Composition, 1916 by Kazimir Malevich

During the closing ceremonies of the Olympics in Sochi, reference was made to Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich, but not much else was said about him. He is one of the most important artists of the 20th century, less famous than Picasso, but no less important. This is considered to be one of the most important pieces of 20th century art and in his treatise of 1916 Malevich explained that he wanted to concentrate on color and texture and to move beyond traditional representation.

Gone by Isabella Kirkland, 2004.

Influenced by the exacting reality of the Dutch Still-life, artist Isabella Kirkland studies the plants and animals she depicts in her detailed artwork. In Gone, she shows us species lost to man's expansion through colonization by both hunting and our tendency toward being oblivious to everything but ourselves. 

Child Wearing a Red Scarf by Edouard Vuillard, c. 1891, The National Gallery of Art (US)

This piece is not very big, but I just love the little girl. She seems so proud to be wearing that "grown-up" scarf. Vuillard was interested in color and he and other like-minded art students (Pierre Bonnard was one) were influenced by Paul Gauguin's use of color and Symbolism and belonged to a group called Les Nabis. 

Meissen Figure Group, artist Johann JoachimKändler, c. 1745-50, 

Meissen porcelain was named after the town where porcelain began to be manufactured in 1710. The key to the success of these European porcelain makers, was that they had managed to replicate the hard-paste porcelain techniques that the Chinese had developed and kept secret for centuries. Most people associate Meissen with highly decorative figurines like the one above, but all different types of ceramic goods were manufactured in the area.

Flamingoes by Sydney Long, c. 1905-06, The National Gallery of Australia

Long's work was often controversial because of the subject matter he chose to portray in his languid art nouveau style. He was fond of nudes and tranquil scenes. He often chose flamingos as a subject matter and this is perhaps his most stylistic version of the subject matter, where colors and curves become the focus rather than a realistic portrayal. After 1918 he concentrated on print making translating many of his most popular paintings into prints.

 Divine Law by Violet OakleyThe Pennsylvania Capital Murals, Harrisburg, 1906.

Violet Oakley was the first woman to receive a major mural commission in the United States when she received the commission for the murals at the Pennsylvania State Capital in 1902.  She studied at the Art Students League and with the great illustrator Howard Pyle. She began her career as an illustrator which served her well in the stories she told with her narrative murals.

The Poisoned Cup (aka "Carrying a Peacock") by John Dawson-Watson, 1869
 
John Dawson-Watson was a British Impressionist whose early work seems very similar to John Everett Millais of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood fame. The rich colors and attention to detail found in this work becomes looser and more pastel after he studies Impressionism at Monet's home in Giverny.


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