There’s one thing that represents October more than anything else, and it’s not Halloween (though it’s involved). That thing? The pumpkin. It starts appearing on shelves and farmers market’s stands on the last week or two of September, and is the herald that lets you know that Pumpkin Pies, Jack-o-Lanterns, and all the joys of fall are just around the corner. Pumpkin Day celebrates these noble squash’s, and the history and tradition tied up in their iconic orangeness.
Often when people think of Halloween, they think of Jack-o-Lanterns and pumpkins, and even when you’re looking at that ‘false medieval’ imagery that’s present in most fantasy games, you’ll regularly see pumpkins being present, especially during Halloween events. What many people don’t know is that the pumpkin is actually a plant from the new world, like all squash, so the image of pumpkin jack-o-lanterns in front of ancient medieval homes is just plain wrong. These are an all American (and South American) plant, and the jack-o-lantern at Halloween is a distinctly New World thing.
So let’s learn a little bit about the Pumpkin in honor of Pumpkin Day, starting with what the word pumpkin means. It’s pretty simple, as it comes from the Greek word pepon, or ‘Large Melon’, but it didn’t go straight to pumpkin. First it was pompon to the French, and then pumpion to the British. It was the Americans that finally changed the word to its present Pumpkin, and so it’s been ever since! Pumpkin Day is a great opportunity to add this delicious squash to your diet, whether in the form of a traditional pumpkin pie, or a rich and savory pumpkin soup.
The first step to celebrating Pumpkin Day is simple, get out there and get yourself a bunch of pumpkins! Alright, maybe that’s a bit much, maybe instead you could just stop off at your favorite grocery store or restaurant and order yourself up a great big slice of pumpkin pie. Not in the mood for pie? Pumpkin Spice lattes are going to be hitting the shelves at your local coffee shops (Starbucks is particular fond of trotting them out this time of year). If you’re feeling really inventive, go back to square one and buy a bunch of pumpkins, roast them, and make yourself an all pumpkin meal! Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Muffins, and a warm cup of Pumpkin Spice Coffee for dessert!
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) A comfortable or complacent member of the middle class. | ||
| Synonyms: | bourgeois | ||
| Usage: | From the serfs of the Middle Ages sprang the chartered burghers of the earliest towns. | ||
Idiom of the Day
have (something) on— To be busy or engaged with something; to have plans to do something at a particular point in time. |
History
Erie Canal Opens (1825)
The Erie Canal is a New York waterway that runs between Albany and Buffalo, linking the Hudson River with Lake Erie. It was born out of the need for an all-American water route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast that became evident after the American Revolution. The canal contributed greatly to the development of New York City and the Midwest, allowing for the transport of people and supplies.
François Mitterrand (1916)
| Initially a supporter of the Vichy government during World War II, Mitterrand joined the Resistance in 1943. After the war, he held cabinet posts in 11 Fourth Republic governments. He ran unsuccessfully against Charles de Gaulle's government in 1965 but was elected president in 1981 and 1988, after which he strongly promoted European integration. Mitterrand retired in 1995, having served longer than any other French president. |
Rama Ekadashi
Ekadashi is the Hindi word for "eleventh." Hindus observe 24 11th-day fasts during the course of the Hindu year, although some are more important than others. Each Ekadashi is held in honor of a different Hindu legend and has specific religious duties associated with it. Eating rice, however, is prohibited on all Ekadashi. According to legend, a demon was born of the sweat that fell from Brahma's head on this day, and Brahma instructed it to inhabit the rice grains eaten by people on Ekadashi and to turn into worms in their stomachs.
Out of This World: How Artists Imagine Planets Yet Unseen
When scientists recently announced that they had discovered a new planet orbiting our closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centuri, they also released an artist's conception of the planet.READ MORE:
Out Of This World: How Artists Imagine Planets Yet Unseen
1774 - The First Continental Congress of the U.S. adjourned in Philadelphia.
1854 - Charles William Post was born. He was the inventor of "Grape Nuts," "Postum" and "Post Toasties."
1858 - H.E. Smith patented the rotary-motion washing machine.
1881 - The "Gunfight at the OK Corral" took place in Tombstone, AZ. The fight was between Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and Doc Holiday and the Ike Clanton Gang.
1955 - New York City's "The Village Voice" was first published.
1958 - Pan American Airways flew its first Boeing 707 jetliner from New York City to Paris.
1970 - "Doonesbury," the comic strip by Gary Trudeau, premiered in 28 newspapers across the U.S.
DAILY SQU-EEK
READER'S BLOG
Every week, another free resource – a pattern or another useful knitting resource – is available for free download.
Pictures of the day
A diagram showing a timeline of the formation of the Universe from the Big Bang 13.799 ± 0.021 billion years ago through the "Dark Ages", formation of the earliest galaxies and stars, and the dark-energy dominated era. Size is depicted by the vertical extent of the grid in this graphic, while chronological time follows the horizontal axis.
knit
thanks, sue
knit, halloween
knit
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TX098 Alpacotton Twist Front Top
Katia Alpacotton Twist Front Top is fast and easy to make, this beautiful hand knit is available in Australia through www.texyarns.Katia Alpacotton is the most beau...
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit, halloween
crochet, halloween
crochet
thanks, joanne
crochet, halloweenthanks, sue
crochet
crochet, halloween
RECIPE
MAMA'S BEST BROILED TOMATO SANDWICH
CROCKPOT RECIPE
SWEETS, crockpot
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Slow Cooker Cinnamon Pecans - Creme De La Crumb
Sugary cinnamon pecans made in your crock pot! These are so easy and dangerously addicting!!
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Preview by Yahoo
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ADULT COLORING
CRAFTS
thanks, kathy
Fall Leaf Garland
Materials:
Pressed Fall leaves (collect them then press them in a book for about a few days)
Elmer's Glue
Glitter
Scissors
Parchment or Freezer Paper
Yarn
Step 1:
Glue the pressed leaves to paper (parchment or freezer paper)
Step 2:
Cover leaves with glue and sprinkle with glitter
Step 3:
Allow to dry then cut each leaf out. Tip: If part of the leaf crumbles/falls off when you are working with them/gluing them on, just use the paper and cut around in the same shape of the leaf part that crumbled. Personally, I liked how this looked--with the paper
showing in place of where the leaf part would have been.
Step 4:
Punch holes with a hole-puncher in the top of each leaf
Step 5:
Gather your yarn and thread through each hole-punched leaf
Step 6:
Form a knot where the yarn threads through each leaf to hold it in place. I looped the yarn then kept wrapping a knotting it around forming a knot.
Step 7:
Pull the leaf down to the knot so it will stay in place. You can add a knot on the backside too--but I didn't and my leaves stayed in place well.
Step 8:
Drape your garland on the table or around your Christmas Tree or hang them where you please
Step 1:
Glue the pressed leaves to paper (parchment or freezer paper)
Step 2:
Cover leaves with glue and sprinkle with glitter
Step 3:
Allow to dry then cut each leaf out. Tip: If part of the leaf crumbles/falls off when you are working with them/gluing them on, just use the paper and cut around in the same shape of the leaf part that crumbled. Personally, I liked how this looked--with the paper
showing in place of where the leaf part would have been.
Step 4:
Punch holes with a hole-puncher in the top of each leaf
Gather your yarn and thread through each hole-punched leaf
Step 6:
Form a knot where the yarn threads through each leaf to hold it in place. I looped the yarn then kept wrapping a knotting it around forming a knot.
Step 7:
Pull the leaf down to the knot so it will stay in place. You can add a knot on the backside too--but I didn't and my leaves stayed in place well.
Step 8:
Drape your garland on the table or around your Christmas Tree or hang them where you please
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... halloween
Halloween Rock Painting
multiplesandmore
PUZZLE
Tennis Balls Blue Jigsaw Puzzle
QUOTE
thanks, sheri
Kneaded Eraser
Get scuff marks out of wood and leather with an eraser.
VINTAGE APPLIANCES
Question: In this age of electric appliances for every task, we sometimes forget just how much work it used to take to prepare food. This metal-and-glass nut-meat chopper reminds me just how lucky we are today. From the looks of it, shelled nuts were dropped into the top, and then the handle was cranked to grind them up, after which the ground nuts were deposited in the jar. How old do you think the chopper is, and what do you gauge its value to be?
Answer: The Washburn Co. of Worcester, Mass., manufactured kitchen utensils bearing the Androck name from the 1920s into the 1970s. Androck flour sifters, batter whips and onion choppers could be found in most American kitchens in the 20th century. Androck nut-meat choppers were produced in great numbers for many years. Shelled nuts are chopped by the metal teeth in the hopper when the handle is turned. Hazel-Atlas Glass Co. of Wheeling, W.V., supplied the glass container that screwed onto the chopper. It holds about a half cup of chopped nuts. These utensils are still readily available and sell for $15 or less.
-- By Tom Hoepf, associate editor of Auction Central News
Question: In this age of electric appliances for every task, we sometimes forget just how much work it used to take to prepare food. This metal-and-glass nut-meat chopper reminds me just how lucky we are today. From the looks of it, shelled nuts were dropped into the top, and then the handle was cranked to grind them up, after which the ground nuts were deposited in the jar. How old do you think the chopper is, and what do you gauge its value to be?
Answer: The Washburn Co. of Worcester, Mass., manufactured kitchen utensils bearing the Androck name from the 1920s into the 1970s. Androck flour sifters, batter whips and onion choppers could be found in most American kitchens in the 20th century. Androck nut-meat choppers were produced in great numbers for many years. Shelled nuts are chopped by the metal teeth in the hopper when the handle is turned. Hazel-Atlas Glass Co. of Wheeling, W.V., supplied the glass container that screwed onto the chopper. It holds about a half cup of chopped nuts. These utensils are still readily available and sell for $15 or less.
-- By Tom Hoepf, associate editor of Auction Central News
Accounting Machine
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Question: I can just picture an accountant or bookkeeper hunched over this Paymaster accounting machine to crunch some numbers. It is in fairly good condition, with a little bit of wear on the wooden handle and a few dings here and there. My guess is that the machine dates to the 1930s or 1940s. Can you pinpoint its age and current value?
Answer: Although this device resembles an adding machine, it's described as a "check writer and protector." It "protected" a check by preventing the monetary amount from being changed. The device printed and embossed a value amount that was difficult to alter. The operator entered the dollar amount of the check by setting the tabs and then pulled the handle to print the amount on the check. The downward force left inked impressions in the paper. An eBay seller said that his grandfather purchased a new Paymaster model 400 in 1948, but the seven-digit patent number beginning with 211 indicates this device was being made as early as 1938. Because of limited demand for old-fashioned check writers, the value is less than $50.
-- By Tom Hoepf, associate editor of Auction Central News
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