One annual celebration you might be forgiven for not participating in (or even knowing about) is World Soil Day. Yes, soil—as in that sticky brown stuff that gets walked all over your prized cream carpets. Sadly, it is our ignorance about the importance of soil and the degree to which we take advantage of all that it offers that have led to a drastic reduction in its quality the world over. These are precisely the problems World Soil Day aims to battle, as few things could be more important to us, the inhabitants of Planet Earth, who could never hope to survive without the land. Soil is one without a doubt of the most significant parts of the ecosystem, contributing to our food, water and energy and playing an important part in reducing the impact of climate change. For all of these reasons, it’s high time World Soil Day became known to more people than just scientists concerned about the welfare of our planet.
In 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) made a resolution proposing the 5th of December be World Soil Day in order to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being. 2015 was also declared to be the Internationals Year of Soils in hopes of raising as much awareness as possible about the enormous role soil plays in food security. Unsurprisingly, so far it’s mostly been the global community of 60,000 or so soil scientists who have been the ones celebrating the day the most. The chances of us ordinary folk exchanging ‘Happy Soil Day’ cards in the near future remain minimal, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn to appreciate the important roles that soil plays in our lives (even if it is darn hard to scrub off the carpet when your nearest and dearest feline friends leave muddy footprints on their way to the kitchen).
The best way to celebrate this day is to do exactly what scientists the world over so badly needs to: educate ourselves. An enormous amount of damage is done to the planet every year due not to ill will, but to ignorance—many of us simply do not know enough about the earth to know when we are damaging it, sometimes irreparably. As it turns out, there are a number of things we regular people can do that can greatly help the soil we live off of remain in good condition. For example, we can plant a rain garden. For those of you who may not know what a rain garden is, it’s a shallow depression in the yard or garden rainwater can easily flow into, which helps reduce soil erosion.
It is also a good idea to reduce the amount of surfaces such as driveways and patios to a minimum, as water flowing over them gains momentum and causes more erosion than it normally would once it reaches the soil. If you absolutely must have that patio, you could consider having it built with paving stones so rainwater can flow directly downward into the soil instead. Another simple way you could go about conserving soil (and in this case, water as well) is to have a rain barrel placed somewhere where it can collect rainwater flowing off your roof, which you can then use to water your lawn. Whatever you decide to do, remember that even the smallest gestures can make a big difference to Mother Nature!
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) Moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles. | ||
| Synonyms: | depravation, depravity, degeneracy, corruption | ||
| Usage: | The country had fallen into a state of moral putrefaction, with corruption running rampant throughout the government ranks. | ||
Idiom of the Day
king of the hill— The most powerful, successful, or authoritative person in a group or organization. |
History
Christopher Columbus Becomes the First European on Hispaniola (1492)
Soon after landing on the island now known as Hispaniola—home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti—Columbus returned to Spain with news of the New World, leaving behind a group of colonists. On his second expedition, he discovered that the colony had been destroyed, and he established another one. The new colony soon fell into a state of disorder, which he tried to quell with strict discipline. The colonists appear to have disliked Columbus's tyrannical leadership.
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney (1901)
Disney began his career as a cartoonist in 1920. By the time he died in 1966, he had built an entertainment empire. His enormously successful cartoons and films—both animated and live-action—employed groundbreaking technology and introduced now-famous characters such as Mickey Mouse. A skilled businessman as well as an innovator, Disney oversaw his company's expansion into theme parks and mass merchandising.
Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas's Eve)
Very little is known about St. Nicholas's life, except that in the fourth century he was the bishop of Myra in what is now Turkey. On the eve of December 6 in the Netherlands, St. Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, rides into town on a white horse, dressed in his red bishop's robes and preceded by "Black Peter," a figure in Moorish costume who rewards the good children with candy and gifts. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, and churches dedicated to him are often built so they can be seen off the coast as landmarks.
Yetis are real, they just also happen to be Himalayan brown bears
| It would be easy to dismiss the myth of the yeti as just that: a myth. There's no conclusive evidence that a giant, ape-like creature lives in the Himalayas (or anywhere else, for that matter). |
Yetis are real, they just also happen to be Himalayan brown bears
1766 - James Christie, founder of the famous auctioneers, held his first sale in London.
1776 - In Williamsburg, VA, at the College of William and Mary the first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized.
1782 - The first native U.S. president, Martin Van Buren, was born in Kinderhook, NY.
1848 - U.S. President Polk triggered the Gold Rush of '49 by confirming the fact that gold had been discovered in California.
1876 - The Stillson wrench was patented by D.C. Stillson. The device was the first practical pipe wrench.
1908 - At the University of Pittsburgh, numerals were first used on football uniforms worn by college football players.
1932 - German physicist Albert Einstein was granted a visa making it possible for him to travel to the U.S.
1933 - Prohibition came to an end when Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.
1951 - The first push button-controlled garage opened in Washington, DC.
1958 - Britain's first motorway, the Preston by-pass, was opened by Prime Minister Macmillan.
1978 - The American space probe Pioneer Venus I, orbiting Venus, began beaming back its first information and picture of the planet.
1979 - Sonia Johnson was formally excommunicated by the Mormon Church due to her outspoken support for the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.
2010 - NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft became the longest-operating spacecraft ever sent to Mars. The Odyssey entered orbit around Mars on October 23, 2001.
2014 - NASA's Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) debuted when it was launched for a four hour test flight. It landed on target in the Pacific Ocean.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, December 5
You are a true visionary with the intelligence and creativity to back it up. You are truly ahead of your time. You are resourceful and very quick to take care of the things that need to be done. Freedom-loving always, you don’t appreciate being confined or stereotyped whatsoever. You are very sharp and witty, sometimes surprising others with your astute perceptions and quips. You value loyalty in others most. You can sometimes be a little hard on others, as you do expect honesty and integrity and become quite impatient with anything less. Famous people born today: Walt Disney, Little Richard, Jose Maria Carreras, Margaret Cho, Nick Stahl, Frankie Muniz.
1.
He's been a 'folkfan' since childhood. Visit co-writer
PATTY's son in law's blog which celebrates folk artists
and songwriters through cover songs. He believes that
music "belongs to the community."
Follow co-writer SALLY through her adventures in quilting, knitting and more! Visit her 'eye candy' blog!
3.
Thanks for volunteering, SHERI, to take care of feral cats in your community. Find out how you can become vital in your area!
Some of Sheri's feral kitties (laying on her knit blankie)
4.
Where does JANET NOGEL, reader, find the time to do so much for so many? Go visit her blog to look at various knit stitches, swatches and patterns galore - and to find inspiration.
Wreath Swatch
5.
Let's go learn about reader JAN's knitting, growing and hammering so that we can follow her love of photography and more .. much more!
An illustration by Sidney Hallfor Urania's Mirror, a set of 32 astronomical star chart cards first published in November 1824. These cards, which were based on Alexander Jamieson's A Celestial Atlas, had holes punched allowing them to be held up to the light to see a depiction of the constellation's stars.
This card, Plate 28 in the series, depicts six constellations: the defunct Psalterium Georgii ('George's Harp'), Fluvius Eridanus ('the river'), Cetus (also known as 'the whale'), Officina Sculptoris ('sculptor'), Fornax Chemica ('the furnace'), and the defunct Machina Electrica('the generator').
THE 'RED GOLDEN' PHEASANT IS MAJESTIC
and he knows it
The red golden pheasant or Chinese pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is a game-bird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae (pheasants). The genus name is from Ancient Greek khrusolophos, “with golden crest”, and pictus is Latin for “painted” from pingere, “to paint”.
It is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China, but feral populations have been established in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
The adult male is 90–105 cm (35–41 in) in length, its tail accounting for two-thirds of the total length. Despite the male’s showy appearance, these hardy birds are very difficult to see in their natural habitat, which is dense, dark young conifer forests with sparse undergrowth. Consequently, little is known about their behavior in the wild.
thanks, Maddy
knit
thanks, Eve
knit, Christmas
knit, Christmas ornament
thanks, Clara
crochet
thanks, Helen
crochet
crochet, Christmas
English pattern towards bottom of page
crochet, Christmas ornament
thanks, Molly
thanks, Ella
Make something eco-friendly for this Christmas! This project can be a great and fun project to try out with the kids.
Materials:
Dry twigs
Craft wire and pliers
Beads, ornaments, decoration supplies
Hotglue gun
Step-1: Collect dry twigs of different sizes, make sure that the twigs aren’t too fragile. You’ll need to prepare the twigs to create a Christmas tree pattern as shown in this picture.
Step-2: Use 3 pieces of twigs to secure the main body twigs on their places. I used hotglue gun to attach them. Once you’re done gluing all the twig pieces turn the twin tree pattern to the other side. We’ll decorate this side of the twig tree.
Step-4: Use colourful faux pearl beads, crystal beads, buttons, glitter, confetti for decoration. Once you’re done decorating attach a hanging mechanism at the back side.
Done!
Tropical Fish Blues Jigsaw Puzzle
| arise birth bleed cairn caught char conference | detect festive friend horse host learn legal | matter moonshine murder neat obtain paste ponytail | rotor score secretary sense stack start steed stuff suet | tarn thought toes tone touch truth typewriter velocity |
solution:
QUOTE
SHOWER CURTAIN DECORATION
Duck Tape Christmas Tree
sweatersurgery
EYE OPENER ... Chanukah
Why Do We Eat Latkes on Hanukkah?
These delicious pancakes celebrate the miracle of the oil — but potatoes are a relatively newfangled tradition.
thenosher
One of the best parts about Chanukah is arguably the fried food, especially the latkes! Emblematic of the olive oil that miraculously lasted eight days, latkes are a delicious way to tell the story of this eight-night holiday.
But if you think about it, potato latkes are kind of a newfangled tradition! Potatoes certainly hadn’t crossed the Atlantic when Jews first celebrated their liberation from the Syrian-Greeks, so what did they eat? And when did potato latkes rise to such popularity? What traditions were left behind?
The late food historian and rabbi Gil Marks had the answer in a 2010 article: We’re not exactly sure what foods were traditionally made prior to the 14th century, when two types of Hanukkah foods emerged on the record, dairy foods and fried foods.
The Sephardic Jews made many variations of fried sweets for the holiday, while Ashkenazi Jews in Northern Europe made fried blintzes and donuts. Italian Jews in the 15th century made fried ricotta cheese pancakes (“cassola”) which were arguably the first “latkes.” Fried cheese commemorated the heroine Judith, who was central to Hanukkah celebrations during this time.
Latke recipes changed from region to region, depending on what resources were plentiful and accessible. In Northern and Eastern Europe, for example, schmaltz (chicken fat) or duck fat was used in place of oil. Along with cheese latkes, buckwheat latkes were the norm. Roasted goose, a seasonally anticipated dish, was also traditional on the Ashkenazi table.
Initially regarded with suspicion and fear, ugly, knobby potatoes were soon embraced by the peasants of Europe in the late 18th century due to a series of crop failures and famine. Potatoes safeguarded them against the unpredictable rise and fall of grain prices, and kept them healthy and full. In fact, according to the Smithsonian Magazine, potatoes were so successful in Europe that “the effective result, in terms of calories, was to double Europe’s food supply.”
Thus, potatoes changed the diet of Europe, became central to Hanukkah latkes, and the rest of the day-to-day menu.
Classic Potato Latkes Recipe
Ingredients
5 large potatoes, peeled
1 small onion
2 eggs lightly beaten
¼ cup bread crumbs, matzah meal or flour
1½ tsp coarse salt (1 tsp if using kosher salt)
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Grate potatoes coarsely or finely, according to your preference. Finely grate the onion.
Place grated potatoes and onion in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze tightly until all of the liquid is strained.
Place the strained potatoes and onion in a large bowl and add the eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Heat the 1-inch of oil in a large pan and drop 6 to 8 spoonfuls of mixture into hot oil. Using the back of a spoon, pat down each latke to flatten it. Put as many as you can in the skillet without crowding. Putting them too close together will make them soggy.
Fry 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp around the edges; repeat procedure until finished with all the batter.
Blot excess oil with paper towels and serve warm with desired topping.
Can't get enough of the Bolero. Used to lay on the floor in front of the stereo and listen to it. Also, glad to see you mentioned Janet. Her dishcloth KAL is great.
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