Honesty Day is all about telling the truth. Be brave and share opinions, thoughts and perspectives that might otherwise go unsaid in order to be polite – but take care not to upset or offend others.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) A separation or division into factions. | ||
| Synonyms: | discord, split | ||
| Usage: | Heretics were burned for attempting to create a schism in the Catholic Church. | ||
History
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 | In the final days of World War II, as the Red Army of the Soviet Union was closing in on his underground bunker in Berlin, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler committed suicide by shooting himself while simultaneously biting into a cyanide capsule. Hitler's body and that of Eva Braun—his mistress whom he had wed the day before—were then placed in a bomb crater, doused with gasoline, and set on fire by German officials. | ||
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 | People who lived in the Harz Mountains of Germany believed for many centuries that witches rode across the sky on the eve of St. Walpurga's Day to hold a coven on Brocken Mountain. To frighten them off, people rang church bells, banged pots and pans, and lit torches topped with hemlock, rosemary, and juniper. The legend of Walpurgis Night is still celebrated in Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia with bonfires and other festivities designed to welcome spring by warding off demons, disaster, and darkness. St. Walpurga is the patron saint associated with protection against magic | ||
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| On the eve of the 2015 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest college nationals, six teams gather in Columbus, Ohio's Center of Science and Industry children's museum to set up their machines around the walls of the hangar-like space and eye up the competition. | |||
1789 - George Washington took office as first elected U.S. president.
1889 - George Washington's inauguration became the first U.S. national holiday.
1938 - Happy Rabbit appeared in the cartoon "Porky's Hare Hunt." This rabbit would later evolve into Bugs Bunny
1939 - Lou Gehrig played his last game with the New York Yankees.
1945 - Arthur Godfrey began his CBS radio morning show "Arthur Godfrey Time." It ran until this day in 1972.
1957 - Elvis recorded "Jailhouse Rock."
72, Today
Bobby Vee scored a #1 hit single with "Take Good Care of My Baby" in
1961. He recorded his first single, "Suzie Baby," at age sixteen. He has
had thirty-eight Billboard Hot 100 chart hits.
1961. He recorded his first single, "Suzie Baby," at age sixteen. He has
had thirty-eight Billboard Hot 100 chart hits.
Bobby and his band had to step in on February 3, 1959, known as The
Day the Music Died, and perform at the show Buddy Holly was scheduled
to play.
Day the Music Died, and perform at the show Buddy Holly was scheduled
to play.
82, Today
Nelson, one of the most recognized artists in country music, has
acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been
involved in activism for the legalization of marijuana.
acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been
involved in activism for the legalization of marijuana.
If You Were Born Today, April 30
You possess much in the way of common sense as well as a very practical nature. You have a straightforward manner, but you are also capable of great imagination. You can be quite determined, independent, and some might call you stubborn. Thoughtful and considerate, you enjoy making others happy in small but important ways. Famous people born today: Willie Nelson, Kirsten Dunst, Jill Clayburgh, Annie Dillard, Johnny Galecki.
Today is my son, Adrian's, 36th Birthday ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIDDO ... xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo .. I LOVE YOU .. mom :-)
| Picture of the day | |
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A detailed eighteenth-century map of Scandinavia by J. B. Homann, depicting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic states of Livonia, Latvia and Curlandia. The map notes fortified cities, villages, roads, bridges, forests, castles and topography. The elaborate title cartouche in the upper left quadrant features angels supporting a title curtain and a medallion supporting an alternative title in French, "Les Trois Covronnes du Nord".
Born in 1664, Homann became an engraver and cartographer in the late 17th century, and opened his own publishing house in 1702. In 1715 Emperor Charles VI appointed him Imperial Geographer of the Holy Roman Empire. Homann held the position until his death in 1724.
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Fireside Chat
Photograph by Muhammad Babar Swaleheen, National Geographic
While shooting at the seaside in the United Arab Emirates, Muhammad Babar Swaleheen was about to pack up when he spotted these men “discussing daily life” around a small fire. Swaleheen asked if he could photograph them, and “they gladly agreed.”
knit ... reversible softie
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Which Came First? pattern by Frankie Brown
Which came first … the chicken or the egg? With this reversible toy you can have both. The egg fits inside the chicken, turn it inside out and the chicken’s in...
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knit
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit
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Running Jack Knits: Week Nine: Googie
That's kind of a fun word, googie. Hee. Not as fun as squeegee or defenestrate, but up there.
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crochet
crochet
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Busy fingers, busy life...: Pattern: Crocheted Dishcloth...
* Click here for the printerfriendly version!* *Klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie!* General information This pattern is written in US Crochet terms.
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crochet
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Nicely Created For You: Tutorial for crocheting a bracel...
Fits 7 inches wrist. Here's how to make this crocheted bracelet: Materials * Crochet Hook 3.5mm * Tapestry needle * Scissors
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crochet
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The FatBottom Granny Square Bag pattern by Corrina Ricke
This Pattern is versatile. The yarn used for the bag pictured is considered “bulky”. If you so choose, Bernat Cotton or Lily Sugar & Cream works just as well,...
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crochet
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Simple Pencil Pouch Crochet Pattern
This post was originally shared by Persia Lou on Craftaholics Anonymous.
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RECIPE vegan, 3 ingredient
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CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea
Sweet Potato Chili (vegan!) Slow Cooker Recipe
This is a cheap, vegan meal that doesn't leave you hungry 15 minutes later. I promise.
The Ingredients.
Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. This is enough food to feed a family of 4 regular-sized, or 6 smallish people. Peel and chunk the sweet potato and add to the pot. Add diced onion. Follow with the red bell pepper, can of tomatoes, the beans, garlic, and seasonings. Pour in OJ and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the sweet potato is fork-tender (if you want the sweet potato to get really squishy and disappear when stirred, cook longer).
The Verdict.
Super tasty. I loved the sweet smoky flavor this had, and was thrilled at the depth of flavor that came from this spice combination. The sweet potato and beans were plenty filling, and Adam didn't once mumble that he'd really like a steak. My kids ate it, but un-veganized it by adding shredded cheese and sour cream. I will definitely make this again.
The Ingredients.
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and in 2-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2/3 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and boiled briskly for 10 minutes because of the freaky red bean toxin thing)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes (whatever's on sale, mine had oregano and roasted garlic)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice (not pictured. If you don't have any in the house, use water)
The Directions.1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2/3 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and boiled briskly for 10 minutes because of the freaky red bean toxin thing)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes (whatever's on sale, mine had oregano and roasted garlic)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice (not pictured. If you don't have any in the house, use water)
Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. This is enough food to feed a family of 4 regular-sized, or 6 smallish people. Peel and chunk the sweet potato and add to the pot. Add diced onion. Follow with the red bell pepper, can of tomatoes, the beans, garlic, and seasonings. Pour in OJ and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the sweet potato is fork-tender (if you want the sweet potato to get really squishy and disappear when stirred, cook longer).
The Verdict.
Super tasty. I loved the sweet smoky flavor this had, and was thrilled at the depth of flavor that came from this spice combination. The sweet potato and beans were plenty filling, and Adam didn't once mumble that he'd really like a steak. My kids ate it, but un-veganized it by adding shredded cheese and sour cream. I will definitely make this again.
PUZZLE
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... craft
Easy Magazine Flowers
This is a great recycling project to use up those magazines and catalogs you have lying around.
Supplies
Old magazines and catalogs
Green pipe cleaners
Paper cutter or scissors
Hole punch
Take the magazines and catalogs and pull out the most colorful pages you can find. The picture isn't important, you’re looking for bright colors. Text on the pictures is okay.
Cut the paper into strips 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide based on your preference. In cutting the paper strips, also consider the picture and any areas you want to cut out or preserve. Sort the paper strips into similar colors. The color groups don’t have to be exact (they aren't in nature), just similar.
Fold the paper strip into a loop and punch a hole in the middle of the loop (be sure to punch the hole through both overlapping ends). 
If your paper strip has an eye or face in the middle, sometimes a carefully placed hole will keep it pretty and keep it from looking creepy (Little Shop of Horrors flower, anyone?).
Thread a pipe cleaner into the hole. Bend a little ledge into your pipe cleaner to keep the loops from sliding down your pipe cleaner while you’re assembling the flower.
Add paper strips until your flower is as full as you’d like. Twist the end of the pipe cleaner into a small loop to hold the paper strips in place.
Mix and match colors and patterns in your flowers to your creative heart’s content. Have fun making these happy little flowers
QUOTE
CRAFT
Friendship Bracelet
Materials
Since this is such a free form enterprise the amount of colors ofDMC embroidery floss you get is really up to you. We used a package of the DMC Light Effects Fluorescent Embroidery Flossand then picked our individual colors around them. Here is a list of the individual colors we used: Ecru, Blanco, 155, 156, 157, 307, 445, 453, 606, 648, 666, 712, 746, 906, 907, 956, 3033, 3761, 3843. For our full selection of DMC Embroidery Floss click here and for the fluorescent pack click here.
Please not that the fluorescent thread is slightly thicker than the regular DMC floss. So if you are mixing the two together it works best if you pull out and discard one ply of the fluorescent thread.
Beginning
To begin, pick out your colors. For the purposes of this how-to and the following patterns each color will be assigned a number.
For patterns use a doubled length of thread cut each color to a length of 72-inches. Hold the cut pieces together, fold them in half, and then make a 3/4-inch long slip knot at the fold.
Using a safety pin pin the loop to your jeans (or any other stable piece of fabric that you don't mind getting holes in) to keep it steady.
Arrange the threads as instructed in the pattern. In the example above the thread order would be: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1
For patterns that use a single length of thread cut a 36-inch length from each color. Arrange the pieces in the proper order. Leaving a 6-inch tail, tie a simple overhand knot to start.The Left Knot
Place a piece of thread (in this case thread #1) over the piece thread to its right (in this case thread #2) in a sort of a "4" shape as shown above
Pull the end of the thread through this "4" loop creating a knot.
While holding the right thread taut pull up the left thread to form a tight knot as shown above. Repeat once more. Both the Left and Right Knots are actually made up of two knots each.
If you are tying more than one Left Knot in a row you will use the same thread (in this case thread #1) to tie the subsequent knots along the a row from left to right.
Right Knot
The right knot is made in the same manner as the left but in the opposite direction.
Place a piece of thread over its left hand neighbor in the "P" shape shown above.
Pull the thread's end through the "P" to form a knot.
While pulling the left thread tightly down pull the right thread up to form a taut knot. Repeat this once to make a full Right Knot. Remember both the left and right knots are actually made up of two knots each.
If you are tying more than one Right Knot in a row you will use the same thread (in this case thread 1) to tie the subsequent knots along the row from right to left.
Ending
There are a couple of good ways to end your friendship bracelets.
To end a bracelet that starts with a loop separate the threads into two equal groups. Braid each group and tie a knot at the end trimming the ends to be neat and short.
To wear pull the ends though the starting loop and tie a knot.
To end a bracelet that starts with a knot tie another knot at the end of the macramé. Braid both ends and tied knots. Trim to ends to look neat.
To wear tie the ends together in a bow.Patterns:
Basic Stripes
1. Use a single length of thread and any amount of colors you like. Arrange the color in a pleasing order.
2. Starting at the far left tie a row of Left Knots using the 1st color across the whole width of the bracelet.
3. Repeat step 2 until the bracelet is the desired length.
Chevron
1. Using doubled thread and at least 3 colors arrange the threads in a mirror image. For instance, if you were using six colors as in the example above you would arrange the threads like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
2. Starting at the far left side make a row of left knots stopping in the middle of the bracelet when the colors start repeating. For instance, in the six color example above you would tie five left knots.
3. Starting at the far right side tie a row of right knots to the middle. When you get to the middle of the bracelet you will meet up with the thread from step 2. Tie this with a right knot as well. You will always be tying one more knot in step 3 than in step 2. For instance in the six color example above you would tie six right knots in step 3.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the bracelet is the desired length.
As another option you can change the arrangement of the threads in step one to make a more varied and braided looking bracelet.
Diamonds
The diamond shape is the most complicated one I tackled so here are a step by step instructions to make a 4 color bracelet. Once you get the idea with the 4 color version you explore thinner or wider versions as well.
Here are the four threads and their corresponding numbers.
Using doubled strands start the bracelet with a loop and arrange the colors in a mirror image: colors 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Start by tying a left knot with both strands of color 4 in the center.
Please note, these photos start at the middle of the bracelet just because it's easier to see the pattern that way.
Then, starting with the right hand thread 4 strand tie a row of 3 left knots as shown above.
Next take the other thread 4 strand from the middle and tie a row three right knots as shown above. This shape will be called the upside down "V" in this pattern.
In this same manner make upside down "V"s with colors 3, 2, and 1 always starting from the center and moving out.
When you get back to color 4 make a left knot in the center.
Using the right hand piece of thread 4 make a right knot with the thread directly to the right.
Using the left hand piece of thread 4 make a left knot with the thread directly to the left.
Tie the two color 4 pieces together with a left knot.
With color 1 make a "V" shape just as you would for the chevron pattern: Starting from the far left side tie a row of 3 left knots. Then, starting from the far right side tie a row of 4 right knots to form the "V" shape.
Make another "V" shape with color 2.
Starting at the far left tie two left knots with color 3.
Starting at the far right side tie two right knots with color 3.
At the far left side tie a right knot with color 4.
At the far right side tie a left knot with color 4.
With the left strand of color 3 tie two right knots in a row to the strands of colors 1 and 4 directly the left.
Do the reverse for the other side: with the right strand of color 3 tie two left knots.
Tie an upside down "V" shape with color 2.
Tie an upside down "V" shape starting with color 1.
Now you're back at the beginning.
Repeat this until the bracelet is the desired length.
Once you get the hang of all the patterns you can mix and match them like we did in the green bracelet above.
Took Matters Into Her Own Hands
Sumitra
When 24-year-old Christine Royles was diagnosed with failing kidneys early last year, she had to join a waiting list of over 100,000 people in the US who needed kidney transplants. When she learned that over 4,000 people die each year just waiting for their turn, she decided to take matters in her own hands. And miraculously, she found a donor all by herself – through a simple message she posted on her car window!
When 24-year-old Christine Royles was diagnosed with failing kidneys early last year, she had to join a waiting list of over 100,000 people in the US who needed kidney transplants. When she learned that over 4,000 people die each year just waiting for their turn, she decided to take matters in her own hands. And miraculously, she found a donor all by herself – through a simple message she posted on her car window!
“I saw a story about this old man in a different state who was asking for a kidney for his wife,” the South Portland resident said. “He stood on the side of the road with a sign.” Inspired by the idea, she decided to take it to the next level – instead of standing on the road, she turned her car into a rolling billboard. “Looking for someone to donate me their kidney. Must have type O blood,” her sign read, along with her phone number.
How To Say Coffee in Indonesian: kopi
CLEVER
Ice is helpful when it comes to removing chewing gum from clothing.
EYE OPENER
thanks, patty
Van Gogh's Knitters by Habetrot
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) Painter, tortured soul.
Like many painters in France in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Van Gogh often chose as his subjects ordinary people doing ordinary things--including women, young and old, knitting. Following are what I believe to be all his known paintings and sketches of knitters.
Girl Sitting, Knitting 1882 and Girl Standing, Knitting 1882
Woman at the Window, Knitting sketch 1882
Van Gogh often included sketches in his letters, particularly in his letters to his brother, Theo, as here.
Woman at the Window, Knitting watercolor 1882
I have not been able to find a color version of this painting, and as the location of the original is unknown, this may be the only available image. I can only imagine the tiny splashes of color from buds of the emerging flowers in the pots on the windowsill. Yellow, I think.
Scheveningen Woman Knitting sketch 1881
Scheveningen Woman Knitting watercolor 1881
I enjoy comparing and contrasting the sketches and the painting of the same or similar subject.
Can you spot the common item in all five works where the knitter is seated--other than the knitting?
