I hope everyone has a wonderful time celebrating this weekend. Ray and I will be staying with family in Toronto for the holidays. We don't expect to return until late Monday evening. (when PC, the cat, will be really happy to see your faces! lol)
Perhaps one of the more interesting and yet lesser-known holidays is an event that is known as Find a Rainbow Day. As you may have already guessed, this celebration occurs during the month of April each year (after all, the early spring is known for its fair share of these beautifully stunning phenomena).
Of course, finding a rainbow is not as easy as it sounds and if you are lucky enough to find yourself outside just after a rainstorm in early April, you may just be able to catch a quick glimpse and even take a snapshot of one of these wonderful natural events.
While the exact origins of this day remain rather obscure, there are many who enjoy cooking colorful foods on this day; treats such as jello and cookies being some of the most common items. So, it appears that there are indeed times when a bit of rain is not necessarily a bad thing!
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (adjective) Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent. | ||
| Synonyms: | filmy, gauzy, sheer, vaporous | ||
| Usage: | She wore a hat with a diaphanous veil that did not obscure her features. | ||
History
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 | Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Virgin Mary by those who believe that she appeared to three shepherd children at Fátima, Portugal, in 1917, at a time when many young men, including relatives of the children, were fighting in WWI. She reportedly exhorted the children to do penance, and they wore tight cords around their waists and abstained from water on hot days. She also reportedly confided to them three secrets. | ||
1829 - James Carrington patented the coffee mill.
1860 - The first Pony Express riders left St. Joseph, MO and Sacramento, CA. The trip across country took about 10 days. The Pony Express only lasted about a year and a half.
1910 - Alaska's Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America was climbed.
1949 - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis debuted on radio on the "Martin and Lewis Show". The NBC program ran until 1952.
1953 - "TV Guide" was published for the first time.
1979 - Jane Byrne became the first female mayor in Chicago.
1982 - John Chancellor stepped down as anchor of the "The NBC Nightly News." Roger Mudd and Tom Brokaw became the co-anchors of the show.
1993 - The Norman Rockwell Museum opened in Stockbridge, MA.
Richard Chamberlain was 81 This Week
Chamberlain starred on Dr. Kildare on NBC (1961 – 1966). The role
earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor
in a Motion Picture Made for Television. Since then, he has appeared
in several mini-series such as The Thorn Birds on ABC (1983), many
successful films, performed classical stage roles and worked in the
musical theatre.
earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor
in a Motion Picture Made for Television. Since then, he has appeared
in several mini-series such as The Thorn Birds on ABC (1983), many
successful films, performed classical stage roles and worked in the
musical theatre.
1962
This song became a hit for Chamberlain when released as a single
in 1963, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
in 1963, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
No. 1 Single
In 1999 “Killing Me Softly With His Song” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of
Fame. It also ranked #360 on Rolling Stone‘s list of The 500 Greatest Songs
of All Time and #82 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of all time.
Fame. It also ranked #360 on Rolling Stone‘s list of The 500 Greatest Songs
of All Time and #82 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of all time.
If You Were Born Today, April 4
You expect to work for what you want in life, and are always aware of your responsibilities. Nevertheless, you are playful and sometimes mischievous. You are straightforward in your dealings with others, and sometimes quite blunt! You value honesty and integrity in others as well. A confident and friendly manner sometimes hides a tendency to worry a lot about your future. You are an independent thinker. Famous people born today: Robert Downey Jr., Heath Ledger, Maya Angelou, Anthony Perkins, David Blaine.
Holding Fast
Photograph by Syed Hassan, National Geographic
Light and smoke commingle to cast a misty glow over devotees during Rakher Upobash, a Hindu fasting festival, in Bangladesh. This is what lured Syed Hassan to photograph the scene. But he was also drawn to the expressions of the devotees. No matter which religion is practiced, “I love to capture the feeling,” he writes.
(double) knit
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Ristinolla pattern by Virpi Tarvo
Ohje on tarkoitettu onteloneuloksen kokeilemiseen. Lankavalinnasta riippuu, minkä kokoinen lappusesta tulee.
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knit
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Swoop Tee pattern by Amy Gunderson
This tee is worked seamlessly from the top down. First the shoulder saddles are knit sideways. Then stitches are picked up from the sides of the saddles and t...
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knit
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knit
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Les Mains Vertes pattern by Bev W
This pattern is what happens when a number of seeming disparate actions:
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knit, 2 needle, 0 - 24 mths
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Easiest & fastest baby booties ever! pattern by A la Sas...
Always wanted to make baby socks but never daired? Or maybe just in need of a simple and very fast variatoin?
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crochet
crochet
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Yorkie Tutorial pattern by Pam Grennes
This pattern is based on a Japanese Amigurumi pattern that was very badly translated into English. I translated the pattern and did a photo tutorial to go wi...
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crochet
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crochet
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29-210-31 Motif Scarf pattern by Pierrot (Gosyo Co., Ltd...
Japanese version available here. Both English and Japanese versions are fully charted using standard knitting and/or crochet symbols.
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crochet
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knit, passover
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Challah Cover pattern by Judith Goodman Johnson
Notes: 2 skeins of white are needed to knit the item
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knit
knit
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Pattern - Knitted Clerical Collar
I had the idea for this after a June heatwave. I kinda love mine. I intend to make this available on ravelry, but from what I can tell the .pdf needs to be host...
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knit
knit
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crochet
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crochet
RECIPE
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Prepared Horseradish 3 Ways - Plain, Beets & Cream Style
Prepared Horseradish Three Ways - Plain, with Beets and Cream Style. Easy Recipe Tutorial.
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DIY Easter Treats – DIY Easter
Learn to make cute DIY Easter treats using shredded wheat and chocolate.
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Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
the nosher
Prep:
20 minutes |
Yield:
6-8 servings |
At every family meal I make sure to serve some raw vegetables in addition to the cooked ones. You will be surprised by how much you like this crunchy salad of raw brussels sprouts.
This recipe appears in Paula Shoyer’ newest book The New Passover Menu.
Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
1 pound (450g) brussels sprouts (preferably larger-size ones), ends trimmed, 2 outer layers of leaves removed
3/4 cup (115g) whole almonds, toasted (see box, page 34)
1/2 small red onion, chopped into small pieces (about 1/4 cup/40g)
3 Tbsp (45ml) fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup (115g) whole almonds, toasted (see box, page 34)
1/2 small red onion, chopped into small pieces (about 1/4 cup/40g)
3 Tbsp (45ml) fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Directions
Cut the brussels sprouts in half the long way, from the stem end to the top, and thinly slice. Place the sliced sprouts in a bowl.
Roughly chop the toasted almonds and add to the bowl, along with the chopped onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, honey, salt, and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
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EASTER MARSHMALLOW BARK - Butter With a Side of...
I have a confession to make: while most people change a recipe to make it skinny, I took a healthy recipe and went the other direction. Ha! You know, as in,...
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CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea
CrockPot Red Wine & Cranberries Glazed Pot Roast
This is not a boring pot roast recipe. After cooking on low for 10 hours, the tender meat comes out of the crock with a sweet and tangy glaze with a bit of a peppery bite.
The Ingredients.
--1 1/2 lbs top round
--1/4 cup flour
--1 t kosher salt
--1 t pepper
--1 T dried onion flakes
--3 cloves minced garlic
--1/4 cup wine
--1 T gluten free Worcestershire sauce
--2 T gluten free soy sauce
-- 1 1/2 T maple syrup
--1/4 cup dried cranberries
The Directions.
Make a dredge with the flour, salt, pepper, and onion flakes. Rub the dry mixture all over your piece of meat. Then plop the meat into your crockpot. Discard the rest of the dry mixture.
Add the garlic and the wet ingredients into the crockpot. There is no need to stir. Top with a 1/4 cup of dried cranberries.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. There isn't much liquid in this dish. If you open your crock up a lot to peek, you might want to double or increase the liquid by 50%---even though I didn't peek, the meat got a bit dry and crispy on top (it was fine, I just flipped it over to soak up more juice). If you use a piece of meat with more fat, you won't run that risk.
The Verdict.
I served this with some whipped mashed potatoes with cheese, and we all really enjoyed it a lot. The sauce was a bit peppery for the kids. My eldest said it "was the best steak she's ever had" and my three-year-old dipped her pieces in ketchup.
CRAFT
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37 Adorable and Easy Crafts to Make This Easter
These handcrafted Easter projects and gifts will put a fresh face on spring.
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CHILDREN'S CORNER .. craft
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Got Sharpies + 10 Minutes? Make Easy Tie Dye Easter Eggs
Surprise, Easter is less than a week away! Where has the time gone? If you’ve been too busy spring cleaning and enjoying the nice weather, we understand....
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The Last Man in Fukushima – Kindhearted Local Remains in Radioactive Zone to Feed the Animals
By Sumitra
When the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant went into meltdown, after the devastating tsunami in 2011, most of the locals fled to overcrowded temporary shelters. So did Naoto Matsumura, but the brave man soon decided return to his home town of Tomioka, just to take care of the many animals left behind! And even though the radiation levels are dangerously high (17 times higher than normal) in this area, Matsumura says he isn’t going anywhere.
He now spends most of his time running a charity along with a few supporters, taking care of animals left behind in the evacuation zone. “I have two cats, one dog, one ostrich, one horse, 31 cows and four wild boars,” Matsumura proudly declared.
He started off by taking into his care the animals that were abandoned in his hometown. He described how most of the pets were still tied up, because locals had believed they would be back home soon. Matsumura took it upon himself to feed the animals every day. “They couldn’t stand the wait, so they’d all gather around barking up a storm as soon as they heard my truck,” he recalled. “Everywhere I went there was always barking. Like, “we’re thirsty” or, “we don’t have any food.”
'where's the bathroom?' in Kurdish - Hemam li ku ye?
CLEVER
showers which change colors
EYE OPENER
thanks, patty
Word Spy
The Word Lover’s Guide to New Words
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PUZZLE
Roberta Flack was in our Hall of Fame long before she made it to the Grammy Hall of Fame. Must remember to get to Stockbridge MA some day soon to revisit Rockwell.
ReplyDeletefrom windy VT,
the Vermonster