Giving Tuesday takes place on the Tuesday directly after American Thanksgiving, which in turn takes place on the 4th Thursday of November. Giving Tuesday was created to help the “giving season” get started, reminding people that there is more to holidays than consumerism and commercialization.
Giving Tuesday was created when two organizations, the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation came together in 2012, about a month before that year’s Thanksgiving. Their intention was to set aside a day that was all about celebrating the generosity of giving, a great American tradition. Many leaders in the areas of social media, philanthropy and grassroots quickly joined in, and together they created a group of founding partners including United Nations Foundation, Cisco, Mashable, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Sony, Aldo, Groupon, UNICEF, Google, Skype, Microsoft and Unilever. The first announcement about Giving Tuesday was made through Mashable, a technology website. The first Giving Tuesday was covered extensively by the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, ABC News, Deseret News, and the White House official blog, causing the scheme to gain an enormous amount of popularity in a short period of time. Giving Tuesday is organized and celebrated each year with the simple aim of encouraging individuals, families, schools, businesses, and other organizations to give to the less fortunate. A year later, in 2013, even more organizations joined in, including eBay (which gives a percentage of all its sales proceeds from a week in December to Giving Tuesday) and fashion designer Kevin Cole, who both designed and promoted awareness ID bracelets, giving 100% of the proceeds to Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday has been praised by many, including the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a newspaper that covers the nonprofit world, as an antidote to consumer culture and a way for people to give back.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW POMERANIAN, 9 year old ROSHKO (bulgarian for 'fluffy') who will be called ROSKO (he responds to that name which has all the known elements in it, buts flows off the tongue easier for ray and i)
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) The top stone of a structure or wall. | ||
| Synonyms: | stretcher, coping stone, copestone | ||
| Usage: | When the structure's capstone was finally in place, the builders threw themselves a party to celebrate their achievement | ||
thanks, patty
History
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 | Martin was an American musical comedy star. She co-owned a dance school in her native Texas before moving in 1938 to New York City, where she earned a small part in the musical Leave It To Me, winning widespread popularity with her buoyant singing voice and high-spirited temperament. She went on to star in several enormously successful musicals, including South Pacific, Peter Pan, and The Sound of Music, as well as a number of films. | ||
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 | In order to promote more social tolerance and a greater awareness of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared December 1 as World AIDS Day in 1988. Every year, various global agencies take the lead in coordinating this day and in educating people about HIV/AIDS. In the United States, local communities, organizations, and schools have observed World AIDS Day by disseminating education and prevention materials and holding candlelight memorial services, among many other events. | ||
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| Researchers have recently discovered that dinosaurs had an innovative nesting style that may have led to the evolutionary success of modern birds. The study, published in the journal Plos One, details for the first time the link between dinosaur | |||
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1835 - Hans Christian Andersen published his first book of fairy tales
1909 - The Pennsylvania Trust Company, of Carlisle, PA, became the first bank in the in the U.S. to offer a Christmas Club account.
1913 - The first drive-in automobile service station opened, in Pittsburgh, PA.
1952 - In Denmark, it was announced that the first successful sex-change operation had been performed.
1955 - Rosa Parks, a black seamstress in Montgomery, AL, refused to give up her seat to a white man. Mrs. Parks was arrested marking a milestone in the civil rights movement in the U.S.
1990 - British and French workers digging the Channel Tunnel (begun into 1987) finally met under the English Channel.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, December 1
You are fiercely independent, but also very passionate, and thus relationships are important to you. Optimistic yet practical, you are success-oriented. You have a sixth sense that you rely upon quite heavily, as it allows you to see and understand more than the average person, and you trust your instincts. After all, they serve you well. Charismatic and attractive, you enter relationships rather easily, but often end up in a power struggle. This could be due to your own independent nature, and your attraction to equally as strong-minded people. You are more sensitive than you ever let on, largely due to your observant nature. Famous people born today: Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Sarah Silverman, Lou Rawls, Lee Trevino, Charlene Tilton.
| Picture of the day | |
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Typical Filipino handmade brooms in Banaue. Brooms are cleaning tools consisting of fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle. In Asian countries there is often a distinction between a "hard broom" and a "soft broom", named for the types of fibers used. Soft brooms are made for sweeping the walls of cob webs and spiders, whereas hard brooms are made for sweeping dirt off sidewalks.
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Snowed Out
Photograph by Olga Gamburg
“I was very fortunate to have witnessed a record-breaking snowstorm in Istanbul this past February,” writes Olga Gamburg of this image she captured in Turkey. “The city hasn't seen a beautiful white blanket like this in 28 years. After a three-hour journey on foot, because most of public transit and cabs stopped working, I was able to capture this perfect memory to take home with me.”
knit, CHANUKAH
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knit, CHRISTMAS
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knit
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knit
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I guess that’s one way to get over a puddle 
crochet, CHANUKAH
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Granny Square Menorah - Free Crochet Pattern
This Your place to Learn to make the Granny Square Menorah For FREE. by Meladora's Creations - Free Crochet patterns and Video Tutorials
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crochet, CHRISTMAS
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Festive Wine Bottle Topper pattern by Fiber Flux / Jenni...
The Festive Wine Bottle Topper is a lightning fast project that tops a bottle of wine with a fun little cap! This is a perfect hand made tough for a gift bottle of ...
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Ups and Downs Baby Booties pattern by Tamara Kelly
Made with the same great detailing as the Ups and Downs Hat, Cowl, Mitts, and Boot Cuffs - but transmogrified into the sweetest little booties for little babies!
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Nine Patch Variation Throw pattern by Katherine Eng
Although it was inspired by a traditional fabric quilt design, this crocheted throw has a decidedly modern outlook. Use the same seven colors shown, or ch...
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crochet
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All About Fun Hat pattern by Fiber Flux / Jennifer Dicke...
The All About Fun Hat is cozy, lofty, and very colorful…perfect for kids! Mixing it up with chunky Mixology yarn, makes for a fun and lightning fast project...
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Ingrid Scarf pattern by Fiber Flux / Jennifer Dickerson
The Ingrid Scarf is a perfect balance of clean simplicity with a touch of luxurious lacy edging. It is for those of us who like a bit of this and that. Have it all ...
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RECIPES
Bourbon Pecan and Chocolate Gelt Pie
- Yield:8 servings
Both decadent and delicious, this Bourbon Pecan and Gelt Pie is the perfect way to end your Thanksgivukkah meal this holiday season. To create this recipe, I combined a classic pecan pie with some chocolate gelt candy and then added a touch of Bourbon for a little something extra.
Just like Thanksgivukkah itself, everyone is sure to love it!
Ingredients
For the crust:
2 cups of flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup cold shortening
7 Tbsp milk. Almond milk is a great non-dairy alternative.
For the filling:
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1-2 Tbsp bourbon
20-25 pieces of gelt—enough to cover the bottom of the crust. (You can order pareve gelt online.)
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup halved pecans
Directions
To make the crust:
Whisk together flour, salt and sugar. Cut shortening into the flour mixture until it is almost incorporated.
Add milk and mix until just combined. You do not want to over mix here, or the crust will be rubbery. Form a large ball with the dough and place in the middle of a flat surface covered with flour.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about 2 inches larger than the upside down pie plate. Once it is big enough, flip the pie plate back over and lay the dough in the plate lightly pushing it to the bottom and the sides.
With a fork, poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust and push the sides of the crust into the side of the plate. Then, to make the lip of the pie look fancy, use the fork to make marks in the dough on the lip of the plate (picture shown) and rip off any excess dough. Set aside for filling.
Note: You can also use the extra dough to make decorations. Roll out the extra dough and cut out any shape you want – here I used a turkey. With a fork, mix 1 egg and 1 Tbsp of water. Lightly brush a small amount of the eff mixture over the cut out and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 until golden brown (about 2-5 minutes depending on how big your cut out is).
To make the filling and assemble pie:
Mix melted butter or margarine and corn syrup together until it has a glossy look. Add salt and sugar and mix until it is completely integrated into the mixture. Mix in eggs and bourbon until the entire mixture is a pale yellow color (no darker yellow egg streaks). Set aside.
Start filling the crust by placing the unwrapped gelt at the bottom of the pie crust. Add both chopped and halved pecans. Then add filling mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. The edges of the crust should be a golden brown and the filling should be completely congealed.
CROCKPOT RECIPES
stephanie o'dea
Maple Dijon Chicken CrockPot Recipe
I think anything with the word "dijon" in the title instantly sounds exquisite and marvelous---even though it's only a $2.99 condiment. Dijon is the show-off in the mustard family. I was pleasantly surprised to have everything in the house already (well, minus the bay leaves). The Ingredients.
--1 lb chicken pieces (I used frozen breast tenderloins)
--1 cup chicken broth
--2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 onion, chopped
--2 T dijon mustard
--3 T maple syrup
--3 cloves garlic, chopped
--2 bay leaves
--1 tsp thyme
The Directions.
I used a 4 quart crockpot---it was a good size. This fed the four of us with a tiny bit left for lunch the next day. If you have a large family or would like leftovers, double the quantity.
Put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and toss it with the thyme, maple syrup, and dijon mustard.
Peel and slice the sweet potato, and add to the pot. Add the onion and garlic. If you don't want your onion to have a crunch, put it at the bottom of the crockpot; otherwise on top of the chicken is fine.
Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaves.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables reach desired tenderness.
The Verdict.
Very good, and quite moist. The picture up above is a bit misleading----I had enough juice in the pot to ladle over the vegetables and some leftover white rice. The sweet potato fell apart a bit, so some were more mashed than chunky. The kids each ate 2 of the breast tenderloins, and a bit of sweet potato. I really liked this chicken a lot-- I enjoyed the flavor and appreciated how easy it was to throw together.
CRAFTS, CHRISTMAS
BOTTLE CAPT BIRDCAGE
free people blog
This tiny birdcage would be so adorable hanging on a Christmas tree or a little branch in your bedroom. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have mine on display all year round. It’s not hard to make, but this birdcage definitely requires a good amount of concentration.
What you need:
A bottle cap
A hammer
A nail
Copper wire in 2 different sizes (26 gauge and 20 gauge)
Wire cutters
Pliers
A permanent marker
A hammer
A nail
Copper wire in 2 different sizes (26 gauge and 20 gauge)
Wire cutters
Pliers
A permanent marker
What you do:
1. Use a hammer and nail to puncture a small hole on the outside of your bottle cap. Do this 6 times total, and space the holes evenly between one another.
2. Use paint or permanent marker to color your bottle cap however you like. I made mine black to match the wire, and used a permanent marker because I knew it would dry quickly.
3. Cut 3 pieces of the thicker wire, about 6 inches each, and bend them into U shapes.
4. Use pliers to bend up about ¾ an inch of wire on either end.
5. Thread one piece of wire through two holes that are directly opposite one another, with the largest portion of the wire in the middle of the bottle cap.
6. Use pliers to tightly wrap the ends around the wire. Repeat these steps with all 3 wires, making sure to thread each one through two opposing holes.
7. Pinch the wires together about ½ inch from the top.
8. Cut a 2-inch piece of the thick wire and wrap tightly around all of the wires, about 5 or 6 times around. Cut off any excess.
9. Use your fingers to round out the tops of the wires so that you have more of a birdcage shape.
10. Cut 3 pieces of the thinner wire, about 4-5 inches each.
11. Beginning about ½ inch from the bottom, wrap the wire around each rung until you’re back where you began. Wrap the wire around itself to secure.
12. Do this two more times, spacing each thin wire about ½ inch from the one below it.
13. To make a hook, create the shape below using a thin piece of wire.
14. Thread the wire through the top loop of your cage, and wrap it around a few times to secure it.
That’s it! Go hang your itty bitty birdcage wherever you wish!
CHILDREN'S CORNER .... CHANUKAH craft
PUZZLE
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"Welcome" in Inuttut [Greenlandic] (Greenland) - Tikilluaritsi
This is sooooo neat. You have to try it.... This is a keeper!! You actually have to draw a Stickman...and see what happens..
EYE OPENER
thanks, shelley
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRAS
thechobble
Love your Rosko
ReplyDeleteA Good Blog as usual
Hugs Janice
Rosko is adorbs. I'm glad you're back!
ReplyDeletethanks, so much. we are both settled into our lives together which is wonderful. later today he meets the whole family for the first time which everyone is looking forward towards.
Delete