Australia Day - January 26, 2022

 DIANE'S CORNER .. Celebrate Australia Day

Australia. A country. A continent. A land of pristine beaches and merciless deserts, adorable koala bears, and murderous great white sharks. The sixth-largest country in the world, with but 21 million inhabitants. Closer to Asia than any other continent, so close that many “pop over” to Bali for the weekend, yet bearing virtually no resemblance to Asia whatever.

Learn about Australia Day

And as comedian Victor Borge put it, “When it’s midnight in Australia, nobody knows what time it is anywhere else.” To most people, Australia is a land of mystery, danger, and majestic beauty. All who have been there come back astonished at the number of things they didn’t know existed before going there, and those that decide to stay there rarely look back.

That’s why it goes without saying that this unique continent more than deserves its own day. Right mate?

This date marks the anniversary of the First Fleet of British Ships in New South Wales, which occurred in 1788. The significance and meaning of this day have evolved over time. Today, celebrations reflect the diverse landscape and society of the country. There are a number of different types of events that take place in Australia on this date, including firework displays, festivals, sports competitions, community barbecues, and outdoor concerts. Of course, you do not need to be based in Australia in order to honor this date! People all around the world can join in and show their appreciation for Australia. 

History of Australia Day

Australia day is celebrated annually on January 26th, as that marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at New South Wales as well as the raising of the flag of Great Britain at that location. In present-day Australia, however, celebrations focus much less on the arrival of the aforementioned ships, and instead concentrate more on the diverse society and landscape of the nation.

Many community and family events are organized, as well as various celebrations welcoming new immigrants. Australia is a relatively young country, as federation occurred just over 100 years ago in 1901, so it was not until 1935 that Australia Day was actually celebrated.

Due to the rapid decline of the indigenous population after the arrival of British ships on Australia’s shores, some prefer to call this holiday “Invasion Day” as a way of remembering the many that died from various diseases in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Because of this, over the years, there has been a lot of controversy regarding the date that has been chosen for Australia Day. This is because some people in Australia think that the day is a symbol of the adverse effects that happened to the Indigenous people of Australia because of the settlement of the British people. Because of this, there have been changes to the date, with some places in Australia celebrating Australia Day on a different date.

thanks for the memory pics, Bev

JOKE OF THE DAY

Cat and Fish

Little Timmy was in the garden filling in a hole when his neighbor peered over the fence. Interested in what the cheeky-faced youngster was up to, he politely asked, "What are you up to there, Tim?" "My goldfish died," replied Timmy tearfully, "and I've just buried him." The neighbor was concerned. "That's an awfully big hole for a goldfish, isn't it?" Little Timmy patted down the last heap of earth then replied, "That's because he's inside your cat."

WORD OF THE DAY

postposition

MEANING:

noun:
1. The placing of something after another.
2. Something placed in this manner, especially a word or an element placed after another.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin post- (after) + position, from ponere (to put). Ultimately from the Indo-European root apo- (off or away), which is also the source of pose, apposite, after, off, awkward, post, puny, and pungle. Earliest documented use: 1546.

NOTES:

In English we have prepositions. One might say “I live in NY.” Here, the word “in” is a preposition because it’s positioned before “NY” to which it refers. In some languages, such as Hindi, they are placed after the words they relate to and are known as postpositions.
In English we put adjectives before a noun, as in, hot coffee, but in some languages, such as French, adjectives go after the noun: café chaud. Sometimes we put adjectives postpositively in English too. You may preposition an adjective or postposition it, but please do not proposition it, unless you know it intimately.

USAGE:

“What did Nazareth know? Thousands of verb endings. Tens of thousands of postpositions. She wanted to know what other women knew, and she had set about closing the gap.”
Suzette Haden Elgin; The Judas Rose; DAW; 1987.

TODAY'S ARTIST 

thanks, Natalie

Gwen Barnard (1912–1988) 

was a British artist notable for her ability as a painter and printmaker.

IDIOM OF THE DAY

What does 'Below par' mean?

Meaning: If something isn't up to standard, or someone isn't feeling or doing very well, they are below par.

thanks, Patsy

(Not So) TOTALLY USELESS FACTS OF THE DAY

Old books have such a distinct smell because hundreds of organic compounds in the pages break down over time, releasing chemicals that smell like vanilla, almond, and grass.

The phrase “Taco Tuesday” is owned by Taco John’s in 49 states and they’ve issued cease-and-desist letters demanding companies to stop holding “Taco Tuesdays”.

Small animals such as flies and hummingbirds experience time in slow motion, which is why they can avoid your newspaper swats.

READERS INFO

Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

German Beefcake -  Any time dish

Ingredients

Butter
2 flour tortillas
300g ground beef
1 onion, minced
1 T. parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
6 oz. cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 tomato, sliced

Butter a lidded frying pan and lay one tortilla in it.

Mix the beef, onion, parsley and season.

Flatten this out across the tortilla, and cover with half the cheese. Lay the next tortilla on to, and pour egg over.

Cover and cook over medium heat 10 minutes.

Flip, cover with tomato slices and remaining cheese, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley or dill, as you wish before serving.

COFFEE

thanks, Ella

PICTURES OF THE DAY

The Skating Minister is an oil painting attributed to Henry  Raeburn in the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh. It was  practically unknown until about 1949, but has since become one  of Scotland's best-known paintings. It is considered an icon of  Scottish culture, painted during one of the most remarkable  periods in the country's history, the Scottish Enlightenment. The  painting depicts Robert Walker, a Church of Scotland minister  and a member of the Edinburgh Skating Club, the world's first  organized figure skating club. The club often met at Duddingston  Loch, the scene of this painting.

China

A fishing enthusiast steers the rods through ice holes to catch fish in Beijing.

knit
thanks, Ethel

Into the Wild pattern by Norman Schwarze

knit
thanks, Connie

Seitenstreifen Socks

knit

Verticle Stripes Brioche Cowl

knit

Fair Isle Washcloth

knit .. Valentine's Day

Valentine's Heart Cardigan pattern by Tricia Brownstein

CROCHET PATTERNS OF THE DAY 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Textured Cardigan with Rib Sleeves

Dinosaur Crochet Basket

crochet .. Valentine's Day

thanks, Jessica

Owl Always Love You Valentine Caddy

crochet
thanks, Nancy

Cat Window valence pattern by Christine Nault

crochet

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

crochet

Mom and Me Crochet Ponchos

crochet

Crochet Plaid Boot Socks With Flannel Pads

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Vegan Braised Chinese Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy Recipe

PANTRY RECIPE

thanks, Debbie

Lemon-Basil Chicken with Basil Aioli Recipe

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Tina

Chickpea Curry

VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RECIPE

Both vegetarian and vegan diets may provide health benefits, including reduced body weight, lower cholesterol levels, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is important for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they are meeting all of their nutritional requirements.

thanks, Alice

Roasted Carrots With Black Lentils and Green Harissa

COPYCAT RECIPE 

thanks, Jenny

Lofthouse Cookies Easy Buttercream Frosting

RETRO RECIPE

thanks, Ann

Lemonade Fluff Pie with a Coconut Crust

SWEETS RECIPE .. Valentine's Day

thanks, Helen

Valentine's Crunch Bars

ADULT COLORING

FUN

Match pairs of cards (fruits and vegetables) in this fun memory game where you can select the difficulty (easy, medium, hard or very hard), and consequently the number of cards.

Memory Game

CRAFTS .. Valentine's Day

thanks, Mary

My Heart is Filled with Joy

CHILDREN'S CORNER .. Valentine's Day

thanks, Mollie

Heart Shaped Crayons

PUZZLE

Number Cube Jigsaw Puzzle

WORD SEARCH

accordance award barter board breakdown cheat choose coast

deals expiry final first follow fray given

inspire lend maiden nature need null number

peruse pits please public refer retribution rods

salt stage strength tech terms truthful unity upset write

SUDOKU .. medium

solution:

ICE BREAKER

thanks, Kris

You can use 'ice breaker questions' to build a rapport, enabling strangers to engage in back and forth conversion. With a little practice and possibly a beer or two, you’ll be breaking more ice than the Titanic. 

What Is The Reason You Are Most Grateful In Your Life?

QUOTE

CLEVER 

thanks, Joan, "You won't be able to stop!"

Distractor

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Karen

Lies Your Egg Carton is Telling You

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, TV host, actor, and writer (b. 26 Jan 1958)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

You want to know your toothpaste will make your teeth shiny and strong. 

Formula Toothcare found the right formula by using an illusion to make it seem like the man in the ad is biting the billboard.

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