Tell a Story Day is celebrated in the United States, Scotland and the United Kingdom. The aim of the day to get participants telling, sharing and listening to each others stories. It is a celebration of the art of oral storytelling in all of its many forms, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, a tall tale, or folklore. The stories may be told from memory or from a book. Events can be held in community centers, churches, homes and gardens, hospitals, libraries, schools or more unusual venues!
The origin of the day is unknown, but there is surely a story to tell about it – maybe you can make one up for the next Tell a Story Day! For the day itself you can organize your own event with friends, family or colleagues and create a magical world of enchanting fairy tales, scary ghost stories or age-old family legends.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (adjective) Having a wavy or rippled surface pattern. Used of fabric. | ||
| Synonyms: | watered | ||
| Usage: | As the lady sat down, the folds of her moire silk dress rustled about her. | ||
History
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 | Korais was a Greek scholar whose work is credited with laying the foundations of Modern Greek language and literature. A witness to the French Revolution, he helped to awaken similar nationalistic aspirations in his countrymen through his writings. One of his greatest achievements was his creation of a new Greek literary language, which he set down in the first Modern Greek dictionary, Atakta. | ||
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 | On April 27, 1994, the Republic of South Africa held its first democratic elections. The African National Congress (ANC) won the election, bringing with it socio-economic change that improved the lives of all South Africans, especially the poor. Every year, South Africa celebrates Freedom Day, a public holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the historic day in 1994. Special cultural events and exhibitions are held in various venues around Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, and other locations around the country. | ||
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 | At the age of 26, Yamini Karanam, a PhD student at Indiana University's School of Informatics, suddenly started having trouble in school. The once brilliant student was finding it difficult to understand basic information or to communicate with friends and colleagues. She was constantly tired and slept for two weeks straight. | ||
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1880 - Francis Clarke and M.G. Foster patented the electrical hearing aid.
1938 - Geraldine Apponyi married King Zog of Albania. She was the first American woman to become a queen.
1946 - The SS African Star was placed in service. It was the first commercial ship to be equipped with radar
1965 - "Pampers" were patented by R.C. Duncan.
1989 - Student protesters took over Tiananmen Square in Beijing
2006 - In New York, NY, construction began on the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower on the site of former World Trade Center.
Released Today, 1957
Ricky Nelson (Eric Hilliard Nelson) (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985)
The song "A Teenager’s Romance" written by David Gillam reached #2 on
the Billboard Top 100 in 1957. It was ranked #25 on Billboard magazine’s
Top Hot 100 songs of 1957. The records A-side, "I’m Walkin’", reached
#4 on the Billboard chart and #10 on the R&B chart.
the Billboard Top 100 in 1957. It was ranked #25 on Billboard magazine’s
Top Hot 100 songs of 1957. The records A-side, "I’m Walkin’", reached
#4 on the Billboard chart and #10 on the R&B chart.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, April 27
You are poised and come across as calm and refined. You are not easy to get close to, and much of your nature remains a mystery to others. Nevertheless, you are charming and others tend to respect you. You are extremely observant and generally think before you speak, and you are a great listener. Famous people born today: Jack Klugman, Coretta Scott King, Ulysses S. Grant, Sheena Easton, William Moseley.
| Picture of the day | |
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The Pig-faced Lady of Manchester Square and the Spanish Mule of Madrid, an 1815 cartoon print by George Cruikshank depicting a pig-faced woman and contrasting her with the unpopular Ferdinand VII of Spain. At this time, rumours had spread that such a woman was living in fashionable Manchester Square, and various newspapers (such as the Morning Herald and Morning Chronicle) reported this as fact. Eyewitness accounts, marriage proposals, and tales of attacks by the woman further fanned the flames, and the rumour was recollected as fact as late as the 1860s.
Stories of pig-faced women originated in the late 1630s; the last significant work to treat their existence as genuine was published in 1924.
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Boatman of Mathura
Photograph by Andrew Louis Kleynhans, National Geographic
While taking pictures of Hindu holy men in the Indian city of Mathura—birthplace of the Hindu god Krishna—Andrew Louis Kleynhans came across a boatman on the Yamuna River who asked to have his picture taken. To get this angle Kleynhans got on his stomach in the boat’s stern, his feet dangling in the water. “In the end ... the boatman was very happy with his image,” he writes.
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Novel | Curious: Fool's Dragon: A Free Knitting Pattern
Here we have Zeb the Dalmatian Dragon, one of my more surprising attempts at improvising my own stuffed animal.
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Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet pattern by Julia Allen
This pattern is an interpretation of Anthropologie’s “First Frost Capelet” from the Winter ’05 catalog.
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caffaknitted: Calculator
Materials 2 skeins Bernat Softee Chunky in black 1 skein Bernat Softee Chunky in gray Size US 10 straight needles 1 piece of 2 inch thick chair foam cushion O...
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Crochet Bag Dispenser {free pattern} | Desperate Houseli...
← Get your Duck Tape® supplies at Walmart for Back-to-School Free eBook – 30 Nutritious Snacks That Keep You Feeling Full and Help You Easily Lose W...
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RECIPE
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CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea
CrockPot Baked Spinach and Cheese Noodles
It tasted good! This is a wonderful, creamy dish, and if you use low or fat free ingredients, the creaminess stays without unnecessary calories.
The Ingredients.
--2 T butter
--1/3 cup flour
--2 1/2 cups milk
--1/2 t pepper
--1 t kosher salt
--3 T dijon mustard
--15 oz ricotta cheese
--1/4 cup parmesan cheese
--10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
--1 chopped red pepper
--16 oz package of un-cooked noodles
The Directions.
I made a roux (and this time I spelled it right!) with the butter and flour, and then added the milk, the container of ricotta cheese and stirred in the spinach, red pepper, and spices. Oh! Use a big pot, so you don't have to transfer halfway through the way that I might have needed to do. And then you won't drop slimy spinach on the floor...
Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray and dump in a package of uncooked pasta noodles. Turn on your crockpot so you won't "shock it" when you stir your cheese and spinach mixture into the noodles. Crockpot stoneware shouldn't change temperatures rapidly.
Top with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
Cook on high for 5-7 hours, or until the noodles are tender. The noodles on the top will be a bit crunchy, but every noodles could be eaten.
Ours took 6 hours to cook on high.
The Verdict.
I initially had to give the starving children speech, but once my kids tasted this they gobbled it down. Adam and I had ours with a great big salad. I would definitely make this again. I wonder what it would be like if I added nutmeg? I felt like I wanted a dash of nutmeg...
CRAFT
Yarn Bombed Plants
free people blog
I wanted to try yarn bombing small house plants. I picked up a bonsai tree and a bamboo shoot and took a go at it. *Note- This is for decorative purposes only, the yarn and hot glue may stunt the growth of your plants.
What you Need:
Yarn, string or twine (I mixed it up with the wrapping materials and used a variety of things.)
Bonsai tree
Bamboo shoot
Hot glue gun and glue stick
Crochet doily (optional)
Step one
Decide what string you are going to use first, and tack it down with the glue gun at the base of your bonsai tree.
Step two
Wrap the string up the tree until you are at your desired height and tack it down with more glue.
Step three
Keep wrapping your tree with your string until you like what you see. I cut a piece off of a crochet doily and used some of that to wrap around my tree. Don’t be afraid to get creative with yarn bombing!
Here is how my bonsai tree turned out! I also picked up a bamboo shoot and tried the yarn bombing technique on that as well.
I used some more of the crochet doily and added in some leather string this time.
These are perfect as decor for your desk or anywhere at home.
There you go! Fast and easy yarn bombing!
QUOTE
EPIC BEARDS
EACH YEAR MEN TRAVEL TO THE MECCA OF FACIAL HAIR WORSHIP: THE JUST FOR MEN WORLD BEARD & MUSTACHE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO CAPTURE THE PLANET’S MOST EPIC BEARDS AND STACHES ON CAMERA. THE CHAMPIONSHIP JUDGES “MUSTACHE ART” IN 18 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
We featured mutton chops, goatees, fu manchus, and soul patches andreally raised the bar for facial hairstyling.
CHILDREN'S CORNER .. cooking
stephanie o'dea
CrockPot Play Dough Recipe
In my former life, I used to run preschool centers. I've made lots of play dough. I've also bought lots of play dough---both generic and the Play Doh brand.
It's wonderful, it's now incredibly cheap, and it keeps your children entertained for hours.
And making your own is fun. You can add texture by throwing in some cornmeal or playground sand, add drops of essential oil for smell, or even add a packet of sugar free Koolaid for a bright color and strong kid-approved smell.
Homemade play dough makes great gifts for the holidays or party favors. If you have a gluten free preschool-aged child, I would highly recommend being the "play dough mom" who brings in a new batch (or the store bought) each month into your child's class. That way everyone plays with the same stuff, so there isn't a worry of cross-contamination, and the teachers will adore you for bringing new stuff regularly. Trust me in that you do not want to know how gross play dough can get after a month or two in a preschool classroom. 20/20 should do a segment on play dough germs...
This is easy to make, and children can help without the worry of being burnt by standing near a hot stove.
The Ingredients.
I have bought all of this in bulk from Smart and Final or Costco---except for the rice flour. I get rice flour at an Asian grocery store for 59 cents a bag.
--2 cups rice flour (if you are not gluten free, use plain ol' All Purpose)
--1 cup corn starch
--1 cup salt
--1/4 cup cream of tartar
--2 cups hot water
--2 t cooking oil (not a typo! that's all the oil you need!)
The Directions.
--Plug in your crockpot and turn to low to warm up slowly.
--Dump in your dry ingredients, stirring to evenly distribute.
Add the water and oil. Close the lid and switch the heat to high.
Set a timer and check your play dough every 30 minutes, stirring well each time. Our play dough took a little under 2 hours to make.
You will know it's done or close to done when the play dough begins to form a ball when you stir it.
When that happens, remove the stoneware insert from your crockpot and stir some more. Dump it out onto a smooth surface and begin to knead----be careful---- it's going to be hot. If your dough is overly sticky, add a bit of cornstarch; if overly dry, add a touch more hot water. Each time you make the dough, the water required will be a bit different, depending on the humidity in the air.
Separate the dough into manageable 
lumps and push a hole into the center for a few drops of food coloring--let the kids squish the dough around to distribute the desired color. Their hands will be a bit colored for a few hours...
lumps and push a hole into the center for a few drops of food coloring--let the kids squish the dough around to distribute the desired color. Their hands will be a bit colored for a few hours...
The Verdict.
We prepared this during a play date, and the kids had a ball. In order for everybody to see clearly and to "help"--I spread a vinyl tablecloth on the floor and used a mini-extension cord for the crockpot. This recipe makes enough dough for 4-5 children to play with at a time. Store in a ziplock bag or a tightly sealed plastic container. If stored properly, the dough will last 3-4 months.
PUZZLE
Silver Fish Three Jigsaw Puzzle
Silver Fish Three Jigsaw Puzzle, 67 Piece Classic. A silver flat fish with yellow fin
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'where's the bathroom?' in Yiddish - Vu iz der tualett?
CLEVER
bow which shoots marshmallows
EYE OPENER
25 WAYS TO RE-USE KEURIG K-CUPS
happyholligans
1. Pair your K-cups up with a shoelace, and you have a fine-motor lacing activity for toddlers or preschoolers.
2. Use K-cups to organize small craft items and office supplies.
3. Cut a slit in the bottom of a K-cup and you have a handy card-holder for young children.
4. Double up a couple of K-cups. Plug the bottom hole with a bit of hot glue or cover it with tape (I used a small piece of hockey tape ). Fill your K-cups with fresh herbs and a bit of water. Set in a mini-muffin tin and freeze. Dip into a cup of warm water, pop them into a baggy, and store in the freezer. Great for adding to soups and sauces!
5. Add a basket of K-cups to the block centre in your toy room or classroom.
6. Use your k-cups as seed-starters for the garden.
7. Young children can use K-cups for a money-sorting activity.
8. Use your K-cups for color recognition and patterning activities with your toddler.
10. Turn a few k-cups into a sound-matching game for preschoolers.
MORE USES FOR K-CUPS:
11. Plug the small hole at the bottom with hot glue, and use as small paint pots or glue pots at craft-time.
12. Stuff the cup with some cotton or quilt batting, and cover with fabric for a make-shift pincushion.
13. A stack of K-cups and a pipe-cleaner makes a fine threading craft for preschoolers.
14. Make a mobile
15. String a garland
16. Keep a stash of them for play at the water-table or at bath-time.
17. Play with them on the light-table
18. Paint the insides of the k-cups with different colors of paint, and toddlers can play a matching game with pom-poms.
19. Use them for a penny-toss game.
20. Use them in the doll house or with Barbies for garbage pails, buckets, laundry hampers etc.
21. Make a bowling game for kids using a stack of k-cups and a marble or bouncy ball.
22. Use k-cups when playing with play dough.
23. Toss a few into the sandbox.
24. Make a game-token for homemade games by slicing a slit in the top and inserting a flash card.
25. And finally, one last way to re-use your Keurig’s k-cups: Make more coffee! Pick up a set and re-use your k-cups time and time again for brewing your own coffee or tea. 
The eagle's catch reminded me how much I missed see the osprey in NC this year. Facial hair gallery is over the top. Probably will have to giggle for an hour or two before I can do anything useful.
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