Wednesday, September 2, 2015

V-J Day SEPTEMBER 2, 2015

DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate V-J Day

Following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance to the Potsdam Declaration and surrendered on 15th August 1945, effectively marking the end of World War II. However, the official surrender ceremony did not occur until over two weeks later, and thus President Truman marked 2nd September as the official V-J Day.
It is estimated that anywhere from 60 to 80 million people died during World War II, on all sides of the conflict. V-J Day should be seen as not only the celebration of the defeat of the tyrannical Japanese government of the time, but also the remembrance of those who lost their lives.



Word of the Day

nectary 


Definition:(noun) A gland like organ, located outside or within a flower, that secretes nectar.
Synonyms:honey gland
Usage:Deep in the Amazon, we came across a species of flower sporting a nectary larger than any we had ever seen.




History

Romare Bearden (1911)


Regarded as one of the most important African-American artists of the 20th century, Bearden first achieved recognition for his complex, semi abstract collages of photographs and painted paper on canvas in Europe following WWII. By the 1960s, he was the preeminent collagist in the US. A prolific artist, he created some 2,000 works, many of which focus on aspects of African-American culture, including music and family

Feast of San Estevan


The Feast of San Estevan (St. Stephen) is a harvest dance and annual feast day in the Native American pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico. Acoma was established in the 12th century and is the oldest continuously inhabited community in America, though only about 50 people now live there year-round. A mass and procession begin the feast day. The statue of the patron saint is taken from the church to the plaza, where the dances are performed from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There are 15 or so different dances—Bear, Butterfly, and Rainbow are some of them.

Primordial Sea Beast Resembled Ancient Greek Warship


One of the earliest big predators to prowl Earth's primordial waters was a sea scorpion nearly 6 feet (1.7 meters) long whose body looked a bit like an ancient Greek warship. 
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31 B.C. - The Roman leader Octavian defeated the alliance of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Octavian, as Augustus Caesar, became the first Roman emperor. 

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 1775 - Hannah, the first American war vessel was commissioned by General George Washington.

1897 - The first issue of "McCall’s" magazine was published. The magazine had been known previously as "Queens Magazine" and "Queen of Fashion." 

1935 - George Gershwin completed the orchestral score for the opera Porgy and Bess.

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 1938 - The first railroad car to be equipped with fluorescent lighting was put into operation on the New York Central railroad. 

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1965 - The Beatles received a gold record for the song "Help!" 

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1969 - NBC-TV canceled "Star Trek." The show had debuted on September 8, 1966. 

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1995 - In Cleveland, OH, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum officially opened. 




DAILY SQU-EEK



If You Were Born Today, September 2

You are generous to a fault, always ready and willing to lend a hand, and kindhearted. A humanitarian and idealist, you aim to take everyone's perspective into consideration and are a true team player. You are someone who notices details that others often miss. Others might often turn to you for information and advice. Inquisitive and curious, you are highly intelligent and also heavily draw on your intuition when coming to conclusions. You tend to thrive in partnership and can in fact be quite successful in careers that involve a lot of one-on-one interactions, such as a therapist, counselor, or lawyer. You can be emotional and moody, which can be confusing to those around you. They may leave you alone when you'd prefer company simply because they may be unsure of how to please you. Famous people born today: Keanu Reeves, Jimmy Connors, Salma Hayek, Mark Harmon, Allison Miller.


Picture of the day
Inca tern
The Inca tern (Larosterna inca) is a species of seabird in the family Sternidae and the only member of its genus. This piscivorous species is restricted to the Humboldt Current and breeds on the rocky coastal cliffs in Peru and Chile, laying one or two eggs which hatch after 4 weeks.

Picture of an aerial view of lines outside the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Curly Queues

Photograph by Graham de Lacy, National Geographic 
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower attracts nearly seven million visitors a year. Here, lines form and fluctuate beneath La Dame de Fer, or “the iron lady,” an iconic fixture in the city for more than 125 years. Graham de Lacy, in Paris for the first time, took a few shots of the city at the top, “as one does.” He saw the lines on the way to the restaurant on the first level. “They reminded me of ants,” he writes. “I found the exact center point, as I wanted the shot perfectly symmetrical. Fortunately, I had a wide-angle lens to capture the moment ... It was very monochromatic, and in my head I always knew it was going to be in black and white.”




knit (back to school?)
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Pencil Sleeves pattern by Yasmin Gamal
Very simple and easy pencil sleeves.
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knit

knit, toe up

knit

knit


Police say that the gang usually is comprised of four members, 
One adult and three younger ones.

While the three younger ones, all appearing sweet and innocent, 
Divert their 'mark' (or intended target) with a show of friendliness, 
The fourth - the eldest -- sneaks in from behind the person's back 
To expertly rifle through his or her pockets and purses or bags for 
Any valuables being carried. 

The picture below, caught on CCTV camera, shows the gang in operation.       

 
crochet
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Crochet Shell Lace Vest pattern by Elaine Phillips
More from Elaine Phillips Dawn in the Woo... 11 ratings 33 projects Scalloped Summe... 4 ratings 10 projects AGD Evening Dre... 6 ratings 15 projects See ...
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crochet

crochet

crochet

Kisses Pouch

Image of Kisses Pouch

crochet




RECIPE





CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea

Sundried Tomato and Caper Pasta Sauce CrockPot Recipe

That title is a mouthful. If you still have some tomatoes on hand, and they're beginning to get squishy, this is a great way to use them up if you aren't in the mood for a heavy marinara.

This is a great, easy pasta sauce with a bit of a bite due to a handful of sun dried tomatoes and capers. I was supposed to toss in some frozen peas at the very end to make it more of a full meal, and I completely forgot. We didn't miss them, but I'm going to add them to the leftovers.

The Ingredients.

--1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and rinsed
--5 fresh tomatoes, chopped
--1 medium onion, minced
--8 garlic cloves, chopped
--2 T capers, drained
--1 T Italian seasoning
--1/2 cup frozen peas, optional
--fresh Parmesan cheese, optional
--1 pound cooked pasta (I used Trader Joe's brown rice penne)

The Directions.

Use a 4-6 quart crockpot for this sauce.

Chop up the tomatoes, garlic, and onion and toss them into your crockpot. Add the tablespoon of Italian seasoning. After draining and rinsing off as much of the oil as you can from the sun dried tomatoes, add 1/4 cup of them whole to the crockpot. Chop up the remaining 1/4 cup, and then add that. Stir in the 2 T of drained capers.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in the frozen peas 20 minutes before serving. Toss the sauce with hot cooked pasta. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese.

The Verdict.

This was a great meal, and we all really enjoyed it. My kids aren't quite sold on capers, but they enjoy pasta a lot, and ate quite a bit. I love turning the crockpot on during a morning---it saves us from ordering take-out on a busy day.


CRAFTS
WALL PLANTERS
design love fest
you can use air dry clay so no need to get crazy with ceramic throwing and you can make them at home with very few tools needed.
what you’ll need:• air dry clay (we used Crayola)
• rolling pin
• canvas about 18 x 24 inches
• exacto blade
• ceramic pin tool (available at art and craft stores)
• sandpaper
• craft or spray paint
• tissue paper or newsprint and drawing paper
• small sponge
how to make them:
• first make yourself a pattern of the shape you want your plant pocket to be. make two of the exact same shape by tracing your shape and then cut the top off of one in a nice rounded shape, that piece will serve as the front of your pocket. round and oval shapes work the best and they can be perfect or irregular, what ever you like
• roll 2 balls of clay, the size of a fist, in between a folded piece of canvas until they are about 1/4 inch in thick. note: rolling the clay on canvas will keep the clay from sticking to your work table and make it easier to pick up
• cut out each pattern piece from your flattened clay with an exacto knife (clay is surprisingly easy to cut with a sharp blade)
• roll one coil of clay long enough to go around the bottom curve of your front pattern piece taking care to taper the ends a bit
• with the pin tool make score marks along all the edges that your two pieces will meet to form your pocket
• on your front piece attach the coil to the area that you have scored. add a little water to the clay to help the coil stick to the other piece of clay, score the top of the attached coil as well
• cut a piece of drawing paper slightly smaller but in the same shape as your front pattern piece. it doesn’t need to be perfect just enough to cover the surface of the exposed clay inside the coil area. this will help keep your two clay pieces from touching when you join then and also help you keep the shape smooth
• with a sponge put a little water on the coil and the scored part of the other piece of clay
• crumple a little piece of newsprint or tissue paper and put it on the large flat piece of clay. this will help you create the shape of the pocket when you join the two pieces
• now you get to join your two pieces together! when you have them lined up so all the edges are in the right place pinch the 2 pieces together kind of like a pie crust
• with your sponge smooth all the edges and surfaces. if your edge is a little bumpy from pinching it run the pin tool along it and take off any small pieces
• shape your pocket and put in extra tissue paper if necessary to keep it propped up while drying. after the clay has dried for an hour or so you can put your last finishing touches on the pocket shape and smooth it all out one last time
• after your clay is dry (time depends on climate conditions where you are, in Southern California we find it takes a day or two) you can smooth your pocket even more with sandpaper. use a medium grit first to take down any lumps or bumps and a fine grit to smooth before painting
• we used white spray paint and colored craft paint to finish ours but you can really do anything! dots, stripes, all white, it’s up to you
• use a clear acrylic spray to seal your paint since you will probably need to water your plants, be sure to read all directions on paint dry time so your project stands the test of time.
we decided to use succulents as they require less water and still look great but the plant selection is up to you. have fun and show us what you create!





CHILDREN'S CORNER ... back to school craft

PUZZLE




QUOTE
A friend is what the heart needs all the time. - Henry Van Dyke








MAN HULA HOOPS A TRACTOR TIRE

HE’S MANAGED TO TWIRL A 98-LB TRACTOR TIRE AROUND HIS WAIST. HE’S SUFFERED CUTS, BRUISES, AND LOST MANY SHIRTS PRACTICING.

Hula-hooping comedy stunt performer, Paul Blair or “Dizzy Hips”  makes a living off the 1958 children’s toy.

Dizzy Hips Hula-Hooping a tractor tire
He’s managed to continuously twirl a 98-lb tractor tire around his waist for 10 seconds. He’s suffered cuts, bruises, and lost many shirts practicing.
Hulla-Hooping-on-Rollar-Blades

That’s not all the hula master has accomplished!

The hula-hoop-man has accomplished quite a bit:
  • He’s twirled 132 hula-hoops at once
  • Ran an entire 10k marathon in 1 hour and six minutes while hula-hooping!
  • Hulaed while skating, skiing, and snowboarding
The largest hoop he ever “hula-ed” was 43 feet in circumference and 13 feet wide—that’s almost as tall as a one story house. Believe 
It or Not!

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"Welcome" in Albanian (Albania, Yugoslavia) - Mirë se erdhët






CLEVER
Technology & Electronics - Check if your Batteries are Still Good

thanks, heide
An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle.

She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her lungs, “I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!”. The four men didn't wait for a second threat. They got out and ran like mad.

The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver’s seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. 

She tried and tried, and then she realized why. It was for the same reason she had wondered why there was a football, a Frisbee and two 12-packs of beer in the front seat. A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down.

She loaded her bags into the car and drove to the police station to report her mistake.

The sergeant to whom she told the story couldn't stop laughing. He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

No charges were filed.

The moral of the story? 

If you’re going to have a senior moment… make it memorable.

EYE OPENER
thanks, sheri
knit and crochet booklet
Cozy Neutrals For Baby





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