Nothing is quite as elegant as a black cat—like a miniature Amazonian jaguar, they doze atop the highest point in the area, waking for several hours daily to prowl around hunting for a tasty morsel. But black cats and kittens are often overlooked when animal shelters are looking for new homes, and can be at the shelter much longer than they should be. So why is this?
Interestingly, cats in ancient Egypt were revered highly, partly due to their ability to combat vermin such as mice, rats. Cats of royalty were known to be dressed in golden jewelry and were allowed to eat right off their owners’ plates. The goddess of warfare was a woman with the head of a cat named Bastet.
These days, however, black cats are often are seen as unlucky or mischievous, but not everyone knows why that is. In Celtic mythology, it was believed that fairies could take the form of black cats, and therefore their arrival to a home or village was seen as sign of good luck. Unfortunately, the Pilgrims that came after them were devoutly religious and fearful of anything remotely related to the pagan beliefs of their ancestors, and it was because of that fear that black cats went from being seen as the vessels of fairies to the vessels of witches and demons. At that time it became common practice to severely punish those who kept black cats as pets, and even kill the animals themselves.
Although these days nobody really believes black cats are witches or demons in disguise anymore, they are still often seen as signs of bad luck by many people in the West.
How you decide to celebrate Black Cat Day will depend on how you answer the following questions: firstly, do you have a cat? Secondly, if you don’t have a cat, would you like to and are you ready to have one? And thirdly, if you answered no to the previous two questions, what can you do to celebrate this special animal?
If you’ve been thinking about getting a cat of your own and have the time to take proper care of it, maybe today should be the day you welcome a furry feline into your life? Animals shelters are always bursting at the seams with both kittens and older cats who need a human of their own and a warm cozy bed and black cats are less likely to get adopted than other cats, so what are you waiting for? If you are willing to spend a bit of money, you can also buy a black kitten—breeds such as the Bombay are solid black and known to be playful and affectionate.
thanks, patty for the acorn 'selfeet' (not selfie lol) taken in front of our home
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) In Muslim legend, a spirit often capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence over people. | ||
| Synonyms: | genie, jinnee, jinni | ||
| Usage: | The djinni offered to grant Aladdin three wishes. | ||
thanks, patty, for showing us your nursery of baby oak trees from the above acorns .. wow, eh?
History
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 | Considered the greatest European scholar of the 16th century, Erasmus was a Dutch priest and leading humanist of the Renaissance era. After his ordination in the early 1490s, Erasmus traveled throughout Europe and became acquainted with many scholars, including Thomas More. A prolific writer, he was noted for his editions of classical works as well as the first Greek edition of the New Testament. | ||
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 | Researchers at the University of Manchester found the number of opiate receptors in the brain increases to help the body combat chronic pain, which may lead to more effective methods of pain management. | ||
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Altering brain chemistry may allow people to increase pa...
Researchers found the number of opiate receptors in the brain increases to help combat chronic pain, which may lead to better methods of pain management.
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1782 - Composer and violinist Niccolo Paganini was born.
1858 - Roland Macy opened Macy's Department Store in New York City. It was Macy's eighth business adventure, the other seven failed.
1904 - The New York subway system officially opened. It was the first rapid-transit subway system in America.
1925 - Fred Waller received a patent for water skis.
1938 - Du Pont announced "nylon" as the new name for its new synthetic yarn.
1954 - The first Walt Disney television show "Disneyland" premiered on ABC.
1975 - Bruce Springsteen was simultaneously on the cover of "Time" and "Newsweek." This was the first time this happened for a rock star.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, October 26
You express yourself with authority, sometimes intimidating others without ever intending to do so! Your mind is sharp and incisive, and your wit is on the ball. You have the benefit of both analytical skills and perceptive understanding of others. It is hard to put anything past you! When you care about someone, you are generous to a fault. Although you certainly possess business sense and ability, you are not a traditional businessperson in that you have a strongly idealistic and humanitarian side to your nature. Famous people born today: Hillary Clinton, Pat Sajak, Jaclyn Smith, Dylan McDermott, Mahalia Jackson, Keith Urban, Morgan Saylor, Seth MacFarlane.
| Picture of the day | |
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A cordwainer making shoes in Capri, Italy. Cordwainers are shoemakers who make shoes from new leather. They are distinct from cobblers, who repair shoes or make shoes out of old leather.
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Ozarks Concerto
Photograph by Terra Fondriest
On a misty morning in Saint Joe, Arkansas, Terra Fondriest snapped this whimsical image of her daughter playing a piano in the bed of her pickup truck. The piano, purchased at a benefit auction the night before, was a surprise, she says, and her daughter couldn’t wait to try it out. “We had to wait for a friend to come over to help unload,” she explains, “so until then, my daughter [played] tunes while it was in the back of the truck, outdoing all the morning bird chirping and rooster crowing that were also going on.”
patty takes us for a visit to ames hill & brookside house
knit, halloween
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knit
knit, toddler
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Goldfish Mittens pattern by Amy Christoffers
These little fishes are quick to knit and kid approved!
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knit
knit
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George's Pashmina Scarf pattern by Susan Adkins
Free Pattern ! Simple chart to follow. Great yarn
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crochet, halloween
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crochet
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FREE Crochet Pattern - X Stitch Challenge Fingerless Glo...
free crochet pattern for fingerless gloves part of the X Stitch Challenge
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crochet
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Mini Rings of Change pattern by Frank O'Randle
Attn: This does not end with a flat edge as is seen in the giant rug on Facebook. The flat edge is in the full 111 round version.
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crochet, vintage
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Hot Dog Potholder | Crochet Patterns
Printer-friendly versionSend by emailPDF version This holder may be made with any of the American Thread Company products listed below: Material Qu...
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crochet, vintage
Toilet Tissue Covers and Tea Cozy
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Handmade by Mother: Poodles, Poodles, Poodles!
Poodle Tea Cosies and Tissue Cover MATERIALS: By popular request...
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RECIPES
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Domesblissity: Baked Thai Chicken Wings
Nothing like picking up a couple of kilos of marked down chicken wings from the supermarket, especially when you've been craving some sweet, spicy, finger...
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CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup CrockPot Recipe
This soup's flavors are rich and distinguished. It's completely fat-free until you add the cream, which is optional. To cut back on cream consumption, I measured out 1 tablespoon per family member and we stirred it in ourselves at the table. The kids adored this and renamed the soup "Sunset Soup."The Ingredients.
This soup will serve 6 grown-ups.2 cups of fresh pumpkin, or 1 (15-ounce ) can
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 yams, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon turmeric (this was the first time I bought turmeric, and I do think it's a necessary spice)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
TO ADD LATER:
--heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon per family member (optional)
--garnish with chopped green onion (I chose not to at the last minute)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker.
I bought a pumpkin specifically for this recipe. I had huge plans to cut out the flesh, discard the strings and seeds and cook the fresh pumpkin. The kids had other plans, and took the pumpkin from me, wrapped "her" in baby blankets and played house for a few days. When I got "her" back she wasn't quite as hard as she was when I first brought her home from the store. I wasn't terribly worried until I committed pumpkincide and cut into her and found a disgusting black moldy mess.
Mrs. Pumpkin Head is now in the compost bin.
SO! If you have fresh non-squishy and moldy pumpkin, go for it. Otherwise, open a can of pure pumpkin and use that.
Empty it into your crockpot, and add the chopped vegetables. Add the spices and sugar. Stir in the vegetable broth and water. I really don't think it matters one whit what gets added first. It's soup. It's going to cook together all day long.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Carefully use an immersible blender to blend about 3/4 of the soup. If you have littles in the house with texture issues, feel free to blend it all.
Serve with a bit of cream to stir in.
The Verdict.
Gorgeous. This is a gorgeous soup. I love it. The kids enjoyed it (they liked it better when it turned yellow with the cream), and Adam and I liked it an awful lot. I'd most definitely serve this to guests. Super good.
CRAFTS
Letter Bottles With a Hot Glue Gun
CHILDREN'S CORNER .. halloween craft
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Spooky Edible Eyeballs
Spookify any salad, veggie plate, carved pumpkin, or cocktail this Halloween with these edible radish eyeballs. Super simple to make, they are an easy way ...
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PUZZLE
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QUOTE
WAR CATS: EGYPTIANS LOST A WAR BECAUSE THEY LOVED CATS
CATS HAVE BEEN USED MANY TIMES IN WAR! THE EGYPTIANS LOST A BATTLE TO A CAT-WIELDING ARMY!
BATTLE-CATS. CATS IN WARFARE.
CAN YOU EVER LOVE CATS TOO MUCH?
We all know the Egyptians revered cats, some even worshiping them as Gods, but what’s the possibility their effervescent love for the feline have cost them a war?
Picture it, it’s the 2nd Century, war has been brewing between Egypt and Persia for some time and you’re an Egyptian soldier trained to be a deadly dervish of spear and sword. You’re stationed atop the high city wall ready to defend your king and country from the invading Persians, when in the distance you see something:
A horde of Persian soldiers brandishing swords and… cats?
A horde of Persian soldiers brandishing swords and… cats?
Meeting Between Cambyses II and Psammetichus III by Adrien Guigent
BATTLE CRIES, SWORD CLASHES, AND MEOWING
According to the Macedonian author of Stratagems of War, Polyaeunus, the invading Persians cunningly used cats to protect themselves from Egyptian arrow fire. The Persian king, Cambyses II, persuaded troops to carry these “mystical” animals into battle to prevent Egyptian forces from fighting back. He guessed the cats would give the Egyptians paws, refusing to attack for fear of hitting the cuddly creatures.
I CAN HAZ EGYPT?
This tactic allowed Persian forces to successfully storm the City and win the battle. The method must have been effective, as battle historian Herodotus noted that 50,000 Egyptians fell in battle, while only 7,000 Persians lost their lives. Cambyses would kick-off the Persian Period of Pharaohs in Egypt that would last for nearly 200 years.
©UPenn Ms. Codex 109
THIS IDEA WOULD MAKE ANYONE PAUSE.
Persians aren’t the only army to use cats in war. Germany researched ways of using cats and even birds to spread poisonous gas in the 16th Century. The idea was to attach glass jars made into gas bombs to the animals, and then send them into enemy fortresses. Cats often just ran back at allied camps. Oops.
Commander Cat
CATS BETTER THAN RADAR?
During the Battle for Britain, many families used cats as an early warning system for German bombers.
When the kitties sensed planes coming they would run for cover, and British civilians would do the same!
When the kitties sensed planes coming they would run for cover, and British civilians would do the same!
Cat Battle Armor
HAVE AT THEE!
Today, artist Jeff Deboer celebrates the war potential of cats by making armor for his feline friends. This cat armor is made custom and by hand. This one is on display in our Myrtle Beach Odditorium.
What do you think? Could our affection for these lovable litters be dangerous?
"Welcome" in German (Central Europe) - Willkommen
CLEVER
Nine Important Facts To Remember
As We Grow Older
#9 Death is the number 1 killer in the world.#8 Life is sexually transmitted.#7 Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.#6 Men have 2 motivations: hunger and hanky panky, and they can't tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich.#5 Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks, months, maybe years.#4 Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.#3 All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.#2 In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.#1 Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers. What you do today may be a burning issue tomorrow.
thanks, heide
EYE OPENER
21 CATS AMBUSHING YOUR YARN
topcrochetpattern
If you have ever been around a cat as you enjoy a spot of knitting or crochet, you'll know that one of their favorite pastimes is to unwind... quite literally - your fabulous work! Here are a collection of kitties that have been caught in the act trying to have a pop at their owners' WIPs, most of all when their backs are turned...
1. Play time
"Ooh a present for me! For me!"
2. In a tangle
She knows she's been trapped.
3. A la Davy Jones
It's uncanny.
4. Cat Burglar
"My new present wants to play!"
5. Strike a pose
Such model looks. Eat your heart out, Felix!
6. Knot fair
This one seems to have tired herself out!
7. Snuggle time
A simple embrace.
8. Out the bag
"I've been nowhere near your yarn. Honest!"
9. Wrecking wool
This isn't a bad idea at all actually!
10. Don't judge me!
Just trying it on for size...
11. Death stare
* Eyes up next victim *
12. Such art
The cat equivalent of dot to dot.
13. Captain wool face
They are now as one.
14. Having a ball
"What are you looking at? Nothing to see here"
15. Captain wool face: part 2
The look of panic at being tangled forever...
16. Crafty cat
“I made this for you – you like?”
17. Hair care
What a gorgeous weave!
18. Interrupt mid-fight
“He started it!”
19. Kitty cat eyes
Who would have the heart to take it away? Not us.
20. Woolly wonderland
The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
21. Little ball of fur
"How dare you! I have been absolutely nowhere near your stash"
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