Make a Difference Day is a worldwide community service effort. It is organised by USA Weekend magazine, together with Points of Light, a charity which mobilizes and enables people to make a difference.
On Make a Difference Day’s website, visitors are invited to either ‘start a project’ or ‘volunteer’. The Day provides a platform and international coverage to encourage people to come together, while allowing them the flexibility to work at the local level on projects that need doing. Campaigns range from setting up an animal welfare shelter to planting a garden to brighten up a neighborhood, and people can easily find groups near them and get involved using the site’s search engine.
On Make a Difference Day, find out what people are doing to celebrate in your area, or, if you can think of a job that needs doing, use the Day’s platform to get it started yourself and see what a difference you can make.
thanks, patty, for bringing us along on your weekend trip through mike's maze, sunderland, MA. warner farm is one of the longest running and oldest family farms in new england.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) A mixture of dissimilar ingredients; a jumble. | ||
| Synonyms: | patchwork, jumble | ||
| Usage: | Paul's screenplay was a hodgepodge of comedy, drama, slapstick, and tragedy. | ||
History
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 | Dedicated in 1260 in the presence of King Louis IX, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Chartres is one of the most influential examples of High Gothic architecture. The main structure was built between 1194 and 1220 and replaced a 12th-century church—of which only the crypt, the base, and the western facade remain. Recognized by its imposing spires, the cathedral is known for its stained-glass windows and Renaissance choir screen | ||
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 | Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch scientist and maker of microscopes whose observations helped lay the foundations for the sciences of bacteriology and protozoology. He assembled hundreds of microscopes, nine of which survive today and can magnify objects as much as 275 times. In the course of his examination of innumerable microorganisms and tissue samples, he gave the first complete descriptions of bacteria and protozoa—which he called animalcules. | ||
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 | The United Nations' Disarmament Week, observed between October 24 and October 30, was established in 1978. It begins on October 24, the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, now observed as United Nations Day. Observance revolves around raising public awareness of the dangers of the arms race and the need for international disarmament. | ||
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 | Sleep, for animals, can be a dicey proposition. While rest and renewal are necessary, snoozing can leave a creature vulnerable to threats. | ||
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1836 - Alonzo D. Phillips received a patent for the phosphorous friction safety match.
1901 - Daredevil Anna Edson Taylor became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. She was 63 years old.
1939 - Nylon stockings were sold to the public for the first time in Wilmington, DE
1949 - The cornerstone for the U.N. Headquarters was laid in New York City
1969 - Richard Burton bought his wife Elizabeth Taylor a 69-carat Cartier diamond ring for $1.5 million. Burton presented the ring to Taylor several days later.
1980 - Guinness Book of World Records gave Paul McCartney a rhodium-plated disc for being history's all-time best-selling songwriter and recording artist.
1996 - Berry Gordy, Jr., founder of Motown, received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
thanks, ellen
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, October 24
Although you don't intend to be, there is something mysterious about you that adds fuel to your considerable, yet quiet, personal magnetism. Your will is quite strong, and you easily hone in on what motivates people. A natural born psychologist, you readily pick up on what makes people "tick". You are not a combative sort, unless you absolutely have to be. You have a strong sense of the "here and now" and where you are in life. Your sense of direction is also remarkable. Your intuition is powerful, and your dedication to the people you love is notable. Impulsiveness is a trait that you may need to tame. Famous people born today: Kevin Kline, Bill Wyman, Ann Edson Taylor, Bob Kane, Melvin Purvis.
| Picture of the day | |
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The red-legged partridge(Alectoris rufa) is a game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. This seed-eating species breeds in southwestern Europe, but has been naturalized elsewhere.
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A Clean Line
Photograph by Zay Yar Lin
A seafarer paints the railing of a ship at sea. From the photographer’s vantage point on the bridge wing, the view seems a clever split screen—the swirling blue water contrasting with the solid, vivid red of the deck, and a meticulously clean white line dividing the two. Zay Yar Lin, who submitted this photo, explains the importance of the seafarer’s work: “To facilitate transporting merchandise around the world, the ship has to be maintained in good and efficient condition. Daily maintenance involves hard work such as chipping, scaling, cleaning, and painting.”
knit, halloween
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Pumpkin Hat pattern by Jill Albert Allen
This is a simple and basic pumpkin hat pattern. Instructions are for 4 sizes -- newborn, baby, toddler, and child. Can easily be sized up for an adult as well.
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knit
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Helix Scarf pattern by Stephenie Gaustad
The Helix Scarf is a garter pattern with short-row ruffles on each side of a central strip.
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knit
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Portsmouth: a skating hat pattern by Julie Bierlein
This pattern has two variations, super bulky and bulky. It could easily be adapted for any weight yarn by continuing the increase section until the headband ...
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knit
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Bridger Cowl pattern by Kris Basta - Kriskrafter, LLC
Do you have one skein of yarn you’ve been saving for just the right thing? Only have a small amount of time in which to knit a gift?
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knit
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crochet, halloween
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crochet
crochet
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Crochet Mesh Button Scarf Pattern
I was inspired by the mesh stitch tutorial that I did a few weeks ago that I decided to make Elise a scarf with that very stitch!! This scarf worked up very qui...
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crochet
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Wicket the Ewok pattern by Lucy Ravenscar
PDF version comes with two ways of making the head - one with an embroidered face, one using mohair yarn to give a fluffy face. Hood is made separately. ...
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crochet
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GRANNY SQUARE SLIPPERS
MATERIALS: Size G hook; 2 or more colors of 4 ply worsted weight yarn. SIZE: Sole measures 4" wide at widest point and about 8 1/2" [ 9" - 9 1/2"] long. C...
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RECIPES
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Easy Healthy Dinner: Baked Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken. -...
Simply pour this homemade teriyaki sauce over chicken and bake!
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CROCKPOT RECIPES
stephanie o'dea
CrockPot Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chili, Cumin and Lime
This is a Tyler Florence recipe. He pricks sweet potatoes with a fork, rubs equal parts cumin, chili powder, and kosher salt all over the skin, wraps the potato in foil and throws it on the grill.This is the same thing. Instead of the grill, you can use your crockpot.
The Ingredients.
--4 large sweet potatoes, washed well
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp chili powder
--1 tsp kosher salt
--2 to 4 limes
The Directions.
I comfortably fit four sweet potatoes in a 6.5 quart crockpot. I couldn't have fit another.
Scrub the skin of each sweet potato with a vegetable brush under running water. Pat dry. Use a fork to prick the skin of each potato--maybe 6 times.
In a small bowl, combine the dry spices.
Lay out a length of foil big enough to encompass one sweet potato. Put the potato in the middle of the foil, and rub 1/4 of the spice mixture on the potato skin. A bunch will fall off. That's okay.
Wrap the foil all around the sweet potato. Repeat for each of your potatoes.
Put them all into a large crockpot and cover. Cook on high for 6-8 hours. The potatoes are done when a knife inserts easily and the potato flesh is fluffy. Ours cooked for 6.5 hours.
Squeeze lime juice on before eating.
The Verdict.
Delicious. I loved the flavor and the kick of lime. Adam didn't use the lime, because he thought the flavor was so good he didn't want to screw with it. The chili, salt, and cumin made the skin tasty, but didn't really penetrate through to the inner flesh. The kids didn't have any.
CRAFTS
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Vintage-Inspired Pom Pom Wreath
I am a child of the 70’s and even if that dates me, I love anything that with 70’s nostalgia to it. I have been seeing pom pom wreaths a lot lately, and have be...
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CHILDREN'S CORNER ... halloween craft
Peel-and-Stick Yarn Wig
etsy
Behold: the magical, foolproof peel-and-stick yarn wig! This wild weave of yarn is easy for your kids to whip up in 30 minutes or less, and it is unbelievably durable and versatile. We transformed Charlotte into a backyard garden with nothing more than a ball of green yarn and a handful of plastic fruits and veggies.
Of course, there are a million and one different costumes you can make by simply switching up the props and color, length, and style of this insane headful of colorful string. Cut the wig short and add a rainbow of colors to make the cutest clown in town, or use orange yarn and some oversized pom-poms for a neon rag doll pop princess look. Follow the tutorial below to transform your kids into any one of these crazy characters.
You will need:Tan stockings
Yarn (the bulkier the yarn, the quicker the construction)
Fabric Tape
Scissors
Yarn (the bulkier the yarn, the quicker the construction)
Fabric Tape
Scissors
Step 1: Cut the legs off the stockings and secure with a knot. Stretch the stocking over a bowl or bouncy ball (something resembling the shape of your kid’s noggin).
Step 2: Place the fabric tape at the crown of the stocking (near the knot) and run it to the bottom vertically.
Step 3: Peel off the backing of the tape and place the yarn on the tape, pressing firmly. Make a loop at the desired length of your wig; it’s better to make it too long, and you can always trim at the end.
Step 4: Once you have completed a “row,” cut all of the looped yarn to create free-flowing locks. Repeat until the stocking is covered!
Step 5: Once all of your yarn is secure, pull the wig off of the bowl.
Step 6: Stretch the stocking over your child’s head and start adding your costume accessories. Now it’s trick-or-treat time!
PUZZLE
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Red Admiral Pop Jigsaw Puzzle
Red Admiral Pop Jigsaw Puzzle, 67 Piece Classic. Red Admiral butterfly sitting on a pink flower. The Red Admiral (Vanessa
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QUOTE
FERTILITY RITUALS: STATUES & BABOON URINE
RIPLEY’S LEGENDARY FERTILITY STATUES, FERTILITY DRINKS, THE GRASSY GREEN GIANT, AND THE MIRACLE FERTILITY CHAIR OF NAPLES, ITALY. LET'S EXPLORE!
ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO TOUCH THESE THINGS??
I am not a fertility expert, but I know a little about babies… my wife and I have had six of them!
According to tribal legend, to ensure a couple’s fertility, the statues are to be placed on either side of a doorway leading into their bedroom. If a woman or her spouse touches either statue as they enter the room, they will soon get pregnant.
This pair of African fertility statues was hand-carved by the Baoulé (or Baule) tribesmen from the Ivory Coast using only primitive tools. They stand five-feet-high and weigh over 70 pounds each.
It doesn’t seem to matter where one should touch the statues to ensure fertility. Thousands of women have testified that after trying to conceive for years, they got pregnant only after laying their hands on the legendary statues.
YOU DRANK WHAT HOPING TO GET PREGNANT?!
Yeah, yeah we all know that a better diet can aid conception … but, would you drink baboon urine to help you get pregnant?
Now it’s a fact that urine contains a variety of hormones, which is why some fertility medications contain estrogen from human urine to help stimulate fertility in both men and women.
Apparently, some tribal communities in Zimbabwe believe that this will indeed enhance fertility. Mixed with beer, they concoct a rather interesting cocktail in hope of parenthood. Can I just rub the statues, please?
PERHAPS JUST TAKE A NAP ON A GRASSY GIANT?
The Cerne Abbas Giant is a peculiar looking naked giant etched into the ground flaunting his rather prominent manhood and wielding a knobbled club. He’s located outside a village in in Dorset, England.
If a woman decides to take a nap on the 180ft grassy figure, it’s believed that her childlessness will be reversed and she will be blessed with fecundity.
According to the Office of National Statistics, the surrounding areas have the highest birth rates in the United Kingdom.
NOT SLEEPY? JUST SIT DOWN AND GET PREGNANT. WAIT, WHAT?
Increasing fecundity by sitting on a chair? Sounds absurd, right? That it would be, but this is the Miracle Chair of Naples.
Believed to channel fruitfulness and fertility, women from all over the world travel to Italy to sit their bottoms on the chair with the hope of becoming pregnant.
It is the chair where, over 200 years ago, Saint Maria Francesca of the Five Wounds spent the last days of her life. It is surrounded by testimonials pinned to the walls of all the women who have become pregnant after their visits.
Is it a miracle or a coincidence? Nobody will ever truly know, but it could be worth checking out a cheap flight to Naples. Believe It or Not!
CLEVER
Forget to pack a spoon with that applesauce? No problem.
Ever find yourself with an individual cup of applesauce or yogurt and no spoon? Instead of slurping and probably getting half of your snack on your shirt, turn the foil lid into a makeshift spoon.Obviously, don’t try this if you’ve got a mouth full of metal fillings.
EYE OPENER
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24 Beautiful Photo Portraits of Dogs By Alicja Zmyslowsk...
Here are some of the most stunning photos of dogs I’ve ever seen. The “secret” behind these gorgeous shots is that they’re all snapped by the same, very ta...
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