Few things are more important to Americans than heritage. Remembering where you come from, and how hard you’ve worked to get where you are are all integral parts of the concept of the American dream. For those reasons, no holiday could be more American in nature than Forefathers’ Day, a holiday that celebrates the first ever pilgrims courageously sailing across the vast ocean they knew very little about at the time, in search of a better life and freedom from religious prosecution. When they set foot on the shores of North America, they themselves were the beginning of a new country that would one day become a world superpower. Now that’s definitely an event worth celebrating.
Forefathers’ Day is a commemoration of the pilgrims who sailed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Mayflower, in 1620. As they had left England in search of better days, the Pilgrim Fathers settled on US territory, which they subsequently christened New England. And as they had set sail from Plymouth, England, they decided to give their landing spot the whimsical name of Plymouth Rock. Therefore, Forefathers’ Day is a holiday celebrated mainly in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 22. The holiday was introduced to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1769, so it has quite a long history and tradition. However, the joyous occasion was first celebrated in 1769, because 149 years after the forefathers actually arrived in North America, some descendants decided to gather for a feast in honor of their ancestors, who would have been their great-great-grandfathers.
Word of the Day
| |||
| Definition: | (adjective) Nervous and unable to relax. | ||
| Synonyms: | fidgety, fretful, itchy | ||
| Usage: | The long wait made the children antsy. | ||
Idiom of the Day
lightning in a bottle— An incredibly difficult, unlikely, and/or elusive achievement or period of success. (Usually used with "catch" or "capture.") Primarily heard in US. |
History
The Lincoln Tunnel Opens to Traffic (1937)
About 120,000 vehicles pass under the Hudson River by way of the 1.5-mile (2.4-km) Lincoln Tunnel every day. A vital link between New York's Manhattan borough and Weehawken, New Jersey, the tunnel was constructed under the supervision of civil engineer and underwater tunnel pioneer Ole Singstad. The first two-lane tube opened in 1937, with two others opening in 1945 and 1957.
a wonderful friend (deceased) had a father who was a foreman working on that tunnel (dont know exactly which one)
Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869)
| Considered by some to have been the best American poet of his time, Robinson is now primarily remembered for his short poems about the lives—mostly tragic—of people in a small New England village. He briefly attended Harvard but had to drop out after his father's death and thereafter endured years of poverty and obscurity before his poetry was noticed. A quiet, introverted man, Robinson never married and became legendary for his reclusiveness. |
Alien Minerals Discovered at Ancient Meteorite Strike Site in Scotland
| Geologists have uncovered mineral forms never before seen on Earth at the site of a 60 million-year-old meteorite strike on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. When probing a thick layer of ancient lava flow on the small, picturesque island, Simon Drake and ... |
Alien minerals have been discovered in an ancient meteorite strike
1858 - Composer Giacomo Puccini was born.
1894 - The United States Golf Association was formed in New York City.
1895 - German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen made the first X-ray, of his wife's hand.
1956 - Colo, the first gorilla to be born in captivity, was born at the Columbus, Ohio zoo.
1961 - James Davis became the first U.S. soldier to die in Vietnam, while U.S. involvement was still limited to the provision of military advisers.
1976 - The last show of "Let’s Make A Deal" was aired.
1981 - A rock 'n' roll auction in London brought in $2,000 for a letter of introduction from Buddy Holly to Decca Records. John and Cynthia Lennon’s marriage certificate was sold for $850 and an autographed program from the world premiere of the Beatles film "Help!" brought in $2,100.
1990 - Lech Walesa was sworn in as Poland's first popularly elected president.
If You Were Born Today, December 22
You are an emotional person who is very connected to your past. You are exceptionally giving and supportive, sometimes to the point of martyrdom! You have to try not to feel resentful for all that you do for others by keeping this trait in balance. You would make an excellent counselor. Your love life is likely very changeful. You are extremely hard-working and few can do the job as well as you. Sometimes you are impatient with others who don’t seem to have the same work ethic as you, but you must understand that few do! You can be a perfectionist. You are a wonderful combination of conservative and creative or inspired. Famous people born today: Diane Sawyer, Vanessa Paradis, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Ralph Fiennes.
READERS INFO
1.
INTERESTING FACTS
thanks, Helen
Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years.
Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.
The song Auld Lang Syne is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year.
The University of Alaska spans four time zones.
In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.
Warner Communications paid 28 million for the copyright to the song Happy Birthday, which was written in 1935!
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
A comet's tail always points away from the sun.
MAGAZINE:
Pictures of the day
Levi Woodbury (1789–1851) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, a U.S. Senator, the 9th Governor of New Hampshire, and a cabinet member in three U.S. administrations. Over the course of his political career, he was affiliated with the Democratic Party of Andrew Jackson. At the 1848 Democratic National Convention, he received significant support for the presidential nomination, but lost to Lewis Cass.
THE COYOTE'S HOWL
A coyote stops to howl near the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Photographer Glenn M. writes, "Another pair of intrepid photographers had gone out to look for this coyote based on its howls, and the coyote ended up coming to us."
knit
thanks, Heide
in the round
knit
thanks, Violet
knit
thanks, Marilyn
knit, Christmas ornament
crochet, Christmas
thanks, Joy
crochet
thanks, Ann
crochet
English pattern further on down the page
RECIPE
Christmas Morning Gingerbread Pancakes
ediblecrafts
These Festive Christmas Pancakes are the perfect Christmas morning breakfast. You will need a great pancake recipe or if you are feeling especially relaxed you can use a ready made pancake batter.
Here is our favorite recipe.
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
50g butter, melted
Makes 4-5 big pancakes
This recipe is so much fun. Set aside your pancakes in sets of 2.
Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter
to cut the shape out of 1 of the pancake. On the other pancake spread Nutella of chocolate spread over the top. Place the cut out pancake on top to reveal the chocolate Gingerbread man.
to cut the shape out of 1 of the pancake. On the other pancake spread Nutella of chocolate spread over the top. Place the cut out pancake on top to reveal the chocolate Gingerbread man.
Finish off with festive sprinkles. You can save time and make these ahead of time and warm them in a pan.
CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Shelley
SWEETS ... Christmas cookies

ADULT COLORING
CRAFTS ... Christmas sewing
thanks, Kathy
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... Christmas crafts
paper chain tree
PUZZLE
Merry Xmas Bear Jigsaw Puzzle
WORD SEARCH
| after appreciate better change characters cheer coast common could | doctor enforce every expert extreme fret | hardly hurricane immune investigate month nonsense | police rare ribbon secret serve silent sore sound | taste tear thank vent wheel worn |
SUDOKU ... medium
solution:
QUOTE
CLEVER
EYE OPENER
Have You Ever Wondered ... Why do we say Merry Christmas?
wonderopolis
Merry Christmas…and a Happy New Year! Those are words
that you will likely hear many times during the holiday season.
But have you ever stopped to WONDER why those are the
words you hear? Why don't people wish you a Festive
Christmas? And a Merry New Year? In fact, why is Christmas merry when no other occasion seems to be? After
deal?
Historians and linguists can't pinpoint for sure exactly why we tend to use Merry Christmas. The greeting dates back to at least 1534 in London, when it was written in a letter sent to Henry VIII's chief minister Thomas Cromwell from bishop John Fisher. Scholars also note the phrase was used in the 16th century English carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."
Merry Christmas certainly picked up steam in 1843 with the publication of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. That same year the phrase also appeared on the first commercially-sold Christmas card.
Despite its prevalence in the United States and its historical underpinnings, Merry
Christmas never gained universal support. For example, Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas ends with the words, “A Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night." Each year, Queen Elizabeth also wishes British citizens a Happy Christmas in her annual broadcast.
In fact, Happy Christmas tends to be the preferred phrase for a significant minority of Great Britain. Why might this be? It could be the queen's influence. A rumor has circulated that Queen Elizabeth prefers happy to merry, because the word merry, to her, carries with it a sense of boisterousness and even intoxication.
A linguistic comparison of happy and merry lends support to this theory. Early church leaders in Great Britain may have encouraged Christian followers to be happy rather than engage in merrymaking! In this sense, Happy Christmas is a bit more conservative and reserved than Merry Christmas, which conveys a more emotional, unrestrained celebration.
No one knows for sure why Merry Christmas became the more popular greeting in the United States. Some Christians believe it is a more fitting greeting, given the unrestrained and emotional response followers should have to a celebration of the birth of their Savior, Jesus Christ.
Rosko and I wish you a glorious holiday! See you soon!!!!
