Fountain Pen Day - November 2, 2018

DIANE'S CORNER ... 

Celebrate Fountain Pen Day

There is something utterly elegant about hand-writing a document, about taking pen in hand and transferring the contents of our hearts and souls to paper. When working on something as dreary as the budget for the month or filling out paperwork, a ball-point pen will do. When you are taken to record the most important moments of your life, or turning words into poetry, only the elegance of a Fountain Pen will do. Fountain Pen Day reminds us of this, and encourages us to pick up a fountain pen and put it our souls to paper.

History of Fountain Pen Day

The tools used for writing have gone through some massive changes throughout history. To begin with it was chisels used to mark stone, a bit of papyrus reed to mark out the shapes of cuneiform, or bits of charcoal used to mark words on pieces of Birch Bark or bits of leaf. Eventually ink was created, using various types of plant matter, animals, and eventually iron and extract of Oak galls. Ink required a new tool, and that tool was initially the dip quill pen, a bit of feather (usually goose) with a carefully cut nib to draw up the ink and transfer it to paper.

This was such an amazing innovation that it stayed with us for a goodly long while, but ultimately a new creation was needed that didn’t require constant dipping, and that didn’t require constant recutting of the nib. So it was that the fountain pen came to exist in 1636, combining a wonderful reservoir of ink with a metal nib that didn’t require being recut constantly. The world of writing was changed forever, and it took 300 years for an innovation to come along that overshadowed it.

Overshadowed, but not eliminated, the Fountain Pen is still the writing utensil of choice for those who prefer a more traditional, elegant, and beautiful method of writing. It also has the benefit of producing a cleaner and more consistent line. Fountain Pen Day honors this writing utensil with the long, and ongoing, history.

Jenny Saville (b. 1979) is a contemporary British painter whose stylized nude portraits of voluminous female bodies have brought her international acclaim. She is currently the highest priced female artist. Saville currently lives and works in Oxford, United Kingdom. Today, her works are held in the collections of the Broad Art Foundation in Los Angeles, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, among others.

Word of the Day

countrified
Definition:	(adjective) Characteristic of rural life.
Synonyms:	rustic
Usage:	The house was very handsome, with a lovely countrified garden.

Idiom of the Day

salad years  — A carefree time of youthful innocence, ingenuousness, and inexperience. A variant of the more common "salad days," which itself is taken from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.

This Day in History

First and Only Flight of the "Spruce Goose" (1947)

A few years before going into complete seclusion, millionaire aviator and airplane manufacturer Howard Hughes built and piloted the only flight of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, the largest flying boat—indeed the largest airplane—in history. He designed the seaplane as a troop and materiel transport for the US War Department and manufactured it almost entirely from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum. 

Daniel Boone (1734)

Boone was a legendary American frontiersman who blazed a permanent trail across the Appalachian Mountains in 1775. Known as "Wilderness Road," it became a major route for westward migration in the US. Boone also established Boonesboro, Kentucky, and was captured by Shawnee Indians while trying to defend it. He escaped after five months but moved to the Missouri Territory after losing his land claims in Kentucky.

Balfour Declaration Day

On November 2, 1917, Arthur J. Balfour, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to Lord Rothschild indicating that the British government was in favor of establishing a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Although this may not seem to be as significant an event as Israel Independence Day, the Jewish people felt that the British government's commitment to their cause was very important. The day on which it was made has been kept as a semi-holiday ever since.

130000 year-old Woolly Mammoth bones discovered in England

Road workers expanding the A14 highway in England have uncovered woolly mammoth bones believed to be 130,000 years ago, with some calling it a "remarkable find." The bones were found between Cambridge and Huntingdon, Cambs, by Highway England workers, according ...

READ MORE:

130,000-year-old Woolly Mammoth bones discovered in England

1867 - "Harpers Bazaar" magazine was founded. 

1889 - North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted into the union as the 39th and 40th states.

1920 - The first commercial radio station in the U.S., KDKA of Pittsburgh, PA, began regular broadcasting. 

1921 - Margaret Sanger's National Birth Control League combined with Mary Ware Denetts Voluntary Parenthood League to form the American Birth Control League. 

1948 - Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey for the U.S. presidency. The Chicago Tribune published an early edition that had the headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN." The Truman victory surprised many polls and newspapers. (Illinois)

1959 - Charles Van Doren, a game show contestant on the NBC-TV program "Twenty-One" admitted that he had been given questions and answers in advance. 

1960 - In London, the novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover," was found not guilty of obscenity. 

1962 - The Elvis Presley film "Girls! Girls! Girls!" premiered. 

1963 - Kate Smith gave her first full concert to paying customers. 

1983 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill establishing a federal holiday on the third Monday of January in honor of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 


1986 - The 12-by-16-inch celluloid of a poison apple from Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"" was purchased for $30,800. 


1992 - Magic Johnson retired from the NBA again, this time for good because of fear due to his HIV infection.


1993 - Christine Todd Whitman was elected the first woman governor of New Jersey. 


2001 - The computer-animated movie "Monsters, Inc." opened. The film recorded the best debut ever for an animated film and the 6th best of all time. 


2003 - In the U.S., the Episcopal Church diocese consecrated the church's first openly gay bishop.



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, November 1

You certainly follow your own instincts, and you possess a very strong will and distinct character. You have progressive and sometimes unusual ideas and convictions. Your wit is sharp and you have a strong sense of irony. Your personal style is distinct and magnetic, and you could talk a bird out of a tree if you put your mind to it! You are a family person who takes responsibility to loved ones very seriously, and you are a passionate lover. Famous people born today:

1755 Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (1774-92) who allegedly uttered the phrase "let them eat cake", born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1793)

795 James Knox Polk, 11th US President(Democrat: 1845-49), born in Pineville, North Carolina (d. 1849)

1865 Warren G. Harding, 29th US President (1921-23), born in Blooming Grove, Ohio (d. 1923)

1913 Burton "Burt" Lancaster, American actor(Spartacus, Apartment, From Here to Eternity, Elmer Gantry), born in NYC, New York (d. 1994)

1966 David Schwimmer, American actor (Friends, Madagascar), born in Queens, New York

READERS INFO

1.

1959 - 

 

On this day in 1959, Charles Van Doren, a game show contestant on the NBC-TV program "Twenty-One" admitted that he had been given questions and answers in advance.

 

2.

Tucson Fall Festival 2018

Oct 31 - Nov 7, 2018 | Tucson, A

Pima County Fairgrounds|11300 S Houghton Rd

As the summer sun goes into hiding, the Pima County Fair introduces its residents to the fall season with an endless amount of activities. The festival grounds house riveting carnival rides and games, food that settles a quaking stomach, horses with crazy verticals and many other activities that celebrate the happy medium between summer and winter.

further information: Tucson Fall Festival Horse Show - Pima County Fair

3.

Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair 2018

Oct 31 - Nov 11, 2018 | Jacksonville, FL

The Jacksonville Fairgrounds|510 Fairground Pl 

The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is a twelve-day event developed to celebrate the culture of the Jacksonville community. The fair boasts a massive range of events for the entire family such as agricultural exhibits, a pig race, cooking contest, carnival rides, arts and crafts and 4-H exhibits. Additionally, nightly entertainment is provided in the form of a variety of live shows.

further information: 2018 Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair

4.

Birmingham Christmas Village Festival 2018

Nov 1-4, 2018 | Birmingham, AL

Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex|2100 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N 

The Birmingham Christmas Village Festival is the event to kick off your Christmas shopping year after year. Held at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, this Alabama tradition attracts guests from all over the country. The unique sampling of arts, crafts, gifts and food will pique your interest for multiple days and get you excited for the holiday season to come.

further information: Christmas Village Festival | Birmingham, Alabama

Pictures of the day


The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a species of penguin common along the entire Antarctic coast, which is their only residence. They are named after the French Antarctic territory of Adélie Land, which is in turn named for Adèle Dumont d'Urville. She was the wife of French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, who discovered these penguins in 1840. Adélie penguins are the most widely spread of the penguin species, and obtain their food by both predation and foraging. Their diet is mainly krill and fish.

ANTARCTIC ICEBERG

A colony of Adélie penguins shows up as black specks on a massive iceberg near Devil Island in Antarctica. Some 2.7 million of the birds populate the Ross Sea region.

knit ... Christmas
thanks, Marilyn

Merry Christmas Illusion pattern by Steve Plummer

knit
thanks, Sylvia

Big Knit World Hat pattern by Sara Hailstone

knit

Gabriel pattern by Debbie Bliss

knit




An easy fingerless mittens pattern for busy hands

knit

Regenwürmchen pattern by Ulrike Altrogge

Stare

crochet
thanks, Grace

Wolf and Fox - Puppet Scarf 

crochet
thanks, Helen

Crochet Granny Square Baby Blue Beanie

crochet

Caron Crochet Tripod Hat, Boys - 12-18 mos

crochet

Ambrosia Scarf by Universal Yarn

crochet ... Christmas


Angel Christmas tree ornament pattern by Eveline de Hollander

RECIPE

Smokey Slow Roasted Carrot Hommus

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Stacy

Slow Cooker Roast with Maple Sweet Potatoes Recipe

SWEETS

thanks, Shelley

Apple Skillet Cake With Salted Caramel Frosting

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019536-apple-skillet-cake-with-salted-caramel-frosting?

Knead

ADULT COLORING ... Christmas

CRAFTS ... Christmas
thanks, Kathy

DIY Clementine Wreaths



CHILDREN'S CORNER ... Christmas
DRINKING STRAW CHRISTMAS TREE CRAFT

Make a whole forest!

reekidscrafts

Supplies

1- 4" STYROFOAM* cone
25 plastic drinking straws (with green stripes)
Thick, white craft glue
Long scissors
1 Small sprig holly, red bow, or other embellishment (optional)

Instructions

Cut the straws into 1 1/2" pieces.

Pour a small amount of glue onto wax paper, cardboard or other disposable surface.

Dip the end of each straw into the glue and insert straight into the cone. Arrange the straws in vertical rows around the cone. Fill in empty areas around the bottom of the cone as necessary.

Insert three pieces with bent ends into top of cone; bend ends out slightly. Let dry.

Trim the straws so the straws at the base of the cone are much longer than those at the top. Cut vertically from the bottom of the cone.

If desired, add a small embellishment to the top of the cone (we used a sprig of holly).

PUZZLE

Boogie Board Boy Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

after assemble awesome banish beet cart chair clamber

cola color crawl damage dance dinner drastic flavor

idiot indicate lane leer lists lunch marble media movement

personality pickle place quartz raft royal

sear seen sense spear speed street tare technical tennis tire

SUDOKU ... hard

solution:

QUOTE

CLEVER
Out of ziplock bags and need a way to seal a plastic bag? 

Use a bottle cap! Just cut it off from an empty jug.

Jenny Saville

EYE OPENER

thanks for sharing this important endeavor, Sheri

Trap, Neuter/Spay, Vaccinate, Return

These beautiful kittens napping in a chair, few napping on the kitty stand, were trapped here in Florida inside a trailer park two weeks ago by my friend, Diane.  Diane is a lady with a heart of gold, a nurse who works at a cancer hospital and in her spare time she traps and fosters kittens until they reach 2 pounds.  Diane then takes them to a vet for spay/neuter, vaccinations.  Diane looks for homes or shelters who will adopt the kittens out.  There is a fee for each kitten to ensure they go to loving homes and not dog fighting where they would be used for "bait". The mother cat was also trapped as these kittens were too small to eat on their own so once her kittens are weaned to solid food, mom is spayed, receives shots, her left ear is "tipped" so she will not be trapped again, and she is released back to her neighborhood to live out her life without the added burden of having more kittens.  

Here is an "ear tipped" kitty.  Note his left ear?

Trapping feral, or as they are now called "community cats" is an endeavor we are committed to in our County of Pinellas.  It is our objective to trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate, and release every community cat.  We've now done 5,000 cats, 95,000 more to go so you see...it is a commitment!  BUT it works!  We've got the data, we see results.  

If you see kittens leave them if you see they are well fed and clean, but keep an eye on them to see if mom comes back to them.  They eat every two hours so mom may just be out eating.  Or you can call an organization to come get them.  

For lots of information go to kittenlady.org