DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Turtle Day

We hear in them about parables of being slow and plodding, steady and methodical, and occasionally obsessed with Ninjitsu, news reporters, and pizza. We are, of course, talking about turtles! Turtles are a type of reptile that exists in many environments through the world and have found their way into literature, poetry, and parable throughout the world’s history. World Turtle Day celebrates these noble reptiles and their place in the world, and encourages people to take action to help protect the, both the common pet turtle, and the ever endangered sea turtle.

History of Turtle Day

Well the first thing to know is that turtles and tortoises are not the same thing, though this day is dedicated to celebrating and protecting both. First created in 1990 by the American Tortoise Rescue, World Turtle Day recognizes that some species of our hard (and soft!) shelled friends are suffering, almost on the edge of extinction due to environmental hazards and issues with hunting and harvesting of their eggs.

American Tortoise Rescue was created by Susan Tellem and Mashall Thompson, a married pair of animal activists who had a particular passion for tortoises. We all have to have something that drives us in this life, and for these two it was bonding over animal right’s activist work. Don’t think these two are just closet hippies with an overwhelming adoration for all things shelled and scaly.

Susan is deeply involved with television arts & sciences and the public relations society of America while being a partner in Tellem Grody Public Relations Incorporated. They organize charity collections and works around the world to help protect these amazing critters, and created World Turtle Day to get everyone involved and spread awareness of the shrinking habitat and declining numbers of these sensitive creatures.

thanks for the 'Blast from the Past' pics, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Word of the Day

scaldabanco

MEANING:

noun: A fiery speaker, especially a preacher.

ETYMOLOGY:

From obsolete Italian scaldabanco (literally, heats the bench), from scaldare (to heat) + banco (bench). Earliest documented use: 1670.

USAGE:

“A hot scaldabanco ... verjuicing his sermon with every fright he could, he spit his wrath and spanked the vices of his age without a break or breath.”
Alexander Theroux; Darconville’s Cat; Doubleday; 1981.

Playing golf on a skyscraper in 1932

Idiom of the Day

Make headway -

Meaning - Progress in what you are trying to achieve.

Example - The police have made a headway with their investigation in the terror attack on the city last Friday.

This Day in History

1785 - Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter that he had invented bifocals.

1846 - Arabella Mansfield (Belle Aurelia Babb) was born. She was the first woman in the U.S. to pass the bar exam, though she never used her law degree.

1873 - Canada's North West Mounted Police force was established. The organization's name was changed to Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920.

1876 - Boston’s Joe Borden pitched the very first no-hitter in the history of the National League.

1879 - The first U.S. veterinary school was established by Iowa State University.

1900 - Civil War hero Sgt. William H. Carney became the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor, 37 years after the Battle of Fort Wagner.

1922 - "Daylight Saving Time" was debated in the first debate ever to be heard on radio in Washington, DC.

1934 - In Bienville Parish, LA, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed by Texas Rangers. The bank robbers were riding in a stolen Ford Deluxe.

1962 - Joe Pepitone of the New York Yankees set a major league baseball record by hitting two home runs in one inning.

1994 - "Pulp Fiction" won the "Golden Palm" for best film at the 47th Cannes Film Festival.

1999 - Gerry Bloch, at age 81, became the oldest climber to scale El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He broke his own record that he set in 1986 when he was 68 years old.

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, May 23

You are versatile, witty, creative, and full of spunk. You have a lot to teach but simply enjoy sharing your knowledge and ideas with others. People love your sense of humor and playfulness. At times you can be unreliable, simply because you have more ideas than you can put into action. Starting a new project is your forte. Famous people born today:

1707 Carolus Linnaeus [Carl von Linné], Swedish botanist, explorer and the Father of Taxonomy, born in Råshult, Sweden (d. 1778)

1908 John Bardeen, American physicist, electrical engineer and co-inventor of the transistor (Nobel 1956, 1972), born in Madison, Wisconsin (d. 1991)

1911 Betty Nuthall, English tennis player (1930 U.S. Open champion), born in Surbiton, England (d. 1983)

1958 Drew Carey, American actor & comedian (Drew Carey Show), born in Cleveland, Ohio

1974 Jewel Kilcher, American singer-songwriter (Pieces of You), born in Payson, Utah

READERS INFO

1.

1911 -

TODAY: In 1911, President Taft presides over a ceremony to dedicate the New York Public Library.

2.

New York African Film Festival 2019

May 23 - June 9, 2019 | New York, NY

The New York African Film Festival is an annual showcase of upcoming and classic films created by filmmakers of the African diaspora. The festival offers year-round projects and events that promote the study of African culture through cinema. Attendees of the film festival’s events can enjoy not only private and public screenings of African films from a variety of genres, but art exhibits and panel discussions as well.

further information: African Film Festival

3.

Mudbug Madness 2019

May 24 - 26, 2019 | Shreveport, LA

What began in 1984 as a two-day street festival in downtown Shreveport is now one of Louisiana’s largest and most popular Cajun festivals, featuring renown Cajun, Zydeco, Blues and Jazz artists, mouth-watering Cajun cuisine, raucous contests, and fun for all ages.

further information: Mudbug Madness Festival

Pictures of the day

Arena Glacier is a glacier located on Trinity Peninsula, the northernmost region of the Antarctic Peninsula. The glacier is 3 miles (5 km) long and flows northeast from Mount Taylor into Hope Bay, 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Sheppard Point. The Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey mapped the area in 1948 and 1955. They also chose the name Arena Glacier, due to the flat ice floor in the upper half, which was surrounded by the steep slopes of the Twin Peaks, Mount Taylor and Blade Ridge, resembling an arena. This photograph, taken in 2016, is a close-up view, approaching the glacial outlet. A Zodiac is shown in front of the glacier, providing a perspective of size.

Dandelion sunset
“In central Finland, where summer days are long and sunsets beautiful, I was out walking by a lake one evening and saw dandelions floating in the breeze. Feeling inspired, I picked one, held it up and used it as a filter through which to capture the last rays of the day’s sun.” Jyväskylä, Finland

knit
thanks, Charlotte

Labyrinth Washcloth pattern by Denise Plourde
knit
thanks, Jennifer

Rosina Licht-Rosina Light pattern by FadenStille

knit

Berroco Eastman

knit

Charted Chicken

knit

Red Shoes Project

Knit Pattern of the Day: Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Foggy Night Scarf

crochet
thanks, Julie

Seashell Carpet pattern by Magic Carpet Studio

crochet
thanks, Ann

It's a bird... It's a plane... NO It's finger-puppet

crochet

Kahlo Crop Top

crochet

Basket

crochet

Gratitude Flower

RECIPE

thanks, Becky

Easy Corn Fritters

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Jane

Crockpot Cocktail Meatballs

SWEETS ... Memorial Day

thanks, Sara
If you are looking for patriotic cupcakes for your next party, these Red White and Blue Cupcakes are sure to spark their attention and earn salutes at any Memorial Day and 4th of July celebrations. Step-by-step directions and recipe + video at TidyMom.net #cupcakes #patriotic #redwhiteandblue