Senior Citizen Day - August 21, 2019

DIANE'S CORNER ... 

Celebrate Senior Citizen Day

After a lifetime of working, raising families, and contributing to the success of this nation in countless other ways, senior citizens deserve to retire with dignity.

Charlie Gonzalez

We are fortunate to live in a time when so many of our elderly are living lives of unexpected health and financial security, but such was not always the case. Throughout history old age was not something an individual expected to reach, and so we lost the wisdom and experience of these individuals at an early age. Senior Citizen Day celebrates the fact that these keepers of wisdom are staying with us longer each year, and in better health.

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History of Senior Citizen Day

Let’s discuss life expectancy throughout the ages, starting in the Late Middle Ages. During this time period those who were at the top of the social strata had a life expectancy of 30 years old, 30 years! Could you imagine graduating High School only to have less time remaining on this Earth than you spent in school? That’s how far things have come since those days of old. Even in the 1900’s the age had only increased to 31, but that’s when things really started getting incredible.

You see, as medical technology advanced, which it has been doing exponentially in the last 100 years, so did life expectancy advance with it. In the 1950’s we saw an average life expectancy of 48 the world over, and then in 2014 it had expanded to 71.5 years, more than double the life expectancy of our medieval counterparts! In fact, in Monaco you find the longest life expectancy of the world, 89.52 years!

This means that we have more and more people living to a ripe old age and able to share their wisdom, stories, and experience with several generations.

thanks for the pics, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Word of the Day

nestorize

Achilles gives Nestor the Prize for Wisdom (detail)

MEANING:

verb tr.: To fill someone with the idea of being very wise.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Nestor, king of Pylos, who was the oldest and wisest of the Greeks and served as a counselor in the Trojan War. Earliest documented use: 1612.

USAGE:

“I must stop this sort of Nestorizing to myself and save it for the lecture platform and the press.”
Gore Vidal; 1876; Random House; 1976.

Idiom of the Day

BITE THE BULLET

To decide to do something that is difficult or unpleasant, but necessary
You’re going to have to bite the bullet and tell your ex-(girlfriend) that you need the apartment back.

This Day in History

1841 - A patent for venetian blinds was issued to John Hampton.

1888 - The adding machine was patented by William Burroughs.


1912 - Arthur R. Eldred became the first American boy to become an Eagle Scout. It is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.


1923 - In Kalamazoo, Michigan, an ordinance was passed forbidding dancers from gazing into the eyes of their partner.


1959 - Hawaii became the 50th state. U.S. President Eisenhower also issued the order for the 50 star flag.


1965 - The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe In Magic" was released.


1971 - Laura Baugh, at the age of 16, won the United States Women's Amateur Golf tournament. She was the youngest winner in the history of the tournament.


1984 - Victoria Roche, a reserve outfielder, became the first girl to ever compete in a Little League World Series game.


1987 - The movie "Dirty Dancing" was released in the U.S.


1997 - Hudson Foods Inc. closed a plant in Nebraska after it had recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli 01557:H7. It was the largest food recall in U.S. history.


1997 - Cicely Tyson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


1998 - Wesley Snipes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, August 21

You have a strong desire to make a difference in life – to carve your own identity and style and to be recognized for these things. You seem to know a little about everything, and your assessment of any given situation is quick and usually accurate. Your mind is sharp, and you are an independent and highly creative thinker. Although different, your ideas are accepted by others overall, as people sense your sincerity. Somewhat rebellious, you don’t readily accept labels or restrictions by authority. One of your most valuable traits is your versatility. You bounce back from setbacks, and you learn from them. You may be attracted to people who have an aura of mystery around them, and who tend to have problems to solve. You seek a powerful and even dramatic connection to a partner. Famous people born today:

1924 Jack Buck, American sports announcer (St. Louis Cardinals), born in Holyoke, Massachusetts (d. 2002)

1936 Wilt Chamberlain, American College & Basketball Hall of Fame center (13-time All Star), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1999)

1938 Kenny Rogers, singer (Through the Years), born in Houston, Texas

1956 Kim Cattrall, British Canadian actress (Mannequin, Sex and the City), born in Liverpool, England

1961 Stephen Hillenburg, American animator and cartoonist (SpongeBob SquarePants), born in Lawton, Oklahoma (d. 2018)

1967 Stéphane Charbonnier [Charb], French cartoonist and editor of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, born in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (d. 2015)

1973 Sergey Brin, Russian-born American computer scientist and businessman (co-founded Google with Larry Page), born in Moscow, Soviet Union

1986 Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter (Olympic gold 100m/200m 2008, 12, 16), born in Sherwood Content, Jamaica

thanks, Karla

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Fact of The Day:

For every pound you lose, it takes 4 pounds of pressure off your knees and 6 pounds off your hips.

2.

1959 -

Hawaii became a state after President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Hawaii as the 50th state. President Eisenhower also signed an executive order creating a 50-star flag to become the official American flag starting on July 4, 1960.

Before joining the United States, Hawaii had been an independent country ruled by a monarch. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was deposed by American and European landowners, and she became the last monarch to rule Hawaii. Hawaii then became independent with Sanford Dole as the president of the republic. Queen Liliuokalani sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives protesting the United States assertion of ownership and requesting that the land be returned. Although the United States investigated the situation in Hawaii, the United States government never helped the queen regain Hawaii. In 1898, Congress passed a joint resolution to annex Hawaii which was then signed by President McKinley.

In March 1959, Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Statehood Bill which allowed for Hawaiian citizens to vote on whether to become a state. More than 90 percent of Hawaiian voters voted for statehood. Consequently, President Eisenhower signed Proclamation 3309 making Hawaii a state during a ceremony held in the cabinet room at the White House.

3.

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthulhuCon 2019

Aug 22 - 25, 2019 | Providence, RI

RISD Metcalf Auditorium|20 N Main St

Before Stephen King, Clive Barker or Dean Koontz started robbing innocent people of a good night’s sleep, there was H.P. Lovecraft. His work in horror fiction comes alive in a series of movies from professional and amateur filmmakers alike. Video gaming, some horrific, yet outstanding art and author readings will round out this celebration of Lovecraft’s greatest nightmares.

further information: H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthulhuCon

4.

Comic Con Palm Springs 2019

Aug 24 - 26, 2019 | Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs Convention Center|277 N Avenida Caballeros

You might’ve caught some flak for being a nerd in grade school, but it was totally worth it to stick to your guns and keep on geeking out over fictional characters. Dress up as your favorite fictional hero or villain from the comic universe, interact with the real heroes responsible for creating these universes and share your shameless passion for all things nerdy.

further information: Comic Con Palm Springs

5.

Colorado Springs Comic Con 2019

Aug 23 - 25, 2019 | Colorado Springs, CO

Chapel Hills Mall Event Center|1710 Briargate Blvd

Celebrity guests, comic book artists, lots of exhibitors, too

further information: Colorado Springs Comic Con



Pictures of the day

The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, was a total solar eclipse visible within a band that spanned the entire contiguous United States, passing from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts. As a partial solar eclipse, it was visible on land from Nunavut in northern Canada to as far south as northern South America. In Africa and northwestern Europe, it was partially visible in the late evening. In Asia, it was visible only at the eastern extremity, the Chukchi Peninsula. Prior to this event, no solar eclipse had been visible across the entire contiguous United States since June 8, 1918; not since the February 1979 eclipse had a total eclipse been visible from anywhere in the mainland United States. The path of totality, up to about 70 miles (110 km) wide, touched 14 states, while the rest of the U.S. experienced a partial eclipse. This picture shows the solar eclipse during totality as seen from outside Crowheart, Wyoming; the photograph uses exposure bracketing to show both the Sun's corona and the surface features of the new moon itself, illuminated by earthshine. A few solar prominences are visible around the lunar limb.

OLD AND YOUNG

This photo was taken in a small village in Wuyuan, China. It estimates that there are about 250 million countryside people living in the big cities. Many young people are making money in the cities, leaving their parents and kids at their hometown.

knit

thanks, Nancy

Quilted Looking Placemat

knit
thanks, Ivy

Denim Look Lace Panel T Shirt

knit

Daffodil Doll Infant Headband Knitting pattern by Dollytime
knit

Wayside Lace Cardigan pattern by Schoppel-Wolle Design Team

knit

Reversible Hearts Blanket

Knit Pattern of the Day: Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Picot Edge Dishcloth

crochet
thanks, Laura

Ruffle Collar top

crochet
thanks, Joy

Google Translate

crochet

Mary Market Tote Bag

crochet

Midnight Lace

crochet

Row Count H

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley

Grilled Three-Potato Salad

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Anna

3 Ingredients

Crockpot Mustard Chicken

SWEETS

thanks, Sandy

SIMPLE RICE PUDDING

Ingredients

• 3 cups milk
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• ½ cup raisins
• ⅓ cup sugar
• One generous pinch ground cinnamon
• One generous pinch salt

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

In a saucepan, combine 3 cups milk, 2 cups cooked white rice, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/3 cup sugar and a generous pinch each ground cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed and the pudding is thickened, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or let cool, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate until chilled. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

ADULT COLORING

CRAFTS

thanks, Kathy

Homemade Rainbow Xylophone

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... crafts

thanks, Lucy

Kite Craft: Making a kite with a paper plate!

PUZZLE

Tree Avenue Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU ... very hard

solution:

QUOTE

thanks, Kris

CLEVER 

thanks, Beth

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Helen

Converting Flat Stitch Patterns for Knitting in the Round

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I have no respect for people who deliberately try to be weird to attract attention, but if that's who you honestly are, you shouldn't try to "normalize" yourself. -Alicia Witt, actress, singer-songwriter, and pianist (b. 21 Aug 1975)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

Video game or real life

This image was taken in Hawaii and shows a weird time of day when the sun is at such a perfect position in the sky that no shadows appear near these posts. The result is what looks like video game rendering rather than real life. You have to look a few times to establish a firm sense of reality with this one.