Volunteer Recognition Day - April 20, 2020

DIANE'S CORNER ... 
Celebrate Volunteer Recognition Day

There are cynics out there who will say that true altruism is a myth, that it doesn’t exist, and that nobody is capable of doing anything unless they are motivated by their own self-interest in the end.

But even the most embittered cynics would be hard-pressed to explain why anyone in their right mind would make the choice to travel to the poorest parts of the world, where hunger, sickness and war ravage the population and death is as commonplace as life, to help care for orphaned children.

Or why a comfortable middle-class citizen would choose to spend his or her afternoons teaching neglected teenagers how to read in the dirtiest, most gang-ridden part of town. Or why any nurse would risk his or her life to care for wounded soldiers on the very front.

Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all the real-life saints and superheroes of this world. And although they don’t ask to be paid for all of their selfless work, they definitely deserve our utmost respect and appreciation, which is exactly what Volunteer Recognition Day is all about.

Joan Miró i Ferrà (1893 - 1983) was a catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona in 1975, and another, the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró, was established in his adoptive city of Palma de Mallorca in 1981.

Joke of the Day

YOU MUST BE A VISIONARY

Two boys were fishing on the bank of a river. The one boy remarked that being a visionary must be very difficult. He went on to say much more and added that visionaries are seldom understood in they're life time.

The other boy replied, "Then you must be a visionary, cause I have no idea what you’re talking about!"

Word of the Day

perforce

MEANING:

adverb: Out of necessity.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old French par force (by force), from par (by) + force, from Latin per (by) and fortis (strong). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhergh- (high), which also gave us iceberg, borough, burg, burglar, fortify, force, belfry, bourgeois, inselberg, and sforzando. Earliest documented use: 1330.

USAGE:

“Mr Gryseels, like many modern museum bosses, is perforce a canny diplomat.”
The Burden of History; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 8, 2018.

Idiom of the Day

10. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

Meaning: Just work and no recreational activities make a person dull and boring.

This Day in History

1832 - Hot Springs National Park was intially created by an act of the U.S. Congress. It was the first time a piece of land was set aside by the U.S. government to preserve the area for recreation. The area was made a national park on March 4, 1921.

1841 - In Philadelphia, PA, Edgar Allen Poe's first detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," was published in Graham's Magazine.

1865 - Safety matches were first advertised.

1902 - Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium.

1912 - Fenway Park opened as the home of the Boston Red Sox.

1940 - The First electron microscope was demonstrated by RCA.

1959 - Dolly Parton's first single, "Puppy Love," was released.

1972 - The manned lunar module from Apollo 16 landed on the moon.

1977 - Woody Allen's film "Annie Hall" premiered.

1986 - Vladimir Horowitz returned to Russia to perform after being away for almost 60 years.


1992 - The worlds largest fair, Expo '92, opened in Seville, Spain


1999 - Jane Seymour received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


2016 - The U.S. Treasury Department announced a plan for Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson as the portrait on the $20 bill.

thanks, Beth



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, April 20

One of your strongest qualities is your resourcefulness. You are excellent at assessing what works and what doesn't, and you easily come up with a solid approach. You can be impatient at times in your drive to succeed. Your tastes are refined and pronounced. In love, you can have a dual personality - warm and sensitive one day, and distant the next. Famous people born today: 

1937 George Takei, American actor (Sulu-Star Trek, Green Berets), born in Los Angeles, California

1949 Jessica Lange, American actress (King Kong, Tootsie, American Horror Stories), born in Cloquet, Minnesota

1972 Carmen Electra [Tara Leigh Patrick], American model and actress (Scary Movie, Meet the Spartans), born in Sharonville, Ohio

thanks, Joan

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

Cenosillicaphobia is a real thing and it affects many people. What is it exactly? It is the fear of an empty beer glass.

It’s not that your blood actually turns to the color green underwater. It begins to appear that way at around the 30 feet below mark. Different colors (which are different wavelengths of light) get absorbed by water at a different rate. The color red disappears quicker but blues and greens travel longer.

The probability of finding a four-leaf clover is 1-in-10,000.

2.

1939 -

 

Ted Williams made his baseball debut on this day in 1939.

Williams played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball career as a left fielder for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960, only interrupted by time in the service during World War ll and the Korean War. Nicknamed "The
Kid", "The Splendid Splinter", "Teddy Ballgame", "The Thumper", and "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived", Williams is regarded as one of the greatest players in baseball history.

Theodore (Ted) Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002)

3.

Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

"Remember those cookies that Sally, Dick and Jane ate? This recipe is the real thing, from way back when some folks couldn’t afford butter or white sugar."

Short'nin' Bread

These are very good if you use a good margarine, but sickeningly sweet, so be warned!

1/2 . brown sugar
1 c. margarine
2 c. flour
dash of salt

Cream the butter and brown sugar, sprinkle with the salt, and mix in the flour. Roll into logs, chill, then slice and bake as you need them.

Personally, I steer clear of margarine, so when I bake these, I tend to make them with butter. Still excellent!

Pictures of the day

Duke Humfrey's Library is the oldest reading room in the  Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. It is named after  Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, a connoisseur of literature,  who donated his collection of 281 books to the university at  his death in 1447. Books were hand-written at the time and  his legacy was considered an extraordinarily generous  donation, since the university previously had only 20 books.  Only three books from the original donation remain, the rest  having been removed in 1550 and probably burnt during the  Reformation. The library was restored and restocked by  Thomas Bodley from 1598 onwards. The books in the oldest  part of the library are accommodated in oak bookcases that  are at right angles to the walls on either side, with integrated  reading desks. The ceiling consists of panels painted with the  coat of arms of the University of Oxford. This picture shows  the interior of Duke Humfrey's Library, looking east along the  medieval section towards the arts end.

Mexico

Hummingbird in a flower garden at the faculty of Higher Studies Iztacala on the outskirts of Mexico City. 

knit ... Mother's Day
thanks, Leah

Half Circle Garter Stitch Shawl || Tilted Blocks Knit Shawl

knit
thanks, Nancy

Graphic Blocks

knit

How to knit a Baby Romper for beginners, step by step

knit

Candleberry Dishcloth

knit

Knitty: Summer 2007

Knit Pattern of the Day: 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

A Spring Accessory

Adventure Rucksack

crochet
thanks, Terry

Sore Ear Savers pattern by Cuddly Crochet Creations

crochet
thanks, Charlotte

Palm Tree Square

crochet

Ami Monkey

crochet

How To Crochet A Poncho

crochet ... Mother's Day

Bulky Bolster Pillow, White

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry Skillet

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Denise
Lazy Day Crockpot Baked Beans Recipe



SWEETS

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe

ADULT COLORING

CRAFTS

thanks, Ellie

How To Make A Rope Bag Easy Sewing Tutorial For Beginners

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... Mother's Day

thanks, Betty
Wine Bottle Candle Holders for Kids to Make and Give

PUZZLE

Hornbill and Starling Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

around avenue burial chords compensate cruise

dais deer deliverance dour found guitar hail horror hurry

leading mourn offers pins plead rear record

reminder rescue response script seldom shame soap sorrow style supply

times title tote violin voyage weepy worry

SUDOKU ... very hard

solution:

QUOTE

thanks, Marge

CLEVER 

thanks, Winnie

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Dana

Top 10 Hilarious Reactions To The Toilet Paper Shortage

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Oh, the comfort -- the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person -- having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. -Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, poet and novelist (20 Apr 1826-1887)

Joan Miró 

OPTICAL ILLUSION

Move the image back and forth.

Looking too long at this one might induce horrible headaches. Stare responsibly.

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