DIANE'S CORNER ..

Celebrate World Wildlife Day

The World is full of amazing creatures from every possible medium. From the birds of the air to the majestic whales of the sea, wildlife abounds in the most unusual and unexpected places. Wildlife benefits us in many ways and has since timed out of mind. World Wildlife Day is a day to remind us of our responsibilities to our world and the lifeforms we share it with.

Even though we might like to think so sometimes, humans aren’t the only living things on Earth. In fact, we’re far outnumbered by other living things, from animals and plants to fungi and bacteria. Wildlife isn’t just something that we passively observe; it’s part of our world, and something we need to care for. World Wildlife Day is your chance to celebrate all wildlife, from the smallest insect to blue whales. No matter what you love about wildlife, you can spend the day taking action to help protect it.

This day is all about raising awareness of wild flora and fauna across the world. Whether you love animals, you’re passionate about plants, or you’re concerned about climate change, it’s the day that you can use to educate yourself or others. You can celebrate the incredible biodiversity across the world and perhaps get out there to explore the huge range of flora and fauna the world has to offer. Celebrating World Wildlife Day is a must for anyone who loves our planet.

History of World Wildlife Day

On March 3rd, 1973 the United Nations General Assembly took a stand to protect Endangered Species throughout the world. Whether plant or animal, the importance of these species in every area of human life, from culinary to medical, could not be understated. At this time hundreds of endangered species were being threatened every year, and extinction was at a staggeringly high rate. CITES was put into place (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to ensure that the world did not continue to hemorrhage species that would never be seen from again.

On December 20th, 2013 another step was taken to help spread awareness of the fragility of endangered species in the world. At its 68th session, the UN declared that each year World Wildlife Day would be dedicated to a new purpose and idea to help keep people abreast of the changing nature of our world, and the treasures we stand to lose from the animal and plant kingdom if we don’t take care.

Sometimes the day highlights an endangered animal or group of animals, while in other years, it has focused on a specific issue affecting the world of wildlife. Previous themes have included getting serious about wildlife crime and listening to young voices. World Wildlife Day is implemented by the CITES Secretariat, working together with relevant UN organizations. The day might not have been around for long compared to some others, but it’s already made a big impact. If you are passionate about the Earth and everything on it, celebrating is a must.

Dot McCarthy, a farmer, films one of her goats for a Zoom call at Cronkshaw Fold Farm, Rossendale, England, on February 9, 2021. McCarthy came up with the idea of renting out her goats to liven up video calls and found an unexpected source of lockdown income.

Joke of the Day

A giant destroyed 3 countries the other day.

He picked up Turkey, dipped it in Greece, and then fried it in Japan.

The Weeknd performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at Raymond James Stadium on February 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida

Word of the Day

struldbrug

Stephen Baghot de la Bere, 1904

MEANING:
noun: Very old and decrepit.

ETYMOLOGY:
After struldbrugs, the name for people in Gulliver’s Travels who grow old and decrepit, but never die. Earliest documented use: 1773.

NOTES:
In Gulliver’s Travels, struldbrugs is the name given to a small group of immortal people who live in the kingdom of Luggnagg. They continue to grow old and at the age of eighty they are regarded as legally dead, though they continue living on a small pension from the state.

USAGE:
“The most startling moment came in a Q&A session, when a normal, healthy-looking middle-aged woman volunteered the information that she had been given a life expectancy of 100. Apparently this is now not unusual. She did not seem wholly happy about it, understandably: the prospect seemed more of a burden than a blessing. She did not want to be a struldbrug.”
Margaret Drabble; “I Am Not Afraid of Death. I Worry About Living”; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 29, 2016.

Recep Mirzan, a 63-year-old retired postman and Garip, a female swan that he rescued 37 years ago, share a moment at his farmhouse outside Karaagac, in Turkey's western Edirne province, on February 6, 2021. Mirzan found the swan wounded, with a broken wing, in an empty field and took her to his home to protect her from other wildlife. The swan follows the man whenever she is out of her pen, accompanying him when he is doing his chores around the farm and for his daily evening walks.

Idiom of the Day

What does 'Asleep at the wheel' mean?

If someone is asleep at the wheel, they are not doing their job or taking their responsibilities very carefully. 'Asleep at the switch' is an alternative.

A zookeeper holds a month-old striped hyena cub named Hachi at the Bali Zoo in Gianyar, Bali, on February 6, 2021

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, March 3
You can work tirelessly toward a goal as long as you are inspired. Your faith in your ability to succeed is remarkable. However, because of your many talents and interests, it can be hard for you to choose any one path in your youth. You are amusing, versatile, and intriguing, with a delightful way with words and a wonderful sense of humor. Famous people born today:
1847 Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-born British-American inventor (telephone), born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1922)

1911 Jean Harlow [Harlean Carpentier], American actress and 1930s' sex goddess (Dinner at 8, Bombshell), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1937)

1977 Ronan Keating, Bayside Irish singer (Boyzone), born in Dublin, Ireland

1982 Jessica Biel, American actress (Mary Camden in 7th Heaven), born in Ely, Minnesota

1997 Camila Cabello [Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao], Cuban-born American singer-songwriter (Fifth Harmony), born in Cojimar, Cuba

thanks, Abby

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest kiss ever lasted 58 hours, 35 minutes, and 58 seconds. The kiss took place in Pattaya, Thailand, at an event organized by Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Canada is the most educated country in the world. More than half of its residents have college degrees.

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776… right? Right. Partly. John Hancock was the only person who signed on the 4th. Everyone else signed at a later date.

READERS INFO
1.
1923 -

The first issue of Time magazine was published on this day
by Briton Hadden and Henry Luce. It was the first weekly news magazine in the United States. The distinctive red border for which the magazine has come to be known was lacking. On the cover was the now-obscure Joseph G. Cannon, former House Speaker.

2.
Mar. 4, 1933 -

U.S. President Franklin D, Roosevelt gave his inauguration speech in which he said "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."

3.
Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent
A beautiful Blanket tasselled throw that will keep you warm

thanks, Hazel

A woman wearing a face mask rides a scooter with a child in Wuhan, China, on February 8, 2021.
Pictures of the Day

Photographer Waits 6 Months to Capture This Rare Black Leopard at Night

Will Burrard-Lucas wanted to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

A barrel organ is a mechanical musical instrument made of a series of pipes, and bellows, like any other traditional organ, and of a cylinder studded with staples or bridges or pins corresponding in their placement to a particular tune. The continuous rotation of the barrel causes the staples to come into contact with levers and rods which open valves to let air from the bellows into the organ pipes. The bellows is usually actuated by the same power source which, through reduction gearing or worm gearing, causes the drum to slowly turn around.

A person walks a dog through the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park as heavy snow falls in New York City on February 7, 2021.

knit
thanks, Ethel

Fair and Square

knit
thanks, Marilyn

Center Street Pullover

knit

Junkies Java Jerkin pattern by Marjorie Walter

knit

Winter Flair

knit .. St. Patrick's Day

Lucky Charm Dishcloth

Cars line up at a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination station for people aged 90 or older, at Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 8, 2021.

Knit Patterns of the Day:

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Quinn Cable Bag

Trellis Vine Cowl pattern by Louise Fitzpatrick

A man walks along Lake Michigan as the sun rises in Chicago, Illinois, on February 7, 2021.

crochet
thanks, Charlotte

Crochet purple slippers

crochet
thanks, Joy

Esme’s Winter Cottage {12″ Crochet Square}

crochet

Disy The Bear

crochet

Graphic Snowflake Knit Sweater, XS/S

crochet .. St. Patrick's Day

Luck of the Irish Coasters

Medical workers move a patient in the intensive-care unit of the Sotiria Hospital, in Athens, Greece, on February 9, 2021

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Fast and Easy Coconut Custard Pie Recipe

A health-care worker attends to a patient at the Portimao Arena sports pavilion, converted into a field hospital for COVID-19 patients, in Portimao, Portugal, on February 9, 2021

Quarantine Cooking Recipes

thanks, Debbie

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Vitoria Bueno, a 16-year-old dancer born without arms, poses for a picture in her neighborhood in Santa Rita do Sapucai, Brazil, on February 7, 2021

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Beth

Potluck Enchilada Meatballs

A cat climbs on the branch of a plum tree in a park on February 7, 2021, in Kunshan, China

VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RECIPE

Both vegetarian and vegan diets may provide health benefits, including reduced body weight, lower cholesterol levels, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is important for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they are meeting all of their nutritional requirements.

thanks, Alice

Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce

A protester gives bouquets of flowers to a line of riot police during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, on February 6, 2021

COPYCAT RECIPE

thanks, Jenny

Copycat Chili’s Baby Back Ribs Recipe

A stag is seen in the snow in Richmond Park on February 9, 2021, in London, England.

RETRO

thanks, Ann

Abby Dalton's Lamb Stew With Parsley Dumplings

A fan runs on the field during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LV, between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs, at Raymond James Stadium on February 7, 2021, in Tampa, Florida

SWEETS

thanks, Jane

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Icicles hang from a frozen mermaid statue in one of the fountains in London's Trafalgar Square on February 10, 2021.

ADULT COLORING

A racehorse gallops in North Yorkshire in Middleham, England, on February 11, 2021

FUN

Q: Who is the only NBA player to have 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 8,000 assists in their career?

A: LeBron James

Q: What are the top three largest countries, by landmass, in the world?

A: Russia, Canada, China

Q: What is the largest mammal in the world?

A: Blue Whale

A snowy winter landscape in Merksplas, Belgium, on February 7, 2021

CRAFTS

thanks, Bella

How to Make Doily Bowls the Easy Way

A cat is seen among incense sticks drying at a factory, ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 10, 2021

CHILDREN'S CORNER

thanks, Mollie

How to Make Ice Sun Catchers (Great Winter Craft!)

A boy rides on a slide at a mall in Beijing, on February 10, 2021

PUZZLE

Rudbeckia Bud Jigsaw Puzzle

People walk with their dogs in a snow-covered garden maze in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on February 10, 2021

WORD SEARCH

against
assignment
average

bans
burden

change
circus

disassociate
doubt

ensure
equal

freight

human
hung

idols

ladder

make
matter
member
mesa

narrow
nodes
norse

package
person

ream
remain
rent
return

short
sleep
spoken
street

transit

yacht

A veterinarian holds a baby Javan gibbon (or silvery gibbon) at the Javan Gibbon Rehabilitation Center in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Bedogol, Indonesia, on February 10, 2021. The gibbon is one of a pair of twins born on February 3

SUDOKU .. hard

solution:

Beachgoer swim laps in an Icebergs pool in Sydney, Australia, on February 11, 2021. Sydney's iconic Bondi Icebergs pool has been transformed into a 50-meter rainbow flag by the footwear brand, Havaianas, to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community

ICE BREAKER ..

thanks, Kris

You can use 'ice breaker questions' to build a rapport, enabling strangers to engage in back and forth conversion. With a little practice and possibly a beer or two, you’ll be breaking more ice than the Titanic.

If You Could Be Guaranteed One Thing In Life (Besides Money), What Would It Be?

A view shows the snow-covered Mont Saint-Michel Bay in Normandy, France, on February 10, 2021

QUOTE

thanks, Bev

Medical workers cheer for residents quarantined at a hotel on February 7, 2021, in Shijiazhuang, China. The residents concluded their quarantine and returned home for the Chinese Lunar New Year.

thanks for the pics, Olivia

CLEVER