National Violin Day - December 13, 2021

DIANE'S CORNER .. 

Celebrate Nat'l Violin Day

The violin is easily the most well-known bowed string instrument across the world, and it is really not all that surprising to see that the violin does in fact have a day dedicated to its existence! After all, everything from Western and Indian classical music to bluegrass and jazz would be unimaginable today without the violin.

It is quite possibly the most versatile instrument in the world in terms of repertoire–and that must be why there is a special day all its own to celebrate the violin.

History of National Violin Day

The violin itself seems to have evolved from medieval instruments that were like fiddles. It came into its own distinct form by the 15th century, becoming the most popular virtuoso instrument in Europe by the 1660s. Most violins made today are copies after either Stradivarius or Amati, the latter being active as a violin maker in the 16th century.

Today, the violin not only remains an indispensable feature of western classical music, but has found its way into various forms of classical and folk music around the world as well as various other genres. There are a lot of violinists and fiddle players throughout the world today, so it is easy to see why National Violin Day has caught on!

In fact, the violin is present in the most prestigious musical groups in the world, including the Venetian Philharmonic Orchestra. Imagine an instrument with such humble beginnings becoming such an important mainstay of modern classical music.

Now it’s time to celebrate the day revolving around this humble instrument!

thanks for sharing your art, Uncle Simon

Paris mon amour

JOKE OF THE DAY

thanks, Bev

YOU CAN TELL 'EM IN CHURCH......

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, 'What do you think about all this Satan stuff?'

The other boy replied, 'Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out.

It's probably just your Dad.'

Sky View

WORD OF THE DAY

apple knocker

A different kind of apple knocker

MEANING:

noun: 1. An ignorant or unsophisticated person.
2. A baseball player, especially a batter.
3. A fruit picker, farmer, or seller.

ETYMOLOGY:

1. From the stereotypical view of those working in the field as boorish or naive.
2. From the jocular reference to a baseball as an apple.
3. From the image of someone picking apples by knocking them down with a stick.
Earliest documented use: 1902.

NOTES:

In the term apple knocker, a baseball has been compared to an apple. In the past, those balls were even made in red color. And a ballpark is also called an apple orchard probably because that’s where the game was often played. So it figures that a batter is an apple knocker. 

USAGE:

“Look, just because I live on a tobacco farm doesn’t mean I’m some apple-knocker.”
Harper Lin; Scandals in Savannah; Harper Lin Books; 2020.

“That big apple knocker out there on the mound is batting ninth now on my card.”
Philip Roth; The Great American Novel; Holt; 1973.

Under Water

TODAY'S ARTIST 

thanks, Natalie

Bouchta El Hayani (January, 1952) is a Moroccan artist who started his professional career in the 1970s. 

Since this period he has followed a successful path to become one of the leading and most famous Moroccan artists. First and foremost he is one of the rare Moroccan painters that perfectly master drawing techniques

Cool Down

IDIOM OF THE DAY

What does 'Beg the question' mean?

Meaning: In philosophy "to beg the question" is to assume something to be true that has not yet been proved. I have seen the idiom also to mean that a question is crying out to be asked.

Desert Canvas

DAILY SQUEEK

If You Were Born Today, December 13:

You are a very versatile person with an adventurous spirit, yet a very grounded outlook. Material success is likely in your life time, as you are hard-working and proud. As well, you are filled with ideas, and they’re usually quite marketable! A true problem solver, you love to find answers and help others to do so as well. There is a distinctly private element to your love life. You are often attracted to all that is forbidden. Famous people born today:

1818 Mary Todd, American wife of Abraham Lincoln and US First Lady (1861-65), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 1882)

1925 Dick Van Dyke, American actor (Rob Petrie-Dick Van Dyke Show), born in West Plains, Missouri

1929 Christopher Plummer, Canadian Emmy, Tony, and Oscar winning actor (Sound of Music; Cyrano; Beginners), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2021)

1967 Jamie Foxx, American actor (Ray, In Living Color) comedian and musician, born in Terrell, Texas

1989 Taylor Swift, American singer and songwriter (Our Song), born in Reading, Pennsylvania

thanks, Patsy

(Not So) TOTALLY USELESS FACTS OF THE DAY

When the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, the public doubted its stability. Six days after it opened, a woman screamed and caused a stampede of nervous pedestrians that killed 12. Public concern wasn't dispelled until a year later when P.T. Barnum marched 21 elephants across it.

Our sleep cycle is regulated by a protein called PER and, if you follow a diligent sleep routine, your body learns when your alarm goes off. Levels of this protein begin to rise about an hour before the alarm sounds, often causing us to wake up right before our alarms go off.

Smarter people are more likely to underestimate themselves, while dumber people are more likely to believe they're brilliant. It's called the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Time out

READERS INFO

1.

1642 -

Dutch navigator Abel Tasman sighted South Island, New Zealand, and later, mistaking the strait north of the island for a bay, believed he had found the west coast of a hypothetical southern continent.

2.

Dec 14, 1503 -

Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame) (December 14, 1503 – July 2, 1566)

French poet, apothecary, and self-proclaimed prophet Nostradamus began publishing his predictions in 1555. His quatrains, whether truly prophetic or misinterpreted to be so, have attained a cult following through the centuries. Although mainstream media has claimed that he has predicted major historical events, historians argue that his apparent accuracy is due to poor translation and  misinterpretation.

3.

Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

DIY Cookie Garland

Artsy chat

COFFEE

thanks, Ella

Mouthful

PICTURES OF THE DAY

The New Zealand dotterel (Charadrius obscurus) is a species  of shorebird found only in certain areas of New Zealand. The  southern subspecies (C. o. obscurus) is considered critically  endangered by the International Union for Conservation of  Nature, with only 60 to 80 mature individuals remaining in 2017. This individual, from the more numerous northern subspecies  (C. o. aquilonius), was photographed at Point Chevalier, Auckland.

NATIONAL WORLD

Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland.

Smart Lady

knit .. Christmas
thanks, Emily

Camo Christmas Stockings

knit .. Christmas
thanks,  Cindy

Christmas sweater 2021

knit .. Christmas

Bookmark for Christmas

knit .. Christmas

Christmas Cheer / Gift Beanies

knit .. Christmas

Santa's Baby Blankie

Bookworms

KNIT PATTERNS OF THE DAY

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Little Angel Ornament pattern by Alison Henry

Knitting Angel

crochet .. Christmas
thanks, Clara

Wreath Gift Topper

crochet .. Christmas
thanks, Mary

Felted Santa Wine Bottle Tote

crochet .. Christmas

Gingerbread House

crochet .. Christmas

Christmas Candle

crochet .. Christmas

Peppermint Christmas Ornaments

RECIPE .. Christmas

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Eggnog Recipe

PANTRY RECIPE

thanks, Debbie

Potato Bread

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Carol

Slow Cooker Korean Meatballs

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

Szechuan Zucchini Noodles

COPYCAT RECIPE

thanks, Jenny

Copycat Panera Tomato Soup Recipe

RETRO RECIPE

thanks, Ann

Baked Spaghetti

SWEETS RECIPE .. Christmas

thanks, Ina

Tenderest Shortbread Four Ways

ADULT COLORING

FUN

Can you spot what’s been changed in the photo of the man standing in the street?

• Check out the shadow reflected on the pavement behind the man, it’s been subtly altered.
• The two garbage cans in the photo on the right were added.
• The man’s face has been airbrushed.
• The tree in the background to the left has been sheered at an angle so that it appears inconsistent with the other half.

CRAFTS .. Christmas

thanks, Hazel

3-Step Magazine Tree

CHILDREN'S CORNER .. Christmas

thanks, Betty

3D Paper Ornaments

To make, cut out five strips of paper: two 1.25" x 10", two 1.25" x 7," and one 1.25" x 5". Then punch a hole 1/4" from the top and bottom of each strip. Stack the papers together with the smallest in the middle sandwiched by the medium strips, followed by the largest strips. Line up all of the strips on one end and thread a piece of string or wire through the holes and tie it off. Repeat this step on the other end of the strips, which you can then fan out. Add tassels or beads to the bottom of the ornament for extra sparkle.

PUZZLE

Jawbreakers and Scoop Jigsaw Puzzle

WORD SEARCH

advice chewy disappear exultant flush

gaunt glass grit guard inquisitive itchy jewel nervous

perpetual plucky quince retire righteous rinse rocket role

shelter slave sleeve slurs smart smoke sues suggestion

thirsty tramp vane vegetable watch

SUDOKU .. medium

solution:

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. 

What Is Your All-Time Favorite Song?

QUOTE

CLEVER .. Christmas

thanks, Frances

Make a tape Grab Tab.

Help yourself by making the tape easier to grab with this little trick.  Use your bread-clip to place on the edge of the tape.

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Riley

Produce Available in the US During Different Months of the Year

Seasonal food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious than food consumed out of season.

Seasonal Food Guide

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry ... To apply a rule with natural ease, with judgment, noticing the cases where it fits, and without ever letting the words of the rule obscure the purpose of the action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery. -George Polya, mathematician (13 Dec 1887-1985)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

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