DIANE'S CORNER ..
Celebrate World Ballet Day
There’s something magical about going to ballet. The music, the outfits, the utter passion of the dance as the ballet artists lose themselves to the performance, all of it comes together to create a beautiful, otherworldly experience for those in attendance. There is an almost magical power in their graceful movements across the stage, like flower petals on a stiffening breeze. World Ballet Day encourages you to get out and see the ballet again, or for the first time if you haven’t already.
History of World Ballet Day
Ballet found its origins during the Renaissance throughout Italy and France, though it had yet to evolve into the form we know it today. There were no tutus, no ballet slippers, and the iconic pointe work of ballet were all things to come in the future. It found its roots in court dances, and thus incorporated the proper dance dress of women at the time, formal gowns that descended to the ankle. Unlike modern performances, the audience would join the dance as it came to a close.
Later, it would come to take influences from the French ballet de cour, a form of performance which were performed strictly by the nobility, and would blend dance with speech, music, verse, song, and a great amount of pageantry. Ballet was beginning to take the shape we know of today, and it was here that it developed into a true art form.
Since then it has spread throughout the world, from Russia to Germany, and is loved everywhere for its intrinsic beauty. Since then it has been driven to new artistic heights and embraced multiple cultures, and World Ballet Day encourages you to get out and experience its beauty for yourself.
JOKE OF THE DAY
What did the hurricane say to the other hurricane?
I have my eye on you.
WORD OF THE DAY
cacoethes
MEANING:noun: An irresistible urge to do something, especially something inadvisable.
ETYMOLOGY:From Greek kakoethes (ill-disposed), from kakos (bad) + ethe (disposition). Kakos is ultimately from the Indo-European root kakka-/kaka- (to defecate), which also gave us poppycock, cucking stool, cacologty, and cacography.Earliest documented use: 1603.
NOTES:The Roman satirist Juvenal once wrote about insanabile scribendi cacoethes (incurable passion for writing), which inspired the sense of the word today.
USAGE:“[Evan Knapp] evokes the youthful state of being ‘teenager know-it-all strong’, driven by cacoethes.”
Evan Knapp; Where There Is Movement; Kirkus Reviews (Austin, Texas); Feb 1, 2020.
“He had a cacoethes for coining neologisms.”
Anand Bose; Ghazals of A Pen; BookRix; 2020.
Evan Knapp; Where There Is Movement; Kirkus Reviews (Austin, Texas); Feb 1, 2020.
“He had a cacoethes for coining neologisms.”
Anand Bose; Ghazals of A Pen; BookRix; 2020.
TODAY'S ARTIST
thanks, Natalie
Zhang Xiaogang (simplified Chinese: 张晓刚; traditional Chinese: 張曉剛; pinyin: Zhāng Xiǎogāng; born in 1958) 
is a contemporary Chinese symbolist and surrealist painter. Paintings in his Bloodline series are predominantly monochromatic, stylized portraits of Chinese people, usually with large, dark-pupiled eyes, posed in a stiff manner deliberately reminiscent of family portraits from the 1950s and 1960s.
IDIOM OF THE DAY
What does the saying 'Beside themselves' mean?
Meaning: If people are beside themselves, they are very worried or emotional about something.
thanks, Patsy
thanks, Patsy
(Not So) TOTALLY USELESS FACTS OF THE DAY
'OK' was derived from the word 'okay', right? Not right. It's the other way around. 'OK' came first.
According to a recent Australian study, the life expectancy of a musician is much shorter than that of the average person. It was calculated that the life expectancy difference is about 20-25 years less for the musical ones.
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has no issues when it comes to surfing the web or streaming videos. While 25-50 Mb per second are the “norm speed” for everyday internet use, NASA’s internet speed is 91Gb (with a ‘G’) per second.
READERS INFOCoronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent
READERS INFO
COFFEE
thanks, Ella
PICTURES OF THE DAY
Trosia nigropunctigera, the rosy ermine moth, is a lepidopteran In the family Megalopygidae native to the Neotropics. The species is distributed across Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador and Peru. This adult T. nigropunctigera moth was photographed in the Mount Totumas cloud forest in Panama. |
Venezuela
knit
thanks, Ruth
knit
thanks, Heide
knit
knit
knit .. Valentine's Day
crochet .. Valentine's Day
thanks, Jessica
crochet
thanks, Sasha
crochet
crochet
CROCKPOT 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.
COPYCAT RECIPE
RETRO RECIPE
SWEETS RECIPE .. Valentine's Day
ADULT COLORING .. Valentine's Day
FUN
"Garbage Truck"
Butterfly Green Blue Jigsaw Puzzle
WORD SEARCH
| alone angular argue attack began bitter bring broken | chose cough crown excuse group | hogs issue labor needless notes oppose | passion poke power presentation prince prong remit responsible rival royal | seize shake soap spouse state stiff teas tune widespread |
SUDOKU
solution:
Who Was Your First Celebrity Crush?
QUOTE
CLEVER
Rat is the first in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. The Years of the Rat include 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032...
Second comes the Ox & includes 2021, 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, and 1925.
2022 is the Year of the Tiger according to Chinese zodiac. The Years of the Tiger include 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034...
These are Rabbit years: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023.
Dragon is the fifth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs. The Years of the Dragon include 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024...
Snake is the sixth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac sign. The years of the Snake include 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037...
If you were born in 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, or 2014, then you're a Horse.
You are a goat if you were born in 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027.
Monkey Zodiac years are 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028.
Years of the Rooster include 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, and 2029.
Years of the Dog include 2030, 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958...
Pig is the twelfth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs. The Years of the Pig include 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043...
EYE OPENER
thanks, Penny
But your dog can be more than just a cute, furry friend. He or she can help you stay fit and improve your wellness. The modern world can be tough. All the stresses added by working, taking care of the family, participating in social media, and keeping up with friends can wear you down. You can lose energy and get sick.
That’s why it helps to have a canine friend to help turn things around.
In a way, dogs as companions are the work of humanity. Your distant ancestors tamed wolves and bred dogs for all kinds of tasks. That may be why humans seem to have evolved to have not only a love of dogs but also a mental bond as well.
Studies have shown that when you pet a dog, your blood pressure lowers, your heart rate calms down, your muscles relax, and your stress fades In fact, playing with a puppy can lower the number of stress hormones in your blood. It even causes your body to release oxytocin, a hormone that relieves anxiety.
But, as The Huffington Post explains, having a pet dog does more than that. Dogs can decrease how lonely you feel. They can distract you from your worries and anxieties. Dogs are well-known for loving their owners unconditionally, and they are always happy to see you when you come home. That kind of happiness is contagious and can make you smile, which itself can help you become more calm. Just walking your dog offers a boost when you see them excited to go out with you.
Keep in mind that your dog can pick up on your emotions, and will know when you are in distress. While you can’t remove everything that causes upheaval, you can at least make your home a place of calm. By keeping it clean, decluttered, airy and open, you’ll feel better, and your pet will pick up on that too.
When you’re sad, your body suffers; when you’re sick, your mood suffers. Thankfully, owning a dog can help with both. Walking your dog gets the heart and muscles moving, giving you a low-impact but still important form of exercise. In addition, people who grow up with dogs are less likely to have asthma and allergy problems later on.
As Country Living explains, petting, walking, or playing with a dog reduces stress hormones, and interacting with dogs lowers blood pressure and puts less stress on your heart. This lowers your risk of heart disease as well.
Many apartment complexes have outdoor areas designated for pet owners to enjoy with their pets. It makes exercising together very convenient.
This is why it’s important to keep healthy foods easily within reach. Eating right improves the vitamins you get, which helps with your overall health. Specifically, get enough vitamin C, vitamin A, and folic acid. Fiber and protein are also important, but remember that eating too much of any type of food can be unhealthy for you.
When it comes to feeding your pet dog, pay attention to the labels on your dog food. There are regulations in place by the AAFCO that sets the minimum nutritional needs for dogs as well as what stage of life (puppy, adult, or senior) the food is appropriate for. It doesn't help your dog to overfeed him, even if he still has a lot of growing to do. Pay attention to labels, and get a feel for how large your pup will become one day.
If your pup could stand to lose a few pounds, a high-fiber food could help. Discuss a weight loss and exercise program with your vet, and explore and review highly-recommended options before switching your canine companion's diet.
If you don’t have a dog and you aren’t able to take on the responsibility of full-time dog ownership, don't worry. There are several other ways you can spend time with dogs and reap the benefits. If you have the time and want to make some extra money, become a dog walker or dog boarder. You’ll get exercise walking and playing with your clients, and their full-time cuddliness will give you a mood boost as well.
Another option is to volunteer at a local animal shelter. Again, you’ll get exercise caring for the animals, and getting to give love to some four-legged friends in need will be extra gratifying.
However you do it, spending time with dogs is one of the best ways to spend your time and make you feel better physically and mentally. Make time to make the acquaintance of “man’s best friend,” and you are sure to reap benefits for a long time to come!
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