National Relaxation Day - August 15, 2022

 DIANE'S CORNER .. 

Celebrate Nat'l Relaxation Day

Slow down… breath, and relax. National Relaxation Day is all about winding down and just taking it easy. If you’re lucky enough to have the day off work, enjoy a quiet morning watching TV from the sofa, and perhaps consider some light gardening in the afternoon – all in the spirit of relaxing!

Learn about National Relaxation Day

Have you been feeling stressed lately? This is a feeling that more and more of us are becoming familiar with. Life poses so many challenges nowadays, from looking after children to longer work hours, and it can often feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. This is why National Relaxation Day is so important. It gives us the chance to unwind and focus on nothing but pure relaxation.

National Relaxation Day is a vital day for everyone. We all need to have a break from time-to-time. We can’t deny that life seems to be lived at a faster pace than ever before. We all have responsibilities. This could be work responsibilities, family responsibilities, financial responsibilities, or a combination of them all! We can put so much stress and pressure on our bodies and minds, and this is why we all need to take time to recuperate so that we do not burn out.

History of National Relaxation Day

National Relaxation Day was founded back in 1985 by Sean Moeller. He was only a fourth-grader at the time. He suggested that on this date people should not do anything of real value. He highlighted that real work and cleaning are not parts of relaxation. Sounds like music to our ears, right? Sometimes, children have the best ideas!

Although the date was created in 1985, Moeller himself is still very committed to the cause today. In fact, as of 2016, he has been recognizing one person every year on this date for having a significant proclivity for relaxation. You can spend some time looking at the different people he has chosen and the reasons why.

A lot of charities, media organizations, and public institutions post on social media on this date. This includes the likes of the US Army, Sport England, The New Scientist, the Mental Health Foundation, and BBC Earth, so it is a pretty big deal!

thanks, Michele, Picture Coordinator

Summer exercising? Nah....

JOKE OF THE DAY

thanks, Michele

massive blue whale cruises around these rafters....

WORD OF THE DAY

plutography

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Television show (1984-1995)

MEANING:

noun: The genre that chronicles the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek pluto- (wealth) + -graphy (writing). Earliest documented use: 1985.

NOTES:

The dwarf planet Pluto was named after Pluto, the god of the underworld in Greek mythology. He was also the god of wealth since precious metals and gems are found underground.

USAGE:

“These works are China’s closest approximation to plutography; Cheng’s attention to the brand names and schools by which the old rich set themselves apart from upstarts shows an eye for detail.”
Pang-Yuan Chi and David Der-wei Wang; Chinese Literature in the Second Half of a Modern Century; Indiana University Press; 2000.

TODAY'S ARTIST 

thanks, Natalie

Uemura Shōen (April 23, 1875 – August 27, 1949) 

was the pseudonym of an artist in Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa period Japanese painting. Her real name was Uemura Tsune. Shōen was known primarily for her bijin-ga, or paintings of beautiful women, in the nihonga style, although she produced numerous works on historical themes and traditional subjects.

IDIOM OF THE DAY

What does ' blind as a bat' mean?

Meaning: If you are in total darkness and can't see anything at all, you are as blind as a bat.

thanks, Patsy

(Not So) TOTALLY USELESS FACTS OF THE DAY

Ancient drinkers warded off the devil by clinking their cups.

The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.

The Nobel Prize resulted from a late change in the will of Alfred Nobel, who did not want to be remembered after his death as a propagator of violence - he invented dynamite.

READERS INFO

Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

7777 Days

COFFEE

thanks, Ella

PICTURES OF THE DAY

A panorama of Australia's most substantial mountain range, the Great Dividing Range, which stretches from the northeastern tip of Queensland to the Grampians in western Victoria and divides the watersheds of streams and rivers which flow directly into the Pacific Ocean on the eastern coast of Australia, from those of the Murray-Darling Basin which flow away from the coast into the interior plains.

Italy

Val di Funes

BFF's will lift each other up

knit
thanks, Marcy

Magma

knit
thanks, Amber

Monaco Kimono

knit

tricotarparapeques_31 pattern by Maria VallsIzard

knit

Shell Stitch Top pattern by Sian Brown Knitwear Design

knit

Baby Log Cabin Afghan pattern by Irina Poludnenko

CROCHET PATTERNS OF THE DAY 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Pet Bed

Coastal Beach Tote

crochet

thanks, Tara

Amore Shawl

crochet
thanks, Rose

Halo Shawl

crochet

Magical Madeleine the Unicorn pattern by Cassandra Rendon

crochet

The Bobblelicious Bag

crochet

Plaid Slippers

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Brown Butter Glazed Radishes Recipe

PANTRY RECIPE

thanks, Debbie

Party Punch

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Marge

Valerie Bertinelli's Italian Slow Cooker Beef Sandwiches with Giardiniera Aoili

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

Crispy Tofu

COPYCAT RECIPE 

thanks, Jenny

Copycat Milk Duds

RETRO RECIPE

thanks, Ann

No Bake Key Lime Pie (Icebox Pie)

SWEETS RECIPE

thanks, Denise

2 Ingredient Chocolate Muffins

ICE POP

thanks, Michelle

Black Cherry Ice Cream

ADULT COLORING

it's safe when the rocks are bigger than the waves...

FUN

thanks, Frances

Tricky Tongue Twister

sunsets bring such colourful beauty to the land

CRAFTS

thanks, Shelley

Make a Sock Blocker Using Wire Hanger

looking for bugs to chase?

CHILDREN'S CORNER

thanks, Shelley

Make Disney's Zootopia Themed Backpacks

flowers and sunshine make for a wonderful day

PUZZLE

Azure Marina Jigsaw Puzzle

She stays busy and is never bored

WORD SEARCH

along alosa amoeba analog arose blast boss botch

clasp corgi deify delete dream feast fetch

gladly grammatical graphite guild hasten inapt

lament leads loyal lusts magma meat microsecond moon price

repertory seeks siege slang smart sonic store toes traps

Stay home and avoid COVID they said....

SUDOKU .. hard

solution:

"I picked these just for you grandma" (from your garden...)

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. 

In my room, right now, I have two dogs and one cat sleeping on the couch. ;-)

a little sunflower beauty

QUOTE

thanks, Helen

bring play back into our summers

bring play back into our summers

CLEVER 

thanks, Joan

The skin care aisle at your local pharmacy is filled with products that can help bleach your skin of age spots and minor blemishes. Surprisingly, so is the produce aisle. 

The natural oils and gentle acid of an orange peel work remarkably well to minimize the appearance of freckles, birthmarks and other forms of discoloration. Simply rub the affected spot with the orange peel before discarding or composting it. The fruit's peel may also help in reducing the visibility of stretch marks and minor scars.

Orange peels also have a number of crafty uses. The hollowed-out rind of a half-orange can be filled with paraffin or beeswax, for example, and used to make decorative candles for a patio party with friends or around your tub in solitude.

Alternatively, fill the halves with lamp oil and use the central strip of pith as a wick. Long, neatly trimmed strips of dry peel can be used as a decorative and aromatic element in wreaths and floral arrangements. Dried and pulverized, the peel can be incorporated into molded candles or bars of homemade soap, where it lends a fresh scent and some additional scrubbing power.

which way is the wind blowing today???

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Anita

Preparing Your Garden for Winter

thanks for the pics, Karla

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

O, what a tangled web we weave, / When first we practice to deceive! -Walter Scott, novelist and poet (15 Aug 1771-1832)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

Do you see a floating torso or a man simply fishing?

www.DianesDailyCorner.Blogspot.com