did you know?
Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, the author and illustrator of such beloved children’s books as “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham,” was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel, who used his middle name (which was also his mother’s maiden name) as his pen name, wrote 48 books–including some for adults–that have sold well over 200 million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Dr. Seuss books are known for their whimsical rhymes and quirky characters, which have names like the Lorax and the Sneetches and live in places like Hooterville. Geisel, who was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts, graduated from Dartmouth College, where he was editor of the school’s humor magazine, and studied at Oxford University. There he met Helen Palmer, his first wife and the person who encouraged him to become a professional illustrator. Back in America, Geisel worked as a cartoonist for a variety of magazines and in advertising. For more information go to: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history
he said - she said...
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return". David Bowie
Here's a man to be admired. He followed his own path, broke barriers on the way and had a beautiful relationship with a beautiful woman who truly loved him as much as he loved her. Yes he died young and I am broken hearted that he is gone. . . but his life was full. . .probably more full than anyone who lived to 100 and if you believe in the Cosmos, his essence is still here for those who wish to channel it.
did you know?
In addition to a fireworks show, Miami, Florida lights one of its tallest buildings with the patriotic red white and blue color scheme on Independence day.
Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.color scheme on Independence Day
Since 1959, the International Freedom Festival is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1). It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River
Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.color scheme on Independence Day
Since 1959, the International Freedom Festival is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1). It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River
did you know?
In the early days of the Christian church, Easter was celebrated on the Sunday immediately following the first astronomical full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox. Over the course of history, beginning in 325 AD with the Council of Nicea, the Western Church decided to established a more standardized system for determining the date of Easter. Astronomers were able to approximate the dates of all the full moons in future years for the Western Christian churches, thus establishing a table of Ecclesiastical Full Moon dates. These dates would determine the Holy Days on the Ecclesiastical Calendar. Please click on the button below to learn more!
Did you know?
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4713 begins on Feb. 19, 2015.
Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
A Charming New Year Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in sheep years are often artistic, charming, sensitive, and sweet. It is known as the most creative sign in the Chinese zodiac. Jane Austen, Boris Becker, Jamie Foxx, Mel Gibson, Michelangelo, Mark Twain, Rudolph Valentino, Barbara Walters, Bruce Willis, and Orville Wright were born in the year of the sheep
Read more: Chinese New Year: 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html#ixzz3SEsw4Wlt
Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
A Charming New Year Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in sheep years are often artistic, charming, sensitive, and sweet. It is known as the most creative sign in the Chinese zodiac. Jane Austen, Boris Becker, Jamie Foxx, Mel Gibson, Michelangelo, Mark Twain, Rudolph Valentino, Barbara Walters, Bruce Willis, and Orville Wright were born in the year of the sheep
Read more: Chinese New Year: 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html#ixzz3SEsw4Wlt
did you know?
How much do you know about Valentine's Day traditions? Press the button below for a fun customized difficulty level quiz!
did you know?
Do you use the word Autumn or Fall to describe the season we are in right now?
If you ever wondered why it has two different names, staff writer Forrest Wickman of Slate.com
has some answers:
Before it was autumn and fall, it was harvest. While the modern names of winter and summer have been around for more than 1000 years, the names of fall and spring are more recent—and less constant. This is partly because the two seasons were long viewed as secondary to summer and winter. As late as the 18th century, English speakers were less likely to think of the year as having four seasons, focusing instead on the coldest and warmest portions of the year. Even when they spoke of fall, they couldn’t agree when, exactly, it took place. In the 17th and 18th centuries, dictionaries by both Thomas Blount and Samuel Johnson noted that some thought that fall began in August and ended in November, while others contested that it began in September (at the equinox) and ended in December (with the solstice).
Both spring and autumn used to go by different names. In the 12th and 13th centuries, spring was called lent or lenten, while fall was called harvest. In the 14th century things got a little chaotic. Lenten disappeared around the beginning of the 1300s, and the later lent similarly vanished only a few decades later. (It survives, of course, as the name for a religious observance.) By the end of the 14th century there was no firm word for springtime: People referred to it as part of summer, they used Latin (ver) or French (primetemps), or they just made up new phrases. Harvest as a word to mean not just “a time of reaping” but also, even for city folk, “the third season of the year” lasted longer. But it was joined by autumn—a word borrowed from the French—by the 16th century.
Spring and fall likely gained popularity in conjunction with each other. They each initially appeared in the 16th century as spring of the leaf and fall of the leaf, respectively. The two complemented each other nicely and were soon shortened to the more succinct fall and spring, with the longer phrases disappearing over the next few hundred years.
If you ever wondered why it has two different names, staff writer Forrest Wickman of Slate.com
has some answers:
Before it was autumn and fall, it was harvest. While the modern names of winter and summer have been around for more than 1000 years, the names of fall and spring are more recent—and less constant. This is partly because the two seasons were long viewed as secondary to summer and winter. As late as the 18th century, English speakers were less likely to think of the year as having four seasons, focusing instead on the coldest and warmest portions of the year. Even when they spoke of fall, they couldn’t agree when, exactly, it took place. In the 17th and 18th centuries, dictionaries by both Thomas Blount and Samuel Johnson noted that some thought that fall began in August and ended in November, while others contested that it began in September (at the equinox) and ended in December (with the solstice).
Both spring and autumn used to go by different names. In the 12th and 13th centuries, spring was called lent or lenten, while fall was called harvest. In the 14th century things got a little chaotic. Lenten disappeared around the beginning of the 1300s, and the later lent similarly vanished only a few decades later. (It survives, of course, as the name for a religious observance.) By the end of the 14th century there was no firm word for springtime: People referred to it as part of summer, they used Latin (ver) or French (primetemps), or they just made up new phrases. Harvest as a word to mean not just “a time of reaping” but also, even for city folk, “the third season of the year” lasted longer. But it was joined by autumn—a word borrowed from the French—by the 16th century.
Spring and fall likely gained popularity in conjunction with each other. They each initially appeared in the 16th century as spring of the leaf and fall of the leaf, respectively. The two complemented each other nicely and were soon shortened to the more succinct fall and spring, with the longer phrases disappearing over the next few hundred years.
did you know?
The Harvest Moon is slated to be here on Monday night just after dusk (sorry I just found out this morning!)
The moon will appear at about 9:38 p.m. EDT.
This full moon is dubbed the Harvest Moon because it’s the full moon that’s nearest to the autumnal equinox.
It’s also the Full Corn Moon because it traditionally corresponds with the time of harvesting corn, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
The moon will appear at about 9:38 p.m. EDT.
This full moon is dubbed the Harvest Moon because it’s the full moon that’s nearest to the autumnal equinox.
It’s also the Full Corn Moon because it traditionally corresponds with the time of harvesting corn, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
he said - she said
Sherlock (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) is helping John Watson (Martin Freeman) and Mary Morstan (Amanda Abbingdon) prepare for their wedding. Mary asks Sherlock if she should include John's cousin on the top table and hands Sherlock the RSVP card they received.
"She hates you. Can't even bear to think about you," says Sherlock
"Seriously?" asks Mary.
"Second class post, cheap card, bought at a petrol station. Look at the stamp. Three attempts at licking, she's obviously unconsciously retaining saliva," replies Sherlock.
A funny reminder that cheap greeting cards send more information than the message we may have written inside them.
- See more at: http://www.blueeyedsun.co.uk/blog/category/card-industry-news/#sthash.DYVHMpE8.dpuf
"She hates you. Can't even bear to think about you," says Sherlock
"Seriously?" asks Mary.
"Second class post, cheap card, bought at a petrol station. Look at the stamp. Three attempts at licking, she's obviously unconsciously retaining saliva," replies Sherlock.
A funny reminder that cheap greeting cards send more information than the message we may have written inside them.
- See more at: http://www.blueeyedsun.co.uk/blog/category/card-industry-news/#sthash.DYVHMpE8.dpuf
did you know?
WEDDING TRIVIA:
- In the United States, there is no law or religious dictate that says the bride must take the groom’s last name. However, approximately 70% of Americans agree that a bride should change her last name.
- The phrase “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe” symbolizes continuity, optimism for the future, borrowed happiness, fidelity, and wealth or good luck, respectively.
- In many cultures, the groom historically often kidnapped the bride, and the groom’s friends would help him, leading to the modern-day groomsmen. At the alter, the groom always stood on the bride’s right side so his right hand—or his sword hand—would be free to fight/defend a jealous rival
- Guests in ancient times would tear off part of the bride’s gown as tokens of good luck, leading to the tradition of the bride throwing both her garter and her bouquet.
- The busiest wedding days in the United States, in order of popularity, are Saturday afternoon, Saturday morning, Friday evening, and Sunday afternoon. A late afternoon or early evening wedding is generally more expensive than an earlier wedding.
- In Mediterranean countries, Jordan almonds are given to guests at a wedding to represent the bitter and the sweet sides of marriage
- The superstition that the bridegroom must not see his bride before the wedding stems from the days when marriages were arranged and the groom might never have seen the bride. There was the chance that if he saw her, he might bolt. Other sources say that to see the bride in her dress is peering into the future, which can bring bad luck.
the president's fatherhood pledge
Fatherlessness is a growing crisis in America, one that underlies many of the challenges that families are facing. When dads aren't around, young people are more likely to drop out of school, use drugs, be involved in the criminal justice system, and become young parents themselves.
President Obama grew up without his dad, and has said that being a father is the most important job he has. That's why the President is joining dads from across the nation in a fatherhood pledge — a pledge that we'll do everything we can to be there for our children and for young people whose fathers are not around.
The President's Fatherhood Pledge is an effort to encourage individuals, especially fathers, to be involved in the lives of their children, and to be positive role models and mentors for the children in their lives and communities.
to see more click on the button below
this year marks the 100th anniversary of mother's day!
Hallmark Mother's Day card from 1920's
The month of May will mark 100 years since President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation to declare Mother’s Day a national holiday. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Hallmark Cards, Inc. are partnering to present dual exhibits to celebrate this centennial. (to read more press the button below)
The month of May will mark 100 years since President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation to declare Mother’s Day a national holiday. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Hallmark Cards, Inc. are partnering to present dual exhibits to celebrate this centennial. (to read more press the button below)
from the history channel:
did you know?
Starting on 30 April 1916, Germany and its World War I allies (Austria-Hungary) were the first to use DST (German: Sommerzeit) as a way to conserve coal during wartime. Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year and the United States adopted it in 1918.
did you know?
There’s never been any actual corn in corned beef. Long before it referred to a vegetable, “corn” was an Old English word for any grain still containing the seed. To prepare corned beef, cooks use coarse pieces of salt the size of grains.
did you know?
- In the 1800’s physicians commonly advised their lovelorn patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining.
- As an elixir for love, chocolate has been believed throughout history to bring smiles to the broken-hearted and to prompt amorous feelings in both men and women. It is believed that Madame Du Barry served it to all her suitors; Casanova consumed chocolate instead of champagne to induce romance; and Montezuma, the king of the ancient Aztecs, believed chocolate would make him virile.
- At one time, conversation candies were made into shapes including horseshoes, baseballs and watches.
he said - she said
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."
-Helen Keller
-Helen Keller
did you know?
did you know?
Shopping Mall Santa's Gift-giving, mainly centered around children, has been an important part of the Christmas celebration since the holiday's rejuvenation in the early 19th century. Stores began to advertise Christmas shopping in 1820, and by the 1840s, newspapers were creating separate sections for holiday advertisements, which often featured images of the newly-popular Santa Claus. In 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-size Santa Claus model. It was only a matter of time before stores began to attract children, and their parents, with the lure of a peek at a "live" Santa Claus. In the early 1890s, the Salvation Army needed money to pay for the free Christmas meals they provided to needy families. They began dressing up unemployed men in Santa Claus suits and sending them into the streets of New York to solicit donations. Those familiar Salvation Army Santas have been ringing bells on the street corners of American cities ever since.
did you know?
The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is a Christmas tree donated to the people of London by the city of Oslo each year since 1947. The tree is prominently displayed in Trafalgar Square during the Christmas season 12 days before Christmas.
- for more information on this tradition check out Wikipedia -
Did you know?
President Eisenhower designated one of the nation’s leading greeting card makers, Hallmark, to produce the first official card in 1953. Since that time Hallmark has produced more than 35 different White House greetings cards.
-The radio patriot-
-The radio patriot-
he said - she said
“Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else's fairy tale.”
― Wale Ayeni
― Wale Ayeni
He said - she said:
"Anyone feels great when they receive an unexpected card in the mail. For me, there’s nothing like a greeting card to send a special message. I’m proud to be a part of an industry that not only keeps people connected, but uses both imagery and the power of words to help us express our emotions.”
-John Beeder, former president of the Greeting Card Association-
-John Beeder, former president of the Greeting Card Association-
Did you know?
Way back when -