My dad likes to declare he is going to “the head” when he is referring to a bathroom visit, much to my mom’s chagrin. Ever wonder why the toilet is referred to as “the head”? Here is some history on that point…
Category Archives: Curious Tidbits
Happy New Year, 2015!
Happy New Year! I cannot believe it is already 2015. Time really does seem to fly as I get older — just like my Nana said it would. At this rate, I should hit warp speed somewhere around 75 years old.
Happy Holidays!
I am temporarily stepping away from my regular blog postings to enjoy the holidays. Before doing that, however, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year’s Eve. I look forward to talking, and sharing, with you all again in 2015. I will be traveling to distant lands so look for some fun stories to come in the new year!
Christmas Colors, Red and Green
Have you ever wondered why the colors red and green are associated with Christmas?
Three Wise Frogs
With the holidays upon us, we begin to see the best and worst in people exposed. It is now that I try to remind myself and those I love to “hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil”. In other words, try not to be the shady character in your holiday season that brings people down.
Best of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving gives us all a chance to reflect on what makes our hearts grow a little bigger. Although my life is not perfect, or without its struggles, I have been blessed abundantly. This includes…
- My husband’s kisses that wake me up in the morning. I instantly know I am safe.
- Sharing a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with my big, loud, crazy family. My oldest brother’s huge smile and big heart as he fights stage four cancer is inspiring and adds perspective (he and his wife host our clan for Thanksgiving, what?).
- My mom’s sausage breadcrumb stuffing. I always eat until I can do no more — it has to last me a year!
I hope you all enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving day and remember what is the best of Thanksgiving for you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Five Time Trivia Facts
With the daylight disappearing earlier and earlier these fall days, it has brought to mind the concept of time and with it some trivia. Have you ever wondered…
- how in the early days of tracking time when sundials were all the rage, people told time at night? They used the hourglass. Interestingly, no one knows the inventor of these nighttime time trackers.
- how you tell the difference between a timepiece and a clock? A timepiece remains silent when it passes the hour mark while a clock strikes a bell or chime.
- why a quartz crystal is used in the making of watches? Because specifically sized quartz crystals coupled with a digital counter will, without fail, generate a pulse in exactly one-second intervals.
- what Tempus Fugit means? It means “time flies” and can be found on many clock dials (try throwing in that phrase at your next cocktail party!).
- who was the first American to receive a patent for a clock mechanism by the United States Patent Office? That would be Eli Terry back in 1801. He was granted a patent for an equation clock. This mechanism helped Eli in his pursuit to mass produce clocks which had previously been costly and timely to make.
Bougainvillea Care
The bougainvillea is a beautiful flowering plant that has long been reported to me as an extremely hardy plant — able to survive anything. Okay, not true! They require some love and attention which I found out after almost killing mine within a week! My mentor at the local gardening store told me this was a record. (He has since gone back to school for social work where I know he will thrive as he was so patient with me. I’m sure my endless need for gardening 101 hand holding didn’t play a role in his decision, right?)
Got Walnuts? You Should!
Since I was a little kid I have always craved walnuts. This often overlooked fruit (yes, nuts are a fruit) is slowly making its way up the “nuts to watch” list. Aside from them being a delicious topping to an ice cream sundae, they are a healthy nut alternative to the often thought of almond.
Sushi, Fingers or Chopsticks?
As you all know, I am a lover of food — almost all types. Recently I was reminiscing about the delights of sushi and how it is, for me, a finger food. This lead me to do some investigating. Here are some curious tidbits I found:
- Even though most people in the U.S. use chopsticks to eat sushi, it’s traditionally eaten with the fingers.
- Sushi caught on originally as a cheap, quick snack to eat with the hands while enjoying a theater performance.
Things to ponder when you next sit down to a plate of this delight, enjoy!