One Dozen Rail Fences

 

Even more unlikely but true facts:

Vatican City is only 0.19 square miles; the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population. There is only one (living) pope there, which makes 5.9 popes per square mile.

There are 780 active players in Major League Baseball. The total number of players under contract are 1,471. The average capacity of an MLB stadium is well over 40,000. So, if you were to put every single MLB player in the stands of Fenway Park or Wrigley Field, they’d be a drop in the bucket.

You nose is always visible to you, but your brain simply ignores it. (I happen to know when you break your nose and it swells, your brain suddenly STOPS ignoring it. It’s very distracting.)

Humans have been performing dentistry since 7,000 BCE. There’s evidence showing people have extracted teeth and filled cavities for many thousands of years. (Filled them with what?)

Nine Floating Windmills

 

The southern ground hornbill is a native of southern Africa. It’s the largest of the hornbills, weighing between 8 and 13 pounds and almost five feet tall. It will eat fruits and seeds, but its diet is chiefly reptiles, amphibians, snails, insects, and small mammals. It uses its large beak to capture and ingest its prey, and also to clean and arrange its feathers. So, when a hornbill loses both its upper and lower beaks, it is functionally disabled. Last week at Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, a hornbill received a pair of replacement beak prosthetics, attached with titanium screws. The zoo’s veterinarian team partnered with Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UMC Utrecht, and the medical technology company Amnovis to create the world’s first dual 3D‑printed beak prosthesis. The bird began using its new set of beaks the same day as the procedure, and the following morning it was preening and feeding itself.

Turquoise Butterfly

 

To clean my toilets, I use the Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush system. It’s essentially a reusable wand with a removable (and disposable) disinfectant scrubby on the end. I’ve been cleaning this way for decades, and it’s a huge improvement over the disgusting stinky wire bowl brushes that used to live in every bathroom I grew up with. Lately, I’ve felt like I was running through the disposable scrubbies faster than I should have, but I never stopped to wonder why. The other day, I was sweeping cobwebs from the hallway bathroom ceiling, and I thought to run the duster under the bathroom cabinet. I discovered eight boxes (!) of toilet scrubbies hiding under there. The boxes are exactly the right size and shape to slip into the gap when a drawer is opened. The cabinet in the master bathroom is identical, so I dusted there and found even more boxes; some half empty, some full. Mystery solved. 

Not Kitten Around

 

When Riley Blake introduced their monthly door banners, I didn’t immediately jump on board. By the time I realized I wanted to make all twelve, some of the kits had become hard to find. But I did eventually make them all. I even made a few extras to donate. I paid to have them quilted, and I bound them all. Then the twelve table top banners came out, and I knew they’d look terrific on the console in my living room. These quilts are much smaller, so it seems silly not to quilt them myself. Also, they need hanging sleeves – not my favorite thing. This October top is the last, so I’ve pieced all twelve table top banners, but I haven’t quilted or bound (or sleeved) any of them. I’d better get my act together soon, because in a few months the first of Riley Blake’s monthly table runner kits will come out.

Nine Rail Fences

 

More unlikely but true facts:

Wombats poop in cubes. It may have something to do with their 10-meter-long digestive tract.  It takes roughly two weeks for matter to travel the entire length of their intestines, while all the moisture and nearly all the nutrients are absorbed.

Orcas (killer whales) are most likely evolved from a land mammal. Whales and dolphins have a more recent common ancestor with deer than they do with any fish in the sea. The flip side of this: Camels, giraffes and boars are more closely related to whales than they are to horses.

More people are killed by vending machines than by shark attacks. Of course, if people were in the habit of shaking great whites back and forth because they REALLY need a Snickers bar, that statistic would be different. Then there’s the fact that people are far more likely to be in close proximity with a vending machine than a shark.

Twenty-Three Friendship Stars

 

“He knows we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to live in His presence. To make that possible, Heavenly Father gave us a Savior and power to choose for ourselves to keep His commandments and to repent and come unto Him.” – President Henry B. Eyring

“I plead with you, as disciples of Jesus Christ, to pray to see others as He sees them and to treat them accordingly.” – Rosemary K. Chibota

“As we choose faith in Christ, He blesses us with courage, sometimes in very difficult situations, to choose the right, and as we manifest our courage to choose the right, our faith in Christ strengthens.” – Elder Neil L. Andersen

“We do not need to perfect ourselves to come to Christ. We come to Christ to be perfected.” – Elder Edward Dube

“Integrity, virtue and on-going repentance are the answer in a world where coarse language and serious challenges are so prevalent.” – Elder Quentin L. Cook

Half a Dozen Rail Fences

 

Unlikely, but true:

Fred Astaire took up skateboarding in his 70’s. He slipped while practicing in his driveway and broke his wrist at 78. “Gene Kelly warned me not to be a damned fool,” he said.

The average number of skeletons inside human beings is more than one, primarily because of pregnant women. There’s also the phenomenon called “vanishing twin,” in which one twin dies in utero and is absorbed – partially or completely – by the surviving twin.

If you’re a wife diagnosed with cancer, you’re six times more likely to have your spouse leave you than if you were a husband diagnosed with cancer.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929; the same year as Anne Frank. Marion Ross is a year older. Mel Brooks and Dick Van Dyke are three years older. So, if bigotry and hatred hadn’t killed them both, Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr. might still be living.  

Four Floating Pinwheels

 

One of the world’s most secure diamond vaults was beaten by a man who rented an office upstairs. Leonardo Notarbartolo moved into the Antwerp Diamond Center and posed as a gem importer for three years. He became friends with the center’s staff, learned the building’s routine, and mapped every layer of security. Then, in February 2003, Leonardo and his small team bypassed sensors, drilled into the vault, and made off with over 100 million dollars in diamonds, gold and jewelry. On their way out of the city, they dumped a bag of rubbish in the woods. A local landowner found and reported it: a video tape, a half-eaten salami sandwich, and crumpled paper. The trash led police straight to Leonardo and his allies; three years of planning foiled by a bag of garbage. Leonardo served ten years in jail, his friends half as long. Most of the haul was never recovered.

Pink Butterfly

 

My ballot arrived in the mail yesterday, and within hours I’d filled it out. I’d made up my mind who and what I was voting for, so it didn’t take long. There are three ballot drop-boxes near my home (the library, the senior center, and City Hall) and I’ll deposit mine in one of them today. I could have just returned my ballot to the mailbox for the postman to pick up. The League of Women Voters recommends mailing ballots back at least a week before Election Day, and I’m way ahead of their deadline. I’m so glad mail-in voting is an option. I remember an election day when we waited in line for hours – with hungry, bored kids in tow – to cast our votes in person. I got my flu shot last week, and won’t be fully protected for another week or so. Now is not the time to cue up with several dozen sniffling, coughing strangers.

Halloween Kitty

 

You may have heard the saying, “Don’t buy a pig in a poke,” and you may know it means “buyer beware.” But do you know why? In Middle English, a poke was a bag or sack. If you bought a piglet in a sack without first inspecting it, the animal inside might be something you wouldn’t serve for dinner. Like, for instance, a cat. But not all cultures consider pets off the menu. Restaurants in Vietnam openly advertise canine and feline meat, though vendors must disclose their sources. So, it’s surprising that this month in Ho Chi Minh City, twelve men were arrested and charged with the theft of over 2,700 family pets. They’d operate between dusk and dawn, trapping and trafficking cats in residential neighborhoods. I keep my cat indoors at night, so she doesn’t become roadkill. I guess in some places, cats should be kept indoors so they don’t become dinner.

Four Rail Fences

 

Chicken Soup in a Pumpkin

 

1 large pumpkin (big enough to fit a whole chicken!)

1 whole chicken

Shredded cabbage

Sliced carrots

Sliced mushrooms

Sliced onions

Crushed garlic cloves

Fresh rosemary, sage & thyme

1 chicken stock cube

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

 

Cut the top off pumpkin to create a lid. Scoop out seeds, leaving flesh intact. Add cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Nestle the whole chicken inside and add the fresh herbs, stock cube, salt and pepper. Place lid back on, rub outside with olive oil and carefully transfer to oven on baking sheet. Roast at 350F 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender. No water needed! As everything cooks, chicken, vegetables and pumpkin release juices, creating a natural broth. Carefully remove the chicken; shred meat and return it to the soup. Ladle into bowls with some of the pumpkin flesh and enjoy!

Twenty Friendship Stars

 

“As we reflect on the great things the Lord has already done and remember His goodness and mercy, we are better positioned to grasp the bigger picture and to rely on His promises to us. We can trust Him.” – Elder Dale G. Renlund

“As covenant followers of Jesus Christ, we minister with compassion to whomever God places in our path. We do it because that’s what the Savior did. And we’ve made a covenant to follow Him.” – President Timothy L. Farnes

“No time or effort is ever wasted in reading the Book of Mormon. Not for you, not for your children, not for your family, not for anyone.” – Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan

“We can learn to live in spiritual lift. And when we sink, our gentle Savior is there to lift us up as we turn to Him. Jesus Christ loves to lift.” – Elder Patrick Kearon

Fifty Butterflies

 

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” – Elbert Hubbard

“I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just going to ask where they’re going and hook up with ’em later.” – Mitch Hedberg

“Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they really are.” – Will Ferrell

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” – George Carlin

“A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.” – Don Marquis

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” – Alber Einstein

“If you want your children to listen, try talking softly to someone else.” – Ann Landers

“A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.” – Bob Hope

Floating Pinwheel

 

It’s the largest human-made excavation; the world’s deepest open-pit mine. You can see it from all over the Salt Lake Valley, and when you fly in or out of Salt Lake Airport, it’s impossible to miss. People have been digging copper ore here since 1848. I’ve heard it called Bingham Canyon Mine, and Kennecott Copper Pit. It’s owned by the Rio Tinto Group now, and the British/Australian Corporation intends to keep it running through 2038, maybe longer. But they won’t just abandon the mine when they’re done. They mean to restore and rehabilitate much of this area. In fact, they’ve already been doing so for decades now. One example is the East Waste Rock Reclamation project. They’re reshaping millions of cubic yards of dumped rock, covering it with topsoil and planting native grasses and shrubs for storm erosion management. The pit itself is simply too big to fill in, but the end plan involves stabilizing and securing what’s left.

Eighteen Friendship Stars

 

Which restaurants do you miss most? First on our list is Thaiphoon. They had great pad Thai and evil jungle prince, but we still dream about their short ribs and wasabi mashed potatoes. Training Table was never wheelchair friendly, and toward the end their food and service were truly abysmal. But I miss their hickory sauce and their blue bacon and mushroom Swiss burgers. For a while, I tried making corn tamalitos like Chevy’s, but never quite managed it. We used to pick up pies at Marie Callender’s for Thanksgiving, then return the tins for a refund. We liked pretty much everything from McGrath’s Fish House. We never visited the downtown location of Snappy Service Lunch, but Larry H. Miller did. When the owner lost his lease, Larry arranged for him to relocate inside Jordan Commons. Snappy used to split hotdogs before grilling, and serve them between grilled bread slices. I miss that, too.

Orange Pinwheel

 

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” – Alexander Pope (1711). October 7 is National Forgiveness Day, a day for forgiving others and for seeking to be forgiven. Forgiveness allows us to release anger, bitterness, and resentment, which can otherwise dominate thoughts and emotions, and prevent personal growth. By forgiving others, you open the door to healing, compassion, understanding and inner peace. Forgiving someone who has hurt you doesn’t require you to let them hurt you again, but it does allow you to move forward and relieve yourself of the burden of victimhood. Forgiveness isn’t just a charitable act towards others; it is a gift to yourself. By letting go of past hurts, you gain freedom, serenity, and the ability to live fully in the present. If you don’t manage it today, you can try again July 7 (Global Forgiveness Day), the first Sunday in August (International Forgiveness Day), or October 10/11 2027 (Yom Kippur). 

Rail Fence Block

 

I’m bringing chili to a neighborhood party this month, and I’m really looking forward to it. John and Heather have been on strict diets for weeks now, and I’m trying to use the food they’re not eating before it spoils. Cooking just isn’t the fun, creative outlet it once was. I’ve several chili recipes, but this is the biggest crowd pleaser:

 

Wendy’s Chili Copycat

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground beef

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 (14-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (10-ounce) can ROTEL

1-2 cups water

2 (1.25-ounce) packages chili seasoning

1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons vinegar

 

Brown beef in oil; drain. Sauté celery, onion and pepper until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least an hour. Add vinegar before serving. 

Sixteen Friendship Stars

 

“Covenants are not big or small. Let us never speak of a temple as big or small, elaborate or plain. Let us always only speak with love and gratitude for ‘holiness to the Lord, the house of the Lord.’” – Elder Gerrit W. Gong

“Consider this: Christ’s work in your life and His love for you are bigger than your present story. He can fix what feels badly broken.” – Sister Tamara W. Runia

“Your testimony may be different from mine or that of other family members or fellow Saints. Trust it, nurture it and bear it, because it is uniquely yours.” – Elder Gérald Caussé

“I invite you to prayerfully ponder Isaiah’s teachings and more intentionally embrace the divine purpose of the law of the fast in a higher, holier way as part of our worship.” – Elder Ulisses Soares

“Work leads to prosperous, just and equitable societies. Gambling, even for fun, leads in the opposite direction.” – President D. Todd Christofferson

Three Pumpkin Blossoms

 

As the story goes, Tolkien’s first draft of Fellowship of the Ring was rejected by his editor because it contained the word “dwarfs,” while according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the proper plural of dwarf is “dwarves.” Supposedly, Tolkien’s reply was, “Don’t correct me. I WROTE the Oxford English Dictionary.” It’s an amusing tale, and well worth repeating when you’re in a pub and everyone has had a pint or two, even though it probably never happened. Which isn’t to say the author and philologist never had to answer for his unusual spelling. At times he claimed he used the term “dwarfs” to distinguish his fierce, stout characters from Snow White’s silly companions. Sometimes he admitted he’d accidentally misspelled the word and had to “go with it.” Occasionally he’d add the actual historical plural was “dwarrows.” For the record, Tolkien didn’t single-handedly “write” the OED. But he contributed to entries and etymologies.

English Wedding Ring

 

Spoiler Alert. If you haven’t seen the sequel to Practical Magic, and these things matter to you, stop reading now. Personally, I don’t believe knowing something about the movie you haven’t yet seen or a book you haven’t yet read spoils the experience, but I’m in the minority. Besides, you’ve had three weeks to catch Practical Magic 2, so how committed are you to being surprised by every little detail? Early in the movie, Sally Owens and her daughter Kylie are in Kylie’s bedroom, and there’s a gorgeous quilt on the bed. There are lovely things ALL OVER their home, but the camera seems to focus on this. The quilt has an old block pattern: English Wedding Ring. It’s foreshadowing that Kylie’s wedding is her story’s happy ending, and she needs a trip to England to make it happen. Somewhere in all those end-credit names is someone as obsessed as I am with traditional quilt blocks.