Thursday, November 20, 2014

Gathering Some Great New Recipes For The Upcoming Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner is a meal of celebration each and every year. The dinner fare for this day of thanks varies among people from all walks of life but most everyone wants to have that turkey. While browsing today, I discovered WebMD’s wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving, whatever your menu might be. Here are three recipes they offer to make your Thanksgiving Day meal a special, tasty, and healthier treat.


Lemon-Garlic Roast Turkey And White Wine Gravy


Instead of using a turkey from the supermarket which has been enhanced with added sodium solution, this recipe gives instructions to brine a natural or organic turkey.




WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

Brussels Sprouts With Bacon-Horseradish Cream


Sprouts with tight, firm, small deep green heads are the best. If you can find these still on the stalk, that is even better.





Mom’s Apple Squares


This recipe replaces the traditional trans-fat shortening used in the crust with canola oil and butter while swapping half of the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour to add a bit of fiber.


What are some of the foods which you have for Thanksgiving dinner that are your family's tradition?



Visit WebMD for information on drugs and supplements, health conditions, articles on healthy living, family and pregnancy, and health news.



Sources:

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Artist, Chloe Cartmell

Chloe Cartmell's focus for her paintings is her own exploration of abstract expressionism. Previously having worked strictly with the female figure, she now combines the two.





Her artwork represents creations of her own imagination and nature derived from her own emotions. Chloe’s preferred medium is oil on canvas. 





Chloe graduated from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor’s degree majoring in painting.





The painting process for Chloe begins with the idea of a color combination for inspiration. Then utilizing various color relationships she has discovered, she begins to create balance, motion, to evoke moods of chaos, anxiety, and excitement in her completed work.




Work in progress landscape painting


Which of Chloe's paintings is your favorite? 

Visit her links below to see more of her paintings.




Sources:

Friday, November 14, 2014

...But Only God Can Make A Tree



Source:  mcacesblogs



Trees by Joyce Kilmer


I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.



Joyce Kilmer


Joyce Kilmer was born on December 6, 1886, and died on July 30, 1918. While best known for the poem, “Trees,” Kilmer was also a journalist, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Kilmer’s many other poems focused on the ordinary beauty of the natural world.  “Trees” was first published in the August 1913 issue of Poetry:  A Magazine of Verse in Chicago, Illinois.







Before reading today’s post, how many of you knew that Joyce Kilmer was a man?

Have you ever read or heard this poem before?


Sources:

PoemHunter
Poetry Foundation




Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Honoring All Who Served - Veterans Day 2014

2014 Poster
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs



During World War I, the armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, declared on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, is regarded as the end of the “war to end all wars,” and is now commemorated with the celebration of Veteran’s Day each year on November 11. Britain, France, Australia, and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World Wars I and II on or near November 11th.



General Foch, France and General Erzberger, Germany
signed the armistice aboard the Orient Express



Even though “The Great War” officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the signing of the armistice the previous November marked the end of the war in most people’s minds.  In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11, to be the first commemoration of Armistice Day. His words were as follows:  “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” (www.va.gov)



Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France wait for the end of hostilities.
10:58 a.m. November 11, 1918



The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I and passed a resolution on June 4, 1926, stating that the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States had already declared November 11, to be a legal holiday and requested that the President of the United States issue a proclamation to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings each November 11th  and invite all people of the United States to observe the day in schools, churches, and other suitable places with ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace and known as “Armistice Day.” Originally Armistice Day was a day honoring veterans of World War I. After World War II required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history, and American forces had fought in Korea, the 83rd Congress amended the Act of 1938 by replacing the word “Armistice” with the word “Veterans,” and upon approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Veterans Day became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.



President Eisenhower signing HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs



Under the Uniform Holidays Bill passed by Congress in 1968, four national holidays (Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day) were to be celebrated on Mondays allowing federal employees to now have three-day weekends for touring or travel. Veterans Day was now set as the fourth Monday in October, the first under this law being October 25, 1971. Many states continued to observe the holiday on its original date showing their disapproval of the change which only caused confusion. Since the original date held historic and patriotic significance among many Americans, in 1978, President Gerald R. Ford signed a new law moving Veterans Day back to November 11. If the day November 11, is a Saturday or Sunday, the federal government observes the holiday the previous Friday or following Monday, respectively.


The Three Soldiers Memorial
Artist:  Frederick Hart
National Mall, Washington, D.C.



Millions of Americans have fought since the beginning of the Revolutionary War to obtain and maintain freedom in our lives. We honor the veterans and their families today for their duty and their sacrifice. Today on Veterans Day we remember and acknowledge all who have served and are serving our country now. Through your service you have served each and every American. God bless our troops, both past and present for all that you have done.


Leave a comment about someone you know who has served our country and where they lived when they first enlisted.


Sources




Sunday, November 9, 2014

In The News Today: The 25th Anniversary Of The Fall Of Iron Curtain

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of The Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic beginning on August 13, 1961, and remained a barrier until November 9, 1989. The wall was erected to protect East Germany from fascist elements conspiring to build a socialist state. This wall became known as the Iron Curtain which separated Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. Read some of today’s top stories and browse the photos commemorating the event.



USA Today


“During the day, thousands visited landmarks of former East Berlin, placing flowers in the cracks of parts of the wall that remain and filling the streets around the famed Brandenburg Gate, where many had climbed the wall after the border opening was announced. They lit candles at memorials for victims, walked hand-and-hand to trace the path where the border once stood and read the markers detailing its stories.” (usatoday.com)



The Brandenber Gate illuminated during celebrations on the 25th anniversary of The Berlin Wall
Photo: Sean Gallup, Getty Images





The New York Times


“Thousands of words were spoken as hundreds of thousands of visitors converged on Berlin and captured millions of moments in the digital universe that did not exist a quarter-century ago. Where words and images were insufficient, the genius of Back and Beethoven was summoned to express feelings.” (nytimes.com)



Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and other dignitaries placed flowers between slats of the former Berlin Wall at a memorial Sunday.
Photo:  Carsten Koall, Getty Images


NBC News


“While the majority of the towns have been renovated and feature garden fences alongside neatly trimmed front lawns, old run-down buildings and abandoned farms serve as a reminder that prosperity hasn’t reached everyone in economic powerhouse Germany since the fall of communism.” (nbcnews.com)








Sources to read complete stories, browse more photos, and discover more videos:

Friday, November 7, 2014

Orphaned Baby Otter Relocates To Shedd Aquarium In Chicago



Discovered by a jogger who heard her crying, a week-old baby otter weighing 2.2 pounds was found on Coastways Beach in California. After four weeks of intensive care and stabilization at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pup 681 was transferred to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago where she could now receive round-the-clock care.




Sea Otter Pup
Photo:  Shedd Aquarium





Shedd Aquarium



Weighing in at just under six (6) pounds and at a length of 22.6 inches upon her arrival, Pup 681 is now being taught how to be an otter by the animal care experts at Shedd who are making sure that she eats, grooms herself, and sleeps. Currently her diet consists of instant formula, shrimp and clam. Pup 681 will receive a new name and join four other otters in the Regenstein Sea Otter habitat at Shedd once she is ready.



Pup 681
Photo: Shedd Aquarium


Sea otters are the heaviest member of the weasel family but are among the smallest of marine mammals. Native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean, the sea otter's incredibly thick coat of fur is their principal form of insulation. Adult sea otters range in weight between 31 and 99 pounds with the males weighing more than the females.



Sources:


Monday, November 3, 2014

Adrian Borda, Surreal, Intense, and Taboo

Adrian Borda’s photo, We Are The Resistance II, captured my attention several months ago while browsing the Internet. Encountering his amazing painting, Life Is A Dance In The Rain III, several days ago on Facebook, the decision was final for my next post. The most difficult decision has been which of these extraordinary works to display. Since a post displaying all of them would be much too lengthy, I have chosen a sampling to share and provided links for your personal discovery of this incredible artist.


Are this woman's hopes written in the book she majestically wears around her neck?  Has she been engulfed and consumed by the beings of the sea underneath the ship she wears on her head? As she cries and places her note in the bottle, will she set it afloat in hope of rescue from whom or what? What do you believe is her story is?



The Story Of My Hopes II
Oil on canvas




All of Adrian’s canvases include multiple elements which silently begin to surface through each repeated viewing. Multiple explorations of his paintings reveal new details which were previously not seen. His goal is to provide a window to his haunting and unforgettable images.






Adrian Borda is a surreal freelance painter who was born in Reghim, Romania. His early pursuit of painting began at the age of twelve. Each composition presents a very unique and surreal style which is dark, passionate, erotic, and detailed. 



Artist in Love III
Work in progress
Oil on canvas



The use of light in his photography presents a world both mysterious and inviting which draws the viewer to enter and become one with the scene. Adrian is a true artist with photo manipulation which he uses to create the appropriate atmosphere he wishes to convey with his image.



The strength and command of this hand moving against the resistance of water is reflected in Borda's powerful photograph. His words, "dare to face the enemy," aptly describes the dynamic presented here.



We Are The Resistance II
Photography



The influence of Dali’s surrealism and the symbolist, Gustav Klimt, are combined and manifested throughout his work. Classic themes with a modern tone, resulting in Borda’s fantasy creations, are depicted through his various themes, mechanical figures, and societal taboos.



Song Instead of a Kiss
Oil on canvas



His paintings are meditations incorporating symbols about our life and our most intimate tendencies and reactions. Adrian states that both in his real life and his work that he does not care “about conventions and the taboos, there are no sacred memes that cannot be touched.”



The Pursuit of Happiness
Oil on canvas



Borda created the following amazing photo through the use of Photoshop combining his images from a forest near Fort Worth and a beach in Portugal where snow dunes were scattered across a plowed field.



The Moss Swamp
Photo manipulation from original photography





Visit Adrian online to enjoy more of his paintings and photography.



Adrian Borda




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