Just for Fun!

National Friendship Day

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National Friendship Day was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919. It was intended to be a day for people to celebrate their friendship by sending each other cards. However, by 1940 the market had dried up, and eventually, it died out completely. Then, in 1998 Winnie the Pooh was named the world’s Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations. In April 2011, the United Nations officially recognized 30th July as International Friendship Day; although most countries celebrate on the first Sunday of August! (Click to learn more about National Friendship Day)

The History of Aprons

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I don’t think our kids know what an apron is. The principle use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron – but love.

The Dandelion

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Here are some interesting facts about the dandelion flower:

The dandelion is the only flower that represents the 3 celestial bodies of the sun, moon and stars. ☀️ 🌙 ⭐️. The yellow flower resembles the sun, the puff ball resembles the moon and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars.

The dandelion flower opens to greet the morning and closes in the evening to go to sleep. 😴

Every part of the dandelion is useful: root, leaves, flower. It can be used for food, medicine and dye for coloring.

Up until the 1800s people would pull grass out of their lawns to make room for dandelions and other useful “weeds” like chickweed, malva, and chamomile.

The name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves. 🦁

Dandelions have one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant.

Dandelion seeds are often transported away by a gust of wind and they travel like tiny parachutes. Seeds are often carried as many as 5 miles from their origin!

Animals such as birds, insects and butterflies consume nectar or seed of dandelion.🐦 🐛 🐜 🦋 🐝.

Dandelion flowers do not need to be pollinated to form seed.

Dandelion can be used in the production of wine and root beer. Root of dandelion can be used as a substitute for coffee. 🍷 🍺

Dandelions have sunk their roots deep into history. They were well known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and have been used in Chinese traditional medicine for over a thousand years.

Dandelion is used in folk medicine to treat infections and liver disorders. Tea made of dandelion act as diuretic.

If you mow dandelions, they’ll grow shorter stalks to spite you.

Dandelions are, quite possibly, the most successful plants that exist, masters of survival worldwide. 💪

A not so fun fact: Every year countries spend millions on lawn pesticides to have uniform lawns of non-native grasses, and we use 30% of the country’s water supply to keep them green.

Bee Happy Gardens 🐝

Pauline Wayne, President Taft’s cow

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William Howard Taft (27th, 1909-1913) was the last president to own a cow which provided the White House with milk and butter. Pauline Wayne, seen in front of the Executive Office Building next to the White House, was a Holstein cow (a Dutch-bred dairy cow) and was the Taft’s second cow, replacing Mooly Wooly who died suddenly in 1910 after being owned by the Taft’s for about a year and a half. It was reported Mooly Wooly ate too many oats which caused digestive issues, resulting in her untimely death. Nicknamed Miss Wayne, the cow was purchased for the Taft’s by Wisconsin Senator Isaac Stephenson and grazed on the grounds of the White House from 1910-1913. Pauline Wayne gave birth to a young bull on the White House grounds and he was named Big Bill, after Taft himself. She was considered more pet than livestock to the Taft family, residing in the presidents stables next to the Taft’s fleet of cars, and it was reportedly a sad day when the family moved out of the White House and had to ship Pauline to Wisconsin to graze on a farm there. She reportedly lived many years more in Wisconsin in good health.

Image credit: White House Historical Association”

From @thepresidentguy on Instagram

A two minute lesson to take away from the KY Derby. Thank you to those that supported the PA Ag Republican KY Derby Party.

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Y’all wanna teach your kids a life lesson in 2 minutes? Show them the replay to the Ky Derby Race.

1. Not the best starting position

2. Not the biggest or best horse

3. Only made it into the race on account of another horse having to scratch

4. $30,000 horse against multi million dollar horse.

It ain’t always about having the best of everything or being the biggest and favored. It’s about the size of heart and dedication to win and excel in everything you do!

Well done Rich Strike