It's hard to imagine that October will be here tomorrow. For me, it feels as if we were celebrating New Years only yesterday. But fall is upon us and that means glorious days and cooler, shorter evening. There are so many reasons to love October beyond just halloween. So let's get right to it with the calendar of special days.
OCTOBER, 2019
1.  National Black Dog Day, National Hair Day, Fire Pup Day, National Homemade Cookies Day, National Eat Fruit At Work Day.
2.  National Produce Misting Day, National Custodial Workers Recognition Day, National Name Your Car Day, National Walk To School Day, National Pumpkin Seed Day, National Coffee With A Cop Day.
3.  National Techies Day, National Boyfriend Day.
4.  National Taco Day, National Golf Lover's Day, National Manufacturing Day, National Body Language Day.
5.  National Get Funky Day, National Do Something Nice Day, National Apple Betty Day (If you're not familiar with this, it's a baked treat; also known as Apple Brown Betty or simply Brown Betty).
6.  National Coaches Day, National Plus Size Appreciation Day, National Mad Hatter Day, National German-American Day, National Noodle Day.
7.  National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day, National LED Light Day, National Frappe Day, National Inner Beauty Day, National Consignment Day, National Child Health Day.
8.  National Fluffernutter Day, National Pierogi Day, American Touch Tag Day, 
9.  National Leif Erikson Day, National Moldy Cheese Day, National Emergency Nurses Day, National Bring Your Teddy Bear (or frog) To Work Day, National Stop Bullying Day.
10. National Curves Day, National Angel Food Cake Day, National Cake Decorating Day, National Handbag Day (that's also a purse), World Mental Health Day.
11. International Day Of the Girl Child, National Sausage Pizza Day, National Coming Out Day, General Pulaski Memorial day.
12. National Savings Day, National Freethought Day. National Farmer's Day, National Gumbo Day, National Chess Day, National Costume Swap Day, National Motorcycle Ride Day, I love Yarn Day.
13. National Train Your Brain Day, National Yorkshire Pudding Day, Clergy Appreciation Day, National No Bra Day.
14. Be Bald And Be Free Day, National Kick Butt Day, Native American Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day (Canada), National Online Bank Day.
15. National Aesthetician Day, National Cheese Curd Day, National I Love Lucy Day, National Grouch Day, National White Cane Safety Day, National Pharmacy Technician Day
16. National Dictionary Day, Global Cat Day, Department Store Day (remember them?), Hagfish Day,  Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day, National Fossil Day,National Take Your Parents To Lunch Day, Boss's Day.
​17. National Edge Day, National Mulligan Day, National Pasta Day, Black Poetry Day, National Get Smart About Credit Day, Get To Know Your Customers Day.
18. National Chocolate Cupcake Day, National No Beard Day, National Mammography Day.
19. National Seafood Bisque Day, National Sweetest Day.
20. National Youth Confidence Day.
21. National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, National Reptile Awareness Day, National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day.
22. National Make A Dog's Day Day, National Nut Day, National Color Day.
23. National Boston Cream Pie Day (even if it's really a cake), National Mole Day, National TV Talk Show Host Day (Johnny Carson's Birthday). Swallows Depart From San Juan Capistrano Day, iPod Day.
24. National Food Day, National Bologna Day, United Nations Day.
​25. National Greasy Food Day, Sourest Day, National Frankenstein Friday, National Breadstick Day, Chucky, The Notorious Killer Doll Day.
26. National Financial Crime Fighter Day, National Day Of The Deployed, National Mule Day, National Pumpkin Day, National Make A Difference Day.
27. National Black Cat Day, National Mother-In-Law Day.
28. National Chocolate Day (With this to celebrate, we don't need anything else!).
29. National Cat Day, National Hermit Day, National Oatmeal Day, National Stroke Day.
30. National Speak Up For Service Day, National Publicist Day, National Candy Corn Day.
31. National Doorbell Day, National Caramel Apple Day, National Knock-Knock Jokes Day, National Magic Day, Girl Scout Founder's Day and, of course, HALLOWEEN!
Can you believe all this cool stuff we have to celebrate in October? There's everything from (pumpkin) soup to nuts. How will I ever decide which ones are my favorites? It'll be tough but once I get my list down to a reasonable number, then I'll hop off to the Lily Pad Party Store and my local food market for all my ingredients and supplies.
Tomorrow is National Fire Pup Day and for fun, I thought we'd look at how the delightful Dalmatian became the most common and popular of all fire dogs. Until then, save a super Monday and a very cool week!
                                                                       PEACE

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/october/

This has felt like an unusually long week. But Friday is finally here and that means I have an interesting and kind of fun blog for you. Today, I am mentioning unmentionables. But not just ANY unmentionables. No. Today we will take a look at what type of underwear was worn in the Medieval Period. Or did they wear any at all? 
Underwear has been around for a long time. it isn't some new-fangled invention. As far back as Ancient Rome, men and women were known to wear simply wrapped loin-cloths, probably made from linen, under their outer garments. There was, of course, no universal rule in undergarments; people wore what was comfortable, available, or necessary for modesty—or nothing at all.
In Medieval times, humans still wore loincloths but other undergarments became available, as well. "In addition to loincloths, medieval men wore an entirely different type of underpants called braies. Women of the period might have worn a breast band called a strophium or mamillare made from linen or leather. Just like today, those competing in sports could benefit from wearing confining garments that correspond with modern sports bras, dance belts, or jockstraps."
Not much is known about Medieval underwear because it wasn't written about much, if at all and natural fabrics don't survive for more than a few hundred years, at most. Therefore, most of what historians know about medieval undergarments has been pieced together from period artwork and the occasional archaeological find. 
"One such archaeological find took place in an Austrian castle in 2012. A cache of feminine delicates was preserved in a sealed-off vault, and the items included garments very similar to modern-day brassieres and underpants. This exciting find in medieval underwear revealed that such garments were in use as far back as the 15th century. The question remains as to whether they were used in earlier centuries, and whether only the privileged few could afford them." Medieval men's underpants were fairly loose drawers known as braies, breies, breeks, or breeches. Varying in length from upper-thigh to below the knee, braies could be closed with a drawstring at the waist or cinched with a separate belt around which the top of the garment would be tucked. Braies were usually made of linen, most likely in its natural off-white color, but they could also be sewn from finely woven wool, especially in colder climes. I don't know about you, but woolen underwear does not appeal to me at all! But, I suppose, you get used it...especially if you're living in a cold clime and it helps keep in some warmth. But braies were not only used as underwear, they were also frequently worn by laborers with little else when doing hot work. These could be worn well below the knees and tied to the wearer's waist to keep them out of the way. No one knows for certain whether or not medieval women wore underpants before the 15th century. Since the dresses medieval women wore were so long, it could be very inconvenient to remove underwear when answering nature's call. Since there is no evidence one way or the other, it's entirely possible that, at times, medieval women wore loincloths or short braies. 
What about hose or socks, you ask? Both men and women would often keep their legs covered with hose, or hosen. These might be stockings with complete feet, or they might be merely tubes that stopped at the ankle. The tubes could also have straps underneath to secure them to the feet without completely covering them. Styles varied according to necessity and personal preference. Hose was not ordinarily knitted. Instead, each one was sewn from two pieces of woven fabric, most commonly wool but sometimes linen, cut against the bias to give it some stretch. Stockings with feet had an additional piece of fabric for the sole. Hose varied in length from thigh-high to just below the knee. Given their limitations in flexibility, they weren't particularly well-fitted, but in the later Middle Ages, when more luxurious fabrics became available, they could look very good indeed.
Men were known to attach their hose to the bottoms of their braies. A laborer might tie up his outer garments to keep them out of the way, with hose stretching up to his braies. Armored knights were likely to secure their hose this way because their sturdy stockings, known as chausses, provided some cushioning against the metal armor. Alternatively, hose could be kept in place with garters, which is how women secured them. A garter could be nothing fancier than a short cord that the wearer tied around her leg, but for more well-off folk, especially women, it could be rather more elaborate, with ribbon, velvet, or lace. It is thought that women's hose only went to the knee.
This probably a lot more than you ever wanted to know about Medieval underwear but, still, you have to admit it's fascinating. Or maybe I'm just weird.
I'm off for the weekend and heading out to spend a little time with my family, enjoying some of this beautiful early fall weather. Quigley, Jr. wants to take a picnic and go for hop through the nearby woods. Sounds perfect to me! Whatever your plans are, have a great time and I hope you get to spend a little time enjoying all of the gifts that Mother Nature has to offer. See you again on Monday. Until then, stay safe and be happy.
                                                                       PEACE.

​Snell, Melissa. "Underwear in the Medieval Period." ThoughtCo, Aug. 4, 2019, thoughtco.com/medieval-underwear-1788621.

You are what you eat. You've heard this phrase a million times. And it does make sense that the human body run better when you eat fruits, vegetables, and lean protein rather than stuffing your mouth with a donut, or two.  But what about your brain? Does what you eat figure into your mental health as well as your physical health? 
When deciding whether to eat at McDonald's or try out the new vegan restaurant that everyone's raving about, most humans take into account their physical health (the ol' you are what you eat line of thinking) and/or their appearance (I want to fit into my favorite jeans). But rarely does anyone ever think about their mental health. Let's face it, a donut can you feel pretty great while you're eating it. Even I know that! And the sugar rush gives you a bit of temporary energy. But then what? After the high wears off, don't you often feel worse? You fall into a slump and may even be consumed with guilt for eating that donut in the first place. "A growing body of research is discovering that food doesn’t just affect your waistline but also your moods, emotions, and even longer-term conditions like depression. Which makes sense, after all. Our brains are physical entities, running on the energy that you put into our bodies, affected by shifts in our hormones, blood sugar levels, and many other biological processes." It's a fact that one-third of all Americans eat fast food on any given day. And who among us, and I mean humans and frogs alike, hasn't eaten french fries or a big slice of chocolate cake just to make ourselves feel better after a bad day? 
"A paper published this year in Psychosomatic Medicine offers one of the most up-to-date snapshots of diet and mental health—specifically, how diet might play a role in depression." In sixteen studies done in the US, Australia, and Europe, with participants ranging in age from 21 to 85, it was discovered that those who ate the healthier diets had reduced levels of depression, less hopelessness, better sleep, and better social interactions than those who ate more junk food. The healthier diets included less processed foods, and more whole foods, like fruits and vegetables. This makes sense, right? But what was most interesting about these studies was found when the researchers dug deep into the details.
1. The healthy diet tended to work best for women. Why? Besides differences in hormones and metabolism, Firth conjectured, women seem to be in a better position to benefit. They’re more likely to be depressed and they might have more discipline at following diets than men.
2.  The diet program worked best when administered by a dietary professional, like a dietician. This is probably because the recommendations were sounder and the participants (believing in the dietitian’s authority) were more apt to follow them. An earlier review of diet studies came to a similar conclusion.
3.  Those participants who were experiencing a major depressive disorder seemed to be helped the most. After twelve weeks on the healthier diet, the depressed participants had reduced their depression and anxiety more—and they were about four times more likely to experience a remission from their depression. The more they improved their diet, the more their depression lifted, 
​So can what you eat make you happier?  It’s one thing to say that your diet might protect you from depression and other mental health issues. But could the foods you eat move the needle toward more positive emotions and happiness? Recent studies weren't conclusive. It does make sense, however, that if you feel better you will be happier.
Should your wellbeing affect your shopping list? Absolutely! In my teaser yesterday about today's blog, I said that this wasn't a diet. It isn't. It's about making healthy lifestyle decisions. Everyone will cheat now and again, eating that donut instead of the apple. The real point here is to eat as healthy as you can as often as you can. These are the facts backed up by sixteen studies; people who were eating a typical Western diet of fast food, salty snacks, desserts, and soft drinks became more depressed over time. But eating a classic healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables, seafood, and whole grains or a more Mediterranean diet—which includes lots of olive oil and more legumes, meat, dairy, and alcohol—both seemed to protect against depression.
While eating a donut or slice of cake here and there isn't going to kill you, it can help you keep you in line with your healthy eating goals. No one wants to feel deprived when it comes to eating and is the big reason why diets fail. Believing that you can't ever eat something you love is a surefire way to lose your incentive to eat well. Allowing yourself  the occasional treat can keep you more motivated. The key is moderation.  If you suffer from depression it will always benefit you to reach for the apple or a few almonds when you need a pick-me-up.
As you may know, I like to do something more entertaining on my Friday blog. Tomorrow is no exception. when I'll be mentioning unmentionables. Until then, stay safe and stay well.
                                                                         PEACE.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_is_the_best_diet_for_mental_health?

When I woke up this morning, I had a text message from Dharma saying he was hopping late but that he'd arrive as soon as he was able. Knowing this allowed me to have a more leisurely morning than I usually do on Wednesdays. After my morning swim, I headed to my kitchen to prepare breakfast. As the tea was brewing, I set the table. It wasn't long after the timer went off on my oven that Dharma hopped onto my lily pad. "Perfect timing, Sir," I greeted him. Dharma smiled. "Good. I don't like holding up your wonderful meal, my boy. And I must admit that I am rather hungry this morning. Whatever it is that you've made, it smells delicious!"
As soon as we sat down, Dharma reached for tea. After pouring us each a cup and helping himself to a slice of the cinnamon tea cake I'd prepared, Dharma began my lesson for the week. "Tadpole, a wise frog has the patience to wait until his mud settles and the swamp is clear. What does this mean to you?" "I dunno, Dharma, I'm a little confused. For a swamp, Lily pad has especially clean water and there is rarely any mud....except maybe right after a storm." "That's it exactly, Irwin. But the storm isn't weather-related and neither is the mud. I'm talking about what happens when a personal storm comes sweeping over the tranquility of our daily life. These storms tend to cloud our judgment. Our thinking becomes muddy. Now, do you understand?" I nodded a yes. My question to him was this, "What are we supposed to do when we feel overwhelmed by a situation?" "Son, sometimes the best thing we can in these situations is to do nothing at all." ​I wanted to know how doing nothing was actually doing something and here is what Dharma had to say on the subject.
My wise teacher explained that doing nothing, at least initially, is often our best course of action during troubling or difficult times. Know how much I rely on scientific fact, he said that new research shows that some of the worst decisions we make in our lifetimes are those made in haste. Perhaps you know this from personal experience. I know I sure do!
As Dharma explained it, it takes mastery of your self-control to simply sit and do nothing in the face of difficulty. And yet, inaction is often our best course of action. If it's possible, and Dharma knows it isn't in every circumstance, let things (the mud) sit for a day or two. Perhaps as long as a week or a month. The point is to wait until the hurt, wound, or obstacle isn't quite as fresh and difficult for our brains to process. As times passes, the human brain (and the frog's too) has more time to better assess what the right outcome is. Our fears lessen and our thinking becomes clearer. The swamp in our brain is no longer as cloudy as it was.
Dharma closed my lesson for the week with this piece of sage advice, "We shouldn’t make any decisions immediately after something profound happens in our lives. We have this mechanism of self where we want to mediate our feelings and do whatever will make us feel better initially. But that doesn’t always mean something that we’ll be happy with in the long-run. Giving ourselves a little time to process whatever has happened takes self-control but is very useful. On a grander scale, this means learning to to just be.  When we stop the pursuit of always trying to immediately fix every situation so that we feel better, instead it is wiser to simply go with the flow  More often than not, as our situation improves, we lose that sense of urgency to impulsively act. And should the situation require action, then looking at it from a distance and with fresh eyes gives us a new perspective and often far better solutions."
I enjoyed Dharma's lesson today and it was a good reminder for all us to let a little time pass before acting on our first impulses. He is one wise frog!
Please stop by tomorrow when I'll be looking at the best diet to improve our mental health. It may be easier to do than you think and isn't actually a diet at all! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Until then, Dharma and I wish you a wonderful Wednesday.
                                                                   PEACE.

https://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2013/07/sometimes-the-best-thing-to-do-is-nothing/

As you might well expect, I am a huge fan of the Toy Story movie franchise. I think Buzz Lightyear is out of this world. (Yep, pun intended.) One of Buzz's most famous lines is, "To infinity and beyond!" You don't need to be a math geek to be intrigued by infinity. It kind of hurts my little froggy brain to think about it for too long, yet I do find it fascinating. Today, I have for you a few infinity facts that will, I think, blow your mind...but in a really fun and good way.
Infinity is an abstract concept used to describe something endless or boundless. It is important in mathematics, cosmology, physics, computing, and the arts. "Infinity has a special symbol: ∞. The symbol, sometimes called the lemniscate, was introduced by clergyman and mathematician John Wallis in 1655. The word "lemniscate" comes from the Latin word lemniscus, which means "ribbon," while the word 'infinity' comes from the Latin word infinitas, which means boundless."
Ready for a few mind-altering facts about infinity? Here we go!
1.  The Infinity Symbol. The concept of infinity was understood long before Wallis gave it the symbol we use today. Around the 4th or 3rd century B.C.E., the Jain mathematical text Surya Prajnapti assigned numbers as either enumerable, innumerable, or infinite. The Greek philosopher Anaximander used the work apeiron to refer to the infinite. Zeno of Elea (born circa 490 B.C.E.) was known for paradoxes involving infinity. 
2.  Pi as an Example of Infinity. A good example of infinity is the number π or pi. Mathematicians use a symbol for pi because it's impossible to write the number down. Pi consists of an infinite number of digits. It's often rounded to 3.14 or even 3.14159, yet no matter how many digits you write, it's impossible to get to the end.
​3.  The Monkey Theorem.  One way to think about infinity is in terms of the monkey theorem. According to the theorem, if you give a monkey a typewriter and an infinite amount of time, eventually it will write Shakespeare's Hamlet. While some people take the theorem to suggest anything is possible, mathematicians see it as evidence of just how improbable certain events are.
4.  Different sizes of Infinity. Who knew it came in small, medium, and large? Infinity is boundless, yet it comes in different sizes. The positive numbers (those greater than 0) and the negative numbers (those smaller than 0) may be considered to be infinite sets of equal sizes. Yet, what happens if you combine both sets? You get a set twice as large. As another example, consider all of the even numbers (an infinite set). This represents an infinity half the size of all of the whole numbers. Another example is simply adding 1 to infinity. The number ∞ + 1 > ∞. Your head hurt yet? Not to worry. I'm almost done.
5.  Cosmology and Infinity.  Cosmologists study the universe and ponder infinity. Does space go on and on without end? This remains an open question. Even if the physical universe as we know it has a boundary, there is still the multiverse theory to consider. That is, our universe may be but one in an infinite number of them. And, finally...
6.  Dividing By Zero.  Dividing by zero is a no-no in ordinary mathematics. In the usual scheme of things, the number 1 divided by 0 cannot be defined. It's infinity. It's an error code. However, this isn't always the case. In extended complex number theory, 1/0 is defined to be a form of infinity that doesn't automatically collapse. In other words, there's more than one way to do math. 
Okay, I officially have a headache now. But you have to admit, these facts are kind of fun! If you know a math geek, you might want to shares this with them. They'' be happy you did. And who knows? You may get a few extra brownie points! 
I try to write about a variety of subjects, some that I know will be more popular than others. But learning new things and sharing them with you, my readers will, hopefully help us both to grow and expand our way of looking at the world.
Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means Dharma Frog will be here for my weekly life lesson. You can bet that it'll be helpful and not nearly as dry or mild-altering as these facts about infinity. If you've managed to hang in there this long, I truly appreciate it! Until we meet again, I wish you a TOAD-ally awesome Tuesday.
                                                                      PEACE.

​Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "8 Infinity Facts That Will Blow Your Mind." ThoughtCo, Oct. 19, 2018, thoughtco.com/infinity-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind-4154547.

Yesterday afternoon, I made a quick run to my local Swampmart, Lily Pad's the "we sell everything" big-box department store, and as soon as I hopped through the front door, I was pleasantly surprised at how cheery the place looked. Aisle after aisle was filled with bright colorful fall home decorating items. The reds, oranges, golds, and browns of fall were everywhere. And they were glorious! I hadn't thought about it much up to that moment, but then it struck me; today is the official beginning of fall, 2019. Fall is certainly one of the most beautiful times of the year. Perhaps the most beautiful.
I wanted to honor the start of this new season and decided that the best way was to list a few of the reasons I think fall is the most beautiful time of year. Perhaps some of my reasons will be yours, too.
1.  The temperatures have cooled off (and we all sweat less) making the air smell cleaner and fresher.
2.  Unless you have a "Ten" beach body, fall clothing covers more. I mean, who doesn't love pulling on a pair of cuddly woolen socks?
3.  Farmer's Markets are filled with the colors of the season; orange pumpkins, bright red apples, and who doesn't love the scent of roasting corn wafting through the air?
4.  Pumpkin-flavored everything is available once again. Although I do have to say "NO!" to pumpkin-flavored Spam.....
5.  October will soon be upon us and that, of course, means Halloween...the one holiday when even adults get to wear funny or scary costumes and eat too much candy!
6.  Bonfires are big in the fall, too. And who among us doesn't enjoy getting warm next to a roaring fire?
7.  Fall leaves beneath our flippers (er, I mean feet) make a charming and nostalgic rustling sound when we hop (and walk) through the woods.
9.  Fresh-squeezed cider and apple-picking....need I say more?
10. Autumn is the time when everything, including nature, slows down a bit. There's an air of thoughtfulness about what we do that is missing during the summer.
11. The days are shorter now and both humans and animals make the most of our daylight hours. The warmth of sunshine becomes a bit more precious.
12.  There's something so peaceful and tranquil about staying in on cool fall evening and curling up with a good book and pot of cinnamon tea.
​13.  Hot chocolate is back in season!
14.  If you change out your toothbrush quarterly, then today you get a fresh one. When it comes to dental care, nothing beats the feel of a brand new toothbrush.
15.  Nature is resplendent in her fall finest. The colors are vibrant and cheery, making it one of the happiest of seasons. And finally,
16.  Now that fall has arrived, it is the unofficial "official" start of the Holiday/Christmas season. (Maybe I'm pushing things too far here?) And, as we all know, the holiday season makes everyone just a little nicer. Who could be against that?!
Perhaps you have a few reasons that I neglected to list? We can all agree, however, that the autumnal season is a joy and cause for real celebration. How will you kick off this new season? Even though it's still fairly warm and summer-like here in Land of Lily Pad, I'm going to pull up a nice patch of shade, read a book, and enjoy a big glass of fresh apple cider.
Please join me back here again tomorrow for a couple of mind-blowing facts about infinity. Even if you're not a math geek (don't worry, neither am I) these fun facts will entertain you and make you think about infinity in perhaps a new way. Until then, I wish you a happy first day of fall!
                                                                      PEACE.

As summer 2019 rapidly comes to a close, this weekend is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. It just so happens that Saturday is the ninth annual National Dance Day (NDD), an annual celebration of all things dance. It's also a fundraiser for the dance education nonprofit then known as the Dizzy Feet Foundation. Since then, NDD has become a phenomenon. Each year, dancers and dance fans have learned an official NDD routine, showed up in droves for high-profile NDD events at the Kennedy Center and Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and hosted countless NDD parties of their own all over the country. So why not learn the routine and participate in an NDD event near you? And by the way, the Dizzy Feet Foundation is now known as the American Dance Movement.
You haven't lived until you've seen a group of frogs at a "flash mob" all randomly dancing our flippers off. They're extremely popular in Lily Pad and I know there will be many dance "mobs" happening this weekend. Because frogs and all humans, alike, love to dance I thought today I'd honor dance with some fun facts as well as a few reasons why dancing is so important.
Dance doesn't have to be structured. Standing alone in your living room and moving around to your favorite tunes is dancing. "Dance is more than the exploring of different ways to make a shape or learning a series of steps to music; it is a way of moving that uses the body as an instrument of expression and communication. Through dance, students learn teamwork, focus, and improvisational skills. Dance awakens new perceptions in children which help them learn and think in new ways." But dance isn't only important for kids.
Adults will benefit greatly from dancing, as well. Dancing is a way of keeping fit. It improves heart and lung function, increased muscle strength and endurance, it helps humans to lose weight and tone muscles. Dancing helps strengthen bones and increases coordination and flexibility.  It also improves balance and spatial awareness. Dancing also helps improve mental functioning and wellbeing. But dance is fun and is a great way to build self-confidence, self-esteem and build better social skills. There's nothing quite like dance to lift our spirits and make us feel free.  And did I mention it's FUN?
Now that we've looked at why dance is important, let's check out a few fun facts on this Friday, shall we?

1. The "Dancing Plague" of 1518 was a mania that lasted a month and killed dozens of people in Strasbourg, France through exhaustion or heart attack. People just danced uncontrollably until they collapsed! One other famous case involved people dancing on a bridge. Eventually, so many people danced that they broke the bridge and fell into the river.
2. A world record for the longest conga dance line was set by 119,986 people in Miami in 1988.
3. An Englishman tragically died during an office Christmas party. The cause of death? He overexerted himself dancing to Psy's megahit Gangnam Style. The lesson here is that if you have certain health conditions, you should not stray outside of your comfort zone.
4. You may know Tupac Shakur as the late rapping legend of the late 80s and early 90s, but what you may not know is that he used to do ballet! He became a member of the 127th Street Ensemble, a Harlem based theater company.
5. In 2008, the world’s first “sustainable” dance floor opened at Club Watt in Rotterdam, Sweden. The floor’s tiles each sit on springs hooked up to generators. The harder people dance, the more the springs are compressed and this converts into energy, which runs the LED lights in the floor.
6. The dance world is full of superstitions. By saying "break a leg" before a show, people are saying the exact opposite of what they hope will happen on stage.
7. Hindu religion has a very close relationship to dance and music. This connection can be seen in their countless Bollywood movies that all celebrate dancing.
8. African slaves that were brought in Brazil 300-400 years ago were prohibited from practicing martial arts. Therefore, they developed the mix of dancing and fighting that is known today as capoeira.
9. Breakdancing was first created as a "less lethal" form of fighting between warring African-American street gangs in the 1970s Bronx area of New York City. This form of dancing re-emerged into worldwide popularity during the 1990s.
10. The most sensual dance of modern times is without a doubt the Tango. It originated in the 1890s in Argentina, but it quickly became very successful in Europe.

We all like to dance when some good music is playing! If you'd like to learn the official 2019 American Dance Movement dance, here's the link to the video.
​http://americandancemovement.org/national-dance-day/
​That does it for me this week. I hope you've enjoyed at least a few of the blogs. Won't you please plan on joining me back here again on Monday for more interesting and helpful blogs? No matter what your plans are this weekend, whether or not they include some dancing, please have fun and, as always, stay safe!
                                                                        PEACE.

http://americandancemovement.org/national-dance-day/
http://www.camarilloacademy.com/2011/09/why-dance/
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/dance-health-benefits
https://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/10-fun-facts-about-dancing

I always get excited when can share information with you on relatively unknown animals. And today I am writing about a very special critter, the biggest and rarest butterfly in the world, The Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (or the QAB). Ever heard of it? I hadn't until I stumbled across an article about a week ago. 
The QAB has an impressive wingspan of 12 inches (roughly 30.50 cm) but little else is known about this rare beauty. According to the Birdwing article in Mother Jones, "The world’s butterflies are under intense pressure from habitat destruction and other environmental threats, with many populations dwindling rapidly and others vanishing before our eyes. One recent study found an estimated 33 percent decline in common butterflies in Ohio from 1996 to 2016, a rate consistent with worldwide patterns. These losses have disturbing repercussions for crop pollination and the health of ecological systems." So the world isn't just losing too many bees, we are also losing too many butterflies; a potentially deadly situation.
The QAB inhabits the forests of Papua, New Guinea. "Its wings are adorned in iridescent blue-green and yellow. And its caterpillars are equally impressive, with large black bodies broken by a yellow saddle and long red spikes. Its stunning beauty, along with its habitat in a remote and mysterious location" are compelling reasons why it needs to be included in extensive research and made a top candidate for the list of the rarest butterflies. The QAB was discovered in 1906 by British naturalist, Albert Meeks. His 1913 book, A Naturalist in Cannibal Land, focuses on his nearly 2 decades of work in Papua, New Guinea where the primary focus of his research was on butterflies, especially the birdwing. 
"To immobilize large butterflies, indigenous people fashioned nets by lashing spiders’ webs around sticks. Meek had other methods. One day, he saw a large butterfly flying in the forest canopy out of reach of a net, so he took aim with a shotgun and blasted it out of the air. The resulting holes and rips in the wings of that first Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing specimen are on view today at the Natural History Museum in London."
For the six decades after its discovery, no further attempts were made to quantify the Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly, even though it was then known to be rare and unique." In 1968, under the new Fauna Protection Ordinance put in place by the Australian government of Papua New Guinea (the country would gain its independence in 1975), its collection was made illegal." Then, in 1970 efforts began to map the QAB population which was limited to the two populations around the eastern city of Popondetta: one on the Popondetta Plain, the other to the south over a volcanic mountain on the Managalas Plateau.
Fast-forward to 1992. Scientists encountered only 150 of these butterflies in a 10-day period and slightly lower numbers by the late 1990s. By the mid-2000s, scientists found even fewer. 
"In 2008, conservation biologist Tyler Hicks spent three months searching for the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing and observed a mere 21 adults, and fewer than one butterfly per acre. If accurate, this estimate would undoubtedly make it one of the rarest butterflies in the world." 
The greatest threat to the QAB is tree harvesting which has accelerated in recent years with the expansion of the palm oil industry. "Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis)—the fruit of which produces cooking oil, packaged foods, soaps, and more—transforms forests into uniform plantations. These plantations have grown to occupy thousands of acres in the core of the butterfly’s range and create a sterile environment, destroying the butterfly’s food supply and habitat and effectively eliminating any chance for its survival."
In many countries, conservation efforts could be furthered by buying up land parcels for stewardship by government agencies or non-profit organizations. In Papua New Guinea, however, tribal clans own and control nearly the entire country, with each clan working vigorously to protect its own land, which is defined by natural borders and is inherited by other clan members. 
"One potential solution is to encourage clans to harness the financial value of the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing, which is further suffering from a continuing trade on the black market. Because of their beauty and rarity, butterflies that sold in the 1980s for up to $3,000 have more recently gone for a whopping $10,000 a pair. That sets it apart from other extremely rare species, which are of little comparative value." To accomplish this, however, tribal clans would have to create a habitat for the butterflies.
It is alarming how little is known about the Queen Alexandra Birdwing or, for that matter, the viability of other butterflies in remote tropical regions. Researchers, naturalists, as well as conservation groups, all need to sit up and take notice. Rare and beautiful species are disappearing before our very eyes and much of it is due to neglect. Vigilance and perseverance can pay big dividends, though, and it is up to you humans to push for stricter legislation protecting endangered species and to support conservation efforts.
The animal world relies on you. They can't do it themselves. So I am urging each of you to speak out against governmental policies, wherever you live, that hurt endangered species and promote the loss of our habitats...all in the name of greed.
Saturday is National Dance Day and there's nothing I enjoy doing more than dancing. I have been known to show up at flash mobs all around the swamp. Dancing lifts the spirits and is a superb and endlessly entertaining way to get exercise. I hope you'll stop by tomorrow where my blog will celebrate dance. Until then, I wish you
                                                                        PEACE.

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/08/behold-the-biggest-rarest-butterfly-in-the-world/

Last Wednesday, Dharma arrived early and caught me by surprise. I was still getting myself ready and hadn't yet begun our morning meal when he hopped onto my lily pad. This morning, I was taking no chances! I set my alarm to go off fifteen minutes earlier than usual. And last night before retiring I did all the prep work for breakfast. This morning went off without a hitch and everything was ready, including me, when Dharma arrived for my weekly lesson.
As we sat down to dine, Dharma started talking. I have to admit, that I was a little distracted. I have a lot going on these days and my attention was elsewhere so the only thing I heard was his sharp, "Irwin, are you paying attention? I asked you a question about your family?" I don't know how long I had "zoned out" but his tone of voice quickly jolted me back to reality. "Sorry, Sir," I responded. "Yes, the family is fine and Quigley, Jr. is enjoying the new school year." "Tadpole, that's not what I asked you but I'm happy that everyone is well. I can see that perhaps I need to shift the topic of my lesson today. My boy, the frog who listens well is as powerful as the frog who speaks well." And with that, my lesson on listening began.
"Irwin, at its root, listening is the act of mindfully hearing and attempting to comprehend the meaning of words spoken by another person. But listening is also the most important ingredient for building strong leadership, healthy relationships, thriving organizations, and democratic governments." If you need proof, just think of a recent time when you felt like no one was listening. How did that make you feel? Not very good, I suspect. You probably felt disrespected as if what you had to say wasn't worth the listener's time. Active listening is a specific communication skill which involves giving free and undivided attention to the speaker. It is also the most effective agent for individual change and group development Generally frogs, and humans as well, who are afraid to listen deeply are afraid that they might learn something new; that they will have to open up their minds, and maybe even their hearts, to new ideas. That can be terrifying to some but, my boy, knowledge is power and listening is an important way to gain both knowledge and power. Are you with me so far?" "Yes, Sir. I can see that listening is important and by tuning out the speaker we could miss out on learning something new and important. It is also disrespectful of the speaker. Listening can be hard, Dharma, especially in this day and age of information overload. It's difficult to concentrate on one topic at a time. The mind is always busy and in a rush. Will you please give me a few tips for improving my listening? I'd like to share them with my readers. I'm sure many of them have difficulty listening deeply, too."
Dharma smiled. He was pleased that I wanted to improve my listening skills.
​1. Know that it's all about you. Too often we listen faintly as we form another question or clever comment in our mind. We wait for the person to breathe so we can get our point in. Learning to listen well, extraordinarily well. Become someone more interested in learning about others than talking about yourself.
2. Learn to be able to communicate accurately what you've heard. Good Communication is not about saying something. It’s not about the audience hearing it either. It’s when the listener understands your message and can repeat it back. It’s when that person understands the nuances, the emotion, and the content.
3. Stay in the present. A good listener is not thinking about tomorrow’s to-do list or yesterday’s meeting. A good listener is with you, in the moment, practicing the power of now.
4. Clarify and repeat.  A good listener often asks questions to understand. They want to make sure that they are seeing it correctly through your eyes, sensing the sights, smells and feelings as you do.
5. Understand the emotional content of the message being given. If you listen with your brain, you can accurately parrot back facts and figures. If you also listen with your heart, you can sense on an emotional level, as well.
"Irwin, I know you enjoy listening to classic rock and roll so I'll leave you with a quote from one of the greatest rock musicians of all times. Jimi Hendrix once said, 'Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.' I couldn't have said it better myself. I hope my lesson today has helped you to see the value of actively listening to each conversation, no matter how trivial they might seem. There's always some information to be gleaned. Listening helps with empathy, as well, my boy. Often humans, and frogs too, need to talk about something that saddens or is worrisome to them. If we don't listen deeply, we can fail to hear what they are saying and that means we fail to give them the emotional support they need. Instead of making it better for them, we can end up making it worse."
"Dharma, will you please tell me what it is that you asked about my family? I promise this time I will listen carefully." The wise old frog chuckled, "Tadpole, I asked if your family was excited that your father has been named City of Swamp's Business Frog of the Year." My eyes light up! "Oh Dharma, yes! The whole family is pleased and very proud. We've all been invited to attend the banquet in his honor. Thank you so much for asking. Since you also taught my dad, I know it'll mean a great deal to him that you were thoughtful enough to ask about his award. Oh, and Sir, I'm truly sorry I didn't hear you the first time. I'll try very hard not to let it happen again."
We can all learn to be better communicators, both in listening deeply and speaking clearly. Dharma always has the right lesson for me at exactly the right time."
I have a very special blog planned for tomorrow. It's so special that I'm not even going to give you a hint at what it's about. You'll just have to come back and find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
​Until tomorrow, dear reader, I wish you a wonderful Wednesday.
                                                                        PEACE.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-power-of-listening-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters
https://www.skipprichard.com/5-tips-to-master-the-art-of-power-listening/

Both French and Spanish have words that sound a lot like English words and are, most often, mistakenly belIeved to mean the same thing. Again, more often than not, that's the case. Today I'll be giving you a few examples of Spanish words that you may think you know. But I bet you'll be surprised by they're real meaning.
Spanish is pretty easy to learn, right? Constitución means "constitution," nación means "nation," and decepción means "deception," right? Not exactly. True, most words that end in -ción can be translated into English by changing the suffix to "-tion." And the pattern holds true for the first two words listed above (although constitución refers to how something is constituted more often than does the English word, which usually refers to a political document). But una decepción is a disappointment, not a deception."
Spanish and English have literally thousands of cognates, words that are basically the same in both languages, having the same etymology and similar meanings. But combinations such as decepción and "deception" are so-called false cognates — known more precisely as "false friends" or falsos amigos — word pairs that look like they might mean the same thing but don't.  Let's look at a few others, shall we?
1. Asistir: Means to attend or to be present. Asisto a la oficina cada día, I go to the office daily. To say "to assist," use ayudar, to help. This word has a kissing cousin. Atender: Means to serve or to take care of, to attend to. If you're talking about attending a meeting or a class, use asistir.
2.  Billón: 1,000,000,000,000. That number is the same as a trillion in American English but a billion in traditional British English. (Modern British English conforms with U.S. English, however.) Confused? Me, too.
3.  Bizarro: Somebody's who's this way is brave, not necessarily strange. The English word "bizarre" is conveyed better by extraño or estrafalario.
4.  Boda: If you go to a wedding or wedding reception, this is what you're going to. A body (as of a person or animal) is most often cuerpo or tronco.
5.  Campo: Means a field or the country (in the sense of living in the country, not the city). If you're going camping, you'll probably be staying at a campamento or even a camping.
6.  Carpeta: Although this can refer to a type of table cover, it doesn't have anything to do with carpets. It most often means a file folder (including the virtual kind) or a briefcase. "Carpet" is most often alfombra.
7. Compromiso: Meaning a promise, obligation, or commitment, it does not usually convey the sense that one has given up something to reach an agreement. There is no good noun equivalent of "compromise" that would be understood that way out of context, although the verb transigir conveys the sense of giving in to, yielding to, or tolerating another person.
7. Destituido: Someone who has been removed from office is destituido. Someone without money is indigente or desamparado.
8. Disgusto: Derived from the prefix dis- (meaning "not") and the root word gusto (meaning "pleasure"), this word refers simply to displeasure or misfortune. If you need to use a much stronger term akin to "disgust," use asco or repugnancia.
9.  Éxito: It's a hit or a success. If you're looking for the way out, look for una salida.
10. Minorista: Means retail (adjective) or retailer. A "minority" is una minoría.
11. Once: If you can count past 10, you know that once is the word for eleven. If something happens once, it happens una vez.
12. Revolver: As its form suggests, this is a verb, in this case meaning to turn over, to revolve, or otherwise to cause disorder. The Spanish word for "revolver" is close, however: revólver.
13. Ropa: Clothing, not rope. Rope is cuerda or soga.
14. Sopa: Soup, not soap. Soap is jabón.
15. Suceso: Merely an event or happening, sometimes a crime. A success is un éxito.
And your bonus word....
16. Order this at a desert restaurant and you'll get edible cactus. A tuna is also a college musical glee club. The fish is atún.
I hope you found this to be helpful and useful for you. Spanish is a popular and growing language worldwide and being able to converse in it, even a little bit is worthwhile.
Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means a visit from my wise teacher, The Dharma Frog. Please stop by then to see what lesson he has instore for me. Who know? It might be something beneficial to you, as well. Until then, dear reader, I wish you
                                                                       PEACE.

​Erichsen, Gerald. "False Friends in Spanish and English." ThoughtCo, Sep. 11, 2019, thoughtco.com/obvious-but-wrong-false-friends-3078344.