Today I’m grateful for family, friends, and an excuse to try a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake pie.
Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!
Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie, To Be Exact
Posted in Food and..., Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts on October 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Turning to Fall
Posted in Holidays, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, astronomy, fall equinox, NASA, science, Thoughts on September 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
It’s that time again. If you are in the northern hemisphere on planet Earth, today is the Fall Equinox.
Autumnal Equinox 2023: First Day of Fall | Facts, Folklore & More | The Old Farmer’s Almanac
After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier. This ends with the winter solstice, after which days start to grow longer once again.
The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, ”night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length.
Why just “roughly” equal in length?
Why day and night aren’t equal length on an equinox
Firstly, the sun has a size—it’s not just a point in the sky.… Secondly, the Earth’s atmosphere refracts (bends) sunlight.
What does the ebb and flow of axial luminescence look like from space?
For more on the “why” of seasons, check out this explainer:
What Causes the Seasons? | NASA Space Place
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Tiny, Big
Posted in Holidays, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, adventure, inspiration, Thoughts on August 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Summer can be a time to plan big, but today I am going to suggest that you consider adventures a little closer to home.
The Microadventure-Filled Life of Alastair Humphreys
Humphreys defines a microadventure as “a shorter, simpler, cheaper, more local, more accessible version of what you deem to be an adventure. It’s something that you can squeeze in around the margins of real life.”
I kind of love this idea, of finding what’s interesting right around the corner.
Now I’m off to consider what might be fun to do around town. Like this, which holy crap, looks both scary and crazy cool!
Interzip Rogers – The interprovincial zip line.
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Don’t Be the Frog*
Posted in Holidays, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, climate change, cocktails, heat, irony, Thoughts, travel, weather on July 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »
This one’s for two of my parental units, currently on vacation in some of the hottest parts of the world right now, and everyone else facing down the record-busting summer heat.
8 mistakes to avoid if you’re going out in the heat
- Too much, too soon: You need to acclimatize
- Failing to pre-hydrate (and rehydrate!)
- Don’t be the frog in the boiling pot (i.e., your car)
- Heat + (certain) medications don’t mix
- Don’t ignore the early signs of heat-related illness
- Know when to seek medical attention
- Wear loose, light clothing
- Alcohol is a bad call
Stay hydrated, folks!**
* Note: The whole “boiling a frog” fable is, as the Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at the US National Museum of Natural History said: “Well that’s, may I say, bullsh*t.” Frogs are way smarter than that.
** As mentioned in the article, alcohol isn’t a great idea when it’s hot. If you feel you must drink an adult beverage, however, irony suggests that you consider the Heat Wave.
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One Thursday, in Cairo
Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, nonfiction, Thoughts, travel, writing on July 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Thursday
Cairo
Up a few steps and across a pedestrian overpass and we were in the market. The guidebooks warned that getting lost here was easy, and not to be surprised at the incredible number of small passages and alleys in this area. They were absolutely right, but I loved it. The market’s narrow winding paths, busy streets, men sitting outside shops, women herding children they could barely see through crowds, carts, stalled taxis, cats everywhere, and getting lost were all part of the fun. For the first time I felt I was in a true souk, a local market where tourists were not yet driving the economy. Sure, there were tchotchkes on the main streets, but there were also suitcases and socks and nightgowns and shirts. When we did get completely and unbelievably lost, a small boy appeared from nowhere. He led us back to our starting point, but his way out was nothing like our way in. I followed the boy’s slight figure down stairways just wide enough for one, around corners, into shops and out their backdoors, and finally out into the cool night air. We thanked him profusely, tipped him and everyone went home happy.
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To America
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, history, hope, inspiration, Thoughts on July 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“The happiness of America is intimately connected with the happiness of all mankind; she is destined to become the safe and venerable asylum of virtue, of honesty, of tolerance, and quality and of peaceful liberty.”
— Marquis de Lafayette
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O Canada!
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023 on July 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Spiral Into Summer
Posted in Holidays, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, astronomy, science on June 21, 2023| 1 Comment »
Happy summer solstice, everyone! (Fine, it’s called the June Solstice, but we all know what that means here in the Northern Hemisphere, don’t we? Summer!)
What is it?
Do You Really Know Why Earth Has A Solstice? – 13.7- Cosmos And Culture – NPR
Remarkably, Earth has seasons for the same reason that a good quarterback can throw a tight spiral.
Even more explanations:
June Solstice 2023: Shortest & Longest Day of the Year
Why is it a thing?
Because it’s cool. And also because our ancestors knew a lot about practical astronomy. Seasons mattered.
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Our Newest Federal Holiday
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Juneteenth, Thoughts on June 19, 2023| 2 Comments »
Today, America celebrates Juneteenth.
I’ve written about this new federal holiday before, but if you’d like to know more, here are a couple of articles which may interest you:
Juneteenth: What It Is And How It Is Observed – NPR
“Everybody went wild. We all felt like heroes … just like that, we were free.”
For even more detail, check out this longer read by historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: What Is Juneteenth?
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In a more personal take on history, I’ve always wondered how it must feel to be one of the many Black people in the US who are intimately related to the nation’s Confederate past.
I need wonder no more.
A favorite aunt was going through boxes of material from my grandmother and discovered discharge papers for a Confederate soldier, who also happens to be my great great grandfather.
Oh.
While I was quite surprised at this (and other new family history, ranging from the darker side of Georgia to the darker side of Germany), in some important ways it really is encouraging.
History is change, and much of this story is positive.
Still, I’m not going to lie. It feels a little weird. But again, encouraging.
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Happy Father’s Day!
Posted in Food and..., Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts on June 18, 2023| 2 Comments »
When I was a child, my father discovered a lime freeze drink that I absolutely loved. I don’t have the recipe and only remember that it was frothy, creamy and sharp with fresh lime juice. I’ve tried to replicate the drink a few times but never quite managed it, until now.
This recipe is based on a Brazilian limeade recipe. The original version is very good but it’s harder to find organic limes than I’d like, and it can be a little fiddly to balance a thorough blending while avoiding the bitterness of fresh pith.
Using sweetened condensed milk makes it quick and easy with no risk of curdling. Being me, I also wanted a recipe we could make with frozen juice. This is the result.
Lime Fluff
- 700g/just under 3C water, whey, or a combination* (we’re using 1C yogurt whey, the rest water)
- 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (~190g)
- 1 to 1 1/8 C+ / 250–275g lime juice (to taste, fresh or frozen)
Blend and enjoy.
* I know that grams (mass) ≠ milliliters (volume), but it’s close enough. We also make a lot of strained yogurt so we have whey on hand; ours is tangy enough that we use 250g of lime juice.
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