Struggling To Find Ourselves

Did you know that the word “tuxedo” originated in 1889 in Tuxedo Park, New York?  Tuxedo Park was the site where a tuxedo was first worn in 1886, from what I have been able to find, but the term for “tuxedo” didn’t originate until 1889.  Apparently, the term at THAT time meant that it was a semi-formal way to dress.  In my opinion, a tuxedo means that it is a formal party.  It’s AMAZING what kind of information you can find, IF you are willing to do the research and take the time needed to do some digging!!!

Blessings in ABUNDANCE!!!

Did you know that the first emperor of China had huge army’s of clay?  Thousands of lifelike statues of horses and his soldiers were made from clay and were buried with him when he died.  The burial place and the clay army were discovered in 1974.  Nothing like having protection, even in the grave!!!

Can you imagine buidling a life-sized animal…out of Lego building blocks?  My son LOVES Lego’s and we build ALOT of different things, but we have never gotten to the point of building life-sized anything’s, let alone animals.  In Denmark, they are said to have Legoland Adventure Park where there are giant animal models.  Can you imagine how many Lego’s that would take?  I would probably never be able to get my son out of that place!!

Surfboarding has been around for hundreds of year.  It probably began in the Hawaiian islands where there are huge waves.

Did you know that the first basketball nets were used for packing peaches.  Over 100 years ago, an American named James Naismith nailed a peach basket to each end of his balcony to use as goals during a ballgame.

fireworks?

Ready for the answer?

Give up yet?

The Chinese invented fireworks.  Huge, firework-type rockets were first used by the ancient Chinese as weapons.  Now, of course, they are part of many important celebrations.

Do you know where Veteran’s Day was founded?…*grins*…I do….

Are ya ready?

Veteran’s Day was first held in Emporia, Kansas.

On that note, have you thanked a Veteran lately?  You should, ya know!!!

Did you know that in Australia, there are more sheep than people?  There are nearly 150 MILLION sheep.  Most of those sheep are in the Australian outback, which is very hot.

Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice.  It is part of a flower called a crocus.  The flower has to be hand-picked, and it takes more than 75,000 flowers to make 1 pound of saffron.  It can be used to cook in rice and stews.

…hot chocolate?

Before I give you the answer, I’m going to give you a BRIEF history on hot chocolate.

According to my information, the people who invented hot chocolate did it by making hot, spicy stews with chocolate.  Chocolate was very expensive, so only the very rich people could afford it, but before long, hot chocolate was popular everywhere.  These people crushed cocoa beans to make the powdered chocolate for hot chocolate.

Did you guess who invented it?

It was the Aztecs who lived in Mexico 500 to 800 years ago.  Interesting, huh?

….It would be difficult to live in Papua, New Guinea.  According to the information I’ve found, the people there speak over 8,000 different languages!!!  Can you imagine that?  Sounds like that would be an interesting place to visit, if only to see how the people interact with one another with so many different languages.

More later…

The land mammal that was the biggest of all was a prehistoric rhinoceros called a Baluchitherium.  It was bigger than a wooly mammoth and as tall as a giraffe!!!  It lived in Asia and munched leaves from the treetops.

Did you know that, at one time, fossilized dinosaur droppings called coprolites were thought to be fossilized pine cones?  THAT could have been interesting, after you found out what they really were, if you had hung them on your Christmas tree for decoration, don’t you think?

The Macrauchenia had a short trunk like an elephant, the body of a camel without a hump, and the feet and legs of a rhinoceros.  It lived in South America, which was then an island.  The Macrauchenia was tall enough to reach leaves on trees, so it ate like a giraffe.

How do you think they came up with it’s name, anyway, if it resembled so many different animals?  It must have been a sight to see!!!