RED
DID YOU KNOW...? February is National Cherry Month
(adj.) Color or pigment resembling the hue of blood, tomatoes or cherries.
The History History of of The Black History History Month Month Black
February marks the beginning of Black History Month - an annual Thoughts on RED observation that has existed since “When in doubt wear red.” 1926. But what are the origins of ~Bill Blass this celebration? Much credit can go to Harvard “Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” ~ Liz Smith scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was determined to bring Black History All About RED into the mainstream public arena. 9The phrase “red tape,” which In 1926, Woodson organized the first refers to the seemingly endless annual Negro History Week, which took place during the second week of amount of bureaucratic paperFebruary. Woodson chose this date to work needed to get something coincide with the birthdays of done, originated back in 17thcentury England, where stacks of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln - two men who had greatly legal documents were bound impacted the black population. together by red cloth tape. Over time, Negro History Week 9Natural-born redheads may be evolved into the Black History Month extinct by 2100. According to we know today - a four-week-long researchers the recessive gene for celebration of African American History.
red hair is being dominated by ANSWERS darker shades through genetic Extra Points intermingling. Less than 4% of 1. onside kick the world’s population now 2. tight end has natural red hair. 3. safety blitz 4. draw play 9“Red carpet treatment” was born 5. end around when New York Central Scoring Railroad’s famous 20th Century 5-4 Touchdown! Limited (used in the 1900s) train 3-2 Field Goal! welcomed passengers aboard 1 - First Down! with red carpets, which Calendar Quiz - The Three Faces of Eve directed people to various Newsletter Press, Inc. For questions or comments please call 432-426-2072, Fax 432-426-2421, or write to HC 74 Box 115, Fort Davis, TX, 79734. For more info about our newsletters, visit our Web site www.newsletterpressinc.com. parts of the train. All rights reserved. Please recycle this newsletter.
enior
For RAMBLEWOOD
Sealed With A Kiss
XXX
H
ow many times have you signed your name and followed it with “XXX”s on the bottom of the note? Many times, right? Did you ever wonder how the “X” became the symbol for a kiss? Here’s how the custom started according to Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things. Back in ancient times, when few people could write, their signature cross or “X” was a legally valid mark. To emphasize their complete sincerity in an agreement, they often kissed the mark. The Bible was also kissed when an oath was sworn upon it. It was this practice of kissing the “X” that led to its becoming a symbol of a kiss. During World War II, the British and American governments both forbade men in the armed forces from putting “XXX”s on their letters, afraid spies within the services might begin sending clandestine messages coded as kisses. So go ahead, add a couple more “X”s to your Valentine note and have a...
Happy Valentine’s Day!
cene February 2009
Please attend the Activity Club meetings if you have questions, suggestions or would like to participate. A question was raised during the last meeting on the money that the Activity Club raises and where does it go. The books are available for anyone to look at, just contact the treasurer.
Unusual HoliDAYS in February 1st, National Freedom Day; 4th, Thank a Mailman Day; 7th, Send a Card to a Friend Day; 9th, Toothache Day; 11th, Make a Friend Day; 12th, Plum Pudding Day; 13th, Get a Different Name Day; 15th, Gum Drop Day; 19th, Chocolate Mint Day; 22nd, Be Humble Day; 23rd, Tennis Day; 24th, Tortilla Chip Day; 27th, Polar Bear Day and 28th, Floral Design Day.
nts Announceme At the monthly Activity Club meeting 2 new officers were elected: Carolyn Dobschensky-Vice Pres. Thereasa Skarus-Treasurer The Potluck had a great turnout and excellent food was brought. As usual I ate too much and I am sure I was not alone. The Activity Club meeting followed.
Unusual Uses for FIVE Ordinary Things
#
The O-N-E Word Search
Hand Lotion - Get rid of winter clothing static by putting a small amount of lotion on your hands and rubbing them over your clothing or pantyhose.
fun facts about the month
Amethyst, the birthstone of February, if worn in plain sight, is said to protect travelers from harm, sickness and danger.
Disposable Cups - Make a sifter by poking holes in the bottom of the cup to sprinkle powdered sugar on desserts.
Pisceans, those born between February 20th and March 20th, are said to be great writers, storytellers and artists.
Aluminum Foil - Double up a length of heavy-duty foil and roll into the shape of a cone to make a funnel.
All-purpose Flour - Freshen The 2nd annual Poker Run is set for playing cards by dropping them in a bag with enough flour to cover, shake the 15th at 3pm, meeting at the vigorously, and remove cards. Give Clubhouse. Last year it was so much them a quick shuffle or two to get fun that we decided to do it again rid of excess flour. with more people wanting to Paper Clip - Use as a zipper pull participate. We do need host if you’ve lost one on a jacket or purse. families for it so if you are Add beads or yarn for a one-of-a-kind interested please call Sherri Long at pull. 779-9736. Did you know...? It’s not unusual Secret pal Luncheon is the 14th at for folks to ask for tinfoil to wrap noon at the Clubhouse. leftovers. Household foil was made only of tin until 1947, when aluminum foil was Our thoughts and prayers go out to introduced into the home. the Wielen family.
February
Acetone Alone Anemone Anyone Atone Begone Boone Calzone Clone Crone
Debone Doggone Drone End zone Hormone Intone Isotone Jawbone Ketone Krone
One Ozone Phone Prone Propone Redbone Scone Someone Spumone Throne Undone Did you know...? The # sign is called an Octothorp and there are many tales on how it got its name. Here’s just one of them. Bell Labs supervisor Don Macpherson, in the early 1960s, named it from octo meaning eight, with reference to its eight points, and thorpe (after 1912 Olympic medalist Jim Thorpe, in whom Macpherson was interested).
The Heart, considered foolish and fickle in modern times, was believed to be the seat of human intelligence and wisdom.
Mardi Gras falls on the 24th this year. Although Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, literally) is properly limited to that day, it’s usually celebrated for two weeks prior. Elizabethans associated Violets, the flowers of February, with innocent love because violets do not produce seeds. According to legend, a marigold planted in the soil dug from a sweetheart’s footprint will flourish as long as his or her Love does.
The FUNNY Zone
Have you heard the latest?
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac here are a few exciting items to look for in the future.
ICloset shelves and hangers that talk, advising on matching shirts and ties or warning about too frequent wearing. IGarbage cans that track the weight of waste a family recycles, with online “And you say you last saw coupons for rewards given to abovehim in the clothes dryer?“ average households. appliances will soon LIGHTER SIDE OF puns IHousehold respond to voice-activated controls. A little PUN-ishment for Further out: Operating them with our your enjoyment. thoughts via computerized headbands. Two antennas met on a roof, fell IToilets will have foot pedals to open in love and got married. The the lids. ceremony wasn’t much, but the reception was excellent. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, “I’ll serve you, but don’t start anything.“ An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day, but I couldn’t find any. Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.
Memories
I remember our first TV was black and white, but we bought a piece of colored plastic to cover the screen. The top third was blue, like the sky, and the bottom third was green, like grass. The middle third was red. Also, some people had a lens taped to the front of the TV to make the picture look larger. ~Louadah Waggoner, Alpine, TX Send your memories to the address on the back page or email them to nlpinc@hughes.net.
Trivia Corner
ADVIC
E In honor of Presidents’ Day, here is some unusual trivia about Presidents past. Evaluate Your Risk *John Adams spoke with a lisp because To predict your chances of he stubbornly refused to wear dentures. having a heart attack, experts are (John Tyler holds the presidential now turning to the Reynolds risk paternity record. He had 14 children score. The new test calculates live to maturity, the last one born when your risk of having a heart Tyler was 70. attack, stroke or other form of (James Buchanan had one eye set heart disease in the next 10 years higher in his head than the other, so based on seven factors. Go to he walked around with his neck reynoldsriskscore.org to figure cocked to one side. out your risk factor. (Chester A. Arthur owned over 80 pairs of pants and insisted on changing Get Out the Tape Measure several times a day. Your waistline provides a better (Calvin Coolidge, while president, indication of your heart disease enjoyed riding on a mechanical horse risk than height/weight measure and whooping like a cowboy. He also does. The numbers to watch for: thought it was great fun to hit the buzzer waists should be under 35 inches for the servants and then hide. for women and under 40 (Richard M. Nixon loved football. As for men. president, he’d occasionally call up Women and Heart Meds NFL coaches to chat and offer strategic A recent study found that doctors advice. were much less likely to give Extra Points Quiz medications like statins, betaAble to follow the action on the blockers and ACE inhibitors to field? Unscramble these football female heart patients. If your phrases to prove you know the score. LDL is higher than 160 and your 1. sdnieo ikkc 4. adwr aypl blood pressure is higher than 5. nde udrnao 2. htgit dne 140/90 and your doctor hasn’t 3. yteafs ilzbt suggested a medicine, ask why. Answers on back page.
February 2009 Mon Tue Wed 1 Super Bowl 2 Groundhog 3 4 Sunday Halfway Point Day of Winter 6:30pm
Happy Birthday to our Friends Celebrating in February!
Sun
10am Bible Study 6pm Dominos
8 51st
Grammy Awards
9
10am Bible Study 6pm Dominos
5pm Potluck 6pm Activity Club
15
10
11
6:15pm Bingo
6:30pm Euchre
Full Snow Moon
16
10amBible Study, 6pm Dominos
3pm Poker Run
17
18
6:15pm Bingo
6:30pm Euchre
Presidents’ Day
Daytona 500 & NBA All Star Game
22
6:15pm Bingo
Euchre
23
Washington’s 10am Birthday Bible Study
6pm Birthday, Anniversary Social
Academy Awards
6pm Dominos
Thu
5
11:30am Golf 6pm Poker Nite
Fri Sat 6 National 7 Wear Red Day
6pm Game Nite
12 Lincoln’s 13 200th Birth Anniversary
11:30am Golf 6pm Poker Nite
19
11:30am Golf 6pm Poker Nite
14
Valentine’s Day
8am Pancake Breakfast 6pm Game Nite
20
21 6pm Game Nite
Happy Birthday, Pisceans!
24
25
6:15pm Bingo
6:30pm Euchre
Mardi Gras
Ash Wednesday
26
11:30am Golf 6pm Poker Nite
27
28 6pm Game Nite
Others lighting candles this month: 1st, Stuart Whitman, 80; 3rd, February Blythe Danner, 66; 4th, Dan Quayle, 62; 6th, Natalie Cole, 59; Joanne Woodward Flower 8th, Ted Koppel, 69; 9th, Alice Walker, 65; 10th, Roberta Flack, won the Best Violet 70; 11th, Burt Reynolds, 73; 14th, Hugh Downs, 88; 18th, Yoko Actress Oscar Ono, 76; 18th, Toni Morrison, 78; 20th, Sidney Poitier, 82; 22nd, February in 1957. Sparky Anderson, 75; 24th, Edward James Olmos, 62; 25th, Birthstone Name the film. Diane Baker, 71; 26th, Fats Domino, 81; 27th, Elizabeth Taylor, Answer on Amethyst 77; 27th, Joanne Woodward, 79; and 28th Mario Andretti, 69. back page.
Mini-Quiz
Monthly Reminders