Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20181110010804/@comment-29709319-20190226024126

February 26: National Pistachio Day, National Tell a Fairy Tale Day, and Spay Day USA.

🥜National Pistachio Day! Pistachios arrived in the United States sometime in the 1880s, but they have been cultivated in the Middle East since Biblical times. The pistachio tree grows to about 20 feet tall needing little or no rain and must have high heat. In Iran, they claim they have pistachio trees still living that are 700 years old! A new tree takes between 7 and 10 years to mature and bear fruit. Pistachio Facts: 🍁 All pistachio shells are naturally beige in color. Some companies dye nuts red or green if nuts are inferior or for consumer demand. 🍁California produces about 300 million pounds of pistachios each year, accounting for 98 percent of America’s production. 🍁Pistachio shells typically split naturally when ripe. 🍁The kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and either salted or unsalted. 🍁In the Middle East, people call the pistachio the smiling nut. 🍁In China, people call the pistachio the happy nut. Health Benefits: Pistachios are an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper and manganese and a good source of protein, fiber, thiamine and phosphorus. Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (42.5g) per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. US Food and Drug Administration, July 2003. A Great Thing To Do — Recycle the Pistachio Shells! The empty pistachio shells are useful for recycling in several ways. If unsalted, the shells need not be washed and dried before reuse, but washing is simple if that is not the case. Practical uses include as a fire starter; kindling to be used with crumpled paper; to line the bottom of pots containing houseplants for drainage and retention of soil for up to two years; as a mulch for shrubs and plants that require acid soils, as a medium for orchids; and as an addition to a compost pile designed for wood items that take longer to decompose than leafy materials (it can take up to a year for pistachio shells to decompose unless soil is added to the mix). Shells from salted pistachios can also be placed around the base of plants to deter slugs and snails. Many craft uses for the shells include holiday tree ornaments, jewelry, mosaics and rattles. Research indicates that pistachio shells may be helpful in cleaning up pollution created by mercury emissions.

😇National Fairy Tale Day! What were once oral histories, myths, and legends retold around the fire or by traveling storytellers, have been written down and become known the world over as fairy tales. The origins of most fairy tales were unseemly and would not be approved or rated as appropriate for children by the Association of Fairy Tales by today’s standards. Most were told as a way to make children behave, teach a lesson or to pass the time much like ghost stories around a campfire today. Many of the stories have some basis in truth. For example, some believe the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is inspired by the real life of Margarete von Waldeck, the daughter of the 16th century Count of Waldeck. The area of Germany where the family lived was known for mining. Some of the tunnels were so tight they had to use children – or small people such as dwarfs – to work the mines. Margarete’s beauty is well documented, and she had a stepmother who sent her away. She fell in love with a prince but mysteriously died before she could have her happily ever after. As the stories evolved, they took on a more magical quality with fictional characters such as fairies, giants, mermaids and gnomes, and sometimes gruesome story plots. Toes cut off to fit into a slipper, a wooden boy killing his cricket or instead of kissing that frog prince his head must be cut off, but those are the unrated versions. The brothers Grimm collected and published some of the more well-known tales we are familiar with today. Jakob and his brother Wilhelm together set out on a quest to preserve these tales at a time in history when a tradition of oral storytelling was fading. In 1812, they published their first volume of stories titled Household Tales. Their stories had a darker quality and were clearly meant for an adult audience. Rumpelstiltskin is one of the tales they collected. There were several versions, and the little man went by many names in different parts of Europe. From Trit-a-trot in Ireland to Whuppity Stoorie in Scotland, Rumplestiltskin was one difficult man to identify. While some storytellers have a long and sometimes ancient history such as Aesop (The Fox and the Goose, The Ant and the Grasshopper), others are more recent like the Grimm brothers. Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1829, brought to us written versions of the Princess and the Pea, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and many more. Where Grimm’s tales could take on a darker cast and unmistakably written with adults in mind, Andersen’s stories are sweet and warm.

🐕Spay Day USA has helped in decreasing the population of stray dogs and cats throughout the United States. Spaying helps reduce the number of unwanted animals. This day was created by the Doris Day Animal League in 1994 as a day to bring attention to the pet overpopulation problem in the United States, and also to encourage animal population control by neutering pets.

I don't know if I can remember a complete fairy tale I may have to improvise a little. I don't care for pistachios.

She ran out of puppies!😂 for a Dolphin.

Sending warmed hugs! Hope they stay that way. It's chilly here tonight.🐶🐶💕❄️☃️💕