Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190621035327/@comment-29709319-20190831004459

National Themes For August 31: National South Carolina Day, National Matchmaker Day, National Diatomaceous Earth Day, and National Trail Mix Day.

🇺🇸National South Carolina Day recognizes The Palmetto State and her unique landscapes, bold personalities, and long history. Catawbas and Cherokee were some of the first to greet Spanish and French explorers in the 16th century. Their tribes dotted the land with villages. The Englished established the first successful settlement near present-day Charleston. Named Carolina initially after King Charles I, the colony later split into North and South Carolina in 1710. Following in the footsteps of the previous colonies, South Carolina would become the eight state to ratify the constitution. Though South Carolina may have been more removed from some of the Revolutionary concerns than states like Massachusetts and Connecticut, it hosted some pivotal, if seemingly small battles. They all begin with the hard-fought and devastating loss at Charles Town. What is now known as the Siege of Charleston, is the largest battle to ever take place in the state. Not even Civil War battles compare. While the British claimed the city and some 5,000 prisoners, the course was set for victories to the west at Cowpens and King’s Mountain. Slavery and the Civil War play a significant role in South Carolina’s complex social, political and economic profile. Much of the beauty of South Carolina is reflected in their soulful music and emotive art expressing the voices of generations. Harleston Green in Charleston established the first golf club in the United States in 1786. With 187 miles of Atlantic coastline, South Carolina is more than ideal for a beach getaway. With idyllic oceanfront towns, historical tours, delicious seafood, and golf there is a little bit of adventure for everyone.

💖National Matchmaker Day honors those romantics whose dauntless pursuit of perfect purchase for cupid’s arrow results in lasting love stories. Playing matchmaker requires a bit of social savvy, the ability to listen and timing. They know each friends’ habits (good and bad), passions, and hobbies. When there is a spark, even when the prospective couple is painfully unaware, the matchmaker knows. While a matchmaker isn’t always successful, her (or his) heart is certainly in the right place! It is all about love, after all. Even the success stories can be quite entertaining. From the awkward blind dates and the miscommunications to the complete mismatches, National Matchmaker Day raises a toast to the people who bring lovers together.

🌎National Diatomaceous Earth Day! Most people know of diatomaceous earth because they use it to filter their swimming pools or for its natural insecticide properties to control insects in their homes or gardens. Biologists know about diatoms, the single-celled plants that form diatomaceous earth, because they are truly the lungs of the earth, in that they produce about ¾ of the world’s new oxygen supply. Materials scientists know about diatom skeletons (called frustules), the tiny, intricate porous opal structures because they are known to be the strongest naturally-occurring substances. Diatomaceous earth, also known as DE, is a sedimentary rock found in large deposits worldwide and mined primarily in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Peru, France, Spain, Denmark, and China. While still being formed today, some of the deposits of diatomaceous earth developed millions of years ago. Diatomaceous earth deposits are formed as diatoms die and fall to the bottom of bodies of water. Over time, the organic portions of the diatoms are weathered away and the remaining opal frustules form diatomaceous earth. Some of the largest deposits in the U.S. were formed in ancient lakes in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, and some large deposits were also formed in oceans and occur along the coasts of North and South America. Discovered by Peter Kasten in Germany around 1836, DE is known for its absorbency, filtration properties, polishing properties and stabilizing qualities. Long before Kasten’s discovery, though, the world was using diatomaceous earth. Ancient Greeks used it as an abrasive as well as a building material in light-weight bricks, and, even in pre-historic times, diatomite was used in the ice-age cave paintings in France. Today, DE is one of the most useful and durable substances known. DE sees nearly ubiquitous use in the filtration of liquids, including, beer, wine, water (for swimming), chemicals, food and pharmaceuticals; DE provides the flatting in almost all flat paints; DE prevents blocking in plastic film and when oil is spilled, DE is often the first choice to absorb it. And there are hundreds of other applications for DE with many more yet to be discovered!

🥜National Trail Mix Day honors the mix that was developed as a healthy snack to be taken along on hikes. Trail mix is an ideal hike snack food because it is very lightweight, easy to store, nutritious and provides a quick energy boost from the carbohydrates in the dried fruits or granola as well as sustained energy from the fats in the nuts. One claim to the invention is held by two California surfers, who in 1968 blended peanuts and raisins together for an energy snack. However, in the 1958 novel The Dharma Bums written by Jack Kerouac, trail mix is mentioned when the two main characters describe the planned meals in preparation for their hiking trip.

Warm hugs!🐶🐶💕🌤