February 3, 2023

From: Tucson Botanical Gardens

Sean Kenney’s Nature POP! made with LEGO® Bricks is showing February 4 through May 14, 2023. This new exhibition from acclaimed artist Sean Kenney features over 40 sculptures made from more than 800,000 LEGO® pieces and explores the beauty of nature through highly stylized, colorful displays that stand in striking contrast with their surroundings. Produced by Imagine Exhibitions, Nature POP! blends art, science, and innovation in the display of the New York-based artist’s newest, never-before-seen sculptures. Known for his ability to make striking works of art using simple LEGO® toys, Kenney pushes the boundaries of the medium in this new exhibition through his use of vibrant colors and a bold, graphical style. Inspired by the Pop art movement, Kenney’s work on Nature POP! plays on that movement’s principles by blurring the boundaries between austere and the everyday, and draws from a belief that everything is interconnected.

photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM

The second of thirteen full moons that we'll get to see this year is this Sunday, February 5th. To mark our full moon, we're taking a look at Jupiter's Io, the most volcanic object in our solar system.

From: The New York Times, By: Oliver Whang, January 25, 2023

Io, the third largest of Jupiter’s moons, is caught in a pressurized, explosive dance. Orbiting near Ganymede and Europa, two of the other largest Jovian moons, and the planet itself, Io’s mineral composition is constantly pulled and pushed by gravity, creating frictional heat deep inside the moon. This makes it extremely volcanically active — there are hundreds of volcanoes and extensive networks of lava flows marking Io’s surface.

“It’s being squeezed like an anger ball,” said Jeff Morgenthaler, an astrophysicist at the Planetary Science Institute.

photo: Barry Reeger/AP

From: CNN.com, By: Monica Garrett, February 2, 2023

(CNN) – Punxsutawney Phil – the legendary groundhog weather watcher – woke up and saw his shadow Thursday morning, calling for six more weeks of winter. Each February 2, on Groundhog Day, the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club make the pilgrimage to Gobbler’s Knob, Phil’s official home. The group waits for Phil to leave his burrow and, legend has it, if he sees his shadow, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, we get to bask in an early spring.

Learn the history of Groundhog Day and how it's traditions in England, Scotland, and Germany.

From: Stormfax Weather Almanac

In 1723, the Delaware Indians settled Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania as a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers. The Delawares considered groundhogs honorable ancestors.

When German settlers arrived in the 1700s, they brought a tradition known as Candlemas Day, which has an early origin in the pagan celebration of Imbolc. It came at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. For the early Christians in Europe, it was the custom on Candlemas Day for clergy to bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of Winter. If the sun came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather.

Tucson Rodeo by Raoul Dufy

From:Rodeo Ticket

The first La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Celebration of the Cowboys) in 1925 touted three days of events and competition. Today, the event has grown to a nine-day celebration centered on the Tucson Rodeo, one of the top 25 professional rodeos in North America.

The Tucson Rodeo enlists contestants from the United States and Canada. The Tucson Rodeo, the first major outdoor event on the PRCA schedule, gives visitors an opportunity to see real-life cowboys and cowgirls display their ability in the only sport in the world developed from work skills.

photo: Reuters/Todd Korol

From: Reuters, July 6, 2012

NEW YORK (Reuters) - This year’s centennial anniversary of the Calgary Stampede proves that rodeos are much more than merely an American pastime for nostalgic cowboys. In honour of strappin’ on the spurs and diggin’ in your boots for a rootin’ tootin’ good time at rodeos near and far online travel adviser Cheapflights.com has come up with this list of top 10 rodeos.

From: Rise Art, By: Tatty Martin

Fauvism is an art movement and style that was established towards the beginning of the 20th century. Pioneered by the likes of Henri Matisse and André Derain, in its early years Fauvism was predominantly affiliated with French artists. Fauvist art is characterised by its bold colours, textured brushwork and non-naturalistic depictions.

photo: Beth Kasser

Raoul Dufy was and French impressionist painter who moved into fauvism. Due to health concerns, he visited Tucson in the early 1950s where he painted several water colors including the Tucson Rodeo paintings here.

From: Wikipedia

Raoul Dufy was a French Fauvist painter. He developed a colorful, decorative style that became fashionable for ceramics and textile designs, as well as decorative schemes for public buildings. He is noted for scenes of open-air social events. He was also a draftsman, printmaker, book illustrator, scenic designer, furniture designer and a planner of public spaces.

photo: Beth Kasser

From: Heritage Auctions

Maurice de Vlaminck is well known as one of the pioneers of Fauvism. The son of musicians, he was born under the influence of the arts. In fact, he began as a musician himself though he also considered himself a painter. In 1900, on his way home from a short stint in the army, he met and befriended Andre Derain, the co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Mattise, and was inspired to paint more seriously. He was heavily influence by Derain and also by the works of master Vincent Van Gogh. In 1902, de Vlaminck also met and befriended Henri Matisse who encouraged Maurice to show his work in the 'Salon des Independents'.

photo: Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Beware and be careful about your artery health. Plaque can build up in arteries in your heart and your brain too. I know because I just found out by accident that I had some plaque buildup when I had a brain scan. Coronary heart disease can be hereditary so while healthy eating can help, it's the genes you were born with that is your greatest predictor. The article below will help guide you into making heart and artery healthy choices.

From: welks.com

Coronary heart disease, often abbreviated as CHD, is a type of heart disease which occurs when plaque builds up inside the arteries of the heart responsible for supplying your heart with oxygen from your lungs. Plaque is a fatty, wax-like substance that can accumulate over time. This condition is called atherosclerosis, and it occurs over many years. Coronary heart disease may also be called atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart disease, or ischemic heart disease.

Catching up with our favorite nutrition guide and body shaper Kimberly Gomer of Body Beautiful Miami. Need we say more? Kimberly's the master at helping you achieve the shape you desire. She works virtually, so don't be worried about being too far away. Feel free to call for help or support. Visit her site and be sure to scroll down to the testimonials.

From: All The Nourishing Things, By: Lindsey

A technically “correct” bone broth is one that, after cooking and cooling, thickens and gels. Like Jello. That lovely gel is a sure sign that your bone broth is the best it can be — full of nourishing, gut-healing gelatin, collagen, minerals, and amino acids. Here are my 6 tips for bone broth that gels every time!

From: Arkeonews

Archaeologists working in Egypt's Saqqara region have unearthed a 16-meter-long ancient papyrus for the first time in a century. Saqqara is a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to more than a dozen pyramids, animal burial sites, and ancient Coptic Christian monasteries.

photo: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism & Antiques/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

From: CNN Travel, By: Christian Edwards, January 2023

(CNN) - Archaeologists working in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor have uncovered a complete 1,800-year-old Roman city. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the city dated back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, and described it as "the oldest and most important city found on the eastern bank of Luxor."

"A complete residential village was discovered, with two pigeon towers found for the first time," Waziri announced Tuesday, in a video posted on Twitter.

photo: Michael Grandeau, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation photographer

From: Sierra Club, By: Matt Villano, January 9, 2023

A hiking trail in upstate New York is drawing praise for welcoming an underserved group of nature lovers: the neurodiverse community. The mile-long Autism Nature Trail, which opened in October 2021 at Letchworth State Park, was designed specifically for those whose brains work differently from the so-called neurotypical versions.

From: The University of Arizona Poetry Center and Teva Community

Poet and singer-songwriter Brian Laidlaw will perform songs from the album Silently Loud. Silently Loud is a compilation of songs by nonspeaking autistic songwriters, composed in collaboration with Unrestricted Interest, an organization offering poetry and songwriting mentorship for neurodivergent artists. The songs were recorded by a crew of Minneapolis-based professional musicians (including folks with credits on Grammy-Award-winning albums!) with the support of a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. With songs covering a vast spectrum of tones and topics - from the wildly witty to the softly sublime - Silently Loud is a celebration of all the different ways a mind can rock and roll. The event will feature a question and answer with featured nonspeaking autistic lyricists Joshua Greiner and Aulton Grubbs, both of whom are members of Teva Community's Spellers Advisory Council. Teva Community is a small nonprofit organization creating a residential community and educational retreat center for nonspeaking autistic adults in Prescott, AZ.

While The University of Arizona Poetry Center event has passed, there will be an encore performance on April 15th at an Autism Society Southern Arizona event.

photo: Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

From: Yahoo! Finance, By: Britney Nguyen, January 24, 2023

Prisoners are using smartphones to access online classes, and at least one Harvard professor told Insider they even send him thank-you notes from time to time.

The Marshall Project reported on the rise of secret smartphone use amongst prisoners, and talked to one inmate who said that he leads a group message of around 300 other prisoners learning computer science using an online course from Harvard. The group message includes prisoners in other states, the inmate said, and they use Harvard's CS50: Introduction to Computer Science course materials that are available for free online.

Trivia is a great activity that you can do with your children, grandchildren, family and friends regardless of age.

FromL Kidpillar, By Shreiya, September 14, 2021

Kids love asking questions and their constant ‘Whys, How’s, Who’s’ are enough to drive even the smartest parents crazy! But here is a cool way to turn the table – Trivia Questions for Kids!

These fun (easy and hard) Trivia Questions for Kids allow you to take the lead and give kids the taste of their own medicine! Besides, kids’ trivia is an excellent way to test their awareness and at the same time sneak in some really cool fun facts into their vast repertoire of knowledge.

From: Sparks & Wiry Cries

Congratulations to all of the teams competing in songSLAM this year! We are excited to announce the winners of the NYC songSLAM 2023.

We'll see what's happening with our favorite life mentor and teacher Dr. Hayward M. Fox.

Beth was in Morocco. Here she is on trail in the Atlas Mountains.

Woof woof Beamer girl. Beamer turns 12 in August, but she still loves chasing squeaky toys. She's still looking for the right boy dog of her bestest dreams. Keep up the chase Beamer girl!

Beamer's Mom Margaret Dole (a.k.a. Muffin)

Get Ready for Valentine's Day

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