In the 1500s, native marigold seeds were taken from the Americas to Europe by early Spanish explorers and eventually transported to France and northern Africa. The flowers were introduced to American gardeners shortly after the Revolutionary War and in 1915, David Burpee, yep of the famous Burpee seeds company, decided to feature them in his catalog and fund research to help develop hundreds of new varieties. Marigolds have now become one of the most popular annuals grown in North America. Marigolds are generally yellow, orange, red, maroon, or a mix of these stunning colors. Not only are these vibrant flowers easy to grow, but they are also internationally known and somewhat of a cultural icon. In Spain, the flowers were placed on the altar of the Virgin Mary and given in place of gold coins. The flowers eventually became known as Mary’s Gold and hence, marigold.
If the thought of getting either in your hair causes angst, know that inchworms aren’t really worms at all. They’re actually caterpillars in their larval phase of becoming Geometer moths. Moths and butterflies belong to the insect order Lepidoptera, and their insect family Geometridae has about 35,000 moth and butterfly species worldwide. The name Geometridae comes from the Greek geo (earth) and metro (measure), so inchworms are also aptly known as measuring worms, spanworms, and loopers. Inchworms have legs (tube-like appendages called prolegs) at both ends of their bodies but none in the middle, so when they move, they arch their bodies and pull their hind end up to their front end, inching along and spanning the globe in a looping fashion. It could also explain why we’re so confused by the metric vs. imperial systems of measurement, so bring that up at your next cocktail party. The busy little inchworm has a complete metamorphosis as it goes through four stages during its life cycle of egg, larvae, pupae, and adult. Female moths lay eggs under leaves, on branches, and in the crevices of tree bark. After hatching, these incredible creatures go through their larval stages in the trees where they molt as they eat and eat and eat. That’s my kind of larvae. Inchworms are usually green or brownish but can differ depending on their diet and surroundings. They feed on trees, plants, and crops and are sadly considered a pest species when they overwhelm their surroundings by sheer numbers. Since inchworms feed on a wide variety of trees, healthy trees would only face minimal damage. Also, larvae populations are often naturally controlled by predators such as birds and beneficial insects, so there is simply no reason to squish, spray, or smash any innocent inchworm! The caterpillars then continue their journey by rappelling down to the ground on silk strands which is an incredible sight to see as they sway in the breeze. Timing is usually everything, so if they all decide to drop at the same time, it can seem downright scary. But come on, let's remember who should be scared here. The tiny insects look like the parts of a plant, and when threatened, can camouflage themselves by standing erect mimicking a twig. How clever is that?
Today, we're talking body language or your non-verbal delivery when public speaking. It’s not just what or how you say it, but what your beautiful body says through appearance and movement. I keep five key factors in mind with the acronym LEAPS that stands for legs, eyes, arms, posture, and smile. Let's start with L and your lovely legs. You don’t need to high-kick during your presentation like me, but you do need to have balanced and stable legs. No one wants to see you cramp up, fall over, or pass out! Think of how a five-star general stands and how that makes you feel. They give off an air of reliability and authority and might make you subconsciously sit up straighter and pay attention. You don’t have to be at attention, but you don’t want to be constantly shifting your weight from side to side or rocking back and forth on your feet. It’s distracting for an audience and screams, “I’m nervous, get me out of here.” You are not a rocking horse so stay balanced. Set both feet firmly on the ground shoulder-width apart with knees slightly unlocked and distribute your weight evenly on both legs. You don’t want to stay completely still or in one spot, but you also don’t want to pace aimlessly back and forth across the floor. Move around the room or stage with purpose and in a controlled manner. This will make you seem more dynamic, in command of the room, and literally standing in your truth. Our lighting guy is usually barking at us to stay in our spotlight, and we have been known to fall off the stage, so know your parameters and make smart use of your space. Next up in our LEAPS acronym...the eyes have it! Eye contact is crucial when speaking, whether to one person or to a thousand. When we’re nervous or thinking about what to say next, we tend to look away. We look at our feet, the ceiling, the floor, but this breaks the connection and rapport we are trying to build with the audience. When you look people in the face, it communicates sincerity, honesty, and that you care. If you’re speaking to a large audience, of course, you won’t be able to look everyone in the eye, but you can make it seem like you are. Flora and I speak to millions of people, usually in our dreams, but we make sure to look up to the balconies, down to the front rows, over to each side, and back up the middle so that we keep covering the entire room, no matter how big or small. Look into the audience and pan the room. Mentally divide the space into quadrants and gently shift your eye focus to each quadrant. You want to give the sense that you're talking to everyone in the room; not just the people in the front rows, or to the authority figures, or the people you might personally know. Everyone is equally important and came to hear you speak. They deserve your attention, even if it is for a quick eye lock or a general panning glance. Also, if you have notes or slides or other visual aids, don’t stare at them. You should know your material well enough that a quick glance at the information is all you need. Quickly get back to the audience, they’re what matters the most, and you should be looking at those lovely people 90% of the time.
P is for posture but do make sure you use the restroom before you start your speech. Your mother said it best, “Sit up straight!” Good posture shows that you are confident, and you want to get the audience to feel this. When you slouch, scrunch up your shoulders, or hunch your back, you look tense and stiff and come across as insecure and uncertain about your message. Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed, and avoid turning your back to the audience which breaks the connection you’re trying so hard to achieve. Last but not least, S stands for smile. Did you know smiling is contagious? (So is yawning, but don’t yawn during your speech.) When you smile, your audience will want to smile too. Smiling shows your passion and enthusiasm for your material and will quickly make you more interesting, engaging, and open. Even if your material is serious, looking somber throughout can make you seem disinterested or even aloof. Never look angry, even if someone is disagreeing or heckling or booing. I know, super rude, but it happens. Don’t take it personally and just keep on smiling.
Words are all around us. Words are what separate us from the animal kingdom. We communicate with words, and having a vast vocabulary helps when you need to express yourself, especially if you’re not that good at interpretive dance. Words have meaning, and words have power. They can make someone’s day or ruin it. They can lift you up and break you down. Words tell lies, and words tell truths. So please take care with your words. Read the words you write, especially before hitting send. Listen to the words you say to others...and to yourself. Hear the beautiful words that can inspire, encourage, and heal. Whether speaking, listening, reading, writing, or thinking, we all have wonderful words to thank! Cheers, Flora What can increase happiness, provide a sense of purpose, ward off depression, and make you a more interesting person? If you think the answer is a magic pill, the latest superfood, or that it doesn’t exist at all…think again. The answer is to get a hobby! Hobbies can be anything fun you choose to do with your leisure time which brings you happiness. Both my sister and I know we are lucky to have the luxury of leisure time to indulge in our hobbies. Even if work, chores, and life responsibilities take up most of your time, it’s important to have an activity to pursue which simply brings you joy. Hobbies can enrich our lives and improve our overall health and well-being. Some of the many benefits of having hobbies include:
Learning a new hobby will likely be challenging, but that's good! You'll build new skills, and thanks to a learning curve, you'll also develop patience. You don’t have to be competitive or get everything perfect; the point is to stop wasting time and get to your happy place. With new hobbies, you’ll prevent forming bad habits from wasteful or negative activities and instead discover your passions.
What started as a simple hobby turned into more, but it doesn’t always have to. I’ve abandoned some of my past hobbies, and that’s ok. You won’t know if you like something or if you’re good at something without first trying. I’ve attempted rock climbing, writing Chinese characters, and existentialism. Fauna’s past hobbies have included race car driving, glass blowing, and animal husbandry. We tried cooking together, but it didn’t go too well since I’m into savory, and she’s into sweet, and we almost burned down the house. The point though is to try!
So the actual 12 Days of Christmas is a festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity of Jesus. It’s also known as Twelvetide and has been celebrated for centuries. Christmas, December 25th, marks the birth of Christ which ushers in the 12 days of celebration ending January 5th, the Eve of the Epiphany. Epiphany, January 6th, is also known as Three Kings’ Day when the biblical Magi, or Three Wise Men, visited the baby Jesus bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I’ll wait while you Google, “What the heck is myrrh?”
Let’s get back to our maddening brain worm Christmas carol “The 12 Days of Christmas” in which the singer brags about all the cool gifts they received from their “true love” during the 12 Days. We all likely know about the list of questionable gifts including drummers, milkmaids, and pipers but have you noticed this gift giver seems to enjoy gifting anything from the avian species, particularly one in a pear tree. We’re talking birds here people!
This year, my sister and I rewrote the lyrics of “The 12 Days of Christmas” to better fit our situation which was something about memory, but we keep forgetting. Thank goodness our producer suggested we sing it on an episode of The Flora & Fauna Show for posterity purposes. You can check it out and sing along and thank us later. From the Schtumpmoore family to you and yours, Fauna and I hope you all “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” as you’re “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” or enjoying a “Silent Night” so “Feliz Navidad” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year! Merry Cheers, Flora
Stollen has been around for nearly 700 years but has improved from the times when the Catholic church forbade the use of butter and milk during Lent. The bakers of Dresden, home of the most famous stollen, petitioned the pope to lift the butter ban. The request was initially denied, but in 1490 via the pope’s famous Butterbrief (butter letter) people won back their dairy and a more delicious stollen. The word 'stollen' refers to a boundary stone for a city fitting for a heavy loaf which looks like a brick. Stollen is also symbolic of the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes because of its famous thick coat of powdered sugar, and thus traditionally called Christstollen, or Christ Stollen. This all makes me excited again for so many wonderful and cultural traditions which we like to share on our “Culture Corner” episodes. Flora and I have some of the old countries in us, and some of our favorite holiday traditions come from what our Omas, Nonnas, and Nanas passed down. On our German sides, it was hot wine and cake-like bread. What could be better? Our elders were always full of cheer and had a happy glow about them, especially during the holidays, which we now know was likely the nip of alcohol and a dip in the sugar bowl. So who are we to not carry on these family traditions? Forget about your troubles, grab your stein or cup or glass and let’s toast (and eat) to the year. Let’s give thanks, pass the cake, and keep the party going! Bye Bye, Fauna
Kourabiedes (plural), pronounced [kou-rub-ye-thes], are also known as Greek wedding cookies and taste like shortbread but are slightly crumblier, usually have pieces of almond inside, and are completely covered with powdered sugar. While they aren’t terribly fancy, these cookies are simply delicious and traditionally served at weddings, baptisms, and during Christmas time. They first appeared in Persia as far back as the 7th century when sugar spread to the region. The basic ingredients are butter, flour, sugar, and salt, with flavor variations including vanilla, brandy, rosewater, and nuts. Some say the recipe originated in Lebanon, but now the fight for claiming the best kourabiedes is between Greece and Turkey.
Tea has been around for thousands of years, and with most of the world drinking tea, the tea market is worth over 50 billion dollars! It’s the most popular beverage after water and legend has it tea originated in China when Emperor Shen Nong first drank hot water accidentally infused with tea leaves. Back in those days, tea was considered a medicinal draught rather than just a beverage, but over the years, tea brewing became a more refined process as teapots, teabags, iced tea, and teatime were invented. There are over 3000 types of tea, but all tea comes from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis native to Asia. The difference between white, green, black, and oolong teas comes from how the leaves are processed. Once the leaves are picked, they begin to oxidize, the same chemical reaction that makes banana peels go brown. White tea is the least oxidized tea, followed by green tea and oolong tea, with black tea having the most oxidization. Different varieties of teas need to be brewed or steeped at different temperatures for different amounts of time, so make sure you read the instructions, and use hot instead of boiling water or you risk burning the tea leaf. Herbal teas like mint, or fruit teas like raspberry are technically not teas at all! They are infusions of different herbs, spices, and other plants, like chamomile or hibiscus, but they don’t contain any actual tea leaves which is why they’re usually caffeine-free and a good pre-bedtime choice. We usually associate the British with tea since one of their duchesses invented ‘afternoon tea’, they had the actual Earl Grey for which the tea was named after, and they introduced tea to India. I’m quite sure they also made it mandatory to stick your pinkie in the air whilst drinking from a fancy teacup. But did you know the people of Turkey actually consume the most tea per person, with the Irish coming in second...who knew? China, India, Kenya, Indonesia, and Turkey are some of the top producers of tea. Culturally, there are myriads of ways to prepare the international beverage. In the Himalayas, adding butter and milk (usually from a yak) and salt to black tea helps people living at high altitudes stay hydrated. From this salty Tibetan butter tea to Japan’s ceremonial Matcha tea, sugary Turkish Rize tea and Argentine Mate tea, Fauna and I will be bringing you teas from all corners of the globe.
Not only is tea delicious, but it’s good for you. Drinking tea has been associated with a lower risk of liver disease, depression, stroke, and diabetes. Teabags on your eyes can reduce swelling and puffiness, and bathing in tea can help detoxify and soothe your skin. There are some conflicting reports about lowering cancer risk and helping people lose weight, and you can drink too much of it, so moderation is key. What is the most hunted and trafficked non-human mammal in the world? Here’s a hint…they look like an ancient artichoke and resemble a cross between an aardvark, armadillo, and skunk. Still don’t know? Ever heard of a pangolin? I know, me either, but now I'm kind of in love with this adorable, mini dinosaur looking creature! Pangolins are shy, solitary, and mysterious to us since they’re difficult to study in their wild habitats. Active mostly at night, they live on the ground, although some species climb trees. They dig deep underground burrows with large chambers for sleeping and nesting big enough for a human to crawl inside and stand up. Now those are some digs. Get it, digs?
There are eight species of pangolins found in Asia and Africa. All face drastically declining populations because of illegal trade, and all species are currently endangered. For many years, the Asian species were the primary target of poachers and traffickers, but when those populations were severely depleted, smugglers poached and trafficked African pangolins, usually to China. All pangolin species are protected under national and international laws. In 2016, over 186 countries signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) treaty which regulates international wildlife trade and bans all commercial trade of the pangolin. In 2020, China increased protection for their native species and no longer allow the use of pangolin scales in traditional medicine. Despite these efforts, there is still a growing, sophisticated, multi-million-dollar supply chain across Africa and Asia, run by criminal syndicates that support this illegal international trade. This map from Nepali Times depicts the international routes used to traffic pangolins, spanning mostly within Africa and Asia. So, what can we do to protect the pangolins? Support one of the many dedicated wildlife advocacy groups that are trying to protect pangolins:
|
THE SCHTUMP BOXA monthly blog of random thoughts, shallow ponderances, and at times, very insightful information a la the Schtumpmoore Sisters! Archives
May 2021
|