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Friday, October 23
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEWIS and CHARLIE!!
Saturday is Lewis' birthday and Sunday is Charlie's!
Do you believe in MAGIC?
Coins disappearing and reappearing. Objects moving about on their own. Reading minds and pulling rabbits out of a hat... We've heard it all, but have you ever seen some of these tricks done up close? This video explains the simple slights of hand used to fool people's minds into believing 10 incredible coin tricks (with a bonus 11th one at the very end!). Some might even want to give it a try themself.
Perfect for the blossoming witch, wizard, or warlock. If you're eager to learn more then check out this video with 10 Rubber Band Tricks too!
But let's be honest here. That's not "magic." They're simple parlor tricks... right?
Maybe people aren't truly casting spells, levitating, or summoning rabbits from hats, but our brains usually aren't able to tell the difference. That is, unless you know their secrets using the Art of Misdirection.
Apollo Robbins is a self declared pick-pocket and master at the art of misdirection. Watch him display his skills with just a little help from the audience
"Wingardium leviosa!"
Consider the most famous magicians of all time. How many of those that you thought of were women?
Women have been part of the act of magic since the very beginning, but why is it that we don't see that many women magicians and how can that be changed?
"I can read your mind!"
Still not satisfied and looking for more? Why not give Akinator a try?
Akinator is a magic genie that can read your mind. Simply think about a character, real or fictional, and Akinator will begin asking you a series of questions. By the end of it he'll have guessed precisely who you were thinking. Just try to stump him!
https://en.akinator.com/
Next Art Club Project
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be learning how to draw simple Halloween pictures!
Perfect for cards or decorations. Participants will only require a blank piece of paper, a pencil with an eraser, and a pen or markers to outline and color their pieces!
Friday Movie Recommendation!
This week's movie recommendation comes from Eric with the 2017 action/comedy The Hitman's Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson! What happens when the world's top protection agent is called upon to protect the life of the world's most notorious hitman who is also his mortal enemy? Action packed comedy and mayhem, of course. The movie is available to watch on Netflix and rent through most major streaming services.
"I like it because I think Ryan Reynolds is very funny in it and it has a good story line." - Eric
Thursday, October 22
The results are IN!
Drum roll, please...
Purple Cup Survey Responses!
You spoke and we listened. This is what everybody had to say.
What is your favorite Halloween movie?
• Hocus Pocus
• Hocus Pocus
• Hocus-Pocus
• Hocus Pocus
• Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas!
• Hocus Pocus
• Hocus Pocus
Those are some fairly unanimous results!
I'm not too surprised since Hocus Pocus is LES' go-to Halloween movie classic that we watch nearly every October.
But did you know that most all of the exterior shots of the film were actually shot locally here in Massachusetts? The movie takes place in Salem, MA, and you can actually visit many of the iconic locations from the movie!
If you're a big Hocus Pocus fan then you might also appreciate a look at extended and deleted scenes not featured in the movie. There are also recordings from behind the scenes while the cast worked on making the film. Witchy!
Wednesday, October 21
Purple Cup Survey!
You still have until TOMORROW to take the Purple Cup!
*~*
What is your favorite Halloween movie?
You can answer the survey HERE.
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
Creepy and crawly or cute and cuddly? That's for Art Club to decide with their adorable little spider decorations they made the other day!
The answers may be more surprising than you think...
Here are the answers to yesterday's Mystery Objects Game. See how many you got correct!
Object #1
This Object Is...
BIRCH TWIGS!
Birch twigs are the traditional material used in the heads of old style brooms. The handles were made out of hazel wood. These style of old fashioned brooms are called "besoms" and are "constructed from a bundle of twigs tied to a stout pole."
What is so spooky about birch twigs and besoms? Why it's witches, of course! These besoms are still used in the practice of Wiccan traditions today, but they hold old world significance in helping witches glide across the midnight sky.
"The song "Buy Broom Buzzems" from Northern England refers to both types of twig. From the phrase broom besom the more common broom comes. In Scotland, besoms are still occasionally to be found at the edge of forests where they are stacked for use in early response to an outbreak of fire."
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besom
Object #2
This Object Is...
PEPPERMINT!
Wait, hold up. What's so scary about peppermint? Well did you know that perfumes made from thyme, lavender, rose, and even peppermint were used in the ancient Egyptian process of mummification?
"Perfumes, oils, and other fragrances played a key role in the process of mummifying a body for burial, as well as denoting what status the person held in life."
I guess even mummies don't like feeling stinky.
For even more information on perfumes and mummification check out this article here!
https://www.perfume.com/article-perfume-and-the-egyptian-mummification-process
Object #3
This Object Is...
A JACK-O'-LANTERN!
You can thank the Irish immigrants for introducing Americans to the Jack-o'-lantern tradition. Gourds and root vegetables were traditionally used to create these ghoulish-faced lanterns said to represent spirits and other supernatural beings. They also were used to ward off evil spirits or to frighten people, and I can see why. This particular Jack-o'-lantern pictured is carved out of a turnip!
"Its name comes from the phenomenon of a strange light flickering over peat bogs, called will-o'-the-wisp or jack-o'-lantern. The name is also tied to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a drunkard who bargains with the Devil and is doomed to roam the Earth with only a hollowed turnip to light his way."
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern
To learn even more about the history of the original Irish Jack-o'-lanterns (and see a picture of truly terrifying 19th century one) then check out this article here!
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/jack-o-lantern-turnips-ireland
Tuesday, October 20
Weekly A-SIGN-ment!
Tomorrow during our Wednesday 1 PM Zoom meeting we will be sharing another word we've learned in sign language. This week's word theme is Sweets! Share with us the sign for a candy, dessert, fruit, or any other sweet thing!
As usual, feel free to refer to HandSpeak for reference and guidance in finding your word!
GUESS THIS:
Can you identify these strange and spooky objects?
Lauren tracked down a few mysterious items with some spooky themes. Can you guess what these items are and how they apply to Halloween?
The answers will be revealed on tomorrow's website posting, so don't give it away to people who are still guessing!
Object #1
Object #2
Object #3
EEK!
Check back tomorrow for the answers!
Monday, October 19
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLBY!!
Wishing baby Colby a very happy belated FIRST BIRTHDAY!
She turned 1 year old last Saturday!
Purple Cup Survey!
Don't forget you still have time to answer our survey! The results will be shared on Thursday!
*~*
What is your favorite Halloween movie?
You can answer the survey HERE.
Genre Bending Music
with a a twist!
Do you remember learning how to play the recorder in school? I can still hear my entire class' off key rendition of "Hot Cross Buns" to this day. It's an instrument we often associate with children and elementary school music class, but it's a lot more than just that.
Egyptian musician Medhat Mamdouh pushes these preconcieved boundaries by not only playing incredible songs on the recorder but by combining them with amazing beatboxing skills you have to hear to believe!
Medhat uploads videos onto his YouTube channel as well as does live performances. He dabbles in genres ranging from classic to hip-hop to even dubstep. Above is one of his music videos for his full length song "Skynat" featuring fellow musical artist Mahmoud Badrawy.
You can check out more of Medhat's work at these links below!
~*~
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MEDHATDRAGON
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recorederbeatbox
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medhatmamdouh/
What is Beatboxing?
"Beatboxing (also beat boxing or b-boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve vocal imitation of turntablism, and other musical instruments. Beatboxing today is connected with hip-hop culture, often referred to as "the fifth element" of hip-hop, although it is not limited to hip-hop music. The term "beatboxing" is sometimes used to refer to vocal percussion in general."
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatboxing
Friday, October 16
CONGRATULATIONS to new grandmother Betty whose little granddaughter Avery Grace was born last Wednesday night!
Friday's Virtual
Afternoon Meeting!
Because you can never run out of chairs if you're using Zoom!
Purple Cup Survey!
What is your favorite Halloween movie?
Halloween is approaching fast! Share your favorite films to watch for the holiday, and it might give someone else a new movie to check out this spooky season.
Next Art Club Project
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be making paper spiders!
Participants will need one piece of black construction paper, scissors, glue stick or tape, and a little bit of white paper!
Friday Movie Recommendation!
Our movie recommendation comes this week from Betty with the 1990 fantasy/romance film Ghost. It stars Patrick Swayze (Sam) and Demi Moore (Molly) as two people deeply in love. When Sam gets betrayed then murdered he must roam the Earth as a ghost to seek revenge against the one who wronged him and to protect his beloved. Ghost can be watched on Netflix, with any Showtime subscription, and rented through most streaming services.
"He's in love with her and she's totally in love with him. Also there's a cat in the movie." - Betty
Thursday, October 15
Wednesday, October 14
Maintaining
Traditions
Yesterday Cindy and future president of the United State, Phil Lussier, met to continue their annual tradition of voting together at Medfield Town Hall!
With ballots now cast, both can rest easy knowing they succeeding in completing their civic duty together for another year.
Keeping it
WITCHY
Last Tuesday our mystery guest ended up being Lauren's good friend Leah, and during the meeting she mentioned planning to participate in a witchy Halloween flashmob. The song and dance everyone is doing is the same one from this video here!
Although it looks like everyone is here to celebrate Halloween that isn't necessarily the case. These people dressed up as witches are actually celebrating a different German holiday called Walpurgisnacht (or Walpurgis Night).
What is Walpurgis Night?
Also known as Hexannacht (Witches' Night), Walpurgis Night is an annual holiday celebrated on the night of April 30 and day of May 1. Legends tell that to help usher in the new Spring season that witches and warlocks would fly all around Germany on broomsticks or goats then unite on April 30 at the highest peak of the Harz Mountain. There they await Spring with bonfires and dancing.
The old fear of witches have gone by the wayside, and modern Germany has turned Walpurgis Night into something of a second Halloween party. People gather together, light bonfires, and dance in costume.
In Southern Germany they actually pulls pranks on Walpurgis Night! Think of it as Trick or Treat but all tricks.
To learn even more about Walpurgis Night, its old customs, and how its origin is connected with Catholic St. Walpurga then check out this link HERE!
https://germangirlinamerica.com/what-is-walpurgisnacht/
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
Art Club made some Halloween Jack-o-Lanterns this week to help get into the Halloween spirit!
Maintaining Our Bodies
& How to keep it in tip top condition!
You might want to put down that slice of onion pizza before you take a look at this video. It's true that the human body can be just as fascinating as it is gross, but learning about how our bodies function is not only interesting but helpful in teaching us how we should take care of it.
If you often find yourself smelling less like a daisy then it's worth your while to check out this video to find out why! It might be an easier fix than you think.
Staying clean is right in line with staying healthy. We're all probably sick of "wash your hands" this and "hand sanitizer" that, but the truth is it's all very true. The best way to keep yourself smelling and feeling your best is to keep clean.
But which of these top two contenders are best at protecting you from the coronavirus? Or any other virus, for that matter? The answer might be more surprising than you think!
Did you know?
Teeth were cleaned in the middle ages and the Renaissance with green hazel twigs and woolen cloths!
Tuesday, October 13
Weekly A-SIGN-ment!
Tomorrow during our Wednesday 1 PM Zoom meeting we will be sharing another word we've learned in sign language. This week's word theme is Holidays! Share with us the sign for your favorite holiday or something to do with it!
As usual, feel free to refer to HandSpeak for reference and guidance in finding your word!
Indigenous Peoples Day:
What is it and why celebrate it?
For most of your life I am sure the second Monday in October has been recognized as a national holiday called Columbus Day, but in more recent years another name for this day has taken hold. You might have heard some people calling it Indigenous Peoples Day instead. Why is this?
The dictionary defines "indigenous" to mean "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native."
Some examples would be to say the chickadee is indigenous to New England or the eucalyptus tree is indigenous to Australia.
People can be indigenous to regions too. A person indigenous to someplace means that their ancestry and roots have strong ties to that land dating back a very long time. Some examples are the Maoli being native to Hawaii, the Irish being native to Ireland, or the Maori being native to New Zealand.
So why not celebrate Columbus Day? When Columbus came to what we now call the Americas indigenous people of all kinds were already inhabiting the lands. Columbus and his people did terrible things to rid the land of these people in order to establish the new colonies we now live in to this day. Columbus did not "discover" America so much as took it.
This is why many choose to honor the legacy, and unfortunately dwindling populations, of the indigenous peoples of this land instead of Christopher Columbus.
The title might say "for kids," but this song actually taught me a thing or two about what Indigenous Peoples Day is about. It also includes a short ASL signing lesson at the end.
Not to mention it's got an awesome beat!
Friday, October 9
No LES Zooms or Website Update on Monday!
Monday is Indigenous Peoples Day so we will be taking that day off. Enjoy your 3 Day Weekend!
For some ways you can celebrate the holiday check out Smithsonian Magazine's 5 Ideas for Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day. There are even livestream events to watch at home!
The People Have Spoken!
The results are IN! Here are the responses we received for both our Poll as well as our Purple Cup Survey!
Poll Results are IN!
Purple Cup Survey Responses!
You spoke and we listened. This is what everybody had to say.
• Dragon fruit
• Rambutan
• dragon fruit! lol
• Gooseberry in Disney World Epcot I had a Gooseberry Pie from Snow White In Germany
• Probably not the weirdest, but over the Summer I tried a Santa Claus melon for the first time. It looks sort of like a small watermelon but tastes like honeydew!
• Mystery fruit at LES!!
What was the weirdest fruit you've ever ate?
Next Art Club Project
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be making paper Jack-o-Lanterns!
Participants will need at least one sheet of orange paper, other colored construction paper (like brown, green, black, and yellow), a pencil, scissors, glue or tape, and markers!
Friday Movie Recommendation!
This week's movie recommendation is from Elisabeth! She recommends the 1993 family comedy Mrs. Doubtfire starring Robin Williams. It can be rented to watch on most major streaming services.
"Robin Williams dresses up as a nanny to see his kids after he gets a divorce. It’s how he can still see his kids every day. It’s very funny, and I like how the mom asks Mrs. Doubtfire to come to the birthday dinner. Mrs. Doubtfire does a good job cleaning, setting up for dinner, and everything is ready to go." - Elisabeth
Thursday, October 8
Join the Poll!
and
Purple Cup Survey!
The Wonder of Whiskers
Jackson Galaxy is also known by his nickname the Cat Daddy. You've likely seen him on the hit TV show My Cat From Hell where he helps rehabilitate problem cats and teach their owners about cat behavior and how they can better improve their cat's life.
Almost all primates and some mammals have whiskers, but why is it that some have incredible whiskers and what purpose do they serve? In this video Jackson Galaxy will explain all the ins and outs of cat whiskers!
Do humans have whiskers?
Not anymore! Humans used to have whiskers (we lost the DNA for it about 800,000 years ago), but we've transferred the function that whiskers once served us to our big brains. "The human brain devotes relatively huge portions of itself to sensing and processing touch."
- https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-history/whiskers-humans
Arashi says: "My whiskers complete the look. I call it "Laidback Chic.""
Happy National Fluffernutter Day!
Today is National Fluffernutter Day! So get your bread ready with some peanut butter and Fluff, and let's celebrate what easily would have been Evelyn's favorite day! Yumbola!
Wednesday, October 7
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
Things got cute and spooky when Art Club made some black cats for Halloween! They stand up on their own and make perfect decorations. No two were alike!
MUSIC in all
Shapes and Sounds
What makes something music? Does it need to use an instrument like a drum or a violin or is that oddly rhythmic car engine actually playing a song?
Music Club explored this a bit. Check out a few videos that might make you reconsider what you think music actually is!
Stomp is a musical performance unlike any other. Originating in Brighton, United Kingdom back in 1991 it is a percussion group "that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theatre performance using rhythms, acrobatics and pantomime." They are still around even to this day!
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomp_(theatrical_show)
In this famous concert performance the song indicates that the conclusion should include a very loud sound but does not indicate what that sound should be. People have performed many interpretations of the piece, but none have been quite so ambitious as Andy Akiho and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's Ping Pong Concerto. Be sure to watch until the very end to see what they chose to be the loud sound.
And lastly we come to consider another sort of instrument. One that is so whimsical and uniquely custom built that it looks more like it jumped out of Willy Wonka's candy factory. Wintergatan is a Swedish band that uses some pretty unusual instruments including one whose notes are produced by 2,000 falling and rolling marbles. Behold: The Marble Machine!
I hope this opened your eyes to consider what music can be!
Join the Poll!
and
Purple Cup Survey!
Tuesday, October 6
Weekly A-SIGN-ment!
Tomorrow during our Wednesday 1 PM Zoom meeting we will be sharing another word we've learned in sign language. This week's word theme is Months! Share with us the sign for a month of the year!
As usual, feel free to refer to HandSpeak for reference and guidance in finding your word!
Cloudberry:
The Hunt for one of the World's Most Elusive Fruits
What would a cloud taste like? Would it be sweet or fluffy? Chewy or melt in your mouth like cotton candy? Unfortunately it's unlikely any of us will get to take a big chomp out of a cloud, but there is something you may end up getting to try instead if you are so lucky to find it.
Weird Explorer is a channel devoted to, well, exploring. The guy behind the camera has been on a mission to try and document every fruit in the world and has been at it for the past 8 years! But he has been having some trouble lately, not because there is a lack of fruit to try, but because so much of that fruit is so difficult to get a hold of.
Join Weird Explorer on a quest to discover and taste one of these extremely elusive fruits: The Cloudberry! It's a journey that takes him across the ocean and all the way to the country of Finland.
Purple Cup Survey!
What was the weirdest fruit you ever ate?
Join the Poll!
Don't forget you still have time to vote in yesterday's poll! Tell us where you would like to be able to use sign language, and the results will be shared on Friday's website posting!
You can can vote HERE.
Monday, October 5
Test Your Skills!
ASL Fingerspell Quizzes
We've been practicing our ASL together online for the past several months, and those who take part in our Happy Hands Club have practiced even longer! During out last Happy Hands Club meeting, Cindy shared these unique ways to put your fingerspelling skills to work through a series of quizzes (and even an ASL word search). It's a fun way to see how much you remember at your own pace.
Take it slow at first by identifying single letters. The further into the quizzes you go, the more letters they add!:
Fingerspelling Quiz Type 1
Ready to jump into deeper waters and read longer words? This starts out with simple 3 letter words but has 50 quizzes in total:
Fingerspelling Quiz Type 2
Lastly comes the word search! Put your skills to the test and try to find the list of words at the top of the page in the grid below:
ASL Word Search
Join the Poll!
Friday, October 2
Happy First Night of
Sukkot!
Tonight marks yet another major Jewish holiday, the holiday of Sukkot! There is a good chance you have not heard about this holiday but there's also a good chance you may have seen it but not realized what it was. The holiday is celebrated for one week and involves building a special hut called a "sukkah" where families and friends gather to eat, celebrate, and hang out. It is a lot more than just your average Fall harvest festival.
It's called the Feast of Tabernacles for a reason!
Anatomy of a Sukkah -
The sukkah (sukkot being plural) comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and even locations, but there are certain requirements that must be met in order to make it a proper sukkah.
According to Jewish law its roof must be made of organic materials (the s'chach), have 3 walls, be at least 3 feet tall, and be constructed and positioned in such a way that at least some of the roof be open and visible to the sky.
It's common for people to decorate their sukkot by hanging fruit, gourds, or paper chains. If you're going to be living in this thing for a week you might as well make it fun!
Speaking of fun, they even have mobile Sukkot too!
You can watch famous actress Mayim Bialik construct her family sukkah in this video here.
If you're interested in seeing more then also check out this other family building their sukkah to the tune of Disney's Frozen's Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okPOcvQK1hw
CHAG SAMEACH!
(Happy Holiday!)
Next Art Club Project
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be making paper black cats!
Participants will need black construction paper, other colored construction papers for the face, scissors, and glue!
Optionally: If you have white out, white colored pencils, or paint markers those may be used for the face as well!
Friday Movie Recommendation!
This week's movie recommendation comes from Mary with Disney's 1998 remake of the family/comedy film The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan! It can be watched for free on Disney+ or rented on Amazon Prime.
"The reason I like it is because it's based on 2 twin girls who has never met each other until they come to camp and meet there after they challenge each other in fencing. And they decide to switch places to live for a while, so Hallie goes to live with her mom in London where she meets her mom for the first time and Annie goes to live in Napa, California where she meets her dad for the first time. And they both trick their parents into getting back together with each other and in the end they actually did it!" - Mary
Thursday, October 1
Pizza Across Borders
Let's Visit a Pizza Restaurant in Brazil!
Ask a group of people what their favorite food is and you are bound to get at least one that says "pizza." What is there not to love?
But the United States and Italy aren't the only countries with a long term love of this delicious fusion between bread, sauce, and cheese. Elsewhere around the world others are enjoying it just as much, if not more! Some have even given their own twists to the popular pizza formula. To explain this let's travel to the South American country of Brazil.
Lauren has an online friend who lives in Brazil and agreed to take pictures for us on her next outing to her local pizza parlor. Let's take a look!
In this style of restaurant servers will approach your table with various flavors of pizza and offer them to you. It's almost like a sitting buffet.
You can select any you like, and the flavors range from the familiar to those not common here in the states.
Some popular flavors include "calabresa" (a smoked sausage that is thinly sliced like pepperoni), "marguerita" (cheese, sauce, and basil), and the "Portuguesa" (ham, cheese, eggs, and onion).
The slice pictured to the right is chicken with Catupiry, (or "frango com Catupiry" in Portuguese) and is considered a national favorite. Catupiry is a brand of thin cheese called requeijão and is integral to the flavor of the pizza!
Another popular type of pizza in Brazil is a sweet dessert pizza. Pictured here is a chocolate banana pizza Lauren's friend Manu ordered from the restaurant shown above. The chocolate is optional, but who wouldn't go for the chocolate?
Many thanks to Manu for taking us on this journey and teaching us about a culture that unites us all: a love of all things PIZZA!
Wednesday, September 30
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
This week during Art Club participants made their very own spooky (or not so spooky) ghost decorations! A super fun project for Halloween or any time of the year you want to liven up with a ghost of your very own!
Tree Talk
The Secret Language of Trees
Have you ever tried to talk to a tree? What if the tree actually is talking back but you just can't hear it? What if you simply cannot understand its language?
Trees actually have a very complex underground network, sort of similar to what we call the internet except it's 100% naturally occurring and it transports a lot more than just information. It's a whole collective system connected by the seemingly most simple and inoffensive thing: fungi.
Suzanne Simard grew up in British Columbia gazing upwards at the tall treetops of her local forests. Her history living among these giants and learning of their incredible underground root systems gave way to curiosity. Could these trees transfer information between one another?
She conducted her own experiment to find out, and the answer was astounding. Check out this TED Talk to see all of her findings and the amazing levels of communication trees are capable of!
Arashi the Wannabe Tree says:
"Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on mee~!"
Tuesday, September 29
Weekly A-SIGN-ment!
Tomorrow during our Wednesday 1 PM Zoom meeting we will be sharing another word we've learned in sign language. This week's word theme is Trees! Share with us the sign for anything that has to do with trees!
As usual, feel free to refer to HandSpeak for reference and guidance in finding your word!
Look outside right now and you're likely to see the start of Fall's incredible transformation on our local plant life. Trees are turning brilliant reds, oranges, and browns and their leaves are just starting to tumble down. What better time to show your appreciation for what these massive beings have done for us than to go out now and hug a tree? It might be more beneficial than you think!
The Benefits of
TREE HUGGING
Ecowellness -
"Enjoying the great outdoors can help you more effectively work through challenges, be more creative, and stay physically healthy. Research has shown that just looking at pictures of nature can brighten your mood and make you feel better about your body," says one article about the benefits of tree hugging. This improvement to one's health based upon interaction with nature is known as "ecowellness."
"Spending time in nature has major health benefits. A 2019 study found that spending two hours a week in nature is associated with an overall increase in well-being." That can be spread across an entire week to give yourself the maximum benefit.
Þór Þorfinnsson works as a forest ranger in Hallormsstaður National Forest in East Iceland.
"When you hug [a tree], you feel it first in your toes and then up your legs and into your chest and then up into your head," he says. “It’s such a wonderful feeling of relaxation and then you’re ready for a new day and new challenges.”
Þorfinnsson recommends we hug a tree for about five minutes at least once a day. You can do it as many times a day as you want, "but once a day will definitely do the trick, even for just a few days.”
And don't go running up to the first tree you see. "Þorfinnsson says to walk a bit deeper in and find a tree that really speaks to you. “There are plenty of trees… it doesn’t have to be big and stout, it can be any size,” he says." If you can't access a forest any tree will do.
Once you find that perfect tree, hold on tight and don’t let go.
“It’s also really nice to close your eyes while you’re hugging a tree,” he says. “I lean my cheek up against the trunk and feel the warmth and the currents flowing from the tree and into me. You can really feel it.”
- https://www.wellandgood.com/benefits-of-tree-hugging/
Don't forget that LES has its own HUGGING TREE REGISTRY!
Come check out some of the trees people have registered or register your own on our Peace Abbey Projects page!
https://lrrafal.wixsite.com/lesonline/peace-abbey-projects
Monday, September 28
The answers may be more surprising than you think...
Here are the answers to last Friday's Mystery Objects Game. See how many you got correct!
Object #1
This Object Is...
A COCONUT!
This is a young coconut that had not even developed its hairy brown exterior before its green outer skin was pared away and shaped to a point! They are mainly used for their coconut water and soft, sweet coconut meat.
Object #2
This Object Is...
A SWIFT!
"A swift is a tool used to hold a hank of yarn while it is being wound off. It has an adjustable diameter so that it can hold hanks of many sizes, and rotates around a central rod." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift_(textiles)
This variation is called an Umbrella Swift. Watch this video here to see one in action.
Object #3
This Object Is...
A FLY-WHISK!
A Fly-Whisk is a tool horse-riders use to help shoo away flies where their horses' tails cannot reach. In other parts of the world people use them as general fly-shooers and even use a similar looking gadget as a hand fan in hot climates.
"The Chinese fly-whisk is also used in many Kung Fu forms in both Shaolin and Wudang martial arts each corresponding to their own respective religious philosophy." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly-whisk
How many did you get right?
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