November 28 - December 11, 2017
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read®
Issue 00332
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TIDBITS® TRIES ON ALL SORTS OF HATS by Kathy Wolfe Hats off on November 25, International Hat Day! This week, Tidbits is turning its attention to all sorts of headgear. • A tam o’shanter has its origins in Scotland, and was originally worn by men. Because of the lack of chemical dyes in the 18th century, they were always indigo blue, thus earning them the name “blue bonnets.” Today, they are popular in Scottish tartan and a wide variety of other colors. This floppy hat is usually made of wool and is often twice the diameter of the wearer’s head. The tam o’shanter is named after a character in a poem written by Robert Burns in 1790. Freshmen entering Kingston, Ontario’s Queen’s University are gifted with a tam upon their entrance to the university. • The Panama hat actually has its origins in Ecuador, where it was made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla palm. It’s believed that the Incas were the first to weave hats from the plant. The hat gained popularity in the U.S. when the government ordered 50,000 “sombreros de paja toquilla” for troops headed to the Caribbean during the Spanish-American War in 1898, providing a lightweight and breathable protection from the brutal sun. The trend was furthered when President Theodore Roosevelt donned a Panama hat when visiting the construction site of the Panama Canal. • Those caps that everyone wears on graduation day are known as mortarboards, due to their resemblance to the square metal or plastic board used by bricklayers to hold their mortar. The hat has a square board fixed upon a skullcap, with a tassel attached to the center. In the United Kingdom, some call this an Oxford cap, while in Australia, it is sometimes termed a trencher.
Q: What did one hat say to another? A: “You stay here. I’ll go on a head.”
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• The French word for bell is “cloche,” and that word became the name for a fitted, bellshaped hat during the early 20th century. The cloche was created from felt so that its helmetlike shape conformed to the head. It was worn low on the forehead, with the brim just slightly above the eyes. Parisian milliner Caroline Reboux is usually credited as the designer of the hat, sometime around 1914. Reboux, who employed some 150 workers, counted the Empress Eugenie and actress Marlene Dietrich among her customers. • Some folks claim that the wide-brimmed 10-gallon hat worn by cowboys got its name from the amount of liquid that could be carried inside the crown. The Stetson Company once featured an ad with a cowboy giving his thirsty horse a drink from his hat, furthering this explanation. However, hat-wearers know that a cowboy hat only holds a few quarts of water, and would ruin the headgear in the process. The more likely explanation is that Mexican cattle drivers wound braided hatbands on their sombreros, known as “galons” in Spanish. Some sombreros were large enough to accommodate 10 hatbands, perhaps giving the name to these large hats. Others say that the term comes from a variation on the Spanish phrase “tan galan,” which translates as “very gallant” or “very handsome,” describing a vaquero sitting astride his horse. • Because Jewish law directs that a man is required to cover his head during prayer, Orthodox Jewish men don the skullcap known as a yarmulke. That’s the Yiddish word for this headgear, while kippah is the Hebrew word.
Many Orthodox Jews wear the kippah all the time, in the synagogue and out, in their daily lives, basing this practice on the words of the Talmud, “Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you.” These skullcaps come in all materials imaginable – crocheted, suede, satin, velvet – and in a rainbow of colors. Black might be worn to a funeral, and a colorful one to a festive gathering. The hats even come with favorite sports teams logos, and children’s yarmulkes might be adorned with Star Wars characters. • The deerstalker has a front and back brim and two flexible side flaps. You would typically see a hunter wearing this hat that provides protection from the elements to the face and neck. Hunters’ caps might be a red and black check pattern or that of a camouflage fabric. The deerstalker is also famous for its association with Sherlock Holmes, although
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this type of hat was never mentioned in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s description of his celebrated detective. In fact, Holmes would not have worn a deerstalker in his city detective duties, as it was considered country gear. In 1891, The Strand Magazine printed one of Doyle’s stories, “The Boscombe Valley Mystery,” and illustrator Sidney Paget depicted Holmes in the hat and a large cape, an image that has stuck ever since. • The felt hat known as a fedora has a lengthwise crease down the crown and is pinched in the front on both sides. It might have a grosgrain ribbon band. The hat takes its name from an 1882 play by the same name, which starred actress Sarah Bernhardt, who played Princess Fedora, the heroine of the play. Because she wore this type of hat, it became known as a fedora, and was actually a women’s fashion first. Men began wearing fedoras around 1920. Famous fedora wearers include Gene Kelly, Humphrey Bogart, Dick Tracy, Indiana Jones, the Blues Brothers, and long-time Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry. • A trilby hat is quite similar to the fedora, but with a narrower brim, and an upturned back brim. The homburg also resembles the fedora, but with the brim in a tight, upwards curl, usually adorned with a hatband and feather. • The kepi has a flat circular top and a visor in front. The word may come from the French word for cap, and in fact is usually associated with the French Foreign Legion. However, in America, it is familiar as the hats worn by troops during the Civil War. You might see a kepi in a photo of Civil War General George McClellan or one of French General Charles de Gaulle. • The Red Hat Society got its start in 1998, as a social group for women age 50 and above, although it is now open to all women. When California artist Sue Ellen Cooper was shopping for a birthday gift for her friend’s 55th birthday, she purchased an old red fedora at a thrift shop, wanting her friend to look upon her aging in a lighthearted way. Cooper was inspired by a Jenny Joseph poem that reads, “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple, with a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.”
* Buy an extra gift and wrap it, just in case you have forgotten someone. If you pick something genderneutral, you could keep it for yourself if it goes unneeded. You won’t be caught off-guard when someone you forgot to put on your list stops by with a gift for you. * Here’s a great rule of thumb when planning a large holiday dinner: For every side dish that requires extra preparation time, plan for one or two that don’t. For instance, if you are preparing a casserole with many ingredients or complicated instructions, serve a package of vegetables that requires nothing more than steaming. If you are preparing a time-consuming dessert, buy a prepared pie or fresh fruit salad and whipped topping. Don’t overstress yourself in the kitchen. * “In my family, you come to a holiday dinner with your own plastic containers for leftovers. If you don’t bring your own, you don’t go home with tomorrow’s lunch. Mom instituted this rule after the first Thanksgiving when all the kids had moved out. We practically cleaned her out of Tupperware!” -- E.Y. in New Mexico * Want to beat clutter but need to start slowly? Try this trick: Put a date label (the peel-off kind) on seldom-used items. Then if you use the item, remove the sticker. In a few months, re-evaluate what items still have stickers. * Soak cloudy glassware in hot vinegar for 15 minutes to clear them up. Wash good crystal by hand only, never in a dishwasher. * “New use for an old, useless key: Keep one handy to use as a bootscrape.” -- I.G. in North Carolina Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
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UNUSUAL PLANTS:
WEIRD TREES There are some pretty unusual trees growing across the globe, and this week Tidbits takes you on a quick tour! • The bottle tree of Namibia can only be found in Namibia and Angola in southern Africa. It derives its name from its odd bottle-shaped trunk. While the thorn-covered trunk is thick at the bottom, it is nearly void of branches until the very top. It’s one of the most deadly trees on Earth, containing a very poisonous milky sap that was used by bushmen to poison their arrows. The toxic sap can produce blindness if there is contact with the eyes. Although the tree is not very attractive, it does bear extraordinary hand-sized white or pink flowers with a dark red center. • You can find the world’s largest cashew tree, the Pirangi Cashew, near Natal, Brazil. The tree, 80 times larger than the average cashew tree, is nearly 120 years old, and covers nearly 2 acres
(8,500 sq. meters). This curious tree grows sideways instead of upwards, accounting for its wide horizontal spread. Its roots are taking over a nearby highway, so that only one car at a time can pass by. However, no attempts are made to trim it, as horticulturists are afraid it would kill the tree. The Pirangi Cashew yields about 80,000 fruits a year.
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Cambodia’s ancient Temple of Ta Prohm contains a tangle of massive roots of the silk cotton tree that have snaked their way through the temple in search of soil and water. Constructed in 1186, it was first a Buddhist monastery and school. The roots are allowed to wind throughout the structure in order to preserve its eerie atmosphere. You can get a glimpse of the temple by watching the 2001 movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” • The Pejibaye palm tree, found mainly in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, can reach heights of 65 to 100 feet (20 to 30 m), with leaves 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.6 m) long. The trunk is covered with stiff, black spikes arranged in circular rows from top to bottom. Also known as the peach palm, the tree bears a fruit that is caustic in its natural state, and must be boiled for 3 to 4 hours in salt water to become edible. • In the countryside of West Poland grows a group of 400 pine trees known as the Crooked Forest of Gryfino. The trees all grow with a 90-degree northward bend at the base of their trunks, then rise vertically again. It’s believed that in 1930, a group of farmers purposely
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manipulated them, perhaps for the purpose of making bentwood furniture, boat hulls, or yokes for their oxen. However, when World War II broke out, whoever started the project never returned to the forest. • The island country of Bahrain lies near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. A 32-foottall (9.75 m) mesquite tree, known as the Tree of Life, stands in the middle of the desert, the only tree growing for miles around, and with no apparent water supply. This tree species has an extremely deep root system, more than 160 feet (50 m) down, which enables it to reach deep beds of underground water. The locals say the tree was planted in 1583 in what they believe was the actual location of the Garden of Eden. About 50,000 tourists visit the site each year.
GINGERBREAD
Bacon and Cheese Sandwich Deluxe Getting tired of turkey and all of the fixins that go with it? How about a special grilled-cheese sandwich with a bowl of soup. 1/4 cup Kraft fat-free mayonnaise 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 6 tablespoons Oscar Mayer or Hormel Real Bacon Bits 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces) shredded Kraft 2 Percent Milk Cheddar cheese 8 slices reduced-calorie white or whole-wheat bread 1. Plug in and generously spray both sides of double-sided electric contact grill with butterflavored cooking spray, and preheat for 5 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and onion. Add bacon bits and Cheddar cheese. Mix well to combine. Evenly spread about 1/4 cup cheese mixture over 4 slices of bread, then top each with another slice of bread. 3. Evenly arrange sandwiches on prepared grill. Lightly spray top of sandwiches with butterflavored cooking spray. Close lid and grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until bread is toasted and filling is hot. Serve at once. Serves 4. * Each serving equals: 208 calories, 8g fat, 17g protein, 17g carbs, 903mg sodium, 250mg calcium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Meat, 1 Starch; Carb Choices: 1. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
‘Tis the season for decorating gingerbread, with December 9 set aside as Gingerbread Decorating Day, and December 12 as Gingerbread House Day. Here’s the history on this delicious treat. • The ginger plant is native to India and China and has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Ginger has a long history of treating indigestion, nausea, motion sickness, inflammation, and pain. It was brought to Europe in the 11th century during the Crusades. England’s Henry VIII consumed a ginger concoction that he believed would build his resistance to the plague. • During Medieval times, the word “gingerbread” was used to refer to preserved ginger that was chewed on to relieve upset stomachs. It had nothing to do with the dessert until the 15th century, when it developed into a treat containing ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices, sweetened with molasses or honey. The term described both crisp hard biscuits or cookies and a soft loaf cake resembling bread. English gingerbread was a dense spice cake with raisins, apples, or nuts. • During the 1500s, the crisp spicy cookies became common. Intricate wooden molds were carved into various shapes and patterns and dough was pressed into the molds before baking. Portraits of leaders or religious symbols were frequent images baked into cookies. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the first gingerbread man, having cookies made that resembled visiting dignitaries and presenting the confections to them as gifts. • Entire festivals known as Gingerbread Fairs were devoted to the tasty treats. Depending on the time of year, shapes of the cookies changed, with flowers in the Spring and birds at Fall Festivals. There was no limit to how extravagant the decorating was, with gold leaf even being used to decorate gingerbread. Molds were carved into coats of arms for wedding receptions and handed out to guests. • In 1812, the German Brothers Grimm published the story of “Hansel and Gretel,” the brother and sister who became lost in the woods and came upon a house made of gingerbread, cakes, and candy, with windows of clear sugar. Following the publication, gingerbread houses became very popular. Shaped cookies were also fashionable as tree ornaments. Bakeries created giant cookies for their window showcases at Christmas. German immigrants to Pennsylvania brought the gingerbread house tradition to America. • Now that’s a lot of gingerbread! In 2006, nine days were spent building a 67-foot-tall (20.4
m) house, decorated with 1,800 Hershey bars, 1,200 feet (366 m) of Twizzlers, 100 lbs. (45.4 kg) of Tootsie Rolls, and thousands of other pieces of candy. In 2013, a Bryan, Texas Golf Club built a 40,000-cubic-foot gingerbread house that required a building permit to construct. 4,000 gingerbread bricks were used, requiring 1,800 lbs. (816.5 kg) of butter and 67.5 lbs. (30.6 kg) of ground ginger. • Nuremberg, Germany has been proclaimed the “Gingerbread Capital of the World.” Lebkuchen has been baked there for more than 600 years, and has a Protected Designation of Origin that requires the gingerbread to be produced within the city’s boundaries. The League of Lebkuchen Bakers was created in 1643, with strict guidelines for commercial bakers to follow in order to sell their wares. • Since 1991, Bergen, Norway has created what is believed to be the largest gingerbread city. More than 2,000 buildings, boats, cars, trains, and other features are crafted each year for the exhibition.
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by Samantha Weaver * It was 20th-century French journalist, poet, aristocrat and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery -- best known for his novella “The Little Prince” -- who made the following sage observation: “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”Ê * Eggplants weren’t always the deep purple color we know today; originally, the vegetables were white. The color, paired with the ovoid shape, is how the eggplant got its name. * Those who study such things say that paternity leave can have significant domestic impacts. Research shows that men who take a few weeks of leave when they have an addition to their family spend more time on domestic chores and taking care of the kids than men who don’t. They cook more, and they’re even 50 percent more likely to do laundry. The most interesting finding, though, is the fact that these changes are long-term; the effect tends to last the rest of a man’s life.
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BOOK WAREHOUSE #35, Alpine Centre, 100 Kal Lake Road OPEN on WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS and SATURDAYS 9 AM TO 1 PM Quality used books & more, most priced $1 or less Supporting Special Olympics, Vernon & other local charities Phone 250-938-9791 for more info. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
* Those who suffer from nescience are unlikely to know what “nescience” means Ð an absence of knowledge. * The first wristwatch was made by an English clockmaker in 1571. Described as “a wristlet in which there was a clocke,” the watch was presented as a gift to Queen Elizabeth I. * If you’re like the average human, you have about 615 hairs for every square centimeter of your skin.
SPECIALITY SHARPENING All your sharpening needs, and for your convenience, drop off and pickup at Vernon’s Water Store. 180, 4400 - 32 St (250)308-4866
Explore Christmas in the Gift shop and find that special somthing! Lots of unique and pretty things to choose from. The Auxiliary members Christmas Pot Luck will be held BUYING GUNS OLD TIME SENIOR Dec 11 at 11:00 CITIZEN, in the WITH LIFE-TIME HOBBY Education Rooms OF SHOOTING, WILL PAY CASH FOR YOUR GUNS, INCLUDING ESTATES 250-832-2982 (Salmon Arm)
Thought for the Day: “A man said to the universe: ‘Sir I exist!’ ‘However,’ replied the universe, ‘The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.’” -- Stephen Crane (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
Lumby Christmas Light Up! Wagon Rides Start – 4 pm/Parade - 4:30pm/ Welcome Santa - 4:45pm/ Go For A Free Skate At The Pat Duke Memorial Arena -5:45-7 pm/Enjoy Free Hot Dogs, Hot Chocolate (Donated By Super -A-Foods) And Christmas Carols While Waiting For Santa! For More Info 250-547-2300 Sunday, Dec 3 Arbor Park Gazebo Food Bank Donations Accepted
Join us on Dec 1st between 5 and 7 pm for our annual Light Up at Spirit Square and on December 9th from 10 am - 5pm for our Home for the Holidays! Explore Armstrong event!
Get in the spirit and join us for our 27th Annual Chamber Christmas Luncheon presented by Okanagan Restoration Services. Enjoy a hot turkey lunch, networking, a visit from Santa and a huge amount door prizes generously donated by our local businesses! Friday Dec 8th 11:30 – 1:30. Register online at vernonchamber.ca or call Dianne at 250-545-0771.
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The tradition of wearing fancy hats to the Kentucky Derby started at the inaugural race in 1875. The practice was established by Derby founder Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., who patterned the race after high-class European racing events.
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GAINSBOROUGH
1. Miter 2. A mobcap 3. The Brown Derby 4. A boater or skimmer 5. Sombrero
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1. Beefeaters hat 2. Juliet cap
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