Quicksand

BY THE NUMBERS » EASTER BUNNY

18 The century when German immigrants brought the Easter Hare tradition to the U.S. The tradition was adopted quickly and Americanized, turning the Easter Hare into the Easter Bunny. The Germans also attempted to introduce the Easter Hare to Sweden, but it wasn’t translated correctly and essentially a long game of telephone ended with the Easter Wizard as Sweden’s holiday mascot.

86The number of chocolate Easter bunnies, in millions, made in Germany each year; about 43 million of those are shipped across the globe. Although Germany isn’t a main source of cacao seeds, it is a focal point for Easter tradition, which is why they are one of the top producers of chocolate bunnies.

6Numbers of publishers who rejected the story of Peter Rabbit—though The Tale of Peter Rabbit is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. To this day the story is still widely known across the world with the most recent version being published in 35 languages.

1959The year the Trix rabbit started his opening monologue, which ends with the recognizable slogan, “Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!” As if the mascot and catchy slogan weren’t enough to make this one of the most memorable advertisements ever created, the creators partnered with Bugs Bunny in 1985 to further engrave the catchphrase into our memory. 150Number of cartoons starring the cultural icon, Bugs Bunny, between 1940 to 1964. Bugs Bunny was an icon partially because of the effort the original voice actor applied when voicing the character. Voice actor Mel Blanc even chewed carrots while recording to help immerse himself in the character.

Later on in life, the Bugs Bunny character was credited with helping Mel Blanc communicate with doctors after a car accident left him severely injured. Instead of talking directly to Mel, doctors addressed him as Bugs Bunny, and to their surprise he replied in character.

Bugs Bunny is the ninth most portrayed character in the world. He even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

9,359 The record, in pounds, of the world's largest chocolate bunny ever made. The behemoth was created in 2017 in Brazil. It broke the original record by weighing more than an Asian elephant—or close to onethird the weight of a cruise ship anchor.

LOOK, LISTEN & LEARN OUTER SANDBOX

Renegades Born in the USA

Former President Barack Obama and legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen have teamed up to record a podcast in Springsteen’s converted farmhouse in New Jersey. Throughout their dialogues the two discuss growing up as outsiders, being role models and ways to heal a divided country. The talks don’t delve into politics, although their ideas and the topics may swing too liberal for some. If you’re fans of either, you’ll love it.

Stuff You Should Know

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about El Nino, LSD, Satanism or grassoline, then this is the podcast for you. The hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant, both writers at HowStuffWorks, explain a wide range of topics that leave us feeling educated and entertained.

iHuerting

Starting a garden can be a daunting task, but with the help of this app you will be an urban farmer quicker than it took you to kill your last succulent. Get assistance turning your terrace, patio or small piece of land into a fruitful plot in no time with reminders to water and fertilize, as well as creative ways to prevent pests organically.

ROAD TRIP!

Road trip! Beyond the boundaries of our little sandbox, there is much to see. Here are a few events worth checking out. For events with a more local flavor, check out moorechoices.net. And check with locales before heading out!

MAY 13–15 Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival Roanoke Island | outerbanks.org

Music lovers from all over the world flock to the Outer Banks for this annual shindig celebrating the sweet sounds of the fiddle and the banjo. Listen to hundreds of bands and artists in a picturesque setting. We’re dusting off our dancing clogs for this hootenanny!

MAY 15 Asian Festival & Dragon Boat Race Charlotte | charlottedragonboat.com

The Annual Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival Race is an exciting team competition. An important part of the Chinese traditional calendar, dragon boat racing originated over 2,300 years ago on the life-sustaining rivers of southern China. The Charlotte race is an open competition to anyone 15 years of age or older, so grab a gondola and 21 of your closest friends ... and ROW!

NOW THOUGH JULY 11 Golden Mummies of Egypt North Carolina Museum of Art | ncartmuseum.org

Run, don’t walk, “like an Egyptian” to this exhibit on view through July 11, 2021. It features eight extraordinary gilded mummies and more than 100 related objects including papyri, jewelry and ceramics. Digital interactives let visitors see underneath the wrappings, which, depending on your point a view, could be really cool or really creepy.

QUOTES

Often, when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else.

– Fred Rodgers

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only

thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead

Health Tips

Audio Audit

Can you hear me now? We make regular appointments to the dentist and optometrist for healthy teeth and eyes but often overlook our ears. Besides doing the basics like wearing earplugs around loud noises, turning down the volume of our

headphones and not using cotton swabs in our ear canal, it’s recommended that you also make an annual appointment with an audiologist in order to catch any hearing loss issues before they become a serious problem.

Lemon Livin’

When life gives you lemons, make lemon water! The sunny-hued citrus fruit not only makes your beverage taste better, it also has numerous health benefits. Citric acid can help aid digestion, prevent kidney stones and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Plus it adds a touch of flavor to water that will help you avoid craving those sweeter drinks.

Just squeeze half a lemon into 8 ounces of warm or cold water for the perfect healthy drink.

Healthy Spice

Spice up your life with turmeric.

Turmeric spice comes from the root of the turmeric plant and is commonly used in South Asian food. Part of the ginger plant family, turmeric contains the chemical curcumin, which is known to decrease inflammation.

If you needed a good excuse to order takeout for dinner, your curry could help with headaches, arthritis and lower your cholesterol.

APRIL 16–23 Rock N' Run 5K

Southern Pines 5k (Virtual & Live) runsignup.com

APRIL 17 Pinehurst Triathlon

Pinehurst Olympic, Sprint runsignup.com

Live Lightly

Tips on living a more sustainable life

Dentists recommend replacing your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. The inherent problem with that suggestion is that 1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away annually in the United States, which is 50 million pounds of waste added to landfills.

One option is to ditch the standard plastic toothbrush altogether and opt for a more sustainable biodegradable bamboo version, which will degrade within 4 to 6 months.

If you decide to stick with your plastic toothbrush, however, consider some other uses for it once it’s no longer brushing your pearly whites. Some options include using it to clean your computer keyboard, groom your eyebrows, wash underneath your fingernails or scrubbing grout grime off tiles.

SP

JUNE 26 Spartan Trail

Fayetteville 10k night run endurancecui.active.com