Quicksand

BY THE NUMBERS » ERASERS

1770 The year English chemist Joseph Priestley discovered “a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the mark of black lead pencil.” The substance was rubber. You’d think this would be Priestley’s claim to fame, but no, four years after he found rubber, he discovered oxygen, which we think you’ll agree is a little more important than an eraser. Interestingly, today many erasers are made of vinyl.

1932The year the electric eraser was invented by Arthur Dremel of Racine, Wisconsin. Though erasers had existed for centuries, the small motorized tool applied just the right amount of pressure when erasing to prevent “paper trauma,” which apparently is a real problem in the paper world. And yes, it’s that Dremel, the Dremel Multitool.

300 The number of years ago that bread was the original eraser. Yes, you read that right. Before it was discovered that rubber worked for correcting mistakes, moist bread was used to take pencil off of paper. And if you needed a snack while you edited your work, you already had one handy. Although, lead poisoning may have cropped up for those error prone. 6The number of years a rubber tree has to grow before it can be tapped for its latex, which is then refined into rubber. The harvesting process doesn’t harm the tree and one tree will produce about 19 pounds of latex annually.

19,571Number of nonduplicate erasers held in the World’s Largest Collection of Erasers according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Petra Engels of Germany started her collection in 1981 at 9 years old. Her collection has erasers from 112 countries.

130The amount, in dollars, you’d pay for a Gucci magic eraser. It has the Gucci symbol engraved into it and comes in a black leather case. You can correct your mistakes in luxury.

LOOK, LISTEN & LEARN OUTER SANDBOX

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

No matter where you grew up, chances are you spent a good portion of your childhood imagining and learning on Sesame Street. Based on a book by Michael Davis, the film chronicles the history of the children’s television program from the artists, writers, producers and educators who created the magic. Don’t be a Grouch ... check it out.

Whisk

Tired of trying to figure out what’s for dinner every single night? Us too! Luckily, we downloaded the Whisk app and now we are able to compile all of our recipes, make grocery lists and explore new menu options right from our phone. Our favorite features are the ability to customize a weekly meal plan based on our food preferences as well as the detailed nutrition information and calorie counter.

Peanut

Having kids can be isolating and it can be difficult to find your tribe. The Peanut app works like a dating app and uses algorithms to connect women with similar interests and commonalities. Think Tinder, but for moms. Use the app to schedule playdates, get advice or maybe meet your new bestie. You don’t want to swipe left on this one!

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!

THROUGH AUGUST The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama Manteo | thelostcolony.org

This drama produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association is the nation’s premier and longest running outdoor symphonic drama. Watch epic battles and Indian dances as you dive into the mysterious and compelling tale of the 117 English men, women and children whose dream still lives on in spite of their unusual disappearance.

SEPTEMBER 18 Green Energy Park Youth Festival Sylva | visitnc.com

Watch demonstrations of glassblowing, blacksmithing, pottery, woodcarving, printing and raku kiln firing. The metal forges and the glass furnaces used by the artists use renewable landfill gas for power. Children can create their own works of art. There will also be live music and food.

SEPTEMBER 25 Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival Elkin | yadkinvalley.org

The Main Street of Elkin will be lined with vendors of all types—antiques, jump houses, pumpkin painting and more. The festivities kick off with The Annual Great Pumpkin weigh-off, where pumpkin and watermelon growers from all over the East Coast hope their gourds make it into the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth top 10. Some of the pumpkins are known to reach over 1000 pounds!

QUOTES “True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own.” “We learn from failure, not from success.”

– Bram Stoker, Dracula

Health Tips

Sow your wild oats

Eliminate dairy from your diet and make the switch to oat milk. This plantbased alternative is a popular dairy-free, vegan-friendly milk substitute made by soaking and blending steel-cut or rolled oats with water and then straining them through cheesecloth to separate the milk

from the oats. Oat milk is a great source of fiber and nutrients because it’s free from many common allergens and is a great alternative for those with dairy sensitivities.

Just beet it

The bulbous root vegetable that everyone loves to hate is reaching superfood status and we are adding it to our diet any way we can. Research has shown that drinking as little as 8.4 ounces of beet juice daily can lower both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Beets are a good source of potassium, a mineral and electrolyte that helps nerves and muscles function properly.

Let off some steam

Sitting in a steam room might significantly improve your cardiovascular health. A study of older individuals showed that moist heat improved circulation, especially in

extremities. Improved circulation can lead to lowered blood pressure and a healthier heart. It can also promote healing of broken skin tissue. Taking a steam is also a great way to open up your sinuses, burn calories and reduce stress.

Live Lightly

Tips on living a more sustainable life

Back to school season is upon us and there are plenty of ways to get your kids ready for class sustainably. Just because it’ s a new year doesn’t mean getting all new school supplies. Often, backpacks, pencil boxes and other supplies, like scissors, can be reused from last year without buying brand new.

Encouraging your children to take care of items like backpacks and lunchboxes ensures they will be in good condition for years to come.

Also, instead of buying a whole new wardrobe, try hosting a neighborhood clothing swap with friends as an alternative. And always try to buy recycled or refurbished supplies when available. SP

AUGUST 28 CARA's Run For Their Lives

Sanford 5k, 10k runfortheirlives5k10k.wordpress. com

SEPTEMBER 4 Weymouth Woods Trail Run

Southern Pines 25k, 50k runsignup.com

SEPTEMBER 11 Mountain Creek Conservation Run

Ellerbe 5k, 10 mile runsignup.com