I have often used the word 'peckish'. usually when I am only feeling slightly hungry or feigning politeness or a bit of southern charm. But I never really stopped to wonder why. Why peckish? It makes you think of a woodpecker drilling into a tree trunk for grubs. I never would have thought that was the origin though.
First recorded use was in the year 1714. Like many words that we use, it began life as a slang word. More specifically in this case, a British criminal slang word. This is according to an answer that Jonathon Green (Slang lexicographer. Author: Green's Dictionary of Slang (2010)) posted on Quora. " It is one of the earliest of all recorded slang terms and first appears in a glossary of criminal language published in 1566."
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I saw the most terrifying thing tonight! A creature that will most likely haunt my dreams for years to come. The Camel Spider! Yes, I have heard of this arachnid before tonight. I heard that it existed, that it is horrifying and then I retreated into denial, mixed with a pinch of 'boy I'm glad they don't live here'. I never researched them, or even paid much attention to any mention of them. I just hoped that I could go the rest of my life without truly knowing...And then, sitting in my home, minding my own business, relaxing and watching a wholesome educational program on TV, it happened.
I was sucked in by the cover art for the show, on Hulu. It looked like a horror movie, but it couldn't be, because I had searched for a nature program. I like horror movies though and I was instantly drawn in. Dead By Dawn is a new Nat Geo series. The first episode titled “The Hills Have Eyes” explores nocturnal creatures of he Arabian Desert. There I am, on my couch, singing the opening song from Disney's Aladdin in my head, and enjoying the cute little fox on the screen. Foxes are so cute. Especially Fennec Foxes! I want one so bad...but I digress. Cute fox, hunting at night,, maybe stalking the gecko that just licked it's eyeballs to remove the sand, but who knows for sure, these nature shows are tricky with their editing. This series in particular seems to be done in the style of a horror movie, complete with creepy soundtrack and jump scares. Point being that I was happily watching this program, when hairy legs appeared above the next sand dune. AND I KNEW! I KNEW IMMEDIATELY! SPIDER! Anyone that has read my PIFFS cartoons, knows that I have a fear of spiders, and a strange 'spidy sense' that allows me to feel when one is near. They creep me out! Did you know that the reason they can walk up walls, is because they have microscopic hairs on their legs. Hairs that fit between the atoms of the walls, allowing them to cling to that surface. This means that when a spider is crawling on you, it is actually penetrating you on an atomic level...They CREEP ME OUT! They didn't actually show the spider for several more minutes, but I knew it was coming. And when it did...well, see for yourself:
I will say that after watching that trailer, it all makes sense now. Well done Nat Geo! I will be watching the rest of these episodes.
Now, I knew that I had to share my new discovery with the world, and could not do so, in good conscience without doing some research. *shiver runs up my back* The first thing I saw when I searched Camel Spider was this:
I'm sure that I don't have to tell you that this picture makes me hesitant to venture further. But I did and now you get to know too. The picture above can be found on a site titled "The Optimus Prime Experiment". Thank you to everyone that is involved with that page in anyway, for adding to my unease for the next umpteen years! They actually help to disprove some myths and have a good article, but this image being the first thing that popped up on my search engine, just makes me unhappy.
The camel spider is not venomous. Meaning if they bite you, you won't get an itchy raised bump or skin necrosis from poison. This would normally make me feel better, since I had always believed that every spider is venomous, they just differed in the potency of their venom. This however, did not ease my mind, because, well look at them. They're huge! AND they've got big teeth!
So, no venom, but a bite that would be very painful, (we were told in the early 2000's that they are called Camel Spiders due to the fact that their bite will knock a camel unconscious) and also not a spider.
That's right , they are arachnids, but not spiders. They are called solpugids and can grow to be 6 inches long. Though not a danger to humans, I still don't ever want to meet one in a dark alley, or in a lit parlor, or anywhere! Now, we are all going to calm down a bit and review what we've learned, without panicky rants interspersed. FACTS:
Now that we have completely fried our nerves, and ensured that I will be sleeping with the lights on for the foreseen future, lets visit some of the cuddlier critters that appeared in this episode.:
See! Isn't that better! You're Welcome!
I'm definitely going to watch more of Nat Geo's Dead By Dawn series. They have successfully combined two of my favorite things, horror and nature. The editing, photography and soundtrack are very well done. And I'll definitely need to revisit Fennec foxes in a future article. They are even cuter than the fox pictured above.
Note: none of the companies mentioned in this article are sponsors, or have contributed financially to my myself or my company.
Thanks to Ultra Facts, which I follow on Tumblr, I now know about this beauty. CUTEST BEE EVER! But more importantly, I learned that Columbus isn't as stupid as I thought... Although, now that I look at the mascot again, I realize it isn't actually blue. Huh...I've been away from Ohio too long or my memory is faulty. I could have sworn that the mascot looked more like:
January is Slow Cooker Month!A perfect time to think about how this handy little appliance can help our busy lives. We can save time, money and a little bit of sanity by adding some slow cooker recipes to our weekly repartee. On those cold, blustery days, maybe a long simmering chili or this recipe found on Food Network for can help warm the heart. And best of all, prep it in the morning or the night before, and it will be ready to eat when you get home.
The Slow cooker is a great go-to for Appetizers like the Meatballs below, because you can make large quantities and the cooker will keep the food warm for guests. But did you know that you can also do some unexpected things with your slow cooker? Like Lasagna! Apple Butter! Omelets! And even Desserts! SO MANY RECIPES ONLINE! It's definitely time to renew your love affair with this beautiful appliance!
![]() Today I Learned why the Unicorn is the National Animal of Scotland! It was believed that the unicorn was the natural enemy of the Lion. The lion of course being the National Animal for Great Britain, the Unicorn was a logical choice for Scotland. If you don't see that correlation right away, then you need to brush up on your European history! The British did their best to eliminate Scottish traditions, culture, heritage, which was their way when conquering people. It makes sense for the Brits. Especially if since they believed that they were the superior civilization. It was an act of kindness to transform those heathens, be they Scots, Indians, Native Americans, etc. into proper British citizens. But I digress....Back to Unicorns! ![]() I learned in elementary school that the unicorn was the national animal of the Scots. I remember it because I always loved the idea of unicorns. (And the idea of the Scots! That's a bucket list item, go to Scotland...see castles...visit Skara Brae...touch standing stones...fall in love.) It never occurred to me to wonder why they chose the unicorn, until today. Nor did it occur to me that early people actually believed in unicorns: "The existence of the mythical creature was only disproved in 1825 by scientist Baron George Covier, who said it was not feasible for an animal that had a split hoof to have a single horn coming from the top of its head. Worldwide, belief in the unicorn lasted well over 4,000 years, particularly in eastern Asia where it was a benevolent bringer of good luck." I find it fascinating that such a majestic creature was not always seen as mythical. That there were true believers and that this magnificent beast retains the guardianship of the Scottish people, even past the time of belief! Why ever did we, as a society, decide that once a year we would encourage children to go door to door, contradicting our year long mantra, "Never take candy from a stranger!" It's a really strange custom. Do we feel differently since we put the children in disguises? The strangers are powerless against the hood of The Arrow or the mask of Zorro! They must acquiesce, giving the children wonderful treats and leaving all nefarious plans for the rest of the 364 days this year.
Today I learned that Between July and September 1518, People in Strasbourg actually danced themselves to death! I was watching a Buzzfeed Unsolved, when they mentioned people in France dancing themselves to death. I then did some research and found out that it's true. And this isn't the first time that it had happened. This is just the best documented case in history. Referred to as the Dancing Plague of 1518, there are many theories as to why nearly 400 people were compelled to dance non-stop, but no conclusive evidence. In the end the people were removed from the city and taken to a healing shrine. Then symptoms started to abate, but not before many had died from exhaustion. The more you know! Geez!
After my separation and subsequent divorce, I didn’t have a much disposable income. Still had things that needed to be taken care of around the house. My go to resource for finding items at a reasonable price has been Facebook (FB).
It started with the various community pages that were online garage sales or classifieds, etc. Now it is much easier since FB has created Marketplace. With the introduction of Marketplace, sales on FB were no longer limited to community garage sales and personal or businesses pages that each sold different types of items. Now everything is compiled into one location within the Facebook website. It’s a one-stop-shop for anything that you may want or need, including businesses that have partnered with FB to sell on Marketplace, such as car dealerships and apartment complexes. These businesses will vary by area, since Marketplace is still tailored to your specific community. Benefits:
I have gotten a power reclining leather couch and loveseat delivered to my house for $800, an entire king sized bedroom set for $400, a dresser for my daughter for free, 3 end tables (I’m refinishing these to match the rest of my house decor and will post an article with the details at a later date) for free, and embroidery machine with a bunch of thread for $180, and a wooden filing cabinet for free. It’s important to me that I make the house feel like my own, now that it is only mine. It was the house that I shared with my husband and I need to revamp it to some degree so that I can feel better about it and myself. A new start, as it were. Marketplace has helped me to make changes along the way without spending a ton of money. I feel good about the things that I have acquired. It’s also important to me that these items are going to good homes, and people that can use them, instead of being thrown away. I love the concept, and not spending a ton of time going to different garage sales trying to find great deals on things I can use. Warning: Of course with any online shopping there are certain precautions that you should take. Common sense helps to take care of most problems, but here are some good guidelines to start with:
That being said, I also have a friend that has made several successful purchases on FB Marketplace. He has been able to get a sectional sofa, 2 matching loveseats, an L-shaped desk all for less than $50 each. Once you have mastered the art of online sales via Marketplace, then you can expand your horizons to other such sales options as Nextdoor and maybe even Craigslist. |
AuthorLike so many others that have blogged before, Terry is an aspiring author. Archives
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