Famous First Words: Call me Ishmael. –-Herman Melville Moby Dick
NOTICE: Gmail is refusing to let me imbed pictures in the ePistle today.
I've tried several methods and none work. The pictures are on the website:
https://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/
Today is American Teddy Bear Day. Wow, you work at the teddy bear factory; what do you do there? “Stuff”. <> Tina Teddy Bear got a job in a coal mine. On her first day she grabbed a pick and dug a lot of coal and slept well all night long. The next day, same thing, picked hard all day and slept well all night. Day three when she got to work there were no picks so she asked the foreman who said, “This is the day the teddy bears have their picks nicked.”
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. --Winston Churchill
..........Her heart was young and gay..........Johnny Desmond …..The Last Time I Saw Paris
There is perhaps nothing so bad and so dangerous in life as fear. --Jawaharlal Nehru
It is a bright Friday morning and the sun is rising in a blue, blue sky. The willow tree is soaking it in like a stringy sponge. There is little wind so the 58°F is warm and friendly. Birds flit about enjoying the beauty and the temperature. Jasmine incense sweetens the room and gently reminds me of flower gardens and mystery. But the crows are coming; I can hear them in the distance. Puck has been out and back and is sleeping under my feet. Veronica checked the backyard from the doorway and then disappeared somewhere into the house. I have filled the bird feeder and the peanut bowl and now I'm sitting at my desk drinking decaf and writing to you. Did you know a crow can pick up 3 or 4 peanuts at one time? But only after sitting on the roof and explaining the process first. Have a great day, ePistliers
Hope you can loosen up and lighten up this weekend, bear-cuddlers.
First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: If you are experiencing joint pain, you're probably holding the wrong end.
Whenever I go to an event that requires a date, I take my teddy bear. He's my plush one. <> Unwisely, Santa offered a teddy bear to James, unaware he had been mauled by a grizzly earlier this year. --Tim Burton
The secret to happiness is freedom...and the secret to freedom is courage. --Thucydides
..........Adrift in a world of my own..........The Platters …..The Great Pretender
Trivia Questions: Happy National Pickle Day!
How long have people been making pickles?
Why does NASA include pickles in astronauts' diets?
Which ancient civilization used pickles as a symbol of wealth?
Where or when did pickles get their nickname “pickles”?
What are the health benefits of pickles?
Big Hello: Accaлomy aлeҋқym = Tajik (a variety of Persian spoken in Tajikistan https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm
Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Out of all my lies, “I have read and agree to the terms...” is my favorite. --Submitted by Club42
Image of the Week: Taken with my new phone … The crow on my shed ~~The background is the tree-I-haven't-named-yet with the willow tree behind it.
Seasonal Quote of the Week: Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dance on a windy day. --Shira Tamir --Submitted by FNOG
When I told my teddy bear that she was cute, she plushed. <> I kind of miss Donald Trump. He was a little teddy bear to me. --Jeb Bush
Courage is fire and bullying is smoke. --Benjamin Disraeli
..........She'll take the town by storm..........Johnny Desmond …..Miss America
Moonbeam: Our job as Americans and as Republicans is to dislodge the traitors from every place where they've been sent to do their traitorous work. --Joseph R McCarthy
Blasphemy of the Week: I regard the afterlife to be a fairy story for people that are afraid of the dark. --Stephen Hawking --Submitted by MMS
Coffee Joke of the Week: Remember, you are not coffee. You do not have to wake up and make everyone happy. --My Witches
Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I tried to cook something from scratch...and ended up summoning a demon. --Submitted by sd of ks
So when I'm in that teddy bear suit, I'm like a creepy, sexy baby. --Miley Cyrus <> It's a beautiful night when you hug your teddy bear as you go to sleep. It's a horror night when your teddy bear hugs you back.
Courage is knowing what not to fear. --Plato
..........Something here inside, cannot be denied..........The Platters …..Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
1) Pickles date back to 2030 BCE when cucumbers from India were pickled in the Tigris Valley. This ancient method of preservation was essential before refrigeration.
Almanac: It is Friday, November 14, 2025. The moon entered its fourth quarter last Wednesday (11/12) and is in Virgo. The United Nations has declared this International Day Against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property. Today is also International Girl's Day, Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day, National American Teddy Bear Day, National Block It Out Day, National Family PJ Day, National Pickle Day, National Seat Belt Day, National Spicy Guacamole Day, Operating Room Nurse Day, National Speakers Association (NSA) Day, and World Diabetes Day.
Among those born on this day were Robert Fulton (1765), Henri Dutrochet (1776), Claude Monet (1840), Jawaharlal Nehru (1889), Mamie Doud Eisenhower (1896), Aaron Copland (1900), Dick Powell (1904), Joseph R. McCarthy (1909), Rosemary DeCamp (1910), Barbara Hutton (1912), Veronica Lake (1919), Johnny Desmond (1920), McLean Stevenson (1929), and Cornell Gunter (Platters, 1938).
On November fourteenth the first professional librarian was hired in the new world (1732), the streetcar debutted (1832), Moby Dick was published (1851), the power plant at Niagara Falls began operation (1896), Kilauea erupted (1959), Apollo 12 was launched (1969), and Micahel Jackson's Black or White video premiered on TV (1991).
Night Sky, 11/14: Vega is the brightest star in the west in the early evening. Its little constellation Lyra extends to its left. Somewhat farther left, about a fist and a half at arm's length from Vega, is 4th-magnitude Albireo, the beak of Cygnus. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/
Fraternal Picture of the Week: Two boys and a giraffe
This Week: Saturday, November 15 – America Recycles Day & I Love To Write Day & National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
Sunday, November 16 – International Day for Tolerance & National Button Day & Historic Teddy Bear Day
Night Sky, : Leonids Meteor Shower; after midnight until dawn. 10-15 per hour. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-leonid-meteor-shower/
Monday, November 17 – Homemade Bread Day & National Butter Day & Take A Hike Day
Tuesday, November 18 – Family Day & Mickey Mouse Day
Night Sky, 11/18: Sunrise: 7:08 am Sunset: 5:05 pm Moonrise: 5:42 am Moonset: 3:54 pm
Wednesday, November 19 – Rocky and Bullwinkle Day & World Toilet Day
Thursday, November 20 – Globally Organized Hug A Runner Day (GOHARD) & Great American Smokeout & Transgender Day of Remembrance
Night Sky, 11/20: The moon will be new at 6:46 pm and is in Sagittarius.
Is teddy bear poop called fleeces? <> My teddy is unbearably cuddly. <> A bear teaches us that if the heart is true, it doesn't matter much if an ear drops off. --Helen Exley
Courage is grace under pressure. --Ernest Hemingway
..........We love to spend our Sundays in the park..........Johnny Desmond …..The Picnic Song
2) NASA includes pickles in astronauts' diets. Their high sodium content helps maintain electrolyte balance during space missions.
Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I was asked once,”You're a smart man, why aren't you rich?” I replied, “You're a rich man, why aren't you smart?” --Jacque Fresco
Moonbeam: The American dream of rags to riches is a dream for a reason – it is hard to achieve; were everyone to do it, it wouldn't be a dream but would rather be reality. --Robert Fulton
Fun Facts of the Week: Seat belts save an estimated 15,000 lives in the U.S. each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Over a longer period, from 1975 through 2017, they are estimated to have saved 374,276 lives in the U.S. alone. The modern three-point seat belt, invented by Nils Bohlin in 1959, is credited with saving at least a million lives worldwide.
Video of the Week: Kilauea erupting in 1959 (3:42) https://youtu.be/f1WbeL3haR0
Democracy is good. I say this because other systems are worse. --Jawaharlal Nehru
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? Vincent Van Gogh
My teddy bear just graduated from Harvard Law. Now she's a barrister. <> “What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It's today”, answered Piglet. “My favorite day.” said Pooh. --A A Milne
..........Heavenly shades of night are falling..........The Platters …..Twilight Time
3) In ancient Rome, pickles were considered a luxury item. Only the wealthy could afford to indulge in these preserved treats.
Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: We're not allowed to call the Higgs Boson the “God Particle” anymore because now there's evidence that it exists. --Submitted by IIWSPIBH
Weird Word of the Week: Mallifuff: a Scottish word that means being utterly devoid of any energy needed to get things done. https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/mallifuff
Dragons of the Week:
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Remove nail polish stains from fingernails. Mix four teaspoons of Clorox Bleach and one cup of warm water, and soak nails in the mixture for fifteen minutes. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox3.html
One man with courage is a majority. --Thomas Jefferson
I don't think my parents like me. They put a live teddy bear in my crib. --Woody Allen <> My teddy bear always travels light. She only brings the bear necessities.
...........Stars in the night, blazing their light..........Johnny Desmond …..Old Devil Moon
4) In the 19th century, pickle was a slang term for a mischievous child. It reflected the tangy and unpredictable nature of pickles.
Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Penis Envy implies the existence of six other deadly penis sins. --Submitted by UUHS
Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Atlantis Festival 2025 (15-16, Las Vegas) ..a celebration Beyond Worlds https://atlantisfestlv.com/
Teddy Bear Alert of the Week: This Saturday (11/15) at the KU men's basketball game Toys For Tots will host the Teddy Bear Toss. People in the bleachers throw new teddy bears on the floor. These are gathered up and given to needy children at Christmas. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRAs3ThDxPy/
Advice of the Week: The water ain't gonna clear up until you get the pig out of the creek. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2593621180772599 (The problem with Jon Stewart)
Spark of Joy of the Week: This joke about me wandered onto my facebook page ...Back in college I took English lit. If I had taken English sober it would only have taken four years instead of six.
The opposite for courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow. --Jim Hightower
I bought a teddy bear for $10 and named it Mohammed. Then I sold it for $20. The moral: Always make a prophet. <> In a world gone bad, a bear – even a bear standing on its head – is a comforting, uncomplicated, dependable hunk of sanity. --Pam Brown
..........For it's true you are my destiny..........The Platters …..Only You
5) Pickles, especially fermented pickles, contain small amounts of vitamins A, C, and K as well as minerals like potassium and calcium. They also contain antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and vitamin C, which can help protect cells from damage. Fermented pickles are a good source of probiotics, beneficial bacteria that can improve gut health and digestion. Pickles are high in sodium, which can help replenish electrolytes lost to sweat or exercise.
Protest Sign of the Week: We Can't Afford Not To Protest
Quote of the Week: If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased. --Katharine Hepburn
Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Cavemen who wandered aimlessly were Meanderthals.
Today's Peace of History: November 14, 1903 – The U.S. Women’s Trade Union League was established when it became clear that the AFL had no intention of including women within its ranks.
We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right. --Ronald Reagan
The cell phone has become the adult's transitional object, replacing the toddler's teddy bear for comfort and a sense of belonging. --Margaret Heffernan <> A thief broke into a toy store and stole everything except the teddy bears. When he was caught he told the police that he had constipation and was unable to take a pooh.
..........All my ivory towers tumble from the sky..........Johnny Desmond …..Play Me Heart And Flowers
Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, November 14, 2025: Faux Ursine ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.
Moonbeam: Ike runs the country and I turn the pork chops. --Mamie Eisenhower
Cost of War:
As of 11/13/25 State Department Costs: $279,557,889,553
As of 11/06/25 State Department Costs: $278,978,617,193
As of 11/13/25 Homeland Security: $1,215,353,812,75
As of 11/06/25 Homeland Security: $1,214,735,345,751
As of 11/13/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,339,909,903,088
As of 11/06/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,338,319,703,931
As of 11/13/25 Military Costs: $3,177,024,239,250
As of 11/06/25 Military Costs: $3,175,816,938,537
As of 11/13/25 Veterans Care: $4,582,120,852,877
As of 11/06/25 Veterans Care: $4,570,067,517,518
As of 11/13/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,593,958,283,468
As of 11/06/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,577,919,028,857
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/
Action in order to be effective must be directed to clearly conceived ends. --Jawaharlal Nehru
Famous Last Words: And I only am escaped alone to tell thee. --Herman Melvile Moby Dick
..........In the rain, in the dark, in the sun..........The Platters …..Ebb Tide
Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. --John F Kennedy
How did the teddy bear cross the road? Ewoked. <> The larger office, the corner space, the extra window are the teddy bears and tricycles of adult office life. -Willard Gaylin
May Peace loosen your day
And Joy lighten it
prairie mama
christine
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