Category: Pop and Thistle

Homegrown First Aid – Aloe Vera

No matter how careful you are, accidents and incidents and other events requiring some level of medical attention happen. There are aisles and aisles in the drug store hawking products to treat, cure, soothe, and anesthetize everyday injuries and illnesses such as cuts, insect bites, sunburn, sore throat, and acne. Some of these products are …

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Healthy Tropical Drink Recipes: Chiquita Banana Colada and Pink Sunrise Mocktails

There’s nothing better on a hot summer day than kicking back and relaxing with a cold, tasty and refreshing beverage — and there are so many great options to choose from. But why not add a little excitement to your summer by choosing something to drink that’s fun and colorful, super healthy and delicious, too? …

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“Morningside Heights, July” by William Matthews

Morningside Heights, July Haze. Three student violists boardinga bus. A clatter of jackhammers.Granular light. A film of sweat for primerand the heat for a coat of paint.A man and a woman on a bench:she tells him he must be psychic,for how else could he sense, even before she knew,that she’d need to call it off? …

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International Day of the Tropics

Our planet’s lush tropics cover 40% of the land, and account for approximately 80% of Earth’s biodiversity, yet it is under constant threat from human activity and climate change. Today is International Day of the Tropics, which was created as a reminder to appreciate and respect our rich, tropical lands. Here is a poem by …

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Mango Carrot Ginger Smoothie Recipe

Author: Sharon Palmer A gorgeous Mexican mango was the inspiration for a flavorful, antioxidant-rich smoothie in my kitchen this week. In celebration of that particularly sunny shade of pink-orange-yellow found in mangos, carrots, and citrus fruits, I whipped up a sweet, fruity, plant-based mango, with a bite of spicy ginger. This smoothie is packed with …

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“Daisy Time” by Marjorie Pickthall

Daisy Time See, the grass is full of stars,Fallen in their brightness;Hearts they have of shining gold,Rays of shining whiteness. Buttercups have honeyed hearts,Bees they love the clover,But I love the daisies’ danceAll the meadow over. Blow, O blow, you happy winds,Singing summer’s praises,Up the field and down the fieldA-dancing with the daisies.

June 24th Birthday Love: Colin Blunstone

Singer and songwriter Colin Blunstone was born on June 24, 1945, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. In the 1960’s, Blunstone rose to fame as the lead singer for The Zombies, and has also had a successful solo career, making music for over 50 years now. The band formed in 1962 in St. Albans, England, with Colin …

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Astrid Cabral’s Love of Her Home, The Amazon

This World Rainforest Day I am celebrating novelist, poet, environmentalist, diplomat, and mother of five, Astrid Cabral, who sings the songs of her Amazon home in her exemplary poetry. Some of Cabral’s most well-known books include Through Water (2003), Anteroom (2007), and Cage (2008). In Cage, Cabral explores the real and symbolic animals of the Amazon. She …

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First Day of Summer

Today marks the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, also known as midsummer and the first day of summer. The sun reaches its highest point in the sky for the year on this day. To celebrate the start of the season, here is a poem by Carl Sandburg, “Back Yard” from The Chicago …

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“I, Too” by Langston Hughes

I, Too I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother.They send me to eat in the kitchenWhen company comes,But I laugh,And eat well,And grow strong. Tomorrow,I’ll be at the tableWhen company comes.Nobody’ll dareSay to me,“Eat in the kitchen,”Then. Besides,They’ll see how beautiful I amAnd be ashamed— I, too, am America. -Langston Hughes