SEPTEMBER 2016

www.treemont.com The Tattler Treemont Retirement Community, 2501 Westerland Dr., Houston, Texas 77063 713-412-3546

Hats Off to Fall

September brings chilly fall winds in the northern hemisphere and bright hot sun in the southern. This makes September the perfect month to don a hat, either

to keep warm or to protect you from sunburn. Short on Celebrating September ideas about what kind of hat to wear during Hat Month? Opportunities abound for wearing hats of all different Classical Music Month styles.

Self Improvement Month In America, September 13 is Uncle Sam Day. That stern-faced, white-bearded, finger-pointing gentleman, a Courtesy Month symbol of America personified, wears a top hat decorated with great white stars on a blue background. Newspaper Carrier Day Of course, if you choose to wear a top hat, it needn’t be so patriotic. If you happen to find yourself south of the September 4 border in Mexico on September 16, Mexican

Independence Day, you will likely find many people Labor Day (U.S.) wearing wide-brimmed sombreros and yelling, “¡Viva September 5 Mexico!”

National Ampersand Day If you’re the crafty type, ditch the sombrero on September 8 September 15 and celebrate Make-a-Hat Day. Plum out of ideas for this holiday? September 15 is also Felt Hat Chocolate Milkshake Day Day, so grab some shears and start cutting felt for a September 12 fedora, a cloche, or even a tall gnome cap.

Line Dance Week History buffs can also get into the fun. In America, September 12–17 September 16 is Mayflower Day, the day in 1620 that the Pilgrims set sail from England for the New World. International Day of What is more symbolic of the Pilgrims than their Democracy capotains, those tall black hats with big buckles in the center? If you’re going for historical accuracy, however, September 15 forget the buckle. It was a fanciful addition by artists of

the 19th century. If fanciful hats are more to your liking, Love Note Day don a pirate’s hat on September 19, Talk Like a Pirate September 23 Day. Or even better, on September 26, Johnny Appleseed Day, take after that American folk hero and International Coffee Day wear a tin pot on your head. Legend states that he September 29 wandered barefoot eating out of his hat, wearing naught but a coffee sack.

September 2016

Tough One-Hit Wonderful

If you find the number 13 There is no surer path to celebrity and then unlucky, then September back to obscurity than the one-hit wonder. 13, Defy Day, September 25 is One-Hit Wonder Day, a day may be just what the doctor for us to remember all those musicians who ordered. are beliefs that contradict wrote one hit song that dominated the charts rational thought. If they are so irrational, why are and then were forgotten. Perhaps one of the so many people superstitious? Psychologist B.F. best-known one-hit wonders is “Earth Angel,” Skinner hypothesizes that superstitious that 1955 doo-wop classic by the Penguins. behaviors stem from the concept of The record sold over four million copies and reinforcement; that is, a person makes an action was covered by various artists, making it expecting a reward. What makes superstitions perhaps the most successful one-hit wonder of unique is that superstitious people repeat an all time. But don’t take our word for it. Every action over and over, even if the reward is not decade has had its share of one-hit wonders: realized. For example, someone may always 1963’s “Wipeout” by the Surfaris, 1977’s “You throw over their shoulder to ward off bad Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone, 1983’s luck even though there is no immediate benefit “Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Taco, 1991’s “Walking or consequence. in Memphis” by Marc Cohn, and 2006’s “Listen to Your Heart” by D.H.T. If you don’t recall any Why do we throw salt to ward off bad luck? The of these songs, you’re not alone, but that salt superstition stems from Christianity, doesn’t bother Steven Greenberg, who in 1980 specifically, Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the wrote the song “Funkytown.” When asked . In the painting, Judas—the apostle about his sole hit, Greenberg says, “I call it who betrayed —is depicted knocking over ‘one-hit wonderful.’” the salt. The act of spilling salt has since been associated with treachery and lies. The act of throwing it over your left shoulder is to blind the Press Day devil lurking there. On September 3, 1833, Benjamin Day began Do you walk under ladders? It’s a common printing his daily newspaper The superstition that it is bad luck to do so. This Sun in New York City, for which superstition began in ancient Egypt. A ladder he charged one penny per leaning against a wall forms a triangle, which copy. For this reason, September was considered a sacred shape, similar to the 3 is celebrated as Penny Press shape of the pyramids. Passing under the ladder Day. Day’s small paper was was considered an insult to the gods. This groundbreaking for many reasons. superstition carries on to this day. First, it brought the news to the masses. Working-class families and Perhaps the most prevalent superstition is to immigrants could at last afford to be knock on wood to prevent disappointment and well informed. Secondly, it relied promote good fortune. Many ancient pagan on advertising, not subscriptions, for cultures worshipped trees because they were revenue, which helped keep its cost so low. believed to be inhabited by spirits. It was The invention of the steam engine also aided common to lay hands on trees and ask for favors Day’s cause. In 1840, he could print 4,000 or give thanks. Of course, on September 13, copies an hour; by 1851, he was printing defy all these superstitions by spilling salt, 18,000. Day was also the first newspaperman walking under ladders, and not knocking on to hire reporters to follow stories. Thanks to his wood. While you’re at it, open an umbrella ingenuity, Day became New York’s first great indoors and break a mirror for good measure. newspaper magnate.

September 2016

A Card for Any Occasion And Per Se And

It’s happened to many of us: September 8 is the day to acknowledge & You want to buy a greeting card, appreciate & celebrate the amazing and the next thing you know ampersand. This shorthand glyph for the word you’ve spent countless minutes and was once the 27th letter of the alphabet. reading every card in the aisle. But before it was known as an ampersand, it But did you ever stop to wonder was simply the symbol &. The symbol stems who had penned all those from Latin. In ancient Rome, the word for and greeting cards? Most greeting was et. Roman scribes, looking for a shortcut, card writers remain anonymous, combined the two letters in cursive script, which but that shouldn’t stop you from celebrating Hug looked like &. a Greeting Card Writer Day on Septermber 18. The word ampersand evolved by accident Despite the advent of digital greeting cards and many years later when the symbol & was made online social media outlets like Facebook, the part of the alphabet. In the early 1800s, school greeting card industry still manages to rake in children would recite the alphabet and after X, seven billion dollars every year. That’s thanks to Y, Z, include the phrase and per se and. Per se the average person sending 25–30 cards a year means “by itself,” so they were essentially through the mail. Why do greeting cards remain reciting “and by itself and.” The phrase and per so popular? Perhaps it is because, deep down, se and over time transformed into the word we crave lasting messages of love and ampersand, giving this interesting little appreciation. After all, most of us still have old character its name. The ampersand wasn’t the greeting cards stuffed into drawers somewhere. only letter to be dropped from the alphabet. In It is the job of the greeting card writer to find the Old English, the letter thorn represented the th perfect words for our thoughts and feelings. sound, and the letter wynn evolved into the letter w. Opportunities abound for freelance writers to become writers of greeting cards. According to the Greeting Card Association (GCA), while the Darling Dumplings picture on the front of the card captures a buyer’s attention, it is the words inside that will In Argentina, the 29th of determine whether the card is bought. Greeting every month is Gnocchi cards generally come in three styles: poetic Day, with families verse, prose, and humorous punchlines. The gathering together to GCA advises that writers must be sure to match make and eat this their writing to the appropriate holiday. It makes delightful little dumpling. So this September 29, little sense to write a humorous Mother’s Day why not try some gnocchi yourself? card for a publishing house seeking poems that tug on the heart strings. In general, good cards Gnocchi are a form of potato pasta originating pay anywhere from $25 to $150 per card, with in Italy. When Italian immigrants came to funny cards often earning more. Argentina in the 19th century, they brought with them their favorite Italian recipes. In Argentina, Perhaps you have an idea for a non-traditional payday was on the first of the month, so by the greeting card. Wombi Rose, founder of Lovepop 29th, most families were left with little in their cards, wanted to build a more exctiting greeting larders, perhaps just some potatoes and flour, card. Not only does Lovepop create a 3-D, pop- the key ingredients to gnocchi. Families could up card tailor-made to the customer’s wishes, whip up a quick, inexpensive, and filling meal. but they will even handwrite a personal Even today, travelers to Argentina will find message inside. Now that’s a special delivery. gnocchi on the menu every 29th day.

P Y Dear Treemonters: o o September Birthdays s u 1st Felix Meyer t Please read the letter from Rodney Brooks, a r 2nd John Haywood g Executive Director, regarding hurricane 3rd Karen Nypaver e preparedness. It’s attached to “The Tattler”. R Ethel Vantine I e Please take the time to read it and be advised of 4th Virginia Gildart n our Emergency Plan and his recommendations. f t Jan Gardner o u This is not intended to alarm you, but to keep 6th Ruth Gunther r you ADVISED of our “shelter-in-place” policy. m r 7th Mario Concha a n No emergency situation is ever totally 9th Steve Golvach t comfortable. This letter lets you know what you i 15th Joanne Driscoll o A can expect if you choose to stay at Treemont in 18th Nancy Alldredge n d an emergency situation. William Sparks d 19th Judy Grant r Also, please remember to recycle your clean 20th Purvis Crews e plastic, paper, glass and aluminum items in the Nancy Marcus s BLUE CAN in the Refuse Room. Your regular 21st Julia Cain s trash can be disposed of in the other “trash” 23rd Delores Sagissor S cans in the Refuse Room. Thank you. 26th Maxwell Nager t Sign up for the FABULOUS bus trip we’re taking this 29th Bill McDonald r month. September 19th we’ll travel to Anderson, Ruby Pennington e Texas and have an exceptional day. If you like the Your Birthday Dinner is on Thursday, e country, antique vehicles, vineyards and private September 29th at 5 pm in the Green Room. t concerts – you’ll love this trip. $30 fee + food

N u m “Number, Please” September Birthdays b Emma M. Nutt made history e In astrology, those born between September 1 on September 1, 1878, when r and 22 are Virgos. Virgos are observant, she became the first female independent, reliable, and intellectual. Virgos Y telephone operator. It had a require a sharply organized mind and will o been customary for teenage n analyze points in an attempt to bring order to u boys to be telephone d chaos, no matter the consequences. Those r operators. However, these born between September 23 and 30 balance youth proved impatient over N the scales of Libra. Libras seek equality, M the phone, played pranks on a justice, and harmony. Eager to cooperate, a callers, and often used crude language. m Libras are charming diplomats who seek i Alexander Graham Bell himself came up with e compromise and good will. l the solution to hire young women, and he C i started by hiring Emma Nutt. Needless to say, Boxcar Willie (singer) – September 1, 1931 i n Emma’s cool, soothing voice transformed the Bob Newhart (actor) – September 5, 1929 t g new industry. Emma’s sister Stella Nutt was Jane Curtin (actress) – September 6, 1947 y hired just a few hours later. Emma Nutt was so Otis Redding (singer) – September 9, 1941 , A successful that telephone operation became an Agatha Christie (writer) – September 15, 1890 d exclusively female profession. Indeed, women Sophia Loren (actress) – September 20, 1934 S d relished the professional opportunity, which was Jim Henson (puppeteer) – September 24, 1936 t r considered a step up from domestic duties and Jack LaLanne (health guru) – September 26, 1914 a e factory work. Women would man the telephones Gene Autry (singer) – September 29, 1907 t s for almost the next 100 years. Buddy Rich (drummer) – September 30, 1917 e s

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