"We have watered the trees that blossom in the summer-time. Now let's sprinkle those whose flowering time is past. That will be the better deed, because we shall not be working for the reward."

Kalidasa

Who likes maple syrup?? All of you?? Good!!

Well, today is national maple syrup day, and do you know how it all started?
I put this info together, to post on my blog;

The first people to make maple syrup were the Native Americans, which is not a great surprise, they being the first inhabitants of many parts of North America, the unique part of the world regarding maple syrup.
It's slightly puzzling though, when taking into account the arduous process of maple syrup making; the correct season, proper tree, long boiling process, how anything came about the idea in the first place.

A Native American legend about how the first maple syrup was made;

"One day in early spring, an Indian chief came home from a long day of hunting and stuck his tomahawk in one of the trees outside his longhouse, as he did every night. Now being that maple trees are very abundant in his area, this happened to be a maple.

The next morning the chief woke and left for another hunt, taking his tomahawk from the tree. It just happened that there was a bowl sitting at the base of this tree, directly under the gash made by the chief's tomahawk. As the warm spring sun shone on the maple tree, the sap began to run out of the gash, down the trunk, and dripped into the bowl. As evening approached, the chief's daughter began to prepare dinner. She needed a pail of water to boil dinner in though. As she walked past the tree on her way down to the creek, she noticed the bowl full of "water" sitting by the tree. Rather than walk all the way to the creek, the chief's daughter decided to use this "water." As the dinner boiled, the "water" boiled away, and by the time dinner was done, the "water", which was actually maple sap, had boiled down to the first maple syrup. With a little experimenting, the chief and his daughter discovered how and when to make this new all natural sweetener. From that point on, maple syrup became an important part of the Native American's diet."

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Also, this day in 1989, the first episode of The Simpsons aired on FOX.

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"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness."

Henry David Thoreau

Nature gives without expectation of return
-and we should too, says noted monk Phra Santikaro

In Thailand, the mothers of the bride and groom walk to the altar to drape puang malai (flower garlands)around the couple's shoulders to wish them good fortune in their life together.

In the Caribbean, Hibiscus is often carried in the bouquet to ward off bad omens!

Swedish and Danish grooms sew small pockets of strong-smelling herbs like garlic, chives, and rosemary into their clothes for good luck.

The Indian groom's brother sprinkles flower petals over the couple at the end of the ceremony to protect them from evil.

Ancient Greek brides often carried ivy at their weddings as a symbol of their neverending love for their sweeties.

Ancient Roman brides carried bunches of herbs to symbolize fidelity and fertility -- and to scare off evil spirits.

The Victorians, who were fascinated by the meanings of different blooms, popularized the wedding rose, which represents true love.
The bride originally tossed her bouquet to a friend as she left the festivities to keep that friend safe (by warding off evil spirits, of course) and to offer her luck; this came to mean that the single woman who caught the bouquet would marry next.

In a Greek Orthodox wedding, crowns of orange blossoms were traditionally made for the bride and groom -- they even matched the delicate embroidery on the bride's dress. The blossoms symbolize virginity and purity because they are white and fragile, and they emit a sweet, delicate scent.

In Tudor England, brides carried marigolds dipped in rosewater and ate them afterward, since they were thought to be aphrodisiacs!

According to Italian tradition, the front grill of the Italian getaway car is decorated with flowers, paving the road to a happy marriage.

In the Middle East, the bitter herb artemisia is incorporated into bridal bouquets to ensure that marriages will survive bitterness as well as sweetness.

According to Indian tradition, both the bride and the groom sport a floral headpiece.

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

-Kalidasa