Author: Ms. R.

I just wrapped up my first year of gardening in the Mojave Desert, specifically in the Las Vegas Valley. I watched as plants sizzled in the sun after one missed watering, and most of my vegetables simply gave up on life as temperatures topped 115 degrees in May. But one plant I put into the ground, as a curious experiment, was a surprising success: the Long Island cheese pumpkin. And it turns out, adaptable heirlooms like this squash might……

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The Katherine Mansfield House was the childhood home of Katherine Mansfield, one of New Zealand‘s most celebrated writers. Mansfield’s works frequently addressed themes that were considered taboo or controversial, such as sexual identity, class differences, and the complexities of human relationships. In her short stories, Mansfield described her childhood home as “that awful cubbyhole,” “the wretched letter box in town” and “that horrid little piggy house.” Mansfield shared the home with seven other family members, and described it as……

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Cinema Rif or the Cinémathèque de Tanger was established in 1949 during Morocco‘s colonial period under French rule. Originally named Cinema Royal, it was primarily a venue for showcasing international films. The theater quickly gained popularity among Tangier‘s residents and became a hub for film enthusiasts. In the 1950s and 1960s, Tangier experienced a significant cultural renaissance, attracting artists, writers, and filmmakers from around the world. This movie theater played a pivotal role during this period by hosting screenings……

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In the middle of Main Street, a sculpture depicts two athletes reaching for the sky, holding long sticks with netting at the end, competing over a ball. A third athlete lays in the scrum, trampled underneath. The game? Lacrosse. The city? La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Lacrosse Players is a tribute to the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and the game that led to the town’s name. The origins of lacrosse lay to the east of Wisconsin, as the sport originated in……

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Every Arctic country likes to claim Santa Claus for their own. Canadian children write domestic letters to Santa with the specially allocated Canadian zip code H0H 0H0, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2013 “Everyone knows that Santa Claus is Canadian.” Finnish children are taught that Santa lives in Lapland, Finland‘s northernmost region. Ask Norwegians, and he lives in Drøbak, Norway. But to Danish children, there is no doubt he lives in Greenland—specifically, in this particular house near……

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we’ve got seven little-known stories to tell at the dinner table this year. Learn why dry turkey is on the menu instead of cow tongue or raccoon, and meet the woman who spent 15 years trying to make Thanksgiving an official holiday. Consider adding banana to your seasonal spread, and read about the return of a lost Native language. Gather around the table to share these surprising tales of Thanksgiving history, food,……

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Full disclosure: The Tri-States Monument does not, as is sometimes claimed, actually mark the location where the boundaries of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania meet. The confusion is understandable; the bronze United States Coast and Geodetic survey disc and scored granite marker give the appearance of authority and precision. However, as the nearby Witness Monument makes clear, the state boundaries actually intersect about 475 feet west of the Tri-States Monument, in the middle of the Delaware River. If……

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Sequoias are a marvel of nature. They’re some of the largest living beings on the planet, towering above every other type of tree. (A giant sequoia nicknamed General Sherman holds the title of the largest tree in the world by volume). Because these trees take millennia to grow, and only do so in very specific climates, many were skeptical that they even existed. One specific tree was chosen to aid with that in 1891. It was a 300-foot (91-meter) giant……

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