Today is...
National Cherish an Antique Day

Do you have any family heirlooms hidden away in your closets? Today is the day to polish them up and put them on display! Humans have been collecting antiques since the beginning of our history. We have always been fascinated by the stories behind these curiosities and the rare glimpse they give us into the lives of our predecessors. In 1979, the first episode of Antiques Roadshow aired in the United Kingdom. Local residents presented their family heirlooms and collectibles for appraisal, and learned their true value. The show was an instant success and is still in production today. On the American version of the show, the most valuable find to date was a set of carved rhinoceros horn cups, which were appraised at $1-$1.5 million!
To celebrate National Cherish an Antique Day, learn the story behind your favorite antique and share the tale with family and friends. Happy antiquing!

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April is National Grilled Cheese Month & Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for April 9 1682 - Robert La Salle claimed the lower Mississippi River and all lands that touch it for France. 1865 - General Robert E. Lee and his 26,765 troops surrendered to Union General Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. This event was effectively the end of the U.S. Civil War. 1770 - Captain James Cook discovered Botany Bay on the Australian continent. 1872 - S.R. Percy received a patent for dried milk. 1959 - NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astronauts. ______________________________________________________ "At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique human being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time." --Friedrich Nietzsche