Month: March 2026

The jobs AI Still can’t Touch-and Those it Can

There is a metric called “observed exposure,” which tracks how ai is being used in real workplaces.  About 30% of U.S. workers score a flat zero. Their tasks simply do not appear in AI usage data at any meaningful level. And before anyone assumes these are low-skill jobs, look at the list.

These are roles built around physical presence, sensory judgment, and reading the room in real time. A language model has no body, no hands, and no instincts. Those still matter.

Here’s the part that surprises people. AI could theoretically handle 90% of tasks in office and admin roles. But in practice, observed usage covers only about a third of computer and math jobs, which are already the most penetrated category. The gap between capability and reality is enormous.

These jobs already feel the pressure of AI

Computer programmers top the list at 75% task coverage. Claude is being used heavily for coding, and that usage is leaning toward full automation, not just helping programmers work faster.

Customer service reps come in second. Their core tasks are increasingly showing up in first-party API traffic, which is a technical way of saying companies are quietly replacing human agents with AI pipelines.

Data-entry workers are third at 67% coverage. Reading documents and entering data is exactly what AI does quickly and cheaply, and businesses have noticed.

Other high-exposure occupations include:

  • Financial analysts, whose modeling and number-crunching work is heavily covered
  • Office administrators, facing 90% theoretical exposure, even if real adoption still lags
  • Computer and math workers broadly, where observed exposure sits at 33% and climbing

Zero-exposure occupations highlighted in the research:

  • Cooks, whose work involves knife skills, tasting, and plating judgment no model can replicate
  • Motorcycle mechanics, who diagnose engines through hands-on inspection
  • Lifeguards, whose job is scanning water and executing physical rescues
  • Bartenders, who read crowds and social dynamics in real time
  • Dishwashers and dressing-room attendants, handling wet, physical, unpredictable tasks
  • Agricultural workers pruning trees and operating farm machinery outdoors
  • Courtroom lawyers, whose work demands physical presence and live advocacy

The BLS projects steady growth for blue-collar roles through the decade. Health care is adding roughly 40,000 jobs a month, with demand for nurses, therapists, and care workers running well ahead of anything AI is displacing.

Who faces the greatest AI threat, and what it means for the workforce

Here is where the story gets uncomfortable for a lot of people. The workers most at risk are not who you might expect.

Using Current Population Survey data from just before ChatGPT launched in late 2022, researchers found that the highest-exposure workers tend to be older, more educated, female, and significantly better paid, earning about 47% more than their zero-exposure counterparts.

Every previous automation wave hit lower-wage workers first. This one is lining up differently, aiming squarely at white-collar professionals who spent years and money building credentials for office-based careers.

That said, there is no unemployment crisis to report yet. The study finds no measurable rise in joblessness among high-exposure workers since ChatGPT launched.

Even a “Great Recession for white-collar workers” scenario, where unemployment in exposed fields doubled from 3% to 6%, would show up clearly in their framework. It has not appeared.

The crack is showing up in hiring instead. Among workers aged 22 to 25, the monthly job-finding rate in high-exposure occupations has fallen roughly 14% since ChatGPT’s arrival.

The drop is barely statistically significant, but it echoes what separate researchers tracking ADP payroll data have been flagging for months: Young people trying to break into exposed fields are finding fewer doors open.

The honest answer right now is that AI-fueled mass displacement has not arrived. But the early signals are pointing in one direction, and anyone paying attention to where younger workers aren’t getting hired should probably take note.

Source:  TheStreet©

Graphic by:  remoteonlinejob.com©

Hot Cross Buns for Easter

Hot cross buns are sweet, spiced yeast buns filled with dried fruits and marked with a cross, traditionally enjoyed at Easter.

Hot cross buns are soft, lightly sweetened buns made with yeast dough, aromatic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and dried fruits such as raisins, currants, or candied citrus peel. The cross on top symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ, making them a traditional Good Friday and Easter treat. They are enjoyed warm, often with butter, and can also be toasted for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients

Milk, 1 cup
Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon
Currants, ¼ cup
Lemon (zest finely chopped), 2 tablespoons
Grate Nutmeg (to taste), 1
Butter, 2 tablespoons
Salt, ½ teaspoon
Active Dry Yeast, 1 pack

Icing

  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp milk hot
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Combine the milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, currants or raisins, citron, butter and salt in a small saucepan and heat over a low flame until the sugar is dissolved, the butter has melted, and the milk is luke warm (110F, 43C).
    1 cup milk,1/4 tsp cinnamon,1/4 cup currants,1 grate nutmeg,2 tbsp butter,1/2 tsp Salt,2 tbsp lemon
  • Sprinkle the yeast over the milk mixture and allow to proof for 15 minutes.
    1 pack active dry yeast
  • Beat the egg into the milk mixture and combine with half the flour in a mixing bowl.
    1 large egg,650 ml flour
  • Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead the rest of the flour in, using only enough to form a dough that can be handled easily.
  • Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in volume.
  • Shape the dough into 18 balls and place in rows on a greased baking sheet.
  • Using a sharp knife or razor blade, cut a cross into the tops of the balls.
  • Cover with a dish towel and allow to rise until doubled in volume.
  • Bake in a preheated 425F (220C) oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, combine the frosting ingredients, stirring until smooth.
    1 tbsp sugar,1/2 cup powdered sugar,2 tsp milk,1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • Allow the buns to cool before spooning or piping the frosting on the cross made by the cuts in the dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g

An Eastern Orthodox Easter

The religious holiday of Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible’s New Testament. Although it is observed as the holiest day by both Orthodox Christians and non-orthodox Christians, it is a movable feast and is recognized on different days by both religions each year. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter later than most Christians in the western world because the churches calculate the holiday by different calendars. Thus, in 2026, Orthodox Easter occurs on April 12.

Many Orthodox Christian churches, including the Greek Orthodox and the Russian Orthodox churches, celebrate the “miracle of Easter” on the Easter Sunday date in the Julian calendar. Most people see Easter as the most important event in the church calendar. Orthodox Easter preparations begin with 40 days of strict fasting prior to Easter Day. Many Orthodox Christians attend liturgies during the Holy Week that leads up to Easter Sunday.

Another tradition observed in many Orthodox Christian churches is the blessing of food baskets. The baskets are usually filled with bread, cheese, meat, eggs, butter, salt, and other types of food used for Paschal celebrations. When the fasting period has ended and meat and dairy products can be eaten.

Easter’s Origins

According to the Bible’s New Testament, Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans around A.D. 30, died on the cross on a Friday and was buried in a tomb outside of Jerusalem. Three days later, on Sunday, Christ rose from the dead, according to Matthew 28:1–10.

Non-Orthodox Christians celebrate the resurrection each year on Easter Sunday, the culmination of the 40-day season of Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Holy Week.  Holy Week includes Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Maundy Thursday, honoring the Last Supper, Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and Holy Saturday, the time of transition between the crucifixion and resurrection.

 How Is the Date of Easter Determined?

Orthodox Christians, who believe faith is inseparable from the church, follow the Julian calendar when it comes to celebrating Easter Sunday. The Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. and is based on the solar cycle—Earth’s revolutions around the sun.

Orthodox Easter takes place between April 4 and May 8.  According to the New Testament, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

The Calendar

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar to correct inaccuracies in the Julian Calendar. The new calendar added leap years to correct an 11-minute miscalculation that caused seasons to become out of sync with the calendar.  That pushed Easter away from the spring equinox. Under the Gregorian calendar, churches established Easter to be held on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox.

Much of the world came to officially recognize the Gregorian calendar, but Orthodox churches, primarily in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and others, continue to observe Easter according to the Julian calendar.

Orthodox Easter Traditions

The eggs

As with many Christian holidays, decorating eggs, which symbolize new life, dates back to the 13th century when the church disallowed eating eggs during Holy Week, and they were decorated instead. The Easter egg is hard-boiled and often dyed red to symbolize the blood of Christ. It was an important symbol connected with spring fertility rituals in many early civilizations. Many Greek Orthodox Christians rap their eggs against their friends’ eggs and the owner of the last uncracked egg is considered lucky.

The Lamb

Another important symbol associated with Easter is the lamb. It is often depicted with a banner that bears a cross, and it is known as the Agnus Dei, meaning “Lamb of God” in Latin.

The Church

Both Orthodox Christians and non-Orthodox Christians celebrate the Easter holiday with joyous church services, often punctuated with white lilies, followed by family meals and gatherings. Eastern Orthodox churches often hold a Paschal Vigil on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.  A candlelight procession may be held that night, with Easter services and celebrations beginning at midnight.

The Meals

Traditional Christian Easter meals often include ham, spring vegetables and hot-cross buns (sweet rolls scored with a cross on top). At Orthodox Christian Easter dinners, along with red-dyed hard-boiled eggs, which are symbolic of the blood of Christ, lamb is typically served. John 1:29 says, “Behold the lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.”

Source:  history.com©

Add These Unexpected Items to the Bottom of Your Planters

Although rocks and gravel are some of the most common materials to add to the bottom of your pot, they may not be the best option. Unfortunately, adding chunky items to the bottom of your planter can sometimes create a perched water table, which is when water pools in a container when it encounters a different medium other than soil. That layer — such as gravel — stops it from filtering through as it normally would, causing the water to sit and oversaturate the plant’s roots. And since root rot is one of the most common houseplant killers, it’s crucial to do what you can to prevent waterlogging.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t add anything to your pots to help your plant babies. When added carefully, certain items can help solve common problems, such as dirt spilling from the planter or large pots becoming too heavy when filled with a lot of dirt. And the best part is that some of these items might be lying around your house, waiting for you to use them. Here are some unexpected items you can repurpose to put at the bottom of your planters.

Add A Coffee Filter to Stop Dirt Spillage

 

 

Coffee filters aren’t just handy for making a cup of Joe in the morning. Surprisingly, they can also be added to the bottom of your planter. According to amateur gardeners, these kitchen staples are excellent at water regulation by ensuring your plants don’t dry out. They hold onto excess liquid and then release it back into the soil as it dries.

While there aren’t any scientific studies that prove this, enough people have had anecdotal success where this has become a popular houseplant tip. However, that’s not all. Coffee filters will also prevent dirt from spilling out from the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. This will make watering much more convenient and a lot less messy, especially if you like to move the plant to the sink to do so. However, there is one slight downside: They are biodegradable, and although they decompose slowly, they aren’t permanent. You’ll likely have to replace them every six to eight months.

To use this trick, place a coffee filter at the bottom of a clean pot before adding any dirt. It should line the drainage holes to prevent the dirt from slipping past. For larger pots, you’ll need a few filters to cover the entire surface inside the planter. Dampening the coffee filters before lining the bottom can help them adhere better and stay in place while you add your soil and plant. From there, you can let the filter decompose naturally and add a fresh new sheet after nature takes its course.

Use Pinecones as Natural Filler

Pinecones make stunning additions to festive fall decor, but these natural beauties can be a huge help in the garden, too. So, if you have some littering your yard, save them for your large planters as free filler. They’re a huge help in making the planter less heavy since you can fill at least a third of it with lightweight pinecones rather than dense dirt.

However, this method is better suited for larger containers rather than small ones for a couple of reasons. First, since its main purpose is to make containers lighter, your smaller planters don’t really need it. Second, filling a small pot with too many pinecones will limit the amount of room for soil and roots. This will minimize the amount of nutrients available for your plant and won’t allow enough room for your roots to grow.

Bricks To Help Weigh Down Planters

 

While some large planters require a lightweight material to prevent them from being too heavy to handle, others benefit from adding a dense object. Perhaps you have a lightweight pot holding a top-heavy plant, like a tall tree or monstera. If so, adding a brick or two to the bottom will help stabilize it and prevent it from tipping over if someone bumps into it the wrong way. This is also a handy trick if you live in a windy area and keep your planters outdoors.

When using this technique, make sure to use two planters: One decorative one and one that you can nestle inside. Since you don’t want to add the bricks into the dirt, you will instead add them to the bottom of the outside container. Simply nestle the first planter into the larger, decorative one, and then circle the bottom with bricks. This will keep it in place, reducing its tipping risk.

There are more tips at: Housedigest.com©

Should you cut the bottom leaves off tomato plants?

Tomato question

As a new tomato grower, you might be wondering whether it’s a good idea to trim the lower leaves on your tomato plants. Maybe you’ve noticed that some of the leaves near the base of the plant are yellowing or looking unhealthy, and you’re concerned about whether they might affect the rest of the plant’s growth. You might also be curious about how pruning impacts fruit production or whether removing these leaves is necessary at all. With so much conflicting advice out there, it’s natural to want some clarity before reaching for the pruning shears.

 

ANSWER:

Yes, you can and should cut the bottom leaves off tomato plants, but it’s important to do so thoughtfully and at the right time. Once your tomato plants have grown to about 12 to 18 inches tall, you may notice that some of the older leaves near the base start to yellow or die back. This is perfectly normal because these lower leaves are no longer as essential for photosynthesis. Removing them can actually benefit your plant by improving air circulation, reducing the risk of fungal diseases, and redirecting the plant’s energy toward producing healthy fruit.

How to prune

When pruning, start by focusing on the leaves below the first flower cluster. These are the flowers that will eventually develop into the first fruits, and clearing away the lower leaves helps the plant concentrate its energy on fruit production rather than maintaining foliage it no longer needs. Removing these leaves also helps keep the base of the plant free from excess moisture, which can reduce the risk of diseases like blight.

 

What to do about suckers

In addition to pruning lower leaves, you may encounter “suckers,” which are the small shoots that grow at the junction where a branch meets the main stem. For determinate tomato varieties, which grow to a set size and produce fruit all at once, pruning should be minimal. It’s best to remove only discolored or dead leaves and suckers below the first flower cluster. However, for indeterminate tomato varieties, which continue growing and producing fruit throughout the season, more extensive pruning can be beneficial. Removing suckers higher up the plant can help keep the plant manageable and promote better air circulation and sunlight exposure for the fruit.

How to avoid spreading disease

As you prune, make sure to use clean, sharp pruning shears or scissors to avoid spreading diseases between plants. Cleaning the blades with rubbing alcohol or a disinfectant between cuts is particularly important if you suspect any of your plants may be unhealthy. While pruning has many benefits, it’s also essential not to overdo it. Removing too many leaves can expose the fruit to sunscald, so be sure to leave enough foliage to provide shade for the fruit and allow the plant to continue photosynthesis.

Pruning your tomato plants with care can lead to healthier growth, reduced risk of disease, and a more productive harvest. If you’re new to pruning, start conservatively and watch how your plants respond. With time and practice, you’ll gain confidence in tailoring your pruning approach to each variety, ensuring your tomato plants thrive throughout the growing season.

Source:  ©gardeningchannel.com

A Big Comet is Coming in April: What You Need to Know

A newly discovered big comet could put on a dazzling show in the coming weeks and if it survives a fiery brush with the sun, it might even become an ‘Easter comet’ visible in early April.

Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) was discovered photographically on Jan. 13 at the AMACS1 observatory in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, by four French astronomers. The group runs a dedicated near- Earth asteroid search program called MAPS, an acronym based on their last names — Alain Maury, Georges Attard, Daniel Parrott, and Florian Signoret.

What Is A ‘Kreutz Sungrazer?’

Sungrazer comets are those that get within about 850,000 miles from the sun. COMET MAPS is a Kreutz sungrazer, a fragment of a much larger comet thought to have broken apart centuries ago when it got too close to the sun. It remains — a fleet of small comets of all sizes — makes up 85% of the sungrazers seen by NASA’s SOHO satellite, according to the space agency. All follow the same orbital highway. The best-known Kreutz-group sungrazer in recent years is Comet Lovejoy, which reached its brightest on Dec. 15, 2011.

Kreutz sungrazers often brighten dramatically near the sun, though many disintegrate and are never seen again. For now, Comet MAPS (C/2026 A1)’s fate is unknown.

When To See Comet MAPS

Whether or not it becomes super-bright, Comet MAPS (C/2026 A1) will be difficult to see from the Northern Hemisphere. By the time it reaches its brightest, likely around April 5, it will be very low in the western sky from mid-northern latitudes (binoculars will help). The best chance to see the comet will be 30–45 minutes after sunset. If the comet survives its close solar pass, it could remain visible for several evenings, though it will quickly sink lower into twilight and become harder to spot.

If it does brighten, the cause will be intense solar radiation vaporising ices, which could produce a spectacular tail visible in twilight. However, intense solar radiation can tear a fragile comet apart. Whether Comet MAPS survives intact or fades quickly will determine how impressive — or non-existent — it becomes.

The Best is Yet to Come: Embrace Future Joys

Origin

There is no clear indication of when this popular idiom was used for the first time. However, it has gained traction since the song “The best is yet to come” was recorder by Tony Bennet in 1958. The word yet means up to and including now. Thus, the phrase means that the best has not come but it will.

Meaning

“The best is yet to come” is an optimistic idiom meaning that while current circumstances are good, superior experiences, achievements, or joys are still to arrive in the future. It implies that the peak of success or happiness has not yet been reached, promising better days ahead

  • whatever is happening now will be surpassed by something better in the future
  • the best things have not come, but they will

Example Sentences

  1. I am glad that you are enjoying your holiday, the best is yet to come.
  2. Leaving high school has been tough but I know that the best is yet to come.
  3. Their team has won every game this season, but the coach promises that the best is yet to come.
  4. The days are becoming warmer, but the best is yet to come.

 

Source: theidioms.com

Becoming a Champion

 

THE 10 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHAMPION

1. VISION

All champions have a bigger picture vision for what they want to create. It might be winning an Olympic gold, claiming the world cup trophy or setting a new world record.

No matter what the vision is, all champions have something bigger that they are working towards. Because the bottom line is:

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’re never going to get there.”

Now I know some of you are freaking out about needing to have the rest of your life planned, but the vision will change over time, so don’t panic. What’s important is that you have something you are working towards.

So start asking yourself what it is that YOU want to create. And then start taking small steps to make it happen.

Then the question becomes “How?”. That leads us to number 2.

2. GOALS

Once they have a vision, champions turn that vision into achievable goals. There seems to be a common misperception about goals, whereby people think that if they miss them, they’ve failed.

But I want you to think of goals as milestones/landmarks to assess your progress towards your vision.

The other important thing about goals is that it’s not so much about the goal itself, but WHO that goal forces you to become in order to achieve it. Small but important distinction.

3. FOCUS ON THE PROCESS/PRESENCE

Once they’ve set goals, champions focus on the process. All of us have to go home tonight from wherever it is we are, but the headlights on out car don’t need to be able to shine all the way to our front door. We simply need to see far enough in front of us in order to make the next move.

So what’s the next TINY step you can take towards your goals? If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed or intimidated, your next step is too big and you need to go smaller.

Another reason focusing on the process is so important is that if you’re always just thinking about your long-term vision and goals, you’re going to miss out on the amazing opportunities you could never have imagined that already right in front of you.

This is how the vision changes; we work towards one thing, but are open to new possibilities as they emerge.

4. HABITS & RITUALS

I’m sure you’ve seen Rafael Nadal about to serve or Dan Biggar about to kick for goal. They have these somewhat comical routines before every shot.

But they’re not doing these things to make people laugh. In fact, they wouldn’t even be able to hear people laughing at all. This is because champions adopt habits and rituals to get themselves in flow/the zone.

Because when we create habits, the most important actions for achieving our goals become automatic.

Rituals

The two most important rituals for anyone to adopt are a morning ritual and an evening ritual.

During the day, things are going to get chaotic, people are going to demand our attention, and things won’t go as planned. Try to bookend your days with the first and last two hours of the day.  Use that time with things that set you up for success, you’ll be far ahead of everyone else. (P.S. checking email and social media don’t count).

5. HEALTH

Learn how to take care of your health.

The three most important areas are eating, moving and sleeping.

Eating: stick to things that came out the ground or had an animal, not things that came out a box or bag.

Moving: shift from thinking about exercise as 1 or 2 hours in the gym per day followed by sitting, to thinking of exercise as continual movement throughout the day (and no, you don’t need to workout every day of the week).

Sleeping: sleep is the most underestimated, neglected and important area of health. Sleep is a crucial time where your body heals itself and makes new connections in your brain.

6. PASSION/PURPOSE

All these things are great, but if you can connect your vision to a bigger purpose, you will go further.

The most common question I get nowadays is “How do I find my passion?”

But as Tom Asacker shared in our interview together, you don’t find your passion. Because your passion isn’t out there, it’s in here (pointing to my heart/chest).

What he means is that you can sit and try “figure out” your passion all you want, but you only discover it by DOING things; by experimenting with things you’re interested in.

And when you can find the intersection of what you’re interested in, what you’re good at and what others need, THAT’S when you’ve found your sweet spot.

So, my advice is to get really good at something and then use that skill to create the lifestyle you desire (and it doesn’t take as long as you think).

Speaking of getting good at something…

7. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS

All champions focus on their strengths. Usain Bolt (one of my favorite athletes) isn’t trying to be the best at every sport. He identified (probably at a young age) that he was really good at sprinting and then went all in on that one thing.

It reminds me of the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 principle, which says that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of the results.

So, what’s your 20%? What 20% of the things you do make everything else easier or unnecessary? Find those things, and then go all in.

8. TAKE RISKS

When I quit my job back in 2014, I had no plan B. And I’d love to be able to say it was all smooth sailing, but the truth is there were a lot of challenges.

There were weeks I didn’t know how I would buy groceries and months I couldn’t pay rent. But it reminds me of one my favorite sayings: “ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for”

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for”

All champions take risks and face setbacks, but what matters most is how long you can you stick with it. How far are you willing to go to make your goals and dreams a reality?

9. SUPPORT TEAM

Champions all have a strong team around them. This doesn’t mean they play a team sport, but they surround themselves with people who are going to move them forward.

There are three parts to this.

Find a mentor or coach

The first is a mentor or coach. This doesn’t need to be someone who’s done what you want to do, but simply someone who is able to guide you and bring out your greatness.

Because the thing is, no great champion ever got there on his own. Asking for help doesn’t mean you are weak or not good enough as you are. In fact, it’s much the opposite. It shows that you are serious about achieving your goals.

The next component of a team is your peers or environment. Jim Rohn said

“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

If you spend your time with people who just want to smoke, drink, party and go out every weekend, you’re going to be dragged down into that. But if you want to really achieve success, you need to spend time with people who inspire you to be better. Never be the smartest person in the room.

The final component of a winning team is also the 10th characteristic of a champion.

10. YOURSELF (BELIEF)

The final component of a team is a characteristic of its own, and that is YOU.

If you want to be a champion, need to have a deep inner KNOWING that it’s all going to work out. This won’t always be how we might have imagined, but you need to trust that there’s something even better waiting for you.

If you do all these things, together with a strong BELIEF, will become unstoppable. I truly believe that.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

But here’s the thing. These characteristics aren’t reserved for the likes of Usain Bolt, Lewis Hamilton or Roger Federer.

The truth is, you are all champions in your own right. We can all be champions of our own lives. You just need to decide if you are going to settle for good or if you’ll choose to be great; if you’re you happy being a competitor, or if will you rise and become a champion.

Source:  ©bryanteare.com

Memorial Day in America

 

Memorial Day honors those who have died in the line of duty

Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day began as a tribute to Civil War dead, and it was not until after World War I that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. The day became an official federal holiday in 1971. It’s now celebrated in America on the last Monday in May.

It began as a tribute

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity.  The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.” What a fitting reminder to all of us to learn about and tell the stories of our military ancestors who died in service.

For most Americans, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer and the start of barbeque and camping season, but the meaning of this holiday runs much deeper than a casual barbeque. In fact, the true meaning of this holiday is to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces.

Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades.

Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.

Peace to you and happy memories on this Memorial Day.

Article By Kimberly Powell for ThoughtCo.com©

How to use coffee grounds to enhance your garden

 

If you start each day with a cup of joe, then you know how magical coffee beans can be. What you might not know is that coffee grounds also offer a host of benefits for your garden, from providing much-needed minerals to helping with soil structure and deterring pests.

But before you start serving up fresh java to your beloved plants, it’s important to understand all of the intricacies involved—including why it works, how to administer the grounds, and some common mistakes to avoid. Here, we spoke to experts about how your cherished morning cup can perk up your plants.

Meet Our Expert

  • Elizabeth Jones, seed librarian at the Jefferson Public Library
  • Shane Brill, campus garden director at Washington College
  • Juliet Howe, horticulturist and the founder of Twigs Design

Plants That Thrive with Added Coffee

“Plants that thrive in more acidic soil can benefit from freshly brewed coffee grounds,” says Elizabeth Jones, a seed librarian at the Jefferson Public Library. “Some of these include blueberries, tomatoes, carrots, fennel, beans, beets, aster, and blue and pink hydrangeas.”

Maricel Gentile, the renowned chef and ingredient expert who owns Maricel’s Kitchen, has seen success with leafy green and fruiting plants. “Tomatoes like nitrogen early in the season, and the coffee seems to give them a boost,” she says. “My peppers, lettuce, spinach, and carrots also seem to do well.”

However, avoid adding fresh coffee grounds to plants that prefer alkaline soil. “Some examples include lavender, geraniums, snapdragons, rosemary, and most of the Mediterranean herbs,” says Howe.

Using Coffee Grounds in Compost

Coffee grounds can be a great compost ingredient. Shane Brill, the campus garden director at Washington College, collects the grounds and mixes them with other organic materials for compost, balancing nitrogen-rich items like coffee with carbon-rich materials like dried leaves or straw.

“Layer the coffee grounds in your compost pile or bin, turning the mixture occasionally to keep it aerated,” he says. “It’s important to avoid overusing coffee grounds in the compost—they should not exceed one-fifth of the total volume. Be sure to turn the pile once a week and monitor moisture levels, keeping the pile damp but not soggy. The finished compost will be ready in about three to six months.”

Using Coffee Grounds as a Targeted Soil Amendment

Coffee grounds can be scattered lightly around plants to help suppress weeds and deter slugs, according to Brill. “It feeds soil microbes that can enrich the structure and improve drainage,” he says. “But rather than viewing coffee grounds as a standalone fertilizer, we can use it thoughtfully as a targeted soil amendment.”

Using Coffee Grounds for Fertilizer

Dried coffee grounds: Gentile dries used coffee grounds on a tray in the sun, then sprinkles them directly into her raised beds and containers as fertilizer. “Wet coffee grounds clump together and crust up, and don’t let the nutrients seep out,” she says.

Gentile lightly scatters the grounds around the base of her plants but avoids the stems. “I gently work the grounds into the soil, just using my fingers to lightly rake them into the top inch or so,” she says. “Garden gloves are very handy, and I always water to help the nutrients seep into the soil. I like to think I’m giving my plants a nice drink of coffee.”

Liquid fertilizer: You might also choose to toss your morning coffee grounds into a half-gallon bucket of water. “Let this sit overnight and drain, then this water is ready to fertilize your garden,” says Juliet Howe, horticulturist and the founder of Twigs Design.

Mixed in potting soil: You can also mix grounds directly with soil, says How. “Simply mix 10 parts potting soil with one part coffee grounds for a built-in boost to your potting soil.”

Why pH Matters

Soil is made up of various minerals, water, gases, organic matter, and microorganisms. All of these factors play a role in pH—a metric that determines how acidic or alkaline your soil is. pH can impact plant growth and can vary widely across different areas of the country—or even in different sections of your garden.

Therefore, it’s important to test your soil’s pH every few years so you know exactly what you’re working with. Before you start growing, you should also learn what type of pH level each plant prefers.

So, what does pH have to do with coffee? Fresh coffee grounds are acidic, and conventional wisdom says that they can very slightly lower the soil’s pH level. Brewed coffee grounds, meanwhile, are nearly neutral, notes Jones.

“For plants that are very sensitive to acidity, coffee grounds aren’t your best choice,” she says. “However, repeated heavy application may slightly lower soil pH over time.”

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Fertilizing too frequently. Too much fertilizer can’t be absorbed by the soil. “It evaporates, leaving salts behind,” Howe says. “This high sodium content can damage roots, causing brown or yellow leaves.”
  • Not testing your soil. Experts recommend pH testing every three years or so to understand what nutrients you might need.
  • Over-caffeinating your plants. “Used coffee grounds are preferred over fresh ones,” advises Jones. “They’re less acidic, and they won’t shock plants with excessive caffeine content.”
  • Applying too closely. Adding coffee grounds too close to the root or stem may burn the plants, according to Jones. You also want to avoid sprinkling the coffee directly on the top of the plant.
  • Harming young plants. “Always be mindful of applying coffee to very young plants or seedlings, as it may stress their delicate roots,” says Brill.

Source:   Martha Stewart©

Read more about coffee grounds in the garden here:

Coffee grounds in gardening – the hacks that work and the ones that don’t – TUTORING YOU