“NATURE’S FIRST GREEN IS GOLD, HER HARDEST HUE TO HOLD,
HER EARLY LEAF’S A FLOWER, BUT ONLY SO AN HOUR.
THEN LEAF SUBSIDES TO LEAF., SO EDEN SANK TO GRIEF,
SO DAWN GOES DOWN TO DAY. NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY.”

~ROBERT FROST

MONTHLY SIGNS & SYMBOLS

FULL MOON:

• “YULE MOON”

FLOWER:

• HOLLY & POINSETTIA

TREE:

• BEECH TREE, FIG, HORNBEAM

COLOR:

• WHITE, RED

BIRTHSTONE:

• TURQUOISE & ZIRCON

ANIMAL TOTEMS:

• OWL, SNOWGOOSE & HAWK, STAG

ASTROLOGICAL ZODIAC SIGNS:

• SAGITTARIUS: (NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 21)
• CAPRICORN: (DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19)

PLANETS:

• Jupiter (Sagittarius)
• Saturn (Capricorn)

NATURE HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES

• DECEMBER 5: World Soil Day
• DECEMBER 11: International Mountain Day
• DECEMBER 12: National Poinsettia Day
• DECEMBER 21-22: Winter Solstice

THIS DAY in HISTORY

• DECEMBER 1, 1955: ROSA PARKS DEFIES SEGREGATION LAWS & IS ARRESTED FOR REFUSING TO GIVE UP HER BUS SEAT.
• DECEMBER 1, 1969: THE U.S. GOVT. HOLDS IT’S FIRST DRAFT LOTTERY SINCE WWII.
• DECEMBER 2, 1859: JOHN BROWN IS CONVICTED & HANGED FOR PARTICIPATION IN RAID ON HARPERS FERRY.
• DECEMBER 2, 1954: U.S. SENATE CENSURES JOE MCCARTHY
• DECEMBER 2, 1970: THE UNITED STATES “ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY” IS FORMED.
• DECEMBER 7, 1941: JAPAN ATTACKS PEARL HARBOR U.S. NAVAL BASE.
• DECEMBER 8, 1941: UNITED STATES ENTERS WORLD WAR II.
• DECEMBER 8, 1886: “THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR” IS FOUNDED ON THIS DAY.
• DECEMBER 8, 1980: JOHN LENNON IS SHOT & KILLED OUTSIDE HIS NY APARTMENT BY MARK D. CHAPMAN .
• DECEMBER 9,1793: NOAH WEBSTER LAUNCHES NEW YORK’S 1st DAILY NEWSPAPER.
• DECEMBER 9, 1965: “A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS” MAKES ITS FIRST TELEVISION DEBUT.
• DECEMBER 10, 1964: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. RECEIVES THE “NOBEL PEACE PRIZE”.
• DECEMBER 10, 1948: THE “U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY” ADOPTS THE “UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS”
• DECEMBER 10, 1972: “AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL” LAUNCHES IT‘S 1ST WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH TORTURE.
• DECEMBER 11, 1886: “COLORED FARMERS’ NATIONAL ALLIANCE & COOPERATIVE UNION” IS FORMED.
• DECEMBER 15, 1791: “THE BILL OF RIGHTS” ARE RATIFIED AS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
• DECEMBER 19, 1843: “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” BY CHARLES DICKENS IS 1st PUBLISHED.
• DECEMBER 20, 1989 – JANUARY 31, 1990: PRES. GEORGE H. W. BUSH ORDERS “THE U.S. INVASION OF PANAMA” .
• DECEMBER 20, 1946: “IT‘S A WONDERFUL LIFE” MAKES IT’S FILM DEBUT ON THIS DAY.
• DECEMBER 21, 1620: MAYFLOWER LANDS AT WHAT WAS TO BE NAMED PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.
• DECEMBER 27, 1879: “THE FARMERS’ ALLIANCE” IS FORMED ON THIS DAY.
• DECEMBER 29, 1890: 153 LAKOTA SIOUX ARE KILLED DURING THE ”WOUNDED KNEE MASSACRE“.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

*RICHARD PRYOR (DECEMBER 1, 1940 – DECEMBER 10, 2005)
—-STAGE / FILM / TV COMEDIAN, ACTOR, WRITER
*CHRIS HILLMAN (BORN DECEMBER 4, 1944)
—-ROCK SINGER, SONGWRITER ( “THE BYRDS”, “FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS”)
*FRITZ LANG (DECEMBER 5, 1890 – AUGUST 2, 1976)
—-DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, SCREENWRITER
*LITTLE RICHARD (DECEMBER 5, 1932 – MAY 9, 2020)
—-ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SINGER, SONGWRITER
*IRA GERSHWIN (DECEMBER 6, 1896 – AUGUST 17, 1983)
—-AMERICAN LYRICIST ( “THE MAN I LOVE”, “EMBRACEABLE YOU”)
*AGNES MOOREHEAD (DECEMBER 6, 1900 – APRIL 30, 1974)
—-RADIO / FILM / TV ACTRESS
*DAVE BRUBECK (BORN DECEMBER 6, 1920)
—-JAZZ MUSICIAN / COMPOSER
*ESTHER (“LITTLE ESTHER”) PHILLIPS (NOVEMBER 6, 1941 – MAY 17, 2016)
—-R&B / SOUL SINGER
*NOAM CHOMSKY (BORN DECEMBER 7, 1928)
—-LINGUIST, ACTIVIST, AUTHOR
GREGG ALLMAN (DECEMBER 8, 1947 – MAY 27, 2017)
—-ROCK SINGER / SONGWRITER / KEYBOARDS / GUITARIST (”THE ALLMAN BROTHER”)
*WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON (DECEMBER 10, 1805 – MAY 24, 1879)
—-JOURNALIST, ABOLITIONIST, SUFFRAGIST
*EMILY DICKENSON (DECEMBER 10, 1830 – MAY 15, 1886)
—-AMERICAN POET
*NOSTRADAMUS (DECEMBER 14, 1503 – JULY 1, 1566)
—-ASTROLOGER, SEER, PHYSICIAN, AUTHOR
*JOHN HAMMOND (DECEMBER 15, 1910 – JULY 10, 1987)
—-MUSIC PRODUCER, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
*LUDWIG VON BEETHOVEN (DECEMBER 17, 1770 – MARCH 26, 1827)
—-CLASSICAL COMPOSER, PIANIST
*MARGARET MEAD (DECEMBER 16, 1901 – NOVEMBER 15, 1978)
—-ANTHROPOLOGIST
*KEITH RICHARDS (BORN DECEMBER 18, 1943)
—-GUITARIST. SONGWRITER FOR “ROLLING STONES”
*PHIL OCHS (DECEMBER 19, 1940 – APRIL 9, 1976)
—-PROTEST SINGER / SONGWRITER
*FRANK ZAPPA (DECEMBER 21, 1940 – DECEMBER 4, 1993)
—-MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, PRODUCER
*JANE FONDA (BORN DECEMBER 21, 1937)
—-FILM ACTRESS, ACTIVIST
*PHIL DONAHUE (BORN DECEMBER 21, 1935)
—-TALK SHOW HOST, AUTHOR, PRODUCER
*HARRIET MONROE (DECEMBER 23, 1860 – SEPTEMBER 26, 1936)
—-FOUNDER / PUBLISHER / EDITOR of “POETRY” MAGAZINE
*I.F. (”IZZY”) STONE (DECEMBER 24, 1907 – JUNE 18, 1989)
—-AMERICAN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST / AUTHOR
*MARY HIGGINS CLARK (DECEMBER 24, 1927 – JANUARY 31, 2020)
—-SUSPENSE NOVELIST
*ROD SERLING (DECEMBER 25, 1924 – JUNE 28, 1975)
—-PRODUCER, SCREENWRITER, NOVELIST
*STEVE ALLEN (DECEMBER 26, 1921 – OCTOBER 30, 2000)
—-TV / RADIO ACTOR, COMPOSER, MUSICIAN, WRITER (HOST of “THE TONIGHT SHOW”)
*MARY TYLER MOORE (DECEMBER 29, 1936 – JANUARY 25, 2017)
—-TV / STAGE / FILM ACTRESS
*BO DIDDLEY (DECEMBER 30, 1928 – JUNE 2, 2008)
—-ROCK-n-ROLL SINGER / GUITARIST / SONGWRITER
*PATTI SMITH (BORN DECEMBER 30, 1946)
—-SINGER, SONGWRITER, POET, ARTIST
*HENRI MATISSE (DECEMBER 31, 1869 – NOVEMBER 3, 1954)
—-FRENCH ARTIST / PAINTER
*ODETTA (DECEMBER 31, 1930 – DECEMBER 2, 2008)
—-SINGER, SONGWRITER, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

FACTS & TRIVIA for DECEMBER

• FOR MOST of COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD THAT OBSERVE the HOLIDAY, “SAINT NICHOLAS DAY” (A.K.A. SANTA CLAUS) is CELEBRATED on DECEMBER 6TH, with the EXCEPTION of the U.S., WHICH DUE to a MASSIVE COORDINATED COMMERCIAL MARKETING EFFORT, NOW OBSERVES the DAY on DECEMBER 25th, to COINCIDE with CHRISTMAS.
• DECEMBER IS “READ A NEW BOOK MONTH”

HOME & GARDEN

1.  Good time to plant ROSES, PERENNIALS, BIENNIALS, BERRIES and FRUIT TREES.
2. Prune vulnerable branches of DECIDUOUS TREES and ROSES to protect from winter weather damage.
3. Start planning for next seasons VEGETABLE GARDEN: prep beds, order seed packets, seed-start containers, etc.
4. Continue to tend to and stir compost bins.
5. Apply dormant sprays to FRUIT TREES & DECIDUOUS SHRUBS, avoiding contact with annuals. (see “D.I.Y. Dormant Spray Recipe” below.)
6. Clean and service mowers, gardening tools and other equipment. *Before storing, be sure to empty out fuel from gas powered equipment.
7. Sharpen, sanitize and lubricate pruning tools, ahead of the coming primetime pruning season (late January – early March).
8. To prevent rust on pruners and other garden tools, store in a bucket, filled with sand with a little oil added (motor oil works fine).
9. As the thermostat starts to go up, keep an eye on indoor plants and begin to adjust watering accordingly.
10. Firewood ash can be saved for a SOIL AMENDMENT (to raise pH of acidic soil). Pine needles, to lower pH of alkaline soil.

*D.I.Y “DORMANT SPRAY” RECIPE:

• 1 gallon of WATER
• 2 Tbsp. VEGETABLE OIL
• 2 Tbsp. BAKING SODA
• 2 Tbsp. CASTILE SOAP

* SELECT a MONTH BELOW, for SPECIAL DATES, SYMBOLS, FUN FACTS & more!! *