April Fools and a Museum Trip

So as I was debating whether it’s appropriate to write “Happy April Fool’s Day” (would that be implying that the person who reads the greeting is a fool?), Stretch showed me his latest e-Bay bill for the spring gardens he’s been working on. I laughed and said, yeah, I know “April Fool.” Then he looked at me and asked “What’s that mean?” Sigh.

Moving right along, our fellow history buffs might be interested in some trivia I found out about this day. It began in France in 1564 when New Year’s Day was changed that year from April 1 to January 1. Some people insisted on still celebrating the New Year on April 1. They became known as “April fools” and people started making fun of them and playing tricks on them.

Stretch:  Sounds like those French folks needed some anti-bullying lessons, huh? But since no one could call me a fool, this holiday really doesn’t interest me. If we’re going to have a history lesson here, how about if I share some things I learned at the museum last weekend?

After I got this beautiful miniature buffalo hide artifact from my friend Barbara to hang in my “bear cave” room, my human sidekick of course had to drag me to a museum to learn some facts about Native Americans.  Here are a couple things I found interesting:

The historic Native Americans are a lot smaller than they look on tv and in the movies.

This is a dance wand with eagle feathers that it says here was used in the Eagle Dance of the Cherokees. If I come to visit, will you teach me how to do that dance Wanda?

Wow, these guys had a Sugar Shack operation just like my cousins in Massachusetts!

We could have used one of these coats this past winter!

It says here that the Chief of the Natchez, called the Great Sun, was carried on a litter on special occasions.  Hmm.  That gives me an idea to suggest to my assistant . . .

You know Stretch, it’s a good thing I never thought of becoming a teacher because somehow my history lessons never turn out quite as I plan. But here’s something interesting I noticed outside the museum that’s a good lesson for all of us. They put all these spikes around this security camera to prevent birds building a nest on it. But one pair of birds was obviously not going to let those obstacles stop them.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Theodore Roosevelt