November is upon us. Where did September and October go? Our fall is falling fast.
As such, I thought I should give you some things to remember about November, since it will probably fly right by too.
We all know I love rocks. Many of you do too. So here is something. November has two birthstones. Topaz and citrine. Citrine gets its name from the French word citron, meaning lemon, because of its yellow coloring. But topaz is kind of interesting. Ancient Greeks believed topaz could give its wearer strength, while Europeans during the Middle Ages believed it could break magic spells and dispel anger. Natural topaz comes in several colors, including blue, pink, orange, and colorless. The golden-orange variety, known as imperial topaz, is especially prized. Ward off all that bad mojo with a good rock.
Things would be rocky without the next things I will talk about. Traffic lights. The first modern mechanical traffic light was patented in this month. But a long November ago in 1923. Garrett Morgan received his U.S. patent for a three-position traffic signal on November 20. And today, they are still helping us travel.
Speaking of traveling. Nellie Bly began her trip around the world on November 14, 1889. She was inspired by Around the World in Eighty Days. Good old Nellie completed her journey in just over 72 days. Speedy. She became an international celebrity.
Here’s another November celebrity. You see, King Tut’s tomb entered history on November 4, 1922. A dapper fellow named Howard Carter and his team discovered the first step leading to Tutankhamun’s tomb. Later that month, Carter famously peered inside the sealed chamber. I wonder what the air smelled like in there.
Because there is air, air, everywhere. How about walking and carrying air? That’s what they do in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The first one was held in November 1924. It originally featured employees, floats, and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. Those enormous character balloons came later.
So there are some things about November. It is full of them.
And with that, I hope your month ahead is filled with all sorts of good things. Like rocks. Really good rocks.
“”””””””
“Forever is composed of nows.” — Emily Dickinson
“”””””””
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” — Traditionally attributed to Confucius
“””””””””
“Nothing is worth more than this day.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“”””””””””
