Marigolds

[+ BobPS]

I bought some marigolds at the local farmers market this morning. I mentioned to the young lady who sold me the flowers that Senator Everett Dirksen tried to make marigolds the national flower in the 1960s. She looked surprised and thanked me for this information. (She probably also thought I was a nutty old man.) I doubt she ever heard of Senator Dirksen. Anyone else here remember Senator Dirksen, his gravely voice and  plea to have marigolds named the national flower?

[Just Chuck]

Marigolds are the herb: calendula. Latin for the first day each month. Speeds the healing of bruises and wounds. Either by consuming the flowers (whole leaves or in a tea) or applying the leaves in some form to the bruise or wound as it starts healing.  They are valuable in herbalism.

[+ azdr0710]

 

[marylander1940]

 

Maybe Mexico will claim it as national flower. 

Tagetes - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

There's an Ancient Lesson on Life & Death Behind the Día De Muertos Marigold Flowers

WWW.REFINERY29.COM

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With fall, comes death — at least for those who celebrate Day of the Dead. On this day, observers set up altars to commemorate their loved ones’ lives, and on their...

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by marylander1940

[+ purplekow]

Republican from Illinois.  He was quite the statesman as Sensate Minority leader and had a distinctive rasp to his voice.  I believe there is a memorialized building to him in congress.  

Edited December 24, 2023 by purplekow

[soloyo215]

When talking to the younger generation, I try to be more specific, both because they might not have heard of people from the past, and because they have the attention span of a gold fish. I'd say something like "in the XX decade, then senator XXX..."

Also a new generation thing is assumming that every older person is some kind of pervert predator (in my case they got only the first part right).

[Karl-G]

Of course.  The Dirksen Federal Building is in downtown Chicago and has the Calder stabile titled "Flamingo" out in front.  International style, all steel and glass and not very attractive otherwise.

[Ali Gator]

I love marigolds. This time of year in New England, they can't be found. You're lucky you have them in your area. 

[wsc]

A story (unconfirmed) regarding Senator Dirkson:

Lyndon Johnson, when both he and Dirkson were Senators, got a call from Dirkson and learned that Everett was calling from his car deliberately to make LBJ jealous. True to form, LBJ went out and had a phone installed in his car the next day.

A few days later, Johnson was driving around Washington and saw that Dirkson was ahead of him in traffic. Johnson called Dirkson and told him that he, too, now had a phone in the car. Dirkson congratulated Johnson and told him how much he'd come to love it. Then Dirkson said, "I'm sorry, Lyndon, I've got to go. There's a call on my other line."

Edited December 24, 2023 by wsc
grammar

[+ jeezopete]

11 hours ago, BobPS said:

I bought some marigolds at the local farmers market this morning.

My grandfather used to grow marigolds in his window boxes and flower beds back in Indiana, but I've never seen them cut & displayed in a vase. Did you buy them cut or were they potted?

[Guest]

My least favorite, but they do keep rodents and deer out of the vegetable garden when planted as a border.

[marylander1940]

The only plants I have at home are alive in my balcony, garden and living room!

[+ BobPS]

6 hours ago, jeezopete said:

My grandfather used to grow marigolds in his window boxes and flower beds back in Indiana, but I've never seen them cut & displayed in a vase. Did you buy them cut or were they potted?

I bought them cut.

[+ BobPS]

13 hours ago, purplekow said:

Republican from Illinois.  He was quite the statesman as Sensate Minority leader and had a distinctive rasp to his voice.  I believe there is a memorialized building to him in congress.  

Dirksen Senate Office Building

WWW.AOC.GOV

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The Everett McKinley Dirksen Senate Office Building was the second of three office buildings constructed for the United States Senate.

 

[TruthBTold]

I am from Illinois (still live here).  When I was growing up he was one of the Senators from our state and because he was a Republican he differed from most of the politicians in my realm.  I was from Chicago and thus he was distinctive.  But then again he was not a Daley Democrat.  However, even though he was a Republican he was a politician that could represent the state because he was moderate.

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

On 12/23/2023 at 7:52 PM, purplekow said:

Republican from Illinois.  He was quite the statesman as Sensate Minority leader and had a distinctive rasp to his voice.  I believe there is a memorialized building to him in congress.  

Senator Dirksen as a Mystery Guest on What's My Line circa 1967.
A classic 5 minutes of TV nostalgia. 

Hard to believe that one of the panelists could mistake him for Rock Hudson:

BTC